The Pokemon RP

[Heero]

Gabriel smiles as Graham for his compliment and nods as peter was telling him what they were talking about. Deino yips happily and walks over to the Tynamo seemingly wanting to play.
After hearing Graham's plans Gabriel thinks a moment about what he plans on doing. "that's interesting. I haven't really thought about it, except eventually taking over as lord of Fangdar."

[Creator_Drake]

Asmund crossed his arms while giving a firm nod.

"Our friend Nate speaks the truth. Just like us, our partners have opinions of their own on all manner of subjects. It's just a matter of speaking with them on it and taking the time to understand what they say. They may follow our lead when in battle, but to do so they must have trust in us and what better way to show our worth for that trust than to show that we care for their opinions?" Beldum looked about the table before looking right at Asmund.

"Bel, Beldum, dum-bel. Dum, Bel-Beldum, dum-dumbel?" The pokespeech caused the Metalnian to release a great chuckle.

"Too true my friend, just like the first time." He then gazed to young Ashley.

"Princess Ashley was it? So long as it is alright, perhaps you can tell us how you and your partner met?"

[Drack]

Asmund and Nate:

Ashley nods at Nate's and Asmund's comments "That is true, however not everyone truly hears their Pokemon's voice, but I did not come here to debate, so I will stop for now. As for how Sneasel and myself met its actually not that impressive of a story really...we were not paired at birth, nor did I have to go through an age old trial. I met him when I was a young girl when he was trying to sneak away after after scavenging through the castle's food pantry. It turns out Sneasel was abandoned by his previous trainer for being "weak" leaving him to live on the streets of Varlox and fend for himself."

"Sne, Sneasel, easel." Her Pokemon's words causes Ashley to smile slightly "That is true, there is a happy end to this story. I decided to take Sneasel in to raise and help him overcome his distrust in humans. I apologize to each of you again, I tend to also be wary of other trainers until I can determine if they too treat their partners with care and respect, and it is clear all of you do."

Edea smiles warmly "Its fine we all understand."

The heir with a Lotad perched on his shoulder speaks up in a bored tone as he leans back in his chair "Yeah, that sure is a sad story, but you can't change what happened in the past with your partner so you shouldn't dwell on it...Its always better to look at the bright side of things." He then sits up looking directly at Ashley with a grin "I think it's admirable what your trying to do though; getting people to connect better with their partners, but you shouldn't be so serious...you look a lot nicer when you smile milady."

Ashley just sighs shaking her head and gives him a sharp glare...and the heir then shrugs leaning back in his chair again "Fine-fine, I tried...oh and in case any of you were wondering....the name is Zelos and I'm the heir of Ladoga."

Ryen frowns and grumbles quietly to Asmund "I can't tell if he's being an optimist, or just doesn't care."

Gabriel:

Graham nods "Right, I imagine none of the other heirs have really thought that far ahead either, and my plans depend on our parents all coming together and achieving peace at the meeting, but in truth I am a bit skeptic if that can actually be accomplished."

Peter scowls "Why would you say such a thing?"

"Because, there are 18 separate kingdoms in this land...that's 18 separate leaders with different thoughts and ideas for how the land should be needing to come together as one, and truthfully the odds of that are slim. I'm not saying I don't want it to happen, but I will not be shocked if nothing is accomplished by this meeting."

Tynamo lets out a happy cry and circles around Deino.

Maru:

The fireworks stop and the heirs gather together in the village and one begins to speak to the crowd of villagers, however because of the distance between you and them you are only able to make out some of the words "People of....finally defeated the invading.....removed them from this kingdom......battle was difficult, but we refuse to stop here.....stopped...." As you look around you see stairs on the castle wall leading down to the front gate allowing you to get closer to the crowd and hear better.

[Nexous]

Nate leans in his face bearing a more serous expression than normal, completely ignoring Zelos. " Did you find, and punish the fool who abandoned your poor friend here?" Being that he, and his Ralts could be considered weak he took exception to the story.

[Oersted]

After a while someone down below started giving a speech of sorts, although Maru could not understand most of it from where he was, but looking around he noticed stairs that would allow him to get closer and most likely understand the speech better. Done with his observations Maru would go down the stairs in the hopes of getting a better understanding of where he is and what is going on.

[Heero]

"Well isn't this the reason our fathers have sent us all here seeing as we are all future lords of our respective nations? I'm willing to have peace but with the fairy folk I'd rather destroy or sign a armistice.

[Creator_Drake]

The Metalnian heir nodded in agreement with Edea, showing his own understanding. When the heir of Lagoda spoke however, it caused a brow to raise which soon devolved into a shaking head. Breathing through his nose as Ryen commented to him, Asmund tilted his head towards Ryen as Beldum looked about in curiosity.

"It's possibly a bit of both, friend." Hearing Nate's question brought a small frown to his face, though temporarily. Turning passive he brought a hand to his chin; there had rarely been anyone willing to abandon a Pokemon partner in Metalnia, thanks in part to the Wars and to how nearly every Steel type was coveted despite their weaknesses. Not to say it wasn't unheard of, but it was rare nonetheless.

[Drack]

Asmund and Nate:

Ashley turns to Nate after his question "No, I have never encountered the one who abandoned Sneasel, but its not something either of us obsess over and I would just prefer seeing Sneasel happy than to go on a wild hunt for vengeance." Ashley's partner nods silently as it sits beside her.

Heather then returns to the table bringing everyone their drinks "Grandmother and me are almost finished we everyone's food so I will be come back shortly."

Edea nods and smiles politely "Thank you Heather, we greatly appreciate it." and as Heather walks away Reyn speaks up "Right, well we should talk about something else for now...Asmund I imagine everyone else is curious, so how about you tell us how you met your unique partner Beldum?"

Gabriel:

Graham seems unfazed by your statement, while Peter looks on in shock until Graham speaks up looking in deep thought "Hmm, that would be a difficult task for Fangdar to do on it's own. I hear Fairy types are unaffected by Dragon type attacks, so your people would be at a great disadvantage going to war with Pixie, unless you got Metalnia or Maiasmya to join in your conquest."

Peter shakes his head "I can't believe the two of you discussing war in this place of peace...it just doesn't seem right. I'm going back to my room to check on Foongus."

Maru:

Once you make your way down the stairs and towards the crowd the heir that was making a speech appears to have stopped as the villagers are cheering for the small band of heirs. Reaching them you finally see that there are five heirs in total: The ones with the Foongus, Swinub, Solosis, Vulpix, and Lotad. The one with the Foongus addresses you as you approach them "Ah, good you finally decided to join in the celebrating Maru. We all wondered where you wandered off to..."

[Creator_Drake]

The clinking of cups on the table brought Asmund from his thoughts. Turning he gave Heather a smile and nod when she placed his cup before him. He grabbed the cup when Reyn turned the conversation to him and his partner.

"I did make a promise to you and you shall hear the tale but first, I am quite parched." With that he drank, finishing the cup with only 2 gulps. Exhaling he covered his mouth with the back of his hand to quiet a soft belch.

"Excuse me. That's better; nothing cures thirst better than berry juice from Palette." Putting the cup down he wiped his face with a napkin before looking to the group with a smile.

"Well, to know how I met my partner you need to know a little about Metalnia. See, similar to our brothers and sisters from Orris mining for metal is a part of life. But thanks to our ties with Laval we also smelt this ore into weapons, armour and building materials which we use for trade. For most in my country there is a place for them regardless of skill level. For royalty, however, it's expected that our skills in both areas exceed the last generation in some form." He huffed with a shake of his head.

"We're expected to have a both a keen sense for where metals are underground, and have a refined skill as smiths. So, as a means to help cultivate the former the ruler will take their heir with them on multiple occasions down into the mines for meditation, where they try to strengthen their connection with the ores around them." Taking a pause he looked at Beldum before continuing.

"For the other side when not in the mines you're in the forge, learning from master smiths while working the bellows and anvil. Needless to say I was never bored as a child. From there you learn all you can until you turn 18, when the final test takes place."

"First you travel into the mines with escort and enough supplies for 1 week. Using only your senses to guide you, you search for a new vein of ore. Once you get the feeling for a vein you follow it to the closest point you can find, then someone from the escort will go to the surface in order to pass the news and to return with food and workers to begin digging a new shaft." Beldum floated about Asmund's head before coming to rest near one shoulder. Looking at each other at the same time caused the man to chuckle before turning back to the group.

"From there you get 2 weeks to mine out your own pieces of ore to smelt and refine in the Royal forges. Depending on what you decide to make you'll get anywhere from 2 to 6 months maximum to show the extent of your skill and training. And on top of all of this, you're suppose to keep your eyes open for a Pokemon to become your partner, from the moment you start training to when you present your finished work before the council and Royal Family." He then let out a nervous chuckle while scratching the back of his head.

"Needless to say everyone was surprised and a little dumbfounded when it appeared that I had failed the test."

[Nexous]

I was about to rebuttal Ashley's comment, but think better of it. I smile politely at Heather as she brings our drinks. "Thank you." I say still somewhat glum. Seeing this Athena picks up my glass, and balances it between her horns. I laugh as she stands on one leg to cheer me up. I take the glass from her head, and take a drink. "Thanks." I say smiling genuinely. I then listen to Asmund's story. "What do you mean it appeared you had failed?"

[Heero]

Gabriel ignores peter as he leaves. mulling it over he nods his head, "You have a point...that is if we go to war with pixie. this could be the right place to make allies just in case. I will have to get together with the prince with the beldum. what say you graham?"

[Creator_Drake]

Still looking quite abashed Asmund reached for a small bag tied to his belt. Undoing the string Asmund pulled out a chunk of ore the size of a small lum berry. Placing it down upon the bag the Metalnian held it just high enough for everyone at the table to see. The piece looked like unpolished silver, with little pockets of hard rock dotting the ore here and there.

"After 5 days and nearly 7 hours of digging this was all we had to show for it, just this small piece of nickle." He shook his head ruefully.

"I thought that there had to be something else, I could feel it. Since I had a little more than a day left I continued digging. By noon the workers were exhausted but nothing more had been found, so I kept going. After another hour I discovered a hunk of high grade steel, about the size of one of these chairs from the seat down. It was a good find and it gave me enough to work with for the smithing part of my test, however..." With a huff he put the chunk of nickle away.

"To the Council it isn't enough for one of royal blood to succeed in one test but fail the other. If the heir undergoing the rite cannot complete the first test within the 5 day grace period following the first week, then they forfeit their place in line to the throne."

[Oersted]

Making his way towards the group Maru was somewhat surprised when one of the heirs present expressed some concern about him, hiding his confusion Maru simply shrugged before speaking up "I had things on my mind that were bothering me." he simply said.
(Sorry for the delay, I've been having a bit of problems with my comp lately.)

[Drack]

(That's alright.)

Asmund and Nate:

The others quietly drink from their cups as they listen to Asmund's story. As Asmund finishes Reyn speaks up after taking a large gulp from his cup "Yeah, I sort of get how you feel...I wasn't exactly warmly welcomed back to Arachnis when I finished my trial. As I told Asmund earlier I had to undergo a trial also, where I had to live in the forests of Arachnis alone and with little supplies, until I met a Pokemon that felt I was worthy to be its partner. It took me three weeks to find Heracross and return home, and while my parents were proud of me the Royal Council was less then happy...I took the longest in recorded history to complete the trial, with my father completing it in just under a week finding a Scyther and my grandfather completing it in under 3 days finding a Venipede as an example. So, they are skeptical of my ability to rule effectively in the future."

He pauses rubbing his chin looking lost in thought as he continues "On top of that, some in the Royal Council criticized the fact that I was partnered with a Pokemon that lacks the ability to evolve; saying that because of that I will lack the power to grow as a warrior and leader..." Reyn is then cut off by Heracross who lets out a proud cry shaking Reyn from his own thoughts. "Haha right, that just means we have to work even harder to prove them wrong."

Edea looks bewildered by both stories "Wow, I never realized how strict other kingdoms are in bringing up new leaders...I've never had anyone in Palette criticize my right and abilities as a leader."

Yuri nods in agreement "Yeah, being stuck in a mine for days having to look for the right ore, and having to live in the wild on you own for weeks all sounds dangerous."

Gabriel:

Graham sighs "Well, it is an interesting offer...but I do not possess the right to speak for the people of Wattray yet. While I don't mind talking strategies, Peter is right in a way...if the others hear us discussing war in this neutral ground it could end badly for our kingdoms, even more so if our host Kanbei knew. He would most likely throw us out of Palette shaming ourselves and making our own kingdoms targets."

Maru:

The heir with the Foongus nods rubbing his chin as the crowd of villages continue to celebrate "Right, well after this party we should regroup with the others so we can discuss our plan for moving forward and dealing with..." The heir with the Lotad then interjects "BORING, I mean come on guys we took out the invading army here and kicked a lot of butt doing it so its party time!" All of the other heirs sigh at his comment.

[Creator_Drake]

Asmund gave Yuri a nod. "Dangerous indeed Lady Yuri, all the more reason to be attentive to our studies and training. Luckily however there haven't been any incidents in the mines since my great-grandfathers time." Looking to Reyn he gave a confident smile.

"Your partner is right my friend, he found you worthy to become partners and from what I've heard Heracross are both proficient in combat and far more durable then they appear." He then turned to Edea.

"Strict and rigid they may be, but the Council must also work to keep our rules and traditions alive so there is some reason for it." He then crossed his arms while leaning back. "As for me, at the time I knew I had another 5 days so I didn't waste them and just kept digging. Thankfully I wasn't left alone as many of the workers volunteered to continue on with me. Even my grandfather joined in, though at his age he can't dig as he used to so he overlooked the proceedings as Foreman with his Lucario." He idly rubbed his chin.

"For 4 and a half days all I did was dig, following the feeling that drove me forward. There was something there and I wasn't going to rest till I got to it." Chuckling Asmund looked to Beldum who had decided to perch itself on the table by his glass.

"By supper on the fifth day the shaft of my pick broke just as I broke into a cavern. I scrambled to make the hole larger, the volunteers rushed over to either help dig or hold the torch lights up. Once it was big enough I crawled through before someone passed me a torch." He chuckled with mirth as he thought back.

"Looking into that cavern it was as if the mountain itself bestowed gifts upon me. One was a rich vein of high grade iron that'll last for decades to come. The other was an egg..." He looked towards the silvery Pokemon on the table with a fond smile. "...my partner's egg. From there everything went on as trials past, took 3 months to complete my Forge Trial which was a pretty standard time when compared to my forebears. It wasn't until I had to present my work to the Council and Family that the next big surprise came, for on that day Beldum hatched from its egg." The smile on his face turned proud as his grin grew large.

"Naturally the Council descended to titters when they saw Beldum's coloration. After that day we've never been separated since."

[Nexous]

”A hard trial indeed, glad you succeeded. Edea, we are your guests, yet we haven't included you in this conversation, that is quite rude of us. Where did you meet your partner?"

[Oersted]

"Hrm..." Maru was rather confused at the current situation, altough he did his best not to show it, when the heir with the Lotad interjected saying that it was boring and that seeing they "kicked butt" that it was party time, in reaction to this Maru shook his head slowly before a faint smile appeared on his face "Well, I suppose that enjoying moments of respite, however brief they may be, isn't so bad an idea." he said.

[Heero]

Gabriel nods. "Right. I shall not speak of it again unless it's necessary. I also do not hold the power to speak on behalf of my father and my kingdom as a whole yet. So I suppose it's time for dinner? care to sup with me at the tavern..or will there be a banquet here?"

[Drack]

Asmund and Nate:

Reyn, Edea, Yuri, and Ashley all look impressed with Asmund's story while Zelos continues to lean back in his chair with a look of boredom as he sips from his cup. When Nate turns his attention to Edea asking her to tell how her and her partner met she blushes slightly...possibly embarrassed that everyone's attention has turned to her. "W-well is not much of a story really...just like Yuri my partner came from an egg from both of my parents Pokemon. Me and Whismur have been friends ever since I was little; doing pretty much everything together from working in the berry fields, tending to the Miltank herd, and combat training with Kanbei and Slaking to try and better ourselves so we can be a good team and I can be a good leader when the day comes that I become the leader of Palette."

Heather returns with several plates of food as she places them around the table giving everyone the food they ordered "Alright, that should be everything I hope its to everyone's liking."

Gabriel:

Graham nods crossing his arms as Tynamo returns to floating behind him "Right, I could eat...I don't know if our hosts have a banquet planned though. The Princess took some of the others to a tavern earlier, so I imagine its more or less eat there or ask one of the people working here to bring you something, most likely they want us to get settled in Palette and letting us decide what we want at least for tonight...I would not mind going to the tavern to meet some of the others though. You went with that group earlier what did you think of some of the heirs that accompanied you?"

Maru:

The heir with the Lotad laughs "Haha, see Maru gets it...if everyone is so serious all the time it brings down everyone's morale." The heir with the Vulpix then sighs covering her face with her left hand "I never thought I would see the day I would agree with---" Her words are cut off as you are suddenly unable to hear any of the heirs as they seem to talk amongst themselves right in front of you, all you hear is a sickening silence until a small explosion breaks through and can be heard from the far end of the village with flames visible and the once partying crowd begins to scatter.
(Just to clarify because this is a dream Maru cannot hear anything that he does not already know...like names and certain information.)

[Nexous]

I listen to Edea's story. "I like it, a clean cut tradition. Zelos wha... never mind." I trail off as the food catches my attention. I take a bite of my stew before it is even fully on the table. "It's quite good!" I say as I place a berry on my spoon. " Ready Athena?" The little ralts nods as I lob the berry in the air. Athena moves to successfully catch it in her mouth. " Nice one, now try this!" I fire the berry directly at Zelos, and Athena catches it with her psychic powers. I give ger an impish grin, then suddenly the berry returns to it's original course aimed at Zelos. (DM decides it it will hit him or not.)