Showdown in Big Strange

Kimani giggled at the crowd's reaction to her, her tail swishing excitedly. she look over the other contestants and simply summed up her thoughts of them in one simple comment, "Nya~ this is gunna be fun!" She giggled as she left the arena to find somewhere comfy to curl up.

"I'm gonna win! I'm gonna win," Fluffy yelled in a squeaky, and not-so-loud voice and standing on Dennis' head, "No I'm not! I'm just a meerkat with a giraffe! All of these other guys are scary!"

Charizard always hated enclosed spaces. His thundering figure and tall mass, not including his wings, made it very difficult to navigate hallways and avoid stepping on unsuspecting bystanders. He tried his best to coil up and make himself as little as possible. His muscles strained to be stretched. He let out an angry roar as someone stepped on his tail. He whipped around to glare at the person.

Deciding enough was enough, and since he wasn't fighting yet, the fire dragon made his way to the outdoors. He grumbled and growled as people shook their fist at him. Really, they should know better than to mess with a powerful dragon type Pokémon! He'd easily knock a few people out with a flick of his tail. Silly humans. Still, his lost trainer would be disappointed in him if he reacted so violently. In fact, he would have made Charizard stand out in the rain for a while.

The Pokémon shuddered with fear. Yes, definitely a bad idea. His large steps brought him outside and Charizard felt a bit of contentment being there. He stretched out his arms and his wings, yawning. It sounded more like a roar than a yawn to humans. His tail moved side to side lazily. This idea had better work. He had to win. He had to get the word out that he escaped Giovanni and was looking for his trainer. Charizard didn't know what he'd do if he lost.

Kimani looked around for somewhere comfortable to curl up as she walked, then say a great orange dragon, looking like it was roaring at something. Any fear humans had of the best was not hers, "Oh my god a dragon!" She squeed happily, bounding overand leaping to glomp it's leg, "An actual dragon! Yay!" She purred, her tail swishing excitedly letting go and taking steps back, "Do you breathe fire, dragon?" she asked innocnently

"Beautiful, dark, and powerful"? What kind of introduction is that? Well, must be based on first appearances... The only older female contestant questioned, gazing around the stadium with her cold stare. Why did she take place in this competition? She was surrounded by animals and younger children. And other men. People she didn't know, people that weren't familiar to her. Then again, when did she ever find a place to belong?

Livius pushed stray hairs behind her ears, waiting for the whole speech to end before taking her leave. She followed the other contestants, not bothering to see whether they would be any threat to her. She didn't need to size up the competition; they were all nothing special to her.

She gazed at the dragon however, slightly impressed by how massive and tough it looked. Maybe she'd be beaten by it? Surely, it was better than the giraffe and meerkat that was here too. And then there were the children. Why on Earth were children competing?! Livius felt her heart tugged at, wanting to help these children. She couldn't fight them, but she didn't want to lose to them either. She was completely torn.

Kimani was petted and purred her thoughts as she just stood there, letting the mayor pet her, her curiosity about the dragon temporarily gone.

Being crowded up on the tiny stage was awkward for Emi. Being in the spotlight was familiar, she had been honored in front of crowds both as an individual and alongside others, but there were a few slight yet unsettling differences here. The most unbearable were the stares. The crowd stared at her differently than they did the rest. They looked astonished as if they wondered what she was doing up on that stage with the contestants who admittedly looked the part. She even saw pity in the eyes of some, they likely did not even think she stood a chance.  That is what struck her so hard. It made her feel out of place.  She had grown accustomed to standing shoulder to shoulder, or rather head to shoulder with the greatest  heroes of all and hailed as an equal, even if the people claimed her as their favorite for few and far between.  Now she was far from home, and unknown by everyone around her, the reputation she had spent a decade to establish had disappeared.  Screening  the others She felt that she was just as qualified as anyone else on  the stage, but even those with the most unshakable esteems would begin to question themselves looking down at the expressions reflecting back at her.


Then came her introduction. Although it could barely be called that. Upon hearing it she tensed up and silently inquired if she heard correctly. Such an insult, to insinuate that she was some sort of child. The rage built up inside her and she almost exploded when the crowd began to coo, but she didn't. Throwing tantrums was for children. She hadn't had one in over a year now.  Instead she capitalized on the moment. It was clear that no one here expected her to win, but it seemed many of them hoped that she would. Maybe that would be enough. Emi thought back to her class unit on Ancient Rome last year. The organizers of gladiator matches would often rig the coliseum to favor the crowd favorite. The individual chosen to win may find weapons favoring their style in the arena or that their starting side of field was sloped ever so slightly higher than their opponents.   Gaining the adoration of the masses may give her an edge early on, not that she needed on. She was sure to win, no matter what anyone else thought of her.  She curtsied sweetly at the crowd as the cheers from her introduction died down, and made a point of waving to all her new fans as she walked off the stage.


While she had tried to be as congenial as possible, she wasted no time clearing the area after the opening ceremonies. Deep down she resented letting them treat her like some kind of pet or toy, and she couldn't bear being in front of the crowd any longer for the time being. She disappeared into an empty alley way, and once she made certain that she was alone, she removed the massive helmet that covered her head and threw it up against a wall. She had no reason to fear breaking it, knowing it had withstood hits from some of the strongest men alive.  She sat on the ground, with one knee pulled up to her chin, glaring intently at the wall. If they saw her, some may think she was brooding or pouting even, but those people would be wrong.  Pouting was for children, not mature adults like her. She was contemplating.

"Let's go mingle, Dennis!" Fluffy yelled.

Dennis began running toward the door. Their excitement was too much and they didn't notice the wall. With Fluffy on Dennis' head, Dennis' head slammed into the wall. Dennis' long neck leaned back and Fluffy fell to the ground.

Yushiro had been looking through his deck plotting strategies ever since the mayor introduced the contestants. He heard what the first match-up was, but didn't really pay attention. He did, however, notice that one of the contestants was a large dragon-looking creature. He looked back down at his deck, and began to formulate strategies that might be able to defeat this creature, should he ever have to fight him.

Charizard heard the announcement with pricked up ears. He recognized his own name and he vaguely recalled the words "one hour" were a regard for time. Other arenas often announced the battles like that. His trainer was usually the one who took care of the plans. Worry made Charizard's tail whip back and forth like a cat's. He should just get into position now and make sure he doesn't miss the time. He didn't want to be disqualified because he didn't show up because he didn't know when to show up.

Charizard began walking. Maybe one hour meant it was soon. Maybe he was already too late! Charizard's wings flapped uselessly. It was too small indoors to fly but oh, how he longed to. He settled on going into a brisk jog, his thundering footsteps growing louder as he approached the arena.

Emi pressed her helmet tightly to her chest, fighting against the tide of careless onlookers to keep a steady grip on it.  She had almost lost it once when an oblivious stranger crashed into her and sent it sprawling across the ground.  No one had bothered to help pick it up either, they just kept walking, some even thoughtlessly kicked it away from her.  When she finally retrieved her helmet she cursed at herself quietly under her breath.  Why had she cared so much what such inconsiderate people thought or her. Would winning their affection really do her any favors? The worst part was that she knew she still cared. When the interviewers came she would smile and answer all their questions exactly the way they wanted.  A child faced with such frustrations would be in tears right now, but not her. She just needed to wipe her face that one time. She had something in her eye was all.
 
 
She had been moderately successful at avoiding the press and any fans that were looking for Ursa Minor by carrying her helmet instead of wearing it. The change of clothes and height loss from taking it off made her almost invisible to the crowd. She had little concern about the people here discovering her identity. The arena was so crowded it was almost impossible to make out what she was carrying, and people were too absorbed in the upcoming battle to notice anyway. Besides, even if they did make the connection between her and Ursa Minor, no one here knew anything about her. She would go home when all this was over and no one would be wise to the events that passed here.  Or maybe she just stopped carrying when her carelessness lead to a busybody reporter discovering her in an alleyway yesterday.  At least the reporter responded favorable to her appearance. It  annoyed her how he was hung up on her appearance. The constant coddling of the fans had grown to be more grating  than the jeering detractors who favored the more traditional tough looking  competitors, but if she could have her wish granted for winning the tournament, she could bear anything.
 
 
Right now her primary concern was getting to a seat in the arena. She was not selected for the first match, but she wanted to watch knowing there was a high chance of her facing the winner in a later round. She had more than an hour, but at the rate she was moving through the crowd the battle could very well be over by time she made it. Sometimes  it even felt that she was moving backwards. Then she heard the thunder and felt the earth tremble beneath her feet. She turned around the see the crowd splitting like the red sea. It was the dragon! The crowd was parting to let him pass. Desperately fighting against the flow of the crowd she stumbled into the path the fiery competitor had left in his wake. The crowd began to cheer as the dragon as he passed, only stopping occasionally to give a questioning look at the small girl running behind him.

"Whaaaa! I has to fight the dragoooon?!" Fluffy made a :affraid: face.

Cindy watched from the stands. Looking everywhere for Ursa Minor. She had no idea what she might look like without her helmet on, so she hoped that the hero would keep it on. She watched as the dragon came charging into the arena. She laughed, that poor sap should be praying to lose this fight, so he does not end up having to fight the great Ursa Minor later on.

Behind the dragon a small girl came running up, apparently taking advantage of the temporary split in the crowed made by the dragon. Cindy watched her for a second before turning away. She turned back when she realized what the girl was holding! It was her...without her helmet. This is the single greatest moment of my life! Cindy thought. She turned to her five lackeys and said, "Shes here!"

They craned their necks trying to find her, but they did not see her. "Where is she Cindy?" The asked.

"Don't you worry about it! She obviously intended for only me to see her! She knows who she can trust... we have a bond..." Cindy stared off into space for a moment before shaking her head and looking at the five confused lackeys. "Come on, cheer number 26!"

They jumped up and as loud as they could cheered for Ursa Minor. People stared, clearly confused since Ursa Minor was not even fighting yet.

She felt her body weighing her down, fatigue sitting on her brow and making her look even tenser than usual. The night came and went quickly, not luring her to a peaceful sleep whatsoever. She attempted to lay in bed and close her eyes, but the scenes behind her eyelids would not leave her alone. Like flies, they buzzed around her, pestering her to the point that her patience was eaten up. The eyelids flew open and she got up, opening the window to her room and simply staring out into the night. Oschaert spoke to her, poking her nose into her business.

The entire night went by like that. She watched the sunrise and groaned, getting up to change and headed down to the arena. The crowds bugged her; she was unseen, yet they pushed and shoved constantly, paying no mind to the others that just wanted to get by. Livius could not stand it, so she stuck to the shadows of the building, rubbing her temples irritably. Why was I here again? Gah... This is awful. Should've never come...

"Wah, Livi! Why would you think such terribly sad things? This competition looks like so much fun! And they all seem easy enough to beat! Just need to... You know, let me out and all." A giggle echoed in her head, causing her to roll her eyes. The voice was all-too-familiar. It was annoying and it was something she dreaded dealing with.

The voice of Oschaert, her hellhound contractor.

Livius went to the stands, taking a seat to watch the first match. She dared not to make any eye contact, glaring at one man who decided to come up to ask her about who she wanted to place bets on. With Oschaert rambling around in her mind, she felt a surge of anger, even more than before. Her eyes closed a bit, a faint figure appearing in her mind. "This is my brain, you know. You should be quiet; you give me a headache. Just watch the match in silence. This whole competition thing was your idea anyway."

The figure looked at her, red eyes glowing with playfulness. "Ah, you seem so upset! I just want to talk... You know how dull and boring your head is? Why don't you let me out to play, deary? I just want to mingle, maybe it will help you! You might find and attractive male and I'm sure he wouldn't object to laying in bed with you..." The female hellhound giggled, her sensual laugh peeling through the empty space of Livius's head. That laughter only made the woman frown even more.

"Don't speak like that. Like hell I'd let you out, you disgusting creature. I will beat them with my own two hands, without you controlling them." With that, she refused to talk to the hound stuck in her head, opening her eyes and focusing on the match. The stage changed to a junkyard, piles of garbage towering over the contestants so she couldn't see them. She leaned back in her seat, crossing her legs while putting her hands behind her head. This will be interesting...

One thing she began to note was how the other contenders acted. The meerkat was a chicken; the dragon was confident and stepped out without a problem. A nearby kid peered at his cards carefully, his attention absorbed in the cards she'd never seen before. A little girl chased after the dragon as it made its way to the stage. Were these competitors to be taken lightly? They didn't seem so hazardous as they were made out to be during yesterday's introductions. Maybe they were all nothing big and she would win with ease. Yet Livius somehow found herself yearning for a challenge. It had been so long since she'd last trained properly. She missed letting out inner rage on a dummy, her thoughts taking over and her adrenaline pumping through her.

She would have to ask the mayor whether there were any training rooms she could take over, seeing that she didn't plan to socialize with these weird peoples.

Charizard was oblivious to the cheer squad and the girl trailing behind him. Instead, he came to an abrupt halt at a T intersection. In front of him were two signs, one pointing in either direction. Charizard lifted a claw to the top of his head and scratched it. There were things that looked similar to chicken scratch above the arrows. Charizard peered closer, his tail flicking from side to side. He was beginning to get more and more irritated without his trainer. He missed not having to worry about time and direction, he’d show up, kick some Pokemon tooshie, and go back into his ball. This was just beyond complicated.

His tail started to sway more violently. He couldn’t read human! He was already late. He was going to be disqualified because he didn’t show up. He would never see his trainer again. Frustration boiled within his gut. His fists clenched. If only he had a translator! The fire on his tail burned hotter and bigger. He looked like an idiot, just standing here looking at the signs and that made him even more angry.

“Screw it!” He said in Charizard tongue, his words sounding more like a jarbled roar. He opened his mouth and released his frustration in the form of flames. The fire came out and began to melt the wall in front of him. He watched the edges burn and liquefy with dispassionate eyes. He felt his anxiety wash away as he created that hole in the wall. He’d make it in time. He’d be there and he’d win.

He stepped through the molten wall, the edges still red from heat, and clapped a hand over his nose. It smelled terrible in here! Like a… like a junkyard! Was this the arena he was supposed to be in? What kind of ripoff was this? His wings flapped and stretched. Oh well, at least he had room to move around. At least he wasn’t in an enclosed space or worse, underwater. He shivered. He glanced behind him at the hole he made. He looked from side to side. With a little bit of effort, Charizard picked up a long piece of scrap metal and leaned it against the hole in the wall. Charizard scratched at his head again. It wasn’t the most pretty decorative piece he’d ever seen, but it’d have to do.

Fluffy and Dennis were flying around above the arena when he realized he should be getting inside. He flew high up and dived down. Dennis shot the roof with his laser beams, creating a hole. Dennis flew through the hole and they landed on a large pile of trash.

"I'm here!" Fluffy yelled.

Charizard watched as a strange looking creature descended from above. It looked like a mutation of a Giraffarig and a Furret, hybridized and melted together. Both of them were wearing strange things upon their heads. Soon after the bold appearance, a rainbow and some sort of writing appeared in the arena. Charizard cursed his inability to read human yet again. Was it time to fight now? Or was that a countdown?

Charizard looked to the Giraffurret, seeking guidance from him. Charizard felt for the power within him, preparing his body for a wide array of attacks that would, hopefully, end this fight quickly and smoothly. If his guesstimation was correct, Giraffurret somehow became a flying type Pokémon. That would mean a good amount of electricity would knock the fez wearing creatures right out of the sky.

Charizard balled his claws up into a fist. It began to tingle as sparks were building within his hand. All he needed was a close shot.

Emi was grateful to Charizard for bulldozing a path for her, even if it was unintentional on his part. She would had gladly offered him help, if only she had known. She passed the dragon the moment he stopped at the intersection. How was she supposed to know the dragon couldn't read?
There were barely and seats left in the bleachers by the time she arrived. Many of the people still working their way in would have to stand in front. Of the remaining open seats, few were to her liking. She had a lot specifications to satisfy. She needed to see the contestants so she couldn't sit behind anyone too tall, but more importantly she did not want to talk to anyone right now, which was complicated by the moderate celebrity status shared by all the contestants. Maybe there was reserved seating for them. If she could find it she would be sheltered from the gawkers for a bit.


While she still desperately wanted for the crowd to like her, the more she risked letting something slip in frustration. Even mature adults blurt things out sometimes.
She frantically looked up and down the stands for a good place to park her behind, as she did she realized she would need enough space for two people. There was no way she would set her helmet on the floor after what happened earlier. In the time she spent searching seats grew more scarce, and before she knew it the beginning of the match had been announced, signaling that she needed to find a seat immeadiately. It was of the upmost importance for her to bear witness to the entirety of the fight. Miraculously, managed to spy a open stretch not too far off with an amazing view. There was only one person on the wide bench.


When she approached see recognized it as one of the other contestants, Livius Kenedy. She had made a point of committing the names and faces of all the contestants to memory, and had even analyzed the mass and reach of most of them when they were on stage the day prior, but there was no reason for Emi to let on that she remember her. If anything, it may give the impression that she was concerned about the competition when she wasn't. She was just curious, besides it was better to be prepared. Normally, she would have taken a seat without a word, but the way others avoided her sent up red flags in the small girls head, or maybe all the manner's her adoptive mother pushed on her during her childhood had taken root in her subconscious. For whatever reason, the legendary hero paused for a moment and asked permission. "Um, Excuse me, do you mind if I sit there?" As the barely audible words stumbled out, she made a wish that she could be fighting the dragon instead.

"Fight!" Fluffy yelled, "YAY!!!! GO, DENNIS, LASERS!!!!!!"

Dennis ran toward Charizard, laser beams shooting out of his horn thingies at Charizard.

Charizard saw the Girraffurret charge towards him. He reached his arm back, preparing for his Thunderpunch. Imagine his surprise as lasers started to shoot out of Giraffurret's horns! Charizard didn't see that move coming, having never experienced one like it before, and roared in pain as a laser shot through his left wing. He stumbled backwards, his right arm going up to check the seared hole. He suddenly wished for a Nurse Joy or a Super Potion to heal him.

However, wishes accounted for nothing. He fought through the pain and forced his legs to move. He raised one hand up, his claws coming to the fore, and went to Slash the Girraffurret.