The Hero of Legend: Battle of Liberty

[enchantress]

Eighty years ago...

... began a chain of events that eventually changed the course of history in Fizzytopia. A powerful and extraordinarily evil Pokémon came to Fizzy Bubbles from the far reaches of space to wreak havoc upon the land. Hiding in the cold, formidable region of the Glacier Islands where few men dared to travel due to the extreme temperatures, this force of evil laid in wait, biding its time in preparation to attack the inhabitants of Fizzytopia so that it could take control of the land and build an army of strong Pokémon warriors with which to conquer the world.

When a Fizzytopian research facility lost contact with one of their research teams who were based in the Icy Wastelands, they sent an expedition team out to locate them only to find everyone dead after having been brutally murdered. They soon came face to face with the evil space Pokémon responsible for this senseless slaughter, all but one of the expedition team meeting the same fate as that of the unfortunate research team. Luckily one scientist managed to escape and was able to alert the mainland to the danger which allowed for the Fizzytopian army to be sent out to restrain, or even kill, the vile creature before it could hurt anyone else. They never returned. Two more teams were sent to the location, but were also never seen again.

At their wits end, and having no real idea of what kind of enemy they were up against, Fizzytopia's leaders came together and agreed to bring in the one person they believed may be able to identify and kill the creature. Connor, a mysterious man of few words, was the most powerful trainer in the land. So powerful that he not only had an arsenal of super strong Pokémon on his team, but three Legendary Pokémon as well. If a trainer like Connor could control the Legendaries Articuno, Raikou, and Heatran, then surely he possessed the ability to stop this creature before it ventured out of the Glacier Islands and onto the Fizzytopian mainland.

True to his reputation, Connor not only found the mysterious Pokémon, he battled and defeated it. However, despite the fact Connor possessed a team most could only dream of, he was a peaceful man at heart and could not bring himself to slaughter the creature even though it had already killed dozens of men. After luring the evil Pokémon out onto a lone glacier floating in the arctic sea, Connor's Heatran worked on melting the ice to create a deep cavern in which to imprison the space Pokémon while the rest of Connor's team engaged in a battle that would one day become legend. They were able to weaken the creature enough for Articuno to encase it in ice, and with Connor believing it to be embedded so deeply that it would never be able to break free, he felt secure enough in the knowledge it was trapped for eternity that he returned to Fizzytopia with the lone survivor from the original research team - a young boy by the name of Charlie who, orphaned after the untimely demise of his parents, looked up to Connor as his mentor. Charlie eventually went to live with Connor, training under him and learning all that Connor had to offer. Connor was uncomfortable with his fame however, and treasuring his privacy, retreated from the world so that he could live out the remainder of his years in peace. Though Connor is now gone, Charlie ensures that his memory lives on, and hosts the annual Hero's Festival in honour of his beloved friend.


Today...

... is the eightieth anniversary of Connor's Legendary Battle, and the Hero's Festival is in full swing. Not a single trainer in the land is missing the opportunity to pay their respects to Connor's memory, each and every one of them diverting from their current paths to take part in the largest and most popular festival Seaside City has ever seen. Though an annual event, this year's Hero's Festival has drawn higher than record crowds, everyone gathering to celebrate the memory of the bravest trainer known in history; the man who risked his life to save Fizzytopia from total annihilation.

Pokémon Contests and Trainer Battles are underway, offering rare and valuable items as a reward to those who are skilled enough to win. Men, women, and children are enjoying the array of festivities on hand, eagerly taking part in as many events as they can. Games, rides, stalls, and street performances are attracting record crowds, but it's the midday parade followed by the Legendary Battle re-enactment that everyone is looking forward to. The voice of Charles Higginbotham, known more affectionately as "Charlie" by Fizzytopian residents, can be heard booming over the loudspeaker system, advertising the sale of raffle tickets that will be drawn in one hours' time. All proceeds of the raffle will be going to the Hero's Charity, an organisation founded by Connor with the money he was given for saving Fizzytopia. Devoted to caring for injured, abandoned, orphaned, and mistreated Pokémon, this charity is seen as yet another of Connor's great accomplishments.

Mayor Thompson's voice is the next to be heard over the loudspeaker. "Welcome one, welcome all!" he proclaims. "Thank you for coming today, as there is no greater time to celebrate and rejoice in our prosperous nation as there is on the eightieth anniversary of the day Connor fought for our lives and continued freedom! Please enjoy the festivities we have on offer, and the games and contests there are to play. Most importantly of all, the Hero's parade will begin at noon, and the Legendary Battle re-enactment a 2pm sharp! In the meantime, please rejoice and be merry!"




You have one week to sign up for this campaign. Signups involve nothing more than RPing your intro (using goldenrod, please), but if you haven't posted by the time the first update is up then you've lost your chance. Speed is essential here, as Fizzytopia will not be reopening until the conclusion of this campaign. Two updators have been designated in order to help it move along faster, but we can't move if you don't. Please be sure to reply as swiftly as possible as we don't want this campaign lasting for more than six to eight weeks in real time. If you wish to purchase one of the raffle tickets mentioned in this update you will need to post a link to your withdrawal of 1,000 coins from the Coin Exchange that can be RP'd into your introductory post so that you can be allocated a number in the next update. In the meantime, have fun and get a scratchin' that RPing itch!

[Tyranidos]

Tyrant, with Phoenix on his shoulder, Pyro by his side, Mario and Luigi floating next to his head and Hippopotas in his Pokeball, decided that going to a fun festival would be..fun. Tyrant had finally made it to see all the stands and rides being brought in. "Ooh! Look at all those fun games!" Tyrant said. Pyro had his eye on a stuff Pokemon toy. "Oh, I see you like that Charmeleon stuffed toy, considering you are one," Tyrant told Pyro, "Wow there are so many people here."

He had come here for not only the games and rides, but he had heard a legend of a man named Connor 80 years ago, who had defeated an evil Pokemon and changed the course of Fizzytopia forever. There were contests and battles all around, a lot of hustling and bustling. He then saw the mayor making an announcement.

"Welcome one, welcome all!" he proclaims. "Thank you for coming today, as there is no greater time to celebrate and rejoice in our prosperous nation as there is on the eightieth anniversary of the day Connor fought for our lives and continued freedom! Please enjoy the festivities we have on offer, and the games and contests there are to play. Most importantly of all, the Hero's parade will begin at noon, and the Legendary Battle re-enactment a 2pm sharp! In the meantime, please rejoice and be merry!"

Tyrant looked down at Pyro. "Did you hear that?!" He said, "A re-enactment of the famous battle! We have to check it out!" So Tyrant, Pyro, and the rest of his Pokemon followed along the ecstatic trainer. "Oh, a raffle is also going on," Tyrant said, "These 1,000 coins should be enough for the ticket." He then ran to the spot of the re-enactment.

[The Black Glove]

The streets were absolutely packed with Fizzytopians. People and Pokemon alike crowded the festival grounds, and the voice of mayor boomed over the loudspeaker. The games had begun, and everyone was having a good time. Even a particular masked trainer.

"Three...two...one...pin!" The referee shouted. Drifter had found his way over to the wrestling booth. The flyers had said nobody could beat their champion. Drifter told them he looked weak. It had taken longer than he expected, but he had proved his point.

Drifter smiled and pulled his cloak back on. "Good match" he said, offering his hand "You aren't too bad. It's been awhile since I've had a good match."

The champ returned the grin "Same here. I'm just surprised I lost."

The owner of the booth came into the ring with a small cage. "I believe our challenger has won this fabulous prize!" he announced, placing the cage in Drifter's hands. The trainer looked at it in shock. They had placed a Tailow in the cage, and it didn't look too happy about it.

***

Drifter waved as the little swallow pokemon flew off. As much as he would have like a Tailow on his team, he knew it wasn't the type who wanted to fight. 'Twas a pity. Speaking of Pokemon...

"C'mon out guys. We're taking a break today."

In a flash of light, 3 Pokemon appeared. One, a tall blue beetle. Two, a slug that looked like it was made of magma. And three, a blue angler-like creature with positive and negative signs for pupils. Blitz and Hephastus took a look around, and once judging that they had not yet entered battle, ran off to find a fun game to play. Ion the chinchou, on the other hand, clung close to Drifter like a barnacle.

"Aw, c'mon Ion" Drifter laughed "I'm sure we can find a game you'd like..." he turned to the others "Meet us back in the square at noon. I'm sure you'd all like to see the parade." He nodded to the angler pokemon on his shoulder, and they walked off to try the ring toss next...

[SM]

"Wow..." Stephen says as he glances around at the festivities taking place. While he had certainly taken place in some small, local celebrations at his home in Mahogany Town, they could have been a six-year-old's birthday party and the comparison would be the same. It seems as though every single trainer in the lands of Fizzytopia has gathered here at Seaside City. Shops and stands seem to have sprung up out of nowhere on all sides in colorful roads reaching into the distance. Stephen begins to walk, taking in the sights around him.

Pulling out a Pokeball as he walks, Stephen calls out "No reason I should have the fun," as he drops it to the ground. The crimson and white ball opens in a flash of white light, which shapes itself into a glowing form of a small, doglike Pokemon. The light quickly fades away, revealing a small, black Pokemon, golden rings adorning the Umbreon's body. Barking happily to be free of its Pokeball, Umbreon looks around at the festival as well. Stephen begins to walk again, with Umbreon at his side.

Stephen then begins, "All this celebration is in the honor of some guy eighty years ago." Umbreon looks up attentatively, though Stephen has a creeping feeling that the dark type isn't really listening. Stephen continues nonetheless, saying, "There was this Pokemon, really evil. It seemed as though it was going to take over the entire land of Fizzytopia, and it killed everything that stood up to it. But then, there was this guy. He was really powerful, so powerful that he even could control legendary Pokemon. He defeated the Pokemon and locked it away in ice, never to be seen again."

Umbreon nods, barking again. Lost in thought about what sort of Pokemon the legendary Connor had defeated, Stephen just notices as Umbreon begins to run off to the right. Stephen follows, wondering what Umbreon possibly had seen. Finally catching up, Stephen stands at Umbreon's side, where a group of trainers had gathered in a ring around a Pokemon battle.

Watching the two Pokemon face off, Stephen's ears detect a loudspeaker telling of a raffle taking part in a few hours time. Pulling out a Coin Case, Stephen counts out 1,000 coins which he will use to buy a ticket. While he knows he has little, if any, chance of winning, Stephen figures that the cause is good and he has nothing better to do with them.

The Pokemon battle, meanwhile, has ended, the two trainers shaking hands at the center of the ring. The crowd dissipates, and Stephen turns to Umbreon, saying, "Well, let's find something to do."

[enchantress]

Walking along the bustling streets of Seasidy City, Tess feels slightly uncomfortable in the midst of such a large crowd. She's never really been one for social gatherings, but this takes the cake. She doesn't dislike the festive mood, but will certainly feel less claustrophobic once she finds a less populated section of the city to relax in. Somehow she doesn't think this will happen, but considering the occasion it's a fact she's willing to push to the side for this one day. She's heard the stories about Connor and his defeat of the evil creature who had descended from the stars to wreak havoc upon not only Fizzytopia, but the world, and it's a tale that fascinates her. There are several questions in the back of her mind about certain events that occurred on that historic day eighty years ago, and she's hoping that Charlie, Connors only living friend as well as the only living witness to those events, may be able to answer them for her.

Briefly considering releasing Tempest to keep her company, Tess quickly dismisses the idea as she knows that her gorgeous Houndoom is even less fond of crowds than she is. Inchy comes to mind next, but the little Trapinch is more than likely to bite off someone's hand if they decide to give him a pat, and that's not something Tess is willing to allow happen, especially with so many children about. Lightly sweeping her fingers across the Pokéballs attached to her belt, Tess smiles when she finds just the right one. Unclipping the blue Pokéball with thunderbolt design, Tess triggers the Thunder Ball's release mechanism, watching while Perry appears before her.

The little squirrel looks around with wide eyes, amazed and excited by the sights before her. Besides a brief visit to Elyra, the only place Pachirisu had ever seen was the mysterious island of Excelsior. Perry has chosen not to wear her special spy outfit today, preferring to leave it for a time she finds it necessary to go undercover, and while Tess smiles adoringly at Pachirisu, the little squirrel looks up at her with questioning eyes.

"We're in Seaside City, Perry," Tess explains. "This is the annual Hero's Festival, and the residents of Fizzytopia are celebrating the memory of a special, and very powerful trainer who was involved in a great battle that was fought many years ago. A battle that saved the world from being taken over by an evil Pokémon who wanted to control all of Fizzy Bubbles."

Upon hearing this, Perry's little eyes grow as wide as saucers resulting in Tess finding it difficult to suppress an amused smile. She keeps a straight face, however, for she'd deliberately added a dramatic tone to her voice to make the story even more awesome in Perry's eyes. Thinking about it though, perhaps she wasn't being as overly dramatic as she'd thought, for if Connor had lost his battle eighty years ago, would there even be a Fizzytopia for them to travel in today? This train of thought reminds her of the questions she has for Connor's friend, Charlie, and at that very moment she hears the voice of the very man she is looking for booming over the PA system.

"Would you like to buy a raffle ticket, Perry?" Tess asks, giggling at Perry's delightedly eager nod in response to her question. "Ok then, let's go and get one shall we?" Removing her coin purse from her pocket, Tess removes 1,000 coins and walks over to the ticket booth with Perry following closely at her heels. Accepting the ticket in return for her coins, Tess doesn't even look at the number, instead handing it straight over to Perry who stares at it while clutching it protectively in her tiny paws. "Be careful with that," Tess smiles, completely besotted with her little teammate. "It may win you a very nice prize." Perry nods, clutching the ticket even tighter, and for the first time in several months Tess regrets not making the time to give all of her team, including Perry, the attention they deserve. Work, studies, chores that seemed important at the time but really aren't when looking at the bigger scheme, had taken over her life, and looking at the awestruck innocence in Perry's face right now makes Tess realise just how much she's been missing out on. Does it matter that the base is always clean? The beds always made? The dishes always done? Would it kill her to let the chores slip for a day while she spent some quality time with her team? Life is what matters, and from this moment on Tess resolves to ensure she makes time for each and every one of her teammates for they're more to her than just Pokémon. They're her family.

Suddenly Tess doesn't feel much like asking Charlie the questions that have been bothering her. The day is still young so there's plenty of time for that. Right now, Tess only wants to ensure that Perry experiences a day she'll never forget. Lifting Perry into her arms, Tess gives her a gentle cuddle, stroking the fur on Pachirisu's head and giving her a light kiss on the cheek. "You and I are going to have ourselves some fun, Perry. You lead the way, and show me what interests you. Whatever you want to do, we'll do together."

[Rabid Squirrel]

"The Hero's Festival is in honor of a great man who had defeated a terrible evil that threatened thousands of lives here in Fizzytopia," Kami informed her Castform, Kumori, as they walked down the road to Seaside City. "This guy risked his own life in battle to protect others, and so they commemorate him with this festival, and the proceeds help Pokémon. The man, Connor something-or-other, even gave the money he was given for saving Fizzytopia to start this charity. What a guy!" Kumori looking awe-filled as Kami spoke.

"There it is! I see the festival!" Kami shouted excitedly to her Castform, Kumori. The two ran forward into the crowd of other people there for the Hero's Festival. Over the PA, someone was advertising raffle tickets. "Hmm... Should we get a ticket, Kumori?" Kami asked her Pokémon.

"Cas!" the Weather Pokémon chirped happily.

"Okay then!" Kami reached into her purse and pulled out 1,000 coins. "I'd like one ticket, please," she said handing the money over in exchange for a raffle ticket. Kami stuck the ticket in her purse, and turned towards Kumori. "Now we can go play games!" she shouted enthusiastically causing Kumori's eys to light up.

[Stark]

Stark stepped off the Ferry with his hands placed in the pockets of his long red coat. The gentle ocean breeze of Seaside City whipped his long blond hair away from his face, allowing him the opportunity to just enjoy the weather for a minute. He had never been to Fizzytopia, but figured now was as good of time as any. Surprisingly enough, he happened to arrive during a festival of some kind. A smile crossed his face as he began walking the streets, stopping occasionally to look at some of the goods various vendors had on hand or to watch some of the street performances that had happened to catch his eye. All things considered, he couldn't have picked a more enjoyable time to visit.

Eventually, he learned that today the citizens of Fizzytopia were celebrating their hero. A man by the name of Conner, who many years ago defeated a dangerous and powerful pokémon among other achievements. Stark had to wonder what it would had been like to meet such a legend. His own experiences with strong trainers led him to believe that this Conner must have been truly special to receive such high regard.

Soon his thoughts were interrupted by a voice coming over some loud speakers. Apparently there was to be a raffle in an hour. For a moment Stark thought about finding a trainer to battle like so many others had done, but he had always had pretty good luck when it came to raffles. After all, his first raffle got him a seat on the SS Tidal. Plus all of the money went to a good cause. He could always find a battle later. Maybe after the parade or something, he figured.

Working his way down the street he eventually found the place selling the tickets. Quietly he took 1,000 coins from his red Valentine coin case and exchanged them for a ticket which he placed in the coin case for safe keeping. With a slight half smile on his face he headed off to find a good spot to watch the upcoming parade from.

[Missingno. Master]

Missingno. Master arrived in Seaside City to find it bustling with activity. "Wow," he said, "What a celebration!" He then detached six Poké Balls from his belt and threw them up in the air. "Come on out, everybody!" the poison-type trainer called. In a flash of light appeared a two-headed cloud of poison gas. "Weezing," belched both heads in unison. From the second ball came a purple, menacing serpentine Pokémon with markings on its belly. "Chaaarbok!" it hissed. From the third ball was released a spherical fish covered in spines, a broad tail protruding from its back. "Qwil! Qwilfish!" it called out. The fourth ball released a four-winged purple bat Pokémon. "Crobat!" it called out. In a wave of stink, the fifth ball unveiled a purple skunk with a butt-shaped face. "Stunky!" it exclaimed as it passed gas. The sixth ball's occupant, an overexcited Poochyena, Tackled Missingno. Master to the ground almost instantly, licking his face eagerly. Upon being picked up and set back upon the ground by its owner, Poochyena began racing around Missingno. Master, yapping eagerly. "Guys," said Missingno. Master, "we're here to take part in the celebration of the anniversary of a legendary battle that took place 80 years ago. Qwilfish yawned. "But," added Missingno. Master, "I'll spare you the details for the moment." And so they started to take part in the celebration.

Arbok and Weezing started doing what seemed to be a comedy routine; A crowd of Pokemon had gathered around them and they all laughed periodically. Poochyena had found a cotton candy vendor and was begging so cutely that Missingno. Master was surprised that the vendor wasn't offering handfuls of cotton candy to him. Stunky was wandering around aimlessly, being given a wide berth by other Pokemon (except for a wild Grimer who seemed interested in Stunky). Qwilfish and Crobat alone remained with their trainer: Crobat perched on Missingno. Master's shoulder as it so often did. Qwilfish was looking around. Upon spotting the battles taking place, it shouted "Qwil! Qwilfish Qwil!" As Missingno. Master looked down at it, Qwilfish jabbed its tail in the direction of the battles. "Oh, all right, Qwilfish. Let's go do some battles." On the way, they saw Stunky, quite oblivious to the fact that nothing seemed to want to go near it. "Hey, Stunky, come on, we're doing some battles!" called Missingno. Master. Stunky came running over. Missingno. Master barely noticed Stunky's smell; probably because he had raised a Koffing for years. Stunky, after all, had never battled before, and needed the experience. Missingno. Master then began searching for another trainer who wished to battle.

[ZoraJolteon]

*CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* the noise reverberated through Zora's skull as he made his way through the rows of stalls, Forretress bounding along behind him, still somewhat wobbly, unused to her new body following her recent evolution. "I really should have had you learn Magnet Rise first." he said, watching her stumble as she tried to follow him through a ninety degree corner. Toppling forwards, Forretress quickly maneuvered her turrets to stabilise herself, digging into the ground in front of her as she came to a halt... upside down. Holding back a chuckle, Zora knelt down besides his companion to roll her the right way up.
"Forre" came a disgruntled noise from within her shell, as she was righted.
"I think you should probably try something else Forretress." Zora told her, still kneeling down face to face. "You're even heavier than Tropius now, so there's no chance of me carrying you. Do you want to go and grab a bite to eat or something?"
"Tress" she said in acknowledgement.
"Okey doke then. You do that. We can meet up later for the parade. Try not to get yourself in too much trouble, that's my job. Apparantly people round here think it's 'inappropriate' to go on about how you've saved the world far more times than Conner." he said, rolling his eyes and patting the top of Forretress' shell, waving to her as she with some difficulty turned around and hopped off in the direction of the food stands, Zora wincing as the clanging of her steel shell against the ground rang out again.

"I don't want to get too lonely out here." Zora said to noone in paticular as he stood up again. Unclipping a Pokéball from his belt, he tapped the release button, a tiny surge of red light being wrapped in blue as another of his Pokémon took shape. "You may not be the most talkative companion, but you're certainly the most mobile." he told his Rotom as it hovered in front of him, humming ever so softly, its expression as blank as ever. "Come on!" he said, continuing along between the many stalls of the festival until he reached one that was paticularly crowded. "Seems like everyone's after a ticket." he said. "Well, why wouldn't they? One thousand coins is hardly an significant fraction of my total wealth, even after I splashed out on you." Pulling the coins out of his pocket as he spoke, the queue moved on, Zora coming to face the attendee. "I'd like to purchase a ticket for the raffle please." he said with an uncommon politeness, handing over his money for the draw and taking his ticket. "Thank you" he said, walking away again. "Do you want to hold this?" he asked Rotom, prodding it with the ticket slightly, watching with great curiosity as the piece of paper sunk slightly into Rotom's semi-corpereal form like some kind of strange superviscous fluid. "You know, I am going to make you speak one day." he said, sternly. "Don't try to hide it. I know you've got a lot of stuff going on in that tiny little brain of yours." Rotom's expression remained blank, but Zora swore that the frequency of Rotom's hum changed slightly in response to his comment. Ignoring his companion, knowing that he could be equally stubborn when he wanted to, Zora headed off in the direction of the rides, his inner child demanding a go on the tea-cups.

[Jonouchi]

Ricco had read the legend of Connor and his brave acts. He had admired him ever since he was a little boy and he would do anything to be as strong as he was. His first journey through the Arcane Realm was the start of it. Now that he had the rights to all the main zones, he was one step closer to achieving his dream and becoming a powerful trainer like Connor.

The Hero's Festival was planned since forever, and he'd be a disgrace to miss it. Kain, his trusty Mawile, skips happily, humming a nice tune by his trainer's side as they walk through Seaside City. He had high hopes for watching the legend reenactment, something he was dying to see the whole day. The thought of him waiting pretty much killed him.

"Man, when is it going to be two O' clock already?!" Ricco said, impatiently. "I'm dying to see that legend battle!"

Kain didn't pay much attention to his outburst, not to mention that his whining won't get him anywhere. He sees the Ticket Booth that was giving away a raffle for poor innocent and hurt Pokemon or something to that effect and decides to enter the raffle. He walks up to the ticket booth and hands him 1000 coins to use to buy one ticket. The man hands him the ticket as he runs off to look for the Legend Battle location.

"All right, Kain," Ricco said, running around, looking for the location of his chosen attraction. "You may or may not battle, so just be prepared if you do. I don't know if they'll let us, but we can't bring our hopes up."

"Mawile," his trusty partner said.

"Okay, just in case, let's show them who the real hero is, Kain!"

They eventually find the area where the battle was taking place and prepares to expect the best.

[Joshua - Shadow Brigadier]

"Eighty years ago today." A lone trainer stood against a wall, watching the commotion with his own two eyes. "Eighty years ago today, Connor defeated the mysterious beast and sealed it away. Connor, a trainer capable of wielding the legendary beast of thunder."

Joshua's mind strayed for a moment, staring down at his current companion, Roxas the Luxray staring up at him in interest. Kneeling down to Roxas, Joshua continued. "Little is known about this trainer, or the beast he fought against, but if the rumours are true, Connor had the power to tame three beasts of legend. Articuno, the bird of ice, Heatran, some freaky thing of heat, and Raikou..." Joshua trailed off, images of the sacred thunder beast rushing to mind.

Joshua's hand reached out, absent-mindedly stroking Roxas' head. "You, my little Roxas, are all the thunder beast I need. So c'mon, let's go see if there's anything here of interest." Overhearing a loudspeaker comment about a raffle, Joshua shrugged, and reached for his Coin Case, counting out 1,000 coins to use to purchase a ticket.

[Skrusti]

Jeff, after ages of being a lazy arse, finally decides to come back to the land of Fizzy Bubbles. Stretching, the teen brushes away what seems to be loose piece of string before standing up and facing the town before him. "Aaaah. Fizzytopia." He mumbled. "Bloody hell, it's been awhile since I've been here. I remember the first time, so long ago. Found my way into the Haunted Fairground that used to be around here somewhere, fought a Gengar...old times, old times." Glancing around, Jeff wondered why there were a ton of posters and stuff everywhere advertising some festival or something.

Walking forward, he actually began to read the signs, and discovered it was a celebration of some mythical, super-strong trainer capable of capturing even the Legendary Pokemon. Stretching again, slightly amused at the turn of events, Jeff continued on reading about how this "Connor" person, about how eh was a really cool guy and wasn't afraid of anything, not even the unknown. "Well, that kind of sounds like every adventure I, and every other trainer I know, has been on." He said, frowning.

Continuing to read, Jeff saw that Connor had fought an extremely mysterious and dangerous Pokemon, sealing it far beneath the surface encased in ice, and how this day, eighty years later, was a celebration of his triumph. "How about that. The day I choose to stop mucking around in Mauville is the day of a special event. I love my luck."

Walking away from all the signs and storyboards, Jeff moved towards all the booths set up, each having something unique and different to spice it all up. Noticing some sort of Raffle booth, Jeff walked forward, and listened to the man talk about the raffle that would occur in an hour's time. "Sure. I'll press my luck with this." Jeff said, handing over 1,000 coins to the man and accepting the ticket.

"Now, let's see what entertainment will be going on today." The teen checked one of the various boards proclaiming the different activities going on. "Hmm. Seems like there's a re-enactment of Connor's famous battle. That should be interesting. So, I guess I'll go watch that and then go from there."

Setting off for the stage, Jeff moved the bag he was currently carrying on his shoulder to his other one, eyes peering around at all the strange sights along the way.

[Inferno.]

"Wow. Look at all of the fun, Houndour!" Inferno says, looking at all of the attractions available at the Hero's Festival. "Aren't you happy we came?" he asks. Houndour barks, excited, and runs over to watch a contest. Inferno sighs because he was hoping Houndour would have liked to see a trainer battle, but she's more interested in contests. He stands next to her for a little while, watching the contest too, and thinks he might enter her into one one day. He knows she'll like that, and there will be some battling in it for her. Maybe he should stop thinking about what he wants her to do, and let her make her own choices. If contests are what she likes then he'll help her to train for one.

"Do you know this festival is being held to remember a great trainer who battled an evil Pokemon to save Fizzytopia from being taken over and maybe even destroyed?" Inferno asks Houndour, hoping the knowledge might make her more interested in battles. Houndour shakes her head but isn't interested in why there is a festival. She's only happy to be here. "It's cool, isn't it?" he laughs. He wants to be as strong as Connor one day and have a team as brave as his. His team is brave, and most of them are very strong after all of the training they've had and the adventures they've been on. They even battled an Icy Rayquaza once. That was awesome and Inferno hopes he has a chance to do something like that again one day.

Inferno hears the announcement about raffle tickets, and even though he knows he can afford to buy one he doesn't want to spend his money. He's saving for something special, and when he has enough coins he wants to splurge and get everything in one go. The charity is for a good cause, and the tickets are only 1,000 coins, so he decides to get one anyway. Maybe if he can sell the prize it will help him to save up faster. He goes to the ticket booth and pays for a ticket, shoving it into his pocket until later.

"Come on, Houndour. Let's see what else we can do. There might be a game we can play or a ride we can go on." Houndour looks back at the contest and Inferno can see she wants to finish watching it first. "Ok." he says, "We'll look around after the contest is finished." Houndour barks happily and sits down to watch the contest again, and Inferno can see how excited she is. He shakes his head and smiles, thinking about how cute she is. Sitting down next to her, he pats her head while they watch the contest together.

[*DANI*]

"Isn't this wonderful, Togepi?" Dani asks the egg Pokemon she's holding in her arms. "Priii! Priii!" Togepi agrees happily. Dani squeezes him tighter. He's so cute, and she's glad she brought him to the Hero's Festival with her today. She would have liked to bring all of her Pokemon, but was afraid she might overcrowd the streets. Instead she takes two Pokeballs out of her pocket and releases Ivy and Glacia. Togepi squeals with delight when he sees Glaceon and Leafeon appear and Dani laughs, happy knowing that her team get along so well. Ivy and Glacia are her newest Eevee evolutions, and the day that Dani battled with them at Moss Rock and Ice Rock was one of the happiest days she's had as a trainer because when they evolved they completed her five year long quest to complete the whole set. They look around, awed, because they've never seen so many people before.

"This is a festival," Dani explains to her Pokemon. "It's being held in honour of a man called Connor who battled a really evil Pokemon. It killed everyone who tried to stop it, except for Connor. He was so strong that he could even control legendary Pokemon. Isn't that amazing?" Togepi, Ivy, and Glacia nod, amazed by how powerful Connor must have been to control Pokemon that powerful. "Connor defeated the evil Pokemon and froze it in the ice in the Glacier Islands, and it's never been seen again." Dani's Pokemon look at each other, worried. "Aw, don't worry," Dani says, kneeling down and giving them all a cuddle. "It'll never escape. Connor wouldn't have left it there if he thought that could happen. It's been eighty years, and today we're at a festival with games, and rides, and contests, so let's have some fun!"

Dani is looking forward to watching the parade, and then the Legendary Battle reenactment. She can't wait, but there's lots to see before they start. She walks with her Pokemon, stopping to watch trainer battles and contests. There are rides and games too, and she wanders around looking for something they can all do together. "It looks like there are raffle tickets on sale," she says when she finds the ticket booth. She loves raffles, and she has nothing better to spend her money on, so she hands over the one thousand coins she needs to pay and gives the ticket to Togepi. "Don't drop it or we might miss out on a free flight to Cascadia," she laughs, patting Togepi's head.

"I don't feel like battling today, so let's find a game to play," Dani says, walking through the colourfully decorated streets to find something they can all enjoy.

[Shadowshocker]

Walking amongst the throngs of people moving everywhere, Shadow went through a brochure on the festival's history, familiarising himself with the necessary intel. Grim, his ever-trusty Dusknoir, floated next to him, catching the information with his solitary eye over Shadow's shoulder. Regrettably, Grim was the only operative Shadow had released for the moment, out of concern that the size of his team would cause major traffic problems. Indeed, the rather sizeable Dusknoir had already been attracting various wary glances and frightened peeks even as they advanced along.

"Hmmm... Everything seems innocent enough," Shadow mused, though his thoughts were telling him otherwise. His journeying experience through Fizzy Bubbles informed him that in this world, things never were so easy or as peaceful as they appeared. Nonetheless, it seemed he and his party could enjoy the festivities... for the moment, at least.

Scanning through the list of activities for the event, the Raffle caught Shadow's immediate attention, considering the promptitude the activity required. Making their way to the relevant booth, Shadow paid up 1,000 coins in exchange for a Draw Ticket, placing the slip in his labcoat pocket.

"Well, Grim, perhaps we'll locate another activity for us to participate in, preferably one with lucrative results," grinned the geek knowingly to his partner. "That Porygon's not going to earn coins and exchange itself, yanno."

"Dusk, noir," intoned the Ghost-type, as ever in understanding and agreement...

[ALTOCHARIZARD55]

The day is bright, a fitting beginning for such an event. Alto is seen on this day walking to the Hero's Festival, no pokemon out, due to the crowded streets. "Heh, looks like there's been quite the turnout in people here, I guess..." he states quietly to himself. Looking around, he sees a few notable people walking around, one with a Dusknoir, another with a Luxray, and many others whom also had their partners out.

After a minute of looking, the thought of Connor popped up in his head again. Alto spent some time reading about him, and always pondered about the type of person he actually was, and how strong he had to be. These thoughts were inturrepted when an announcement is made about selling raffle tickets.

Though Alto had been saving for a while, he thought to himself, 'Oh, why the hell not. Nothing better to spend it on at the moment.' He walks up to the ticket booth and pays up his 1,000 coins. "Well, lets just hope we have a good time", he says to himself, before walking off again.

[lilbluecorsola]

“Pip, wake up! We’re here!”

A sleeping baby penguin held in the speaker’s arms gradually opened her eyes and peered blearily up at the sky, discerning her trainer’s cheerful countenance slowly emerging into view. She giggled and reached towards the smiling face, and the girl responded by playfully tickling the Pokémon’s feet. As sleep departed from the infant’s eyes, she became aware of many strange, unfamiliar sounds and sensed activity surrounding her. A peculiar sweet smell filled the air which stimulated a hungry sensation in her stomach, yet at the same time somehow satisfied her appetite. She gazed about inquisitively at her surroundings, her interest piqued by the curious noises and smells. A vibrant scene filled with people and Pokémon greeted her wondering eyes, and she watched in fascination as they moved between the stands, talking and laughing spiritedly. The rows of brightly colored stalls and the extravagant costumes of the street performers amazed and delighted her, and she tugged excitedly on the girl’s sleeve, begging to know what these novel attractions stood for.

“This is the Hero’s Festival,” Jess answered informatively, smiling at her Piplup’s inquisitiveness. “It’s meant to honor a hero who saved Fizzytopia eighty years ago from a Pokémon from outer space. He defeated the space Pokémon and trapped it in ice so that it couldn’t harm anyone, and so every year there’s a celebration to remember him. They have lots of games and fun activities, and later there’s even going to be a big parade followed by a re-enactment of the Hero’s Legendary Battle.”

Pippa’s eyes were wide as the girl spoke, and she tugged hopefully again at her sleeve, pointing towards the fair. Now that she understood what it was, she was eager to join in the festivities. Jessica laughed and nodded. “Of course we’re going to go in. That’s why we’re here. Right, Zuzu?”

She turned to her left, where there stood a rabbit-like Pokémon who had so far been quiet since they’d arrived. His long ears perked up at the sound of his new nickname being called, and he glanced up at the girl, slightly confused. “Zu?”

“Do you want to join the festival?” she repeated with a little less certainty. Although Atzu had been on her team for a while now, she was aware that they unfortunately hadn’t been able to spend much time together. She hoped that this outing would provide a chance to improve their relationship, so she waited anxiously for a positive response from him.

The Azulmarill nodded, understanding. “Zu,” he replied brightly, causing Jess to smile in relief.

“All right then. Come on, let’s have some fun!”

As the group entered the fairground, Mayor Thompson’s voice boomed heartily out over the loudspeaker: "Welcome one, welcome all! Thank you for coming today, as there is no greater time to celebrate and rejoice in our prosperous nation as there is on the eightieth anniversary of the day Connor fought for our lives and continued freedom! Please enjoy the festivities we have on offer, and the games and contests there are to play. Most importantly of all, the Hero's parade will begin at noon, and the Legendary Battle re-enactment a 2pm sharp! In the meantime, please rejoice and be merry!"

“We have time until the parade, so what do you guys want to do? There’s lots of stuff to choose from.”

At first Pippa and Atzu seemed too overwhelmed to decide where they should go, but eventually an individual booth caught Pippa’s attention, and she tugged at Jess’s sleeve and pointed at it excitedly. Jessica followed her Pokémon’s line of sight and perceived that she was indicating towards a stand which sold raffle tickets for 1,000 coins each, a sum she could easily afford. From the announcements Jess also gathered that the proceeds would be donated to the Hero's Charity, an organization founded by Connor with the money he was awarded for saving Fizzytopia.

“Did you want to buy a raffle ticket, sweetie?” she asked. Pippa nodded. “Okay then.” She walked over to the booth and set the penguin down briefly on the counter as she took out her Spoink Piggy Bank from her bag, ignoring the odd looks she received from other people with regular coin cases. She then counted out 1,000 coins and handed them over to the seller, who handed her a raffle ticket in return. She then gave the ticket to Pip, telling her to hold on to it tightly.

“In an hour they’re going to announce the winners. If the number they call matches the one on the ticket, then that means you’ve won, and if you show them the ticket, they’ll give you a prize. You might win something really nice, so make sure you don’t lose it.”

Hearing this, Pip clutched the piece of paper close to her, determined not to lose it. Jess smiled, and turned to Atzu. “Would you like to buy a ticket?” He shook his head, and instead pointed towards an ice cream stand, gazing hopefully up at his trainer with adorable eyes. She laughed. “Okay, let’s get some ice cream. Then afterwards why don’t we play some games? How’s that sound?”

Both Pippa and Atzu agreed to this, and as soon as the three of them had received their cones (Jess ordered Vanilla, while Atzu and Pippa wanted Chocolate and Strawberry respectively), they set off to explore the fair in search of a game to play until noon, when the parade was scheduled to begin.

Coin Exchange Withdrawal: http://www.serebiiforums.com/showpos...4&postcount=81

[Aquatic Angel]

Kim walks through the sea of people gathered in Seaside City for the annual Hero's Festival, enjoying the festive atmosphere. She'd finally taken the plunge and retired from her life as a Pokemon trainer a couple of weeks ago, but the lure of the festival has perked her interest. She loves the exuberant activity of events like these and has been looking forward to it for a while, so after making a brief detour past her cousin's base to pick up her laptop and six of her Pokeballs, Kim has returned to Fizzytopia. Being semi retired doesn't mean she can't enjoy spending time with her Pokemon every now and then even though they're now under her cousin's care, so she clutches two of the Pokeballs she'd picked up earlier and releases the Pokemon inside.

"Surprise!" she cries, embracing Absol and Gible who she'd said goodbye to only two weeks ago. "I couldn't come to an event like this without sharing it with two of my favourite boys." After a happy reunion, Kim explains the history behind the festival. "All of this is to honor the memory of a brave and powerful man who saved Fizzytopia eighty years ago from an evil space Pokemon who wanted to control the world. It killed everyone who stood up to it, but it couldn't defeat Connor. He defeated the space Pokemon, trapping it deep within the ice somewhere in the Glacier Islands so that it could never hurt anyone again. Every year since then the mayor of Fizzytopia holds a celebration in honour of Connor's memory, because if it weren't for him we wouldn't be here now. There are lots of fun things for us to do. Games to play, rides to enjoy, contests and trainer battles to take part in, even a parade to watch, and a re-enactment of Connor's Legendary Battle later today."

Both Pokemon are impressed with the story, especially Gible who is still staring at Kim waiting for her to tell him more. She picks him up, enjoying his young innocence, and smiles. "One day you're going to be as big and strong as Connor's Pokemon, but today we're here to have fun so let's find something to do." Walking through the streets, Kim hears the raffle ticket announcement and, feeling the money is for a good cause, approaches the ticket booth to purchase one. Paying her 1,000 coins, she hands the ticket to Gible. "If the number on this ticket matches the one that is drawn we'll win a prize, so make sure you don't lose it." Gible nods and gives her a big toothy smile. "Good boy," Kim smiles, placing him on the ground. "Would you two like to play some games until the parade begins?" she asks, laughing at their eager response. "There's plenty available, so it shouldn't be too hard to find something fun," she says, setting off into the brightly decorated streets.

[Latias10]

Catherine slowly walked through the streets staring at the many attractions set up. People walked around in enjoyment celebrating an event from the past, an event that none of them could ever dream of. To face such a creature was beyond Catherine’s imagination it reminded her of the battle against Rayquaza a while back. She flinched as she remembered the troubles the trainers had to go through against it, it was not an overly pleasing memory.

“Ri, ri,” a small voice spoke up drawing Catherine away from her thoughts. She looked down and smiled at the small creature that stood beside her. Its red eyes stared at her with slight concern as he stared up at it trainer. He then turned his head away and patiently started to look at the booths around him.

“Your right Riolu, sorry for ignoring you,” Catherine told her pokemon with a slight chuckle. “Let’s just go on and enjoy this event because before we know it, it will be over,” she added before starting to walk over to one of the booths. She stopped when she noticed her pokemon was not fallowing her but looking at something in the distance.

“Riolu what is,” she asked unsure of what her pokemon was thinking. Riolu did not reply with words but raised his arm and pointed at a fluffy brown creature running back and forth in the streets. Catherine let out a small gasp once she realized that it was her Eevee who had decided to run off and have its own fun. Immediately she took off after it with Riolu right behind her.

Eventually she caught up to the pokemon who had stopped to look at some of the food booths. Her eyes were wide and her tail twitched with excitement. As soon as she noticed her trainer standing near her she ran up to her while letting out some excited yaps. The young pokemon was completely enjoying the experience and trying to see a much as it could of the fair.

“Eevee,” Catherine mumbled as she stared down at her pokemon. It was an energetic little creature and this trait had gotten it in some trouble before. Sometimes she wished it could be more like Riolu and be patient and calm but not every pokemon was the same. “Please don’t run off like that your going to get into trouble if you do it again,” she told Eevee while trying to pick the right words for the situation.

“Eee, ee, ve?” the pokemon asked while it tilted its head and put on a confused look. Catherine giggled quietly realizing that the pokemon was trying to get out of the situation by acting clueless, she had been a trainer long enough to see through that act.

“Faker,” she mumbled as she picked up the fluff ball into her arms. “You’re going to stay out of trouble here,” she told it with a smile on her face. Eevee nodded its little head in reply pleased with the attention it was receiving. Catherine knew that that was what it was after since the beginning.

They then continued to wander down the streets stopping here and there to check out the many attractions available to view. They were all lost in this world until a loud announcement rung through the air. Catherine immediately stopped taking interest in what was being said. After learning about the raffle she decided to get a ticket since she had the coins to spend and it happened to go towards a good cause. She then started to walk over to the nearest ticket booth.

“One raffle ticket please,” she announced as she arrived at the booth. She then hand over the 1,000 coins and took the ticket in return of them.

“Ready for some more fun,” she happily declared to her pokemon. Eevee yapped with excitement while Riolu replied with a simple smile. A smile appeared on Catherine’s face because she was pleased to be spending the day with her pokemon and she knew that there was more fun waiting for them as the day went on.

“Eevee,” Eevee shouted causing her trainer to giggle at the small pokemon’s enthusiasm. It then leaped out of her arms and looked back at her with its eyes big with excitement. She wanted to runoff and see everything but she remembered her trainer’s earlier statement and wanted to obey it.

“Can’t argue with that, you can go exploring Eevee just make sure I am nearby” she told her fluff ball with a smile. Her Eevee nodded in reply and quickly started to make its way through the street with Catherine and Riolu right behind her. It were days like these that made Catherine very happy to be a pokemon trainer.

[j_hunter]

The Houndour weaved its way through the throng of people, nipping at heels and generally being a nuisance. Its owner, an ashen-faced youth, was calling out after it.

"Helen! I swear I will throw you off a bridge if you don't come back!"

J. pushed through the crowd, apologising profusely to everyone who turned around. He was hot, sweaty and deeply embarrassed. It seemed as though the entire street was watching him struggle to keep his Pokemon under control. He saw the wolf-like creature run up to a street performer who was singing a love ballad with her Delibird. J. went white. -She wouldn't. She's too well trained.- he thought. Helen wagged her tail and sat up on her hind legs. -Well, just in case...-

"Oh Lord... Helen! Stop!"

The boy pushed harder than ever, but the teeming mass of people in the square allowed only enough room between them for J. to see his Pokemon leap onto the Delibird and start sniffing all over its body. J. nearly fainted, and obeyed his first instinct. Reaching for the empty capsule at his belt, he called for the Houndour to return.

-She's not going to speak to me for the rest of the festival...- J. shook his head in annoyance. It didn't matter if Helen was angry with him for forcing her into the Pokeball. Her list of pet hates (of which being told what to do was top) was not the reason they had come to the Seaside City. J. looked around at all of the people having fun, and thought, -Yeah... this is what it's all about. Celebrating Fizzytopia's hero.-

J. heard the Mayor making an announcement about the parade. He couldn't wait for it to begin. J. went to a stall to look for some sushi, and then settled down and watched the festivities.