- - can't read my POKER face - - [OPEN]

[Fidge]

THE KANTO COORDINATION LEAGUE PROUDLY INVITES YOU TO:
THE 2009 SUMMER SEASON COMPETITION HELD IN THE CONTEST HALL OF SAFFRON CITY.
This two day competition will take place through the weekend. All contestants will stay in the dorms provided.
A banquet will be included the evening before the first battle so contestants can get acquainted with one another.
THE FIRST PLACE WINNER WILL RECEIVE A CERTIFIED RIBBON FOR THEIR COLLECTION ALONG WITH PRIZE MONEY OF 2,500 POKEDOLLARS.
Awards will also be given to second place, third place, and runner-up.
IF YOU'RE A COORDINATOR, DON'T MISS THIS SPECIAL EVENT AS WE CELEBRATE THE BEGINNING OF SUMMER TIME.

[/b] is my invitation to the Saffron City Summer Contest that I received from them. It's because I'm well known for the contests that I've won in the past. I must be pretty special and you're not! Heehee!"[/i][/color]
He was telling the truth. The competition was open for anybody to participate in, but a handful of coordinators had received a notification about this competition by the board of the Kanto Coordination League.

Ivory heels clicked against the cool pavement as he approached the extravagant contest hall; all lit up like a Christmas tree. The moon was slowly stretching towards the heavens, and the weather was pleasant. Oh yes. The weather put him in a lovely mood. He was ready to eat some food and pick on a few kids.
The man was in his early twenties and carried a rather feminine appearance. His limbs were long and graceful, and he walked with perfected posture. Violet colored locks spilled from his head like a waterfall, ending just before his middle back with playful waves teasing it.
He suddenly halted upon reaching the entrance to the contest hall and looked up at the electronic marquee that skidded across the rooftop of the building.[/ul]

WELCOME COORDINATORS TO THE 2009 SUMMER COMPETITION

[/i] noise announcing his arrival. His arms uplifted and adjusted the hat, which accurately resembled a Banette's crown, before sauntering over to the lady behind the desk.
His arms gracefully slid to the desk, his elbows propping up on the acrylic, and his chin finding its way into his palms, "Excuse me, but where exactly is the banquet hall?" As he awaited a response, his French tip nails clicked against his cheeks.
"Oh, that's right down this aisle, the second room to your left -- Panel Room Number 202," The lady replied before tapping her chin in thought, "say, that's... quite the outfit you've got there. A.. Banette, right?"
At this point, Harley removed his sunglasses and chewed on the end of the ear piece, a bright smile spreading across his porcelain face like butter on rye, "Why, yesss. Yes it is. Isn't it fabulous? Y'anno, I made it myself!" Harley exclaimed as he backed away from the desk with a little twirl. The lady blinked a few times before biting her lower lip, "I, uh, see. It's.. very nice! But.. why are you wearing it..? And.. why a Banette? Any special reason? Are.. you here to entertain people..?" Immediately, Harley's coy expression changed to one of malice. Thick, bold lashes that surrounded his piercing eyes like a picture frame narrowed dangerously together briefly before he slammed his palms upon the desk and pushed up on it to appear more intimidating, his back arching inward. His head cocked to a shoulder as his fingers tapped his sunglasses against the acrylic, "Is there something wrong with dressing like this? I think it looks rather hot -- or at least cute. Frankly, I don't think you know much about fashion -- so shut it!"
A voice and face that at first glance seemed appealing now revealed only a touch of its true color. Before a full sentence could escape the lady's lips, Harley pushed himself off of the counter and put on his sunglasses as he pivoted and swayed down the aisle. The tip of his tongue stuck out through his rosy, chapstick covered lips, "What an absolute moron."

As he left, the attractive scent of freshly picked lilacs filled the air.
Seriously. What shampoo was that..? None other than the most expensive kind! He deserved the most expensive kind -- he was Harley Kanaye! He was positive he didn't jump to assumptions, either, let alone have an ridiculous temper. He also came from Hoenn, and wished to be the greatest coordinator in the world.

Yeah, his dreams were big, just like his ego.
[/ul]

[The Jester]

(Okayso. I'mma throw Winny in here now. C:)

A young woman stood silently in front of the doors to the Contest Hall. Her lavender hair fell in curls down her back (this was not natural, a curling iron had been taken to the tresses), save for two large tufts in the front that had been styled into wing-like shapes- not unlike the wings that adorned a Dragonair's head.

The woman was wearing a beautiful sky-blue dress reaching her ankles, with soft cotton-like material covering the collar, upper chest and sleeves, which flared out a bit near the ends. Her shoes were strappy sandals in the same shade of blue as the dress, and wrapped tightly around her feet and ankles.

Her eyes, which matched her hair in color, were staring nervously at the doors. She wondered what awaited her through those doors.

Earlier, when she had returned to her hotel room to change and get ready, Winona had found two women with mischievous looks on their faces waiting for her. Her parents had actually hired a hair stylist and fashion expert to come to Kanto and give her a makeover before the Contest she had been blackmailed into entering. Thus, her current appearance.

Winona sighed, and finally pushed open the door just in time to see what looked like someone in a Banette costume (probably the man[?] she'd seen enter the building earlier while she was pondering whether or not to go inside, she didn't think he'd noticed her then) walk down the aisle away from the desk and a very nervous-looking receptionist. She wondered what had happened between the two, and, figuring he was also likely heading to the party for the Coordinators entering the contest, followed the costumed man down the aisle and through the door he'd entered, labeled "202."

I hope this night ends well... She thought.

(-dies of fail-)

[Mim]

”Careful, Nana, hold still just a bit more~”
”Yen, yenaaaaaa.”

Nana didn't seem to want the ribbon around her neck adjusted, but Ruby wasn't taking no for an answer. The Poochyena wiggled a bit more before relenting and sitting with chin up, eyes focusing on a stray bit of thread that was floating around. The urge to jump up and snap at it was quickly squashed as the canine reminded herself that she was far beyond that kind of behavior already. Coco would have been allowed to jump after the bit of wayward fluff, perhaps, since the Skitty was usually entered in Cute Contests and therefore only boosted her reputation with such antics. As such, the gray puppy remained quite still on the table, forepaws placed loosely in front of her as she waited for her owner to finish retying the wide length of satiny material that was looped around her neck.

”Almost...Hang on, that part's twisted. Sorry, Nana, just a bit more,” the boy sitting in front of the Pokemon tugged his hat further down on his forehead and returned to flattening the section of bow that had twirled somehow into a messy circle. The human looked strangely similar with his Poochyena, a result of a recent change in appearance. The hat, for one – the whole thing was black and sported two small, pointed ears spaced carefully behind the headband part of the hat and at either side of Ruby's head. The Pokeball marking on the headband's upper left corner was a silvery gray that matched the Coordinator's shirt. Other than color changes, the boy's outfit looked the same as his everyday clothes did; the thick curve and twin lines on his shirt were black, and his pants were no different than his usual pair except in that they were gray. The hardest things about appearing at this Contest...banquet thing in costume had probably been the hat and boots. He'd only spent a few days on the hat, really, since he just recycled the patterns for his usual hat and added ears, but the boots had been a nightmare to find. Combing various shops had paid off, though; where his pants shifted from a loose style into a clingier form (just below the knee), black took over in the form of simple boots.

His gloves, fingerless and black to match the occasion, stood out against the silvery ribbon he was trying to fix. A few firm tugs, a quick twist to align the spare bits of ribbon, and he sat back in his chair with a satisfied hum. ”It's not too tight, is it – wait!” He jumped up as his Poochyena turned to drop from the table and race outside, the banquet room obviously too boring for her. ”Nana, come back!”

Evidently, the canine was obedient enough to stop in the hallway, letting Ruby catch up and scoop her into his arms with barely a complaint. She wiggled up out of his grasp even as he was standing up, ending up leaned against his shoulder with spine rounded into the crook of his elbow. Supporting Nana as he straightened, Ruby turned to reenter the panel room with a slight sigh. He was a bit nervous too, but didn't show it by running in and out of the room like a certain Pokemon did. Nothing left but to wait until the contest started, anyways, so he might as well head back to his seat.

[Fidge]

[/color] The Banette-man said to himself before smirking and pivoting on his heels again. Now facing the woman, Harley's hands clutched together as a sickeningly delightful expression illuminated his pale face,"Hiii~!" Such an odd voice he carried.
"You look terribly confused, honey. Perhaps I could help clear up any questions you have? I've been doing this all my life!"
Well, sort of all his life.
He knew she probably wasn't lost or confused, but the opportunity for Harley to flaunt the fact he had been a coordinator since his teen years opened itself up. She didn't look as happy to be here like some of the other coordinators eiter. In fact, her outfit was rather.. bland unlike all the other participants.
What a disgusting color.
As he awaited a response, Harley flashed a convincingly deceitful grin, showing his sparkling teeth.
However, his piercing eyes caught sight of a gray blur running by, followed by another gray blur scooping the smaller gray blur up. These blurs were made out to be a Poochyena, and a boy dressed as a Poochyena.
How CUUUUTE! Harley thought as he watched Ruby edged back into the banquet hall. Harley bit his lip with a smile before calling out, "Hey little BOOOOY~! Better keep that thing on a leash!"
My Pokemon would NEVER run away from me like that! What an amateur![/i][/ul]

[The Jester]

Winona jumped as the man in the Banette costume suddenly turned towards her and said hi. In a very disturbing manner.

"You look terribly confused, honey. Perhaps I could help clear up any questions you have? I've been doing this all my life!"

..."honey"?
"No, I know how contests work, I've watched my parents participate in them. This just happens to be my first... And I would appreciate it if you didn't call me honey again." She said, looking at the man oddly. He seemed eager to flaunt his skill, or knowledge, or hell, maybe just his looks. She noticed him look away for a second and followed his gaze to see a young boy in a Poochyena costume (why was everyone here in costume? Well, not that Winona was one to talk, the dress she was wearing had been specifically designed after an Altaria, after all). He was chasing after an actual Poochyena, and swiftly caught it up in his arms. The costume was very cute, as was the Pokemon. Winona couldn't help but smile. The smile vanished at a rather rude comment from the Banette-man towards the boy with his Poochyena.
"And have you ever dealt with a curious young Pokemon?" She asked, her gaze bordering on a glare. "Because if you had, then you'd know that they're prone to running off."

(Asdfasdf shooort ><;)

[Mim]

"Hey little BOOOOY~! Better keep that thing on a leash!"

Ruby whipped around, an old retort rising in his throat. Nana yipped quietly as she felt him turn, ears flicking back a moment before returning to their usual angle. The two were quite familiar with comments involving leashes and how the Poochyena snuggled into her owner's arms would be better off with one. Every once in a while someone would think that they knew more about Nana's habits than Ruby did, and they'd suggest some nonsense about restraining the canine.

”Letting your Pokemon dirty itself like that, what would Contest Judges think?”
”Don't let her prove her immaturity like that!”
”She's a battler, you can see it in how she moves –”

The Coordinator stopped his about-face with a quick dragging of a foot along the floor, a smooth movement that got him facing whoever had suggested a leash in the first place. He didn't throw a sharp reply back at the taller man, surprisingly enough, but managed a moderately-toned answer. Nana was looking at the other human with an appraising sort of look, tail swishing back and forth gently from where it hung under Ruby's arm.

”A leash isn't anywhere near beautiful, though, mmkay?” Ruby's free right hand had come up in front of him, index finger pointing up as he tilted his head a bit to the left. Nana seemed to agree, since she had let out another quiet bark. It might have been the extravagant scent drifting off of the other man that had caused her to yip, though. ”Yenaaa.” She rubbed her nose against her shoulder for a quick moment before looking back up at the other human present. The female seemed alright. Quiet, but that was because the gray male next to her was rather flamboyant.

“Gray male” wouldn't have been enough of a description for Ruby, though; the boy had scanned Harley's outfit quickly while turning and had to comment on it. ”Mm, your glasses are nice though~ You're dressed as a Banette?”

[Banette]

Well, this was a bit embarrassing.

Ever had one of those days where you wake up to find yourself sprawled over your now-sleeping Salamence's back in some foreign city? Maybe with your Lucario giving you a 'you're an idiot' type look that makes you feel rather self-conscious for good measure?

Yeah, it was one of those days.

After returning his dear dragon, whom had apparently carried the weight himself and his Lucario across what seemed to be a region or two overnight (on a whim at that) the young man found himself wandering aimlessly about the streets for a bit.

However, as streets do not have sufficient directions (Arceus forbid he look at a road sign) he was about to venture into what appeared to be a snazzy restaurant when he saw IT.

THAT MAGIKARP. THAT FUCKING MAGIKARP. WITH THE BULGY, SOUL-STEALING EYES.

IT LOOKED AT HIM, DIDN'T IT?

No, he didn't care that it was dead, severed heads were twice as evil-filled as attached ones. It could possibly float after him and follow him, after all. So, hand shoving his dark blue fedora closer to his head to keep it from blowing off, he retreated into the closest structure, which happened to be the local contest hall, dragging his lady companion behind him by the paw.

"Lulu, I've a feeling we're not in Sinnoh any more."

The one being spoken to simply shook her head, emitting a low sound that would probably be thought of as a groan. Of course we're not. Did you forget your commercial blitz last night already?.. That was your first glass that night to boot...

The voice ran as a sort of a scolding tone through his mind, which he didn't bother to reply to. Glancing about the room, the man sighed to himself at the sight of the glitzy room, slowly reaching the point of overcrowding. It was then he really, well, moreso than usual, became thankful for the annoyed Lucario frowning behind him, displeased at being ignored. It was nice not to be alone here.

This wasn't his scene. The hall in all it's fancy decor itself made him unnerved enough as it was, though people running about, a couple looking at the pair and whispering to one another took the cake. Shoving his hands in his pockets, he looked down at Lulu with a small smile.

"Yes, I know, no need to go into your "My Trainer is an Idiot" rant this time. I'll repeat it word for word. Besides, a little unplanned trip once and a while keeps things spicy though, does it not?

He figured she had been satisfied enough when she didn't reply to him. With a quiet chuckle unheard among the chatter of the crowd, he tilted his fedora, his trademark in a way, further down to overshadow his features a bit. Hopefully, it would help bring attention away from the evident confusion on his face.

Well, it's going to be a while before Dio is fit to fly again, and Mondo isn't too big on crowds... So, come on, let's explore this dump for a bit until we can find someone with a clue as to where we are. First we should get out of this crowd."

Notice the two maps brought with him to the region failed to cross our dear aura master's mind for even a second. Let's not mention them- it'll be more amusing.

"Hey, what's in here?"

Back to our pair of explorers, Riley and Lulu managed to squeeze their way out into a slightly less crowded section unsupervised. Stepping over to the front of a room with a door labeled "202", the man felt a the presence of three humans and their Pokemon- much more agreeable than the what felt like the fifty-thousand that seemed to be out here. Perhaps they knew where they were?

He truly hoped they did- it would be a sad, sad story if they were here without knowing it either... So, it was worth a shot. Shoving open the door and poking his head in, he started to speak.

"Hey, does anyone here kn--"

He cut himself off, deep blue eyes widening upon noticing the state of the individuals in the room. Why, they were dressed as Pokemon! Did he walk in on some sort of costume party? Whatever the case, he felt a bit awkward, replaying what he just did in his mind.

He felt the color rise to his face slightly, but, he figured it would only be a minute and kept going. Using the shadow of his fedora as a bit of a barrier of mental protection from THE CRAZY, he pressed onward with his question.

"Erm... Sorry for causing an interruption. Would anyone know the name of the location we happen to be in now?" He asked, maintaining a calm, even tone as he did so. A question, a concerned voice from his companion behind him prodded lightly at his mind.

What is it, Riley? What do you see?

Lulu, it's like a messed up Pokemon costume dress-up party or something in here. These people are whack!

Wiggity whack?

No, just the regular kind.

[Fidge]

When the girl replied to him, Harley didn't appear too intimiated.. Or insulted for that matter. On contrare, Harley merely put on a prideful grin and placed a hand on his chest, "Well, yeah, hon. I've worked with young Pokemon before and I know that. That's why I always kept them on a leash, hellllloooo?" He said this in a singsong voice with a sickeningly childish smile on his face, "I'm just giving the kid a little advice is all," Harley replied before turning his attention back to Ruby. He approached the boy and leaned down to Ruby's eyelevel, absolutely absorbing the compliment like a thirsty sponge, seeming to ignore the comment reguarding the leash,"OOOHHHH, WHY THANK YOUU!! Yeah, a Banette! But just look at you! What an adorable outfit! And this face! It's a face to DIE for!" Harley exclaimed, taking no hesitation in pushing his hands against Ruby's face and squishing his cheeks together, "Ahheeiiii! Too cute! You remind me of myself when I was a little boy just like you! That means you'll be as successful and fabulous as me when you grow up!!" Okay, so. That was just a little bit frightening. He was too wrapped up in admiring Ruby's cuteness to notice the fedora man nearby. Oh yes, and he called Winny "hon" instead of "honey" as she requested. "The name's Harley, by the way," he said ecstastically as he extended a hand towards the youth.(Sorry it's unpretty looking and crammed up. BLACKBERRYPLZ)