<em><span class="bbc_u">The next day...</span></em><br/><br/>Douglasberg was easily the most common tourist destination in all of Tetso, and it didn't take a Professor to see why that was the case. The city held all things for all types of people: the Casino and its underground off-shoots for the risk-takers and seedier types, the beaches for the families and sightseers, the Safari Zone for the real adventurers and pokemon fanatics, and Old Douglasberg for those even more adventurous than that. Museums. Theaters. Parks. Gourmet restaurants. But your city could have every attraction in the world, and the residents still wouldn't be happy without a decent place to go and battle their pokemon, so just down the main road from the casino, not far from the beach, was the Douglasberg Stadium, where all kinds of tournaments and prize battles took place year-round. It was no Seastorm Stadium, but the stadium was still luxurious and enclosed, able to simulate all sorts of weather and terrain patterns for making the matches more exciting. Between the larger tournaments at Seastorm, there were few places better in the region to go and give yourself a challenge, and the Macdougal family encouraged trainers of all skill levels to take part.<br/><br/>Yet, even with all of the tourists that passed through Douglasberg on a weekly basis, this was probably the first time since its creation that the Douglasberg Stadium would be<em>over</em>capacity. Meeting the new and assembled Tetso Gym Leaders for their very first public gathering wasn't just a sideshow; it was the chance to be part of history in the making. Tetso's first Pokemon League! Music, movies, and books came from Ciderhelm, money came from Douglasberg, trophies and champions came from Seastorm, but for the first time, Tetso would have a presence in the world of pokemon battles, the most popular and defining sport on the planet. Who were these new Gym Leaders and Elite Four that would represent Tetso on the world stage? Who would the very first Champion be? The Gyms had just finished being built, and still the questions rolled on.<br/><br/>To say the house was packed was to say a Wailord was big. Even with the extra seating set up in preparation for the event, there was going to be overflow, and the halls of the stadium were so packed with spectators and fortune-seeking vendors that one could misplace a Snorlax if they weren't paying attention. They were selling everything from Pikachu plushies to organic pokemon food to fresh-grilled Tauros burgers to guaranteed-or-your-money-back Feebas-detecting fishing rods. The salesmanship even spilled over into the parking lot; a local Eevee breeder had a pen set up behind his truck, and was selling and signing off the cute little pups to any good family with parents that couldn't say no.<br/><br/>Music played over the speakers. A couple of chatty announcers talked about everything that was in store for the event, with the battle against visiting Kantoans Misty and Brock, the strange development regarding the eighth Gym Leader slot, and the possible appearances of the mysterious Elite Four members. Rumors went around about what celebrities would show up. Misty and Brock were there, so why not others? Rumor even had it that Nathan White, former Unova League Champion-turned-high profile Pokewood and Ciderhelm movie star, would be flying in for the event. It was hard to say if people were as excited to meet the new Gym Leaders as they actually were to see the celebrities that would be stopping by.<br/><br/>In all of this excitement, the Gym Leaders themselves, nobodies until today, were probably feeling a bit overwhelmed as they arrived at the Stadium's back entrance and were shuffled into a quiet little locker room backstage, set up with chairs and folding tables of fresh food to settle their nerves before they were taken out in front of the entire region. Colonel Surge (the only Elite Four member confirmed to actually be in the city) was nowhere to be found, and the Gym Leaders honestly had no more clue of what was going to happen at this show than the audience did. Maybe that was Surge's game: just another in his long string of tests to see how they "reacted." The first to arrive, Cedric watched from against the wall as, one by one, they were brought into this little waiting area; the Gym Leaders, as well as Lexi and Skylar, who had special invitations to the stage for some reason. Even for history in the making, this might have been taking things a little too far...<br/><br/>===<br/><br/><div class="floatleft">(http://i43.tinypic.com/s58oe9.jpg)</div><br/><strong>Name:</strong>? ? ?<br/><br/><strong>Location:</strong>? ? ?<br/><br/><strong>Tagging:</strong>None<br/><br/><strong>Current Pokémon:</strong>? ? ?<br/><br/>The dock was dead, which was understandable. Everyone and their mother, brother, father, and dog had gone to see the new Seastorm League brought to light, so the fact that every dock worker in the city was told to keep an eye out for his face didn't really mean much. Not when there was no one around to identify him, anyway. The man in the white suit and the eyepatch took a final drag from his whittled down cigarette before putting it out on the table in front of him. It was a dockside cafe, so the wood was worn and hardened by weather, and didn't even burn from the heat and ash he scratched out on it. Despite what the only half-eaten plate of eggs and sausage in front of him might suggest, the man had spent over an hour on this cafe balcony, watching what few workers were around unload the damaged Seastorm Ferry, which had just been towed to port last night. It brought a tear to his (good) eye that his little Voltorb was already doing so much damage with its Self-destruct. When he had first caught it, the thing could barely blow the door off a portable safe (with several attempts), but practice made closer to perfect.<br/><br/>But the time was getting close, so nostalgia would have to wait. The others would be arriving soon, and the show would get on the road. Reaching into his jacket, the criminal pulled out and flicked two things onto the table. First: a $100 bill to pay for the meal and the tip. The waitress had been a bit of a gloomy Gus, but considering what was happening elsewhere in town, he didn't blame her for not being happy for having to work today. Second: a playing card. A worn out King of Hearts with his right eye closed in a cheek wink, on which the man made sure to pen "Keep the change!", since he wouldn't be around to tip her personally.<br/><br/>Pushing back from his table, the man walked to the edge of the balcony and, with one big step, hoisted himself up to stand on top of the railing. The ocean wind blew his hair and coat around a bit as he brought another cigarette up to his face and carefully lit it, letting the breeze carry the used match away. He could hear fireworks off in the distance, which meant the big event was about to start, and his own big event would start in turn. Keeping his priorities straight, first he made sure his hat was on securely, then he reached into his coat with each hand and took out the tools of business: in his left hand, Voltorb's pokeball, and in his right, a handgun. "Here goes the civilized world," he muttered to himself.<br/><br/>Golden eye set on the Ferry in front of him, he jumped down.