<div class="floatleft">(http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/upload/2/20/VSMisty.png)</div><br/><strong>Name:</strong>Misty<br/><br/><strong>Location:</strong>Douglasberg Casino<br/><br/><strong>Tagging:</strong>Draven, Elly, Marco<br/><br/><strong>Current Pokemon:</strong>Starmie<br/><br/><hr/><br/>As the four Gym Leaders put their choices in and each one's pokemon touched the corresponding panel, the lights grew very dim down in the contest chamber. The lights in each panel shifted off and the mechanical displays lowered back down into the floor, but before anyone could assume the expensive machinery had just broken, a fierce, warlike techno beat broke out in the chamber and in the auditorium itself, the dark room suddenly illuminated by a flashing miasma of colors that appeared on all four screens above the pokemon. The whole thing was so gaudy and overdramatized that a person with taste could hardly stand to look at it for too long, but for now, all eyes were focused on finding out who the winner of this contest was going to be.<br/><br/>Specs' screen was the first to quit flashing the entire rainbow as one color suddenly dominated the rest, a quick flash of white receding into darkness as the crescent symbol of Dark type pokemon took over the screen. With Elly's chosen Type shown to all, streams of neon black light shot out from beneath the Krokorok's feet and followed lines in the floor to all three other opponents. The first platform to be struck was Starmie's, but the result was a resounding metal sound like the striking of a gong. "IT'S NOT VERY EFFECTIVE!" a deep voice called out over the speakers, a single point appearing in the upper right corner of Misty's screen. The orange-haired Gym Leader laughed and lifted her chin triumphantly. "Better luck next time, right?"<br/><br/>The next two "attacks" struck without much fanfare at all, and two single points appeared on Elly's own screen; a meager total. With Misty up next, the display showed the proud icon of Steel type and sent out three silvery attacks to the three opponents, but none were super effective, nor were they not very effective. Still, the Water-type master seemed proud of herself as she brought in 3 more points, bringing herself to a total of four and counting, if the other two used not very effective types.<br/><br/>Draven came up next. Despite all the loud noises and incredibly exaggerated lighting, Lucille would probably keep a cool had as the fissure symbolizing Ground type appeared above her head. A strong offensive type, and as the attacks went out, a loud shatter came from Starmie's platform being struck, almost enough to hurt the ears. "IT'S SUPER EFFECTIVE!" the voice shouted, breaking Misty's stride as Draven raked in four points to match her own; one from Elly, one from Marco, and two for the strength of Ground over Steel.<br/><br/>With Draven and Misty tied for the lead, it all came down to what Marco did to decide the winner. Aerodactyl probably felt like he couldn't lose at that point, even though the game was entirely out of his hands (or wings) by now. It was all up to his master, but he knew his master would choose well. Building up dramatically, orange light build up on the screen over the prehistoric bird's head, but it wasn't quite the same orange used by the Fire type. Before the reveal, all three attacks flashed out, the light flaring up from the floor harding than it had previously, but just before the streams struck, they stopped. Seconds passing in anticipation as the light swirled on Marco's screen, and then the fearsome symbol of a fist crashed through and the lights struck the platforms.<br/><br/>Two loud shatters echoed at the same time and the announcement played twice over itself. Fighting did regular damage to Ground, but DOUBLE damage to both Steel and Dark. The numbers appeared in gold on Marco's screen, counting up slowly at first: one...two...<em>three four FIVE!</em>The terrifying lights and music began again, but this time from the screen above Aerodactyl's head as the first icon was overtaken by an animated golden crown with "WINNER" written on it, like some overdone slot machine.<br/><br/>While it wasn't exactly a staggering defeat, the most veteran of the four trainers still seemed in shock that she had lost to chance. "Come on, that was all random chance!" she complained, giving a glare toward Elly, as if she were somehow at fault for the design of the contest. Really, if she had been, she probably wouldn't have come in last place, but Misty didn't give that any thought. After a few moments, though, she sighed and lowered her folded arms, bringing a smile to her face as she looked over at the other three. "Sorry. Good contest, Mr. Rock-type," she said, forgetting Marco's actual name. All in all, it looked like she ready to be a good sport as Aerodactyl was brought out of the maze first and showered with attention from the audience.<br/><br/>===<br/><br/><div class="floatleft">(http://moe.animecharactersdatabase.com/uploads/chars/5688-670803075.jpg)</div><br/><strong>Name:</strong>Doctor Cedony Pierce<br/><br/><strong>Location:</strong>Old Douglasberg, Ruins<br/><br/><strong>Tagging:</strong>Hibana, Skylar, Lexi, John<br/><br/><strong>Current Pokémon:</strong>None<br/><br/><hr/><br/>Hearing that Hibana was directing her voice toward her, Dr. Pierce gave the woman a small nod. She hadn't been harmed in the attack by the mechanical Metagross or the Steelix, but all the same, whatever those people wanted with those stones couldn't be good. It might require stronger trainers than Hibana, Lexi, and Skylar to take down a pokemon that fearsome, too, but she hadn't lost faith that the Gym Leaders would be able to protect her and get the bottom of whatever that man wanted. It was their job now.<br/><br/>With the threat to the underground ruin resolved, leaving Old Douglasberg was substantially easier than arriving. Once they were in the first layer of the concrete tunnels, there were no more scared, wild pokemon to get in the way, so the rest of the walk back up to the surface was quick and dull. As the group opened the doors out of the tour terminal, the sun must have been like a violent flare to their eyes after spending so much time down in the dark, with Dr. Pierce being the only one not to shield her eyes for at least a moment. The only relief was when a large shadow was cast over them, an impressive form rooting itself in front of the group.<br/><br/>"Looks like you kids are going to need a little more training," stated a confident voice, strong with an Unovan accent. Wondering why the people around her had stopped moving forward, Dr. Pierce suddenly perked up. "Mr. Mathis! I was wondering when you were going to get here." As the stinging effect of the sunlight wore off, the man took shape before them: well over six feet tall, bronzed skin, spiked blonde hair, wearing Army fatigue pants, a green tank top, and solid black sunglasses over a cocky smile. He wasn't a hard man to recognize.<br/><br/>"If the scrubs can't handle a mission like this, they're going to face Hell working under me!"<br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button"> Elite Four Colonel Surge - The Lightning American!</div><div class="spoiler_body"><div class="floatright">(http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/upload/8/8f/HeartGold_SoulSilver_Lt_Surge.png)</div><br/>One of the most fearsome Gym Leaders in the world, Major Surge is more than just an ordinary trainer; the man is a warrior. While most trainers start out taking part in safe, controlled battles with nothing but a bit of money and pride on the line, Surge got his first taste of battling when he served as both an Army CO and an Air Force pilot during the war. More than once, his Electric pokemon saved his life by powering his planes or paralyzing an enemy for him, and to him, there's no more reliable type of pokemon out there. When the war ended and he left Unova to travel east, the only thing he took with him were his pension, his old uniform, and the most trusted of the pokemon that fought with him, his own Pikachu.<br/><br/>With nothing but this Pikachu (who later became a Raichu), Surge worked his way up to becoming a Gym Leader in Kanto, and one of the toughest to be found there for many years. He earned much respect for putting trainers to their first true test with the traps in his Gym, and other leaders who knew how to fight, such as Koga, saw him as a worthy equal. With Surge around, Vermillion City was one of the few areas in the region where Team Rocket could never find a foothold, as the man in charge taught the citizens to fend off crime even on their own.<br/><br/>Some few years after the titling of Kanto's first Indigo League Champion, a young boy in red, Surge left his post to take part in a multinational effort to track down and break up Team Rocket smuggling cells connecting the Asian and North American regions. For the great amount of help he gave, Surge was honorarily promoted to the rank of Colonel by the US government. After a tough career, the military man was ready to retire completely from being a Gym Leader and start traveling again with his new pokemon, but when the man founding the Seastorm League approached Mathis, he couldn't pass up an opportunity like this. Now, it was time to be the drillmaster again for a new circuit of Gym trainers!</div></div>