PXR Shiny Event: Writing Contest!

[Suicune's Fire]

PXR Shiny Event: Writing Contest
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Hello, and welcome to PXR's first Official Shiny Event! Get your shimmer on and prepare to dazzle us!

This February, PXR is hosting a Shiny Event in which members will participate in contests specialising in different areas to compete for the ultimate prize: shiny pokémon. But that's not all. More prizes are on their way to the donation box!


Rules:

All PXR rules apply
You must meet the deadline to qualify for a prize
Absolutely NO plagiarising or you will face unquestionable disqualification and an infraction. Not to mention eternal shame. Plagiarising is a serious offence that affects all parts of the forum. May also result in banning.




Additional Guidelines:

Theme: This writing contest's theme is, of course, shiny pokémon! You may choose to write your story about anything to do with shinies, such as a retelling of an encounter with a shiny you had, or perhaps the life of a shiny pokémon in the world. It's entirely up to you, as long as it is a piece of writing about one or more shiny pokémon.

Medium: You can submit an entry in the following mediums:

Story
Poem (scroll down for restrictions)
Report/diary entry
There are no restrictions on what form you write your piece in, just as long as it is your own. However, keep in mind that if you choose something like an diary entry or report, it will likely only win if it is both interesting, shows character, and does not sound like a boring essay. In other words, make the character behind it is interesting and keeps the judges entertained!

Word Count: Minimum word count for stories and reports/diary entries 1,000 words. There is no maximum word limit, but it would be convenient for judging purposes if it did not exceed 5,000 words. Again though, you will not lose your chance to win if it is longer.

For poetry, haikus and short-verse styles are not allowed, as longer poems are required in order for judging to be fair. This also ensures you put enough time and effort into your poem. Instead of a word count, poetry will be measured in lines. Therefore, the minimum amount of lines required for the challenge is 20. Like with the stories and reports/diary entries, there is no maximum limit, although judges would appreciate if it wasn't ridiculously long.

Please submit your entry in spoiler tags, like so but remove the *:

[spoiler][*/spoiler]



Prizes are still yet to be decided, and will be announced closer to when the contests end, or during. However, prizes will not be direct--you will earn points from participating and more point for placing first, second or third.

Deadlines: the forum-wide Shiny Contest will begin on the 3rd of February at 12:00am, GMT-6, and ends on the 17th of February at 11:59pm, GMT-6.

Check here for the starting time in correspondence with your timezone: Starting date and time (http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?msg=PXR+Shiny+Event&iso=20140203T00&p1=64)

Check here for the ending time in correspondence with your timezone: Ending date and time (+4 minutes) (http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?msg=PXR+Shiny+Event&iso=20140217T2355&p1=64)


Thanks for participating, and remember to enjoy yourself! Judges look forward to reading your entries! :D

[Rival Max]

The event has begun ! Good Luck!

[EmeraldSky]

Would Pokemonized folktales involving a Shiny Pokemon count

[Blaquaza]

Here's my entry:


The Shiny Adventure

Dear Diary,

Oh, today was amazing! I can't believe my luck! I was searching around the Sprout Tower for a rare Pokémon, when I found a Shiny Gastly! I don't know how it happened, but who was I to complain? Here's the whole story, starting from a short time before I saw it to my first battle with it:

Me and Rocky (my Combusken) were strolling around the boutiques of Violet City, thrilled after winning our Zephyr Badge. The rest of my team had fainted, so I went to the Pokémon Centre to heal them up. Whilst I was there, Nurse Joy told me a story about there being sightings of rare, mysterious Pokémon in the Sprout Tower recently. Intrigued, I knew I just had to catch one of them and show it to Professor Elm.

When I arrived, shivers were sent down my spine; this place was just so creepy! There were vines all over the place, and Bellsprout were congregating in hidden alcoves. However, they all seemed perfectly normal – there wasn't one with an unusually small/large size, a weird body, or a different colouration. This was from what I could see, anyway... Trying to avoid the hordes of Bellsprout, me and Rocky silently crept towards the ladder that would take us to the next floor. To my surprise, none of them seemed to notice us.

Now, this next floor was more lively! Rattata were sprinting around, happily gnawing at some of the vines that carried over to this floor through the tiniest gaps. Like the Bellsprout, they lurked in the shadows, so I couldn't identify any subtle physical features. Rocky was terrified of the rat-like Pokémon, so we quickly tiptoed towards the next ladder. Shockingly, we managed to get to this ladder without being confronted, too.

After climbing up this ladder (which seemed longer than the other one), this floor was way creepier than the first two. The ghostly Pokémon, Gastly, seemed to own this floor. Scanning the area for any rare Pokémon, I noticed one thing; one of the Gastly had a blue gas surrounding it, as opposed to purple. Quickly, I ordered Rocky to use Flamethrower, followed by a Flash. He nodded, and then Gastly was hit by a fiery beam, and then blinded by a bright light.

It was Gastly's turn to attack, now. It used Psychic, and then went with a Toxic. The first attack did a lot of damage to Rocky as he is a Fighting type, and the second one gave him a purplish hue. He then started coughing up some kind of gunk, but we weren't losing this battle.

Hoping to catch Gastly quickly, I asked Rocky to use Will-O-Wisp, and he happily obliged. The Fire and Fighting type sent a twirling, flaming ray towards Gastly, which made it turn a reddish colour. It began moving, but it was much slower than before. Seizing this chance, I threw a Great Ball at it, and it opened up, trapping the monster in a beam of light. The ball closed, and then it began shaking wildly. The ball released the Gastly (who was surprisingly, still that shade of red), which made me stamp my foot in anger. The tower shook slightly, but that didn't bother me at all; I was way too focussed on catching that Gastly. Sadly, I didn't notice that Rocky was still trying to get rid of that toxic gunk infecting his mouth.

Thank Arceus it was still moving as slow as it was, or I wouldn't have been able to quickly throw that second Great Ball. Like the first one, it surrounded Gastly in a white light, and then the ball closed. It shook less than it did the first time, before it eventually stopped and some small, star-shaped lights were released from the ball.

Me and Rocky danced as we celebrated our new friend (who I decided to call Shadow). Rocky coughed even more, though, so I ran to take him to the Pokémon Centre. Nurse Joy told me that he'd been badly poisoned, and I felt terrible about it; I spent so much time trying to catch Shadow, that I didn't pay attention to how ill that Toxic attack had made Rocky. Nurse Joy said it would take at least six hours to heal... It took longer than that. At the beginning of the sixth hour, I was feeling really flustered and hot, so I went outside for some fresh air, and Shadow followed.

Suddenly, some trainer introduced himself to us. I've forgot what his name was, but I think it was Barry. He was really impatient, but he challenged me to a battle, so I accepted. He sent out a Piplup, and I decided to let Shadow have her first battle. I was moving first, so I told Shadow to start off with a Toxic attack, and then follow it up with a Shadow Ball. Shadow nodded, and she chanted so that some toxic bubbles appeared. None of them hit, though, because Piplup was too fast. It counter attacked with Bubble Beam, which sent Shadow flying into the air. It fell to the floor, and then Piplup used Ice Beam. Luckily, Shadow never froze, but I told it to use Psychic to throw Piplup into the air, and then to Shadow Ball it to the floor. Psychic worked, but Piplup used Water Gun to slowly return to the floor, and it dodged Shadow Ball many times.

I knew that my current strategy wasn't going to work now; Piplup was too fast, and it could move in the air with ease. I decided to use its secret weapon – a little attack that goes by the name of Thunderbolt. The charged beam of electricity came from the sky and delivered a massive electric shock to Piplup, who looked as if it'd been frazzled by the intensity of the attack. After trying to maintain its current, standing up pose for a couple of seconds, the Water type collapsed, and its eyes became swirly, just to signal that it had fainted. In my first battle with Shadow, we won!

That kid (Barry?) thanked me for a great battle, and gave me some money as a kind gesture. It's nice to get money for battling, but that's not important... What is important is that after the battle, me and Shadow returned to the Pokémon Centre, and Rocky was no longer hooked to that poison draining machine, so the three of us were reunited at last.

When we were about to leave the Pokémon Centre for the night, when Nurse Joy appeared behind us. She told me that Shadow was one of the rare Pokémon she was telling me about earlier today, and that I should be very proud to own one. Obviously, I told her I was more than proud of my new friend Gastly, as well as my good friend Inkay.

Really, though, I just can't wait to hear what Professor Elm says about my Shiny Gastly! I'll hopefully be the star exchange student now! Take that Calem!

[Suicune's Fire]

Yes, that's fine, Emerald. :)

Thanks for submitting a story, Blaquaza! I forgot to advise, but stories in spoiler tags would be nice. :3

SO EXCTIED!


~SF.

[EmeraldSky]

Great! I have quite a few Shiny Ponyta tales I could submit

[Suicune's Fire]

Just one will do. :] Just make sure it's 1,000 words or longer. However, we'd prefer that you wrote one specifically for the events, rather than submitting things you've written prior to the event.

[EmeraldSky]

Okay--I'll find one I can Pokemonize for this.

Update: Here you go!

Pewter's resident minstrel amazes, delights, and astounds with tales from all over the world!

Gym Leader cum breeder by day, minstrel by night, Brock Harrison is already known across seven regions for his skill in Pokemon battle and Pokemon care. What you may not know is that he has gathered a massive collection of stories from around the world, and his passion for sharing these ancient tales shines as he holds sold out crowds in our own Fireside and elsewhere spellbound with tales of clever boys, Shiny Ponytas that speak, jewels with all manner of magic powers, brave heroes, beautiful princesses, terrifying monsters--including Darkrai, the Nightmare Pokemon, and more.

Combining music, dancing, acting, props, costumes, puppets, and even some stage combat and archery, watching Brock perform is a must-do for anyone visiting Pewter City.

In Brock's imagination, music really is magic, usually invoked by singing a mystical melody to a magical jewel. In addition to his voice, he also incorporates a whole orchestra's worth of instruments--acoustic guitar, tin whistle, harp, and even a grasswhistle all serve to set the scene and drive the story along--yet Brock is always careful to not lose the story in the whirlwind of song.

Characters in fairy tales are often not named, but in Brock's world, every major character has a name, and that name is usually a hint as to their role in the tale. But Brock is not content to just stand on the stage and tell these timeless stories--he is constantly moving as he builds the story's world, and becoming a bit of a shapeshifter as he literally performs a thousand voices himself--one minute, he is the brave prince, the next minute, the king, and the next, the lovely princess the prince has to rescue, and the next, the monster--be this a Salamence, a Hydreigon, Darkrai himself, or something equally terrifying. All these voices and many more come from one throat--his own...

Brock grins as he mentally prepares himself for his impending show. These people all came to hear tales of wonder--and I have plenty of them to tell today!

After breathing deeply a few times to quell the Beautiflies in his stomach, he jogs out onto the stage and waves at the cheering crowd.

Once the applause quiets, he begins "Once upon a time, there was a beautiful kingdom ruled by a kind and just king and queen. But one year, the king had to go to war and defend his realm from invaders."

Piqued murmurs fill the room at the tale's beginning. "While the king was away on the battlefield, his wife, the queen, gave birth to twin sons. There was great rejoicing throughout the land and messengers were dispatched to the king with the joyous news." Brock continues. "Both boys were strong and healthy, and grew up like little trees. The one who was the older, but barely just, was the hardier of the two. Even as a toddling child he was always playing in the courtyard and struggling to climb on the back of a Shiny Ponyta that had been given to him because it was about his own age."

"Aw"s fill the room as the audience pictures the heartwarming scene. "His brother, on the other hand, preferred to play inside on the soft carpets. He was always following his mother and never went outside, except when he followed the queen into the garden."

He adds as in aside "This was why the younger prince became the mother's favorite."

Nervous giggles fill the air--choosing a favorite child usually didn't end well for the family. "The boys were seven years old before their father the king returned from battle victorious." Brock goes on. "He looked at his sons with pride and joy and he asked the queen the billion credit question: which was the older and which was the younger?

Whispers of debate begin wafting down the front rows, but Brock is quick to quiet the chatter. "The queen, thinking that the king was asking in order to know who was the heir to the throne, slipped in her favorite as the older. The king, of course, did not question his wife's word and so, from that day on, he always spoke of the younger one as his heir."

The whispers turn angry as Brock continues "When the boys had come of age, the older one--we'll call him Brian--got tired of life at home and of hearing his brother always spoken of as the future king. He longed to go out into the world and seek his fortune and adventures of his own. One day, as he was pouring out his heart to the little shiny Ponyta that had been his companion from infancy, much to his amazement the Ponyta--whose name was Epona--spoke to him and said..."

He switches to his best mimic of Misty for Epona. "Since you are not happy at home, let us go out into the world in search of fortune. But do not go without your father's permission. Take no one with you and mount no Ponyta but me. This will bring you good luck."

As himself, he interjects "Prince Brian asked Epona how she could speak the words of humans."

"Don't ask me," he replies as Epona, "for I can't tell you. But I want to be your friend and counselor and I will be as long as you do as I tell you."

As himself, he goes on "Prince Brian promised to do everything Epona told him to do. So he went to his father to ask permission to go out into the world. At first, his father was unwilling to let him go, but his mother gave her permission. After a little bit of pleading and coaxing..." Giggles go up at Brock's understatement. "he finally won his father's consent. Of course, the king wanted Prince Brian to go forth in a manner befitting his rank with a great company of men and Ponytas. But Prince Brian insisted that he wished to go alone.

In a mimic of Ash for Prince Brian, he rants "Why, my dear father, do I need any such retinue as you suggest? Let me have some money for the journey and let me ride off alone on my own little Ponyta. This will give me more freedom and less trouble."

Laughter goes up at this. "Again he had to argue with his father for some time, but at last he succeeded in arranging everything to his liking." Brock assures his audience as he retrieves his trademark guitar. "Before long, the day of parting came. Epona stood saddled at the castle gate. Prince Brian bade farewell to his parents and his brother. They all said tearful goodbyes, but at the last moment the queen had a change of heart, and told Prince Brian the truth. She made him solemnly promise that he would return home within a year, or at least send them word of his whereabouts at that time."

Excited whispers go up as the audience speculates what adventures Prince Brian and Epona will get into. "So Prince Brian mounted Epona, and off they went." Brock continues over a droning melody that sounds like galloping. "Epona went at a surprising pace for a Pokemon that was seventeen years old, but to be fair, she was no ordinary Ponyta. The years had not touched her at all. Her coat was as smooth as satin and shone as white as the moon. Her mane glowed blue instead of red like other Ponytas. No matter how far she traveled, she never tired."

Awed gasps and whispers fill the air at Epona's description as the droning melody transforms into the jig "Light At the Close of Day". to mimic the passage of time, prompting some in the audience to clap along. "Epona carried Prince Brian a great distance until they spotted the towers of a beautiful city." Brock continues when the last chord dies. "Then Epona left the beaten path and crossed a field to a huge rock. When they reached the rock, Epona laid a hoof on it and sang...."

As Epona, he sings Jao wiisha nes chiel com yutuul...

Wild cheers fill the air at the familiar spellsong. "...and the rock opened. They rode inside and Prince Brian found himself in a comfortable stable." Brock continues as himself.

As Epona, he instructs "Now you will leave me here, and go on alone to the nearby town. You must pretend you are a poor boy, and be careful never to reveal who you really are. Present yourself at court and have the king take you into his service. When you need anything, no matter what it is, come to the rock, sing the song 'Jao wiisha nes chiel com yutuul', and the rock will open to you."

As himself, he continues "Prince Brian thought to himself: 'Epona certainly knows what she's talking about, so of course I'll do as she says.' So he disguised himself by dressing in ragged clothes, putting a patch over one eye, and making his face look pale and sallow. Then he presented himself at court and told the most heartwrenching tale of woe he could think of. The king felt sorry for Prince Brian, and took him into his service."

He starts a playful melody as he continues "Prince Brian was capable and quick at everything he was told to do, and it wasn't long before the king put him in charge of the household. His advice was asked in all matters of importance and all day long he hurried about the castle going from one thing to another. If the king needed a scribe, there wasn't a cleverer one anywhere than Prince Brian. Before long, he was well loved and well liked by the entire court."

The guitar's song begins slowing down into a love theme. "Now, the king had three daughters, each more beautiful than the other." Brock explains as he plays. "The oldest was named Orla, the second, Ariana, and the youngest, Christina."

Applause goes up in approval of the princess' names. "Prince Brian loved to be with the three princesses and as he was presumed to be a poor boy, the king made no objection to his spending time with them." Brock continues, still playing his love song. "How could the king possibly think that there was any danger of a poor boy stealing the heart of one of the princesses? They liked him, all three of them, and were always taking him with them wherever they went. He wove garlands for them, spun golden thread, picked them flowers, and drew them designs of birds and flowers for their embroidery. He liked them all, but he liked Princess Christina best. Everything he did for her was done a little better than for the others. The garlands he wove her were richer, the designs he drew for her were more beautiful. The two older sisters noticed this and laughed, and when they were alone they teased Princess Christina. Princess Christina, who had a sweet and amiable disposition, knew the teasing was all in good fun, and happily played along."

The love song then begins to turn into a somber lament. "Prince Brian had been at the court for some time when one morning he found the king sitting sad and gloomy over his breakfast. So he asked him what was the matter." Brock narrates.

"Is it possible, my dear boy," he sighs in a gentle, deeper version of himself--his favorite "king" voice to perform-- "that you don't know what's the matter? Don't you know the calamity that threatens us? Don't you know the bitter three days that are at hand for me?"

He interjects as himself "Prince Brian, alarmed by the seriousness of the king's manner, shook his head no."

"Then I'll tell you," he replies as the king over the lament he is playing, "although you can be of no help. Years ago three Hydreigons came flying through this land and landed on a great rock near here. They laid waste to the country, devouring the Tauros and killing men,women,children, and Pokemon alike. Soon the city was in a state of siege. To keep them away we placed all the food we had outside the gates and in a short time we ourselves were starving. In desperation I had an old wise woman called to court and asked her was there any way to drive these monsters from the land. the only way to drive them off was to promise the awful creatures my three beautiful daughters when they came of age. At that time my daughters were only small children and I thought to myself many things might happen in the years before they grew up. So, to relieve my stricken land, I promised the Hydreigons my daughters. The poor queen died of a broken heart, but my daughters grew up knowing nothing of their fate. As soon as I made the monstrous bargain, the Hydreigons flew away and until yesterday were never seen again. Last night, a shepherd, beside himself with terror, brought me the news that the Hydreigons are again settled in their old rock and are sending out fearful roars. Tomorrow I must sacrifice to them my oldest child Princess Orla, the day after tomorrow my second child, Princess Ariana, and the day after that my youngest, Princess Christina."

Gasps and "oh no"s race through the crowd as the guitar's last foreboding chord fades away. "Prince Brian was horrified at what he heard, and hurried to the princesses' room." Brock continues as himself. "He found them dressed all in black and looking white as a Gastly. They were sitting in a row and bemoaning their terrible fate. Prince Brian tried to comfort them, telling them that surely a great hero would appear to rescue them. But they paid no mind to him and kept on moaning and crying. Grief and confusion spread throughout the city, for everyone loved the royal family. Every house as well as the palace was soon draped in black and the sound of mourning was heard on every side."

After a few tense seconds, Brock goes on "One night, Prince Brian hurried secretly out of the city and across the field to the rock where Epona was stabled. He laid his hands on the rock and sang..."

As Prince Brian, he sings Jao wiisha nes chiel com yutuul...

"the rock opened, and he entered." he continues as himself. "He stroked Epona's glowing blue mane and kissed her muzzle in greeting."

"My dear Epona," he explains as Prince Brian, "I have come to you for advice. Help me and I will be happy forever."

He interjects as himself "and he told Epona the story of the Hydreigons."

"Oh, I know all about those Hydreigons," he replies as Epona. "In fact, it was that you might rescue the princesses that I brought you here in the first place. Early tomorrow morning come back and I will tell you what to do."

Excited whispers fill the air in anticipation of a battle. "Prince Brian returned to the castle with such joy shining in his face that if anyone had noticed him, he would have gotten yelled at." Brock continues as himself over a hopeful melody. "He spent the day with the princesses trying to comfort and console them, but in spite of all he could do they felt only more terrified as the hours went by."

As the last chord of his hopeful song dies, he continues "The next day, at the first streak of dawn, he was at the rock. Epona greeted him and said...

As Epona, he instructs "Lift up the stone under my trough and take what you find there."

He continues as himself "Prince Brian did as he was told. He lifted the stone and under the stone he found a large chest. Inside the chest he found three beautiful suits of clothing, with caps and plumes to match, a sword and a bridle. The first suit was red embroidered in silver and studded with diamonds, the second was deep blue and embroidered in gold, and the third was green,and richly embroidered with silver and studded with diamonds and pearls. For all three suits there was but one mighty sword. Its blade was beautifully inlaid and its scabbard shone with precious stones. The bridle was also richly jeweled."

"Wow"s and awed whistles fill the room as the audience pictures the magical items. "All three suits are for you," Brock explains as Epona. "For the first day, put on the red one."

As himself, he quickly narrates "So Prince Brian dressed himself in the red suit, buckled on his sword, and threw the bridle over Epona's head."

"Have no fear," he assures the audience as Epona. "Cut bravely into the monster, trusting to your sword. And remember, do not dismount."

As himself, he continues over a tense theme "At the castle heartbroken farewells were being said. Princess Orla parted from her father and her sisters, stepped into a carriage, and accompanied by a great multitude of her weeping subjects was slowly driven out of town to Dragon's Rock. As they neared the meeting spot Princess Orla stepped into the grass. She took a few steps forward, then collapsed on the ground." Nervous giggles go up up as he plays a downward glissando on one string to mimic Princess Orla fainting.

The tense melody gives way into the Zelda theme. "At that moment the people saw galloping toward them a knight with a red and white plume. In a voice of authority he ordered them to stand back and leave him to deal with the Hydreigon. They were glad enough to lead Princess Orla away and went to a hill, where they could watch the impending battle at a safe distance." Brock continues as he plays. "Then there was a deep rumbling noise, the earth shook, and Dragon's Rock opened. A huge Hydreigon crawled out, and it spat fire and poison from all three mouths and turned all three of its heads this way and that, looking for its promised prey. When he saw the knight he let out a horrible roar.

The audience begins clapping along with the iconic video game theme, as if cheering Prince Brian on as Brock gives the play by play. "Prince Brian rode straight at him and with one blow of his sword cut off one of the Hydreigon's heads. The Hydreigon writhed and enveloped Prince Brian in flames and poisonous fumes. But Prince Brian, undaunted, struck at him again and again until he had cut off all three heads. The life that still remained in the loathsome body, Epona finished with her hooves."

Cheers go up as Brock plays the "got item" stinger to signal a victory. "When the Hydreigon had perished, Prince Brian turned and galloped back the way he had come. Princess Orla looked after him, wishing she could follow him to thank him for rescuing her. But she remembered her father back at the castle and felt it was her duty to come back to him as quickly as she could."

He grins at the enthralled audience. "I can't even begin to describe the king's joy when Princess Orla appeared before him safe and sound. Her sisters embraced her and wondered if a hero would rescue them as well. Prince Brian assured them that he was certain they, too, would be saved. Although the prospect of the next morning still terrified them, hope had come to them, and Prince Brian even succeeded in making them laugh a few times."

"Aw"s go up as the audience pictures Prince Brian making the princesses laugh. "The next day, Princess Ariana was led out." Brock snaps the audience back to reality with an expectant Bb chord. As he plays a slightly lower key version of the Zelda theme, he adds "Just like the day before, the unknown knight appeared, this time wearing a royal blue costume. He attacked the second Hydreigon and, after a long and valiant battle, dispatched it. Then before anyone could reach him, he turned and rode away.

He interjects as he stops the song "Princess Ariana returned to the castle, saddened that she had not been able to speak to the knight and express her gratitude. Princess Christina then said..."

In his best mimic of Dawn, he scolds "You, my sisters, were silly not to speak to him before he rode away. Tomorrow if he rescues me, I will kneel before him; and not get up until he consents to return with me to the castle."

As himself, he continues "Prince Brian burst out laughing at this and Princess Christina asked him what was so funny. He explained that he, too, wanted to see the hero."

A foreboding riff quiets the "Aw"s. "On the third day, Princess Christina was taken out to Dragon's Rock, and this time, the king came too." Brock intones "Princess Christina's heart raced when she thought that if the unknown hero failed to appear she would be handed over to the horrible monster."

Cheers go up as the guitar begins the familiar Zelda theme again. "A joyous shout from the people told her that the hero was coming." Brock narrates over the song. "Then she saw him, a gallant figure in green with a white plume floating in the wind. As he had killed the first Hydreigon, and the second Hydreigon, so he killed the third; although the struggle was longer and Epona had her hooves full trying to stand up against the poisonous fumes.

The crowd enthusiastically claps along with the iconic video game song before it comes to a screeching halt four repetitions later. "After a very long and drawn out battle, the Hydreigon was slain." Brock smiles, playing the "got item" stinger to thunderous cheers. "Princess Christina and the king rushed up to the hero and begged him to return with them to the castle. He hardly knew how to refuse, especially when Princess Christina, kneeling before him, grasped the edge of his tunic and looked up at him with such sad Growlithe eyes that his heart melted and he was ready to do anything she asked."

He then interjects "But Epona took matters into her own hooves, reared up suddenly, and galloped off before the hero had time to dismount."

Laughter goes up at this. "So Princess Christina, too, was unable to bring the hero back to the castle." Brock goes on. "The king and all the court were understandably disappointed, but their disappointment was swallowed up in their joy that the princesses had been so miraculously saved. But a few days later, with Epona's permission, Prince Brian revealed himself to Princess Christina, told her everything, and explained why he had to hide his identity from her. This only made Princess Christina's love for him even stronger, and it wasn't long before the two of them were married."

He concludes "Prince Brian and Epona went on many more adventures together, but that is another story for another day!" He adds a playful flourish on the guitar to prove his point.

The crowd roars as Brock sets the guitar aside and takes a sweeping bow...

Total word count: 3878
Actual tale used here (http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/books/czech/fillmore/princebayaya.html)

[Blaquaza]

Wow, I've got no chance against that. You're story was great, Emerald! :smile:

By the way, because the story needed to be related to GCeA if I wanted to win the Shiny Charm, I removed all references to Squidward and Shadow being asleep, with Rocky (Serena's Combusken), and Shadow being burned.

[EmeraldSky]

Thanks--I had fun writing out Brock's performance

[Brettles]

My Shiny Story :)

A Shiny heart.
Shinies, Shinies, Shinies. Ember was sick of hearing about Shinies. Life was not easy for the normal coloured Ponyta. His Mother and Father were both shiny, his elder brother was shiny, even his two younger sisters were shiny. Somehow the shiny gene had not emerged in Ember. He tried his hardest to heat his flame as hot as it could go, but he simply could not achieve that beautiful pure blue flame that this parents and siblings exuded.

The herd followed his father and mother without question. Their blue flame somehow signified leadership, to the other Rapidashes. Everyone looked with envy at the family of Shinies. Well, envy and a little bit of pity for Ember, the Ponyta who didn’t shine.

His parents told him that they loved him as much as their other children, but Ember always noticed that they always seemed much prouder of their children with the blue flame. His Brother and sisters, as siblings tend to do, liked to tease Ember about his orange flame. Ember smiled and laughed, not wanting to let the others see how much their teasing hurt.

One day while the family was eating, his brother looked up at their dad and said, “Dad, are you sure that Ember is even a part of this family?”

Ember did not hear the answer. His eyes full of tears, he ran from the patch of grass they were grazing on and simply ran and ran. He was sick of his perfect shiny family, with their perfect blue flames. He was going live by himself and start a new herd. A herd with no shinies allowed.

He spent an hour or two stomping around a water hole that his family sometimes used, letting his anger get back under control. He knew that he would have to go back and face his family. This wasn’t the first time he had run away from the herd. His father would eventually find him and convince him to come home.

“Why isn’t dad here yet?” Ember wondered. He never leaves me alone this long. “Perhaps it is time to go back.” Ember made his way back to the herd.

As he approached the herd area, he heard the roar of engines and shouts of men. There was a smell of fear in the air, and the cries of many Rapidash and Ponyta calling for help. He sped into the place where he and his family ate and saw his parents and sibling all caged with strange men at the gates laughing and cheering.

Ember saw his family in trouble and raced forward to find a way to help. He didn’t make it far into the clearing before he felt a dart hit him in the rump. The dart’s sedative sent him to sleep, and all he heard as he went under was one of the men saying, “That was a waste of a dart. We have shinies here, no-one is going to want a plain Ponyta like that. Cut it loose.”

Hours passed in a daze until Ember was awoken by someone shaking his shoulder. Ember opened his eyes and saw a human leaning over him. In a panic the Ponyta tried to run away, but the effects of the sedative were still holding him still.

“Relax, Ponyta”, the human said, “I am not here to hurt you. My name is John. I am hunting the Poachers who were here. Do you know where they went?”

Ember looked into the eyes of the man and saw a kindness there that was definitely unlike the men who had taken his family. He relaxed a little and said “My name is Ember”.

The Man looked at him and said, “I’m sorry I don’t speak Ponyta, but please eat this berry. It will help you move again.”

Ember ate the berry offered and found his paralysis gone. He sprang to his feet and ran to where he had seen his family captured. There were clear tyre tracks leading away. Looking back at John, he called out, “Over here John!” The human didn’t seem to understand him again. It was strange that Ember could understand the human, but the human couldn’t understand him.

John came to where Ember had called and saw the tyre tracks. “Good work, Ponyta! Hmm… I need to call you something better than Ponyta. I Think I’ll name you Quicksilver.” Ember gave the human a strange look. He already had a perfectly good name, but he accepted that this human was a bit thick and didn’t even understand Ponyta language, so he accepted the nickname in good humour.

John and Ember followed the tyre tracks for a long time. Along the way Ember learned about John, who was married and worked in the National Guard. Ember also learned that John could understand basic sign language, and started using head tosses, and rearing up to establish a basic communication with the human.

Eventually they came upon a camp. Ember could smell his family and knew that were all very afraid. The evil humans must be in this camp, keeping his family captive. John held up a hand to shush him so Ember stayed low and hid behind some rocks while the human pulled out a radio to call for help.

As John brought the radio up to speak into it, a leaf suddenly flew out of nowhere and sliced through the radio’s antenna. A Bellsprout followed by one two evil looking humans followed the Bellsprout.

“Looks like someone is trying to track us down and call for help, Jim” said the first larger poacher.

“Seems only fair we teach him to mind his own business, Bob” said the second poacher.

“Flora, stun that guy”, the first poacher called out.

The Bellsprout blew out a huge cloud of spores that John tried desperately not to breathe in. Eventually running out of breath the human stiffened up unable to move.

Ember knew that John was in trouble and jumped over the rocks at the two evil men approaching him. With a quick ember attack he put the Bellsprout out of action. “I might not be shiny, but I’m still better than a grass type”, he said, a little smugly.

The two poachers approached Ember trying to get to either side of the Ponyta. Ember laughed with joy as they tried to capture him. Without their dart guns the two poachers were led on a merry chase trying to keep up with him. A nice solid kick to the rump of one of the Poachers sent him down, while a ringing headbutt to the other one knocked him senseless.

Going back to John, he saw that the human was trying to reach into one of his pockets. Ember reached down and opened the pocket with his mouth and saw one of the berries that John had given him earlier. Moving the Berry to where John could easily eat it, he soon had the human on his feet.

John tied the Poachers up and they moved into the campsite.

Ember let out a whinny and ran to the cages that held his Mother and Father. The Rapidashes cried out in joy to see Ember, but then they started to cry out in fear as they saw John move towards them.

“It’s OK Mum and Dad, this is John, he is a nice human, although he is a bit too stupid to understand our language.” His parents settled down and John unlocked the cages.

The two magnificent shiny Rapidashes, with their 3 shiny Ponyta children danced with joy with Ember as they reclaimed there freedom. John watched them and smiled at the joy that.

Settling down Ember’s father walked over to John and lowered his head to allow the human to stroke his mane.

John looked at the magnificent shiny beast and made a request. “Sire Rapidash. As a member of the National Guard it is my duty to protect all Pokémon in this area, and I would ask a boon of you. I am currently without a Pokémon partner, and if you would allow it, I would love to partner with one of your beautiful shiny children.”

Ember listened in disbelief. After they had worked together to save his family this human was going to pick one of his siblings, simply because they had blue flame. He was disgusted as he watched his father nod his head in agreement, and his brother and sisters started frolicking blowing their beautiful blue flames as high as they could, hoping to make the human pick them for this honour.

John didn’t even notice his brother and sisters as he walked straight to Ember.

“Stupid human, I’m not shiny”, Ember said as John laid his hand on the Ponyta’s head.

“I choose you Quicksilver. These others might have beautiful shiny coats, but I prefer you and your shiny heart.”

[ZoeticKitty]

A writing contest~? This has my name written all over it

So, I saw the contest, and immediately began working on a story for it. The story is sort of a practice for using first person POV and also using some writing tips I found online. It took about an hour to write it and I hope it's ok ;w;


The Beholder


The snow fell in a light dust from the darkened sky. There was no birdsong to be heard, for the avians had all flown south for the winter months. Or, rather, the deep winter months. In Sinnoh, nearly every month out of the year could qualify as a winter month to other regions.

The grass crunched underfoot as I made my ways toward my home in Solaceon Town. There was no school in the farming town, so all of the kids who lived here had to either catch a ride to and from the city, Hearthome to be exact, or walk.

I always had to walk.

I turn my head when I hear a trill to my left. It sounded exactly like birdsong, but again the birds had all flown away for the winter. Another trill, this time louder and shriller. Panicked.

Despite all the schooling and lectures from a multitude of adults, I dropped my bag at the side of the country path and took off into the foliage. Branches and twigs snagged at my winter coat, but none of it slowed me down in the slightest. Another trill split the air, this time much closer.

I stopped and looked around. That’s when I became aware of faint growling somewhere near me. I cautiously walked forward a few more steps and emerged into a meadow-like area with a few trees dotting the outskirts. I stopped.

A large houndoom stood only a few yards away at the base of one of the trees. Its fangs were bared and they dripped with a crimson liquid. I knew something was wrong. All too suddenly, I saw the broken body beneath the beast’s paws. A chatot lay crumpled there, unmoving. I felt sick, so sick. I felt myself fall backwards onto my rear and my stomach lurched dangerously.

I staid there for what seemed like an eternity until the houndoom finished and went on its way. It never did notice me. When I was sure it’d gone, I stood up and walked over to the stained patch of frosted grass. The chatot was unrecognizable and I had to turn away.

My eyes slid upwards and found a nest among the barren branches of the pecha tree. The chatot had been protecting her unborn children from the monster. Now the mother was gone and they were abandoned.

I don’t know why, but I climbed up the tree and retrieved the nest. I opened my winter coat and carefully slid the eggs inside. I knew they needed to be kept warm or they’d die. I paused before going back to the road. I looked at the poor mother bird and then bent my head with eyes closed. I don’t really believe in the existence of Arceus, but I sent a prayer out anyway that the chatot would have a safe journey to Heaven.

I continued back to the road.


------

No one noticed that I was home nearly an hour late. No one ever does.

I grabbed one of the spare portable heaters and trudged upstairs to my small attic room. I arranged the coat carefully on the ground in front of it, but at least three feet away to avoid setting it on fire, and turned it on. I threw my bag onto my tattered bed and sat down at my desk in front of my beat up old computer.

I got online and patiently waited until the internet page I was looking for loaded up. I read up on how to hatch Pokémon eggs for a little while until I heard a door slam downstairs. I quickly shut the monitor off and walked over to the stairs, stopping for a moment to pull the eggs away from the heater so they wouldn’t overheat.

I walked downstairs carefully and made my way to the kitchen. I stood in the entrance for a moment before the woman inside turned to regard me. She looked tired-always looked tired-and her eyes ran over me. Judging.

“You look like crap today, Chantal.” She tsked in that disgusted tone she always uses. I simple blink, uninterested. I’ve heard this a million times. “Why can’t you look more like a woman than a mangy mutt? Take a little pride in your appearance for Arceus’s sake!” The fridge door is slammed shut-I hadn’t even noticed it open-and the woman storms from the room without another word.

“Nice to see you, too, Mom.”


------

“Today we’ll be talking about variations of coat color within different Pokémon species. These can usually be broken up into two groups: gender variation and shiny variation.”

Today in Pokémon Physiology Mr. Haynes decides to talk about different colored Pokémon. I opt to lay my head on the desk in front of me instead of listening. I staid up way later than my usual assigned bedtime because I lost track of time. I’d been taking care of the abandoned little bird eggs.

“Chantal! Head off the desk, please.” The voice cracks like a whip. I raise my head without a word. “Thank you. Now, class, as I was saying…” I tune him out. It’s not like it even matters. All the teenagers here are just kids who were and are too poor to afford to start out on their Pokémon journey.

Contrary to popular belief, it’s not as simple as being picked by a Professor, going out and defeating all the gyms in less than a week, and then saving all of the civilians from an organization run by a madman. Like anything else, those stories were created to make our boring, broken world seem beautiful and worth saving.

If the world were set on fire and I had the ability to save it, I’d let it burn. The fire would destroy the ugliness that was created in the hearts of mankind and let the world be born anew.

But again, that’d never happen. Life isn’t a fairytale.

A note is placed on my desk. I blink and look to the side. The new transfer student, a beautiful girl who moved to Sinnoh from Kalos, looks away quickly. I see a blush high on her cheeks, but rather than question her I decide to read the note.

I’m sorry if I seem like a creep right now, but I just moved here and I’m drawn to you. Y’know, like the feeling you get when you see someone and know you want to be friends with them? Anyway, if you’re not busy after school, wanna hang out?

I blink rapidly. She was taking interest in me? No one takes interest in me, it’s an unspoken rule. I took out my pencil and hastily scribbled a response on the notes and cautiously handed it back to her.

Sorry, but I have to go home to take care of the Chatot eggs I’m raising.

The sound of teenagers starting to stuff things into their bags draws my attention to the clock. Only a minute until the bell rings to release us for the day. I take the queue and start tucking things into my weather-beaten bag.

“Wait, class, before you all start packing up, I’d like to ask you a question. What makes a shiny Pokémon so special?” Mr. Haynes questions us, running a hand through his thinning brown hair. At once, one of the preppier girls, who considers herself too beautiful to even consider going on a Pokémon journey, pipes up.

“ ‘Cause some of their shiny color combos are so cute!” She announces. The group of girls who almost always surround her giggle their agreement.

“Nice thoughts, Alyssa. Anyone else?”

“Because they have better stats than regular Pokémon.” A ‘know-it-all’ boy in the middle of the room suggests. Mr. Haynes nods, even though even I know they have the same stats as regularly colored Pokémon.

“Good thoughts, good thoughts. Anyone else?” The bell rings. Everyone immediately heads towards the door. “Oh, well, I want all of you to think about that over the weekend. See you all on Monday!”

I’m in the hallway when there’s a tug at my sleeve. The girl is standing behind me. “I’d like to help with your chatot eggs if you don’t mind.” She suggests with a shy, unsure smile. I’m good at detecting liars by now.

She’s not one.


------

On the way home, I find out that the girl’s name is Roya Lelsa and that she was born in Lumiose City, Kalos, and lived there for 15 years until her father got a well-paying job in Hearthome. Instead of asking his family for permission to move, he forced them to come along.

I can’t help but give her every ounce of my attention. My eyes are locked on her as she talks to me in such an animated, excited voice. Her navy blue hair bounces in curls on her shoulders as she walks due to the bounce in her step. Her eyes light up a bright green when she starts on the topic of Pokémon and battling.

The walk home seems shorter than usual today.

“Are you sure it’s alright for me to be here? Are your parents OK with it?” Roya asks when we walk in.

“Mom doesn’t come home for three hours.” Is all I answer with before leading the way up to my room. Something is off.

There is a growling noise.

I whirl around and find a rogue noctowl leaning over the winter jacket containing the eggs. I throw caution to the wind and take my heavy bag by the strap and swing it at the bird like a crazed maniac, screaming.

I feel the bag make contact a few times before the bird is gone, disappearing through the opened window that had been shut just that morning. I drop the bag on my bed and quickly shut the window behind it.

“Oh Chantal…” Roya murmurs, the heartbreak in her voice only confirming my worst fears. I walk over to the eggs and kneel before it. I have to advert my eyes from the carnage the owl created. Before I know what’s happening, there are warm tears running down my cheeks and a sob ripping at my throat.

I don’t know why. I do know why.

I thought I could save the eggs. I thought I could save them from being little lost causes. Failures before their time. Doomed to be nothing.

But here they are, broken and failed. I did nothing but prolong the inevitable.

Roya’s arms are around me and she holds me as I sob, her small body surprisingly firm. I cling to her as the sobs turn to wails and I’m crying about everything and anything.

She gasps after awhile and pulls away. Her eyes are on the jacket. I turn my head to see an egg, one which I’d thought had been cracked and broken, shaking visibly. A few more moments and a tiny beak breaks through the shell. We lean forward in eager anticipation.

A moment later, a very wet little chatot plops into the world, shivering and pitiful. Its wings are pink and its belly is blue.

“It’s a shiny chatot.”


------

It’s the start of spring today. The birdsong has returned to the forest.

Far above me, singing far more beautifully than the rest, is a petite female chatot with pink wings and a blue belly.

I sit with my back against the bark of a tree that stands in the midst of a meadow-like clearing, a girl with bouncy navy blue hair beside me.

The chatot dips and then dives downwards. A moment later, and she is perched happily on my knees. She trills and I reach a hand up to rub along her beak-a favorite petting place.

“Who’s a pretty bird?” I ask, smiling. The chatot perks up and puffs her chest out.

“I’m a pretty bird, I’m a pretty bird!” She sings in delight, trilling her unique song into the skies above.

Mr. Haynes’s question, ‘What makes a shiny Pokémon special?’ comes back to me at that moment.

You could say that it’s the different colors they come in or the rarity of which they occur. In the end, it all comes down to the person, doesn’t it?

“You’re my shiny chatot.” Roya murmurs shyly beside me and I smile at her. A nice, warm smile that feels different than my usual frown.

“You’re a pretty bird, you’re a pretty bird!” The chatot sings on my knees and we both laugh.

To me, they’re special because they let you know that being difference isn’t always a bad thing. Shinies are different, and they are loved for that. Their unique colors spread unto us, and even the most colorless life blooms with a rainbow of colors. What each person sees, though, is different, and that’s not always a bad thing either.

Beauty is, after all, in the eyes of the beholder.

[Suicune's Fire]

Well done on all the entries, guys. :D I'm looking forward to reading them all. :3

*encouragement for other people to enter*

[Ganyu]

I shall have the honour of being the first poetry entry, then~ Written in free verse, meaning I can use rhymes wherever I want to. :P
Day Dreams
When I was small, they said I wasn't right.
My fur was different; all shiny and bright.
My fire burned with a strange light,
Making my litter-mates squeal in fright.

The young ones made fun of my weirdness,
Said that I was a freak, ugly and monstrous.
I could neither play nor talk with them,
They'd bite me if I went near them.

The elders merely shook their heads in dismay,
They shunned and condemned me everyday.
They told me that I was born a mistake,
That I ought to be doused at the stake.

I spent my time alone,
Living a life of monotone.
I'd take my own naps under the sun,
And let my dreams be a place of fun.

I dreamed of being free,
I dreamed of proving the others wrong.
That I was not a freak nor a mistake,
That their superstitions were all fake.

I dreamed that I'd shine,
Shine as bright as the sun,
And that when everyone saw me,
They'd be willing to befriend me.

So when I awakened,
I was shocked shaken.
My fur had begun glowing,
Brighter the sun's blazing.

My light blinded everyone else,
And let them saw me for who I was.
Not a monster, not a freak.
But a unique creation, a special soul.

I was but a dreamer,
Who wanted only acceptance.
But received the sun's gift,
To shine in the dark.

~~~~~~
Hope you enjoyed the story~ :) Also, if you were wondering what Pokemon the author is, I think the title gives it away pretty easily. :3
Really?? Give it a try.
Oh fine.http://sprites.pokecheck.org/s/037.gif

[Popshakes]

I am totally joining this. I've been wanting to write something for this contest since it was in the makings. :3

I'm gonna submit a free-verse poem sometime before the deadline! :D

EDIT: Finished a poem! :D

Poem Title: Spread my Wings
Type: Free Verse
Pokemon: Caterpie/Metapod/Butterfree


Among the group I'm different -
painted in beautiful colors unlike my siblings.

Gold skin wraps around my body tenderly.
Though modest with nature I can't help myself -
I'm too glamorous for my own good.

All I want is to be free -
find others like myself with this incurable disease.
My skin shimmers -
my skin glows -
it's unnatural and I want to find an escape.

Accused of being a monster -
accused of nothing more than looking different -
is this what the world has come to?

In the Viridian woods I find myself alone -
without my mother,
without my siblings -
who needs them?

Their resentment kept me going -
inching my way through the tall grass I find an opening.
It isn't long before I find myself thrown against a tree nearby.
My eyes catch a glimpse of a human and their Pokemon.

Their excitement is baffling -
I'm only a bug-type,
what more could they want with me?

The tall, human child chants: "Shiny! Shiny!" over and over -
like a ritual about to take place.
Their Pokemon partner stands before me,
lingering around as his burning tail sets the grass before me ablaze.

My heart hammers,
my pulse races -
the heat is almost too unbearable before I faint to the smell of burning grass.

I awaken to darkness.

Haunting memories fill my mind,
the longing for my family wraps around my heart and tugs.

I inch and inch to no avail -
no escape, no light -
not even my shimmer can break through the darkness.

I am alone, lost, confused -
where am I?

Before long a red beam swirls around my body -
thrown out onto the cold, hard concrete -
my body shimmers and sparkles under the heat of the sun.

Peering eyes weigh my body down -
the trainer from before stands above me yelling out inaudible orders.
Confusion sets in as my body is flown into a nearby bush.
Now's my chance.

I wriggle, I climb -
however my shimmer is a giveaway.

The child pulls and tugs at my tail -
uncertainty fills me as my defences raise.
A shield of orange encases my body in a flash of light -
evolution.

Electricity pulses through my body -
sticky strings of yellow flash itself upon the boy.
Cries of pain fill the world around us -
the distraction plays into my escape...
... if only I could move.

Frozen like ice,
my body remains -
Unable to move an inch,
I'm unmovable.

Anger fills the child's eyes -
a white and red capsule within his free hand.
Before long my vision fades -
back into the darkness.

Serves me right -
being born different.

My dream to be normal -
to fit in within this world...
... gone.

However, within the darkness,
my soul is at peace.
Although my vision is impaired I feel normal,
for the first time in forever.

No more shimmer,
no more shine.
For once I'm a normal Pokemon.
For once I can breath easy.

Chained within these unloving walls,
I've finally found the solace I was longing for -
however, was it all for naught?

My heart longs for another -
my soul longs to be part of the world.
Have I given in too easily?
Is there more to the world than resentment and pain?

Questions unanswered -
questions lingering within the darkness.

I squirm and I writhe -
I scream and I cry.

My hope for freedom was dwindling -
then it happened.

My body was tossed from the darkness -
trees filled my vision with the smell of burnt grass as I landed in a familiar bush.

The trainer stood before me -
a small growl escaped trembling lips.

"My shiny, why don't you listen?
Why don't you obey?"

Anger fueled itself into tears.
Unable to respond,
only able to watch with fearful eyes.

Without warning his hand rose -
my heart leapt -
was this the end?
Was this all I was meant for?

In one swoop a ball smashed before me,
pieces striking my hardened, orange skin.

Confusion swept the field.

No more words -
only tears as the boy raced off.

I was alone once again -
without my family,
without my trainer.

Darkness fell before me -
stars painted their glow upon my burnt skin.
I was unable to move -
unable to fend for myself.

Was this my true purpose?
No - this was only the climax.

Scared that I was in delusion I tried once more -
to break free from the ice that bound me.

I wriggled, I writhed -
it was hopeless.
Or so I thought.

Through my efforts -
through my trials something clicked that night.

Beautiful, light pink wings sprouted through my cracking skin -
black feelers felt the world around me for the first time.

I broke through my barriers and embraced life,
for the first time.

Pink appendages gave me the right-away to a whole new world -
I felt everything around me,
the trees, grass, my old shell...
... everything had a meaning.

The moon resonated it's glow against my bright, shimmering skin -
I felt renewed,
as if the moon had breathed life back into me.

Although I was born with this incurable disease,
I wouldn't trade it for the world.
Others may reject me -
but it makes me unique.

For the first time in forever I spread my wings,
ready to take on the world and find a purpose.
Ready to find others like myself -
and find my destiny in this world.

[Dragon Master Mike]

I think I may be too late, but I spent the past two hours writing it, so I am going to post it.

Word count: 1033




Yellow

It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, and there was not a cloud in the sky. The smells of the forest filled my nostrils, as well as the smell of prey.

Keeping my head low, I watched the small creature scuttle around, its pinkish purple shape easy to keep track of. From the bush I was hiding in, the Pokemon wouldn’t see me coming. As it came closer, I saw it stop and pull something off of a bush. A berry maybe? It didn’t matter to me. The Rattata only stopped at the bush for a moment before continuing towards the bush I was hiding in. It was close now, only a few feet. I could feel my mouth watering.

“Dinner.”

I darted out of the bush, my nine tails trailing behind me. I looked down at the Rattata, its eyes glued to me in horror. I felt kinda bad for it, but everything needs food to survive, and that meant hunting was a necessity. My mouth watered as my feet met the ground. The normal type looked up at me, surely giving up all hope of survival. I opened my mouth, preparing to grab it. Closing my eyes, I clamped my mouth back closed, impaling it with my sharp row of teeth. Lifting my head up, I opened my eyes to admire my… Lump of grass? Dropping the grass from my mouth, I watched a purple shape disappear into the bushes in front of me.

“And I thought YOU were going to show ME how to hunt.” My companion said as she stepped out of the bushes she had been spectating from.

“Shut it, Lea” I said as I looked back at her, half playing, half annoyed. At that, she laughed. I smiled back at her as she walked to my side.

“I bet I could catch more Rattata in an hour than you could in a day!” My fellow Ninetails said, still with a smile on her face.

“Is that a challenge?” I said, speaking with a much more serious demeanor.

“Maybe.” She said in response

“Alright then. Lets see who can catch more Rattata by noon.” I said, stating the conditions of my competition..

“Deal! I’ll meet you back here at noon!” She said. Before I could say another word, she had darted off, running with speed few Pokemon other than a Ninetails could achieve. Satisfied I could win this challenge easy, I moved slowly, walking off into the bushes. I figured it would be the best way to avoid startling any prey. Taking my time, I made sure to avoid stepping on any twigs or anything else that could give my position away to any Rattata that may have been watching. I could only imagine Lea darting through the forest, frightening every living creature within a mile radius. She could be so careless sometimes.

I kept my eyes and nose open, looking for any signs or smells of prey. It was only a matter of time before I began to smell something. It was clearly the smell of a Rattata, and it was fresh. I began following the smell, even more cautiously than before. My search led me farther than I had expected. I travelled for a good hour, past streams and dense shrubbery. Finally, peeking my head through some bushes. I was met with a pleasant sight. Crouching down by a stream in front of me was a Rattata. Almost immediately I noticed something very strange about it.



It was yellow.

Yellow.

A Yellow Rattata.


I had never seen anything like it before. It stood there drinking from the stream, its shockingly shiny yellow fur glistening as a beam of sunlight broke through the leaves above him, shining on his back.

“This should be worth five Rattata when I show it to Lea!” I thought, holding back a laugh. Looking at this Rattata, I almost felt bad for what I was about to do. In fact, I actually did feel pretty bad. Why did I feel bad though? This was nothing more than I did every day. The only difference was that this Rattata was yellow instead of its normal purple. I knew that I had to catch this Rattata. If I didn’t It would mean I lost the competition, and even worse, that I might go without dinner… Yet, something inside me said I shouldn’t. I don’t know what it was, but that something saved that Rattatas life. I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I knew this Rattata was special. Turning around, I left as quietly as I had entered. I was disappointed to not have anything to show for my long trek, but was happy to have seen the Rattata.

Walking back, I felt the soft grass beneath my feet. It really was a lovely day, and I planned to take my time walking back. It was only then however that I realized how close it was to noon. Even if I had no prey to show for it, I had every intention of making it back on time. I rapidly shifted up to full speed, sprinting as fast as my legs would allow. Moving full speed, I managed to make it back in only 15 minutes compared to what had felt like forever the other way. I stopped at the agreed meeting place, out of breath. I was so out of breath, I hadn’t even noticed the Ninetails waiting for me in the bushes.

“I was starting to think you would never get back!” Lea said, laughing at my tired state.

“I was starting to think you might have caught something.” I said, looking at the clear lack of food in her possession.

“And you would have thought correct! Wait until you see what I caught!” She said, turning and darting into the bushes behind her. I waited for her for a whole minute. By the end of that minute, I was starting to think that she was taking a while just because. She came out a moment later, carrying a Pachirisu. As soon as I saw the Pachirisu however, I noticed something strange.



It’s stripe was pink.

Pink.

A Pink Pachirisu.

[FedoraChar]

MAH ENTRY

But first, context!:

This is back-story for my GCEA Character Aidan, who hails from Unova and comes from a long line of Dragon Tamers. His grandfather was a particularly strong and widely renowned Dragon Tamer, and as gifted as he was he was referred to as THE Dragon Master. Aidan's father was expected to inherent the title, but due to reasons (mostly A GIRL and pride issues) he refused to follow in his footsteps. Aidan's uncle (the second oldest) instead picked up his father's legacy. But as you will see, it hasn't been easy.

Mostly, this story seeks to explain the reasons behind Aidan's timidness and fears. And show off his grandpa's awesome shiny Pokemon. And dragons. Because, dragons.

Note: my interpretation of Iccirus is probably different than what's canon, but the game always gave me the impression that it was a smaller town. But that's not too important.

ANYWAY. Hope you enjoy x3





The Dragon's Call


The Pokémon Center looked as inviting as ever, with its warm bright colors and the cheery faces of the nurses as they greeted their visitors with smiles. Trainers flowed through, catching the contagious merry mood while waiting patiently for their Pokémon to be healed. None lingered much longer than fifteen minutes. The machines could handle the simple wounds and fatigue of most their Pokémon.

One group of individuals watched the ebb and flow of traffic from their corner with envy. They had been there since morning with baited breath, waiting for the dreaded inevitable announcement. The optimistic atmosphere was lost on them as they brooded, grimly avoiding each other’s eyes. Not a word had been spoken, but the same fears occupied their thoughts.

Farryn Fletcher sat on the edge of his seat, holding his head in one hand. He knew that this day would come. Tadghan was old, and growing weaker with every year. But he had always been there for them. The Pokémon had become a symbol of his family’s heritage, a relic of his father’s glory, a guardian to them all.

What would life be like without him?

“U-uncle… F-farryn?”

The long-standing silence between the Fletcher’s was broken by the timid whisper of Farryn’s nephew. Farryn sluggishly lifted his gaze, finding the seven-year old still huddling near his father—Farryn’s estranged brother. The mop of white hair hid half of his abashed face, but those sapphire blue eyes met his for one brief moment.

“I-is… is T going to… I-is he g-going to be o-okay?” the boy squeaked, voicing the question that had been avoided. All eyes turned to Farryn, some sharp, some sympathetic. Most, desolate. Expecting the answer as much as his nephew did.

Sighing, Farryn slowly dropped his hands. This must have been difficult and confusing for all the young ones. No one had considered them. Unfortunately, the best Farryn could offer was, “I don’t know, Aidan. I don’t know.”

Eyes dropped. Farryn’s nephew gripped the seat.

“I… I-I’m sorry…” the boy’s apology was barely audible.

Farryn winced, but before he could close the floodgates the storm began.

“You don’t have to apologize for anything, Aidan,” Farryn’s brother Owen snapped, staring daggers across the room.

“The h*** he does!” the retort came quickly from their mother, Delma—a cantankerous old woman with as much patience as an outraged Gyarados. “The boy has a name to live up to, but he has as much backbone as his father. If he’d just own up to his Arceus da—”

“Aidan is his own person,” Owen cut her off, raising his voice to an alarming volume. “He has his own choice in becoming who he wants! I will not have anyone tell him otherwise.”

“You ungrateful child! Don’t you realize what you’re doing to him? You’re denying him his power! His greatest potential! If you would quit babying him, he could be as great as his grandfather. As great as your brother!”

“Mother, please,” Farryn tried to ease the boiling tension in the room with a soft tone. Don’t bring me into this…

Unfortunately, matters only grew worse as Farryn’s sister jumped in. “You’re one to talk, Owen. You’re sure pushing hard for him to get into school. Is he gonna be the next little Juniper?”

“Is that why you’ve banned Pokémon from your household?” Donnel—the youngest brother—spoke up with a bitter tone. “Wouldn’t want anything to distract your little prodigy from his studies, would ya? Wouldn’t want him to get any wrong ideas in his head.”

The adults continued to bicker back and forth, and the subject of their arguments continued to quietly listen. The boy seemed to sink further into the plush Center sofa with every mention of his name, his eyes wide with fear. The Fletchers were ignorant to his suffering—because their argument had never really been about him. The rift between Owen and his family was growing wider.

Farryn had it. Standing abruptly, he bellowed over their incessant complaints. “ENOUGH!”

The entire Pokémon Center fell into an earsplitting silence. Not only had all the Fletchers turned to him with stunned expressions, but the other Trainers and Nurses as well. The Dragonmaster had commanded all attention with a single word. He let his critical gaze wander over his kin—settling last of all on his terrified nephew. Then, without saying anything else, he left.

Bystanders quickly averted their eyes and feigned ignorance, yet the beat of their activity had clearly been offset. Some Trainers—young and old—appeared unnerved despite their best attempts to hide it. Farryn knew he could appear intimidating at times. It often troubled his quiet demeanor, but his father had told him it was a side effect of his calling.

The dragons will change you, just as you change them, he had said with a wink. A Dragon Tamer will never by any means be an ordinary man.

The fond memory diffused Farryn’s anger, slowing his pace. Father had been gone for some time now, but Farryn swore he could feel his guiding presence from time to time. What he would give to have that now. What would Father think of all this? How would he quell his family’s quarrels, and bridge the gap gouged by his brother?

The new Dragon Master couldn’t understand. Why had everything fallen apart, so soon after his death?

“Mr. Fletcher…?” a tentative voice broke through his private mourning. One of the Center’s nurses had approached him with measured caution. She looked like the last person who would want to deal with conflict at the moment. He could respect her for that—he wouldn’t want to deal with the trouble afforded by his family either. So, placing an empathetic but weak smile on his face, Farryn turned to her.

That seem to do the trick. The nurse visibly relaxed, smiling back as well. Yet hers was a fleeting thing, hardly matching the sadness in her eyes. “Mr. Fletcher, the condition of your Haxorus has been stabilized, but, um… Well, I’m afraid there isn’t much we can do. The damage done to his heart is irreparable.”

All the tension he had kept pent up inside dissipated with a long, drawn-out sigh. However, it left him feeling emptier than ever. Farryn closed his eyes and nodded, allowing grief to wash over him.

“May I see him?” he asked the nurse, who had been watching his reaction warily.

“Yes, sir,” she nodded, her smile returning with sympathy. “Right this way.”

He followed her to the back, through the windowed hallway connecting the different patient rooms of various sizes. Most, fortunately, were empty; but they catered to smaller creatures. Tadghan’s room was in the far back—the surgery room in all actually. The Iccirus Center was by no means the fanciest, serving mostly the marshy back-country of Unova, and it was unusual to treat anything larger than a Druddigon. Tadghan had grown massive in his ripe old years—larger even than the average Haxorus. Luckily, no surgeries had been planned for the near future.

Farryn braced himself as the nurse opened the doors. He had been mentally preparing himself for this moment, but seeing it for himself would make it no easier. He felt the emotional blow as soon as he walked in.

The great black dragon was sprawled out on several mattresses pulled from the other rooms, his mass spanning the entire width of the room. His eyes were closed, and the hiss of his labored breathing rattled the air. It was a pitiful sight, one Farryn hated seeing. Tadghan was a legend as great as his father—powerful and rare. He deserved a better ending than this.

Sensing their presence, one of the dragon’s lids lifted and exposed a sliver of his ruby-red eye. Farryn felt his very bones vibrate as Tadghan gave a slow deep-chested grumble.

Keeping his eyes on the dragon, Farryn asked the nurse, “Can you give us thirty minutes… alone?”

The nurse nodded in understanding. Taking her leave, she quietly closed the door behind them. As soon as he heard the nurse release the handle, he finally crossed the room to his father’s Pokémon.

“Hello, old friend,” Farryn greeted as he sat on the ground near the dragon’s head. Tadghan weakly lifted his head and rested it on his lap, closing his eyes with another low grumble. Farryn ran his hands along the snout of the legendary beast, closing his own eyes. As he did so, thoughts and impressions came to his mind.

Dragon types are among the strongest types—and one of the most ancient. Their power stems from the creation of the world, unchanged from the ages since then. The reason why ordinary trainers found dragons difficult to raise was just that; their proud power is too archaic for them to understand. But the Dragon Tamer clans devoted their lives to understanding that power. Few, like those of Arthur Fletcher’s line, could connect with dragons in a way that no one else could. These were the true Dragon Masters.

What Farryn experienced then was not unlike the telepathy of psychics, yet at the same time completely enigmatic. He could sense Tadghan’s thoughts through images—but more importantly, he could sense his emotions through the colors Tadghan painted those images.

Farryn saw himself, younger, but playing with his brothers and sister in their parent’s backyard. The scene tinged with gold and warm colors, indicating how fond of the memory Tadghan was. Father was watching with a goofy smile as his children climbed onto the dragon’s dragons, only to be launched laughing and screaming into the family pond. At the end of the memory, the golden hues of the scene were touched with blue.

“I miss the old days, too,” Farryn sighed, stroking the dragon’s muzzle again. “Things were much happier then…”

Another image flashed in his mind—he and his brother Owen, this time as teens, glaring at each other angrily—but colored with a confusing mix of gray, blue, and red.

Farryn understood. “No… I’m not mad at him. Not anymore. He is right—he should be able to decide what he wants to be. Him… and his son.”

A gust of air ruffled Farryn’s pants as the dragon heaved a sad sigh. He pictured Aidan, looking shy and uncertain as ever in shades of yellow and blue.

“Aidan will be fine,” Farryn assured him. “He’s shaken, but he’ll… be fine.”

Tadghan was silent for a moment; all Farryn could sense from him was the dull ache of pain and fatigue. Then, the images started to come. Tadghan had been watching Aidan and his cousin Quill while the family prepared for Iccirus’ Dragon festival. The two suddenly disappeared, to Tadghan’s great distress. The dragon had already been showing signs of old age, but he decided he had to get up and find out where they had gone.

Using his sense of smell, the dragon followed a trail out of town—north, towards Dragonspiral Tower. Tadghan became worried; it was forbidden for the children to go there. A clan of particularly irate Druddigon had made their home there, posing a danger to anyone unprotected by Pokémon. Tadghan picked up the pace, wondering what had gotten into the minds of the children.

He found them at last, right by the base of the tower, but his worst fears had been confirmed. The boys were huddled together, trembling in fright as a pack of Druddigon harassed them. Shells of broken Poké Balls littered the floor around them, telling the complete story. Tadghan understood it in an instant—the boys thought they could come here and catch their first dragons. It was foolish, but there was no time to reprimand them now.

Feeling the fires of anger boiled up within him, Tadghan shook off the shackles of his old age. For the first time in decades, the dragon roared on the top of his lungs, challenging those who had threatened his family. The Druddigon turned their heads, and at first looked intimidated, but finding the Haxorus alone they decided they had the upper hand. Casting the boys from their mind, they charged Tadghan.

He took them all on at once, lashing at them with his tusks and claws and tail. He could feel their teeth and claws and prickly hides scrape his armor, but few attacks left their mark. Individually, they would have been no match to the legendary dragon, but together they proved troublesome. Still, Tadghan had retired a Champion, and would stay a Champion. He fought with a ferocity that the reckless dragonlings would never forget. One by one, the Druddigon turned tail and fled.

Tadghan snorted and stood victorious. However, the fatigue quickly fell on his shoulders. Breathing heavily, he turned to check on the boys. Quill watched with awe, but Aidan… Tadghan had never seen such terror in anyone’s eyes before. And they were staring straight at him.

It was that image that stuck in the Haxorus’ mind, even after he doubled over at the sharp pain that assaulted his chest.

Farryn opened his eyes as soon as the vision ended, slowly drinking the revelation. He hadn’t heard the whole story until now. It explained where the lacerations on Quill came from; the boy had been taken to the local doctor before he could be questioned, but last Farryn heard there was nothing serious.

Aidan, on the other hand… Well, it was hard to tell. Tadghan worried that the boy was now scared of him. Farryn sighed, patting the dragon’s neck. He couldn’t deny it—the whole ordeal would be traumatizing for anyone his nephew’s age. Quill would shake it off. But Aidan…

Tadghan flashed an image of Aidan once again, colored with guilt. Farryn frowned.

“Don’t be so hard on yourself,” the Dragon Master assured him. “You did what you had to. You were a hero… like you’ve always been. Aidan… knows that. He just needs time to recover…”

Another labored breath escaped the shiny Haxorus’ snout. Farryn flinched as his vision flashed red—Tadghan’s pain ran deep. It was amazing he was conscious at all.

With sudden fervor, the dragon sent feverish images to Farryn’s mind, trying desperately to get one last message across. Farryn saw his family, engaged in another fierce argument, soon replaced with another of them sitting together all laughing and smiling. He saw his nephews, sullen and scared, and then he saw them grinning from ear to ear as they chased each other down a trail leading through the marshes. He saw Aidan as a toddler, through Tadghan’s eyes, patting the great dragon’s talon affectionately.

Finally, he saw his father. Arthur was looking at him proudly, giving a single nod. Then, slowly, Farryn saw his own image replacing his father’s. He stood between his brother and his family, all with peaceful expressions on their faces, colored with calming tones of blue.

As it all ended, Farryn looked down at the dragon’s eyes. They stared at him with glowing admiration.

Then, slowly, his lids fell like curtains, closing those ruby-red eyes to the world. One last breath left the dragon’s lungs, and just like that, the great legend left this world.

Farryn choked on his breath, tightening his hold. “I’ll honor your wish, Tadghan… Rest in peace… Old friend…”


I'M SORRY. THAT WAS DEPRESSING. D'8

[Rival Max]

This contest is closed! Thanks for joining in ! look for the results in the coming days !

[Suicune's Fire]

*This thread is temporarily open


ATTENTION! WE HAVE THE WINNERS. 8D

First off, I would like to thank everyone who participated in this event and commend them for their efforts. The entries were unique and fun to read, so well done to all.
I post these results with confidence and pride in you guys. It's awesome to see the community working together to produce amazing works like these. :D

Let the judging begin!

Meet the Judges


PerseusRad (http://www.pokemoncrossroads.com/forum/member.php?234-PerseusRad)
Suicune's Fire (http://www.pokemoncrossroads.com/forum/member.php?44-Suicune-s-Fire)
Saraibre Ryu (http://www.pokemoncrossroads.com/forum/member.php?37-Saraibre-Ryu)



The Grading Structure


Creativity: Includes how interesting the story was, but also addresses the individuality of the piece. Relates specifically to the plot.
Detail: Refers to the amount of description included in the story to make it more believable and realistic. This includes descriptive language and the writer’s attention to the smaller things.
For poetry, this refers more closely to the interesting factor and how engaged it kept the reader.
Flow and phrasing: Sentence structure (not grammar) and consistency of the writing style. Includes the vocabulary used.
Grammar and spelling: Spelling, punctuation and the clear indication that proof-reading was done at least once.
Theme: How well the story relates to the theme of shiny Pokémon

Each category is marked out of 10, and the final mark is out of a total of 50.



The Results:

We had eight participants... But there is only one winner.

The results from each judges will be posted, and then at the bottom of the post, I will post the combined results (the numbers will be obtained based on the mean score) and the winners!.




The Shiny Adventure – Blaquaza
Word count: 1,178



Saraibre Ryu

- Creativity: 7
- Detail: 7
- Flow/Phrasing: 7
- Grammar/Spelling: 8
- Theme: 10

Total: 39/50



PerseusRad

- Creativity: 5.5 /10
- Detail: 5.5 /10
- Flow/Phrasing: 6 /10
- Grammar/Spelling: 5.5 /10
- Theme: 7 /10
Judge’s comments: Not terrible, but needs some polish.

Total: 29.5/50



Suicune's Fire

- Creativity: 4/10
- Detail: 6/10
- Flow/Phrasing: 7/10
- Grammar/Spelling: 9/10
- Theme: 10/10
Judge’s comments: It was a pretty basic recount/diary entry of a shiny encounter, but I didn’t feel like it had much thought put into it. The inter-region mixing got a little confusing, although it was sort of amusing. I could tell you had fun with it, and you had only a few spelling and grammar errors. The random mention of the inkay at the end was a little out of place since we hadn’t heard about that pokémon yet, and the battle with Barry also seemed strangely random. It was cool to see that the entry didn’t simply end after the capture, but it felt a little irrelevant.

I would have liked to see more detail (although I know that can be limited due to the medium), and perhaps something not so straight-forward. However, as I mentioned before, it is due to the limitations of a diary entry, so you did well for what you were aiming for. :]

Total: 36/50



[No title] – EmeraldSky
Word count: 3,891



Saraibre Ryu

- Creativity: 3
- Detail: 5
- Flow/Phrasing: 3
- Grammar/Spelling: 8
- Theme: 5

Total: 24/50



PerseusRad

- Creativity: 4.5 /10
- Detail: 9 /10
- Flow/Phrasing: 7.5 /10
- Grammar/Spelling: 8.5/10
- Theme: 4 /10
Judge’s comments: The shiny part wasn't very prominent.

Total: 33.5 /50



Suicune's Fire

- Creativity: 4/10
- Detail: 4/10
- Flow/Phrasing: 6/10
- Grammar/Spelling: 5/10
- Theme: 6/10
Judge’s comments: When you asked to “pokemonise” a folktale, I imagined you would actually write the folktale out as the story, not as Brock telling a folktale. To me that removes an entire dimension of storytelling, especially when you have the audience there reacting to things that we, as a reading audience, could have reacted to if you had actually written out the folktale as your story. I felt like I was being told how I should respond, but because of the way it was written, I didn’t feel the slightest bit involved and didn’t react remotely like the audience in that room with Brock was.

What I disapproved of, however, was the fact that most of the tale was literally copied and pasted. Yes, you changed small amounts of phrasing and changed “horse” to “ponyta,” but there was no real creativity about grabbing something that’s been written for you and dumping it into your own story. Especially when your story isn’t about the tale; it’s about Brock telling people about a tale.

I hope you don’t find any of this insulting; it’s just how I feel. If you had written it as the actual story and changed things so that it was only slightly based off the original, you would have scored much higher.

Total: 25/50



A Shiny Heart - Brettles
Word count: 1,481


Saraibre Ryu

- Creativity: 9
- Detail: 8
- Flow/Phrasing: 7
- Grammar/Spelling: 8
- Theme: 10

Total: 42/50



PerseusRad

- Creativity: 7.5 /10
- Detail: 7 /10
- Flow/Phrasing: 7/10
- Grammar/Spelling: 8.5 /10
- Theme: 9 /10
Judge’s comments: Did well with keeping shinies as the main theme.

Total: 39/50



Suicune's Fire

- Creativity: 8/10
- Detail: 6.5/10
- Flow/Phrasing: 6.5/10
- Grammar/Spelling: 6/10
- Theme: 10/10
Judge’s comments: Definitely a favourite of mine, and the sort of plot that I mostly love to read. I thought the concept was awesome—Ember being the only one in his family that wasn’t shiny. That was a cool twist to the general “shiny one in the herd” sort of plot, which was enjoyable to read. The ending was awesome and very sweet as well.

There were a reasonable load of grammatical errors, which got you deducted points, as well as some incomplete sentences and things that repeated, which was a bit of a shame, except probably the biggest thing was the detail. It was hardly detailed at all and it felt quite rushed, so I couldn’t feel as if I could give you many points for that. Most of the “detail” points are because I found the story idea cool and entertaining to read.

Overall, well done!

Total: 37/50




The Beholder – ZoeticKitty
Word count: 2,153


Saraibre Ryu

- Creativity: 9
- Detail: 9
- Flow/Phrasing: 7
- Grammar/Spelling 7
- Theme: 10

Total: 42/50


PerseusRad

- Creativity: 8 /10
- Detail: 7.5 /10
- Flow/Phrasing: 8 /10
- Grammar/Spelling: 8/10
- Theme: 4.5 /10
Judge’s comments: Was a very nice story, however shinies weren't very prominent.

Total: 36/50



Suicune's Fire

- Creativity: 7/10
- Detail: 6/10
- Flow/Phrasing: 7/10
- Grammar/Spelling: 5.5/10
- Theme: 8/10
Judge’s comments: The flow of this story confused me a little. It started off quite flat and I expected it to pick up, but it sort of failed in that aspect. A few logic-based things confused me—one being the houndoom. Aside from the minor detail that houdoom aren’t generally seen in Sinnoh, they would hunt solely for food, posing the question of why one would leave a kill half-maimed instead of eating the whole thing or at least carrying it away. Secondly, that a noctowl would randomly open a window and intrude into a human’s house for a few tiny eggs that it probably couldn’t have seen from the outside when prey would have been so much more easily accessible outside of a house.

I’m a little confused how the addition of Roya helped the plot at all, not that there is anything wrong with adding an extra character. I just feel like she could have contributed to the story a bit more in some way. A general lack of detail and emotion was present in the story as well, which made it less engaging than it could have been.

I found it a little flat, but it had a nice ending, which was pleasant. I also like the idea of looking after those eggs. ^^ It’s a nice thing to do.

Total: 33.5/50



Day Dreams – Phantome Ecrivain
Line count: 36


Saraibre Ryu

- Creativity: 8
- Detail: 9
- Flow/Phrasing: 9
- Grammar/Spelling: 9
- Theme: 10

Total: 45/50


PerseusRad

- Creativity: 8 /10
- Detail: 6.5 /10
- Flow/Phrasing: 8.5 /10
- Grammar/Spelling: 7.5 /10
- Theme: 9 /10
Judge’s comments: Stuck well to the theme, and overall very nice.

Total: 39.5/50



Suicune's Fire

- Creativity: 6/10
- Detail: 5/10
- Flow/Phrasing: 7/10
- Grammar/Spelling: 8/10
- Theme: 10/10
Judge’s comments: I wanted to go a little harder on you because you chose a poem instead of a story. Obviously they are naturally shorter and have less detail, generally, but they must tell a story still. Just in another manner. I felt that the main theme on this was judgement and wanting to be an individual, but there wasn’t really any emotion, and no direct indication of how those comments affected that vulpix. The shining part at the end was a little unclear; I interpreted it as the vulpix perhaps evolving and showing off a beautiful coat (although shiny vulpix look beautiful anyway xD) or finding a new family who accepted them.

The poem began in quite a literal sense, about siblings and the vulpix’s pack rejecting them, but then it turned toward dreaming and waking to find that they found themselves beautiful. A more direct path through this tale might have suited the poem better, given how it started out. The way it ended feels somewhat vague and inconclusive, although obviously it is a happy ending, so it still has a resolution. It’s just a little unclear.

Nicely written, though, and it definitely shows what could happen to a shiny in some communities.

Total: 36/50



Spread my Wings – Popshakes
Line count: 144


Saraibre Ryu

- Creativity: 8
- Detail: 8
- Flow/Phrasing: 7
- Grammar/Spelling: 10
- Theme: 10

Total: 43/50



PerseusRad

- Creativity: 9 /10
- Detail: 7.5 /10
- Flow/Phrasing: 8.5 /10
- Grammar/Spelling: 8 /10
- Theme: 9 /10
Judge’s comments: Wonderful

Total: 42/50



Suicune's Fire

- Creativity: 9/10
- Detail: 10/10
- Flow/Phrasing: 10/10
- Grammar/Spelling: 8/10
- Theme: 10/10
Judge’s comments: This was definitely a favourite of mine. You not only detailed a story in the form of a beautiful poem, but you also included an abundance of emotion and perspective. I love when people pay close attention to detail, not only in the words they choose but to small things that make it that much more believable. Specifically, when you referred to the trainer as having an unknown gender, and then his pokémon having a perfectly clear gender. It would make sense for a pokémon who has never seen a human before to be unable to distinguish between female and male.

As I said before, I loved how the poem took us on a journey. The trainer’s decision to release the pokémon was surprising, and added a nice twist. I like how until then, the caterpie/metapod was unable to experience the world properly and enjoy life. With the evolution into a butterfree, I saw not only a literal evolution and the appearance of physical wings, but a metaphorical undertone about being set free through an ability to spread their wings.

Very nicely put together and great use of terminology. I spotted a few errors, such as “For once I can breath easy.” Lol. Breath easy. Instead of breathe. xD

Total: 47/50



Yellow – Dragon Master
Word count: 1,033


Saraibre Ryu

- Creativity: 9
- Detail: 8
- Flow/Phrasing: 7
- Grammar/Spelling: 8
- Theme: 10

Total: 42/50



PerseusRad

- Creativity: 8 /10
- Detail: 7 /10
- Flow/Phrasing: 8 /10
- Grammar/Spelling: 6.5 /10
- Theme: 7 /10
Judge’s comments: Loved the ending!

Total: 36.5 /50



Suicune's Fire

- Creativity: 10/10
- Detail: 8/10
- Flow/Phrasing: 9/10
- Grammar/Spelling: 7/10
- Theme: 8/10
Judge’s comments: Very interesting idea. It took a totally different path to the general shiny story theme, which was refreshing and all the more interesting. I loved the ending as well. It was clearly supposed to be shocking, which it succeeded in. You gave the characters emotion and personality, which is definitely something that helped you score highly, as well as character for the story—such as comedic elements.

It was engaging and well written, so well done. There were some grammatical errors, mainly with speech, but overall the story was great.

Total: 42/50



The Dragon’s Call - Charmander009
Word count: 2,554


Saraibre Ryu

- Creativity: 9
- Detail: 10
- Flow/Phrasing: 9
- Grammar/Spelling: 10
- Theme: 10

Total: 48/50



PerseusRad

- Creativity: 8.5 /10
- Detail: 7.5 /10
- Flow/Phrasing: 8.5 /10
- Grammar/Spelling: 8.5 /10
- Theme: 7 /10
Judge’s comments: Loved the story, but wasn't as shiny centered as I hoped, but still good!

Total: 40/50



Suicune's Fire

- Creativity: 10/10
- Detail: 8.5/10
- Flow/Phrasing: 9/10
- Grammar/Spelling: 7/10
- Theme: 8.5/10
Judge’s comments: As someone who has participated in GCEA and seen Aidan first-hand, I found it great to have a more detailed backstory to him. I liked how this story was surrounded by context and wasn’t just a stand-alone piece. I loved the emotion conveyed, and you were right...it was sad. ;w; I was pretty sad to see such a legend go and I hardly knew him!

Regardless, it was well written. The shiny theme wasn’t the main focus but it was cool to see it incorporated how it was.

Total: 43/50


WINNERS:

Third Place goes to...
Fantome Ecrivan with Day Dreams for a total of 40 points!
and
Dragon Master with Yellow for a total of 40 points!


Second Place goes to...
Charmander009 with A Dragon's Call for a total of 43 points!


First Place goes to...
Popshakes with Spread my Wings for a total of 44 points!


Runners-up
- Brettles with 39.5 points
- ZoeticKitty with 37 points
- Blaquaza with 35 points
- EmeraldSky with 27 points


WELL DONE TO POPSHAKES! 8D Congratulations everyone else who placed, and well done to all those who participated. It was a great contest and I hope you continue to write! :D


Your points and prizes will be redeemable in the near future... Thank you for being patient! And hold on to your places. ;]



~SF.