Jake's nose wrinkled as Portia lifted the latex mask. That was weird stuff. Why would a guy wear a mask like that. Jake then remembered he had covered his face a couple times while doing some petty crime and figured the man was doing the same. Still, that didn't explain why the man attacked in the first place. To some extent though, Jake didn't care why the attack happened, it was just another challenge they had to face. Jake did care about the cash and happily partook in taking his share of the winnings (but didn't seem to care about the headband). In the past couple days he went from having practically no money to having, well, more money than he had ever imagined.

He walked spryly along side the giant bug pokemon with Skipper hopping along to keep pace. He listened a bit to Portia's speculations on who the guy was, but his mind was more thinking about all the stuff he could buy with his newly gotten riches.

"Possible..." Barry grants, "but rather unlikely. Between the patrols, and the camouflaged radars..." He stop suddenly, looking embarrassed. "Please pretend I didn't say that..."

During your discussion, you moved closer to the city... and the fortress guarding it's access. Seeing the construction, you understand what Professor Callery meant. The castle is huge, sitting astride the very large river. Despite it's size, it looks half-way between a medieval building and a modern bunker. On the top of it's walls a crenelations, were multiple soldiers are standing. They try to act professional, but can't help but looking like fans looking at an arriving star.

Though it's massive metal doors seems able to stop a tank, they are currently wide open. Barry looks a bit sheepish. "Sorry for not unrolling the red carpet. We don't actually have one available. We barely got the plate instaled in time..." He points to a sign on the wall, describing the history of Castle Riviere. Of to the side, you can also see the box the sign came in.

The path through the castle is pretty twisted, clearly designed to delay attackers. Once you're almost through, Barry points to a Pokémon Center sign (also recently installed) mounted near the exit. Behind it, a nurse (also wearing a military uniform) waits for your arrival behind a counter, ready to heal your Pokémons.

"If I may have one of your Pokédex? I'll make a copy of the battle you had, to see if we can learn anything about that man."

Though she knew full well the whole of Cadien was a militaristic state, actually seeing the imposing nature of the first outpost into the area was daunting.  Daunting and unsettling, really.  Portia couldn't help but frown as she looked about - she couldn't tell if the haphazard, hurried effort to make the place seem more welcoming was simply a paper thin disguise to reassure them, or a genuine but clumsy effort to actually put a good foot forward.

"Here, I was actively filming the whole thing." Portia handed over her PokeDex on request, glad to be rid of it for a moment's time at least.  "So what's the deal with this place?  I get wanting to fortify the front door, but isn't this a little much?"

Eve shifted a little uncomfortably as she road on the back end of the Scolipede, listening to Barry and the others. Camouflaged radars made her uneasy, as did his comments about rolling out red carpet, as she wasn't sure exactly how facetious or serious he was being, or if it was a more personal attack on her. The stranger's whole 'too famous' jab had left her more rattled than she had first admitted. Shifting uncomfortably, she watched as the towering fortress came into view, and felt humbled under it. Even the Pokemon League stadiums in Kanto were this big.

"I don't know," she said in response to Portia's former comment. "It kind of seemed to me that he was jealous, by the way he talked to us and attacked us without provocation. He knew of us enough to insult us each individually, but he also seemed insulted by our very presence. Like he was mad he hadn't been chosen to come instead. It's almost like... he had something to prove."

Seymour was quiet for most of the trip. His thoughts were divided. Part of his brain was busy taking in all of the new information about the attacker and the region, along with everything Barry's presence and comments implied. The other part of his brain was still worried about his injured pokemon. So when the pokemon center came into view, Seymour let out a sigh of relief he hadn't realized he had been holding. He finally felt his brain had caught up to his emotions.

The castle was certainly an impressive structure to behold. He felt a sense of cultural pressure settle onto his shoulders as they entered. He was probably the first person from Hoenn to enter this structure in countless years. Possibly ever. But rather than overwhelm him, the pressure actually excited Seymour. He had friends back home that would give almost anything to be where he was right now. Already this trip had been worth the journey!

He scanned the area as they walked, taking in how society seemed to function here in Castle Riviere. And to see if there was anywhere they could potentially purchase more items for their trip. Or a way to make money to purchase items for their trip...

---

Seymour doesn't really have anything relevant to add to the conversation at the moment, so he is sort of hovering at the back of the group right now, listening and observing.

Pokedollar stat increased from "weak" to Low."

"Mad that he wasn't picked, or mad that we were.  I don't think everyone in Cadien is going to be happy to see us here and might resent the whole situation enough to pull a stunt like that.  Or other regions might not be so keen on the idea of Cadien opening up its borders." Portia reasoned with a shrug.  It was mostly speculation at that point, but she'd dealt with enough petty adults to have a good handle on their logic.  "Whatever that creep's problem was, he came prepared, and that's more worrisome to me.  But, hey, maybe we'll get lucky and never see him again once we get off the mainland.  Cadien's not gonna let some disgruntled stalker sneak around within its borders causing problems for us, right?" she couldn't help but shoot Lt. Barry an incredulous look on that remark.

"Of course! After all, Castle Riviere was built to control the only land access to Cadien. It would reflect badly on all of us if we let some random weirdo through." Barry says, as he returns Portia's Pokédex.

The nurse finishes her treatment of the group's Pokémon soon after, and Barry guides you back to the exit. "Welcome to Rivierestel, the gateway of Cadien. I wish I could escort you further, but I'm afraid I have to return to my duties. So unless you have any final questions, I must bid you farewell."

Gateway is an understatement. Among the various skyscrapers in the heart of the city, two stand wider and taller than the rest, linked by a sky arch bridge, giving the impression of a massive open doorway. Ironic, considering how access to this country has been limited for so long.

The noise of the metropolis welcome you into Cadien.

OOC: All injuries your Pokémon had are removed, and you gain another 10 favors for completing your journey across Route 100.
You can ask any other questions you may have to Lt. Barry, before continuing on in the thread 'Rivierstel'.

Later that day...

How is it that everything manages to go wrong so quickly?

Atticus had planned his journey for months, ever since he was chosen to participate in the Cadien League. From hatching the egg his mother gave him, to picking the perfect itinerary to get to Bébagne.

And then... the hurricane hit. It didn't pass too close to Hoenn, but it was enough to delay his cruise for a day. And, like dominoes, his plan fell apart, forcing him to scramble to replace all his correspondence. Time and again, something came up to cause another delay, until he arrived just too late to catch the train to Bébagne.

He sent a desperate email to Professor Callery, hoping a day's delay wouldn't ruin his chance. To his surprise, the Professor replied that he would take the train out of Bébagne, and meet him at the station.

And now, the train rolls in, and a tan man steps out. Looking around, his eyes settles on you. "So, you must be Atticus?"

Atticus was upset that his journey had taken yet another bump in the road with the hurricane being so sudden. It felt like every time he tried to take that brave step forward, something held him back or put a dent in his progress. However, imagine his relief when Professor Callery said that he would come and meet him! He didn't think that was even a possibility but here he was, facing the man who was willing to take time out of his day to meet him after everything else had fallen apart.

"Y-yes, sir! Thank you for meeting me. I was really worried I wouldn't make it," Atticus replied with a meager smile. He did his best to stand up straight and proud just like his father taught him. He wore a black hoodie and jeans, holding on to the straps of his backpack while he waited for further instructions from the Professor. He wasn't sure what to expect now that he was in a whole new region where he didn't know anyone or anything about it. He was simply determined to accomplish his goals, eyes beaming with quiet but fierce determination.

"Well, you are in luck. If you'd written later, you'd have caught me on the train." He digs into his vest, and pulls out a Pokédex. "Here you go. You brand new Cadien Pokédex. Just press your tumb on the bottom of the screen to register it.

Now, there's a few things you should know... first off, this is set to record everything that happens to you. And it serves as you identity papers. So if you have to deal with officials, they'll probably ask to see it... and they look up anything that happened to you. Don't forget it.
Also, unlike in Hoenn, the Cadien League is led by the military. They have certain... eccentricities. They have a dozen gyms, divided in three ranks. You still need to defeat eight gyms to compete in the League's championship, but you can challenge more to increase your score."

Atticus was relieved that at least this worked out for him, and that his luck had served him well enough to end up here on time. His hazel eyes widened behind shaggy hair when the Professor handed him the Pokedex, his key to this new and unfamiliar place. As someone who had dreamed about this moment for years, he could not contain his excitement. He reached for the tool and immediately placed his thumb on the screen as instructed so it could register him. He then listened to the professor attentively as he explained the mechanisms of the region, impressed with how vastly different it was than Hoenn.

"Twelve gyms? Wow, so many chances to get strong..." he murmured mostly to himself, as he did not want to seem overly ambitious to the tan professor. He straightened up again and nodded, having digested this new information and keeping it stored away in his impressive memory. "Where should I go from here, Professor? Are the gyms in a specific order, like in Hoenn?"

"Not quite. If you look at the map..." (OOC: That you can reach with the Game Map link above) "You can see where the various towns are. Like I said, each gym has a tier.
Bluweil, Roarac, Vinmur, and Boonwagen are all tier one. They have no entry requirement, so you can face any of them you wish, in any order.
Charluire, Vollemond, Herenport, and Bruglare are tier two. You can only face them if you have two gym badges.
The last four gyms are Montaunin, Northlone, Argenvers, and Carcamiers. They require four badges to challenge them, and are the hardest gym they have. And are worth the most points, of course.
Levallac's the capital. They don't have a gym, but it's a great place to visit if you want to see sights that legal visitors haven't seen in years. And Antoseau is where the League's tournament takes place, for those who've gathered at least eight badges."

Atticus absorbed all of this information eagerly, listening to the Professor speak without interrupting him. He looked down at his Map and studied it, trying to figure out where he was and where to go next. Seeing as the closest gym to him was Bluweil, he assumed that would be his first stop. Sure, he wanted to see the sights and get to know the region, but he was here to become a Champion and that meant getting to work on his dreams right away. "So, I think I'm going to take route 100 first and make my way towards Bluweil, right?" he asked, showing the Professor where his priorities were. He wanted to train and battle and get stronger and now it was time to make that happen.

With a laugh, the Professor says "Well, first you'll need to reach Bébagne. Although... there may be a way to cut the trip down. One of the other trainers has an Abra. Maybe she'd be willing to make a quick jump to pick you up. If you're interested, of course."

Atticus' eyes sparkled when he mentioned the Abra -- he always wanted to Teleport! He nodded, although he was immediately nervous about encountering new people. "Um, I'm interested if she doesn't mind... I know it might be a burden..."

The Professor pulls out his phone, and sends out a message. After a short pause, an answers comes back. He raises an eyebrow as he reads it. "Hmm. She's coming, but it seems she has an issue. She should be here soon.

Well, in the mean time. Remember when I mentioned your score? Each gym badge is worth as many points as the gym's tier. In the final championship, the contenders are matched based on their score. The ones with the highest score face off against the ones with the lowest. In short, taking the easy route when it comes to gym challenges will leave you facing the strongest contender in the tournament.

There is one advantage to having a low score, though. The lowest score gets to pick the first match condition. Things like special terrain, or fighting in double or triple battle. There are others, but you'd have to dig into the region's dueling laws to find them."

<< Portia and Houdini arrive from Rivierstel via Teleportation <<<

While the Professor and Atticus were busy with reviewing the League rules, they'd quickly become aware of a strange pressure in the air all a sudden, akin to what it felt like when a storm front was moving inland.  All at once, with a sharp hiss and flicker of sudden motion, an unlikely duo simply popped into existence just a short ways off down the train platform.  Portia landed from a small drop - she'd appeared a foot or so off the ground, as it tended to be a safer means of arrival - while the Abra who sat perched astride her shoulders Tepig-gy back seemed wholly unphased by the situation.  He just snored away carelessly... though given how Abra were asleep more often than not, that was hardly indicative of anything.

After a quick look to and fro, Portia spotted the Professor and an unfamiliar teen.  She jogged quickly down their way and did her best to seem affable despite the rather unpleasant situation she'd just left behind in Rivierstel.  "Oi, Professor, don't think I'm gonna make a habit of this.  Does Cadien not have Corviknight taxis or what?" though she smarted off at the Professor, she offered a lopsided smile and a handshake out to Atticus.  "So you're the other latecomer, huh?  I'm Portia Duval of Kalos, and the slacker on my shoulders is Houdini."

"Sorry about that!" The Professor says. "I'm afraid the Cadien army was to busy on the western front of the Kalos war, they didn't get the chance to meet Pokémon native to Galar. Though speaking of Pokémon..." He suddenly smiles like a kid in a candy shop. "Did you meet any Pokémon native to Cadien?"

"Does Cadien even have any native Pokemon of its own?" Portia cast the Professor a sidelong look with plenty of ire.  While it was mostly about her disdain for Cadien's habit of abducting Pokemon out of other regions, she couldn't really blame him for touching on a nerve with her regarding the little native bunny she'd just dealt with.  He had no way of knowing and she just sighed as she withdrew her Pokedex.

A flick and a swipe from her free hand was all it took to bring up Laconney's Dex entry on the display.  "You tell me."
This message was last edited by the player at 05:07, Sun 24 Nov 2019.

Atticus hoped that the other trainers were okay since the Professor mentioned an issue. He didn't ask anything else about it, though, in case it was a private matter. He nodded when the man mentioned his score and listened attentively again to his explanation on the region's leaders and gyms and how their system operated as opposed to Hoenn. It was very different but it sounded like one heck of a challenge that he eagerly wanted to get started on.

"I'm going to try to get the highest score possible," he admitted with a determined nod. He wasn't the kind of kid who took the easy way out. He liked using his critical thinking skills to solve problems and find solutions that were out of the ordinary. He was startled by Portia's sudden appearance, and when she marched over to them, vocally expressing herself to the Professor, he bowed his head slightly. He nodded though when she introduced herself and was immediately interested in the fact that she was from Kalos, a region he had only heard and read about but never visited himself.

"I'm Atticus... and it's nice to meet you both," he murmured, although he clearly had a great interest in Houdini. "Wow, an Abra..." he expressed quietly, his affinity for psychic Pokemon having lead to him researching all he could about them. He didn't bother commenting any further when Portia held up her Pokedex though. He had never seen the bunny on the screen before and he assumed it must have been native to the Cadien region as the Professor had mentioned.

"I'm sure they have some... unless the ones they brought in ended up displacing the native..." The moment Portia holds up her Pokédex, the Professor grabs it to read the entry. The way he reacted, you'd think he just had access to the secrets of the universe.

"Fire and ice!? Really? That's possible!?" He seems lost to the world, focused entirely on the 'dex like a twitter addict on his phone.

Portia could only sigh over the Professor's excitement about the Laconney's PokeDex entry.  He was the one handing out the devices and he didn't even know all that was recorded in them, or that such critters were nesting in the next town over?  He hadn't really left the best impression on her when they first met and she found him more lacking than ever, especially compared to the other more professional and knowledgeable scholars from other regions.  Of course, she was from Kalos - the most technologically and scientifically advanced region in the hemisphere - so her standards were much higher than most.  But between his apparent lack of knowledge and the under-equipped lab he worked in, it really seemed to her that the Cadien region's organization was slipshod on that front.  She was even beginning to suspect the Professor wasn't even a Cadien native himself with how he spoke.

Rather than continue to scowl at the Professor Portia instead gave Atticus a look while he wondered over her partner.  She eased a bit closer his way and leaned to make Houdini slope to one side, lolled nearer to him so he could have a better look or even pet the snoozing critter if he was so bold.  "Not the most traditional of partners, but me and Houdini have been together for years.  Thankfully he's pretty low maintenance." she said with a wink.  "Do you have any Pokemon as well, or are you picking up a starter from the Professor?"
This message was last edited by the player at 21:40, Sun 24 Nov 2019.

With a heavy sigh, the Professor returns Portia's Pokédex. "I wish I could join you. All I can do for now is observe the Cadien frontier from afar... and not too long, or else they get nervous. Hopefully the lot of you will help change that!"

OOC: Unless there's something else, Portia and Atticus can return to the main thread, and meet the rest of the group at the hotel.

With a little time spent to chat and for Houdini to catch his breath after one new jump, the trio was ready to go.  She offered the Professor a halfhearted farewell and took Atticus by the hand - physical contact wasn't mandatory for teleportation, but it did make it easier.

"So, just relax - teleporting doesn't really feel like anything and it'll be over before you even know it.  But suddenly having, like, your orientation and lighting and temperature suddenly shift from that of one location's to another can be sorta disorienting." she warned as she raised her free hand with three fingers up.  "I'll give you a countdown and we'll jump on three.  One--"

Whether it was Portia's sense of mischief or Houdini's - or both, for that matter - was a mystery, but the three of them instantly vanished on the spot long before the countdown finished.

>>> Portia, Houdini, and Atticus Teleport to Rivierstel >>>