Kale pops his knuckles out in front of him before rolling his shoulders to make sure he felt his best. Showing any nerves in this kind of environment would be a sign of weakness, and his future opponents would easily take advantage of it. Plus, the stretching helped to ease him of the aches leftover from standing in line for such a long while. Only a few more anthro Pokemon in front of him left, and he'd finally be one step towards freedom. Not that the GRIT would be anything close to freedom, but its reward surely would be.
The grass lizard glances to his sides to see similar lines of folks all here for the same reason; Kale simply wondered who of which he would have to face in this tournament. Occasional eyes meet him, either with some anxious glares, some of which had a defiant cockiness to them, and others...had a rather predatory expression. The latter made Kale the uneasiest since he could sense just how much some people gained pleasure from this yearly tradition. Pokemon from all over come here to witness or face one another in probably the most popular of 'sports' across the seas. The GRIT. Kale's eyes eagerly retreat from the looks he was getting from some competitors to admire the large architecture surrounding everyone. Sandstone walls, bricks, and tiles decorate the structure with carvings made into grand pillars to keep the high ceiling up. Sunlight from the hot desert sun beams in through the door entrances where some of the lines still filtered in from, making some people wait outside to the coliseum. Ahead of Kale, a long table with several different Pokemon are all seated behind it, each conversing with the front of the lines and taking down their information on paper. It was the final day for sign-ups, and matches would begin after all the fighters' records were compiled. The Grovyle looks past the desk workers and to the large wall behind them where a large stone slab rest, etched with writing that anyone who was anyone should know of. The tournament's rules.
-- Welcome to the Grand Red Island Tournament --
The GRIT has been a part of our culture for many decades, and continues to prosper with incredible fighters each year. We proudly honor any brave being that dares to step through the doors of the Great Coliseum. Many fighters enter, but only the strongest few may leave through them. We welcome you with open arms as you welcome your victims with open jaws.
Truly this is the greatest hunt to be witnessed by mere spectators. Each of you will be pitted towards fighters who all strive to achieve the same goal. To be the best. To be the one that beat them all. To eat them all. To make all of the obstacles that stood in your way add to you by the end, making you stronger. The greatest victory of all is to have the defeated prey serve the victor in the best way they can.
The GRIT is simple as long as you follow these guidelines.
1. This is a tournament. As such, you will be pitted against opponents in one-on-one matches. However, the officiators are allowed to change up the specific rules for a match as they see fit, be it two-on-two fights, free-for-alls, etc.
2. The first round of all fights will be in randomly selected pools. Fighters will be pitted together in quick matches to weed out the weak and ensure the strong to be matched together. This first round is known as the Rust Exhibition. The consecutive rounds begin afterwards. Matches will be hand-selected by officiators of the tourney starting with the Bronze Rounds. Winning ten matches in the Bronze League allows you to continue into the next round, where the Silver Rounds take place. With ten more victories under your belt, you upgrade into the Gold Rounds to which the best of the best collide in a final five matches. Should you survive thus far and achieve five victories, you are promoted to the Diamond Round. Two finalists take one another on, and only one can claim the grand prize. The winning pot of money of which all audience members and fighters have offered as entry. Last year, the champion went home with over three million gold tokens hauled in carts, and this year we expect an even larger prize.
3. In fights, you may do whatever you like physically and mentally to your opponent to achieve victory, but you are not allowed to outright murder your opponent before victory. Victory is obtained by devouring your opponent by any means you wish to indulge yourself in, however, opponents are allowed to forfeit during matches and be spared if you are that merciful. However, your prize money at the end of the tournament will receive deductions for every spared victim should you win the Diamond Round. We recommend that you digest the fighters you overcome, setting an example of who is food and who is the hunter. Eat well!
4. If you fight in the GRIT, it is required that you sign an agreement form. In this form, you are very clearly and very proudly selling yourself for the good of the GRIT. Once you are in the tournament, you are bound to finish it through completely unless you forfeit. But be aware that there are dire consequences for forfeiting before a match.
If you are spared in a match, you are allowed to leave, but you are bound by contract to return next year for the annual GRIT. Refusing to return will also result in dire consequences. If you want to be free from the contract, then you must win the GRIT. Simple enough, right fighter?
5. With what is mentioned above, this means the victor may do whatever they like with the loser. Audience members from all over migrate to the Grand Red Island to witness a show, and fighters are encouraged to give it to them. Play with your food as much as you like. Make them moan for mercy.
6. Fighters who devour opponents in between rounds will receive grave reward deductions to the winning pot, but will not be banned from the tournament. If you are weak enough to be caught by some other contender outside of an official match, you deserve such a fate. This is the survival of the fittest after all.
-- Fight! Live! Devour! Be the best like no one ever was! --
Kale releases an audible sigh when rereading the stone slab of rules. He lost count of how many times he reread the damn thing out of boredom waiting in line. The Grovyle was certain he could recite the whole thing from memory in the grand voice he expected out of the writer making it. To say the officiators of the GRIT were full of themselves and their bloodsport would be the understatement of the century. Although, here was Kale, literally signing himself away as a tool for their business. The Grovyle didn't care. He just wanted off the damn island. The Grand Red Island was a hellish desert island with bandits, corrupt criminals, and dangerous Pokemon thugs of all kinds. Only the worst of the worst thrived in such a place, making it the perfect spot for the rich overseers of this tournament to hold in taking advantage of poor folks or gullible brutes. However, it seems off the island, the GRIT is seen as such a foreign spectacle, people from the mainlands even sail over to see this showcase of fighters out of the 'fun'.
"With that kind of prize money, I can finally buy a ship of my own and get the farthest I can from this fucking sandpit." The Grovyle thinks to himself as he rests his hands on his hips. "And if it means beating some douches senseless before eating them, then so be it. The world would be better without 'em. I've been looking forward to this all year, and I'm not gonna let some confident punk stop me. I didn't live on this damn island my whole life for nothing. That prize will be mine, and the world's gonna see how an unfortunate guy like me is going to strip the biggest fortune from the corrupt dicks that orchestrated this whole thing, or my name isn't-"
"Next." A female voice cuts him off.
"...Huh, wha?" The Grovyle mutters aloud, blinking to focus his vision back forward. The people in front of him were gone and Kale was exactly how the woman behind the desk said he was.
"Next." She repeats so Kale can approach her for the sign-up... | Members who added to this interactive story also contributed to these: |
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