Splatourney: The Intro

Inkopolis Streets, Here I Come!

Chapter 1: Inkopolis Streets, Here I Come!

Beep! Beep! Beep! Be-

The alarm clock was quickly silenced as a hand slammed down upon it. The inkling in bed slowly sat up, groaning as the sunlight filtered in through his apartment windows. He shook his head in an attempt to snap himself out of his tires daze, but to no avail. He rubbed his eyes as he yawned, leaning back into his pillow to go back to sleep. He jolted awake however, when he heard his brother shouting at him from outside his room.

"Get up! You're going to be late for the train, Cr-"

"I know, I KNOW! And I told you, my name is Rona!" the inkling in bed shouted back, clearly annoyed.

"Whatever! Just wake up already!"

"UUUUUGH FIIIINE!"

The inkling, Rona, sat up straight in his bed once more. His body internally had a fit on him for leaving the comfort of his bed, but Rona shook it off. He swung his legs out from under the covers and onto the floor, getting out of bed entirely. Walking over to his dresser, he pulled a drawer out and picked his attire. If today was going to be the day, he needed to dress with something that would look cool, make a good first impression.

For so long, he'd dreamed of the day when he'd be able to join turf games and absolutely topple everyone there. He'd read books on turf weapons, sub weapons, specials and more. He read a few tips and tricks articles from the internet, though he wasn't sure how many were true and how many were fake. He even practiced moving around in the park, though his brother thought he was merely just playing around. His parents were proud that he was dedicated to such a thing, and he'd worked hard in school to get where he was.

Rona tugged a light gray shirt over his head, and pulled on some dark gray sweatpants. Walking over to his closet, he took out his favorite berry hoodie, and put that on as well. He put on some socks, and made his way to the door to the room. He had to at least freshen up some before making his grand entrance. He opened the door and dashed over to the bathroom before his brother could say anything about his choice of clothing. If it were his parents, they'd probably say he looked cute. If it were his aunt and uncle that he'd grown up with until a few years ago...well, they didn't matter now.

His parents both worked day jobs, so only his brother was around. They'd been able to afford his train ticket AND his apartment at Inkopolis Streets for him even though he told them he could raise money himself, which he was very thankful for. Once he got to the bathroom, he cleaned and styled his tentacles the way he liked, and aka brushed his beak thoroughly. As he brushed, he couldn't stop thinking about what it would be like to get out on the field. He bet it would be one of the best things ever.

He quickly finished up with his bathroom things, and cleaned up. Once he was done, he made sure he had his backpack, along with suitcase and everything else. His brother said nothing as he got on his jet black boots. Rona then swiped a granola bar and some fruit from the counter, and headed back to the door. He turned around one last time to get a good look at his apartment space before he left.

" 'Kay Ru, I'm headin' out!" Rona shouted.

"Alright Rona. Be safe. You'll know you're there when you see a tall, gray tower. It's the tallest thing there. Oh, and don't forget to message us," his brother, Rugamu said.

"I know, I know! I'll be sure to call! Or maybe you won't need it when you see me on TV!" Rona called as he shut the door behind him.

Rugamu sighed.

His brother had such an ego sometimes...

But he couldn't blame him.

After all, that childhood spent with his aunt and uncle...

Really changed him.

~

Rona made it to the train station in no time, and managed to get his ticket in just as the train arrived. He hopped aboard and took a seat that sat alone. A king would need his space, after all. He had his backpack and his luggage, nothing missing. As the doors began to close, Rona examined everyone on board.

Lings, humanoids, non-humanoids, even a few mutants here and there. Ranging from invertebrates to complex skeletal lifeforms to beings without bones at all, this train was filled with diversity. If everyone was headed to Inkopolis Streets, he'd at least get different people to rule. Having the same kind of tactic got boring quickly unless it worked well.

The train went by several stops, most of which Rona didn't hear. He was too busy on his phone, and Rugamu had told him that his stop was Coralcore station. He could see the lights going by as the train went in and out of tunnels and dark areas, then back out into the bright, open sky. Rona felt the sun's heat on his head as the train went by, but the air conditioning evened it out. Quite honestly, he didn't mind.

"Next stop: Coralcore station. Home to Inkopolis Streets."

The trait car immediately filled with chatter of excitement. From this, Rona guessed that many, many people were also headed there as well. Sweet, so he wasn't the only newbie there! Made everything easier. He began to wonder how much these people actually knew about it, though.

Soon enough, the signature tower that his brother said would be there was there. It was gray, and it was one of the tallest things in the area. Rona only gripped his suitcase handle and backpack harder out of sheer excitement. Every inch this cart got closer was an inch closer he was to a match. Victory. Championship.

'Today's the day I start my journey to becoming top player!' Rona thought to himself.

As the train slowed to the station, he stood up with everyone else. When the car came to a full stop, he followed everyone out of the train as the doors opened. The bright sunlight temporarily blinded him, but he shook it off and continued out of the station. Once he got down past the entrance of the station, he checked his phone once more for the location of where he was staying. The Pipefish Posada. Rona looked up from his phone, and stared in awe at the city before him.

"So this is Inkopolis Streets..."