ten (text/action) ♊ this is the dance of the pokémon advance!

[viiru2alert]

[Early on the morn of the seventeenth, this anonymous text message appears on the Network:]

PFC. Since I haven't heard anything about stopping the meeting in light of that rampage at the Department Store, it'll still be happening. Just be ready to move somewhere else if they tell us to; I'd say Route 35 would be a good place. So yeah, if you like Pokémon battling, come on up to the top of Goldenrod Depot in a few hours.

[And a few hours later, lurking on the rooftop of one Goldenrod Department Store is a kid with stupid glasses who seems more interested in his Pokégear than anything else. But that's really because people haven't showed up yet!! There's not a lot to suggest that there is even a thing still happening here, to be honest, no banners or anything. He... didn't really put in much effort to get snacks or anything, because there are vending machines right over there, and all the money people win can totally be used for food! ...And for the people who lose, they should have brought more money.]

[There's gonna be two subthreads below: mingling and battling. If two characters meet and want to duke it out, one of them should make a new thread under the battling comment, just to keep it neat.]

Comments

[islandshore]

I take it you're fond of water types.

[And cue Riku wandering over with his big ol' Charizard and one huffy and skinnier-than-usual Dragonite.

Not every day he sees a Wingull or Prinplup around, nor a Sealeo, other than Sora's. Consider his curiosity piqued.]

[islandshore]

Not yet, but there's gotta be one sooner or later. As for the TC itself... I can't really complain. We get enough traffic from locals to keep a steady income, plus I've got a few more people on staff and new Pokémon added to the roster.

[He'll have more... eventually. Just gotta train up those rookies.]

[viiru2alert]

If you set one up, say, six months from now, you could probably get more people to go to both. One in the winter, one in the summer.

[islandshore]

True. Gives people time to prepare and creates way less conflict.

[It's more practical than having them, say, a month apart.]

Until then, I guess I can just find other ways to advertise my egg sales. Still got a sizable chunk left over, and I don't want to donate to the Breeding Center when they'll probably set the prices too low.

[anabottleofcola]

[Thoughtful raise of the brow, and a pause.]

If I may ask, what sorts of Pokémon have you with you, and which fall within which level groups?

[anabottleofcola]

I see.

Well, I suppose that my team will do as your dragon companion - [Glances again at the Dragonite.] - appears to be doing and enjoy the space for leisure in the meantime, eh?

[His look shifts to the Sealeo, who lets out another happy bark. She loves socializing with other Pokémon!]

[anabottleofcola]

[More dragons.

Bobbery is impressed at the sight of the lad approaching with the two, and it most likely shows. It takes a moment for him to tune back out and address the question.]

...Hm? Yes, I do imagine I've something of an affinity for them. My Scarlette was the companion provided for me on my displacement. [Indicating the Sealeo.] ...I suppose that speaks to some intelligence in the so-called starter Pokémon's assignment to new "trainers", does it not?

[friendyousohard]

Ouch. He didn't manage a single win in the entire tournament? I find that...

[She glances at the lean and mean looking Dragonite, and takes into account what she knows about the species.]

Hard to believe. Very hard.

oh god, that was a derp moment on my part

[islandshore]

Ack, my bad. He won some rounds, but he didn't take home the prize. That's all. Made it to the second match before he finally went down.

[Hruumph. Good thing you clarified that, trainer, or he woulda done so himself. >|]

[friendyousohard]

Hmmm, that's true.

[She folds her arms and ponders her options for a moment. She could stick around with her fully decked-out team and see how many people come around with higher level armbands and buttons, or she could go back and pick up some of her rookies.

She glances at Sollux's armband. Well, maybe she'll give the others a bit of time to show up before she decides.]

Well, there's no time like the present to start things off. Feel like a three-on-three matchup?

[enjoymyatelier]

[Oh, well, that's a familiar voice!]

Well, what a happy coincidence. It's good to see you too, Miss Twilight Sparkle-in person, for once.

[...they met in person once before, didn't they? Well, there was the blackout, but he doesn't remember much about that outside of... certain realizations about her original species...]

It's cool!

[friendyousohard]

Ohhhh. Yeah, that makes a lot more sense. Who was his last match against?

[friendyousohard]

Meeting in person is a sad rarity around this world.

[She blinks, then chuckles suddenly.]

Ah, sorry, that was a bit of an unintentional inside joke. I have a friend by the name of Rarity back home, you see.

[friendyousohard]

That sounds like a good plan to me.

[She smiles at the Sealeo.] Nice to meet you all, too. I just got an egg for someone like you.

[Spike sips at the lemonade again and lumbers over to a nearby bench, plopping down on it.] So have you been enjoying Goldenrod so far? Judging by your Pokemon and your armband I'm guessing this is your first time here.

[viiru2alert]

[He laughs.]

Better to get a bit of money than no money at all.

[viiru2alert]

The low ones are Normal, Fighting and Ghost, and the high level ones are Psychic/Ground, Water, and Fire.

[viiru2alert]

[He grins. Been waiting for this all day.]

You know it.

[enjoymyatelier]

Ah... hello.

[Well, it's not like yellow, white, and black look awful together. There are worse color schemes!]

...they're not exactly my first choice.

[islandshore]

True, but I wouldn't want an egg with twenty moves going for P600. That's just ridiculous.

[Especially considering how much TMs cost.]

[islandshore]

In some cases, sure. I've seen match-ups with starters that fit like a hand in a glove.

[He laughs, resting a hand on his hip.]

As for me... can't say I'm one of them. My starter's fine and all, but I wouldn't call him a mainstay on my team.

[islandshore]

A Mamoswine. He made it past that trainer's Kabutops and Volcarona before he went down, so I'd argue he still put up one heck of a fight.

Plus, that match dragged on forever. My Scizor against his Mamoswine, both healing, hail storms on and off... It really could've gone either way.

[He doesn't consider a loss as a sign of poor training. Even the elites have to lose sometimes.]

[viiru2alert]

Well they're the only choice you have, this isn't exactly the kind of event that you hire catering for.

[S h r u g. Even on the one night of lucid insanity that he thought this might actually take off, he didn't imagine that it would be that fancy, but now that it actually has... he still doesn't think that it should be that fancy.]

[viiru2alert]

Mmm. But if you wait too long, they hatch, and then you're just screwed over.

[enjoymyatelier]

It truly is. I-

[...wait why is she-oh

...well he can't really say he finds "Rarity" too strange in a universe where people are named things with way too many hyphens]

...ha, no, it's fine. I was going to say that I assume that's probably why so many people congregate in Goldenrod and simply stay there, despite the fact that it's rather dull compared to the vast majority of cities here.

[friendyousohard]

Is there a city you've been to that you prefer to all the others? I have to say I personally liked my visit to Saffron. Celadon was also quite enjoyable. Ecruteak probably stands as my personal favorite so far, though.