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]

Yeah, same here. Draco's been itching for a serious fight, and I've thought about heading back to the center and grabbing a few rookies to test out.

[Flare's fast enough that it'd probably only take a few minutes. Right now, though? He's packing a full team of powerhouses.

And, heh. Seeing Draco huff at Spike's lemonade, Riku's gonna go ahead and grab one for his bratty dragon. Chill, bro.]

[friendyousohard]

Yeah, it would be a good chance to get some practical experience for the lower-levels. I probably couldn't do a full six-on-six like that, though. Three-on-three or four-on-four, maybe.

[She chuckles and motions to her armband.] Exactly the same problem I have with my higher-ups, point of fact.

[Spike just watches with that dopey grin on his face, just totally chilling. Practically looks like a stoner.]

[islandshore]

My rookies just need more experience outside of fighting my roster. Going up against 100's pushes them and nets them some solid experience, but every trainer teaches their Pokémon differently. They won't get that same variety if they don't get out and fight some real battles.

[And cue a grumble from that disgruntled Dragonite. Who cares about those dumb rookies? They're a waste of time!]

...And I think Draco's just irritated because he didn't get to win a round in the tournament while my Advanced team swept the floor. He doesn't take well to losses.

[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. >|]

It's cool!

[friendyousohard]

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

[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.]

[friendyousohard]

Ah. Yeah, if there's one Pokemon that's almost tailor-made to defeat Dragon-types in general, it's Mamoswine. I'd have one myself, but I make it a policy to avoid having the same types of Pokemon as my friends, as much as I can.

Was that the last match, then? Scizor versus Mamoswine?

[islandshore]

I have one, but he's still in training. Granted, Mamoswines still have to worry about fire, fighting, steel, and a whole slew of other moves.

[But as for Twilight's question, he nods.]

That was the final match up before I finally went down. Still made it to the finals of the Standard cup and took home the Advanced cup, so it wasn't all bad. The Elite cup was the most bloated of the bunch, anyway.