Pokémon battle! And we'll see who is the better trainer! And we'll see who has the bigger Pokéballs!

[mischiefbreeder]

Who: Gold (mischiefbreeder) and Silver (tsuntrader), plus any spectators!
What: Silver issued a battle challenge to Gold, who accepted.
When: Saturday afternoon
Where: The Battle Dome
Summary: Gold and Silver have been in Luceti together for a year and yet have never had a single Pokémon battle. Deciding it's time to rectify, they head off to the Battle Dome to throw down!
Rating: PG? I mean, it's Pokémon...
[Gold had been anxiously waiting for this day. Sure, the standard format for Pokémon battles involved just battling whenever your eyes meet, but if they did that, there'd be constant battles all day, every day. Therefore, these things had to be planned.

...Besides that, Silver was his rival. Always has been, always will be. That makes this battle special. A battle to settle old scores... No, a battle to determine who's the best trainer out of the two of them, and furthermore... To show everyone just how it's done.

It was time. Their battle lies ahead.]

Comments

[endgames]

Through what means?

[dogboy]

Any necessary.

[This includes violence. Especially violence. The only thing he's really ever known. Not afraid to kill a man, dude, but Soren squawks in protest of that.]

[kickingcatcher]

I'm always glad to teach more people about Pokemon. Just tell me when a good time for you would be.

[kickingcatcher]

Is that only for Aitaro, or can it be for other Pokemon?

[endgames]

Then you serve to make it worse.

[He folds his arms over his chest, nodding at Soren. That one gets it.]

Cooperation and understanding only happens when you know both what you're willing to do, and what you absolutely cannot do.

[dogboy]

I won't work with someone who wants to hurt the things I want to protect!

[And that's that. No amount of squawks will change his mind. Or pecks, which Soren will be doing and Chien be swatting back. Children.]

[infinitefrown]

[...] Some habitat will be damaged, that is true. However, construction methods are designed to minimize such effects. For example, Pokémon called Onix dig their own large tunnels through the ground. There is a type of Pokémon that normally takes residence in these tunnels afterwards, but they are not native to Unova, leaving the tunnels empty. Therefore, the natural tunnels made by a trained Onix can be used for subways and leaves out the need for other digging instruments that might cause more of a stir.

[Ingo pauses, and regards Masaomi thoughtfully.] I can't say what the relationship is between humans and nature in other worlds, but in mine, humans and Pokémon strive to harmonize their existences. There is, and has been, a balance between the two.

[endgames]

That's dumb. How else are you supposed to make them see your point? You can't beat it into them any better than your friend there [nodding at Soren] can make you see reason with his beak.

[generalflirt]

What, I don't know what those are.

[dogboy]

[Harumph. From the both of them. Soren takes a new spot on Shikamaru's shoulder, trilling sharply at Chien, and the other just rolls his eyes.]

And if they don't listen to reason?

[endgames]

[Oh. 'Sup, Soren? He feels like the bird is literally choosing sides in this argument here. He hadn't quite meant for that.]

You find people who will. A friend will protect what's important with you.

[dogboy]

[... Oh. Uh. This isn't a good point, is it. Right. Soren will switch sides again back to Chien to prove Shikamaru's point. Yes, he will fight with Chien to protect. No, he won't use violence unless necessary. Okay?]

... Like you're any friend of mine. [Grumbled, but he seems appreciative enough of the bird's support. But the next part's back at Shikamaru.] People don't listen if they don't want to hear it.

[endgames]

[Good on you, Soren. And he just puts his chin in hand to Chien's comment.]

Like you now?

[dogboy]

[SHIKAMARU YOU ARE LIKE RICARDO DON'T BE A CARING DICKFACE. As it is, he growls and clenches his fists.]

Shut up! I'm not talking about me, I'm talking about them! [whoever "they" are]

[endgames]

[WOW THAT'S LIKE HIS WHOLE CHARACTER WHAT IS HE SUPPOSED TO DO.]

It's the same problem. You can't expect from them what you won't do yourself.

[dogboy]

[... NOT BE A CARING DICKFACE OH GOSH WHO KNOWS.]

Then there's no point in talking in the first place. [And he's not afraid of killing a man. Soren can't trill because he's pretty impulsive himself and lecturing his partner on talking seems wrong since he's kind of the same way.]

[endgames]

[BUT THIS CONVERSATION WOULD BE SO BORING]

You're missing the point again.

[Gently. Because he's not sure if Chien even cares there is a point.]

Or maybe just proving one of your own.

[dogboy]

[THAT'S TRUE

He does that a lot. Unintentionally, and it causes him a lot of grief later, but he does it a lot.]

Well-- Shut up! [Good retort. Because the gentleness threw him off.]

[endgames]

[...okay, smirking. Maybe he does care. He won't say as much, but it does prove something of his character.]

Whatever. Just think on it.

[dogboy]

Hmph. Like hell I'd think about something a stranger said. [... But he will because it's gonna stick in his mind, he'll just act on it at a later date. Like this Pokémon thing. All he needs is a little push which he gets form Silver to accept the responsibility of training the little guy.]

[endgames]

Shikamaru.

[Said simply. He's turned his attention back to the match once more, which seems to be drawing to a close.]

[dogboy]

... Chien.

[At least they're not strangers anymore. And he'd lie if he said he didn't mind their conversation. Soren trills and takes off, flying a little overhead them and trying to see when the two combatants finish. They've got people to talk to, Chien!]

[endgames]

Now neither of us have an excuse, eh?

[He doesn't wait for a reply, just grins in Soren's direction and turns to walk off.]

[dogboy]

[Hmph. Soren's already ahead of Chien anyway, so he just gives Shikamaru a considerately wary look and goes off himself.]

[generalflirt]

Wouldn't those Onix be an invasive species?

[A hum. And he sighs] That's alien to me, I wouldn't know. [He shrugs dramatically, even] Nature's been the antithesis of progress for centuries, and people have only backpedaled on that more or less in my lifetime.