pokeboy | 03 video

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03 video

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[ Nothing interesting on the video feed here, just a black-haired boy with his pikachu's head poking from the bottom of the screen. ]

Hi, my name's Red. I've got a couple of questions... I wanted to ask about first aid and the battle dome, and also if there's anybody that knows about fixing things? [ He looks away ] I don't have anything broken, but I wanted to have something looked at.

[ Right, anyway. Back to the screen. ]

But with the first aid... I was wondering if anyone had the time to help me see if I know what I'm doing? I got taught how to put on bandages a long time ago, but I don't think I was doing it right the last time I did it.

[ Maybe it had been fine, but a refresher would be good either way. ]

Anyway, then the battle dome - I wanted to know about what fighters train against in there. [ This was going to be hard, but ] I know people here have different abilities, and what we can handle is different too. I've tried creatures not from my world, but I guess...

[ What does he guess? He thinks, pinching his bottom lip in. ]

...I guess I just want to know if there's something better me and my pokémon can do. Everything's still challenging in the battle dome, but I want -- more? [ Um.

That sounds... bad? He fidgets, then shrugs. ] I don't know. I thought it'd be interesting to know what else we could fight on there. That's about it really.

Well... that's it. Bye.

--

[ Private voice to Caius (

accepted) ]

Hey, Caius. [ He pauses, trying to think of how to continue... ] You fight with a sword, right? I want to practice with you sometime, if you've got the time.

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Really. [Is this observer serious? He practically is a babysitter for the boy. It's hardly needed; Red's crashed through far worse and seen worse on his own before.] I wonder what you mean by that.

[He drops the cigarette and crushes it under his shoe. His expression very much tells he knows what Luke means by that.

Hands now free, Giovanni reaches inside his coat pockets, and pulls out a little green trinket Red might recognize from magazines and Trainer guides. He so happened to come across the Earth badges he had on his person before coming here.]

[ He knows Luke doesn't need to be there - or if he doesn't know that, he thinks it. But whether he is or isn't, it shouldn't matter really. Red's conflicted if that's true or not, but it wins out that he wants him to stay, just to fight that feeling Giovanni gives that there's something lesser about him with Luke present.

Of course, those thoughts are gone at the sight of the small pin.

He thought the man was going for a pokéball, his own hand slipping upwards near to his waist for one of his own, but Red stops when the object that Giovanni retrieves is much smaller. And green. And very much not a ball.

And he has seen it before, though it's been so long that he has to blink and think a second what it is.

Trying to think of what it means though, his head comes up blank. ]

What? The Earth Badge? [ It is, isn't it? ] Why do you have that?

[Luke eyes Giovanni from beneath the hood, furrowing his brow. He knows the boy doesn't want him there, but all the same he is curious. And the sense he gets is not that the man will hurt Red, but he definitely gets a feeling that it's certainly possible. Whatever this version of Giovanni may be like, it's not like the other.]

I mean very simply that I'm here to watch. Go on with your pokemon battle.

[And he doesn't really know what the Earth Badge means, but...he does sense that it's very important to Red. Very, very important. But it really isn't his place to ask just yet, so he folds his arms, adopting a silent stance.

Whatever happens, he won't interfere unless something goes wrong.]

[This boy hasn't found out yet; his shock is much like their official encounter in the Viridian Gym, when Giovanni finally believed he regained the upper hand. He'll just have to make sure he comes out victorious this time.

It's good to know the babysitter in his fashion-disaster cape isn't planning to interfere with their battle, and the trinket is entirely harmless. Giovanni clenches the badge into his palm.] Think, boy. Why else would I have it? I even found a few extras to spare. Lance and the entire League are fools. Their ignorance made running Team Rocket almost too easy.

[Heh. He shrugs and stashes the badge back in his coat, heading for the center of the battle floor.] But I'm just a Trainer right now, and a Leader second. Do you think you can earn my badge?

[ It's an entirely harmless thing. If another trainer had it, it would've meant that they had earned that badge, though for Giovanni to show it for that reason didn't make sense.

Then, it's not hard to figure out why he would have it, but that doesn't mean Red wants to click it into place. Gym Leaders aren't meant to be people like Giovanni, and why - why would he want to hold such a position? As a cover-up? Back in Viridian, the Gym Leader was said to often not be present...

It might be meaningless to some, but to Red, it's a crushing knowledge for Red to know. He knew the police had a hard time, that for their rules and all they couldn't do anything, but...

His shoulders tighten as the anger flares up in his stomach, and Red finishes taking off the ball from his waist in answer, stepping forward to accept the challenge. It's not that badge he wants, but that right that the man thinks he has in handing them out.

He doesn't deserve it.

He doesn't deserve it-- ]

Fight me.

[That's the kind of spirit he's looking for - determined, childish anger to do something the boy feels is right. How quaint.

Giovanni tosses up a pokeball and catches it.] It's been a long time since I've accepted any challenge. Don't expect this will be easy, though! Nidoking!

[He throws out the pokeball and unleashes Nidoking, who roars triumphantly. Your move, Red.]

Snorlax! [ With the name the ball is tossed, and out from it comes the gluttonous pokémon stomping his foot and growling out harshly in return to the other male pokémon.

Red doesn't wait to hear what Giovanni will do; with the slow-moving pokémon he knows he needs to be quick with commands, and for his first turn he knows what he wants to send at Nidoking. He's already readying himself for the shockwave that'll come shaking through his feet. ]

Earthquake!

[Not a bad opening move; the kid isn't the type to blindly throw out attacks without sparing a crucial second to really think. Red stood apart from so many other younger Trainers that way.

The quake is enough to make Nidoking's knees tremble a bit - and that's it. The creature flexes out his claws until his knuckles crack, looking like he was expecting something else. Giovanni, being the kind person he is, waits until the tremors stop.]

I was hoping you had more than that.

[ Red knows he shouldn't react to it, but Giovanni's words make his ears prickle. If Giovanni isn't going to send him out to attack, then fine- ]

Yawn!

[ He's not going to send Snorlax over to possibly get gripped into an attack - not first without some security. Snorlax's wide mouth opens, and the loud waves that come out are more than simply a tired pokémon. ]

[It might look like an innocent yawn, but any Trainer knows they only have so many chances to act before it takes effect. Let's not make this a lengthy battle, shall we?]

Show him our own Earthquake, Nidoking.

[Giovanni immediately bends his knees, preparing for what's going to feel like more than just a little rumble. With a cry, Nidoking smashes a thick foot onto the floor with a sickening crunch.]

Brace yourself, Snor--!

[ It's all that he can hope for Snorlax to do before the attack hits into him, the ground splitting apart with a more experienced and trained Earthquake than the one that Snorlax had unleashed. Red has to do the same, his legs instantly doing so by the sound of the command from the other side.

Dust and specks of rock blast around on the makeshift battlefield, and Red already has an arm up so that it doesn't get in his face, though Snorlax's large form blocks most of it from his end of the field.

The attack hits Snorlax - there's no way that it wouldn't, the blast even sending him down onto his back. He looks over his arm once sound has settled, his teeth gritted. No, he doesn't want the same thing to happen again that did with Gold.

Yet Snorlax appears still... ]

[Even a giant blubber creature can barely withstand the violent shakes in the ground below. To add injury to insult, Nidoking yawns in his paw, feeling the effects kick in. Does he even need to attack one more time before he falls asleep?]

Not bad. [He waves off dust in front of his face. Any more quakes could cause property damage in the area - not that it's his problem.] You better hope poison is curable here.

[Nidoking takes the subtle cue and opens his mouth wide, building up sludge over his tongue and spitting out a massive glob for a Sludge Bomb.]

[ Nidoking isn't the only one to take a cue by the words, and Red, with his attention torn between his own pokémon and Giovanni's, Snorlax beginning to stir back up, he takes the chance on his pokémon with a quick command- ]

Roll over, Snor!

[ It's a desperate thing, but Snorlax listens despite the part of him that wants to look. He can't move quick enough to dodge it, and he's too big to do so anyway - but it hits the side of his back, and what he growls at the acid of the sludge that digs through his fur and against his skin.

But he's on his paws, low on health - but the pokémon starts to struggle itself up on his feet, lowly growling through clenched teeth. And he turns, clinging onto only that ridiculously stubborn temper of his. He wants one attack, one attack on that thing-

Snorlax doesn't wait for any command to come. He takes charge, heavy feet slamming against the ground and a heavy cry coming out of his mouth. Red hesitates, but- ]

Slam into him!

[ That's something Snorlax can do easy as one last ditch effort to wreck something, preparing to heavy slam right into the heavy-lidded pokémon. ]

[Getting hit by several hundred pounds of Pokemon is nothing to brush off lightly. Nidoking crosses his arms in front of him, bracing for the hit and skidding back on his feet when Snorlax slams his entire weight into him. Giovanni recognizes how Snorlax moves very well; with a bit more training, the beast will be strong enough to knock Nidoking off his feet and send him flying.

But Giovanni's not going to let that happen. He'll keep training himself to be stronger, and Red won't be able to catch up.

Nidoking drops to a knee as sleepiness beings to take over; he still has that toothy smirk on his face as he watches Snorlax, looking for the effects of poison taking over. He's determined to stay awake just long enough to watch Snorlax fall.]

[ Snorlax is still against the other pokémon after the attack, shifting up his body back onto his feet slowly and groggily. He can't keep his concentration even though he's trying, and even though that damned face gives him a good reason to grab for both of Nidoking's ears to rip them right off --

But he doesn't get to do that, and neither does Nidoking or Giovanni get to see him fall before Red recalls him back into his ball, enough being enough.

He holds Snorlax in a clenched hand, feeling the pokémon's anger for himself. They had been training for weeks here, but Giovanni was so much further than them. Was he always this good? Or was it a case of time?

The fact was, either way, he was better. They still weren't there.

He clips Snorlax's pokéball back, grabbing the last one on his belt and sending out Venusaur. ]

Pick your next pokémon!

[ This wasn't over yet. ]

[Giovanni recalls Nidoking before the beast collapses into sleep; how like Red to keep going despite the odds. A flustered and angered opponent just makes the battle all the more interesting for him.

He tosses out his next pokeball to release Kangaskhan, who pounds her fists together, ready to start.]

Fight on as long as you like. It won't make any difference today.

[ Red might know Giovanni's right, but that doesn't mean he isn't going to try. You never get anything or anywhere without it. And he might not be thinking so rationally. ]

Scent and sleep powder!

[ Saur tips her front legs forward and lifts up her back legs. It's from her flower petal that the sweet scent spreads out from, with the powder, delayed, comes shooting out in a mist out towards Kangaskhan's direction from the upper tip of her plant. ]

Double Team. [The command comes immediately when Venusaur dips down. Kangaskhan blurs into motion when the powder blasts forward, scattering it as she appears to duplicate all around Venusaur in a ring.

He knows they could finish it there and now, but what's the fun unless you play with your prey first?]

Can you guess which one is her?

[ Damnit. Going for just one would be a waste of time. So... ]

Saur, spread your vines and attack them all! Grab her!

[ Multiple Kangaskhans had Venusaur alarmed at the initial sight of, but she follows the command obediently, her vines extending out in an instant, then whipping out in a circular motion to find the right one all at once. ]

[Mirror images blur out and vanish when the vines thrash out and attack each one. The copies go down by half until one hits the real thing; Kangaskhan grips the attacking vine in her paw, revealing her position and making the remaining images disappear. A vine whip still stings something awful, and there's a harsh red mark on her palm when she releases it.]

Sucker Punch. [That's probably enough playtime for now. Kangaskhan stretches her arm back with a roar, fist glowing purple and ready to attack.]

Giga drain! [ Even though the vine hits and Kangaskhan releases it, the command had been to grab, and so the other one still wraps itself around a part of her, the other one joining it. Kangaskhan can move forward, and even land the hit - but the vine around the parent pokémon glows, attacking at her health just as she's aimed to attack Venusaur. ]

[The sudden drain of energy makes Kangaskhan's knees wobble briefly; Venusaur's reactions to cling onto her was faster than she expected. The boy and his team sure do learn quickly.

Unfortunately, the close combat opens up all sorts of opportunities for a physical beast like Kangaskhan, no matter how healed Venusaur is feeling.] Giga Impact.

[ Venusaur is wide open to the attack, and even with her vines still gripped tightly around the pokémon, it neither stops Kangaskhan nor helps when the attack is brought down upon her.

It even stops the drain, her concentration lost on it though they still cling around her body. When the move is over, Venusaur is barely conscious to it, growling lowly as the attack leaves the whole of her weak. ]

Saur...!

[ Unfortunately, Venusaur doesn't have the same endurance as Snorlax does, and there's no trying to get up to deliver a powerful attack of her own in turn.

But even though she seemingly gives up, lowering down her vines from around the body and closing her eyes --

she can give one last gift with a bomb-sized blast of poison powder for the mother to take with her to the face. ]

[It's about time Red feels what it's like to be-

Giovanni jerks when Kangaskhan cries out suddenly, thrashing and wiping her face frantically. She stumbles away and rubs at her eyes, but it'll only spread the poison further and faster into her system.

Venusaur is clearly out, but not without one last kick. Giovanni frowns and reaches for Kangaskhan's pokeball, before the beast panics any further. Surely a little Venusaur's poison isn't supposed to sting this much.]

[ Venusaur gets recalled in turn, Red holding his starter's pokéball to his chest. He's glad that she got a last kick in there, but more lucky that the pokémon reacted the way she did than to stomp down on his grass type in retaliation.

But either way, he knows that he's defeated. He could send out Pikachu, but from what he remembers of Giovanni's other pokémon, they're both rock type. Even if they weren't, and Pikachu might get lucky and out trick them through his speed and agile nature, there was no denying the strength of Giovanni's pokémon.

His fingers clench against that ball, head tipped towards the ground, Pikachu growling in his ear, but- ]

That's enough.

[ It pains him to have to spit out the words. ]

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