Sludge Wave Coast- Keith's New & Improved Secret Base!

[Missingno. Master]

Keith chuckled. "Oh, you've heard of Gemini, too?" he replied. "Heh. Wow. Honestly, it feels kinda weird sometimes to be so well-known that people know stuff about me before they even meet me," he said sheepishly. "But yeah- I got a lot of Pokémon other than Gemini, and they all deserve to get just as much of a chance in battle, y'know? Aletri's still pretty young, and I only got Ricin a few months ago. Aletri's actually my Ivysaur's son- she was able to help him learn that Synthesis move he was using back in our battle, since Druddigon absorb sunlight naturally anyway. If I'm being honest, it can sometimes be a bit tough working with so many different Pokémon, but I wouldn't give any one of them up for the world," he smiled.

[CrazyCreeperKid]

"I agree, but it'd be fun to battle against Gemini." he said, suddenly at a loss for good conversation.
"What's your least favorite Pokemon type?" he said. He already knew Keith's favorite type was Poison, through the many tactics he used in their battle.

[Missingno. Master]

"Well, maybe next time," Keith said. "I'd be all for a rematch whenever you're up for it, and I got a lot of Pokémon you haven't even seen yet, too. Some of them might be pretty interesting to battle against, too." Then, the subject turned to that of least favorite Pokémon types, a subject Keith really didn't have much to say on. "I don't think I have one," he admitted with a shrug. "I mean, Poison's my favorite type, no question, and Ghost and Fire are probably tied for second place, but... beyond that, not really sure I could rank rest of 'em. What about you, Danny?" he asked. "What kind of types do you like? Or... not like?"

[CrazyCreeperKid]

(Late reply again, whoops)
"Me? My favorite type is maybe Water or Grass, Psychic is a close second. My least favorite is..." he paused. "It's um, Poison.... No offense of course. I just don't like the Status condition.

[Missingno. Master]

(It's no problem. Due to work, my FB activity on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays slows down like a Ninjask in Trick Room, so I'm in no position to complain.)

Keith chuckled. "None taken," he assured Danny. "Everyone's got their own tastes. Though Poison-types themselves can honestly be very nice when you get to know them," he added fairly. "Are there any you might be interested in training someday?"

[CrazyCreeperKid]

"Yeah, definitely! I'd like to train a Poison type, a Trubbish. They're so adorable!" he said, chuckling as he imagined finding a Trubbish. "Any Pokemon you're interested in training?"

[Missingno. Master]

Keith's eyes lit up at the mention of Trubbish. "Yeah, they are!" he said in agreement. "Definitely a good Pokémon to train. I had one myself, and lemme tell you, they still stay kinda cute when they evolve, and Garbodor is just badass in any case." Danny then asked him if he, Keith, was interested in any particular Pokémon to train. "Ooh... Well, there's Salazzle," he began. "I have a Salandit, but he's male so he'll never evolve, and while I'm OK with that, I still would like a Salazzle someday. And... well, if I'm being honest? Missingno.," Keith stated. "Some might say it doesn't count as a real Pokémon, but I say it does, and I want one on my team someday. My other Banette used to be one when she was alive, which is so cool, but even still..." he trailed off.

[CrazyCreeperKid]

Danny noticed him trail off. "Hm? Why did you stop?" he asked.

[Missingno. Master]

Keith blinked and looked back at Danny. "Oh- sorry, sorry, that just got me thinking back," he replied. "I've had a few experiences involving Missingno. in the past that have all contributed to me wanting one of my own," he explained. "But yeah- Danny, where are you from, anyway?" he asked. "I mentioned I'm from Hoenn- I'm from Lavaridge Town, which kinda ties into why I mentioned liking Fire-types, since you see a lot of those around there."

[CrazyCreeperKid]

"Me? I'm from Vermilion City in Kanto." Danny said. "I don't really like Electric types, though." he said. Danny began to whisper. "Can I tell you a secret? My dad's friends with Lt. Surge - The trash can puzzle was my idea!" Danny said, before breaking into laughter.

[Missingno. Master]

Keith chuckled. "That was you?!" he whispered back. "Oh, man! I've never been there, but I've heard the stories, that puzzle drives Trainers crazy!" He chuckled some more. "My family isn't friends with Lavaridge's Gym Leader, though," he added. "Though my grandmother is better known around town as the crazy Wobbuffet lady. In fact, last year, she sent me an Egg for my birthday, and..."

At that point, however, the Luxury Ball on Keith's belt burst open, unleashing its blue bloblike occupant into the Pokémon Center waiting area. "Wobbuffet!" said Smiley, giving a salute.

"...and I got Smiley here," Keith finished with a grin. "I'd honestly wanted a Wobbuffet of my own for a long time, since I'd always gotten to play with Grandma's Wobbuffet whenever I go to see her. And then there's my great aunt, Fateen Masters- she lives in Pyrite Town in the Orre region, and from what my friend Gavin tells me, she's made quite the name for herself as a fortune teller over there." Then, Keith got an idea. "Say, Danny, you said you like double battles, yeah?" he added.

[CrazyCreeperKid]

"Yeah, I love them! It lets me show the cool super moves that me and my Pokemon make!" Danny said. "Remember that move we did during our battle? The one where Clockwork picked up Slowpoke? I like to call it 'Zen Drop'! It took us some time to master it!"
"Do you have anything like that? A super move?" Danny asked excitedly.

[Missingno. Master]

"Oh, yeah, that was cool," Keith nodded. "Sometimes the other Pokémon I use will wield my Basculin like a club, which lets her get more done in land battles than a Basculin would generally be capable of. Bunch of my Pokémon do this with her, but my Carnivine was the first one," he stated. "But like I was gonna say- what would you think about getting to do more double battles once your Pokémon are healed?" he asked.

[CrazyCreeperKid]

"Yeah, I'd like to do another double battle!" Danny said. "Where did you get that Poke Flute?" Danny asked. "Can I battle Gemini this time?" Danny asked once more.

[Missingno. Master]

"Eh, it's not actually a Poké Flute, it's a Blue Flute," Keith replied. "I mean, it does the same thing, and I even played classic Poké Flute music on it, so it may as well be the same thing. But yeah- there used to be a shop in this region where you could give them piles of ash to turn into glass flutes. But since volcanic ash is astonishingly hard to come by in these parts, it ended up closing up. But yeah- they made me that Blue Flute," he said. "And I don't necessarily mean battling me," he added. "That friend of mine I mentioned, Gavin, he actually lives here at Sludge Wave Coast. You saw that big building just south of here? He lives in a little house next door to it- but the big building is Sludge Wave Colosseum," he grinned. "Gavin runs colosseum challenges every day- battle tournaments where every battle is a double battle. It's a big thing in Orre, and Gavin wanted to bring that over to Fizzytopia. I'm actually thinking of entering this one, so I'm thinking maybe you could as well," he suggested.

[CrazyCreeperKid]

"Ooh, a tournament? Sign me up!" Danny shouted excitedly. "I love battling others, so that sounds fun! I'm in." Danny answered.
"How do I sign up?" Danny asked.

[Missingno. Master]

Keith chuckled, enjoying Danny's enthusiasm. "First things first, you might wanna get your Pokémon back from Helena- and speaking of which, sounds like they should be ready," he added as the unmistakable jingle emanated from the healing machine.

"Danny? Your Pokémon have been completely healed up," called the blue-eyed Banette from behind the counter.

"Go get 'em, and I'll take you to Sludge Wave Colosseum, and we can both sign up for the colosseum challenge," Keith said, standing up. "I need to decide on what I'm gonna be using there in any case."

[CrazyCreeperKid]

Danny went over to collect his Pokemon. Predictably, they burst out of their balls to embrace Danny. Poker jumped on his face, and Hoothoot perched on his head, preening Danny's hair with his beak. "You guys were awesome!" Danny said. "We're gonna enter a tournament!" he told his Pokemon. "Okay, Keith, I'm ready to go!"

[Missingno. Master]

Keith grinned, having just put away his Pokédex, seemingly satisfied with his choices for the Colosseum challenge. "Then let's go," he agreed. He led the way out the door and right towards the massive building on the southern end of Sludge Wave Coast.

As they entered, a blond man with spiky hair took notice of their entry. "Oh, hey, Keith, you made it," he grinned. "Signups close soon, we only got two fuckin' slots left, you just made it- who's this?" he added, noticing Danny.

"This is Danny," Keith replied. "He's looking to enter, too."

"Well, shit, then luck really is on your side, ain't it?" chuckled Gavin. "Alright, over this way," he added, leading the way to where a receptionist was stationed behind a counter.

"Welcome to the Sludge Wave Colosseum," she greeted Keith and Danny. "Are you two here to participate in today's Colosseum challenge?"

"Yep," nodded Keith. "Already know which two I'm using today, too."

"Very good," nodded the receptionist. "Mr. Masters, you know the drill by now. You, sir," she added to Danny, handing him a small piece of paper. "Just fill this out with your name, hometown, and the two Pokémon you intend to use, hand that back to me, and you're good to go. Mr. Golurkson, these two will be the final entrants for today's challenge, so it might be a good idea to get ready."

"Fuck, yeah," agreed Gavin. "A'ight, see you two in there, make damn sure to give the crowd some damn good battles, yeah?"

"You know it," Keith nodded back, already handing his filled-out form back to the receptionist.

[CrazyCreeperKid]

Danny met Gavin, who seemed to swear a lot, but was cheerful nonetheless. He looked at the form, and scribbled:
'Danny Ecclestone'
'Vermilion City'
'Slowpoke and Hoothoot'
He handed it to the receptionist, as he zapped his two Pokemon into their Pokeballs.

[Missingno. Master]

"Very good, Mr. Ecclestone," the receptionist replied upon reviewing his form. "The Colosseum challenge will commence shortly, please proceed to the waiting area through this door, and proceed to the battlefield when you are called forth."

As she spoke, the door beside her slid open, and she opened up part of the counter to allow them to pass. Keith led the way in, and an attendant directed each of them to their own personal waiting room, equipped with a couch, a small refrigerator stocked with bottles of Fresh Water, and a healing machine for use between battles. There was also a speaker in each room, such as the one in Danny's, which very soon told him to proceed to the battlefield for his first round battle.

SLUDGE WAVE COLOSSEUM
BATTLE 1

"Ladies and gentlemen, are you ready for some fucking battles?!" Gavin was exclaiming into a microphone as Danny and his opponent were entering the arena. His words were eliciting cheers from the crowd that had packed every single seat in the stands surrounding the battle arena, and the roof was sliding open for the benefit of any Flying-types. "For those of you who don't know, I'm Gavin Golurkson, and I'm from Pyrite Town, born and raised. Now that you know it, you better damn well remember it! In my neck of the woods, Colosseum challenges are a big freaking deal, so when I came out to Fizzytopia, I figured, why the hell not bring a little Orre culture along for the ride? But enough of that, y'all ain't come to hear me blathering on, now did you!"

The crowd roared their approval of this sentiment. "Fuck, yeah!" grinned Gavin. "Now, then! The first battle of the first round is about to get underway, the Trainers are entering right now! To my left, a Sludge Wave Colosseum regular and fellow Sludge Wave Coast resident, Terri Alph from the Ruins of Alph in Johto!" Much cheering followed this, with a Froslass in the crowd cheering especially wildly, as a small teenage girl walked onto one end of the battlefield.

"And to my right, a newcomer to Sludge Wave Colosseum, give it up for Danny Ecclestone from Vermilion City in Kanto!" continued Gavin, which was Danny's cue to take his place on the opposite end of the battlefield amid the crowd's cheering. "Alright! Y'all should know the rules- two Pokémon apiece, double battle. Your two Pokémon faint, you lose, the other guy wins. Now, then- let the battle begin!"

Terri gave a polite bow and a mysterious smile to Danny. "Good luck," she called to him. "I always enjoy my battles here, so I hope this one is no exception." With that, Terri produced a Friend Ball and a Poké Ball, and threw them both. "Vanish, Chase, engage!" she exclaimed, a Shedinja popping out of the Friend Ball while a Minior emerged from the Poké Ball.

[CrazyCreeperKid]

"A good day to you, m'lady." Danny said, feeling weird and airy when he saw her, suddenly getting the feeling to impress her. He threw both his Pokeballs into the air. "A Shedinja huh? I've got something for that." he said, digging through his bag and producing a purple disk, a TM. He touched the Hoothoot with the disk, as it was drained of color.
Hoothoot learned the TM Shadow Ball!
"Alright, let's make the first move!" Danny said. "Clockwork, Shadow Ball on Shedinja! Poker, Curse!
Clockwork produced a dark murky energy, collecting it into a ball, then launching it at the Bug Pokemon. Slowpoke just sat there, as it's Attack and Defense rose, with it's speed dropping.

[Missingno. Master]

"Alright! Terri's brought out her Shedinja and Minior, while Danny is using a Hoothoot and a Slowpoke!" Gavin stated, evidently acting as both referee and commentator. "And it seems he's using a TM to teach Hoothoot a new attack at the last second, too, so things could get interesting!"

And interesting they got! Clockwork let fly his brand new Shadow Ball move, but Terri didn't look too concerned about it, even considering the move's obvious target. "Chase, use Acrobatics!" she commanded. And the Minior's squealing voice echoed all around as the Rock/Flying-type charged in. While not nearly as agile with its shell as without it, the Minior was nevertheless able to deftly swoop in and intercept the Shadow Ball. "And Vanish, you use Spite!" Terri added.

"Sheeeeeeedinja!" exclaimed Vanish. Its halo gained a dark aura, and a similar dark aura came over Clockwork for a brief moment, sapping away some of the energy that the Hoothoot would need for Ghost moves such as Shadow Ball.

"Haha, tough luck, new guy," grinned Gavin. "It's never that easy to take out a seasoned Trainer's Shedinja, and Terri certainly qualifies!

And it didn't end there- Chase's Acrobatics was still going, and the Minior rammed into Poker. Curse softened the blow, but it was still a freaking powerful attack, there was absolutely some damage dealt.

"An interesting start to this Colosseum challenge," Gavin was saying. "Both sides are showing some decent strategies, but this match could still go either way!"

Terri gave her mysterious grin again. "Now, Chase- Ancient Power on Hoothoot! Vanish, use Endeavor on Slowpoke!"

[CrazyCreeperKid]

(Shedinja can't learn Endeavor, but whatever)
"Clockwork, dodge that Ancient Power then go from behind and blast Shedinja with another Shadow Ball! Slowpoke, dodge that Endeavor and then use Curse again!" Danny yelled.
Clockwork flew out of the way of the Ancient Power, before flying behind the Shedinja and blasting his ball of murky energy, hoping this time the attack would hit. Slowpoke rolled out of the way of Endeavor, raising his Attack and Defense again, dropping Speed even more.

[Missingno. Master]

(It can't normally, yeah, but mine did. You can teach a Pokémon MT moves it can't normally learn for an increased price at the Move Tutor's.)

"Eeehhh, I dunno how well that's gonna work out for him," Gavin remarked as Danny gave his orders. "Telling a Slowpoke to dodge something is a tall order as it is, but after it's used Curse to make itself even slower?"

Indeed, it seemed as though there was truth to Gavin's words- there wasn't a lot Poker would be able to do about the impending Endeavor. A chilling notion indeed, given the user was a Shedinja, a Pokémon species notorious for its singular hit point.

But then there was Clockwork to contend with. The Hoothoot had not been slowed in any way, shape, or form, and while the species wasn't exactly the fastest of the Normal/Flying-types, Chase's shell wasn't doing it any favors in the Speed department, and thus the Hoothoot was able to evade the Ancient Power and fire off a Shadow Ball from behind Vanish! "Vanish, look out!" Terri called, but too late- in an instant, both the Shedinja and its halo clattered to the ground.

"Whoo! Shedinja is unable to battle!" declared Gavin. "That's some fucking teamwork right there! And Slowpoke's powering up with another Curse at this very moment, too- it's a two-on-one match from here on in, folks, and taking out that Shedinja as quick as Danny did was a good move indeed. I think we've all seen how quickly Terri's been able to secure victory here before with that Endeavor and Shadow Sneak combination."

"Not bad," Terri grinned. "Now, Chase, use Sky Attack on Slowpoke!" she commanded.

"Miniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!" squealed the slightly muffled voice of the Minior from behind the shell as it started glowing brightly and harshly, charging up immense power.