A few of the other trainers were also finishing up their breakfast and noticing that people were starting to head towards the gym.
"Hey, wait, don't forget me!" Annie insisted, getting up and starting after the group.
"It seems like we're ready to begin," Harry said in a quiet voice. He floated up from his seat, stopping at a standing position and then walking slowly after the group.
"We should probably get going too," Victoria said, pulling out a Poke Ball. Rover let out a huff and then a cheerful roar. "Return, Rover!" Victoria exclaimed, calling her Rhyhorn back. She then stood and grinned, walking after the group as well.
"Please, come back any time!" Nurse Joy called after them. "And good luck on your gym challenge!"
"Chan-seyyy!" her Chansey chirped happily.
As the group exited the Pokemon Center, indeed as Adela said it was fairly easy to tell where the gym was. Aside from the signs on the road pointing out the direction to the building, the towering colosseum was visible in the skyline no matter where in the city you were. It was easily three or four stories tall, painted in a royal blue with sweeping flying buttresses. Statues of bird Pokemon stood on the sides of the building, as if to protect it from the outside. Some walking towards the structure would lead to a large set of double doors, incongruously made of glass to offset the austere building. A sweeping yellow insignia stood over the door, recognizable to anyone familiar with it as the symbol of the Omega League. The doors easily swung open when pushed.
At the inside of the doors was a lobby with a long desk and three sets of doors leading presumably to the stadium. The walls were painted with the images of a sky with clouds on it. Already a sort of crowd was gathered in the lobby of the building, various trainers and their Pokemon getting excited for something or other. A middle-aged man stood in front of the desk excitedly greeting people. When he saw the gathered group of trainers enter the building, the man grinned and waved them over.
"Yo! Champs in the making!" he shouted. "Welcome to the Betata City Gym! Our leader, Hawke, is a master of Flying-type Pokemon! Win the Gym Challenge and you could walk out of here with the Aero Badge!"
"The Guardian of the Sea, huh?" Diego exclaimed, eyes lighting up. "That sounds like the catch of a lifetime. I've gotta go to the Whirl Islands someday. That'd be amazing to fish up!" He looked at Jacques. "Oh, don't worry none. Pokemon don't mind being hooked on a fishing rod if they think they can win. Bastion over here put up a serious fuss when I caught him, I didn't think I'd be able to reel him in! Biggest darn Basculin I ever did see," Diego insisted, gesturing to one of his Poke Balls. He went to gather up his fishing equipment.
"So you guys are going through Dalett Cave? I need to get over to Dalett City anyway. My uncle's expecting me there. Besides, there's way better things to catch in the ocean than this dinky little stream! Mind if I tag along?" Diego asked.
Edited by AllHailThrall on Jan 5th 2025 at 11:17:07 AM
I can still hail the Horde even though the company has shamed us. Strength and Honor even if Blizzard has neither.Hyde Sagasu - Route 3, near Dalett Cave
Zullie the Misdreavus
"You know what they say, the more the merrier!" Hyde replied to Diego. "I don't think anyone else would mind, anyway." Eager to get going, Hyde adjusted his backpack straps and glanced around. Spotting his ghostly companion, he called out, "Zullie! Let's go, we've got a cave to explore!"
Over by the other Pokemon, Zullie's eye poked out of the ball of hair she had wrapped herself in. She floated back up into the air, shaking herself back to normal and without a single tangled hair, thanks to on-demand intangibility. She almost zipped over to Hyde right away, but stopped and turned back to Luna and the others. "Ree Vuhra, reevees. Dree ree!" she trilled her goodbyes, for now. Zullie did a little spin in the air before quickly taking her place by Hyde's shoulder, beaming and greeting him with a "Dree-vuh, Riid!"
Hyde smiled back, happy to see her enthusiasm. "Alright, we should probably talk to that worker guy that thanked us last night. He seemed like he was in charge of things here." He started to head in the direction of the workers' camp, keeping an eye out for Preston.
Higher beings, these words are for you alone.Sal, Betata City Gym
…Wow. The gym was amazing. Majestic, even. Though maybe that was too much. Regardless, it was a real sight to see. This is it. His very first gym. He began to wonder if he and his team were even up for it, but he shook it off. He could pull it off. He ran up to the man who waved at them excitedly. “Hey! I’m Sal. Nice to see ya! When can we do the challenge? I’m so excited!”
It builds character.Ren and Char
Ren took a glance at the girl and her Pokemon, the snowflakes had audibly lowered the temperature but he didn't pay it any mind. However his rambunctious Pokemon thought diffrent. Char quickly approached the girl and her pokemon, however instead of picking a fight this time Char carefully touched the snowflakes as if playing with them.
Ren was suprised to say the least, from what he had seen from Char she was extremely aggressive and never seemed to calm down, but she seemed almost memorized by the snowflakes. Then again Ren had only known Char for one day.
Ren quickly picked up Char and took her away from the girl and Pokemon much to her displeasure, Char let out a pout before moving onto Ren's head. " Char...fine I guess you did eat enough breakfast." Ren then looked at the Pokemon and its trainer and gave them a bow. " I apologize for my Pokemon I hope it didn't bother you"
Edited by Iamhim on Jan 8th 2025 at 6:40:40 AM
In another life I really would have liked just doing laundry and taxes with youAdela - Betata City Gym - No Active Pokémon
With the rest of the party in tow, Adela took her first steps into her first Gym. The mural of a blue sky stretching out in front of her, studded with clouds, brought a faint sparkle to her eye. As soon as she tore her eyes away, however, and spotted the crowd of other Trainers, she drew a sharp intake of breath. But it'd be fine, or so she kept telling herself. All she had to do for now was stay within easy reach of the rest of her cohort.
This internal monologue was severed when the man behind the desk greeted the party. It was as if he thought the crowd was busier than it actually was.
"Why do you have to yell...?" she sighed. Her inflection made it sound less like a question and more like a resigned acceptance of the circumstances.
Sal, on the other hand, channeled his acceptance of this as normal in a different way, returning the enthusiasm in kind. To be fair to both parties, 'Champs in the making' had a nice ring to it. This was, in fact, the true beginning of her journey to reach the Hall of Fame. If she could just try to power through the crowd situation...
"I'm Adela," she said as she approached the desk in turn, her voice a little less curt and a smile back on her face. "Quick question — is there any prep you'd advise we do first?"
"Hark! For your greatest fears manifest in yours truly!" (She/Her) (Current focus: Image Pickin')Ollie Loto – Route 1 – Wild Pokémon Battle
w/ Oobleck the Alolan Grimer
The Nincada, seeing Oobleck using Harden, Hardened as well. Ollie sighed.
“I suppose we have to be a bit aggro… Oobleck, use Bite!”
Oobleck, of course, did what he was ordered to do. He slinked towards the Nincada–his teeth gaining a noticeable glow–and when he got close enough, he unhinged his ‘jaws’ in its direction.
Sweet dreams are made of this~ Who am I to disagree?Jules Firenze, Betata Gym
"Somehow it's even more impressive up close." he mutters to himself as he took in the magnificent gym. As he headed inside and the receptionist (at least he thought he was) greeted them with what type the gym would be, Jules studied the Pokéballs he had. "Scorpius definitely looks like a disadvantage, though perhaps his size could be useful." he murmurs. "Didn't think my first gym was gonna be so troublesome." he huffs, pocketing Scorpius' ball. "Guess I'm relying on you for today." he chuckles to Ako's Pokéball, which seemed to wiggle in response to her trainer's call.
"So how does this work? Do we just head on in? Is the leader available?" Jules asks the guy at the desk.
You piss off the Venom T-Rex. Roll initiative.Phillip was amazed at the sight of the Gym's exterior, and almost overwhelmed at the interior and the crowd that was in the lobby. Reflexively, he took a swig of water to settle himself.
After the man at the front desk made his introduction, Phillip introduced himself as well, giving the customary hand sign. "Alola!", he said. "I'm Phillip, and my team and I are ready to take on the Trial! Er, I mean, the Gym Challenge!", he added, his face reddening with embarrassment.
Pudding's and Grill's Pokeballs wiggled, making obvious the excitement of the Pokemon contained within.
Nick the photographer - Outside Dalett Cave on Route 3, with Hyde, Flint, Adrian, and Jacques staying to camp.
Also starring Torry the Rockruff!
"Yeah, I don't see why not," Nick agreed with a nod, continuing to pack up his tent. "Should be safer with any Pokemon encounters in the cave if there's more of us," the photographer continued, then focused until he had all his stuff packed up and his backpack put on.
Nick then looked at his Pokemon, who had regrouped near him, and saw that Natalia was almost dozing off on her feet. "Aw, you're still tired, Natalia? Here, you rest in your ball, then," Nick said, and recalled the Noibat to her pokeball. "What about you two? Either of you want to be off your feet?" the photographer then asked the other two.
Emmett let out a little mewl and sat up on his hind legs, waving a front paw at Nick.
"You got it, Emmett," Nick replied, and recalled the Eevee into his pokeball.
Nick then looked at Torry, who barked and spun in a little circle, then started trotting towards the cave.
Nick let out a chuckle. "Right then," he muttered to himself, and stood and followed towards the cave, hoping to catch up with Hyde since the photographer had to pack up his tent first.
You are reading this.The green-haired girl looked over at Ren and his Charcadet, and smiled sheepishly.
"No, you're not bothering me at all. It's my Snover that's getting on my nerves!" she insisted. Her Snover trilled, looking down for a moment. The girl frowned. "Hey, I'm sorry, Winter. I just need to eat my porridge, okay?" she asked, patting it on the side. She jolted her hand back, shivering. "Good Arceus, that's cold," she whispered. She then looked back up at Ren. "So, are you going on the gym challenge then?"
Oobleck opened its jaws and clamped down on the enemy Nincada for a moment, then it chirped, antennae twitching. It raised on of its forearms up and Scratched at Oobleck, which didn't seem to do much damage but dragged against Oobleck's slimy skin.
"Need me to help or you got this?" Molly asked Ollie.
The man at the desk grinned.
"The challenge will be starting shortly, just sign in here," the man exclaimed. "We'll be doing the preliminary gym challenge first, to see how you do with commanding Pokemon. It will involve speed and acrobatic displays with Flying-type Pokemon. You guys got any Flying-type Pokemon with you?" he asked.
"No," replied Annie dejectedly.
"No," Harry simply stated.
"No," Victoria sighed. The man laughed.
"Not a problem! We have rentals to be provided. If you have your own Flying-types, they can be used, though!" A few of the gathered trainers pulled out their Poke Balls and smiled. They released a couple of Pokemon— one was a tiny grey feathered bird with a red head and a small black beak. Another was a round tan-colored owl-like Pokemon with a green "bow-tie" of feathers and a white face. A third one wasn't a bird Pokemon at all, but a butterfly, with a black body, a curly proboscis, and red, yellow and blue patterned black wings with long swallowtails on them.
"I like your Pokemon!" the man at the desk exclaimed. "Just wait right here for a bit. Hawke, Jonas and Skye will come out to start the flag challenge outside. Then after you complete the challenge and prizes are awarded, you will be coming back in to do the actual gym battles, in groups of three," the man explained.
The workers were in the process of cleaning up rubble as the trainers approached. The entrance was repaired, with most of the rubble moved out of the way and sturdy-looking beams holding up the cave. Preston pointed and whistled as his Machoke was moving stones. He looked up at the approaching group of trainers and perked up.
"Good morning, all," Preston told them. "Cave's clear enough for travel. Just be careful, is all. We're still trying to find out the source of that cave-in. Some of the other workers said they saw some shifty-looking people in the cave. Be on your guard, and watch out for wild Pokemon," he added. "They may still be agitated after yesterday.
"We'll keep our eyes peeled," Diego assured him. "I'm looking after these fellas until we get to Dalett City," the man said. "I've got Water-types, so any Rock or Ground types we find in this cave shouldn't bother us none."
"Just be safe," Preston urged. "Caves are dangerous. Watch where you step, keep your lights on, and be careful. The cave can be unsteady, slippery, or delicate."
I can still hail the Horde even though the company has shamed us. Strength and Honor even if Blizzard has neither.Jules Firenze, Betata Gym
"Yes." he nodded. Okay, so he wasn't going to use Ako for this gym. He patted his starter's Pokéball sympathetically, and it shook, slightly warm to the touch. "I have a Tropius." Jules said as he pulled out Scorpius' ball. He could go for a rental, but Scorpius is his now, might as well give him a little more exercise if Ako isn't going out. Eyeing the other Flying-types, he wondered with a little worry whether Scorpius would be too big for whatever kind of challenge the flag thing will pose. He also realized he recognized none of them. Damn.
"Man, didn't think I would get a disadvantage so early." he chuckles mostly to himself. "We'll just do our best, I guess." he grasped Scorpius' Pokéball in reassurance.
Edited by Jules-Firenze on Jan 14th 2025 at 9:20:49 PM
You piss off the Venom T-Rex. Roll initiative.Ren
Ren was thankful the girl hadn't been bother by Char he took a glance at Char who was still trying to play with the snow falling from Snover. "If I let you down, you won't cause any problems, right?" Char gave quick nods as if saying yes frantically, Ren put her down and she immediately went back to playing with the snowflakes of Snover.
Ren turned his attention back to the girl, " Yes, me and Char were going to head out to route one after eating." Well that is if Char doesn't stay stuck playing with snowflakes.
In another life I really would have liked just doing laundry and taxes with youAdela - Betata City Gym - No Active Pokémon
"If only," Adela added to the chorus of Trainers with no Flying-type Pokémon, having been quick to sign when prompted.
But, as eager as she was to meet her rental Pokémon, all she could do now was wait. A fact that would have infuriated her if not for the chance it gave her to size up her competition.
Alas, of the three Trainers who sent out their Pokémon, she could only identify one with confidence — the one with the colourful wings was a Beautifly. Years ago, on a visit to the Eterna Forest, her sister tried to get a close look at one and was rewarded with becoming the target of a chase scene, the Bug-type trying in vain to jab her with its long proboscis. If this one was equally aggressive, then perhaps its Trainer had a defensive game plan in mind?
Adela would appear to withdraw into herself, but at this point she was simply trying to plot...
"Hark! For your greatest fears manifest in yours truly!" (She/Her) (Current focus: Image Pickin')Hyde Sagasu - Route 3, near Dalett Cave
Zullie the Misdreavus
Hyde listened intently as Preston gave them a quick run-down on cave safety. He didn't want to make trouble with any easily avoidable mistakes. He did wonder what Preston meant shifty-looking people though. When all was said and done, Hyde nodded determinedly before speaking up.
"Excuse me, sir," Hyde began. "Last night, you mentioned you might have found something in the rubble you were clearing that we could take. Something like... Pokemon fossils?" If he was trying to act nonchalant then he was doing a terrible job. It was quite obvious the young man was excited to get his hands on a specimen of an ancient Pokemon.
Higher beings, these words are for you alone.Sal, Betata City Gym
Did Sal have any Flying types? No, he did not. Maybe he should’ve caught some, but the opportunity didn’t arise. So it wasn’t his fault. “Nope, I don’t! If anything, I’m at disadvantage here…” Two of his Pokemon were Grass and Bug. He was a bit worried. But he’d make it work. He signed in while thinking about which Flying type he’d get. There’s a whole lot of ‘em, so it left a lot to the imagination. He looked at Adela. “So, any Flying type ya want as a rental? I got a lot.”
It builds character.Aleph Town — Professor Hawthorn's laboratory
The gym challenge was one thing but not the main draw why she came here and obtained a Pokemon.
"Excusez Moi, Professeur.", she began as her newly-given Oricorio gave her an odd stare and struck a pose in the background. "But I would like to know if there is a Contest scene here. I am new around here and I know little of what is of interest in this region."
My troper wall's now my troper page, yay! Come to IJBMAdela - Betata City Gym - No Active Pokémon
Adela, deep in thought, almost didn't notice Sal's eyes on her. When she did, she straightened up her posture a little as she met his eye.
"Sorry, Sal," she said, "you caught me strategising." Although perhaps talking through her thought process out loud would help, not to mention it'd give her and Sal a springboard for working together.
"The guy at the desk said the challenge involved speed and acrobatic displays. Judging by how small these Pokémon are" — she gestured towards the two little bird Pokémon — "and by what I think Jules means when he says he's at a disadvantage, I'll likely need a Pokémon of a similar size. That would mean faster movement and a potentially tighter turning circle.
"The first Pokémon I can think of that fits is a Starly." A little chuckle. "My dad used to run into them most days when he went to and from work. Sometimes, they'd even try and bash him with their wings; he was lucky they never got him, but I could use that tenacity to my advantage if needed..." She turned her attention to her Pokétch's Pokémon List for a second, as if preparing it to plan for the battle after the challenge.
"What about you?" she continued, looking back at Sal. "Any predictions?"
Edited by Riolugirl on Jan 14th 2025 at 3:12:40 PM
"Hark! For your greatest fears manifest in yours truly!" (She/Her) (Current focus: Image Pickin')"Nope," Phillip responded to the man as he signed in for the challenge. He was wondering how the rental Flying-type Pokemon would be selected and distributed among those Trainers who needed them, but he was hopeful that there would be enough for those who required them.
As other Trainers called out their Flying-type Pokemon, Pudding popped out of their Pokeball and slipped onto Phillip's shoulder, staring intently at the three Flying-types that were visible. They were just about to Transform into a Flying-type when Phillip noticed what was happening.
"HEY!", Phillip barked. "DON'T!"
Startled, Pudding's concentration broke, and their Transform was cancelled. They burbled out a protest, but Phillip was having none of it.
"Look, I get that you want to help, but please save your strength," Phillip explained. "You'll do better in the battle if you're not tired out from flying while Transformed, okay?"
Pudding squeaked out a half-apology, then slid their way back into their Pokeball.
Phillip then noticed the Flying-types that were already out, and was surprised that he recognized two of the three there. The red-headed bird was a Fletchling, just like the ones that made their nests in the Wela Volcano Park, and the owl-like was unmistakably a Rowlet, famous as a first Pokemon certain lucky Island Challengers got when starting from Melemele Island. The butterfly was unfamiliar to him, though.
After overhearing Jules, Adela, and Sal comment about the first stage of the challenge, Phillip decided to pitch in with his comment.
"I think," Phillip said, "we'd need to see the course before we choose our rental Pokemon. If we're allowed a choice, that is."
Sal, Betata City Gym
Sal blinked at Adela before shaking his head. “So, based on what you said, small pokemon are ideal here, right? I guess that means we just hope our rentals are on the smaller side. I still think a larger one would be cool, though.” He grinned. “Me, I’d like getting a Hawlucha or Vespiqueen. They’re kinda small, and they look cool! My uncle has a Hawlucha. Kinda a grouch, but she’s nice. But anyways, small, acrobatic, got it.” He regarded Phillip. “Well, I know who I’m pickin’, that’s for sure. How ‘bout you guys?
It builds character.Nick the photographer - Outside Dalett Cave on Route 3, with Hyde, Flint, Adrian, and Jacques staying to camp.
Also starring Torry the Rockruff!
Since he had to pack up his tent first, Nick showed up at the tail end of what Preston was saying, hearing about the cave's potential to be unsteady and/or slippery. Nick glanced down, lifting one foot and then the other to check the bottoms of his boots. "Should be alright if we take our time, right guys?" Nick said to the rest of the group, then looked forward towards the cave. "I wonder if there will be anything interesting to take pictures of in there," the photographer thought out loud to himself, taking a moment to check his camera's settings.
You are reading this.Ollie Loto – Route 1 – Wild Pokémon Battle
w/ Oobleck the Alolan Grimer
That Scratch barely dented Oobleck’s gooey hide. A gurgly cackle rumbled within him, his confidence increasing.
“Thanks for the offer, Molly,” Ollie replied coolly. “But I think we’re good…” They said, their attention fixed on the Nincada.
“Bite them again, Oobee!” Ollie ordered, as the oily Grimer opened his maw, in an attempt to chomp down on the trainee bug.
Sweet dreams are made of this~ Who am I to disagree?The professor blinked a few times, but smiled.
"Interesting. We don't get many prospective coordinators from other regions here in Tuloh, but yes, there is definitely a Contest scene here in this region," the professor explained. "The Contest Halls here in Tuloh are in Dalett City, Etta Island, Kapha City, Ladma City, and the Grand Festival is in Omegana City along with the Pokemon League. The closest one to here is in Dalett City; just go north from Betata City along Route 3, through Dalett Cave, then head east down Route 4 and you're at Dalett City." He grinned. "Once you get to Ladma City, even if you're not going on the Gym Challenge, I recommend heading into the Ladma City Gym. The gym leader there, Icelyn, is also the region's star coordinator. Perhaps she can give you some advice."
"Sounds like a plan, me too," the girl replied. "Maybe we could be travel buddies. Name's Krissy," she introduced, reaching out an arm towards Ren to shake. Meanwhile Winter let out a soft sneeze and sent snowflakes blowing out, covering Krissy's arm in snow. She shuddered and jolted her hand back, pouting a bit with a firm look and then wiped her hand off, before offering her hand again.
"All right, if you're sure," Molly replied, continuing to watch the battle.
The enemy Nincada chirped in surprise and pain at Oobleck's second bite. Seeing the scratch attack didn't seem to work, the enemy Nincada tried a different tactic. It charged up a little green energy orb with its forearms and fired it at Oobleck. The attack landed, and orbs of green light flowed from Oobleck to the Nincada. It was an Absorb attack— unfortunately for the Nincada, it did next to nothing to the Poison-type, and Oobleck was barely drained whatsoever from the enemy Pokemon's attack.
Seeing it did nearly nothing, the Nincada looked panicked for a moment, chittering and twitching its antennae, shuffling backwards a bit.
The gym attendant smiled.
"I like your enthusiasm. Unfortunately, Ditto's not a Flying-type, so you sadly can't use it in the gym challenge. A rental will be provided for anyone who doesn't have a Flying-type of their own. They'll be passed out once the gym leader and his assistants arrive, which should be—" he started to say, when the doors in the back swung open. Out of the doors walked two trainers. One was an older teenager with slicked-back ash-brown hair, holding a case containing a few dozen Poke Balls. Another trainer, a woman in her 20s with dark skin and wavy black hair, held a pennant-shaped flag with the image of a bird imprinted on it.
"I see everyone here's ready to take to the skies!" the teenager exclaimed. "I'm Jonas, second-in-command of the gym here. And I want this to be a clean and friendly challenge!"
"And my name's Skye," the dark-haired young woman added. "Step outside, please, follow us, and you will each receive your rentals if you do not have a Pokemon to use in the challenge." They began to lead the gathered group outside towards the courtyard surrounding the gym. Already, dozens of flags had been set up, scattered in the grassy hills that surrounded the gym. She then held up the flag she was holding in her hand. "These flags will be scattered all throughout the grounds surrounding the gym. You will be using your Flying-type and only your Flying-type to bring these flags back to your area. This will test your ability to command and maneuver your Pokemon."
Jonas walked up to each trainer with his box of Poke Balls and handed the trainers that did not have a Flying-type already a Flying-type. This included Adela, Sal, and Phillip, as well as Harry, Annie and Victoria.
"Go ahead and let your Pokemon out, including the rentals if you did not bring a Flying-type of your own. This will be so you can prepare your Pokemon. Hawke will be out momentarily to start the challenge," Jonas explained.
Once Adela released her Pokemon, she would find a blue and black round-shaped bird Pokemon with a yellow stomach, a sharp black beak and red eyes surrounded by white eyespots that looked like angry eyes. On its back was a banner that depicted the symbol of the Betata Gym.
"Rookidee-dee-dee-deeee!" her Pokemon trilled.
Sal's Poke Ball contained a bird Pokemon with a tiny white body and long white wings with blue stripes on them. It had a large beak for its body size, orange with a black tip, and beady eyes. On its back was the same gym banner. It honked loudly, flying in a circle around Sal and then landing on his head, smiling.
Phillip, meanwhile, got a rental Poke Ball containing a black and white bird Pokemon with a red forehead and blue eyes. It had a long sharp beak and feathers that flipped up into a swooshy pointed crest of feathers up towards its head, and feet with four toes, two of which pointed forwards and the other two backwards. It also had the gym banner on its back. It flapped in midair and landed on Phillip's arm, tilting its head.
Harry released a mostly-grey and black bird Pokemon with a white clover-shaped mark on its face and a swooping tuft of feathers on its head. Victoria released a scruffy tan-and-cream bird Pokemon with prominent "eyebrow" feathers and black markings on its face with large, sharp claws on its feet. Annie had the strangest of the rentals by far, with a bright-yellow feathered parrot-like bird Pokemon with a white belly and white feather tips on its wings. On top of its head was a prominent black tuft of feathers that resembled a pompadour. It squawked loudly and flew around Annie's head.
"What is this?" Annie asked incredulously.
"What is this, what is this?" her Pokemon copied.
Preston raised an eyebrow.
"You'll have to speak to the scientists about that one. They're working on the site as we speak," he told Hyde. "You can see what specimens they're taking back to the lab. Maybe they'd be willing to part with some."
I can still hail the Horde even though the company has shamed us. Strength and Honor even if Blizzard has neither.Jules Firenze, Betata Gym
"A bunch of Pokémon I don't know!" he gushes. "Look at them, they're so cute-" he clears his throat to steady himself. "Hey, is this a free-for-all?" he asks the people in charge. He wasn't planning on sabotaging anyone (the poor Pokémon) but he could leverage Scorpius' massive bulk somehow. One thing's for sure, it looked like all of the other entries were smaller and faster. "Alright, Scorpius, come out!" he tosses the Pokéball into the air, the Tropius inside landing on the ground with a bellowing roar in challenge. He looked at the other opponents, nodded in respect, then leaned in to Jules. "We're not going down easy, are we?" he sighs, bumping his head against his partner lightly.
"Alright, Ako." he huffs. "Come out and watch." As the light from the ball fades to reveal the candle-like Pokémon, Ako immediately started exuding her aura, at least until Jules grabbed her and plopped her away from the other trainers, before kneeling to look her in the eyes. "Come on, Ako. I need your help. Scorpius is gonna be out there against several opponents, and we'll need your help. I just need you to cheer, as loud as you can. For us all."
Ako pouted slightly, but her eyes light up when Jules fished out some stray foodstuffs he had tucked away in his backpack. "Chew on these while you wait." he pats Ako on her waxy head, leaving her to her own devices.
"You guys ready?" Jules groused, heading back to the trainers who slept at Betata Center like he did, as Scorpius eyed the other trainers with a steely gaze. "I was hoping we'd challenge the leader immediately. No such luck." he cracked his neck, squeezing Scorpius' Pokéball with uncertainty.
You piss off the Venom T-Rex. Roll initiative.Ollie Loto – Route 1 – Wild Pokémon Battle
w/ Oobleck the Alolan Grimer
You would think that Oobleck didn't even notice the Absorb hit based on his facial expression. The metaphorical flame in his gut burned with passion as the battle raged on.
“Use Shadow Sneak!” The Grimer's stretching shadow became visible to the fleeing Nincada as it quickly approached, ready to strike.
Sweet dreams are made of this~ Who am I to disagree?

Route 3 - Outside Dalett Cave, Jacques.
The subject of fishing continued to make Jacques a little lost in thought, idly remarking...and looking a little worried.
"Just...f-feels a little weird fishing them up with a fishing rod, is all...like, a net would make a bit more sense...and a bit less...n-nevermind. But I don't need a water type, I-I've go-"
"...Ril." was the curt, if somewhat direct correction to the trainer's statement.
"O-Oh, right. You know m-moves that use water and look l-like you're a water type...but you're not. T-That's fine, just means y-you're full of surprises and doesn't change I don't n-need a water type with you around."
The tiny aquatic mouse cheerfully bounced from the praise, looking rather proud...and a little smug.
Hope you weren't expecting anything witty here. Maybe some day.