nightblitz42
Moderator
Trainer Name: Brian Turing
Battle Hall Thread
Anime-Style Simulator Thread
Training:
Amulet Coin x1
Exp. Share x1
Lucky Egg x1
Held Items:
Binding Band x1
Black Belt x1
Black Glasses x1
BrightPowder x1
Charcoal x1
Damp Rock x1
Destiny Knot x1
Expert Belt x1
Flame Orb x2
Focus Band x1
Iron Ball x1
Kings Rock x1
Life Orb x1
Light Clay x1
Macho Brace x1
Mental Herb x1
Muscle Band x1
Mystic Water x1
Power Bracer x1
Ring Target x1
Rocky Helmet x1
Smoke Ball x1
Sticky Barb x1
Wise Glasses x1
Consumables:
Berserk Gene x1
Chople Berry x1
Enigma Berry x1
Kebia Berry x1
Lum Berry x1
Occa Berry x1
RageCandyBar x2
Weakness Policy x1
Signature Items:
Brood Queen's Necklace x1
Dusk Stone x1
Everstone x2
Ice Stone x1
Moon Stone x1
Rare Candy x2
Razor Claw x1
Razor Fang x1
Sun Stone x1
Mega Stones:
Alakazite x1
Audinite x1
Lopunnite x1
Mawilite x1
Z Crystals:
Darknium Z x1
Eevium Z x1
Electrium Z x1
Fightingium Z x1
Ghostium Z x1
Normalium Z x1
Psychium Z x1
Waterium Z x1
Held Items:
Consumables:
Berserk Gene x1
Signature Items:
Brood Queen's Necklace x1
Mega Stones:
Z Crystals:
Currency Counters: 0
Universal Counters: 58
Exploration Tokens: 0
Universal Counters: 58
Exploration Tokens: 0
Vs. LucarioOfLegends (L)
Vs. Toon (W)
Vs. Flamestar (W, DQ)
Vs. Un passant ordinaire (L)
Vs. Exclaimer (pseudo-Gym Challenge) (L)
Vs. Dogfish44 [Series R1] (W)
Vs. P2X7(L)
Vs. Granny Pie (L)
Vs. TMan87 (W)
Vs. P2X7 (T)
Vs. ItsYaBoi1337 (W)
Vs. Agender Nerd (W)
Vs. Gale Wing Srock (L)
Vs. Yoshiblaze (L)
Vs. TMan87 (W)
Vs. P2X7 (W)
Vs. Dixay (W)
Vs. Gale Wing Srock (W)
Vs. P2X7 (L)
Vs. EndlessAge (W)
Vs. S0L1D G0LD (L)
Vs. Dixay (L)
Vs. Gale Wing Srock (L)
Vs. EndlessAge (W)
Vs. epicdrill (W)
Vs. Toon (W)
Vs. Ragnarokalex (L)
Vs. Take Azelfie (W)
Vs. Akela (W)
Vs. YellowAdminSilver (L)
Vs. Yoshiblaze (T)
Vs. Gale Wing Srock (L)
Vs. P2X7 (L)
Vs. Silver_Lucario42 (W)
Vs. Earth Traveler (W)
Vs. Ooraloo (L)
Vs. Mowtom (W)
Vs. Zarator (W)
Vs. Gale Wing Srock (L)
Vs. Matezoide (L)
Vs. Toon (L)
Vs. Mowtom (L)
Vs. P2X7 (L)
Vs. P2X7 (L)
Vs. YellowAdminSilver (L)
Vs. Vanillish Wafer (W)
Vs. Frosty (L)
Vs. Gale Wing Srock (L)
Vs. YellowAdminSilver (W)
Vs. MamoSwindle (L)
Vs. Someoneelse (L)
Vs. Mowtom (L)
Vs. VirajVora (DQ)
Vs. Mowtom (L)
Vs. Gale Wing Srock (L)
Vs. Dragonblaze052 (L)
Vs. Deadfox (L)
Vs. FishShapedFish (L)
Vs. CowboyJake (L)
Vs. GoldThunder999 (L)
Vs. Black Heart (W)
Vs. goldthunderbird999 (L)
Vs. Toon (W)
Vs. Flamestar (W, DQ)
Vs. Un passant ordinaire (L)
Vs. Exclaimer (pseudo-Gym Challenge) (L)
Vs. Dogfish44 [Series R1] (W)
Vs. P2X7(L)
Vs. Granny Pie (L)
Vs. TMan87 (W)
Vs. P2X7 (T)
Vs. ItsYaBoi1337 (W)
Vs. Agender Nerd (W)
Vs. Gale Wing Srock (L)
Vs. Yoshiblaze (L)
Vs. TMan87 (W)
Vs. P2X7 (W)
Vs. Dixay (W)
Vs. Gale Wing Srock (W)
Vs. P2X7 (L)
Vs. EndlessAge (W)
Vs. S0L1D G0LD (L)
Vs. Dixay (L)
Vs. Gale Wing Srock (L)
Vs. EndlessAge (W)
Vs. epicdrill (W)
Vs. Toon (W)
Vs. Ragnarokalex (L)
Vs. Take Azelfie (W)
Vs. Akela (W)
Vs. YellowAdminSilver (L)
Vs. Yoshiblaze (T)
Vs. Gale Wing Srock (L)
Vs. P2X7 (L)
Vs. Silver_Lucario42 (W)
Vs. Earth Traveler (W)
Vs. Ooraloo (L)
Vs. Mowtom (W)
Vs. Zarator (W)
Vs. Gale Wing Srock (L)
Vs. Matezoide (L)
Vs. Toon (L)
Vs. Mowtom (L)
Vs. P2X7 (L)
Vs. P2X7 (L)
Vs. YellowAdminSilver (L)
Vs. Vanillish Wafer (W)
Vs. Frosty (L)
Vs. Gale Wing Srock (L)
Vs. YellowAdminSilver (W)
Vs. MamoSwindle (L)
Vs. Someoneelse (L)
Vs. Mowtom (L)
Vs. VirajVora (DQ)
Vs. Mowtom (L)
Vs. Gale Wing Srock (L)
Vs. Dragonblaze052 (L)
Vs. Deadfox (L)
Vs. FishShapedFish (L)
Vs. CowboyJake (L)
Vs. GoldThunder999 (L)
Vs. Black Heart (W)
Vs. goldthunderbird999 (L)
Flamestar vs. Agender Nerd (UNCLAIMED)
Un Passant Ordinaire vs. Toon (UNCLAIMED)
Epicdrill's Battle Hall
LucarioOfLegends vs. Hitmonleet
Yoshiblaze's Battle Hall
Gale Wing Srock vs. P2X7
Un Passant Ordinaire vs. TMan87
Granny Pie vs. TMan87
Gale Wing Srock vs. Un passant ordinaire
ItsYaBoi1337 vs. EuSouAFazenda
Elevator Music's Battle Hall
Quarrel's Battle Hall
ProtoLucario vs. Un passant ordinaire
Gale Wing Srock vs. P2X7
TMan87's Battle Hall
epicdrill's Battle Hall
Granny Pie vs. Gale Wing Srock
Exclaimer vs. Frosty
Granny Pie vs. TMan87
Granny Pie vs. epicrdill
Dixay vs. epicdrill
Toon vs. Acidphoenix
P2X7 vs. Granny Pie
SilvanRaptor vs. Granny Pie
Yoshiblaze vs. P2X7
P2X7 vs. Granny Pie
P2X7 vs. epicdrill
Toon vs. JjayyFeather
PTPlatinum vs. Blank Slate2356
P2X7 vs. Yoshiblaze
Yoshiblaze vs. P2X7
PTPlatinum vs. Take Azelfie
Vanillish Wafer vs. PTPlatinum
Exclaimer vs. Agender Nerd
YellowAdminSilver vs. Eternal Drifter
Gale Wing Srock vs. Matezoide
Snarguffle vs. Vanillish Wafer
Earth Traveler vs. Frosty
Un Passant Ordinaire vs. Toon (UNCLAIMED)
Epicdrill's Battle Hall
LucarioOfLegends vs. Hitmonleet
Yoshiblaze's Battle Hall
Gale Wing Srock vs. P2X7
Un Passant Ordinaire vs. TMan87
Granny Pie vs. TMan87
Gale Wing Srock vs. Un passant ordinaire
ItsYaBoi1337 vs. EuSouAFazenda
Elevator Music's Battle Hall
Quarrel's Battle Hall
ProtoLucario vs. Un passant ordinaire
Gale Wing Srock vs. P2X7
TMan87's Battle Hall
epicdrill's Battle Hall
Granny Pie vs. Gale Wing Srock
Exclaimer vs. Frosty
Granny Pie vs. TMan87
Granny Pie vs. epicrdill
Dixay vs. epicdrill
Toon vs. Acidphoenix
P2X7 vs. Granny Pie
SilvanRaptor vs. Granny Pie
Yoshiblaze vs. P2X7
P2X7 vs. Granny Pie
P2X7 vs. epicdrill
Toon vs. JjayyFeather
PTPlatinum vs. Blank Slate2356
P2X7 vs. Yoshiblaze
Yoshiblaze vs. P2X7
PTPlatinum vs. Take Azelfie
Vanillish Wafer vs. PTPlatinum
Exclaimer vs. Agender Nerd
YellowAdminSilver vs. Eternal Drifter
Gale Wing Srock vs. Matezoide
Snarguffle vs. Vanillish Wafer
Earth Traveler vs. Frosty
Claim #57 (UNAPPROVED)
Claim #56
Claim #55
Claim #54
Claim #53
Claim #52
Claim #51
TLR Purchase #3
Claim #50
Claim #49
Claim #48
Claim #47
Claim #46
Claim #45
Claim #44
Claim #43
Claim #42
Rank Update Claim
Claim #41
Claim #40
Claim #39
Claim #38
Claim #37
Claim #36
Claim #35
Claim #34
Claim #33
TLR Purchase #2
Claim #32
Claim #31
Claim #30
Claim #29
Claim #28
Claim #27
Claim #26
Claim #25
Claim #24
Claim #23
TLR Purchase #1
Claim #22
Claim #21
Claim #20
Claim #19
Claim #18
Claim #17
Claim #16
Claim #15
Claim #14
Claim #13
Claim #12
Claim #11
Claim #10
Claim #9
Claim #8
Claim #7
Claim #6
Claim #5
Claim #4
Claim #3
Claim #2
Claim #1
Claim #56
Claim #55
Claim #54
Claim #53
Claim #52
Claim #51
TLR Purchase #3
Claim #50
Claim #49
Claim #48
Claim #47
Claim #46
Claim #45
Claim #44
Claim #43
Claim #42
Rank Update Claim
Claim #41
Claim #40
Claim #39
Claim #38
Claim #37
Claim #36
Claim #35
Claim #34
Claim #33
TLR Purchase #2
Claim #32
Claim #31
Claim #30
Claim #29
Claim #28
Claim #27
Claim #26
Claim #25
Claim #24
Claim #23
TLR Purchase #1
Claim #22
Claim #21
Claim #20
Claim #19
Claim #18
Claim #17
Claim #16
Claim #15
Claim #14
Claim #13
Claim #12
Claim #11
Claim #10
Claim #9
Claim #8
Claim #7
Claim #6
Claim #5
Claim #4
Claim #3
Claim #2
Claim #1
Anime-Style Simulator Thread
An old, faded VCR tape. You can barely make out the words on the front, which are written sloppily in faded red marker:
LUMIOSE CONTEST HALL
APRIL 21, 2015
LUMIOSE CONTEST HALL
APRIL 21, 2015
>[POWER]…[VIDEO 1]--
The television screen cackles to life. The word “RECORDING” and a red circle blink on and off three times in the top right corner of the screen then disappear. What’s left is a brightly lit stage as seen from the audience’s point of view. Murmurs and whispers (too indistinct to be heard) buzz softly through the speakers as shadowy forms at the bottom of the screen shift. Occasionaly, you can make out a hand or a pointy ear, but for the most part the subjects seem to blur into a homogenous brew of blackness wherein Pokemon and humans become one and the same. At 3 minutes 15 seconds, a man in a plaid tuxedo and adorned by a bright purple top hat strides towards center stage, his shining charisma distracting one’s attention from the shuffling shadow below.
“—And now, ladies and gentlemen, for our fifth entry: Mr. Turing, a newcomer here at the Lumiose Contest Hall, has for us a special performance! Be prepared to be dazzled by his faithful compatriots, Braixen and Tropius!”
The man walks offstage while a Ghastly and a Haunter pull the curtains closed. The shadowy brew bubbles with anticipation. When the curtains open, the stage is empty, save for a Tropius which lays curled up in the center of the stage. Now the hall falls silent in rapt attention.
Lazily, the Tropius yawns, lifting its head to the stage lights then opening its mouth wide. As it does so, a smattering of grass and flowers stems from the ground around it – through cracks in the floorboards, the flora stretches out and mimics the exaggerated movement of Tropius’ long neck.
Next, Tropius stands up. It takes a step, two steps, and heaves itself up, up, high into the air, flapping its palmy wings with the force of a tornado. It commands the dormant, unborn nature around it to rise – heeding the Tropius’ call, wooden stage floorboards warp upwards, spiraling, twisting into massive tree trunks with knobby branches which burst into bloom bearing forth multicolored flower blossoms. The ground below presents bounties of tall grasses and wheats; berries burst from the building’s cement foundation, sprouting instantly; and with a final flap of its wings, the Tropius calls upon Sunny Day to bathe its new forest in a warming golden glow. The audience is so enraptured by the beauty of nature that nobody even seems to notice the Tropius quietly exit the stage.
The music shifts, and just as it does a Braixen makes its way onstage. Hops, skips, and the occasional twirl punctuate each movement the playful Pokemon makes, although to call the Braixen’s ecstatic movements a “dance” might be giving it a bit too much credit. The Braixen whips out her stick from inside her bushy tail, and as she does this a flame which nips at the end of the stick sparks to life. She twirls her wand; she shakes it; she tosses it high into the air, through the verdant vines, catching it like a circus clown juggling a pin. Impressed, the audience begins to clap, but the Braixen waves her hand for silence and the audience obliges. Then she smiles devilishly and drops the tip of her wand towards the ground. A small spark bounces off of it, igniting a patch of grass. Gracefully, Braixen leaps away in a whimsical arc, and when she does two more little embers spurt out of the grass to follow her and ignite a couple trees. She twirls about, her movements syncing up with the multiplying flames -- each time she jumps, each flame moves with her and two more flames appear where they land. Now the whole forest is ablaze. Trees tremble then fall. Flowers crumble. Blades of grass wither away. Soon, the Braixen cavorts wildly atop nothing but burnt ash; with no plants left to burn, the Braixen sets the very air around it on fire, which engulfs the stage in an expanding Heat Wave. Audience members scream and fall back in their seats; half a dozen leap up and sprint towards the exits. However, before anybody is hurt the inferno evanesces just as quickly as it arrived. The Braixen seems to have vanished with it.
A loud silence oppresses the auditorium. It’s as if everybody is holding their breath, waiting for a sign to laugh or clap. Isn’t a Pokemon Contest performance supposed to end with a big bow to the audience? According to decorum the performers should return to receive applause.
The stage remains vacant for another 23 seconds before the video tape eventually cuts out.
~~~
Suddenly, the screen blips back to life. The camera angle is pretty much the same as before -- as far as you can tell it’s maybe (a smidge) tilted to the left now? The purple suit man is onstage again. He’s leaning over a table of trophies, medals, envelopes, certificates, and other miscellaneous prize loot with one hand clenching the side of the table and the other wrapped around a microphone.
“And the first prize goes to… Miss Emilia Penthouse, with her Granbull and Wartortle!”
Cheering, whistling, and applause echoes through the hall as a young girl wearing a white ballroom dress rises from the audience. Her smile shines like a pearl necklace. Slowly, she steps across the rows of seats and absconds to the stage, accompanied by her trusty Pokemon partners.
“Second place… Samuel Balboa, Ludicolo, and Lombre!”
The more excitable audience members applaud this time, but others elect to sit this one out. It seems Mr. Balboa wisely chose a seat right near the walkway, so his trip is much quicker than the grand winner’s.
“And third place… Brian Turing, with Tropius and Braixen!”
A Zoroark rises from the bleachers and makes its way toward the stage. It would seem the audience has grown tired of clapping.
From here on out the award process is straightforward. To the grand winner, the host hands a towering 3-meter tall trophy and an envelope of (presumably) prize money. The host smiles, the winner smiles back, they shake hands, then they hold a pose while looking straight into the camera. It’s the same process for the second-place winner; smaller trophy, smaller envelope, then a bit of posing for the camera before the contestant recedes to the back of the stage.
When the host gets to the Zoroark, though, the Dark-Type becomes visibly uneasy. The host hands it a small silver plaque and an envelope, but when the he prepares for a handshake the Zoroark recoils in fright.
“Ah, a bit of stage fright, eh?” laughs the host. A few chuckles from the audience float in the air. “Don’t worry, just pose for the camera.” He takes the Zoroark’s paw into his hand and beams towards the camera, then gives the Zoroark a playful slap on the shoulder.
It’s like a silent spell was broken. Instantly, the audience erupts into a frenzy of screams and Pokemon cries. The host turns snow-white and pulls his hand away as if the Zoroark had lit a match under it. The girl onstage screams and runs away. The kid in second place faints on the spot. Various humans cry out in panic.
“Eeek!”
“Somebody call 911! There’s a wild Pokemon on the loose!”
“Where are the exits?!”
Amid the screaming and roaring, the camera falls to the ground and the TV suddenly falls silent.
[MENU] > [EJECT] > [POWER OFF]
The television screen cackles to life. The word “RECORDING” and a red circle blink on and off three times in the top right corner of the screen then disappear. What’s left is a brightly lit stage as seen from the audience’s point of view. Murmurs and whispers (too indistinct to be heard) buzz softly through the speakers as shadowy forms at the bottom of the screen shift. Occasionaly, you can make out a hand or a pointy ear, but for the most part the subjects seem to blur into a homogenous brew of blackness wherein Pokemon and humans become one and the same. At 3 minutes 15 seconds, a man in a plaid tuxedo and adorned by a bright purple top hat strides towards center stage, his shining charisma distracting one’s attention from the shuffling shadow below.
“—And now, ladies and gentlemen, for our fifth entry: Mr. Turing, a newcomer here at the Lumiose Contest Hall, has for us a special performance! Be prepared to be dazzled by his faithful compatriots, Braixen and Tropius!”
The man walks offstage while a Ghastly and a Haunter pull the curtains closed. The shadowy brew bubbles with anticipation. When the curtains open, the stage is empty, save for a Tropius which lays curled up in the center of the stage. Now the hall falls silent in rapt attention.
Lazily, the Tropius yawns, lifting its head to the stage lights then opening its mouth wide. As it does so, a smattering of grass and flowers stems from the ground around it – through cracks in the floorboards, the flora stretches out and mimics the exaggerated movement of Tropius’ long neck.
Next, Tropius stands up. It takes a step, two steps, and heaves itself up, up, high into the air, flapping its palmy wings with the force of a tornado. It commands the dormant, unborn nature around it to rise – heeding the Tropius’ call, wooden stage floorboards warp upwards, spiraling, twisting into massive tree trunks with knobby branches which burst into bloom bearing forth multicolored flower blossoms. The ground below presents bounties of tall grasses and wheats; berries burst from the building’s cement foundation, sprouting instantly; and with a final flap of its wings, the Tropius calls upon Sunny Day to bathe its new forest in a warming golden glow. The audience is so enraptured by the beauty of nature that nobody even seems to notice the Tropius quietly exit the stage.
The music shifts, and just as it does a Braixen makes its way onstage. Hops, skips, and the occasional twirl punctuate each movement the playful Pokemon makes, although to call the Braixen’s ecstatic movements a “dance” might be giving it a bit too much credit. The Braixen whips out her stick from inside her bushy tail, and as she does this a flame which nips at the end of the stick sparks to life. She twirls her wand; she shakes it; she tosses it high into the air, through the verdant vines, catching it like a circus clown juggling a pin. Impressed, the audience begins to clap, but the Braixen waves her hand for silence and the audience obliges. Then she smiles devilishly and drops the tip of her wand towards the ground. A small spark bounces off of it, igniting a patch of grass. Gracefully, Braixen leaps away in a whimsical arc, and when she does two more little embers spurt out of the grass to follow her and ignite a couple trees. She twirls about, her movements syncing up with the multiplying flames -- each time she jumps, each flame moves with her and two more flames appear where they land. Now the whole forest is ablaze. Trees tremble then fall. Flowers crumble. Blades of grass wither away. Soon, the Braixen cavorts wildly atop nothing but burnt ash; with no plants left to burn, the Braixen sets the very air around it on fire, which engulfs the stage in an expanding Heat Wave. Audience members scream and fall back in their seats; half a dozen leap up and sprint towards the exits. However, before anybody is hurt the inferno evanesces just as quickly as it arrived. The Braixen seems to have vanished with it.
A loud silence oppresses the auditorium. It’s as if everybody is holding their breath, waiting for a sign to laugh or clap. Isn’t a Pokemon Contest performance supposed to end with a big bow to the audience? According to decorum the performers should return to receive applause.
The stage remains vacant for another 23 seconds before the video tape eventually cuts out.
~~~
Suddenly, the screen blips back to life. The camera angle is pretty much the same as before -- as far as you can tell it’s maybe (a smidge) tilted to the left now? The purple suit man is onstage again. He’s leaning over a table of trophies, medals, envelopes, certificates, and other miscellaneous prize loot with one hand clenching the side of the table and the other wrapped around a microphone.
“And the first prize goes to… Miss Emilia Penthouse, with her Granbull and Wartortle!”
Cheering, whistling, and applause echoes through the hall as a young girl wearing a white ballroom dress rises from the audience. Her smile shines like a pearl necklace. Slowly, she steps across the rows of seats and absconds to the stage, accompanied by her trusty Pokemon partners.
“Second place… Samuel Balboa, Ludicolo, and Lombre!”
The more excitable audience members applaud this time, but others elect to sit this one out. It seems Mr. Balboa wisely chose a seat right near the walkway, so his trip is much quicker than the grand winner’s.
“And third place… Brian Turing, with Tropius and Braixen!”
A Zoroark rises from the bleachers and makes its way toward the stage. It would seem the audience has grown tired of clapping.
From here on out the award process is straightforward. To the grand winner, the host hands a towering 3-meter tall trophy and an envelope of (presumably) prize money. The host smiles, the winner smiles back, they shake hands, then they hold a pose while looking straight into the camera. It’s the same process for the second-place winner; smaller trophy, smaller envelope, then a bit of posing for the camera before the contestant recedes to the back of the stage.
When the host gets to the Zoroark, though, the Dark-Type becomes visibly uneasy. The host hands it a small silver plaque and an envelope, but when the he prepares for a handshake the Zoroark recoils in fright.
“Ah, a bit of stage fright, eh?” laughs the host. A few chuckles from the audience float in the air. “Don’t worry, just pose for the camera.” He takes the Zoroark’s paw into his hand and beams towards the camera, then gives the Zoroark a playful slap on the shoulder.
It’s like a silent spell was broken. Instantly, the audience erupts into a frenzy of screams and Pokemon cries. The host turns snow-white and pulls his hand away as if the Zoroark had lit a match under it. The girl onstage screams and runs away. The kid in second place faints on the spot. Various humans cry out in panic.
“Eeek!”
“Somebody call 911! There’s a wild Pokemon on the loose!”
“Where are the exits?!”
Amid the screaming and roaring, the camera falls to the ground and the TV suddenly falls silent.
[MENU] > [EJECT] > [POWER OFF]
Required reading:
Do NOT read further until consulting Cobalt the Zoroark's bio.
Do NOT read further until consulting Cobalt the Zoroark's bio.
A Zoroark walks into a bar. The bartender looks up at him, smiles, and says, “Hey, Pete – the usual?” The Zoroark nods. “Sure thing, buddy. Lemme put it on your tab.”
Perhaps it would aid the reader’s understanding to know that two days ago, while rummaging through a garbage can for food scraps, Zoroark saw a bedraggled, flustered man boarding an outgoing ferry. This man, whose name happened to be Pete, was fleeing the city for reasons the Zoroark neither knew nor cared about; all that mattered was that it was probably safe to assume the role of “Pete” for the time being.
It’s awfully quiet, and the bartender feels it his duty to fill that silence with small talk. “Crazy, that wildfire up north. You hear about it?” The Zoroark shovels a paw full of peanuts into his mouth, shaking his head. “Yeah, they just showed it on the news; said a Pokemon probably started it. Thing is, though, nobody’s real sure how many species actually lived in that area (on account of a lot of ‘em being shy towards humans) but now they’re all popping up on the streets here ‘cause they have nowhere else to live. Why, Ben lives a few blocks down over that-ways and he says he saw a big-ol’ Luxray prowling around in his front yard the other day! I tell ya, if I saw some big carnivore like that snooping around that close, I’d be reaching for a firearm, you hear me?”
The Zoroark becomes nervous and double-checks that his claws still look like fingers. When he gets home, he’ll tell Sucineus to lay low for a while – can’t let the landlord find out he’s been using his apartment room as a hideout for ownerless Pokemon. He feels a pang of guilt when he thinks about lying; a familiar feeling he brushes off quickly. A small lie to keep Pokemon out of the hands of humans is a good lie. But how many will it take?
The Zoroark walks home. Some Team Plasma grunt on the street offers him a pamphlet. He yells at the human to back off. It’s not that he disagrees with Team Plasma or anything (heck, he thinks they’ve got the right idea), he’s just being extra-cautious about physical contact. Lost a gig at the Pokemon Contest Hall a week ago when he got a pat on the back that broke his disguise; barely made it out of the crowded stadium in one piece. No sir, back to garbage fishing for now. It’s time to lay low and keep quiet.
Finally gets home. Fumbles with the door key a bit (darn claws make it so hard). Opens the door.
Paper, string, glue, glitter, paint, crayons, felt, cardboard, plastic, and markers everywhere. A Braixen is kneeling on the ground peering into a long black tube like it’s a telescope. A Zorua uses its teeth to thread a needle through a couple red felt triangles. They explain that they’re putting the finishing touches on an incredible gift: a costume, just for Zoroark!
“Um.” Says the Zoroark.
“I know,” replies the Zorua. “I think it’s stupid. I mean, might as well make some dentures for Gabby while we’re at it.”
“It’s not stupid!” says the Braixen. “At least let him try it on before you complain!”
Begrudgingly, the Zoroark tries on the costume. First, the pants. They fit well, but with so much padding they look nothing like a Zoroark’s legs. Maybe a fat Zoroark? What would a fat Zoroark even look like? Next, the gloves. They look surprisingly accurate – the Zoroark’s claws fit neatly into individualized sockets, and the proportions are perfect. They feel a bit firm, must be plastic-lined on the inside. Finally, the helmet.
“Okay, I draw the line here,” protests Zoroark. “This doesn’t even cover my face. It looks like I have two faces. This won’t fool anybody. I appreciate your hard work, but this is just so, so…”
“Don’t say it,” interrupts the Braixen.
“I will say it. It’s stupid. That’s exactly what it is.”
This displeases the Braixen. “Go get ‘em, Gabby.” On that signal, a Croconaw leaps out from its hiding spot behind the sofa and chomps down on the Zoroark’s arm. The Zoroark feels nothing at all, which is unusual because whenever Gabby bites Zoroark (which is a commonplace occurance) the Zoroark experiences feelings of extreme discomfort and pain. It would be as if you were to place your hand upon a stove and feel nothing, or if you were to bite into an ice cube and not chill your mouth.
But more importantly, the Zoroark still looks like Pete. The costume – or more accurately, the armor -- has fulfilled its purpose.
Zoroark springs to life. “C’mon guys, let’s go make some money.”
“What? We aren’t going back to the Contest Hall, are we?” asks Braixen.
“No, definitely not.”
“I suppose we could try working at a Poke Mart?” suggests Zorua.
“Can’t do that wearing something like this. No, there’s only one place in town I know of where a human can wear something stupid like this and still get paid.”
“Oh no,” mutters the Zorua.
“Oh dear Arceus, anywhere but there,” curses Braixen, who is a little bit slower on the uptake but makes up for it with creativity in eloquence.
Perhaps it would aid the reader’s understanding to know that two days ago, while rummaging through a garbage can for food scraps, Zoroark saw a bedraggled, flustered man boarding an outgoing ferry. This man, whose name happened to be Pete, was fleeing the city for reasons the Zoroark neither knew nor cared about; all that mattered was that it was probably safe to assume the role of “Pete” for the time being.
It’s awfully quiet, and the bartender feels it his duty to fill that silence with small talk. “Crazy, that wildfire up north. You hear about it?” The Zoroark shovels a paw full of peanuts into his mouth, shaking his head. “Yeah, they just showed it on the news; said a Pokemon probably started it. Thing is, though, nobody’s real sure how many species actually lived in that area (on account of a lot of ‘em being shy towards humans) but now they’re all popping up on the streets here ‘cause they have nowhere else to live. Why, Ben lives a few blocks down over that-ways and he says he saw a big-ol’ Luxray prowling around in his front yard the other day! I tell ya, if I saw some big carnivore like that snooping around that close, I’d be reaching for a firearm, you hear me?”
The Zoroark becomes nervous and double-checks that his claws still look like fingers. When he gets home, he’ll tell Sucineus to lay low for a while – can’t let the landlord find out he’s been using his apartment room as a hideout for ownerless Pokemon. He feels a pang of guilt when he thinks about lying; a familiar feeling he brushes off quickly. A small lie to keep Pokemon out of the hands of humans is a good lie. But how many will it take?
The Zoroark walks home. Some Team Plasma grunt on the street offers him a pamphlet. He yells at the human to back off. It’s not that he disagrees with Team Plasma or anything (heck, he thinks they’ve got the right idea), he’s just being extra-cautious about physical contact. Lost a gig at the Pokemon Contest Hall a week ago when he got a pat on the back that broke his disguise; barely made it out of the crowded stadium in one piece. No sir, back to garbage fishing for now. It’s time to lay low and keep quiet.
Finally gets home. Fumbles with the door key a bit (darn claws make it so hard). Opens the door.
Paper, string, glue, glitter, paint, crayons, felt, cardboard, plastic, and markers everywhere. A Braixen is kneeling on the ground peering into a long black tube like it’s a telescope. A Zorua uses its teeth to thread a needle through a couple red felt triangles. They explain that they’re putting the finishing touches on an incredible gift: a costume, just for Zoroark!
“Um.” Says the Zoroark.
“I know,” replies the Zorua. “I think it’s stupid. I mean, might as well make some dentures for Gabby while we’re at it.”
“It’s not stupid!” says the Braixen. “At least let him try it on before you complain!”
Begrudgingly, the Zoroark tries on the costume. First, the pants. They fit well, but with so much padding they look nothing like a Zoroark’s legs. Maybe a fat Zoroark? What would a fat Zoroark even look like? Next, the gloves. They look surprisingly accurate – the Zoroark’s claws fit neatly into individualized sockets, and the proportions are perfect. They feel a bit firm, must be plastic-lined on the inside. Finally, the helmet.
“Okay, I draw the line here,” protests Zoroark. “This doesn’t even cover my face. It looks like I have two faces. This won’t fool anybody. I appreciate your hard work, but this is just so, so…”
“Don’t say it,” interrupts the Braixen.
“I will say it. It’s stupid. That’s exactly what it is.”
This displeases the Braixen. “Go get ‘em, Gabby.” On that signal, a Croconaw leaps out from its hiding spot behind the sofa and chomps down on the Zoroark’s arm. The Zoroark feels nothing at all, which is unusual because whenever Gabby bites Zoroark (which is a commonplace occurance) the Zoroark experiences feelings of extreme discomfort and pain. It would be as if you were to place your hand upon a stove and feel nothing, or if you were to bite into an ice cube and not chill your mouth.
But more importantly, the Zoroark still looks like Pete. The costume – or more accurately, the armor -- has fulfilled its purpose.
Zoroark springs to life. “C’mon guys, let’s go make some money.”
“What? We aren’t going back to the Contest Hall, are we?” asks Braixen.
“No, definitely not.”
“I suppose we could try working at a Poke Mart?” suggests Zorua.
“Can’t do that wearing something like this. No, there’s only one place in town I know of where a human can wear something stupid like this and still get paid.”
“Oh no,” mutters the Zorua.
“Oh dear Arceus, anywhere but there,” curses Braixen, who is a little bit slower on the uptake but makes up for it with creativity in eloquence.
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