video;

[sassymaru]

A race for small pokemon, you say? Well then. I must admit -

[Shadomwaru, at his beach cottage as always, turns with a dramatic flourish to his tiny yard. Where his pokemon are amassed.]

[Deerling, Yamask, Frogadier, Growlithe, Electrike... and Oricorio.]

[The dramatic flourish also includes a flash of glitter, thrown around off-camera. Like it's just falling from the skies. The dogs look entranced. Everyone else just looks tired of this nonsense. They're sitting posed in the most dramatic ways possible, and as soon as Shadowmaru swings the camera away from them, you can catch them breaking their poses.]

- you're all terribly outclassed already.

[He beams. Winks.]

I look forward to meeting you on the field, dear friends. Do try not to feel so terrible about your chances.

Comments

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[nastyboy]

[Oh, is it friendly competition shittalking time already? Delightful. Dimitri feels like a student, again, when winning competitions was the most anyone really had to care about.]

[Instead of, like. war.]

That is quite the show of confidence. However, I hope you know that confidence is not everything. You will have a great deal of competition, and it seems as though you have already shown your hand.

[apshot]

[ You know... He hadn't thought to participate. But nothing gets Bakugou going like, well...

This crap. ]

You think you're gonna win or some crap like that? By what? People forfeiting? Cause that's the only way I see that shit going down.

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[sassymaru]

Or have I?

[This is the most smug face. The smug-est of smug.]

Appearances, as they say, are incredibly deceiving.

[sassymaru]

How confident you are! Good. I would hate to have cowed my challengers so quickly.

[Surely this conversation will be fine.]

[apshot]

Cowed? You think you've cowed anyone by showing off some flimsy ass monsters? Seriously?

[sassymaru]

You never know.

Perhaps a show of confidence will do so.

[apshot]

Confidence in what? A deer and an overly fluffy bird?

[sassymaru]

Indeed.

Darling and Akuma may surprise everyone, when push comes to shove. Perhaps they prefer to keep their true nature a deep mystery.

[apshot]

True nature? A mystery?

Are you high?

[sassymaru]

[What.]

I... am on the ground completely, actually.

[apshot]

Meaning are you delusional!

[sassymaru]

Oh, I see.

In that case, not at all. I'm merely confident.

[apshot]

Confident to the point of shit talking everyone. But then again you're probably hoping for that, huh?

Like stirring people up?

[sassymaru]

No need to take such offense.

A bit of rivalry has never hurt, has it?

[apshot]

Rivalry doesn't start with shit talking. You do good and then shit talk others.

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[nastyboy]

And who says I am judging on appearances? Even knowing your hand can be enough to research the kind of things I can encounter. And I am familiar with at least a few of your time... I know how clever and strong they can be.

You will not want to count your Torchics before they hatch, you know.

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[sassymaru]

Judging by their type alone? I see, I see...

In that case, I must say, prepare to be astounded.

[sassymaru]

Who is to say I haven't already?

[apshot]

So what? You sayin' there's been a thing like this that went down before?

[sassymaru]

Many competitions in fact. All requiring different abilities of the pokemon involved.

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[nastyboy]

I was thinking more movesets. That was quite a factor in the Tauros race, if I recall correctly, and it would be silly to think it won't be the same case here, don't you agree?

video;

[sassymaru]

Perhaps.

But merely knowing basic movesets does not take into account the possibility of unusual moves from parents, or the TMs and HMs.

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[nastyboy]

I will admit there is that chance. Yet even that much information can help a great deal, I would think. That's no small amount of information.

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[sassymaru]

And no small amount of variation, no?

There may be more to these darling creatures of mine than meets the eye.

[SHADOWMARU THAT'S NOT EVEN THE RIGHT FRANCHISE.]

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[nastyboy]

Then it will be all the more satisfying to beat them! There is no point in going up against an opponent who will give up halfway.

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[sassymaru]

I can assure you - every one of mine have the heart to commit. They won't give in.

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[nastyboy]

Excellent. Then may the best win, and we will see your lot at the finish line.

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[sassymaru]

Indeed.

No matter their place, I can assure you my dears will finish.

[... he's not WRONG about that.]

[lordofthefries]

[The dogs look entranced, everybody else looks tired and Sasha? She just looks confused at the amount of sparkles on her screen.]

I wasn't going to race anyway.

[sassymaru]

What? Why ever not!

Surely, our performance hasn't truly chased you away?

[He sounds downright baffled why anyone wouldn't want to participate!!]

[lordofthefries]

No?

[Well, maybe. A little bit. That's just too much glitter, Maru.]

I mean, I don't have any Pokemon that want to race. [And losing in public is never a good feeling.]

[sassymaru]

Wonderful. I would hate to think my friendly competition turned you away.

[Never too much glitter!!]

Mm, I see. Perhaps you'd want to borrow some? I do have others who enjoy competing.

[lordofthefries]

[Sir, there is certainly a point where there is too much glitter and you passed it about five miles back.]

No, thank you. If they don't belong to me, they probably wouldn't want to listen to me and I'll just lose. There's no point in doing that just to lose.

[sassymaru]

Ah... if you're certain, then I cannot force you.

But, please, don't think I would loan you teammates unwilling to pull their weight. A volunteer would be happy to work with you, if you chose -

[The Growlithe snorting around the camera from below, for example.]

[lordofthefries]

That's.. very kind of you, sir, but it still wouldn't be right. Like if I won, it would be your win. It's your Pokemon who you trained, so it would be because of you and them. I would just be a...

[Sasha rolls her eyes up to the ceiling, trying to figure out the right one to use here.]

Faker? [That's not quite right, but the closest she can think of.]

[sassymaru]

[Bold of you to assume he trains his pokemon, Sasha.]

If that's truly how you feel on the matter...

In my opinion, if I may say so, I could never think someone as a fake for merely accepting the offer of assistance. I do realize we have not yet met, but the concerns of your conscience speak volumes of your integrity.

If you do change your mind, my team and I would be honored to assist you.