Battle Convention!

[indigo_league]

Early Saturday morning, the doors of one of the largest --if not the largest-- convention centres in Viridian City open to welcome everybody to this years Battle Convention.

Spread out across several floors, and the battling fields outside, the Battle Convention is the place to be for anyone with an interest in pokemon battling. Whether you are a hardcore battler trying to hone your craft even further, or a newcomer to the battling scene hoping to learn, the Battle Convention has things of interest to everybody. It's promising to be a busy event, with trainers attending from all over Johto and Kanto. Famous battlers and gym leaders alike can be spotted in the crowds, hosting workshops or even entering in the tournaments.





The Tournament Ground

Outside of the convention centre, stands have been erected around at least a dozen Pokemon battle fields. This is where the various Tournaments will be held. Throughout the weekend, three tournaments will be held here. There is the Otherworlder Battle Tournament, a separate tournament for native Elite Four Champions, and a third Li'l Champs tournament for trainers under the age of ten.

Viewing the various battles is absolutely free, and could be a good source of insight into battle strategies employed by some of the best battlers in the region. Or, if you are attending the Li'l Champs tournament -- a most adorable insight into the dedication and friendship between young children and their first Pokemon.

Due to the number of battles, at any given time, various battles will be ongoing. The Li'l Champs tournament will be held on Sunday, while both the Otherworlder battle tournament and the Elite Four Champions battle tournament will have most of their preliminary matches held on Saturday, with the finale few matches on Sunday.

So, if you are done shopping (or maybe just ran out of money) and there aren't any workshops catching your eye, why not come down to the Tournament Grounds and catch a few battles?

First Floor

The first floor of the Convention Centre has been reserved entirely for various workshops and battle demonstrations. In essence, whatever topic related to battling you might be interested in -- whether it is using certain moves or items, battle strategies, or even demonstrations on why you should be adding X type to your roster -- you'll probably find someone here willing to talk about it. Even breeders might find something of interest here, as there are a few people giving workshops on how to breed pokemon for battle-minded customers.

Schedules are available so you won't miss anything you are interested in. Some of these workshops might only be given once, while others are repeated a few times throughout the convention, so make sure to check your schedule!

And among the crowd giving demonstration and workshops, you might even find a few familiar faces -- yes, members of the Aurora League have also been given the chance to speak about any battle topics near to their heart. Why not check out what they have to say?

Second Floor

The second floor of the Convention Centre has been reserved for the important business of commerce. Have some money to burn? Want that sweet serotonin boost of buying a thing? Maybe you deserve a little treat after winning (or losing) your battle. If so, head on up here.

Spread across various rooms, the Battle Convention dealers have everything that could be of interest to a trainer. There is, frankly, far too much to list here individually, so please accept this rough list of what your characters can find here.

Held Items -- it is possible to buy held items here, however the vast majority of them are pretty rare, so sellers will only sell you one of each. Buying several different held items is fine, but you won't find anyone willing to sell you five Amulet coins. The only exception is for held items that also double as evolutionary items. Those can be freely bought in any quantity. TMs -- It is also possible (though might require some searching across various dealers) to buy any kind of single-use TM here. The same rules apply as with Held Items -- TMs that are currently available in stores can be bought at any quantity; TMs outside of that are limited to one per person. Eggs -- There is also a small group of professional breeders present where you can order eggs with egg moves. The eggs themselves will be delivered to you in the days after the tournament. There is no limit on the amount of egg moves you can request for your egg, but there is a hefty price tag involved! These are professional breeders, so expect a base price of 6000p per egg, with 1000p per requested egg move. Training Equipment -- it's also possible to buy all manner of training equipment for your pokemon. From weights to training bags to agility aids -- if you can think of something that could help you train your pokemon in a more efficient manner, you can find it here. And the bigger items can be delivered to where you are staying, so you won't have to carry around a giant Wailord Training Bag. Odds and Ends -- In addition to all this very focused battle stuff, you'll also be able to find general pokemon items, such a wide variety of Pokeballs, Evolutionary Items, Vitamins and Potions and such. All of these will be sold for the same price as in stores.

However in addition to all of these items, the Silph Co. Booth is drawing a lot of attention. There is an announcement that they will be unveiling something truly special on Sunday, so all of Saturday is awash in rumours and guesses. There is talk that whatever they will be unveiling will be one of the prices in the tournament, though who knows if that is true. When Sunday finally comes, there is a huge crowd around the booth, watching as Silph Co. unveils

EXP-Share, the newest held item to make your training a little easier.

The EXP-Share, which will go on sale in the department stores after this weekend, is a new type of held item. Once given to a Pokemon, this Pokemon will receive EXP during battles, even while not battling itself. Have a Pokemon that is difficult to train like Magikarp? Did you just hatch a new Pokemon, but you are in an area where the wild Pokemon are too high in level for them to train against? Why not give them an EXP-Share and have them comfortably gain EXP without risking them in battle.

Battle Convention attendants can get an early start on buying an EXP-Share, though they are limited to one per customer. The price is 40,000p.

Third Floor

This is where you can go if you need a little break from all the hustle and bustle downstairs. Various food vendors and sit-down places have been set up here, allowing characters to grab a meal or something to drink, rest a little, or even go strategise for upcoming tournament battles.

As always with these type of events UBIRDS will be available to fly characters to Viridian City and back to where they were staying afterwards.

Comments

Third Floor~

[thetombkeeper]

[Marik had seen the match. Saw how Doppio just up and left without a word. He knew better than to go chasing after him right then and there. Best to let him cool off first. That what he would want anyways.

So when he sees the other up on the third floor, he decides to approach him.

From the front, mind you. The last thing he needs is Doppio feeling threatened. His Goomy rushes over to the group before he can stop him though. NEW FRIENDS.]

Oba! You get-

[Siiigh. Too late. Oba's trying to make friends and vibrates happily. Marik, although mildly annoyed, offers a small smile to Doppio. Chenzira just looks between the two.]

Hey. It's been a while. How're you... holding up?

[Probably not the topic Doppio wants to talk about but it deserves mentioning. Despite the loss, Marik still thinks he did a great job at his battle.]

[epitaffio]

Oh... Hey.

[Doppio's gaze wavers. He may have decided to stick around until the end of the convention, but that doesn't mean he's ready to talk to people, especially about his defeat. His Cinderace has no such issues, though - she regards Oba with curiosity, lightly tapping them with her foot. Oba IS somewhat ball-shaped...]

Um, I'm fine! Just... taking a break.

[thetombkeeper]

[At least she's able to humor the excited little Goomy. He could also very easily be punted into the stratosphere if someone did kick him like a ball.

Marik steps a bit closer.]

You want me to grab you a snack or anything? You... look like you could use some junk food.

[epitaffio]

U-Uh, that's okay! I just ate.

[Geez, does he look THAT bad...?]

[thetombkeeper]

[Yes and no. There's nothing like stress eating to help you out of a funk.]

Alright. Just thought I'd offer.

[He rubs the back of his neck. How do you comfort someone. Do you just come right out and say it? He doesn't know Doppio particularly well on a personal level but he knows to handle him with kid gloves.]

... I saw your match. You've got good techniques. Better than what I could do. I didn't have the courage to enter the tournament.

[epitaffio]

Really?

[Doppio wasn't expecting praise, though he's not sure how much stock he should put into it.]

Well... You're still kinda new, right? I get why you wouldn't want to fight a bunch of veterans.

[thetombkeeper]

Yes, really.

[Praise seemed the better route than pity.]

I've learned more recently thanks to my friend but yeah, I'm nowhere near ready enough to have entered. You kept a calm head during the heat of battle and it was really neat to see Cristina battle.

[epitaffio]

Well... Thanks.

[Doppio tries, once again, to hand Cristina some seeds. She takes them and stuffs them into her pouch without breaking eye contact with Doppio. It's strangely intense.]

... I think she might still be tired.

[thetombkeeper]

No need to thank me. I'm just telling you the truth.

[... She seems the intense type. Given how... unique Doppio is, poor thing probably has to deal with a lot. Marik steps a bit closer.]

I bought some special snacks and vitamins if she'd like one. Maybe it will help?

[epitaffio]

[Cristina's ears twitch, and she turns to Marik with a softer, if cautious expression. Looks like she's listening.]

Vitamins... you're talking about battle items, right?

[thetombkeeper]

[You know, that's a good question. Marik actually has... no idea off hand.]

... I think? They just told me they would help a pokémon's health and vitality so I bought a couple. They look like yogurt drinks. I'm more than happy to give you one though.

[He grins down at Cristina.]

Looks like she might be interested.

[epitaffio]

I guess if they're made for Pokémon, they can't hurt, right?

[She's certainly making grabby hands, that's for sure.]

Dunno if they're gonna be much good for her appetite, though...

[thetombkeeper]

[Marik rummages through his backpack and pulls out a bottle, then offers it to Doppio. He's not about to feed someone else's pokémon as adorable as Cristina is with her little grabby hands.]

It might be. It's still a form of food. Up to you if you use it or not. I don't mind either way but I thought I'd at least offer.

[epitaffio]

[If it were up to Cristina, she'd snatch it right from Marik's hands, but she's been trained well enough not to be completely blatant about criminal acts. At any rate, Doppio takes it.]

She does eat junk food even though the Pokédex doesn't say anything about that being in a Morpeko's diet...

[thetombkeeper]

[Marik would find it impressive and think nothing criminal of it.]

I spoil mine from time to time too.

[Mostly when he's eating stuff.]

But if the vitamin drink is specifically for pokémon, then it's probably... mostly good? Within reason, of course. You don't want to feed her one every day I imagine.

[He looks down at the bottle in Doppio's hand.]

... I've got no idea if it actually tastes good though.

[Should have thought about that before he offered it. Whoops.]

[epitaffio]

I guess we're gonna find out together! Here goes...

[He offers the drink to Cristina, who takes it and gulps it down the best a tiny hamster can and finishes with an equally tiny burp.

She looks... unimpressed.]

... Not a lot to chew on, huh?

[thetombkeeper]

[Never has he felt a pokémon give off such intense sass before. He actually feels guilty for not giving her something better. Whatever "better" is in her eyes.]

... I'm sorry it didn't have granola bits in it, Cristina. I'll... uh... keep that in mind from now on.

[Marik gives Doppio an equally apologetic look.]

S-so. It's been a while since we last bumped into each other. How have you been? Anything... exciting going on?

[epitaffio]

[For what it's worth, Doppio doesn't seem offended or upset by Marik's attempt.

... Not until he turns the conversation back onto him, at which point his expression... dulls.]

Nope. I was kinda hoping that'd change today, but no dice.

[thetombkeeper]

[Small talk has never been his strong suit. That much is evident every time to talks to Doppio. He'd essentially asked the guy how he'd been earlier when he first approached. Marik sighs and rubs the back of his neck.]

I'm sure your time will come. I don't know how long you arrived before me but have you started the gym challenge yet?

[epitaffio]

Yeah. I've got eight badges, but... as far as the League's concerned, it's more like "7 + 1."

[To illustrate what he means, Doppio reaches into his bag and pulls out his badge case. One compartment has seven badges; the other, a single one.]

These ones up here are all from Johto, but this one's from Kanto. I was in Cerulean back then and stopped by the gym since... You know... Water Pokémon are usually pretty easy for me to deal with.

[Cristina smirks triumphantly. Those are her specialty!!]

[thetombkeeper]

[He leans over the table to get a better look at the badges. He's seen two of them before but the rest are completely new. Chen gets a closer look too with Marik leaning in like that. If he keeps training, he can make sure his trainer gets all these pretty stones too!]

Oh wow... You've got a lot!

[Marik looks at the Cascade Badge then to Cristina and smiles.]

So it's separated by region? Tsk... It makes sense but still... Which badge are you missing from Johto?

[epitaffio]

Clair's, [he says, annoyed.] The Dragon-type gym leader.

[thetombkeeper]

Oh.

[He looks down at his Goomy for a moment.]

Those are one of the strongest types, aren't they? Huh... Is anyone in your team good against them?

[epitaffio]

I have an Ice Pokémon, but just going for strong moves wasn't enough. [He pouts.] Plus, I didn't bring her to the tournament...

[And then Jean had that ffffffffffucking Hydreigon.]

[thetombkeeper]

Still. If you've got her for the gym battle and maybe teach a couple of your others ice type moves, it might give you a small advantage?

[He waves his hand dismissively.]

... Take my suggestion at arms length though. You've been here longer than me and have done way more. I'm just a rookie.