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

[tempredmental]

[Keith finally settled on something that wasn't quite as loaded as some of the others, as well, but still had plenty of chocolate.]

Alteans have brain freeze resistance?

[Yeah... guess who missed the memo.]

[heartofalioness]

[After some debate (SO MANY GOOD SHAKES), Allura decides to go for a little number dubbed the Gigantamax Alcremie, complete with a strawberry sweet from Mille's Bakery crowning the tower of vanilla chiffon cake, whipped cream, and fresh strawberries. Maybe one day she'll go for the cheesecake option, but she wants to save at least a LITTLE room for meals later.

Hunk and Keith's questions surprise her though.]

Oh, of course! It seems Alteans are more resistant to "brain freeze." Hunk first made milkshakes for all of us when Pidge brought Matt to the Castle. They were quite delicious! That seems to have been negated along with other Altean abilities, but I should be fine as long as I go slowly.

[ironchef]

I hear people with headaches frequently have more problems with brain freeze. I'm surprised that Shiro doesn't have it all the time after putting up with us.

[He's gotta poke a little fun, because while he is well meaning he can be a butt. And he should be eating slowly? But nah, his is already half gone.]

[shiro2hero]

I have separate headaches named after everyone.

[Shiro doesn't even look up from his ice cream as he says it. Is... is he joking? Is that a joke? He says it with such a deadpan, flat expression, it's almost impossible to tell.]

I can tell them apart by now.

[Nom. Delicious ice cream.]

[tempredmental]

I bet the worst ones were from Lance...

[Though Keith's voice kind of dropped off a bit at the end of the statement. Having had almost their whole team in this place (only missing the real Coran, not the Omanyte that lived in the bathtub) and then losing two of them at the same time had been kind of rough. Even for Keith. Maybe... especially for Keith in regards to how he felt about losing people.]

[heartofalioness]

[Oh... her own expression quiets for a moment- not just for Lance and Pidge and the ache they've left, but for Sasha too, thrown from this place back to her own hellish conflict- before she tries to smile, reaching out to give Keith's wrist a soft squeeze.]

They might come back, Keith. And we know at least that they'll be fine in our reality.

[ironchef]

[Lance and Pidge being gone are something he's made himself deal with, having some success there. But then Allura says that, with that particular phrasing.]

["They'll be fine in our reality." But not all of them would be, would they? It shakes all the jokes he was going to make about them turning Shiro into the most unfortunate connoiseour out of his mind.]

[He ends up just scarfing some more of his sundae, downing it without too much of a chance to enjoy it like he should. Shay's little rodenty head peers over the edge of the table at them.]

[shiro2hero]

[Shiro goes still as well, his eyes on the ice cream. They'll be fine. He knows that. He's been assured that. But it hurts, still. Not to mention, of course they know about Lance and Pidge, but... Sasha...]

[Long black ears pop up, on his side of the table, as his Umbreon takes it upon herself to change the mood. Nebula sets her paws on the table, and leans in to steal some ice cream - trilling encouragement at Shay.]

[Come on, cheer up the humans!]

Hey!

[tempredmental]

[Keith did manage to give Allura a small smile for her attempt at making sure they weren't too sad about the losses, but his attention was snapped over to Shiro when he heard him shout.

He stared a bit at the Umbreon, got maybe a few minutes before-...

Are they doing this? Yeah? Because, guess who else was in! Red the Torracat jumped on the table now with a "Nyah!", very proud of himself.]

GAH!

[heartofalioness]

[WELP that sure is a good distraction! Coressa, meanwhile, is far too dignified to outright steal. ... Instead she gives Allura the MOST uncharacteristically hammy puppy-dog eyes towards Allura's shake. And she cant' help but bust out laughing.]

Oh, very well! [She gingerly takes off ONE cake round topped with whipped cream and strawberries and puts it before the icy Ninetales.] You did work very hard today.

[ironchef]

[Shay did not work very hard today. Shay still manages to steal some of the coin cookies left in Hunk's dish and, well, he'd welcome the distraction except that in his effort to see where her rotund little body scampers off to his chair starts to tiiiiip back.]

[His feet fly up, arms flailing in an effort to keep balance on those two back chair legs.]

Oh no! Oh no!

[Shay, usually a very good girl, is shamelessly staring and shoving one of her new snacks in her mouth.]

[shiro2hero]

Hunk!

[Even Shiro's pokemon stops at her trainer's sudden shout. She's an Umbreon, not an Espeon, she can't really help - ]

Yellow-!

[But one of Shiro's other pokemon can. And, fittingly, it's Yellow the Marowak. The sturdy guy slots himself up behind Hunk's chair, to brace it for him. Don't worry, namesake! He's got you!]

[tempredmental]

[Keith almost moved to grab Hunk himself, but the Pokémon was faster. That was probably a good thing, because Keith's non-Galra enhanced strength wasn't what it was back home. He probably couldn't have helped as much as he might have wanted...

But, as the chair stopped tipping and was now supported, he did reach out a hand to his friend and offer him a pull back upright.]

You okay?

[heartofalioness]

[Allura instantly leans forward to help, one hand grabbing thw wrist Keith isn't holding to pull Hunk back upright.]

Careful...

[ironchef]

[Hunk is pulled upright and Shay decides to be apologetic. This is done by her walking over, reaching in her little Nidorina mouth, and pulling out a half-chewed coin and offering it back. Putting it directly back in his sundae.]

[Hunk's face? Priceless.]

Apology accepted. [He says, mouth twisted about as wide as it can turn, pushing the remains of his sundae over to her 'cause here you go, Shay! You can have it.]

[shiro2hero]

[Oh. Oh that. Even Shiro's pokemon look scandalized at that - or disgusted, in the case of Umbreon.]

[Shiro just. Wordlessly pushes his own sundae over to Hunk.]

Here, buddy.

[tempredmental]

[Keith scrunched his nose a bit.]

That's... a new one...

At least she tried?

[He gave a pointed look at Red, who shyly hopped back down from the table. No regrets, though. The Torracat quite happily settled in a nearby sunpatch, proud of himself for making sure the conversation stayed off depressing topics.]

[heartofalioness]

[Coressa rolls her eyes as she makes her way to sit next to her mate in the shady spot, but with a smile. She supposes that's one way to distract them.

Allura, meanwhile, hasn't felt this queasy around a milkshake since Lance milked (cow) Kaltanecker in front of her and (Altean) Coran. She'll just... focus on taking a sip of hers.]

[ironchef]

[Best outcome as far as Shay's concerned! She runs off with her sundae remnants to find the other pokemon and plop her big bottom down beside of them.]

No! No. Bad Shiro. You fought, you get ice cream.

[The scolding is definitely more playful than genuine, and he pushes his back to him.]

It just gives me an excuse to try a shake! A shake with nothing that can be stolen out of it. [He side eyes the little poison girl accusingly, but she's just living her happiest life and doesn't even notice.]

[shiro2hero]

[Whatever Shiro's expecting, that reaction out of Hunk wasn't it. He kind of jumps, like he just got his hand slapped away from a cookie jar. Or a kitchen appliance. That only lasts a moment or two before he shakes his head.]

All right, all right... as long as you're sure.

[Back to his own ice cream!] Nice try, guys, but if you want snacks in the future, just ask. [He means the pokemon, clearly.]

[tempredmental]

[Keith sat there for a second and then actually smirked a little, leaning his chin on his hand.]

Okay. Can I have a snack, Shiro?

[heartofalioness]

[Oh no, that's way too cute. Allura brings a hand up to her mouth, but even that fails to stop the snicker in time.]

No no, like this: may we have snacks, please, Shiro?