First let me say I don't own anything related to pokemon in a legally binding sense.
After the ceremony there was only thing left to do. . . Celebrate! The trainers are invited to return to the stadium once the ground floor has been cleared up for free battles to practice with their new pokemon. Teams are encouraged to become used to one another's pokemon and styles. Teamwork is essential for the new trainers and so as many exhibition matches as needed are scheduled to give the trainers their first taste of battling. Not only was the experience of battling a great leap for all the new trainers, but there is also a prize offered to the team with the best record at the end of the matches. The Locust Pack entered into several matches, each member battled against other new trainers from their district.
Place: Stadium Second Floor surrounded by empty bleachers
Thomas tosses the pokeball to the ground and watches it release the pokemon inside. Staring into the light he watches a form appear. With two quick motions from the silhouetted form's arms, the light quickly disappears and leaves a shadow standing in its place. As his eyes adjust to the change, he focuses on the shadow. "Hello there."
"Sniii!" Surprised the shadow whips around, and faces the nearby voice. With fur as dark as night, the pokemon looks like it is cloaked in pure shadow. Its eyes are wide and white, a bright contrast to the fur. The fur near the razor sharp claws that make up the hands and feet of this pokemon are also a dulled shade of silver and pearl, the claws are as white as its eyes. Topping it all off is a bright red feather that sticks out like an elongated ear, it twitches quickly like it is picking up more than just sound but feeling the movement of the air around it. It is alert for danger and gives the impression of constant anxiety.
"Allow me to introduce myself," Thomas places a hand over his chest while he speaks, "I am Thomas, your new trainer. And I was told you are Sneasel, my new pokemon. They said we would make a good team." Thomas extends his hand across as he crouches down to be more face-to-face with his pokemon.
"Snii. . ." Sneasel seems agitated, but unafraid. It moves its claw up to poke at Thomas' hand. Thomas does not back away when Sneasel slides the razor like appendage into his palm, amazingly it is so gentle that it doesn't feel like it is sharp at all.
"Well, let me give you a proper name, there are a lot of sneasels in the world, but there is only one who is mine. You know what, you look like a great rogue. Sneak. You will be my Sneak Attack. Good with you?"
"Snii!" A smirk spreads across the side of Sneak's face, it's eyes go wide, then shrink into slits as it raises its hands together into a battle posture. It disappeared before Thomas' eyes and reappeared behind him, giving a blunted punch across the back of his leg. Thomas smiled and turned to face Sneak's proud face. The two left the bleachers and made their way downstairs to the battle arena.
Thomas points his pokedex down at Sneak and several options appear: Moves known, Common Habitat, Diet, Danger.
"Interesting. Scratch, Taunt, and Leer. What else can this tell me. . ." As Thomas pushed the Species Data button an electronic voice came on announcing a list of facts available for Sneasels.
Sneasel, the Sharp Claw Pokemon. Known for the claws it uses to hunt for prey and defend itself with, Sneasel is a nocturnal predator and ovivore. It is capable of hunting in packs and distracting parents away from their nests so that they may steal the eggs. It can communicate with others through scratches left on trees, it also uses this habit to mark territory. Normally from colder climes Sneasel are amazingly good at remaining hidden even given the stark contrast of their black fur with snow.
"Wow, that's a neat little summary. Looks like this just goes on and on." Thomas flipped the pokedex closed shutting off the electronic voice. Looking down at Sneak he nodded towards the door back to the ground floor. They had about ten minutes left before their scheduled battle.
"You know Sneak, we're going to have a tough time, if you get hit. So I need to you to keep moving. Always be ready to spring into action," Thomas quickly moves his foot to try and trip Sneak, it jumps lazily over the slow attack "like that. They aren't going to take it easy on you, but I trust your judgment if you have to make a plan without me. Just show them that you're nothing to mess with, that there are easier battles than putting up with you and that you're too dangerous to underestimate."
"Snii! Snii!" Sneak sharpens his claws across each other while he listens. His feather has not stopped twitching. Always active, always ready. Soon it came time for the first match of the Locust Pack. Thomas makes his way onto the field, Sneak at his side. Before the announcer began, they shared one last chat.
"Alright Sneak, this is our first battle. Are you as nervous as I am?" Sneak's red feathers twitched and danced on his head. He looked up at Thomas with the determination and fear that can only come from anticipation of the unknown. "Alright. Well, let's do this. Sneak, Go!"
The battle floor was marked off in regulation form, laid down over the base concrete of the Stadium are rows of various terrain types, all simulated and destructible under certain conditions. The floor has been sectioned into quarters with a battle possible in each. Thomas approaches the upper right corner, a drab brown color like overturned soil but hardened and broken into chunks. Essentially composed of mud, rocks and dirt. Sneak briskly walks at his side while the announcer begins to speak.
"Trainer Thomas from Locust Pack using a Sneasel versus Trainer Patrick from Ariata using a Bulbasaur. Battle on!" The Announcer's voice went out over the crowd.
"Sneak, get in close, scratch at him, go for the face!" Thomas opens the fight with a determined demand.
"Seed, get out of the way and growl at him, show him you aren't afraid." Patrick takes a defensive stance wary of Sneasel's speed.
"Sneak, use taunt. Make him get up close to you."
"It looks like Thomas' Sneasel is recovering from its missed scratch and lowering its guard to get bulbasaur in close. Taunt is a move that prevents a pokemon from using anything but attack techniques. If bulbasaur falls for it, it may end up getting reckless." As if on cue Bulbasaur inches forward and begins to snap at Sneak's Taunt. He's fallen for it.
"That's it Sneak! Jump over him when he goes to tackle you and land on his bulb, he's too weak to counter you from there!"
Sneak leaps up over Bulbasaur and lands off center of the bulb growing from its back, one of Sneaks razor sharp claws dig into the plant and Bulbasaur is forced to slow down and shake to try to get free. Bulbasaur's violent shaking loosens Sneaks grip and he flies off, already off balance he lands on his back a couple feet away from a very angry bulbasaur. Bulbasaur charges the defenseless Sneak.
"Seed, tackle him and keep him pinned!"
"Sneak! Sneak! You have to move, get up, move, move, move!" Thomas' frustration growing with each yell. Not on the first fight. . .
"It looks like Sneasel may be unable to move, if Bulbasaur pins him then this fight will be over. Bulbasaur is still angry from Sneasel's earlier taunting, and won't stop fighting until the trainer recalls it." The announcer warns of the impending KO and the crowd begins cheering louder.
Sneak's ears aren't twitching, it's limbs are limp, and it's eyes are closed.
"Please Sneak! You can't give up, not on our first fight!"
"It doesn't look Sneasel has any fight left in it at all. The judges may have to call this fight."
"Seed, finish it, go for the win!"
"Sneak! Buddy, you've got to move, show'um you're not down and out, come on!"
Bulbasaur leaps as it approaches to pin Sneak with a final body blow into the stadium floor. It lands with a loud cracking sound. . . And has only collided into the floor with Sneak no where in sight.
"Now! The underbelly! Sneak Attack!"
Sneak rolls out from the dust of broken floor plates, it's size barely concealing it. Disoriented Bulbasaur is unable to defend or fight back. Sneasel takes one leaping step from safety and is beside Bulbasaur's raised belly. Quickly with a stroke of each claw Sneak tears into bulbasaur and flips it over onto it's back. It doesn't move.
"Bulbasaur is unable to battle. The winner is Sneasel, and trainer Thomas of Team Locust Pack!"
"Great job, Sneak! Way to feint!"
Sneak runs to Thomas and leaps onto his shoulder, it pauses there in a crouch and slowly sits using its claws to delicately position itself. With claws sharp enough to rend skin it doesn't even tear Thomas' shirt as it happily relaxes on it's perch listening to the cheers and receiving a reassuring hand from its new trainer. One match down, the Locust Pack has one victory on it's record already.