Professor Oak's ranch was meant to be a habitat for all Pokémon. This meant that along with trees to perch in, ponds to swim in, and soft grass to lie in, there were several sheltered areas to sleep in for those that may have gotten used to living with their trainers or who simply wanted a warm place to nap without the threat of rain. Some of them had tables and chairs for visitors who wanted to sit and play with the more docile Pokémon there as well as a variety of human games if a researcher had to kill time. Often these rooms would get rather full in the night, but not for the reason they were originally intended.

Pikachu perched atop one of the chairs around the table, eyeing the Pokémon around him warily. He was a great battler and had learned to read the subtle shifts and changes in body language other Pokémon made while competing. However, he was having a devilishly hard time with the group in front of him.

"Fold," he sighed before laying his cards on the table.

Around him the other players started revealing their hands as well. To his left was a Bronzong that had been using its psychic powers to levitate the cards in front of him. To his right was a Ditto that had somehow managed to climb up the seat despite being made of pink goo. He had probably Transformed into another 'mon to do that. Across from him was perhaps the best of them all; a Zoroark who had used an illusion to completely wipe any features off his face along with adding a green casino visor.

"You know," mused the small electric type as the Zoroark started collecting his winnings, "I'm not sure if this is better or worse than playing against an empath."