Preying on the Praying Mantis [Gym] [F]

[Venominon]

It took almost an entire day of hard work and searching, but their training was finally complete, and Venom and Nidorino had only one thing on their minds now that it was. The venomous Pokémon and trainer once again entered Azalea Town, made a quick stop at the Pokémon Center for some last minute treatment, then made their way to the goal they'd been working so hard towards. The Azalea Town gym. Venom, Nidorino, and most of Venom's other Pokémon all felt ready for their second gym battle challenge, and the suspense was palpable, as Venom opened the door to the gym. Venom and Nidorino walked inside the gym, a bit surprised at first, seeing that the inside of the gym was like a huge green house, with the sounds of Bug type Pokémon in the trees and bushes all around them. However, that part wasn't a surprise to Venom, as he already knew what type of Pokémon this gym leader specialized in.

The poisonous duo had themselves a quick look around, but only found more and more Bug type Pokémon, with no sign of the gym leader. After about five minutes of searching, Venom decided to try his luck and call out, hoping this wouldn't disturb any of the Bug type Pokémon that were present. "Excuse us! Is anyone here?! We came for a gym battle!" Not long after Venom called out, Nidorino did the same, becoming a little impatient. "Nidorino! Nido!" Their voices were enough to make several Bug type Pokémon run and hide, while still keeping watch on these new faces from the safety of the plant life. While they waited for a response, Venom took a deep breath, mentally preparing himself for his second gym battle challenge. He'd already had a strategy in mind for quite some time now, but now it was time for him to see if it would actually work or not.

[Fallen]

A bug net pops out of a bush from close to the trainer, after him and his Nidorino's call for the gym leader. The net sticks out, completely still and statue-like, before suddenly something pops out from the large bush. It seemed to be a purple haired-boy. Bug net and choice of clothing; It would be hard to doubt that this kid was in fact Azalea Town's very own Gym Leader himself, Bugsy. 

"Hi there!" Bugsy spoke to the new visitors to the gym. "Sorry, I got distracted in fascination of a young wurmple living in that bush. You're here for a gym battle? Well you've got the right guy! I am Bugsy, the Gym Leader of this town. I have also come to be known as the "Walking Bug Encyclopedia", and you'll come to find out that I am pretty proud and representing of this title. You seem to have an excited Pokemon with you, so let's get to it, shall we? Try not to get stuck in the webs of my astounding and outstanding bug-type Pokemon!" 

Without waiting or hesitating even a moment, Bugsy pulled out a Pokeball colored blue and white, with black crosshatch marks covering the top kind of like a spiderweb. The leader released his first choice of Pokemon from the Net Ball to begin the battle. Revealing from the light was a green, crescent shaped Pokemon. It seemed to have a hard outer shell. "This is my first Pokemon," Bugsy said, "My metapod. The evolved form of caterpie. Unlike most evolutions, when caterpie evolves, it sacrifices its attack and speed stats for defense, as well as a slight increase in special attack, special defense, and its HP.  Will your first choice be the strong Nidorino that is accompanying or perhaps another Pokemon?"

The metapod watched the trainer and his Pokemon closely, very patiently, and inadvertently while Bugsy spoke.

Azalea Town Gym Leader Bugsy accepts Venom's challenge and sends out Metapod (level 18)!
What will Venom and his team of poison-typed Pokemon do?

[Venominon]

As soon as Venom felt the presence of another human being, he quickly jumped back from the bush, raising his guard. Once the net had made an appearance, Nidorino did the same, keeping his eyes locked on the still net. Once the purple haired Bug type trainer came out of hiding, both Venom and Nidorino lowered their guards, listening to everything Bugsy had to say. As soon as Bugsy stopped speaking, Venom gave him a nod, followed by a bow, introducing himself to the gym leader. "Its a pleasure to meet you Bugsy. My name is Venominon Ouroboros, but please, just call me Venom. Im a ninja from Fuchsia City, as well as the leader of Team Toxic. A team made up of me and my beloved Poison type Pokémon, once of which is my newest friend, Nidorino." The ninja stopped bowing after that, then gestured to the poison pin Pokémon at his side.

"Nidorino." Nidorino kept his introduction short and sweet, very eager to get the battle started as soon as possible. The poisonous duo then watches, as Bugsy sends out his first Pokémon of choice onto their battlefield. Venom already knew everything that Bugsy was telling him about Metapod, so his mind drifted a bit as the Bug type gym leader spoke, formulating a strategy to use against the cocoon Pokémon. Nidorino was about to charge straight into battle by himself, but Venom stops him just before he does. "Sorry Nidorino, but I think we should save you and your energy for later. Ive got another Pokémon in mind for combatting Metapod's defenses." Venom spoke, grabbing a new Poke Ball from his bag, pressing the button on the front to make it larger.

Nidorino let out an annoyed grunt at this, rather disappointed that he wasn't chosen to battle first after all the hard work he'd put in up to this point. Still, the Poison type Pokémon didn't argue with his trainer, and just decided to watch the battle for now. It was then that Venom put his game face on, facing Bugsy and his Metapod, letting out his own Pokémon of choice into the battle. "Nidorino's fighting spirit is strong, but its best saved for later. So before that, you'll have to face this Pokémon instead. Ivysaur, I choose you!" Bursting free from his Poke Ball, Ivysaur stood proudly on the battlefield, taking a quick look around before laying his eyes on his opponent, realizing that Venom had chosen him to be in a gym battle. "Ivysaur!" Venom grins before speaking up once more, doing his best to match Bugsy's enthusiasm. "Ivysaur was my first Pokémon. A Grass type might not be the best choice for a battle against a Bug type trainer, but you'll soon see the power of Poison type Pokémon Bugsy. Show him what Im talking about Ivysaur! Use your Sludge Bomb!" The seed Pokémon was overjoyed to be in his first real gym battle, and he didn't wish to let his trainer down. "Ivy! Ivysaur! Saur!" Ivysaur aimed the flower on his back straight at Metapod, then fired a powerful, and very poisonous attack at the lone Bug type Pokémon.

[Lamont]

vs Bugsy

---

[attr="class","qkt-bkgd"]

[attr="class","qkt-wild-pkmn"]

[attr="class","qkt-clip"]Metapod

LV 18
HP 0% [0/51]

[attr="class","qkt-wild-imgbox"]

[attr="class","qkt-pkmn-img"]

[attr="class","qkt-trainer-pkmn"]

[attr="class","qkt-clip"]Ivysaur

LV 22
HP 100% [65/65]

[attr="class","qkt-trainer-imgbox"]

[attr="class","qkt-pkmn-img"]

Metapod [Shed Skin]: Fainted
Ivysaur [Overgrow]: Normal ... Used Sludge Bomb!

Bugsy's excitement heightened, "Perfect! The first match can be a battle between starting partners." It happened quite often, once he thought about it. But it never felt the same since usually it was a charmeleon standing on the other side of the field and not a pokémon that didn't distinctly have an overwhelming type advantage over his bug types. The boy's smile widened as he put a hand on his hip.
"I look forward to seeing the power of your specialty Venom. Let's go Metapod, bug bite!"

But that would be about the extent that Bugsy's side of the field would get to accomplish. It was no surprise that the cocoon pokémon wasn't nearly as swift as Venom's ivysaur. Especially so when the attack coming her way was ranged. Within seconds a large ball of sludge was launched from Ivysaur's back and sent hurtling toward the stationary defensive type. Metapod watched it come, unable to do much about it except try and steel itself. But it wouldn't matter. Metapod's specialty was with physical defenses and this attack was decidedly not physical.

Once the sludge ball hit it splattered all over, completely covering Metapod and causing Bugsy to have to take a small hop backward to avoid a little splash by his feet. He watched with worry as the poisonous attack soaked through the hardened shell of his pokémon and began eating away at the inside. Metapod began slouching down, fighting as best it could to stay upright, but Bugsy could tell: this was over.

"Wow... Just wow!" His voice was soft at first but he quickly recovered from the momentary shock and resumed his chipper self. The young gym leader recalled Metapod. "I never imagined you'd have something like that in your arsenal. You're going to have no problem getting around my pokémon's defenses... even if they share a typing with yours." He went to grab his second pokéball, had it in hand, then reconsidered. He was about to throw it out before changing his mind and hucking his third one out.
"Guess I'll just have to do what I can to take advantage of some offense first!"

---

Ivysaur grew to LV 24 and gained +1 Happiness! (+4)
He would like to learn Sweet Scent; forget an old move?

---

Bugsy is sending out his Scyther (LV 21)
Will Venom change too?

[Venominon]

As soon as Metapod had hit the ground, unable to continue, Venom smiled, licking his lips in the same manner as an Arbok would stick its tongue out every so often. "Well done Ivysaur. A victory truly befitting of a Poison type Pokémon of Team Toxic." Ivysaur was very happy to receive this praise from his trainer, and win his first gym battle, as he turned to Venom and returned his smile. "Saur! Saur! Ivysaur!" However, their celebration was short lived, as trainer and Pokémon both turned back to Bugsy, listening to what he had to say. Switching from defense to offense may have seemed simple to the untrained eye, but it was actually a very advanced battle style among Pokémon trainers, as most trainers tended to stick to their comfort zones, which was usually one or the other, but almost never both. Venom narrowed his eyes at the Bug type gym leader slightly, giving him some praise for this. "Very impressive Bugsy. Switching gears like that is difficult for most trainers, but I suppose you didn't get to be a gym leader by being a slacker. Still, offense or defense, it doesn't matter. Poison type Pokémon can handle anything, as you'll soon see."

As he spoke, Venom's eyes turned to narrow serpent-like eyes, a sign that he was getting serious. The ninja and his Pokémon then watched as Bugsy sent out his ace Pokémon, and they were all rather impressed by the well trained looking Scyther that now stood on the other side of the battlefield. "A Scyther. Tough one. Ivysaur, return for now." Venom calls the seed Pokémon back to his Poke Ball, deciding to switch up his Pokémon in response to the mantis Pokémon. However, before Venom could make his next choice, Nidorino runs out onto the battlefield without the order from his trainer. "Nido!" The poison pin Pokémon stares straight into Scyther's eyes, grinning big, barely able to contain his excitement. This was the opponent he'd been waiting for, and it was very easy for Venom to see that. "Nidorino…"

The Poison type trainer was a bit surprised at Nidorino's sudden act, but then Venom grinned too, nodding in approval. "Okay then, your up Nidorino! Show that Scyther how strong you are! Use Peck attack!" Nidorino was very pleased that he and his trainer were on the same page, as he gathered his strength, then charged straight towards the Bug/Flying type without fear, his horn ready to do some damage. "Nidorino! Nido!" As Nidorino did this, Venom turned his gaze back to Bugsy, offering a piece of advice before the second battle got into full swing. "Careful. Nidorino's ability is Poison Point, and I know very well that Scyther relies heavily on physical attacks. One bad strike, and Scyther will learn first hand what Team Toxic is all about." Nidorino may have decided to put himself in this battle, but it still worked out very well in Venom's favor.

OOC: A little late to be saying this, but Im not interested in teaching Sweet Scent to Ivysaur, but thanks.

[Tarlar]

vs Bugsy

---

[attr="class","qkt-bkgd"]

[attr="class","qkt-wild-pkmn"]

[attr="class","qkt-clip"]Kakuna

LV 18
HP 55% [27/49]

[attr="class","qkt-wild-imgbox"]

[attr="class","qkt-pkmn-img"]

[attr="class","qkt-trainer-pkmn"]

[attr="class","qkt-clip"]Nidorino

LV 22
HP 72% [47/65]

[attr="class","qkt-trainer-imgbox"]

[attr="class","qkt-pkmn-img"]

Scyther/Kakuna [Technician/Shed skin]: (Scyther poisoned) Kakuna Normal, Used U-turn~ Kakuna switched in.
Nidorina [Poison Point]: Normal, Used Peck!

Bugsy couldn't help but smile as he witnessed the bond between Venom and his ivysaur, it was always wonderful to see when a trainer and their pokemon worked well together and enjoyed each other company.
It was luckily not a rare sight in his gym as most trainers who challenged him here had been traveling and training for a long time already. He often met with his closest gym leaders and Falkner had often told about the inexperienced ones he was challenged with who thought it was going to be an easy battle only because they used mareeps. Bugsy sometimes met ones who thought they would win easily due to having a charmeleon but they always got surprised by his strong scyther.

Bugsy accepted Venom's praise with a court nod, it was always nice meeting a trainer who had enough confidence so that they were able to acknowledge another trainers strengths.
"It is all about matching your pokemon's strengths and weaknesses, and I'm glad to hear that you are ready for anything, that makes it much more exciting. We'll see if it is enough this time," Bugsy said with a grin as he called his scyther out.

Bugsy was puzzling about Venom's eye narrowing and lip licking and wondered if Venom wanted to be a pokemon himself or if he had just spent a bit too much time with reptilian pokemon. Bugsy grinned, he shouldn't talk himself now he loved to lay in a tree like his cocoon pokemon and just watch the day pass, or how he had found himself being good at finding tasty leaves for his pokemon.
Bugsy looked genuine surprised when Venom let Nidorino go against the original tactic and get a round in battling.
"That is unusaul, usualy trainers are strict about staying with their tactic when battling in gym, I have seen that trainers and pokemon are discussing what to do during the battle, but not that a pokemon is allowed to take over like that. You have great faith in your pokemon's strength Venominon," Bugsy said with a smile.

A mischievous smile appeared on Bugsy's face when Venom warned him about Nidorino's ability.
"That is no surprise, we have met Nidorino's kind a lot of times before and know about their skills, they like around here after all. I'll better warn you about Scyther's speed, try to keep up," Bugsy teased, "U-turn!"

Scyther had watched Nidorino calmly as he stepped forward to challenge her, she had met countless of opponents who had looked forward to battle her and she always did her best to live up to their expectations.
She stood relaxed and didn't look like she was ready to battle until Bugsy gave his command, then in a blur she disappeared from Nidorino's sight. Something sharp slammed into him from behind and made him stumble forward and straight into the yellow cocoon pokemon that was suddenly in front of him. The cocoon winced but otherwise didn't seem too bothered by the attack.
Scyther would stand calmly behind Bugsy and clean her scythes with her trainer grinning proudly.

[Venominon]

Just like before, Venom listened to every word from Bugsy's mouth, already knowing full well of Scyther's speed and power. Bug type moves might not be very effective against Poison types like Nidorino, but Venom knew very well that this battle wasn't going to be an easy one. Even Venom's well trained eyes were having some trouble keeping up with Scyther's lightning fast movements, but Venom's focus was quickly drawn to Bugsy's third and final Pokémon, after it was swapped out for Scyther. After Bugsy had gotten his proud grin, sparkles of excitement suddenly appeared in Venom's eyes, and without thinking about it, the Poison type trainer ran out onto the battlefield, knelt down in front of Bugsy's Kakuna, and began to admire the cocoon Pokémon. "Oh Arceus! Look at you! Your the strongest looking Kakuna Ive ever seen! I just know you'll make an amazing Beedrill one day! A truly spectacular Poison type Pokémon indeed!" Venom had definitely gotten more then a little carried away, and had almost forgotten that this was a gym battle.

Nidorino had seen this side of his trainer before, so it wasn't surprising to him at all, but it still made the poison pin Pokémon let out a sigh as he slowly shook his head from side to side. "Nidorino…" Several seconds after that, Venom snapped out of his trance, and quickly jumped back to his place on the other side of the battlefield. "Im so sorry Bugsy. Whenever I see a Poison type Pokémon, I just cant help myself." The ninja let out a nervous laugh, scratching the back of his head a few times, mildly embarrassed by his actions, especially in front of a gym leader in his own gym, and in the middle of a battle no less. As Venom waited for the light blush to vanish from his face, he mentally took stock of the current situation. Bugsy had two Pokémon remaining, and while Scyther hadn't taken any damage yet, the mantis Pokémon had been stung by Nidorino's Poison Point before being swapped out, which Venom knew would be a big help later on.

After one final minute of thinking, and a big deep breath, Venom finally regained his composure, and re-focused himself on the battle at hand. It was true that Nidorino couldn't hope to match Scyther's speed, but if things didn't go their way, they still had Golbat and Salandit waiting in the wings, and both of them had overwhelming advantages over a Bug type like Scyther. However, Venom had no plans of using either of them for this battle, having faith that Nidorino would be able to win this battle all on his own. "Don't let that Scyther bring you down Nidorino. Your strong enough to handle anything that comes your way. I know it. But if you wanna face that Scyther, you'll have to deal with that Kakuna first. So show everyone your power! Give Kakuna a double dose of your Peck attack!" The trainer said with a confident grin, and Nidorino shared his grin of confidence, pleased to hear that his trainer was keeping him in the battle to the end. "Nido! Nido! Nidorino!" Nidorino aimed his horn at the cocoon Pokémon, and charged straight for it like a battering ram, eager to knock it out of the battle, and force Scyther back onto the battlefield.

OOC: Running Shoes used.

[Tarlar]

Bugsy's surprised expression quickly turned to a knowing one and he grinned as he watched Venom's excitement at the sight of Kakuna. The poison type trainer's words filled the gym leader with pride, he had worked hard with his pokemon and it was wonderful when someone could see it and didn't just dismiss his two cocoons as before even looking at them.
"Thanks! We have worked really hard on toughening Kakuna's shell so it is much more resistant that usual," Bugsy told and sounded just as excited at Venom did.
"Kakuna could have evolved for a long time ago, but she wants to be the best Kakuna before that happens," he revealed. The kakuna watched Venom calmly and waited for him to be done with his praising to which she blinked grateful to him for.
The gym leader laughed when Nidorino was the one who kept the head in the game and pulled Venominon back to being focused on that again.

He dismissed Venom's apology.
"No need to worry, I'm just as bad when it comes to bug types," he chuckled and looked a bit ashamed, it had taken time for him to learn to stay back and not do it during gym battles himself. It was just too unprofessional.
"Though it is not often that I see some here in the gym beside the ones that lives here, I fear that many doesn't think they are worth their time," Bugsy said sadly but then cheered up, "but that's why we're here! We have taught a lot of trainers a thing or two about what bug types really can do!"

Bugsy too returned to be focused on the battle, he knew just as well that Kakuna had little chance of doing much difference in the battle against Nidorino, but that little might be what turned it all around in the end.
"Bug bite! Give it all you got!" Bugsy called out as Nidorino dashed forward and with a very birdlike motion hit the cocoon pokemon with his horn, she bit back with her unseen mouth but Nidorino would barely notice and quickly finish her off with yet another hit of his horn.
Bugsy quickly recalled his trusty partner, thanking her whispering to the pokeball before giving a flick of a hand as sign to Scyther.

The fast bug type's wings buzzed alive and she calmly made her way back to face Nidorino. Now there was no other pokemon she could hide behind but that didn't phase her, she was ready, and so was Bugsy.
Time would tell if Venominon and Nidorino was too.

Nidorino pecked his way to victory and grows to lvl 24!
He is trying to learn Horn Attack; forget an old move?
(He has 47/70 hp after the lvl up)
He also gains +1 Happiness making it +7


Bugsy is sending out his Scyther (LV 21) once again. She is still poisoned.
Will Venom switch pokemon?

[Venominon]

Venom was happy to receive a thank you from Bugsy's Kakuna, and the more Bugsy spoke, the more Venom realized that he and the Azalea gym leader had quiet a lot in common. It was crystal clear that they both truly cared for, and held their respective specialty types of Pokémon in the highest regard, and were determined to show the whole world just how great they are. After Scyther re-entered the battle, Venom took a moment to eye the mantis Pokémon, then turned his attention to her trainer. "You know, I didn't notice it until now, but you and I seem to have a lot in common Bugsy. Just as I love Poison types and are determined to show the whole world their true power, its the same for you with Bug types. I can respect that. However, it looks like Scyther has run out of shields to hide behind. That's the weakness of your strategy." The ninja grinned, looking right into Bugsy's eyes with his own serpentine ones, almost like he could see right through the gym leader.

After his confrontation with Kakuna, Nidorino was starting to let out some deep breaths, looking a bit tired, but still ready and willing to battle. Even so, after taking a long hard look at his Pokémon, Venom had decided that a substitution was in order, as he grabbed Nidorino's Great Ball out of his bag. "I truly am sorry about this Nidorino, but you've done enough for now. Take a good rest, and thank you my friend." The poison pin Pokémon was disappointed, but went back to his orb without any arguments, knowing that if he stuck with Venom, he'd get to face much tougher opponents further down the road. "Nidorino." Venom then put Nidorino's sphere away, and grabbed a new one from his bag, pressing the button on it to make it larger. "Since you love Bug type Pokémon so much Bugsy, here's one that we can both get excited about. He will be yours and Scyther's final opponent. I choose you!"

The Poison type trainer tossed his final Poke Ball of choice up into the air, and his final Pokémon of the battle emerged, rested and ready to rumble. "Whirlipede! Whirl!" After Whirlipede had appeared on the battlefield, Venom waited about a minute before giving his first order, giving Bugsy a chance to get his excitement out, just as he'd done for Venom earlier. Once the Bug type gym leader had gotten it all out of his system, Venom got his game face back on, and gave Whirlipede his first order. "This is your first gym battle Whirlipede, and Im counting on you. So lets win our second gym badge! Use Rollout!" As a Bug type Pokémon himself, Whirlipede felt right at home in Bugsy's gym, and it gave him a major boost to his confidence. "Pede! Pede! Whirlipede!" The Poison/Bug type curled his already curled body up even tighter, then rolled as fast as he could right for his opponent, hoping to deal some big damage.

OOC: I will teach Nidorino Horn Attack, and get rid of Focus Energy in place of it. Thank you.

[Tarlar]

vs Bugsy

---

[attr="class","qkt-bkgd"]

[attr="class","qkt-wild-pkmn"]

[attr="class","qkt-clip"]Scyther

LV 21
HP 72% [48/66]

[attr="class","qkt-wild-imgbox"]

[attr="class","qkt-pkmn-img"]

[attr="class","qkt-trainer-pkmn"]

[attr="class","qkt-clip"]Whirlipede

LV 23
HP 100% [58/58]

[attr="class","qkt-trainer-imgbox"]

[attr="class","qkt-pkmn-img"]

Scyther [Technician]: Poisoned, +2 crit, Used Focus Energy. ~Ate its Sitrus Berry
Nidorina [Poison Point]: Normal, Used Rollout!

"Are you sure that is a weakness?" Bugsy said teasingly as U-turn usually hit hard enough to be a big trouble in itself for their opponent, and the switching out just added a difficulty for his challengers.
Bugsy's grin died out and he looked puzzled as Venom stared at him serpentlike and wondered if the trainer tried to scare him. It felt like the challenger was seeing right through him, but he didn't have anything to hide and as Venom had just admitted he loved his pokemon as much as Bugsy loved his, it didn't really feel threatening to Bugsy.

The gym leader looked surprised when Venom decided to give Nidorino a rest, as Venom had allowed his purple pointed rabbit to take a round and challenge Scyther. As Bugsy had understood it Venom had practically promised Nidorino he would get to fight Scyther if he took care of Kakuna but the plans had clearly changed.
"I thought you let Nidorino battle since he wanted to face off Scyther?" Bugsy called curiously to Venom.
He wasn't surprised by Venom's decision, it was a gym battle after all and strategy was everything if you wanted a chance to win. If you were too soft and worried about hurting others feelings too much it could cost you the victory. Nidorino seemed to be fine with it so perhaps he had gotten what he needed from Kakuna.

Bugsy looked excited when Venom talked about using a bug type as his next pokemon, and that he felt sure that it would be able to handle Scyther all by itself. He almost jumped in the spot, barely containing his excitement and it felt like ages for him before Venom finally released his next choice.
"Whirlipede!" Bugsy exclaimed excited and only his experience kept him from doing like Venom had just did and run out to get a closer look. For now he would have to enjoy it from a distance.
"I have hoped to get one of those for my own for a long time but I have had no luck unfortunately," Bugsy said with a sigh. A downside to being gym leader, it kept you rather busy.
"From where have you gotten yours?" He asked interested.

A look of understanding appeared on Bugsy's face when Venom gave his order and he grinned.
"So that is your tactic, let's see if you can keep up then," he teased and Scyther was off without him having to say anything to her.
Whirlipede rolled forward fast but was still no match for Scyther's speed and she kept a close eye on his movements to find all his soft spots, she was completely focused and it looked like she played with her opponent as she forced him to race after her.
She made a dire mistake though, as she turned to get ready to attack she hadn't realized how fast Whirlipede could change direction and knocked the air out of her.
She was sent flying backwards and worked her wings hard to regain her balance and stay airborne.
"Ouch, are you okay Scyther?" Bugsy called and she shivered as the poison took effect, and then quickly gulped down her sitrus berry.
"You are hitting hard but we are not giving up without a fight!" Bugsy decklared and grinned to Venom, he found it wonderful to battle another bug type.

[Venominon]

Venom's serpentine gaze was not only good for intimidating weaker opponents, but it was also good for letting him know what his opponent was thinking. Its not as though Venom was a psychic or anything, but when his eyes turned to those of a snake, his senses gained a major boost. "Maybe not, but your still down two of your three Pokémon, and U-Turn has lost its secondary effect for you and your Scyther. By the way, I apologize if my gaze surprised you. I wasn't trying to scare you or anything. This is just what happens when I get serious." The ninja explained his eye transformation to the gym leader, pointing at his eyes with two fingers as he did. Venom then listened once again to Bugsy's words, and let out a small sigh before nodding.

"Yes, that was the plan originally, and Im sure Ill have to let Nidorino get a few good battles in later on, but I cant very well let the other Pokémon on Team Toxic fall behind experience wise, now can I?" The Poison type trainer didn't like taking Nidorino out of the battle the way he did, but after defeating Kakuna, Nidorino had grown to a higher level then some of the other Pokémon Venom had with him, and he preferred to keep all of his Pokémon around the same level. As soon as Bugsy reacted the way he did over Venom's Whirlipede, Venom found himself laughing a little, as he gave the gym leader a smile. "I thought you'd like Whirlipede. I found him when he was still a Venipede from the bug catching contest that went on last autumn. He was good enough to win me first prize too, though it was a close call, Ill admit." As Venom reminisced about one of his fondest memories, Whirlipede found himself reminiscing as well, thinking back to when he and Venom first met with a happy look in his eyes. "Whirl. Whirlipede."

Both trainer and Pokémon snapped out of it quickly though, as the first round had come and gone in mere seconds. As Scyther powered up, Whirlipede continued to roll in a circle around the mantis Pokémon, waiting for his trainer's order to strike. Venom knew the added effects of Focus Energy very well, but he also knew that despite this power up, Whirlipede had nothing to fear from a Bug type move like U-Turn. That was one concern taken off the purple haired trainer's mind, but he knew that Scyther had other moves as well. However, the Bug/Flying type Pokémon was still badly poisoned, so the added HP from the sitrus berry she'd consumed would be gone again very soon. "Keep up the pressure Whirlipede! Scyther may have regained some health, but that means very little when faced with poison! Hit her hard with another Rollout!" Whirlipede heard his trainer's voice, and picked up speed, going for an even stronger Rollout attack this time. "Whirl! Whirl! Whirlipede!"

[Tarlar]

vs Bugsy

---

[attr="class","qkt-bkgd"]

[attr="class","qkt-wild-pkmn"]

[attr="class","qkt-clip"]Scyther

LV 21
HP 60% [40/66]

[attr="class","qkt-wild-imgbox"]

[attr="class","qkt-pkmn-img"]

[attr="class","qkt-trainer-pkmn"]

[attr="class","qkt-clip"]Whirlipede

LV 23
HP 77% [45/58]

[attr="class","qkt-trainer-imgbox"]

[attr="class","qkt-pkmn-img"]

Scyther [Technician]: Poisoned, +2 crit, Used Quick Attack!
Nidorina [Poison Point]: Normal, Used Rollout, missed!

Bugsy brushed Venominon's apology off.
"I have seen stranger things, don't worry about it. You are right that U-turn's switching abilities are of no use anymore but it isn't effective against Whirlipede anyway, so it is good we don't rely on one move alone," Bugsy said cheerfully and grinned when Venom explained why he sent another pokemon out instead of Nidorino.
"So that's all I am to you, a way to get your pokemon stronger?" He teased, "you need to win the battle first you know."

"Ah, the Bug Catching Contest. That is one of my best ideas I have ever got, I'm glad that people are still enjoying it and are capturing some great bug types. To have that as a goal really makes people appreciate them, don't you think? I got the idea to try turn people's mind from thinking only caterpies when they thought of bug types since there are such great variaty and definitely one fitting for every person," Bugsy said excited as he loved to hear his big work there were bearing fruit and worked.
The gym leader smiled warmly as he saw how close the two had grown already.

Seriousness returned quickly to the battlefield and Bugsy knew just as well as Venom that Scyther were troubled here, but they were not going to give up without a fight and the battle was far from over.
"Quick Attack!" He ordered and even though Whirlipede was fast and had kept track of where his opponent was, Scyther was much faster especially while using quick attack. In a blur the Scyther disappeared and Whirlipede was knocked out of course when she crashed into his side, and he continued straight into a tree as his speed was too high for him to dodge it.
The tree shook violently when Whirlipede hit it and leaves and several weedles dropped down, while the tree itself was no leaning to one side from the force of Whirlipede's attack.
Scyther landed with her legs shaking from the poison but looked as proud as ever. Bugsy chuckled awkwardly.
"I guess that was a close call, well done Scyther, that wouldn't have been fun if it had hit you," Bugsy said praisingly and she gave him a short nod but staid focused on Whirlipede.
"I said I wanted to see if you could keep up, didn't I?" Bugsy asked innocently and waited excitedly for Venom's next move.

[Venominon]

As Bugsy continued to speak to the ninja, Venom whole heartedly agreed with some of the things he was saying. While, on the other hand, there were things that Venom didn't agree with at all, even if Bugsy was just joking about some of those things. "It is true that as a Bug type trainer, you don't play any major part in my goals Bugsy, but I can assure you that I don't see you as a simple obstacle in the least. On the contrary, I hold a great deal of respect for you. I respect anyone who battles with Poison type Pokémon, and takes such good care of them, as you do with your Kakuna." Venom gave the gym leader a friendly smile after he'd finished speaking, and then was a bit surprised again by Bugsy's outburst of enthusiasm regarding the bug catching contest.

It came as no surprise to Venom that Bugsy had played a big part in setting up that contest, and while Bug types weren't really Venom's area of expertise, he had to admit, the contest itself was a lot of fun. "Yes, I agree. That's exactly how it is for me and Poison type Pokémon. When people think of Poison types, they usually just think of an Ekans or Koffing, but there's so much more to Poison type Pokémon then just those two, not that their not great of course. Maybe I could set up some kind of contest for Poison type Pokémon at some point." Bugsy's words definitely got Venom thinking. If Bugsy could bring about such a well liked and frequently visited competition like the bug catching contest, then why couldn't Venom do the same for Poison type Pokémon? This also made Venom remember something else, though he decided to leave out part of the details as he explained it to Bugsy.

"That reminds me. Ive actually won the bug catching contest twice already, and I sent the Karrablast that won me the last contest to someone I met recently. Apparently, he's very much interested in Bug type Pokémon too, and he asked me to capture him one so he could start his journey. His name is Shinya Stinger, and he should be in Johto by now. Im sure you'll meet one day, when he makes it to your gym." Venom decided to leave out the part about Shinya being a member of Team Skull, figuring that it would be best for Bugsy to figure that part out on his own. After that, Venom refocused his attention on the battle, watching as the most recent exchange of blows didn't go so well for Whirlipede. Never the less, Scyther didn't escape that round unscathed, as Nidorino's poison was still working its way through the mantis Pokémon's body, causing damage where Whirlipede failed to this time.

Some of Bugsy's previous words rang in the Poison type trainer's mind at that moment, as he quickly came up with a new battle strategy to try. His fang filled grin once again spreading across his face, Venom prepared to put his new plan into motion. "What you say is true. Whirlipede might not be able to keep up with your Scyther when she's using her Quick Attack, but we still have the advantage when it comes to defense. So, with that in mind, we're free to attack without any fear from your attacks for a good while." Whirlipede was a bit shaken from his impact with one of the trees, as he quickly apologized to all the Weedle's he'd knocked out of their home. "Whirl. Whirl. Whirlipede." Venom then made his next order, once again using a piece of Bugsy's advice from earlier. "You were also right about one more thing. Its not good to rely on a single move, so we wont either. Whirlipede, Poison Tail!" Though not as effective as Rollout, Poison Tail was more accurate, and when combined with the poison already inside Scyther's body, this move would really make things hard for the Bug/Flying type. "Whirl! Whirlipede! Whirlipede!" The Bug/Poison type channeled his poison into his tails, then started his rolling once more, heading straight for his opponent without any difficulty this time around.

[Tarlar]

vs Bugsy

---

[attr="class","qkt-bkgd"]

[attr="class","qkt-wild-pkmn"]

[attr="class","qkt-clip"]Scyther

LV 21
HP 24% [16/66]

[attr="class","qkt-wild-imgbox"]

[attr="class","qkt-pkmn-img"]

[attr="class","qkt-trainer-pkmn"]

[attr="class","qkt-clip"]Whirlipede

LV 23
HP 48% [28/58]

[attr="class","qkt-trainer-imgbox"]

[attr="class","qkt-pkmn-img"]

Scyther [Technician]: Poisoned, +2 crit, Used Quick Attack, critical hit!
Nidorina [Poison Point]: Normal, Used Poison Tail!

The gym leader chuckled when Venom felt he needed to explain and reassure that he did in fact respect him, it was nice to hear but he found it a bit funny when he had just tried to teased the challenger.
"Of course I don't, I'm a gym leader after all. I'm a test for everyone who wants to continue and see if they can challenge Elite four and the champion some day, or just to see how strong you have become, that is what I have chosen. It is a great way to show what bug types can do and impress people," Bugsy said happily.

"Some sort of competition to promote Poison types in another way than how they are usually shown would be great!" Bugsy exclaimed, "I think that just like bug types a lot of people doesn't know enough about poison types so anything that can help people see what the type has to offer."
"Just be aware that it requires a lot of work, more than you would expect," He warned seriously.
"I'd love to participate in the bug catching contest at some point but when I'm the organizer that isn't really an option," Bugsy admitted with a laugh. Oh the simple days where he could run around and study bug pokemon and befind and catch some of them too, that had been the life. Sometimes he missed it but on the other hand he wouldn't give up anything of what he was doing now, he himself might have fewer summerdays with bugs but experiencing the different he made for both the bug type pokemon and for all the humans he met, either here in the gym or to the contest was amazing. He would not give it up for anything in the world!

Bugsy smiled politely when Venom mentioned someone he knew that also liked bug types, it was not the first time he was asked if he knew them just because they had a shared interest.
"Congratulations on your win. If your friend is determined enough to make it here, I will look forward to facing him and see what he can do," Bugsy said although he doubted he would be able to remember it when time comes, if ever. He met several trainers during a week, both in his work to share his love of bug types and battling here in the gym, that would mean he would have met hundreds of trainers before Shinya made his way to Azalea. Very few stuck with him for long, although Venom might simply because he had talked about getting inspired by the Bug Catching Contest and had aired the idea of making something similar. That could be useful for Bugsy to remember, perhaps a collaboration would be helpful in the future.

Bugsy smiled puzzled when Venom declared that they didn't have to worry about Scyther's attacks for a bit, he could guess what it meant but found the statement funny. Scyther on the other hand looked offended.
"Spicing things up, huh? We stick to what works this time but give it all you got Scyther!" Bugsy declared excited.

Scyther was off the moment Bugsy had finished his sentence and her scythes raked down over his side not long after, she got uncomfortably close to his eye. He spun on the spot, both to make it harder for her to hit him full force but also to slap his poisonous appandages which acted like tails for this move, into her. As the poison took effect on Scyther, she had to withdraw. She was panting heavily but felt she had made her strength clear and Whirlipede certain had been able to feel it this time.

[Venominon]

As Bugsy let out some laughs, Venom found himself doing the same, finding great joy in his conversation with the Bug type gym leader. "Well, just you wait. One day, a new champion will be crowned here in Johto. It'll be me, and Ill do it with only my Poison type Pokémon. Once that happens, the whole world will know once and for all that the Poison type is the strongest type of Pokémon there is." Venom spoke with high levels of confidence and determination in his voice, as nothing would stop him from achieving this goal. Not the elite four, not the champion, and definitely not anyone or anything else. Venom knew he still had a long road ahead of him, and many more battles to face along the way, but he was more then ready for anything and everything.

Venom smiled again when Bugsy complemented his Poison type contest idea, and gave him some advice as well. "Yes, Im sure your Bug Catching contest wasn't put together overnight. Im well aware that there's a great deal of work involved in such a feat, but for the Poison type Pokémon I care for so deeply, Im willing to put in the work, after I achieve my goals of course." The ninja's ambitions came first, and when he heard Bugsy comment on Shinya, Venom's smile changed into one of nervousness, as he let out a slightly nervous chuckle. "Thanks Bugsy, and trust me. This guy will make it here sooner or later, and you'll definitely know him when you see him." Venom didn't have it in him to tell Bugsy that Shinya was a member of Team Skull, figuring that the gym leader might not take it very well, thinking about someone from a team like that using the Bug types that he loves so much. Never the less, Venom knew for sure that he'd see for himself one day.

After the most recent exchange of blows, Venom's grin returned, accompanied by his serpentine eyes. "Sorry Bugsy, Scyther, but this battle is over now. And we win." The Poison type trainer spoke in another confident tone, knowing that even if Scyther's next move was another critical hit, it still wouldn't be enough to knock out Whirlipede. And with Scyther's current amount of damage, she wouldn't survive another round of Whirlipede's poisonous assault. "Its time for the finishing blow Whirlipede. Give Scyther another heavy dose of your Poison Tail!" Scyther's last attack did hurt Whirlipede more then the one before it, but the Poison/Bug type knew that he could keep going, and he was determined to make his trainer proud by winning this battle, and his second gym badge. So, with every last ounce of power he could muster up, Whirlipede powered up his Poison Tail attack once more, and started rolling as fast as he could, heading for his opponent and fellow Bug type Pokémon. "Whirlipede! Whirli! Whirlipede!"