Things That Go Hiss in the Night [F]

[Venominon]

Having finally finished his work in Goldenrod City's Underground Tunnel, capturing some new Poison types and conquering the Underground Gauntlet, Venom returned to the surface to begin the next phase of his master plan. Simply put, he was going to train up Team Toxic's new recruits in preparation for his future gym battle against Whitney. Upon reaching the top of the stairs that led back to the surface, the ninja found that night had fallen over the Johto region, and a rather strong breeze was blowing through the tall buildings of the big city. However, even in the dead of night, said city was wide awake and full of activity. All the streetlights were on, and plenty of people were still walking around and going about their respective business. Venom didn't care for any of this one bit, as a scowl slowly took form on his face, and he quickly turned on his heels.

Rather than train his new Pokemon friends surrounded by so much noise and human presence, the Poison type trainer opted to simply return to the same place where he encountered his Seviper earlier that same day. Thankfully, it didn't take him very long to reach route 34 at all. And once he set foot into the tall grass fields, Venom took a nice, long deep breath, his scowl slowly transforming into a content smile. "Ah...Much better." The familiar sights, sounds, and scents of nature itself were all that Venom ever needed to feel safe, happy, and content. Fortunately for the ninja, the strong winds blowing through the area did well to rustle the tall grass and leaf-covered trees of this route, drowning out most of the noises that came from the city behind him. It also did well to provide plenty of fresh air, which was exactly what Venom needed after being down in that filthy tunnel for so long.

After finding a nice enough stream to clean himself and his clothing in, Venom began preparing dinner for himself and his Pokemon companions. While most people probably would've called it quits by this point in the night, Goldenrod City was still awake, and Venom was too. So, with his snake eyes helping him see through the darkness, the purple-haired young man kept watch for any wild Pokemon or trainers that were lurking about, as he continued to prepare Team Toxic's dinner. The wind didn't really bother Venom or disrupt his efforts all that much, as he continued to smile and cook without a care in the world. True, not all of his plans had gone over the way he envisioned them, but he still managed to accomplish everything he set out to do so far. As usual, Venom had no idea what fate had in store for him that night, but he was feeling ready to take on just about anything at that point in time, and he knew that his beloved Pokemon felt the exact same way.

[Tiki]

Some Pokemon prefer hunting in the day time, and some were nocturnal hunters. A lone Seviper was woken by hunger, and began slithering on the brand new grass growing in the spring. To be exact, it smelled a Raticate in its vicinity that it would like to get a hold of this exclusive snack. Slithering slowly to keep its noise down, the Seviper used its night vision and smell to locate the Raticate that here for its extra meal for the day. Nobody should be saying no to an extra meal!

Instead, the snake found itself approaching where the ninja was preparing food, as a different aroma had lured it toward them. The wind was also extra helpful to spread the delicious aroma in Route 34. The thought of Raticate slowly faded from its mind as the aroma took over. It hissed softly when its eyes stared at the human. Was it the human that looked tastier instead? Or it was the food that the human was cooking? Either way, the serpent located the source of this scent.

---

A (Level 17) Seviper appeared!
It is holding Aguav Berry.

Shiny roll pZg57H9Z1-42


OOC:
lucky roll
I know you want danger noodle
You already had one

pending higher mod to respond to berry roll bc i also rolled it but idk which one to roll from

Venominon Tiki just confirming this berry is perfectly fine for the roll, so no need to hold up when you're ready to respond Venom. 1-42

[Venominon]

As Venom continued to prepare dinner for himself and his Pokemon, he suddenly lost his smile, narrowing his eyes as he glanced behind him. With his highly trained senses, he could tell that he was being stalked, but the wind, as well as the food in front of him, made it impossible for him to pick up any kind of scent. As such, he wasn't sure what was stalking him exactly. Regardless, the ninja made no sudden movements, nor any sounds, and just continued cooking, acting as though he was unaware of the wild Pokemon's presence. Of course, this was all according to Venom's plan. After all, he did come here to train his new batch of recruits, which does require the presence of wild Pokemon or other trainers.

It was simple really. Venom cooks a delicious meal, the scent travels on the wind, some hungry wild Pokemon or fellow trainers pick up the scent, follow it, and become fodder for the newest members of Team Toxic. The wild Seviper didn't know it, but it was slowly slithering right into a trap. Venom waited patiently for the Fang Snake Pokemon to get closer, pretending that he was reaching for more ingredients from his bag while doing so. When, in reality, the Poison type trainer was reaching for an Ultra Ball, which contained one of his recently acquired Pokemon friends. Then, once Seviper was finally close enough, the trap was sprung. "A little advice. If you're going to stalk someone, do it right. Wait for them to really let their guard down."

The ninja spoke to the wild Poison type Pokemon without even turning around to face it, then tossed the Ultra Ball in his hand over his shoulder without bothering to wait for a response. And from that Ultra Ball, a floating ball of poisonous gases emerged, smiling a big smile, very happy to finally be floating around in the outside world. "Woah! So, this is the world beyond that underground tunnel?! Is it always so dark?! And what smells so good?!" Venom had chosen Koffing for this bout, and the Poison Gas Pokemon definitely wasn't complaining, smiling at his new master from behind. Venom's smile returned after that, as a few chuckles escaped his lips, as he proceeded to answer Koffing's questions, but still didn't turn to face him, focusing on the task in front of him.

"That's right, Koffing. It's a lot nicer out here, isn't it? Don't worry. It's not always this dark. And what you're smelling is our dinner. It'll be ready soon, but in the meantime, would you mind using Thunderbolt on that wild Pokemon behind me please? Two good zaps should help it learn how to choose its prey more carefully from now on." Venom chopped vegetables as he gave Koffing his orders, not even a little worried or frightened by the possibility of being ambushed by someone or something in the darkness of the night. Koffing listened to Venom's every word, wanting to learn as much as he could about his new environment, and grew even happier by the thought of getting to eat something that smelled so good. "Are you for real?! Thank you, master! Just leave it to me! I'm all over it!" With that, Koffing turned to face the wild Seviper, as sparks of electricity began to surge from his round body, bringing light to the area, and giving him a clear view of his foe.

OOC: Running Shoes used.

[Tiki]

The Seviper hissed back at the human, who was clearly saying something. However, it wasn't familiar with human enough to understand his words. Do those words mean he can eat that vegetable broth? When the Koffing turned up to face it, the snake moved its gaze toward the floating gas ball. Gross, this was not a meal at all. Heck, who in the world of Pokemon would eat a Koffing in the wild? The Seviper tilted its head back to prepare, and then fired blobs of purple goo toward the Koffing. The gas ball was covered in goo, but he quickly shook it off. Then, he unleashed high voltage of electricity toward the fellow poison type, who screamed loudly in pain.

Frustrated, the hungry snake emitted an awful and deafening sound from its throat. The Koffing was taken back a bit as he did not have like, arms or appendages to cover itself. If it were a Voltorb, it might be soundproof, but alas, it was not. The newly captured and eager Koffing replied with another Thunderbolt, frying as much of the Seviper as he could. However, the Seviper had another trick up its sleeve, and bit onto an Aguav berry that it was holding. Fine, it didn't need the human's food, this Aguav berry was fine too.

Wild Encounter

---

Weather: Clear

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

[attr="class","qkt-wild-pkmn"]
Seviper LV 17
HP 25% [44/57]

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

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

[attr="class","qkt-trainer-pkmn"]
Koffing LV 22
HP 79% [44/56]

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

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

Seviper [Shed Skin]: Status
Koffing [Levitate]: Status, -2 Defense

SP32 Seviper used Venoshock!
SP27 Koffing used Thunderbolt!

SP32 Seviper used Screech!
SP27 Koffing used Thunderbolt!
Seviper consumed Aguav Berry!

[Venominon]

While the dinner Venom had been preparing for the past twenty minutes or so was nearing its peak, Koffing shrugged off Seviper's Venoshock attack without much difficulty. The Screech attack that followed, however, was another matter entirely. With no limbs to cover his ears, Koffing immediately lost his smile and winced in pain, gritting his teeth and doing his best to endure it. At the same time, Venom wasn't bothered by the loud shrieking in the slightest, carrying on like it wasn't even happening. This wasn't the first time the ninja had heard such noises. In fact, having to endure such things was a big part of his training, and if he was being honest, this Seviper's Screech was nothing compared to the ear-piercing screams that came from Koga's Crobat.

By the time it was finally over, it took Koffing at least a few minutes to fully regain his sense of hearing, floating around with a puzzled expression upon his face. "What the heck was that?! I can't hear anything, master! What words am I saying?!" Knowing that his words would literally fall upon deaf ears, Venom said nothing, and simply waited for his new friend to regain his hearing. While that was going on, the Poison type trainer grabbed an empty Ultra Ball from his bag, but still didn't turn to face the battle that was unfolding behind him. True, he already had a Seviper of his own, and he was more than happy with her, but surely capturing one more couldn't hurt, right? Given how rare and highly coveted Sevipers were in the Johto region, Venom figured he could trade this one away for something useful later on if nothing else.

After shaking his body a few times, Koffing found that his hearing had been restored, causing him to regain his smile. "Wow! That really hurt, but it sure was interesting! The outside world just keeps getting more and more exciting!" Pleased to hear that his Pokemon was feeling better, Venom addressed him once more, giving him his next order of the battle. "Just remember not to take too many of those, Koffing. Moves like Screech could mean the difference between victory and defeat in certain cases. Still, this is another good learning experience for you, and I'm glad to hear that you're enjoying yourself as well. Now then, it seems like our foe can handle yet another Thunderbolt. So, if you'd be so kind, go for it."

Venom could recognize the sounds of a wild Pokemon chowing down on a berry, having heard it many times before. And judging by the volume level of Seviper's Screech attack, it was likely a berry used to restore lost HP. As such, the ninja had absolutely no qualms about asking his Pokemon to attack the serpent once more, knowing that said serpent could take it. "You got it, master! Another zap coming right up!" Just like before, Koffing lit up the night with another jolt of electricity, which he used to attack the wild Seviper one more time. Then, immediately after the lights and the sounds of electricity faded away, Venom tossed the Ultra Ball in his hand off to his left side. At first, it looked like he missed his target completely, but then the wind suddenly picked up again, causing the Ultra Ball to change direction, head straight for Seviper, and smack the Fang Snake Pokemon right in the left side of its scaley head, opening up wide and pulling the Poison type inside immediately after.

OOC: Ultra Ball used on Seviper after Koffing's attack.

[Tiki]

Seviper wasn't amused anymore with the ballsy ball of boiling gas. Those Thunderbolt ended up making it hangry instead. The snake moved its head in a motion to tell the Koffing to go, but it knew a trainer's Pokemon were very much likely won't do that. There's something special about those Pokemon. The serpent hissed angrily, and then fired another purple pocketful of potent poison at the Koffing.

The spherical Pokemon quickly shook off the toxic projectile, and triggered the third Thunderbolt through thermochemistry of toxic gases in his body. The sparks sent the salivating Seviper stuttering in shock. Before it could register its next move, it got sucked into a strange capture device. The ball plopped as it fell to the ground and the Seviper began to struggle being captured.

The ball rolled to the right.

The ball rolled to the middle.

DING! The Seviper was successfully captured and continued being hangry inside. Now Venom can go back to cook his dinner. Hopefully while they're eating, they won't be disturbed again, but the alluring appetizing aroma approximately altered an assumed actuality .

Wild Encounter

---

Weather: Clear

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

[attr="class","qkt-wild-pkmn"]
Seviper LV 17
HP 35% [20/57]

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

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

[attr="class","qkt-trainer-pkmn"]
Koffing LV 22
HP 79% [35/56]

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

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

Seviper [Shed Skin]: Status
Koffing [Levitate]: Status, -2 Defense

SP32 Seviper used Venoshock!
SP27 Koffing used Thunderbolt!

SP27++ Venominon used Ultra Ball!

---

Koffing gained 1 level and is now level 23!

---

Seviper was captured! Fill out the info below!


Seviper
Name: [choose]
Gender: [choose]
Level: 17
OT: Venominon Ouroboros
Moves: Poison Tail, Feint, Screech, Venoshock
Ability: Shed Skin
Nature/Personality: [choose]

[img src="https://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/gen5/seviper.png"]
[b]Seviper[/b]
Name: [choose]
Gender: [choose]
Level: 17
OT: Venominon Ouroboros
Moves: Poison Tail, Feint, Screech, Venoshock
Ability: Shed Skin
Nature/Personality: [choose]

capture roll uR_dyUuz1-100

OOC: accidentally made 1-2 alliteration and just went with it1-100

[Venominon]

With the successful capture of yet another poisonous Pokemon, Venom smiled contently, as the Ultra Ball containing his newly caught Seviper was transported to his PC. It was around that time when the wind finally started to settle down, giving way to far more pleasant and mild weather. This happened at a good time, as Venom finally finished preparing dinner for himself and his Pokemon friends. "Not bad for your first battle, Koffing. I'm proud of you. Now, before any other wild Pokemon come around, dinner's ready. Let's eat." As always, the Poison type trainer made sure to make more than enough for himself and the rest of Team Toxic, wanting to make sure that his new recruits had plenty to eat.

"Great! I'm starving! That battle wasn't too tough, but you try being a Pokemon and finding a decent meal down in those tunnels!" Koffing stated, as he shook off the poison and fatigue from his battle, then floated over to Venom. The ninja didn't know it, but this would be Koffing's first decent meal in weeks, and just the scent alone was more than enough to make him drool, now that the battle was over. Although, Koffing's reaction was more than enough for Venom to figure that out on his own, and it really wasn't all that surprising. Admittedly, part of Venom wished that he could go back down there and help more wild Pokemon, but he had his own Pokemon to think about. Besides, until he made his dreams a reality, nothing would really change in Goldenrod City.

Pushing those thoughts aside for the time being, Venom kept his smile, let all of his other Pokemon out of their respective Pokeballs, and served them some food. It wasn't anything too special. Just some vegetable gumbo, but everyone seemed to enjoy it, nonetheless. Plus, this was a good opportunity for the more experienced members of Team Toxic to meet the newbies. After changing up his team, Skorupi, Salandit, and Croagunk were the only veteran members remaining, while the other three spots were now filled by Seviper, Grimer, and Koffing. There was some silence for the first few minutes, as Venom chose to stay out of this and let his beloved Pokemon get to know each other on their own. All the while, Team Toxic's campfire continued to burn brightly, as the venomous team did their best to enjoy their campout under the stars.

Thankfully, Skorupi decided to break the ice not long after that, smiling and holding her right claw out towards the new recruits. "So...it's really nice to meet you all. I hope we'll get along and become good friends." Rather than shake her claw, Koffing got right in her face, smiling big and letting out all the words he'd kept inside for the past several minutes. "Phew! I was beginning to think no one was gonna say anything! That would've been awkward! Anyway, it's nice to meet you too! I can already tell that we're gonna be really good friends!" This suddenly burst of emotion and close proximity made Skorupi flinch, while Salandit just snickered, and Croagunk puffed up his cheeks before letting out a sigh. "Well, this one certainly likes to talk...a lot."

It was then that Seviper intervened, gently pushing the Poison Gas Pokemon aside with her tail, then shaking Skorupi's claw with it. "Charmed. Since we all have the same master, we'll have to learn how to get along as some point or another. So, why not start sooner rather than later?" Seviper's words, much like her tone of voice, were clear and composed, and her opinion was quick to gain support. "I agree. I think our master has a really good plan here, but he can't do it without our help. So, let's take Team Toxic right to the top for all Poison type Pokemon everywhere." Grimer added, smiling happily, as she shook both Skorupi's claw and Seviper's tail at the same time. The scorpion and the snake didn't wish to be rude, so despite grimacing when they felt the Sludge Pokemon's arm touch their bodies, they still did their best to smile and nod at her, while Salandit continued to snicker away. "Salalalalalalalala...Oh, I love this team. It just keeps on getting better and better. Salalalalalalalala..."

[Caramell 🍬]

The night air carried a slight chill that the normal daylight hours wouldn’t have. Birds were busy roosting inside of their nests, safely tucked away with their young nestled against their fluffy feathers as they slumbered. Many of the wild creatures that normally roamed the open route moseyed off to their beds, many others lurked under the cover of darkness to forage or hunt as they pleased. Strange yellow tapirs with dark brown bottoms rustled through tall wheatgrasses snorting their long snouts in the air in search of yummy dreams. All of them would keep their distance from Venom’s team, however, as nothing the ninja had to offer seemed appetizing with his team so wide away.

Another pair of lone eyes peered at them through a large shrub. It’s long whiskers twitched nervously as it sniffed the air near them and wrapped its long tail around the needly branches of the bush. The air smelled delightful! Though it had scrounged up a yummy blue berry, it’s item smelled nothing like the savory stew that this strange trainer seemed to whip up in an instance for his team. Would humans give so easily and generously to a starving wild Pokemon who was desperate just to fill itself and go about its merry little way? Every human it had ever met only kicked at it and shooed it away. Clearly, humans didn’t really like Pokemon – or at least, not its kind.

That only meant one thing to the wild rat. It would have to scare this trainer and his Pokemon away. “Leave at once!” The Raticate jumped out of the bush it had been using as cover and clacked its long teeth together aggressively. It rose up awkwardly on its hind legs and clawed the air in front of it as if to show that it meant business. “Leave and don’t you dare think about taking your yummy food with you! I’ll eat you all and spit out your bones if you try!” If the rat had learned that humans were cruel beasts that only shunned the rodent its whole life, then it was only natural that it would fight them for what it wanted, instead.

Shiny? SDy7G6Vo1-42

A Wild Raticate appeared holding Oran!



Level 19. What will Venom and his team do? 1-42

[Venominon]

Just like the previous encounter, the ninja could tell right away that he and his team were being watched. Not that this came as a surprise to him, of course. With the smell of a hot meal drifting through the night air, Venom knew very well that it was only a matter of time until another hungry wild Pokemon approached their campsite. However, this one would quickly prove itself to be far less subtle, and a lot more aggressive. When the wild Raticate made its presence known to Team Toxic and made its rather bold declaration, all eyes were on the Normal type right away, and a full minute of silence followed. Unfortunately for the Mouse Pokemon, the gaggle of Poison types weren't buying its threats.

In fact, none of them looked even remotely intimidated, remaining perfect calm and composed as they discussed what to do about their dinner guest. "Nice try, rodent, but your threat might be a little more convincing if we didn't all know that your kind doesn't do that. Too bad, so sad." Salandit was the first to comment, then followed up said comment with a round of giggling, belittling the wild Raticate further. "Ya want me to knuckle down on this sorry excuse for a Pokemon, master?" Croagunk offered, already cracking his knuckles and standing up from where he was sitting. As certain as Venom was that Croagunk could do the job, and wanted to give his new move, Drain Punch, a test drive, he shook his head from side to side before answering the Toxic Mouth Pokemon's question.

"Easy, Croagunk. I like your passion, but remember, we're here to train the new recruits. And Koffing, since you've already battled tonight, why don't we let Seviper and Grimer handle this one?" Venom asked the Poison Gas Pokemon, to which he replied with a smile and a nod. "Of course, master! That's fine with me! Go get 'em, you two!" Koffing was filled with enthusiasm, just like always, cheering his teammates on, as Seviper and Grimer turned to face each other. "You can go first if you want to, Seviper. I'll step in if things get hairy." Grimer spoke in a friendly tone of voice, completely fine with letting her teammate handle this one on her own.

"Tsk. You speak as if I'll have trouble dealing with this overgrown fuzzball. Just stay back and leave this one to me. Truth be told, I've crossed paths with this one before." Seviper was at least somewhat offended by the idea that she'd end up needing to be saved, slithering out onto the makeshift battlefield and glaring at her foe. In truth, Seviper and this Raticate had crossed paths before, so she already had some experience dealing with it. Of course, it wasn't as strong last time as it is now. "Alright then. Show us all what you've got, Seviper. Start off with Sludge Wave!" With Team Toxic's Pokemon chosen, Venom called for Seviper's best move right off the bat but chose not to use his Running Shoes just yet, able to see that this Raticate may prove to actually have some bite to go along with its bark. "With pleasure. Choke on this, you disgusting rat!" Gathering massive amounts of poison all around her, Seviper sent it all flying right at Raticate in one massive wave, while the rest of Team Toxic watched from the sidelines and waited to see how this would all play out.

[Tiki]

"You be quiet, boneless gecko and boneless snake nugget," The Raticate replied to the Salandit and Seviper, not taking their punches today. "I am not as disgusting as you, stutter face. You slither on dirt and mud until it rains or you shed your skin. I groom myself regularly."

Even though the Seviper was preparing to send a ball of sludge wave toward the rodent, the normal type closed its eyes to concentrate on defeating the Seviper. It silently gave itself encouragement and positivity, because it did not need to be around the Seviper's toxic vibe ruining its appetite.

Then, when it felt close, it began running to prepare for a jump to escape the wave. However, the mouse miscalculated as the sludge wave slammed onto a concrete planter box, and blobs of poison splashed onto the Raticate. "Ew, you're gross. You need to drink some Kale Blueberry Petaya Banana Detox Smoothie and not whatever the human is making you!" It shook its head and spit out some of those acid splash and protested at the obsidian snake. "Whatever he's making looks bad for you, and you should let me have it instead."

Wild Encounter

---

Weather: Clear

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

[attr="class","qkt-wild-pkmn"]
Raticate LV 19
HP 53% [29/55]

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

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

[attr="class","qkt-trainer-pkmn"]
Seviper LV 16
HP 100% [54/54]

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

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

Raticate [Ability]: Status, Crit next turn
Seviper [Shed Skin]: Status

SP47 Raticate used Laser Focus!
SP30 Seviper used Sludge Wave!

[Venominon]

After listening to Raticate's retort, Salandit couldn't help snickering a little more, finding herself still unable to take the oversized rat seriously. At the same time, Seviper shot a retort of her own right back at the wild Normal type, doing so with plenty of disgust in her voice. "You could've fooled me. And it's not just your filthy appearance. You also smell like you haven't had a proper cleaning in weeks." The Fang Snake Pokemon waved her tail in front of her snout several times, doing her best to clear the air in front of her of Raticate's scent. Seviper may have only had a trainer for about a day, but she had already taken the time to appreciate just how much easier life was with one rather than without one. Of course, despite how confident she appeared on the surface, she knew that she definitely couldn't afford to lower her guard in this battle.

Venom knew this too, narrowing his eyes when he saw Raticate use Laser Focus, knowing full well what that move was capable of. True, Seviper still hadn't taken any damage yet, but this was her first real battle with Team Toxic. Would she be able to handle a critical hit from the Mouse Pokemon? If so, Venom would be ready to administer a super potion to her right away, but the ninja still wondered if it was a smarter strategy to simply swap Pokemon and let someone else take over. Of course, the Poison type trainer, as well as all of his other Pokemon, had absolute confidence in their friend and her abilities. Even so, it never hurt to be at least a little cautious every now and then, right?

While the other five members of Team Toxic looked on with bated breath, Venom thought as hard as he could about his options for a solid minute. And that's when the ninja had his answer, not wanting Seviper's first battle as part of Team Toxic to be a loss. "Brace yourself, Seviper! Raticate's next attack is gonna be big! I know you can take it though! I believe in you! We all do! So, hang tough! And once Raticate's onslaught has ended, hit it with another Sludge Wave!" After Venom called out his next command, all of Team Toxic was cheering Seviper on, doing their best to send her as much strength as they could from the sidelines. Meanwhile, Seviper only smiled a bit for a brief moment, not saying a word as she did as her trainer ordered her to, then prepared herself to strike back, feeling truly grateful on the inside to have made such supportive friends at that moment.

[Caramell 🍬]

Raticate’s whiskers twitched as the boneless gecko tried to insult it. While it’s eyes widened, then narrowed suspiciously on the poison-and-fire type lizard, Raticate turned its attention away and towards the large snake with her blade-like tail. “Hey…didn’t you help my colony against that great Human revolt a couple months ago? Or was it another snake? Why you work with humans now?” Raticate tried to change the conversation some, slowly scooting sideways towards a plate it assumed no one was guarding very heavily. It just needed a bit. A tiny one, at least…please! Oh, please, oh, please! It’s starving!

Why was the Raticate the only one that had to live in this harsh environment and starve?! It would steal from some trashcans nearby, but the humans seemed to keep them well guarded behind these strange metal gates or with these hard-to-open tops. Oh, the yummy food and scraps that were thrown out behind the back of one of its favorite human restaurants. Why, oh, why couldn’t it just eat that buffet that the humans tossed out as freely as it wanted?! “You all smell to me!”[/i] Raticate narrowed its focus on Seviper, watching her slither this way and that on the ground and sizing her up. Raticate would make sure when it attacked it would be the strongest move it could muster. Then this snake nugget would think TWICE about attack it!

But the ground underneath it began to boil and bubble. What the-?! It large rodent jumped about across the poisonous ground on the tip of its toes. “Tch! Owch owch owch, hot hot hot, oooowww!”[/i] It cried aloud. Once it finally managed to escape the worst of Seviper’s sludge, the furry rat would turn to her once more, keeping a sharp focus locked in on its opponent. “You don’t need all that disgusting food, right? Just pass it over here and I’ll get rid of it free of charge. Trust me, it’ll only make you sick.” It laughed nervously while using one of its back legs to scratch itself behind the ears. How could it manage to talk them into handing over their food when this was going so horribly wrong for it?

Wild Encounter

---

Weather: Clear

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

[attr="class","qkt-wild-pkmn"]
Raticate LV 19
HP 44% [24/55]

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

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

[attr="class","qkt-trainer-pkmn"]
Seviper LV 16
HP 100% [54/54]

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

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

Raticate [Ability]: Normal, Crit next turn
Seviper [Shed Skin]: Normal

SP47 Raticate used Laser Focus! Again..?
SP30 Seviper used Sludge Wave! Raticate avoided being poisoned!
Raticate ate its berry!


RNg really likes Laser Focus. xD

[Venominon]

Seviper kept her eyes narrowed on the large Mouse Pokemon as she listened to it speak, having no recollection of taking part in such an event. Although, she had definitely heard about it, of course. "I will admit that I'm not the biggest fan of humans, but I'm afraid you have the wrong Seviper. Prior to joining Team Toxic, I was a loner. I lived by myself, fought for myself, and cared only for myself. Even other Pokemon, mainly ones like yourself, also made my scales crawl from time to time." Seviper once again spoke in a tone of voice filled with disgust, but then that tone quickly changed into one filled with pride when she began to speak again.

"And not that it's any business of yours, but I joined Team Toxic because I believe in my master's cause! He doesn't just fight for himself! He fights for all of us! For all Pokemon, especially Poison types! And together with him, and all my new comrades, I truly believe that we can change this world, and finally get our kind the respect it deserves! By the end of our journey, the entire world will know what we can do!" As the Fang Snake Pokemon finished her little speech, Venom and all of his other Pokemon smiled at her, very grateful and touched by her heartfelt words. Unfortunately, this touching moment didn't last very long, as Raticate's theft attempt was quickly discovered and thwarted by Croagunk, who stood up, walked out between the bowl of food and the Normal type, narrowed his eyes at it, and cracked his knuckles.

"How dare you try to take advantage of this golden team building moment. Who the heck do you think you are anyway? I don't wanna interrupt Seviper's battle, but if you try to steal from us again, I'll knock those giant buck teeth right out of your mouth one at a time, then make you eat 'em. You got that, dirtbag?" The Poison/Fighting type was serious, puffing out his cheeks with every word he spoke to the oversized rodent. Those words caused Seviper to notice what the wild Pokemon was up to, as she looked at it with a facial expression of exasperation and anger. "Rgh! Moron! First you try to steal from my teammates! Then you insult me by refusing to strike back against me for a second time?! For that, your defeat shall be excruciatingly painful, you foolish rat!"

The large serpent was not at all pleased with this development, but be that as it may, Raticate was still faster than her and had once again set itself up for a critical hit. Fortunately, since this scenario was basically the same as it was in the last round, Venom didn't need to waste time thinking about what to do next. But before that, he decided to address Seviper's opponent. "For what it's worth, I do apologize, Raticate. It's sad to say, but life simply isn't fair. It takes for more than it gives. So much so that we can sometimes find ourselves in some very desperate situations. And desperation does bad things to people and Pokemon. I hope you'll keep that in mind moving forward." Once that was done, the ninja turned his gaze back over to his own Pokemon, telling her what to do next. "As for you, Seviper, use Sludge Wave again! And remember to brace yourself! I don't know when this Raticate's critical hit will come, but it's coming!" Doing as she was told, Seviper kept her guard on high, but still sent another round of toxic sludge flying straight at her furry foe, showing it no mercy this time around.

[Caramell 🍬]

The furry rodent scratched the back of its head with one of its foot and blinked slowly. It listened to Seviper’s reply and couldn’t understand why she wouldn’t admit to being part of the Human Revolt. Maybe it had the wrong snake all along? Raticate was sure the snake that assisted the revolt had a slightly bluer purple streak on its face and torso, so that could be the truth. But the dim lighting of the night air made it hard to tell what this Seviper’s colors were, so it could just be equally true that her purples were a bit bluer than the night’s lighting led on. “Are you sure?” The Raticate asked, tilting its head, and holding a paw out towards Seviper. “I swear you look just like them!” It continued, as if most Sevipers didn’t look nearly identical to each other.

Seviper’s speech did little to sway the hungry rodent’s mind, but the longer the battle took and the more the other Pokemon butted in, it was slowly starting to lose favor in its initial approach. “I’m just hungry, man!” It puffed up its cheeks, lowered its body to the ground, and fluffed up its fur. While thrashing its long, furless tail in every direction, Raticate would let out a loud and awful sounding hiss and click its long buck-teeth together angrily. “You’ve all got more than enough! If you’re such a good guy team with such a good guy cause, why won’t you share?!” It screamed at Croagunk, preparing to leap after the poisonous dart frog. Though in its haste and Seviper’s quick movements to spread more toxicity across the ground, it immediately sprung around and leaped on the snake. It slammed itself into her side and clawed mercilessly at her long body, hoping to rip off as many pretty scales from her as it could manage.

Seviper would coil around her opponent reflexively, choking the rat for a second, before flinging it off her and into the grass some distance away. As Raticate slowly lifted itself to stand on its hind legs once more, bruised and battered, the toxic sludge swept across the ground and burned into its flesh. Hot, hot, hot! Oh it burns, oh that smarts, Owch, owch, owwcch! “How can you apologise, human?!” Raticate stared up at Venominon for a second, not really understanding. “When you won’t share and let your Pokemon whoop me so viciously?! I’ll go forage for berries, I guess, or STARVE! Since that’s what YOU want!” It snapped, turning to Seviper, then Croagunk, as it emphasized ‘you’. Then Raticate would vanish like a ghost, running off through the tall grasses to somewhere unknown.

Wild Encounter

---

Weather: Clear

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

[attr="class","qkt-wild-pkmn"]
Raticate LV 19
HP 0% [0/55]

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

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

[attr="class","qkt-trainer-pkmn"]
Seviper LV 16
HP 57% [31/54]

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

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

Raticate [Ability]: Normal
Seviper [Shed Skin]: Normal

SP47 Raticate used Assurance! It was a critical hit!
SP30 Seviper used Sludge Wave! Raticate avoided being poisoned!

---

Seviper gained 3 levels!
Seviper increased to Level 19!
Seviper wants to learn Glare!
Forget a move and learn Glare?
Seviper grew closer to Venominon. +1
Seviper increased to +1 Happiness!

[Venominon]

In truth, Seviper had fought against many humans over the course of her life, but she had always kept to herself for the most part and didn't recall anything about any "Human Revolt". Regardless, she did still take at least some offense to Raticate's implication that all Seviper looked the same. Of course, she wouldn't have expected any different from the untrained eye of a mammal Pokemon. While it was true that Seviper held a great deal of contempt for the human race, save for her new trainer, it was also true that she hadn't ever gotten along very well with mammal Pokemon either. Mainly the mammal Pokemon that also called this route home. Such as Raticate, Drowzee, the occasional Gumshoos, and of course her greatest adversary, Zangoose.

In fact, the very thought of crossing paths with another of those Cat Ferret Pokemon filled Seviper with a rage that burned hotter than her newly acquired Flamethrower attack. Fortunately, she wasn't alone now, and that rage didn't last long at all as a result. "Seviper, you did it! You won!" Grimer happily called out to her fellow Poison type, as she moved over to her, smiled at her, and hugged her, causing Seviper to shiver right away. Once again, the Fang Snake Pokemon didn't care for the feeling of Grimer's slime on her scales, but she still appreciated the reception, doing her best to ignore the slimy sensation and return Grimer's smile. "Hmph! Was there ever any doubt? Uhhh...You can let me go now, Grimer. Thank you."

Grimer immediately released her teammate after that, giggling nervously, while Seviper used her tail to brush any lingering slime off of herself, making sure that the Amulet Coin hanging around her neck was still shinning brilliantly. And while Seviper was admiring her own reflection in her hold item, Salandit was hazing the wild Raticate one more time as it ran off. "Yeah! You better run!" The Toxic Lizard Pokemon then grabbed a handful of vegetables from her bowl, chucked them as hard as she could right at the spot where she last saw the Mouse Pokemon, then snickered to herself a little more. At the same time, Skorupi, Croagunk, and Koffing all smiled at their serpentine friend as well, very impressed with her performance during the battle. It became clear to all of Team Toxic that Seviper had some real potential, defeating an opponent three levels higher than she was, and with minimal damage.

Naturally, Venom himself was very pleased with this result too, clapping his hands a few times while smiling at Seviper. Sure, he did feel kind of bad for the wild Raticate, but he knew that feeding wild Pokemon, though kind, was also not the best idea. It was better for everyone if wild Pokemon just continued to fend for themselves and didn't become too dependent on handouts from humans. It may have seemed cruel to some, but this was nature's way. "Impressive, Seviper. Very impressive. It's as I always thought. I wasn't wrong to recruit you to this team, and I'm so glad that I did. Still, it never hurts to be a little extra prepared. Which is why I'd like to give Grimer and Koffing these." All eyes fell on Venom after that, as the six poisonous Pokemon waited to see what the ninja would pull out of his bag for the Sludge and Poison Gas Pokemon, respectively.

Soon enough, Venom located the items he was looking for, pulled them out of his bag, and presented them to Grimer and Koffing. "For Grimer, Black Sludge, which will heal her up little by little every round. And for Koffing, the Cleanse Tag, which is gonna make training you new recruits a lot easier. Trust me." The ninja placed the Black Sludge in Grimer's slimy hands and attached the Cleanese Tag to the right side of Koffing's body, almost like an earring. Not that Koffing had any ears to speak of, of course. "Wow! This is so cool! Thanks so much, master!" Grimer smiled up at Venom, very happy with her gift, and it was the same for Koffing. "I don't really get it, but I love it! You're the best, master!"

With that, half of Team Toxic had hold items. "Hey, what about the rest of us? We don't get anything?" Croagunk turned and asked Venom in a joking tone of voice, with a small smirk present on his face. He wasn't actually complaining or anything. The Toxic Mouth Pokemon just wanted to poke fun at his trainer a bit, which Venom understood right away and played along. "Oh, don't worry. I've got items set aside for all of you. You just don't need 'em right now, and I'd kinda like to see how far you can get without any. Besides, Seviper and Koffing's hold items benefit us all. Not just themselves. And to be fair, Grimer didn't get any TMs like the rest of you did." After taking a minute to think it over, all of the Poison type Pokemon realized that their trainer was right, and that his current system was fair enough for the time being.

"We know that you have our best interests at heart, master. Thank you. We'll all continue to work hard, get stronger, and make you and all Poison type Pokemon proud." Skorupi was the last to comment, offering her trainer a smile and a bow along with her words. Her friends and comrades all agreed right away, which Venom really appreciated, returning Skorupi's smile and bow. "I don't doubt it, but thank you, my friends. I'll keep on doing my best for all of you too. Now, let's finish eating before anything else happens to spoil our meal." And just like that, Team Toxic returned to their dinner, finishing it up a few minutes later. From there, it was clean up time, as they all helped out and stayed alert for any other wild Pokemon or trainers that might appear through the darkness of the night.

OOC: I'll pass on teaching Seviper Glare. However, I would like to give Venom's Black Sludge to Grimer to hold, and his Cleanse Tag to Koffing to hold. Thanks.