One Good Theft Deserves Another [MM] [F]

[Venominon]

Having finally defeat Bugsy in his long-awaited gym battle, Shinya was feeling on top of the world, walking through the streets of Azalea Town with his head held high. He didn't just defeat Bugsy in battle. He had done a pretty good job of destroying the Bug type gym leader, his Pokemon, and his gym as a whole. And while most people probably wouldn't have been so proud of such harsh acts, Shinya definitely wasn't "most people". The Alolan trainer had completed one of the big goals he had set for himself before even coming to the Johto region and couldn't wait to tell his bros' and sis' back home all about it. So, if anything, this was a time for celebration.

After making a quick stop at a local convenience store to get a few snacks, drinks, and other supplies, Shinya headed into the forest just outside of Azalea Town. Luckily, it didn't take him very long to locate an empty clearing in the middle of a bunch of bushes and trees. And after he had, Shinya let out all six of his Pokemon and played a loud victory tune on his phone. "We did it, everyone! Thanks to all your efforts, Bugsy is now pickin' his shattered pride, and a good amount of debris from his gym, up off the floor! So, it's time to party! Live it up, everyone! Y'all earned it!" The Team Skull grunt grinned big as he addressed his Pokemon, raising his right fist as high into the air as it could go.

In response to this extremely pleasant surprise, all six of Shinya's Pokemon cheered as loud as they could. With the exception of Anorith, who simply yawned, but was still happy to hear that she wasn't called out for another battle. Additionally, those who hadn't seen Scizor yet were a bit surprised by Scyther's evolution, but that surprise was overshadowed by the victory party. With that, the festivities had begun. Wimpod was gorging himself on potato chips, Sizzlipede was dancing to the music with a fire going all around him, Anorith had a pair of headphones on and was snoozing under a nearby tree, Joltik and Yanma were taking shots at several targets Shinya set up with pictures of all the gym leaders they hadn't yet faced in battle on them with various attacks and giggling like schoolgirls at their handy work, and Shinya and Scizor were engaging in some good old' fashioned arm wrestling, grinning at each other with neither side willing to give up easily. Scizor may not have had any fingers, but they made it work, tying their arms together with some cloth.

With various other activities to take part in, Shinya and his Pokemon continued to party for literal hours, as day soon turned to night. With the moon now hanging over their heads, the victory party finally started to wind down. However, the party didn't end on its own. It ended when Team Skull received a surprise and uninvited guest, as a lone Pokemon ranger appeared through the trees. Having never gotten along with these people before, Shinya narrowed his eyes at him, finishing another can of soda, crushing the empty can on his head, and throwing it over his shoulder before addressing the ranger. "A bit late to be skulkin' around, isn't it? What do ya want, ranger?" Shinya's team of Bug type Pokemon gathered around as the ranger spoke, all of them listening to his answer.

Admittedly, they were a little surprised by it, not expecting a Munchlax to be running around a forest in Johto, far away from its native home, and stealing food from people. The Pokemon ranger also introduced himself as Raiden, then went on to ask for Shinya's help in tracking down the thieving Munchlax. Clearly, Raiden was blissfully unaware of everything Shinya and his Pokemon had just done to Bugsy and his Pokemon, but Shinya chose not to dwell on that and just accept the free pass. While normally the Alolan trainer would've looked the other way and deemed this to be not his problem, he did see this as an opportunity to possibly score his team some more useful items and such. "I see. That's interestin'. If we see that Munchlax, you'll be the first to know." Shinya lied through his teeth, giving the ranger a fake smile as he waited for him to leave.

Raiden then thanked Shinya and his Pokemon for their help, then turned around to leave, out of sight in just under two minutes. "Boss, are we really going to help that ranger and the people of this town?" Scizor asked Shinya what all the Bug types were thinking, but only he already had a pretty good idea of what the answer would be, his eyes narrowed on his trainer. "Tch. Heck no. I don't give a damn what happens to his region or the people who live in it. You all know that. But hey, it sounds like this Munchlax has been hoardin' food for quite some time now. Who knows? Maybe it's got somethin' rare and tasty in its stockpile. If we find it first, we can take that stockpile for ourselves, and that glutton will take the fall. Everyone will think it just ate all the food before we could get it back. Ya feelin' me?"

Shinya's fake smile was replaced by his usual grin, and as all of his Pokemon listened to him, Yanma, Joltik, and Sizzlipede all started to grin too. At the same time, Scizor nodding in confirmation, Anorith was still sleeping, and Wimpod was shaking at the thought of venturing through the woods at night. "Oh jeez...D-Do we really...have to do this, boss?...I'm sure we'll find good stuff somewhere else...Somewhere with better lighting maybe..." Joltik then skittered on top of Wimpod's body, giving him some encouragement in her own hyperactive way, still very buzzed after the party they all just had. "Awww, c'mon, Wimpod! It can't hurt! Or maybe it could! But who cares?! We have the boss with us! And has he ever steered us wrong?! Don't answer that!" The Attaching Pokemon then giggled uncontrollably, rolling around on the Turn Tail Pokemon's back.

"I'm all for it! Let's find this bottomless pit and burn its face off! Burn! Burn! Burn!" Sizzlipede was already raring to go, turning up his body temperature and burning the grass all around himself to ash. "I agree with the pyro. Let's do it! It'll be fun! Besides, I still need to bash some heads in, since I didn't get to take down any of Bugsy's Pokemon myself." Yanma seconded Sizzlipede's desire for violence, feeling some rather strong violent impulses herself. All the while, Anorith was still snoozing, and even talked in her sleep a bit. "...More ice cream, Mr. Eiscue...Please...I promise I won't break your face again...probably..." All eyes were on the sleeping Old Shrimp Pokemon after that, but as confused as they were by her dream, they mostly just figured that she was on board with Shinya's plan too.

"Well, y'all heard Anorith. Looks like the party's over. Let's get this place cleaned up, then go look for that thievin' glutton." Shinya declared, then he and his Pokemon worked together to clean up what was left of their victory party. Sure, they could've just left all the leftover food and drinks out and waited for Munchlex to come to them, but there weren't any guarantees that it would even show up, and they had to make sure that they got to it before anyone else did. So, even though he still wasn't totally sold on this plan of action, Wimpod devoured all of the remaining trash, doing his best to calm his nerves at the same time. It took about thirty minutes, but once the clean-up was done, Shinya called all six of his Pokemon back to their respective Pokeballs, then turned to face another part of the forest. He didn't have much to go on about where the Big Eater Pokemon could be hiding, but he did have half a bag of potato chips, holding it up and shaking it like a bag of Meowth food as he ventured deeper into the dark forest. "Come and get it, Munchlax!"

OOC: Obviously, since Shinya's lowest leveled Pokemon is level 22, I'll take the hard mode version of this quest please. Also, before the quest officially begins, I'd like to place the Hawlucha in Shinya's party into his PC and withdraw Wimpod in its place. Additionally, could someone please remove the part of Yanma's text where it says that she still has the Amulet Coin? Anorith has it now, and that's kinda been buggin' me. Thanks a bunch.

[Pixel]

Path One Chosen: Investigate the Woods (Hard Mode)

---

Shinya had his bag of chips and stomped deeper into the foggy woods, rattling said bag like it was full of Skitty treats and he was searching for a lost feline. Of course, his careless tone and words said otherwise. But it wasn't exactly easy to find the munchlax, or at least, not as easy as Shinya might have hoped. Wild pokemon skittered away as his shoes crunched on dried leaf litter and sticks, and he would be faintly aware of some birds peering down upon him from the canopy. There's no real obvious clues to work off of yet, so he really was just wandering about, making as much noise as he could in hopes of attracting the big eater to him.

So it was just a matter of time before he accidentally annoyed one of the wild pokemon that saw him as a trespasser in their territory. Or in the case of a certain red bug, agitated by its nap being interrupted. This gang of pokemon and their human were just so loud! Did they have no idea that some pokemon needed to sleep this time of day? The venipede tried its hardest to curl up and go back to sleep, but to no avail. Just more stomping and rattling and talking.

URG!

With a huff, the venipede left its tree hollow and hissed at Shinya and crew.

<Will you all just be quiet?! Some of us are nocturnal and you're out here making enough ruckus to wake the dead!>

A [LV 24] Venipede is very annoyed to be woken up!
What will Shinya do?

[Venominon]

Even though it was the middle of the night, and the thick fog had his surrounded on all sides, Shinya displayed absolutely no fear, continuing his trek through the woods. All the while, continuing to shake the bag of dried potato slices in his hands, sending the sound out as far as possible. The Team Skull grunt was keenly aware of all the wild Pokemon around him, but the fog made it next to impossible to see what species they were. Nevertheless, Shinya kept a tight grasp on the bag of chips as he strode, knowing that if Munchlax wanted them, it would have to get close enough for Shinya to see it in order to steal them. And when that time came, Shinya would seize his chance and send out one of his loyal Bug type Pokemon to attack the lone Normal type. As one might surmise, Munchlax wasn't exactly known for its speed, so a quick escape by the Big Eater Pokemon was definitely beyond the realm of possibility.

That being said, Shinya's plan was still far from perfect. For one thing, there was a very real chance that most, if not all, of the wild Pokemon out here were hungry. So, one of them could've also confronted the Alolan trainer in an attempt to steal the bag of chips for itself. And for another thing, there was also a chance that all the noise Shinya was making could end up rousing a sleeping Pokemon from its slumber, causing it to become enraged and confront Shinya before he got anywhere near the Munchlax. Much like the wild Venipede, whose loud hissing caught Shinya's attention right away, as he immediately turned his head in the direction of said hissing. The Bug type trainer then listened to what the Centipede Pokemon had to say as it came into his field of vision through the fog and looked down at it with a facial expression of pure exasperation, responding to its protests with a tone of voice to match.

"Oh, you're gonna get it. Ya want sleep, ya little chump? I'll help ya sleep for a year! Flame on, Sizzlipede!" Annoyed by the Venipede's choice of words and tone of voice, as well as the fact that it interrupted Shinya's searching for the thieving Munchlax, Shinya used his free hand to grab Sizzlipede's Pokeball from his bag and tossed it up into the air. The brilliant flash of light that followed shone even through the fog, as did the glow that came from the Radiator Pokemon's blazing hot body. "Alright! Let's go, Munchlax! I'm ready for ya! Ya like food?! Well, you're toast!" Sizzlipede had been expecting the Big Eater Pokemon to be the first opponent he faced as soon as he emerged from his red and white sphere, but then went silent for a moment, rather surprised to see a fellow centipede Pokemon instead. "Huh?! Wait a minute, who's this?! I wanna burn somethin' bigger and stronger! Not this puny little shrimp!"

The Bug/Fire type openly voiced his displeasure at this unwelcome surprise, glaring at Venipede while his body heat continued to rise with every word. "Ya took the words right outta my mouth, Sizzlipede! So, let's get this obstacle outta the way and get back to the real reason we're here! Use Flame Wheel! And if this chump protects itself, then use Flame Wheel again!" As Shinya gave Sizzlipede his orders, he kept in mind that Venipede knew Protect, and often threw up a barrier whenever they felt threatened. Unfortunately for the Poison/Bug type, Sizzlipede had flames for days. "This chump better not block my attack! Because if it does, then I'll make sure the second attack is even hotter than the first! So very hot! Hot! Hot! Hot!" With his body growing even hotter, Sizzlipede rolled into a burning wheel, then sped straight towards the angry Venipede without even a single shred of mercy to be had.

OOC: Running Shoes used.

[Pixel]

FIRE!

The venipede curled up into a tight ball and braced itself against the incoming onslaught of fiery charges. BAM! It was thrown back into a rock. It curled even tighter on itself. BAM! It managed to endure another flaming assault as it was rolled across the leaf litter. It had singe marks all over its outer shell now. They stung and it made an uncomfortable noise. Oh. Oh what was a bug to do when faced with FIRE?

<Quit it! You're going to burn my home down, you brute.> it groused at the centipede.

And clearly, it was not the munchlax that they were looking for out here. But where could it be? The fog and gloom was thick and this bug didn't look like it was hiding a hungry, hungry mammal in its den or anything. It stayed a nervous ball, clearly not willing to unfurl itself and fight quite yet. For all its venom and vinegar, it was a rather passive pokemon in a battle.


Wild Encounter

---

Weather: FOG

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

[attr="class","qkt-wild-pkmn"]
Wild Venipede  LV 24
HP 16% [9/55]

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

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

[attr="class","qkt-trainer-pkmn"]
Sizzlipede  LV 22
HP 100% [60/60]

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

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

Wild Venipede [Poison Point]: Status; Defense +2
Sizzlipede [White Smoke]: Status

SP39 Venipede used defense curl
SP31 Sizzlipede used flame wheel
SP39 Venipede used defense curl
SP31 Sizzlipede used flame wheel

SPOILER: Click to show

Move? 4XM_taBm1-4 defense curl
Move? 1-4 defense curl
Burn? 1-100
Burn? 1-100
Poisoned? 1-100
Poisoned? 1-100

1-4·1-4·1-100·1-100·1-8·1-8

[Venominon]

Sizzlipede, much like his trainer, was relentless. Absolutely relentless. Even as a fellow Bug type Pokemon, and a fellow centipede, Sizzlipede had absolutely no sympathy to offer the wild Venipede, keeping the red-hot flames coming. Not only that, but the leaf litter all around them quickly caught on fire as a result of the Radiator Pokemon's blazing onslaught. But, of course, that's exactly how Sizzlipede liked it. "That's the idea, chump! Ya shouldn't have mouthed off to the boss! Ya should've just stayed in your hidey hole like the weak Bug type you are! But it's too late for that now! All that awaits ya is fire! Fire! And more fire! So much fire!" The Bug/Fire type yelled right back at the Bug/Poison type, the heat coming off of his body growing even hotter, if that was even possible at this point.

As this onslaught of flames and words went on, Shinya maintained his grin, enjoying the show taking place before his eyes quite a lot. "Tch. This chump isn't even puttin' up a fight. It was brave enough to come out and yell at me but shrunk back into its shell the moment one of my Pokemon showed up. Not that I was expectin' anythin' else. Same as ever. All bark, and no bite. And it's gotta be cookin' inside that shell by now. Grilled Venipede ain't really my thing, but maybe the smell will attract Munchlax better than these chips will." Although the Alolan trainer wasn't nearly as hot as his Pokemon was, he more than made up for it by pilling on his own words, doing so in a very disrespectful tone of voice, gesturing to the bag of potato chips in his hand while doing so. Still, regardless of the circumstances, this battle had to be finished before anyone could move on with their evening.

Unfortunately for Venipede, it seemed as though the Centipede Pokemon had chosen the wrong hill to die on. And hopefully, that would stay nothing more than a figure of speech. "I hope Munchlax likes its food well done! Hit it again, Sizzlipede! Use Flame Wheel again!" Keeping the pressure, and the heat, on high, Shinya called for a repeat of Sizzlipede's best move, hoping that this would be the one that finally ended this cooking class. "I don't know about Munchlax, but I sure do! And even after our victory party, I'm still feelin' very hungry! Hungry for flames! Flames of pain!" Truth be told, Sizzlipede wasn't even sure if that made sense or not, but he just rolled with it anyway. Literally. Once again, Sizzlipede rolled into a ring of fire, then sped towards Venipede with as much speed, power, and heat as he could muster.

OOC: Thanks for another reply, Pixel, but ya made a little typo. Shinya's Sizzlipede's ability is White Smoke, not Flash Fire.

[Caramell 🍬]

The fires burned around them, making the fog that naturally obscured the land denser and harder to see anything through. Thick, black billowing smoke mingled with the delicate droplets suspended in air that created a strange, white haze, and the two battled against each other for dominance. Venipede spun around and hissed as it narrowed its eyes firmly on the fire-monster of a bug it fought against. “I didn’t mouth off to anyone!” The small centipede insisted angrily, stomping its many small black legs into the grass ground underfoot. “I just told ya’ll we wanna sleep! And WE DO! I can SHOW YOU MOUTHING OFF you overgrown caterpillar!” It snapped angrily at its opponent.

Venipede rushed through the tall grasses that tickled its sides and swung its two banner-like tails in Sizzlipede’s direction. The tail, illuminated through the smoke and fog as a bright purple light surrounded them, slammed into Sizzlipede’s side and knocked the bug temporarily off-course, sputtering to a stop close to the flames it had unleashed upon the grounds. No doubt, if the fires continued to spread out of control as they were, then firefighters would soon descend upon the scene to put them out. But that was possibly a concern for another moment. “NOW LEAVE US ALONE IN PEACE, YOU MONSTERS!” Venipede spat angrily on the ground with a triumphant huff.

Sizzlipede rose up above the smoke and fog with a strange smirk. Flames cloaked its entire body once more, before the bright red centipede curled up once more. He spun across the ground and slammed into the red-and-green hard-shelled centipede with all of his might, sending it flying back through the thick grasses and tall trees in a defeated lump. As the Venipede hurriedly scurried off deeper into the forest, several more crawled – out of the trees, through the grasses, leaping over the shortest flames and risking their very lives – to surround Shinya and his team. They hissed angrily, thrumming their tails noisily to create a loud buzz that stirred in the air around them.

A small blue bear with cream-color markings popped up quietly behind a tree just out of the flame’s reach and called out to Shinya and his team with a loud growl. It waved to them to get their attention, then gestured for Shinya and his team to quickly follow it. Should Shinya listen, the small bear cub would lead them far away from the other Venipede’s who hoped to attack Shinya and his team by shear force along – considering there was possibly over thirty of them alone – and to a safe and secluded spot in the woods. There was a tree nearby with a hollow center, stuffed full of different assortments of food. Cakes, cookies, melons, fruits, and berries to name a few were crammed inside of the large tree, obviously being used for storage.

Wild Encounter

---

Weather: FOG

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

[attr="class","qkt-wild-pkmn"]
Wild Venipede LV 24
HP 0% [0/55]

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

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

[attr="class","qkt-trainer-pkmn"]
Sizzlipede LV 22
HP 68% [41/60]

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

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

Wild Venipede [Poison Point]: Fainted
Sizzlipede [White Smoke]: Healthy

SP39 Venipede used Poison Tail!
SP31 Sizzlipede used Flame Wheel!

---

Sizzlipede gains +3 levels.
Sizzlipede increased to Level 25!
Sizzlipede is trying to learn Coil!
Forget a move and learn Coil?
Sizzlipede grew closer to Shinya. +1
Sizzlipede increased to +9 Happiness!

Munchlax is trying to lead Shinya to Safety!

Follow Munchlax (Lv 26)?

[Venominon]

Given the rising temperature of Sizzlipede's body, smacking him with its tails probably wasn't the best course of action on Venipede's part. Nor was the Centipede Pokemon's decision to raise its voice at the Radiator Pokemon, as its words only served to further fuel the fires of rage. Literally. "AND I CAN SHOW YOU WHAT THE INSIDE OF AN OVEN LOOKS LIKE, YOU WEAK, STUBBY, SORRY EXCUSE FOR A CENTIPEDE!" With forest fires continuing to spread all around them, Sizzlipede struck the final fiery blow that caused Venipede to retreat back to its lair. Or whatever was left of said lair by that point. Truly, Venipede had been burned by Sizzlipede, in more ways than one.

"Haha! Yeah, that's right! Keep on runnin', ya toxic little entree! Come back and we'll finish cookin' ya, then serve ya with these chips!" Shinya laughed out loud, then yelled at the defeated Venipede as it scurried off, threatening it and shaking the bag of chips in his hand once more while doing so. However, what happened next caught both Shinya and Sizzlipede by surprise, causing the two of them to lose their smirks instantly. In the space of only ten seconds, Team Skull had found themselves surrounded by a swarm of angry Venipedes. Still, even in the face of these overwhelming odds, Sizzlipede kept his body temperature red hot, glaring right back at the angry swarm as he yelled some more. "Oh please! If you're tryin' to intimidate me, it ain't gonna work! Ya really think ya little scrubs can beat me?! Do ya?! Well, good luck! I'll take y'all on! And I'll burn y'all to a crisp! Just me! I dare ya!"

As much as Shinya would've loved to agree with the latest addition to his team, he knew full well that even with his type advantage, there was no way Sizzlipede would be able to beat so many Venipede all by himself. So, maintaining his composure, the Alolan trainer reached for some more Pokeballs from his bag. But then, before he got the chance to give Sizzlipede some back up, the sounds of some foreign growls managed to reach Shinya's ears, even with all the buzzing from the Poison/Bug types. Quickly turning his head, Shinya's eyes grew wide, landing on the very Pokemon Team Skull had set out to find. Seeing that it wanted him to follow it, Shinya decided to play along, not that he had much of a choice, given his current predicament. "Sorry, Sizzlipede! We're gonna have to let these scrubs off the hook this time! We've got bigger fish to fry!"

The Bug type trainer quickly called Sizzlipede back to his Pokeball, then put it away, turned around, jumped up, and grabbed onto a low hanging tree branch. Shinya then used said branch to swing himself over the pack of Venipedes, then ran for it, following Munchlax back to its home. Yes, Shinya hated running away from a fight, but he was more interested in stealing Munchlax's stockpile for himself than he was about frying up a swarm of Centipede Pokemon. And if he wasted his time battling so many wild Pokemon, chances were that Munchlax would escape from his sight, and he may never find it again. At least not before Pokemon Ranger Raiden or somebody else did. Shinya chose not to dwell on the "What ifs" though, far more distracted by the sight of Munchlax's food stockpile, coming to a complete stop as soon as he reached the Big Eater Pokemon's home. "Damn...That's some haul ya got there, big guy."

OOC: I'll pass on having Sizzlipede learn Coil. Thanks.

[Tiki]

The Munchlax didn't know that Shinya was sort0of helping-- but totally don't care-- the town's missing food problem. The Munchlax was simply just trying to help the human get away from the Venipede. It went into its stash quickly, as it needed to eat after running from the Venipede. It grabbed a fresh-ish pineapple upside down cake and gulped it down in one go. Nope, that wasn't enough! Its arms grabbed some oranges and strawberries from the fruit pile, and then quickly inhaled the fruits to rehydrate itself. After that, it burped in relief.

It had no intent to share with Shinya. Nope, not at all! It was its stash!!

Turning around, it saw that Shinya was still there. The normal type Pokemon used both arms to point at a certain direction, telling the bug-type trainer to move away and go on. Should Shinya decided to stay, the Munchlax would feel threatened to protect its stash, and prepare itself for a battle at least!

---

The (Level 26) Munchlax is defending its stash!

[Venominon]

After watching Munchlax chow down on the multiple food items it had stockpiled in its stash, doing so with an unsurprised look upon his face, Shinya took a moment to look all around, checking to make sure the Venipede swarm didn't follow them. Fortunately, this proved to be a far simpler task than it would've been a few minutes ago, as the fog had finally lifted, giving way to a rather chilly and half frozen environment. Shinya wasn't too bothered by it though, glad to see that the fog was gone, and the Centipede Pokemon had chosen not to give chase. "Well, that's another batch of sore losers who won't be catchin' Shinya Stinger todAAAAAAAYYYYYY! OOF!" As he spoke, the Bug type trainer ended up slipping on some ice and falling onto his back, hard. Thankfully, his pride was more injured than his body was at that moment.

"...Thank Arceus no one was here to see that." Shinya said out loud in a tone of exasperation, with a similar expression on his face, laying back in the ice for a full minute before finally deciding to get back on his feet. This definitely wasn't his finest moment though, as he was forced to grab onto a nearby tree branch to help get his balance, mentally picturing his fellow Team Skull members having a laugh or two at his expense. It took about five minutes, but the green-haired trainer was finally able to get back up on his feet, turning to face the Big Eater Pokemon yet again. By the time he did, the Normal type was pointing off in another direction and telling him to leave, not looking or sounding very hospitable. Naturally, Shinya didn't take too kindly to this, especially after his little slip and fall routine.

"Oh, so ya help me out of a jam, then I slip and fall while ya stuff your face, and now ya want me to hit the road? No way. I don't think so, tubby. Instead, here's my counter proposal. Step aside and gimme all your food or stick around and my Pokemon and I will serve you a knuckle sandwich." The Alolan trainer wasn't really angry, grinning as he spoke, already knowing full well what Munchlax's response would be. And that's exactly what Shinya was hoping for, as he had already withdrawn a Pokeball from his bag, swapping it out for the half-eaten bag of chips he had been carrying for a while. "Yeah, that's pretty much what I thought! You Munchlax's are so predictable! But that's fine! Let's see how ya like it when someone chews on you! Let's go, Wimpod!" With one good throw, the entire area lit up, as the small Turn Tail Pokemon emerged from his spherical storage device.

However, unlike his trainer, Wimpod wasn't the least bit happy about being sent in to battle such a large foe, especially in such cold weather. "...B-B-Brrrr...When did it g-get so cold?...And w-why am I b-battling this b-behemoth?...Surely one of the others...c-could handle it b-better than I could..." True to form, Wimpod looked up at Munchlax and shivered as he spoke, but not just out of fear for once. And although the Bug/Water type wasn't technically wrong, Shinya refused to call him back, and instead gave him his orders. "Behemoth?! Please! You've fought bigger foes than this! Remember that giant Magikarp on the Secluded Island?! Of course, ya do! Now, suck it up and use Sand Attack, then right into Leech Life!" Once again, Wimpod was left with no choice but to obey his trainer, making use of his speed as he skittered over to Munchlax, then quickly gathered up as much sand as he could off the icy ground and hurled it all at his opponent, planning to sink his fangs into Munchlax's hide after the sand had done its job.

OOC: Running Shoes used.

[Pixel]

Shinya made a whole lot of hype about how he was disrespected and how munchlax needed to hand over his stash...but the moment wimpod threw sand in its face...the Munchlax looked a little confused as to what was going on and why it wasn't eating all these tasties right behind it. So the munchlax turned around and went back to eating. NOMP! Fist full over fist full of snacks. Wimpod then lunged at it back, taking a large, terrible bite into its fatty body—

Then bounced off.

There was a bruise where the wimpod bit down and leeched away a good chunk of health, enough to put many pokemon on par with it in level into KO range. But the munchlax only looked around, still baffled, rubbed its back with one paw before going back to eating. The slippery ground under its feet hardly mattered when it wasn't running around trying to battle. There was a certain path to victory here, but it might be a slow one. The munchlax was a sturdy pokemon that was unfazed by the wimpod's initial attacks.

Or maybe it was like a slowpoke and just slow to react to stimuli?

Wild Encounter

---

Weather: Slippery

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

[attr="class","qkt-wild-pkmn"]
Munchlax  LV 26
HP 73% [83/114]

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

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

[attr="class","qkt-trainer-pkmn"]
Wimpod LV 25
HP 100% [55/55]

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

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

Munchlax [Thick Fat]: Status; -1 ACC, +4 SP DEF, +1 SP
Wimpod [Wimp Out]: Status, +1 SP

SP52 Wimpod used sand attack
SP15 Munchlax used Amnesia
SP52 Wimpod used leech life
SP15 Munchlax used Amnesia


Move? orWR0ssY1-4
Move? 1-41-4·1-4

[Venominon]

As they watched Munchlax chow down on its stockpile of food and completely ignore them, both Shinya and Wimpod stared at the Normal type Pokemon's back, flabbergasted. Nothing like this had ever happened to Shinya, or any other members of Team Skull before. In the past, even if a grunt's Pokemon failed to inflict any significant damage, the opponent would always strike back regardless. However, this phenomenon was something that Wimpod had experienced before, during his days as a wild Pokemon. No matter how hard he or his fellow Turn Tail Pokemon tried, no other wild Pokemon would ever take them seriously, and they always ended up being the ones that got beaten in the end. And so, as the initial surprise wore off, Wimpod found himself gazing at the icy ground with a disheartened look in his eyes, and speaking in a tone that perfectly matched those eyes.

"...I guess even with a strong move and some Silver Powder, I'm still just the same, wimpy Pokemon that I've always been...I'm sorry, boss...I knew it all along...You should call on someone else for this battle...and many more afterward too..." Listening to his own Pokemon's self-pity was more than enough to drive Shinya up a wall, even more so than being ignored by his current adversary. Looking down at Wimpod, the Alolan trainer glared, clenched his fists, grit his teeth, and took a moment to collect his thoughts before yelling out so loudly that the ice all around him nearly shattered. "STOW THE ATTITUDE, WIMPOD!" Shinya's voice echoed out in all directions through the dark forest, causing Wimpod's, and probably every other Pokemon within a mile radius', eyes to widen with shock, with the Bug/Water type turning to face his trainer just in time to hear him shout some more.

"I've told ya before! There's no room on Team Skull for wimps! I knew that damn well when I bought ya from that other trainer! Ya weren't weak then, and you're not weak now! Matter of fact, you've improved a lot since then! So, stop feelin' sorry for yourself! Nobody on this team doubts your potential! Don't ya remember?! When we met, I vowed to make ya into a strong Golisopod that would put even my big bro's to shame! That vow hasn't changed! That's why you're the one out here battlin' instead of Scizor, Anorith, or Joltik! So, get it together, will ya?! If there's one thing I can't stand, it's when my own Pokemon doubt themselves while I believe in 'em!" Despite the sheer volume of his voice, and the expression of pure rage upon his face, Shinya's voice was filled to the brim with feelings of determination, confidence, and even hopefulness.

Those feelings flowed into Wimpod's small body with every single word that Shinya shouted out, slowly but surely filling the Turn Tail Pokemon with the very same emotions. A full five minutes later, with the image of one day evolving into a powerful Golisopod now fresh in his mind, Wimpod gained a facial expression of confidence and determination before turning back towards Munchlax. "Thanks for that, boss! I'm sorry! It won't happen again! I won't lie! I am still plenty scared, but that doesn't mean I can't do this! I promise that I'll become a Golisopod that our whole team can be proud of one day!" And just like that, Shinya started to grin once again, already feeling quite proud of Wimpod, as he gave the small Pokemon his next order. "That's more like it! Now, go show that glutton why it's a mistake to ignore us! Use Leech Life again!" With renewed resolve, and great speed, Wimpod skittered across the frozen ground and over to Munchlax yet again, his fangs ready and able to drain even more life out of the wild Pokemon.

[Tarlar]

That made the munchlax react. It jumped when Shinya shouted and looked baffled over his shoulder, what was going on? Was he trying to attract every single venipede living in a 30 miles radius? It slowly raised the snacks it had in its paws to its mouth and began chewing as it watched the drama curious, there was something about being entertained while eating, that it wouldn't complain about continued.

When Wimpod turned back to it, with renewed confidence, Munchlax tilted its head a bit as the other pokemon had looked sad, and the human and sounded angry. You weren't yourself when you were hungry, you felt so weak and got easily frustrated, perhaps they would need a little snack before they left? It hesitated and waggled a finger thoughtfully in front of its face, then it turned its back on Shinya and Wimpod again, just as the turn tail pokemon scrambled forward and bit down on the well protected fat hide of the big eater pokemon, it didn't seem to notice.

It turned having pulled some pancakes with syrup on top from its pile, the syrup was extra sticky since it was cold but not really frozen. Munchlax smilled reassuringly to Wimpod, now he was going to get a snack, become happy and get the strength to go home again. It threw the whole stash at Wimpod and it splattered out all over him, with the syrup slowly running down his side and slowing his movement as it got more and more stuck and solid in the cold. It tasted wonderfully if he should try eat some of it, but he obviously couldn't reach all which was stuck on him.


Wild Encounter

---

Weather: Slippery

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

[attr="class","qkt-wild-pkmn"]
Munchlax  LV 26
HP 48% [55/114]

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

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

[attr="class","qkt-trainer-pkmn"]
Wimpod LV 25
HP 67% [37/55]

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

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

Munchlax [Thick Fat]: Normal (-1 ACC, +4 SP DEF. +1SPD)
Wimpod [Wimp Out]: Normal (Silver Powder)

SP52 Wimpod used Leech Life!
SP15 22 Munchlax used Metronome, it became Syrup Bomb!


(ooc: Note, Syrup bomb will lower Wimpod's speed by 1, for each of the next 2 turns (three rounds in total))

[Venominon]

Shinya and Wimpod had expected a lot of things from the Big Eater Pokemon, but being hit with a stack of pancakes was definitely not one of them. Especially after Wimpod had taken the time to throw some sand in the wild Normal type's face. Needless to say, the Bug type duo had become rather dumbfounded, standing there in silence for a full minute, just slowly processing this unexpected move from their opponent. Once that was done, Wimpod licked some of the syrup off of his body, and did find it to be quite tasty, despite how old it was. "Mmmm...So sweet! Thanks for the snack!" The Bug/Water type said to Munchlax in a happy and grateful tone of voice, skittering right over to the discarded pancakes and eagerly devouring them. Being that most Wimpods were used to eating garbage, the age of the breakfast items didn't bother him in the slightest, as he enjoyed a round of night breakfast.

Although Wimpod had become a little distracted from the battle at hand, Shinya didn't object to this, figuring that Wimpod could use a little treat after feeling so down a few moments ago. Still, the Alolan trainer did notice something strange, narrowing his eyes at his Pokemon slightly. When Wimpod skittered over to the pancakes, he wasn't moving as fast as he was during his first two attacks against Munchlax. Fortunately, Munchlax already wasn't a very fast Pokemon, meaning that the odds were still on Team Skull's side in terms of overall speed. Plus, using Leech Life, Wimpod could regain lost HP before Munchlax could have the chance to attack again. And even if Munchlax did manage to severely wound Wimpod somehow, the Turn Tail Pokemon could always use his ability, Wimp Out, to switch places with another Pokemon in Shinya's party.

That being said, they still hadn't seen everything that this Munchlax could do just yet. So, keeping his guard up, Shinya waited for Wimpod to finish eating, then gave him his next order. "We appreciate the snacks, fatty, but I think those pancakes will go quite nicely with another round of your HP! Wimpod, use Leech Life again! Wash down those sweets with a healthy dose of that glutton's pain!" Although he had taken some damage, Wimpod was feeling more than a little energized after his meal. Clearly, whoever made those pancakes must've been quite the chef. "I'm all over it, boss! It'll take a lot more than a little syrup to slow me down! And it's gonna take a lot more than a few stale pancakes to make Team Skull back off!" With that, both Shinya and Wimpod grinned once more, as Wimpod skittered towards Munchlax with his fangs bared for the third time since this delicious and rather silly bout began.

[Pixel]

It was likely because of how close the wimpod was that what happened next even hit. After throwing the pancakes and covering the wimpod in sticky syrup, the munchlax had returned to rummaging in its food pile. There were odd bottles of things here as well. Stuff with a funny smell that made the munchlax feel all sorts of woozy and wobbly when it drank it. Maybe the wimpod and human would calm down with some of the spicy dizzy water? Oh! Or maybe the human was so angry because of how cold it was getting. Not everyone was as warm as the big eater pokemon with its extra layers of cold resistance! Thus in one hand was a bottle of the spicy dizzy water, and in the other was one of those clicky fire maker things that the humans used to spark up and light their smelly sticks. 

Suddenly, it was hit in the back again, and the Munchlax turned to push the wimpod away and show it what it had to offer to make them less grumpy...and promptly dropped the bottle on the wimpod's head by accident, splashing the spicy water everywhere! Oops... Well...

<Cold?> Munchlax asked, using its paw to manipulate the clicky fire maker and—

FWOOSH!

There was a big rush of fire that burst forth, consuming the wimpod in a terrifying ball of flames that had it making a tactical retreat all the back to Shinya! And right back into his pokeball for that matter! That much fire was not good for anyone!

<Oops...>

Wild Encounter

---

Weather: Slippery

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

[attr="class","qkt-wild-pkmn"]
Munchlax  LV 26
HP 25% [28/114]

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

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

[attr="class","qkt-trainer-pkmn"]
Wimpod LV 25
HP 31% [17/55]

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

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

Munchlax [Thick Fat]: Normal (-1 ACC, +4 SP DEF. +1SPD, -2 SP ATK)
Wimpod [Wimp Out]: Status (Silver Powder); -1 SP (Syrup bomb 2/3)

SP52 Wimpod used Leech Life!
SP15 22 Munchlax used Metronome, it became overheat!

Wimpod's Wimp Out Activated! Please send out next pokemon.

Move? FcfzG3n01-4 Metronome!
Move? 1-904 Overheat!1-4·1-904

[Venominon]

Was this a Pokemon battle or a food fight? At this point, neither Shinya nor Wimpod were sure. Either way, they were in it to win it, and they weren't leaving without some kind of prize from Munchlax's stockpile. Especially not after everything they had gone through since this side quest began. Still, another round of confusion came when Shinya noticed the bottle in Munchlax's paw, recognizing it right away. "Seriously? This glutton stole that stuff of all things? And for that matter, someone in this town had that layin' around? Tch. Maybe this place ain't as peaceful and harmless as it looks after all." Shinya declared in a condescending tone of voice; his arms folded in front of his chest as he did. Being eighteen years of age, of course he recognized the bottle and its contents right away but had absolutely no plans to partake of it himself.

Being part of Team Skull meant that he had to have his wits about him more often than not. So, no thanks. "Huh? What is that stuff, boss? Is it tasty? Can I have some too?" Wimpod didn't have nearly as much life experience as his trainer did though, looking up at the Bug type trainer with a puzzled expression upon his little face. However, Shinya merely shook his head at the Turn Tail Pokemon's questions, choosing to dodge them for the time being. "I'll tell ya when you're older. For now, don't drink that stuff. It'll mess ya up worse than anythin' this glutton could do to ya." The Team Skull grunt had given Wimpod this advice just in time, as Munchlax dumped the contents of the bottle all over Wimpod's small body. Once again, neither trainer nor Pokemon were sure if this action was intentional or not.

However, the moment Shinya saw the lighter in Munchlax's other paw, a gasp escaped his lips and his eyes immediately widened with shock. "OH, DAMN IT! WIMPOD, GET BACK HERE NOW! BEFORE-" Unfortunately, Shinya was too late, the liquid coating Wimpod's body had been ignited, resulting in a flaming explosion that melted all the ice and snow in the surrounding area. It was so intense that Shinya was forced to grab his jacket and raise it to cover his face from both the light and the heat, as he waited for it to be over. Thankfully, the Alolan trainer was far enough away that he didn't end up getting caught in the blast himself, slowly lowering his jacket to see the damage with his own two eyes. Some of the surrounding vegetation was still burning a little, but Munchlax was somehow unharmed. Probably due to the effects of its Thick Fat ability, which pretty much shielded it from all forms of intense heat and cold.

Not seeing Wimpod anywhere, Shinya started to panic a bit, until he saw Wimpod's Pokeball and breathed a sigh of relief. The red light was slowly turning off, meaning that Wimpod activated his own ability, Wimp Out, and fled back to his Pokeball at some point during the explosion. Naturally, Shinya was glad that Wimpod was safe, but now, he had to choose a different Pokemon to take the Bug/Water type's place in this bout. But given the circumstances, Shinya believed that he had the perfect Bug type for the job, exchanging Wimpod's Pokeball for a different one, activating it, and throwing it onto the battlefield as he started to glare at Munchlax. "Oh, you are so gonna pay for that, fatty! Sizzlipede, take over and finish this chump off!" The red and white orb burst open, revealing the same red hot Pokemon that Shinya used to deal with a single wild Venipede not too long ago.

The Radiator Pokemon may have sustained some damage during that battle, but he still had plenty of fight left inside of him. And all the fire and ashes around him only served to stoke his fire that much more. "Woah! What the heck happened here?! Did you guys burn all this stuff and not invite me?! That's cold! Now, gimme somethin' to burn! There's gotta be somethin' left around here, right?! Right?!" The Bug/Fire type's entire body was glowing with heat, and the look in his eyes shouted that he wasn't messing around. Fortunately, his trainer had exactly what he was looking for. "There'll be plenty of time for that later, Sizzlipede! For now, I need ya to finish what Wimpod started! Go use Bug Bite on the fatso over there!" Shinya gave Sizzlipede his orders, pointing right at Munchlax as he did, eager for this battle to finally end. Sizzlipede was a little disappointed that he didn't get to use his fire, but he still obeyed Shinya's command, knowing that his trainer would make good on his word to let him burn stuff once the Big Eater Pokemon was laying on the ground, unconscious and covered in bite marks.