Interlude – Forums VI

Interlude – Forums VI

INTERLUDE - FORUMS VI

Andrew Melendez’s eyes snapped open as soon as his alarm rung. He already knew what time it was and spared no time jumping out of his bed. His leg caught in his cover and he tripped down on the cold, tiled floor.

“Fuck! Arceus damn it...”

Andrew hissed as he rubbed the shoulder and arm he’d fallen on until he heard a voice come from down the hall outside his bedroom.

“Andrew? You good, man?!”

He recognized Jan’s voice and answered right away. “Yep! Just fell off my bed!”

“Okay, well I’m off to work! You have a good one!”

“Thanks Jan!”

Andrew struggled back up to his feet and quickly left his room, snagging anything edible from their small kitchen. He ended up settling on some canned fruits from the pantry. Living in Jubilife was expensive for an eighteen-year-old, and he was only able to afford rent with roommates. Jan, Sandy and he had lived together for three years now, and Sandy had already gone to work. Why hadn’t he left for work yet?

Well, he had called in sick.

Today was a very special day.

Andrew floored it back to his room and sighed when he saw that he still had two minutes left until the battle between Denzel Williams and Grace Pastel. Andrew was no trainer, but battling was his passion and had been as long as he could remember. Unfortunately, he could never imagine himself actually traveling. He’d given it a try once and realized that it wasn’t for him after barely making it through Oreburgh Tunnel with his trusted Meditite. He still battled sometimes in one of the public arenas when he had time, but being a real trainer was out of the picture.

Andrew grabbed his glasses from his bedside table, sat on his desk and clicked at Meditite’s Pokeball. The blue fighting type yawned as he levitated off the floor.

“The stream’s starting soon,” Andrew said as he spooned a mouthful of fruits into his mouth. “You wanted to watch too.”

I did, Meditite answered. But I said I wanted to watch the video of the battle. A stream is unnecessary. You interrupted my meditation.

“Shit— uh, sorry. Well, I’ll leave you to it, then,” Andrew answered, turning on his computer.

Meditite interrupted his levitation for a few moments and opened the door with his psychic powers. He’d probably be alone for a good hour or two. The fighting type shared Andrew’s passion for watching and analyzing battles, but he certainly felt none of the urgency his trainer felt. Two of the best first-years in the Circuit, duking it out for the first time! There were rumors of them having battled at some point in Sandgem, but that was old history and couldn’t be backed up by evidence, since the few trainers that claimed to have been there weren’t recording. Apparently, Denzel had won.

Andrew opened up his browser and logged into DailyTube. His account name was the same as it was anywhere else.

Username: Goalducc42

Password: ●●●●●●●●●●●●●

He slowly munched on the last remaining fruits as he observed the stream. Denzel had panned his camera toward the battlefield, but the crowd in the background was still visible, along with a few in his friend group. The chat was... well, it was what he could have expected from an event this large. Denzel’s chat was always terribly moderated, but today was especially bad despite Pauline King having warned toxic chatters. That only seemed to have triggered them as a flurry of ‘pauLines’ and other nonsense flooded the chat.

S0phinator: SPAM THIS PRETZEL TO SUPPORT DENZEL

Mawawawa343: Why is pauLine talking?

IlllIIIIlI: pauLine

CountBisharp: SPAM THIS VASE TO SUPPORT GRACE

SurelyShirly: pauLine pauLine pauLine pauLine pauLine

WailTank: Gamba where? Modcheck?

Arial22030934: ALL IN ON DENZEL BOYS THE TRAIN NEVER STOPS.

Tuturu: Every time this girl speaks I can’t help but cringe

Phoen1x: Can we get a Grace blink counter going?

Andrew ignored those messages, along with the other spammers. Pauline and Emilia were quite hated among Denzel’s community because he’d garnered a majority female audience and he was objectively quite a good-looking guy. Andrew had been at this for years at this point. The chat was flooding as fast as it did for some tournaments, but he was good at filtering the trash from the valuable commentary. Even in a chat for a live event, nuggets of gold could be found, but he couldn’t deny missing the forums. Just as the battle was about to start, he split his screen and opened the forum live thread on the side of his screen. It seemed that the majority of people were supporting Denzel, but Grace had a sizeable amount of fans as well. Of course, there were also the inflammatory assholes who liked to rile up both sides into fighting each other by manufacturing arguments.

Welcome to the League Circuit Forums! The best website to get any League/Circuit related news!

Trainers → Events

Topic: Denzel v Grace live reaction thread

Original Poster: Denzel_Williams (Verified Trainer)

Date: March 5th 20XX

He quickly scrolled to the bottom of the page and looked at what people were saying.

►Lexie_Jimenez (Verified Trainer)

No way Denzel takes this. Grace is going to win handily because the only useful Pokemon on his team is Froslass. The rest don’t hold any water to the force she brings to the table.

►Xavier_Hester (Verified Trainer)

I said the same thing but I was banned. Shit mods tbh that’s not even toxic compared to half the shit people are saying.

►APETITAN

Tell me you don’t watch the training streams without telling me you don’t watch the training streams. Sorry bestie, you’re both going to be in for a rude awakening.

Andrew groaned. It seemed that the event had been advertised so much that even the forums were annoying to read. Everyone had a take that they thought was the absolute truth, and they couldn’t help but tell it as if it was a fact. He expected the intelligent chatters and users to start rolling in when the fight was in full swing. The man leaned forward as the battle finally started Froslass against Pupitar. If the ice type hadn’t been so tricky, Pupitar would have held the advantage, but Andrew knew Grace would be forced to use the first switch. The two Pokemon started exchanging blows, and Froslass showcased her mastery of Double Team as Andrew glanced at the chat.

Penguindrum: Pupitar kind of washed tbh. Can’t even deal with a basic Double Team.

PokemonEnjoyer234: Froslass is chadded out of her mind right now.

Celestrialcord: Why isn’t she using Payback? I’m pretty sure that Pupitar knows Payback.

Goalducc clenched his teeth and had to refrain himself from @ing the users directly. He knew the opinion of a chat could change on a dime. When Grace finished scouting and recalled Pupitar, more calls of her defeat began to roll in, especially when she released Tangrowth next.

NeonNebbi3: FROSLASS SWEEP!

(Krabbie): People are getting way too hyped up when this thing barely started.

Extendoarm: Already throwing OMEGALOL

1Harpie1: NOOOO GRACE DON’T SEND A GRASS TYPE AGAINST AN ICE TYPE NOOOO SHE HAS EARPODS IN SHE CAN’T HEAR US

Hazsuman: It’s Sopher. I literally bet all of my points on her.

Andrew actually chuckled at that. ‘Sopher’ was a combination of Sophie and Over that had spread like wildfire after Sophie Richards had gotten kicked out of the Prime Minister position and arrested for collaborating with Team Galactic. The chat kept looking the same, with only a few actually realizing that Froslass was in trouble. Grace’s Tangrowth was a monster, and anyone worth their salt knew it. The image of Tangrowth— or Angel, as she called him— running up to your Pokemon and destroying them in complete silence had become an internet phenomenon. It wasn’t until his Leech Seed landed on Froslass that the chat started to change their tune.

Devil_In_Backseat: Wtf how does it not dodge that?!

PkmnTDW: Guys what if Grace wasn’t actually throwing but actually cracked?

RRRER: FUCKING MIDROLL ADS I WANT TO DIE

Undertimex: Why doesn’t she just dodge? Is she stupid?

Vroomvroom: Dodge 4Head Dodge 4Head Dodge 4Head

SleepyGlameow_: Holy shit, did he just detach that vine?!

Indeed, Tangrowth had. Goalducc laughed as the grass type’s vines wrapped around Froslass and her clones. He would have finished her off had Denzel not recalled Froslass at the last moment. The momentum had definitely shifted in Grace’s favor, and now everyone in chat acted like they’d been supporting her all along to save face. Andrew wouldn’t be so sure of her victory, however. It was too early to tell who would win. The next bout began as Grace recalled Tangrowth and sent out Electabuzz to counter Denzel’s Roserade. Her weakness to poison types was well-known, and many people Andrew interacted with enjoyed pointing it out, especially the second-years and above who would be at the Conference and were preparing for her and her friends. Normally, first-years wouldn’t have been singled out like this. After all, they weren’t the only first years that would make it to the Conference. Andrew tracked a lot of them, and he expected twenty-two to make it. Not everyone in Grace’s group was on that list. The usual suspects, her, Denzel, Cecilia, Lauren and Chase were on the list, but the rest were a lot less unsure. Even Mira Compton wasn’t someone Andrew was confident on.

But the reason a lot of the older trainers wanted to put them in the dirt was because they were a lot more fortunate than usual. Incredible sponsors, fame, a closeness with the League never seen with first-years, working with Silph Co, the list went on and on. Grace even looked to be on speaking terms with Jasmine, Olivine’s Gym Leader who was on holiday here and dating Volkner. People were jealous that trainers objectively worse than they were had it better than they did.

►Goalducc42

I can’t wait to see him duke it out with Wake. Going to be an insane battle.

►Chichi

What if Grace figures out how to evolve him?

Andrew blinked at his screen and stood still for a few seconds. That’s impossible, he wanted to answer. And yet, Grace had a closeness to the League that made people think that it was. What if they told her how to do it? They hadn’t yet, or maybe they had, but the requirements couldn’t be fulfilled yet.

►Goalducc42

Then we might have an ace on our hands.

►Donald_Barkley (Verified Trainer)

Dude, Tyranitar clears when she evolves and it’s not even close.

►Goalducc42

I mean, sure. But you know what Volkner can do with his Electivire, and we have no point of reference for Tyranitar. No one owns one in the region. I still don’t know how the fuck she got herself a Larvitar, and a fucking baby at that. They’re always protected by their mother. Even the Hunters didn’t sell them.

►AsobiAsobase

Imagine if she actually spoke to people instead of sticking in her little corner the entire time. Goalducc, you speak to Denzel like every week. Use your clout to get her on his stream. They can do a Q&A or something.

►Goalducc42

I mean, I can try, but don’t expect anything.

Electabuzz finally fell to Sylveon, and Grace released Jellicent next. The fairy type was the butt of many harem jokes in Denzel’s stream and was his most popular Pokemon, but he was completely humiliated by Jellicent and hosed down in a corner. It was now that it started to sink in for people that Denzel was losing. Even Goalducc had little hope now. Unless Roserade could beat Jellicent, then it was basically over, and the poison type was exhausted from her battle with Electabuzz and unable to use any more Synthesises. They had to go big or go home.

But the reason Jellicent was so tricky wasn’t his attacks, although Hydro Pump was powerful. It was the fact that he could penetrate in any surface. Unless you had a ground type move or another way to hit something underground, you were basically forced to play the reactive game, which she thrived on. From this point on, it was as if Denzel had lost his footing. Grace started playing even more mind tricks on him, alternating the time she took in between attacks. Roserade fainted despite having put up an amazing fight.

►Chichi

Yeah, it’s gg.

►AsobiAsobase

It never even began. If Jellicent hadn’t been poisoned drowning Roserade he might have been able to sweep the rest. Might have been too aggressive from her.

►Goalducc42

She’s winning because she’s aggressive. Grace is defensively aggressive if that makes any sense, and Denzel isn’t responding in kind. She’s pressing down the gas pedal and letting go at random, different intervals to heighten the tension. He needs to learn how to not get affected by it if he wants to win, and he needs to learn how and when to take risks. Grace knew she had to take a risk to finish off Roserade and it paid off.

►Donald_Barkley (Verified Trainer)

Calculated risks.

►Chichi

The risk I took was calculated but man, I am bad at math.jpg

►Goalducc42

I wasn’t even joking

►Archive

Once Jellicent can make his Night Shades actually take more hits and create attacks as powerful as he can, he’ll be an even bigger threat too.

►Goalducc42

Everything on her team is a threat. That’s how it’s supposed to be, ace or not. No one can last long with an unbalanced team. Denzel’s team is a threat too, but no one is actually paying attention. Sylveon just had a terrible matchup and Milotic is having one too.

►Chichi

Look at us, sitting in our ivory chairs and telling it how it really is. By the way, Goalducc, didn’t you have work today?

►Goalducc42

I’m sick. Real bad cough.

►Chichi

Uhuh. I believe you. Looks like Milotic is down.

The water type had lost to Tangrowth. There hadn’t been much he was capable of doing against the grass type except keep him at bay with Twister and Dragon Pulse. It had been a good strategy from Denzel, but it was too little too late. He sent out his Lopunny, who immediately rushed toward Tangrowth. Now, he was taking risks, but again, it was too late, and everyone but Denzel’s most ardent supporters knew it.

Mystline~: It’s COPIUM not COPIUM over COPIUM yet

AkakA: Midpunny can’t do it, it’s sopher. Blud keeps failing in every battle I can’t do it anymore.

RockTypeSpe_1: HOLY BASED Tangrowth on fire

Starryeyes87: GOOOOO MY ANGEL

Threedashline1: Denzelbros on suicide watch now that their flawless idol is getting crushed

Axolotlhead: Do you think Tangrowth will be able to stab things with his vines one day?

X11P: LMAO SHE HIT HER HEAD ON A ROOF I CAN’T

Kaspaldrew: LOST TO ROCK HOUSE OMEGALUL

1010Years: What an awesome battle. Gonna watch it a thousand times.

Defeat4t: Truly one of the battles of all time

The battle was over. Lopunny and Tangrowth both fainted, the former from Knock Offs and the latter from the fire. Andrew got up to stretch his legs, letting the chat fly by. Denzel ended the stream soon after, and he made sure to download the VOD for Meditite in case there were any accidents that corrupted the video or it was ever deleted. He had thousands of battles on his hard drive that he’d saved over the years. After grabbing a bottle of water, Andrew returned to his computer and enlarged his forum window.

►Archive

They’re already making GIFs of Lopunny hitting her head on that roof, she’ll never live it down.

►Chichi

I mean, it was extremely funny. Y’all wanna get in a call so we can analyze this shit frame by frame or what?

►Goalducc42

Hell yeah. I’ll call.

►Donald_Barkley (Verified Trainer)

Weren’t you sick?

Andrew rolled his eyes and called his friends. He’d never been good at being a trainer, but he knew battling itself. That was why his dream was to get out of the slog that was working in a damn Pokemart and start a podcast that spoke about trainers throughout Sinnoh— and possibly the world, if he got that big. He was inspired by Poketracker: Spotlight on Future Champions and wanted to do the same thing, but better. Archive wanted in on it too, but for now, they needed to save money before they could take the plunge.

He knew they were good enough to do it. Andrew hadn’t simply garnered the reputation he had on the forums making in-depth analyses of battles, trainers’ fighting styles and their teams because it was fun. That was a part of it, yes, but his reputation could possibly kickstart his podcast if they could get enough listeners on day one. Archive was less known, but he was just as good at analyzing battles or even better. They wanted to do everything. Analysis, live commentary, tips and tricks, tracking rising stars... the list went on and on.

And they would start it all at the Conference this summer.