It definitely was not normal for Alceides to be in a club, and everyone around him could tell just by his demeanor. He really wasn't supposed to be there, at least not for a few years, but he had always been the kid to follow the rules and do as he was told. He wanted to be anything but that even if it was only for a night, or so he told himself repeatedly throughout the night. The first thing held against him was his stature, even if he wanted to seem older the world had already deemed it impossible. The second issue was that he was way too nervous to consume any alcohol, even if there were ways around him ordering it himself. Plenty of people had offered to give him a 'sip' or two, but the honest kid just couldn't allow it.

Instead of any alcohol, he was instead sipping on a nicely prepared incredibly sweet Pinap Juice courtesy of the empathetic bartender. Despite not drinking, he was still a social beast as he bounced from group to group introducing himself. The loud thumping of music was something he could find himself being lost in, dancing to his heart's content even if some might consider it...terrible. He was having a lot of fun, it didn't matter that he was probably the only sober person left inside of the club he was just as bad as them.

He thought that being sober may have been overrated when they clumsily decided to organize a bit of a fun show. His eyes lit up like diamonds as they asked for participants in a battle. The point here was to have fun, and that's exactly what he wanted to do! Raising his hand in tandem with another guy, of similar stature, and both were asked to get to the stage. Despite their similar sizes, it was clear that he was older and oddly familiar, but most of all it was clear that he was at least somewhat drunk. His steps were clumsy, and even the way he released his Pokemon was slacking.

But that was the fun of new experiences, right? This would be his first battle with a drunk person! Grinning as he released his Pokemon, an Aipom, and a Seviper, the two put up a bit of a performance as they landed - natural show off's. He couldn't blame them, it was the perfect time to get applause.

"Hey, I'm Alceides! The 's' is silent though. Or you can call me Alcei, or Alc, or Ally," the boy introduced himself before becoming lost as he listed all the nicknames he had accumulated over the years before simply shrugging.

"I hope we have a lot of fun!"

Kyle Lee // Notes: soz sucky post is sucky // word count: 455

After giving the stage to his Pokemon, the guy on the other side leaned down to whisper something to his Poochyena before it began to bark and howl, gaining the favor of the audience. The other hound, however, didn't seem to enjoy the idea as much and shrank back from any pre-battle antics like the rest of them had.

The boy brought a hand to his mouth to cover the chuckles as the opposition struggled to pronounce his name, instead opting to settle on one of the nicknames he rattled off. He didn't mind, his wasn't a name often heard and it was the exact purpose of the listing of optional names.

He couldn't tell exactly how much, but it was clear that unlike Alceides the man was at least somewhat intoxicated. Was he the only one in the vicinity who wasn't? The thoughts began to make him feel a bit self-conscious, not even noticing that he had been addressed to the crowd. His attention to reality only snapped back once serious eyes and a deadpan tone regarded him, the boy gaining a crimson hue on his face, unable to retort. It was true, that the majorty of people had come just to get, as they liked to put it, "fucked up", but the boy had only ventured out to satiate his curiosity and boredom. Maybe he should...no...

Before he could say anything in regards to the last comment, the man became lighthearted once more as he addressed his Pokemon causing them to Howl in unison. The antics of the trainer combined with the synchronized bark caused the crowd to go crazy in their favor.

Grinning widely, loving the loose and giddy atmosphere, he was given the okay to send the first moves. The boy was too swept up in his nervousness to realize that the Poochyena's had already done so, now worried about making a fool out of himself in so many people.

"But I don't have to worry about that, let's just have fun," he said, suddenly, to his Pokemon before taking a deep breath before returning to a smile and ordering them forward.

"Okay, Momo you can use Tail Whip! Ophiuchus use Wrap!"

The Aipom dashed forward, ready to swing her tail at one of the Poochyena twins as Seviper slunk forward attempting to bring her body around one of them. He didn't really care if they landed or not at this point, he just wanted a battle that would make his blood boil. If he couldn't have that, then a light and an airy come-what-may battle were pretty much the next best, ideally.

"Oh, er, by the way, what's your name?" he inquired, suddenly, realizing he had no clue what to refer to him as other than 'that guy', or maybe 'mister' but the second seemed way to formal.

Kyle Lee // Notes: bam // word count: 473

The man seemed to be just as excited about the battle as Alceides was, responding in kind to both the crowd and the actions that the boy had ordered. He even verbally announced that they had no intentions of losing, firing him up even further. It was a different story when the person he was battling had an indifferent demeanor, he loved the thrill and sheer rush that came with a great battle.

Two smiles met one another before he moved to counter, in an interesting manner too. Rather than have both of them head in for the offensive, he had one utilize a supplementary technique while the other defended. It certainly wasn't something that he put much thought toward, dedicating his thoughts toward unique attack combinations instead. It was the inner coordinator within him, who only wanted to show off his Pokemon's strength and beauty. But that wasn't too say that he didn't love to battle, which was a different can of worms.

Fighting aside, it was interesting to see the chemistry between the two of the same kind. One Poochyena was much like their trainer, energetic and happy to go with the flow. He was enjoying the cheers and the music, getting into the mood more than Alceides even was. The other one was much timider and seemed as if it was waiting for everything to be over, a sentiment the boy could understand.

Conversely, both of his Pokemon was basking in the limelight as much as they could. Probably a side-effect of having such a caring trainer, they enjoyed praise and cheer much more than they probably should have. Aipom was bouncing as she made a path to her target, leaping forward before he moved and smashed into the unsuspecting Seviper causing his Aipom to instantly change directions toward the other Poochyena and slapping him with her tail before being enveloped in a fluffy white cloud. As it phased through Momo, her eyes began to droop indicating that she was tired. Despite the raucous environment, it was clear that she was going to be out for a bit though she fought her exhaustion as much as possible.

A few feet away, Ophiuchus had been enjoying the atmosphere as well while she slunk across the stage toward her enemy until the one she was supposed to attack was covered by the other Poochyena who tackled her. Caught off guard, the two collided and fell to the ground as she attempted to constrict him with her body. As things had gone a bit haywire, she squeezed once before releasing the hound and retreating to the drowsy monkey.

"Woah, that was some awesome team play, Kyle!" he praised his opponent genuinely, impressed with how they had immediately disrupted their rhythm. The boy couldn't help but subconsciously lick his lips in excitement, sure that he could put forth the best effort and be met with a similar force.

"Alright, so have a taste of ou- Huh, Momo?! Wake up!" he was attempting to announce a combination move before Aipom had lost her struggle and fell to sleep with a soft thud. The crowd couldn't help but roar for Kyle, though that was even more motivation for him.

"It's alright, Ophiuchus cover her with Flamethrower!"

Seeking to allow the Aipom a moment to wake up, the snake pokemon opened her mouth before expelling a stream of flames toward the dog that had tackled her. Alceides hated to admit it, but he was already having so much fun! He had been worried about his decision to head out, but it was so worth it!

Kyle Lee // Notes: bam // word count: 601

Grinning at Kyle, as he mentioned the boy was making him blush playfully, fully enjoying every moment on top of the stage. Despite the fact that his Aipom, Momo, had fallen asleep his determination had not waned in the slightest bit. He still had every intention of putting up the very best fight he could manage, even if he lost in the end. The amount of fun he was having right now had definitely overlapped his desire for victory.

He did mean his praise, though, as he truly was impressed with the way he moved around his Pokemon. Alceides had such a straightforward strategy at times that it mostly ended up blowing up in his face if anything went awry. He needed to get a better grasp of combat, and this was an indispensable experience.

Digging into his train of thought, Kyle ordered his Pokemon into action once again following Seviper's savage Flamethrower. The Poochyena who had put Momo into a doze had rushed forward, clamping his teeth down upon her tail. This act wasn't enough to wake the Aipom up, yet, both Alceides and Ophiuchus couldn't help the awful grimace that climbed into their expressions once they had witnessed it. Almost immediately, adding insult to injury, the Poochyena launched the monkey at the defending reptilian Pokemon who was focused on the other canine.

The other one had a similar idea in mind, sharply digging his sharp fangs into the skin of his Seviper. Hissing in pain, she flailed around a bit before being struck by the unconscious Momo. The crowd's cheers began to overflow the area, rooting on Kyle for the way he had handled himself just now. If Alceides' was being honest, he couldn't help the crimson hue spreading around his face as he watched the combination in awe, himself. It was just way too amazing, and not something you'd think about doing every day!

"I gave my Seviper a few TM's, she's the most diverse on my team! But that was...just...so friggin' awesome!" he roared, his blood finally burning with the excitement of a difficult battle.

Awakening after the crash into the Seviper, Momo groggily rose to her feet before all the damage she had suffered while asleep set in. Wobbling, the Seviper helped her get to her feet. Though his Pokemon weren't as used to working together, they still all had rather friendly demeanors and would help one another out if the chance came up.

Momo's tail clenched itself into a fist, clearly angered with the way she had been treated thus far. Seviper, though less angry, was still intending to pay back the duo of Poochyena. Her tongue extending and oscillating as she hissed, the two waited for Alceides' to issue a decision. The boy, meanwhile, was combing through the many combination options at his disposal moving forward. His Seviper had a wide move pool and it paired well with the athleticism of his Aipom, causing them to amplify one another when they were together.

"Alright then, Ophiuchus launch a Sludge Bomb into the air near Momo," he ordered, quickly, as the Seviper would cough up a purple and black-hued orb with a high arc.

"Launch into the air Momo, then smack it down into the ground with Ice Punch!"

Bouncing off of her tail, she gathered cold energy around her clenched tail and then smashed into the Sludge Bomb with it. The ice coated the Sludge Bomb, becoming a projectile that sped down toward the Poochyena twins. His intentions were not to have either one hit directly, rather for the ball to land near them and shatter hitting both of them at the same time.

---

Battle Log (TL;DR)

Kyle Lee // Notes: qq sorry again // word count: 611

Alceides couldn't help chuckling at the man just a bit, covering his mouth with one of his hands to hold them back as much as he could manage. One moment, the boy seemed shocked at the praise but then he quickly rolled with it comically. The cheering of the crowd, the kindness of his opponent, it was just such a great night that the boy could barely contain it inside. He was quivering with excitement, wanting the night not to end anytime soon.

The scene that succeeded his Sludge Bomb combination was enough to send a shock throughout the boy's body, ceasing the shaking and causing his jaw to drop a few inches. He had considered the idea that the attack would hit one of them, instead of both, but what was more surprising was the way it had been handled. The Poochyena that was fighting with his Seviper had been burned thanks to the Flamethrower, activating his special ability. Crossing the gap in no time, he launched himself at the technique taking the full damage.

The amount of loyalty the Poochyena had within him was striking, matched by the quick decision making that had ensued. That Poochyena deduced that taking the attack was better than letting it land away from them, and then made sure that his fellow Dark-type would be able to finish what he had started. It was much more than admirable, it was moving! Alceides' eyes began to glow with wonder, amazed at what he had seen.

His Pokemon were hurt, the Seviper much more so than the Aipom who had been able to rest quite a bit. Lunging out, obviously not used to engaging in combat, the Poochyena latched his teeth into the snake who cried out in pain. Attempting to break free, she writhed around before ceasing her movement as she fell unconscious. Frowning, he returned the Seviper back to the blue ball she had emerged from.

"That was so great, Ophi! You did more than enough, Momo, let's show them our resolve!" he announced, the damaged Aipom nodding and bouncing. As playful as she was, the monkey secretly wanted the hound to pay for the way it had been bitten when she was sleeping.

"Momo, all eyes are on you! Go ahead and use Swift!" he demanded, the Aipom gathering energy in her tail before swiping it and sending forth a number of stars toward the canine.

---

Battle Log (TL;DR)

Kyle Lee // Notes: shazam // word count: 404

The victory certainly wasn't something that the boy was expecting, much less so when he was fighting such a talented opponent. The way he moved his Pokemon, the strategies that Alceides couldn't and didn't think of. Everything melded together to ignite his fighting spirit, and this battle was becoming just way too fun. The boy didn't have a very good sense of damage sustained, so it was an incredible surprise to him when the Swift that was hastily fired off actually managed to knock out the second Poochyena. Even to him, it was obvious, the differences between the two Poochyena and what had led to its downfall. It was a bittersweet feeling, he wanted it to keep going but he didn't want to lose, either.

The moment it was decided, despite the roar of the crowd before returning to their party with the music in full blast, all was silent in his ears. Kyle spoke and yet he could only hear a loud ringing in his ears, being pointed at. Blinking a few times, the next thing he knew there were several people dancing around him. Tossing a ball to return the Aipom, Alceides attempted to maneuver through the crowd so that he could talk to the man one last time. It wasn't in his nature to leave without saying anything to someone who had given such an awesome battle!

Pushing, pulling, and being on the receiving end of both multiple times he finally arrived at a spot that he could see him. He was going to go over to him and thank him for such an exhilarating battle. The closer he got, the more he noticed that the man wasn't alone. Surrounded by friends, merrily continuing whatever they had been doing, he felt like he shouldn't disturb it. Grinning at the man's back, he figured that they'd meet again and he'd thank him at that point.

Making his way back out, he released the Aipom once more as they stretched before a long walk to the Pokemon Center, where he'd planned on staying the night.

"That was a lot of fun, you both did great out there...but we still have a long way to go," he reflected on the battle, both the good and the bad on his end, as they yawned and prepared for whatever rest they could manage.

Kyle Lee // Notes: shazam // word count: 391