Thinks everyone knows where most Diglets will pop up before they do, at least when they leave the cartoony Bugs Bunny tunnel style dirt trails.  Also, Joe again wonders how many people actually finish Grade School, let alone highschool, with so many preteens or just recent teens going off on training adventures with no supervision.

  When Richi turns back up with soda, he yays, digging through a pocket saying "I can cover my own drink, if it helps your wallet situation.  Appreciate the thought but I've recently been reminded how 'buy snacks for everyone!' expenses can catch up with you."

  And this is why you always buy heal sprays BEFORE helping to treat people to pizza and soda <.<  Superbird has since forgiven him.

Antoinette takes a moment before noticing the sodas and taking one. "Thank you." she says softly. She looks over at Jake. "Most people are like that: Good at one or two things, normal at everything else. I'm good at sculpting, playing the piano, and trivia. I'm not good at opening doors, tying my shoes, and initiating conversations."

"Wow, thanks!" Jake says, gladly accepting the offered drink.

He nods in agreement with Joe.

"I'll contribute too if ya like."

He and Robbie both stare in slack-jaw awe at Antionette.

"Wow.  Yeah.  Definitely super genius."

Richie's raichu reminds herself to get a purse one day so she can help keep an eye on the boy's spending habits.  Trainer's allowence can run out pretty fast.  For now she allows the boy to have some fun.

Richie hmms? at Antoinette.  "Good at trivia?  That's cool, just remind me to never play against you in a trivia game, I'm horrible at those, heh."  He drinks some of his soda after making sure his two poke'pals gets theirs and accepting any contributions towards the soda foundation.

  Joe does not comment on the 'bad at these' list from Antoinette. Pay no attention to Joe's choice of velcro sneakers today <.< they are easier to draw for the trainer sprites okay!?  "Personal Pros: varying degrees of sarcasm.  Personal Cons: Varying degrees of sarcasm.  It's a vicious cycle.  Though I'm pretty sure the conversational start is a common problem."  After All, Joe has that snag as well.

Antoinette pulls some coins out of her pocket and offers them to Richie. It's probably around what amounts to 19 cents. But she smiles brightly at him. She is distracted by Joe this time. But also doesn't comment. Mostly because she wasn't asked a question.

An announcement comes over the loudspeakers, letting people know the contest for toughest rock Pokémon is going to begin in a few minutes. Antoinette turns her head in the direction of the competition and says, "I'm part of the contest. I need to get ready."

Jake chuckles as he figures this girl probably has every last rock pokemon and all their known habitats, variations, compatabilities, possible powers lists, etc, memorized.  She may be a judge or...  poor pokemon... asking them trivia questions about themselves!

"This I gotta see!"

"Robbie too!"

They follow along.

Richie meanwhile misses the announcment, somehow.  Zappy looks up at him and shakes her head.  When tugging on his pantleg doesn't work, she gives him a bit of a zap followed by raichu'ing at him aand pointing off to where the competition's held.

"Oh right..  Rhydon an I are in it!"  He grins and scoops up the raichu and hops on the rhydon, "Anyone need a lift?  We're going there too."

Can Rhydon still learn Surf?  If so then heh....

  Joe figures A) skipping one of the main features of the Rock Type Party would be kinda pointless.  B) The nice people he just met are going in that direction anyways, so why not tag along?  "I think I'll just walk along, not exactly a huge distance so why give your pal extra effort?"  Even Joe's lazy has limits.

Antoinette is already out of hearing range by the time Richie makes his offer, due to his not noticing the loudspeakers announcing. Soon, the group is at the competition. There are about 20 competitors, including Antoinette and Richie. So Antoinette isn't one of the judges. Then again, Jake should know first hand such a position is never given to children at an all-ages event. Even if you are a super genius who could talk circles around the adults in a specific topic.

Antoinette walks on stage with the other competitors and up behind her comes a Sudowoodo. It stands proudly and gleams!

Jake and Robbie used non-pokemon transportation methods.  Jake isn't a pokenerd.  He doesn't know that that smiling tree is a rock type.

"Aren't rock type weak to plant type?"

So he at least knows the basics.

"That... could be problematic."

Robbie stands proudly and gleams too!

Richie hops off of the rhydon and looks over to Antoinette and the Sudowoodo.  "Uh Antoinette?  I'm not pokemon master, but isn't that a grass type pokemon?  This is a rock type competition..."  Well it looks like a tree-ish thing, clearly it must be a grass type as those're the plant looking pokemon.

Zappy blinks up at Richie and chu-sighs, shaking her head.  Well boy's gotta learn somehow.   Dozer, the rhydon, meanwhile struts with the sudowoodo and Robbie.  Triple Gleam Combo!

  Joe does what any Pokemon trainer on shows that are suppoedly learnig about Pokemon for the first time do.  He references his Pokedex exposition.  "Yup, Rock type... Eh, there's been weirder classifications."  Ditto and Porygon! Totally normal! honest.

  Superbird is Only part normal type.  His other type is AWESOME (hey, flying is awesome so can't say he's wrong!)

One of the audience overhears Jake and then Joe. He thumbs at Joe and says, "The competition is for rock only. They wouldn't allow a plant type."

Antoinette hugs her sudowoodo and the contest begins. They have the rock types stand up to all kinds of punishment. Including just about all the elements and sparring each other. Antoinette's sudowoodo is in fantastic shape! And every time he steps out of an endurance round, he gleams proudly.

Lucky just wouldn't understand this competition at all. Getting hurt on purpose just to show you're tough.

Which is part of the reason Lucky is conspicuously absent from this RP.  Jake on the other hand, is impressed with the competitors.

"Wow!  They're all so good!  I can't decide!"

"Rydon and sudowoodo are the best!"

Jake chuckles.  "So which one should take first place, then?"

"They both should!"

Richie's Rhydon isn't doing quite as good as Ant's Sudowoodo it would seem.  While it shrugged off the early competitions with ease, it seems to be getting more tired as the competition goes on.  Certainly it'll stay strong until the final four, but after that?  Who knows.  However to have Richie cheering it on does seem to give it an air of confidence, that regardless of the outcome it's done a good job.

  Joe thought the point was showing off how tough they are by not getting hurt by these things.  He also figures that the reason Richie's pokemon isn't doing as well as Antoinette's is because Ryhdon's actually have a brain...  Joe isn't so sure about Sodowoodo's in that department.

The Pokémon all do well, really. Just a matter of relativity. Some guy's geodude gives out in the weight-ligting competition, for instance. Sudowoodo (Who Antoinette didn't introduce to the group, but was announced on the competition thingy as being named "Tantalus") has been doing fantastic.

Eventually, the competition comes down to the final three. Dozer, Tantalus and a Graveler named "Chuck". The three are told to have a race. There is a race track set up for the three and the race begins!

Tantalus runs at a steady pace, not trying to outpace anyone just yet. Chuck gets ahead of the other two at the start, but as the race drags on, seems to be losing steam fast.

Jake and Robbie cheer on the pokemon of their two new friends!

"You can do it!  You're doing great!  Keep it up!"

Stuff like that.

Dozer tries his best, but like Chuck, the rhydon just has too much mass and soon wears down.  Richie can be hears hooting and cheering for Dozer, the praise from the rhydon's friends really the only thing pushing it towards the finish line at this point.

  There is a little part of Joe's mind that is incredulous about the pokemon with such short legs compared to the others (hey, Gravlers evolved LEGS! whoo!).  Of course there is another part of him that saw this coming a mile away and has made certain contingencies.

  "If his was a downhill race, the gravler could have just rolled to victory. and crippling dizzyness."

The end result is obvious. Tantalus wins. But thanks to the fact this competition was made of many smaller events, this doesn't mean Tantalus will win the entire competition. But even so, the race isn't over!

Actually, right around the time Tantalus is coming up on the finish line, he trips! "Woo-woo- WOODO!" and he seems to have landed on his face.

"True enough, Joe," Jake concedes, "Probably why it isn't a downhill... oh no!  Tantalus!"

Now he's living up to his name.  Almost at the finish line, and something keeps him from the prize.

"Ah!  Panic!" Robbie worries.

Dozer gains a bit on the sudowoodo then stops when the tree'mon trips.  Oh sure the rhydon could keep going and win the race but instead, it stops and goes to help Tantalus up, possibly even allowing that Graveler the chance to win it for itself!

 Joe wonders, is reality badass enough to handle a three way tie?  Or, will it settle for Dozer and Tantalus taking eachothers hands... and Tag-Team clotheslining the gravler before they both cross at the same time, leaving the competition rolling back the way it came.

  Okay, that second one would be much more metal.  If mean.