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"They're just bugs, Nivis! It'll be fine!"

The Sneasel raised an eyebrow at her partner. "If they're a professional basketball team, then bugs or not, they have got to be good."

"Pfft, yeah, right." Evan paused for a second, watching the Ariados statue that began to loom over them. "You know, if they're bugs, how do they even hold the ball?"

"Maybe you should just ask them."

"What are you talking ab--Oh." Once he faced Nivis's direction, Evan felt his words escape him.

At the end of the street, inside a very makeshift field, were several bug Pokemon. Each of them had some gray cloth or other on them, be it a headband or the closest thing they could find to a shirt. An orange ball bounced around them, held by the expert... hands... of the bugs.

When he looked, he saw that a Venonat currently claimed the ball's ownership. He hopped across the field at an unpredictable speed, dribbling the ball along by his side. The other players only watched as the Venonat leaped into the air, ball in hand, and successfully scored.

"T-Those...?" the Charmander stuttered, mouth agape. Nivis gave a short nod.

"That's them," she answered. A smug grin crept up to her face, and she was unable to hold it back. Placing a hand in her partner's back, she pushed him forward. "Well, it's up to you, now!"

"Wh-What?!"

"Hey, you're the one who called the shot!" The excessively cheerful tone of the Sneasel's voice led Evan to believe he was being made fun of. Nivis was quite serious, though, as she saw to it that her words were true.

Evan found himself standing just outside the basketball field, eyes twitching left and right. The bug Pokémon had stopped playing as soon as the two explorers approached, and instead eyed them curiously.

"Who're you two?"

"Explorers," Nivis simply answered. With a final shove, Evan tumbled towards the field. "You said you wanted a new player, so we - well, he is here to do it!"

If the Venonat from earlier had eyebrows, he would have been sure to raise one. "Him?"

"That's right," Nivis hummed, preparing to turn away. "I'll just leave you two be."

No money in the world could pay the expression that took over Evan's face. "W-Wait, Nivis!"

It wasn't the Sneasel who answered him; that one was already walking away from him. The towering figure of a Venonat closed in instead, ball bouncing up and down against his 'hand' all the while. The Charmander slowly, reluctantly turned to face the basketball player. "Hu-hum, hey there."

"D'you even know how to dribble?" he deadpanned.

"Well, huh, of course I do. Did it all the time when I was a kid. A, hum, smaller ki--UFF!!" The weight of a basketball suddenly met his chest. Breathless, he barely caught it in his own hands. "What's the big idea?!"

"'bout you show that now?" The Venonat ruminated briefly with his two fangs. "One t'one, Pokémon t'Pokémon. You pass, and we'll let you in."

Evan clucked his tongue. He was being challenged here; and there was no way he was gonna turn down a challenge. "That all?"

"That's all."

"Heh." The Charmander rose to his feet. "Game on."

The Venonat was likely going to laugh, but Evan didn't give him a chance. Carrying himself nimbly, he easily circled around the other player. The latter was surprised, but only momentarily. Not five steps away from his starting point, Evan found out firsthand just how high the basketballer could jump. He nearly bumped against the Venonat's furry coat, screeching to a halt just inches away.

"Where're'ya gonna go, short stuff?"

Evan flashed a toothy grin. Half a field stil separated him from the basket. It was time to try something he’d never done out. Dribbling low.

He went to a clumsy start, but he managed. The Venonat still reached out to attempt snatching the ball. Evan was faster.

The heavy thuds of the bug Pokémon’s little leaps drummed in Evan’s ears as he raced towards the basket. His eyes were focused solely on the ring high above him, taunting him with its tattered net. He was ready to perform his leap of faith, to soar after his goal. He bent his knees for the briefest moment, and extended his body upwards, releasing the jump. He reached for the basket, let go of the ball...

...and plopped to the ground right afterward. The ball thumped against the tree’s trunk and fell harmlessly by his side, not even reaching close to the basket.

“...well, that was anti-climatic,” he muttered, scratching the back of his head. This inexplicable twitch attacked his features as he sought for the other player and his reaction.

Surprisingly, he wasn’t laughing. Evan had to contain a puzzled hum.

“Nice moves, kid,” the Venonat spoke, walking in his direction. “Looking up to be a pretty good baller, there.”

“Huh, thanks?”

“Not sure if I should just send you back and ask for someone else with a better aim, tho. I mean, ya missed the basket when it was right in front of ya.” The orange scales on the Charmander’s face somehow grew rosy. “But tell ya what. I’ll give you a chance. You don’t have much of an aim, but you’ve got the speed in there.”

“So... what am I supposed to do, then?”

It was the last half of the game. Evan distractedly ran from one side of the field to the other, watching carefully as the match developed. The Venonat had been clear in his words: he was not to strain himself much for the first half of the game. So far, he’d made quite a few important assistances, and his speed - which, though only average, was higher than that of many bug Pokémon in the field - had allowed him to steal the ball several times.

Now came the important part for him: he’d be used to carry the ball as far as his legs could carry him, and allow the Venonat to score. The perfect example of teamwork.

“Evan!” the bug Pokémon called before a ball bounced a single time on the floor and wound up in the Charmander’s hands.

He set to action at once. The other team, a collection of Surskits and some more bug Pokémon, was evidently worn down. Yet they weren’t about to relinquish. They still gave chase. Evan, however, proved too much for them.

Shirt flapping against his body, Evan darted undeterred across the field like an arrow. Just as planned, the Venonat was in position, but so was a rival Surskit. The Charmander just barely made it in keeping the ball within his grasp as the initial instinct to pass kicked in. With the other team closing in, he didn’t have much of a choice.

Sure, he didn’t have enough precision to score, nor was he close enough to do so safely. He quickly made a gesture at the Venonat, pointing at the tree trunk that was the backboard of the basket. The bug Pokémon gave a quick nod - however that was possible - and took a few steps back.

Everything was set. The ball left Evan’s hands and flew towards the trunk, just as the Venonat jumped in the same direction. The Surskit, caught by surprise, also leaped into the air to try and reach his foe - or the ball.

He reached neither, for the Venonat had jumped too high and the ball was not bound for the basket. It had bounced against, right into the Venonat’s grasp. With a swiftness the Charmander had grown used to see in the past hours, the ball passed right through the hoop.

Evan’s own cheering was eclipsed by the crowd’s burst of applause.

The game wasn’t over yet, but that singular trick had earned him the Venonat’s wholehearted trust.

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Description
"They're just bugs, Nivis! It'll be fine!"

The Sneasel raised an eyebrow at her partner. "If they're a professional basketball team, then bugs or not, they have got to be good."

"Pfft, yeah, right." Evan paused for a second, watching the Ariados statue that began to loom over them. "You know, if they're bugs, how do they even hold the ball?"

"Maybe you should just ask them."

"What are you talking ab--Oh." Once he faced Nivis's direction, Evan felt his words escape him.

At the end of the street, inside a very makeshift field, were several bug Pokemon. Each of them had some gray cloth or other on them, be it a headband or the closest thing they could find to a shirt. An orange ball bounced around them, held by the expert... hands... of the bugs.

When he looked, he saw that a Venonat currently claimed the ball's ownership. He hopped across the field at an unpredictable speed, dribbling the ball along by his side. The other players only watched as the Venonat leaped into the air, ball in hand, and successfully scored.

"T-Those...?" the Charmander stuttered, mouth agape. Nivis gave a short nod.

"That's them," she answered. A smug grin crept up to her face, and she was unable to hold it back. Placing a hand in her partner's back, she pushed him forward. "Well, it's up to you, now!"

"Wh-What?!"

"Hey, you're the one who called the shot!" The excessively cheerful tone of the Sneasel's voice led Evan to believe he was being made fun of. Nivis was quite serious, though, as she saw to it that her words were true.

Evan found himself standing just outside the basketball field, eyes twitching left and right. The bug Pokémon had stopped playing as soon as the two explorers approached, and instead eyed them curiously.

"Who're you two?"

"Explorers," Nivis simply answered. With a final shove, Evan tumbled towards the field. "You said you wanted a new player, so we - well, he is here to do it!"

If the Venonat from earlier had eyebrows, he would have been sure to raise one. "Him?"

"That's right," Nivis hummed, preparing to turn away. "I'll just leave you two be."

No money in the world could pay the expression that took over Evan's face. "W-Wait, Nivis!"

It wasn't the Sneasel who answered him; that one was already walking away from him. The towering figure of a Venonat closed in instead, ball bouncing up and down against his 'hand' all the while. The Charmander slowly, reluctantly turned to face the basketball player. "Hu-hum, hey there."

"D'you even know how to dribble?" he deadpanned.

"Well, huh, of course I do. Did it all the time when I was a kid. A, hum, smaller ki--UFF!!" The weight of a basketball suddenly met his chest. Breathless, he barely caught it in his own hands. "What's the big idea?!"

"'bout you show that now?" The Venonat ruminated briefly with his two fangs. "One t'one, Pokémon t'Pokémon. You pass, and we'll let you in."

Evan clucked his tongue. He was being challenged here; and there was no way he was gonna turn down a challenge. "That all?"

"That's all."

"Heh." The Charmander rose to his feet. "Game on."

The Venonat was likely going to laugh, but Evan didn't give him a chance. Carrying himself nimbly, he easily circled around the other player. The latter was surprised, but only momentarily. Not five steps away from his starting point, Evan found out firsthand just how high the basketballer could jump. He nearly bumped against the Venonat's furry coat, screeching to a halt just inches away.

"Where're'ya gonna go, short stuff?"

Evan flashed a toothy grin. Half a field stil separated him from the basket. It was time to try something he’d never done out. Dribbling low.

He went to a clumsy start, but he managed. The Venonat still reached out to attempt snatching the ball. Evan was faster.

The heavy thuds of the bug Pokémon’s little leaps drummed in Evan’s ears as he raced towards the basket. His eyes were focused solely on the ring high above him, taunting him with its tattered net. He was ready to perform his leap of faith, to soar after his goal. He bent his knees for the briefest moment, and extended his body upwards, releasing the jump. He reached for the basket, let go of the ball...

...and plopped to the ground right afterward. The ball thumped against the tree’s trunk and fell harmlessly by his side, not even reaching close to the basket.

“...well, that was anti-climatic,” he muttered, scratching the back of his head. This inexplicable twitch attacked his features as he sought for the other player and his reaction.

Surprisingly, he wasn’t laughing. Evan had to contain a puzzled hum.

“Nice moves, kid,” the Venonat spoke, walking in his direction. “Looking up to be a pretty good baller, there.”

“Huh, thanks?”

“Not sure if I should just send you back and ask for someone else with a better aim, tho. I mean, ya missed the basket when it was right in front of ya.” The orange scales on the Charmander’s face somehow grew rosy. “But tell ya what. I’ll give you a chance. You don’t have much of an aim, but you’ve got the speed in there.”

“So... what am I supposed to do, then?”

It was the last half of the game. Evan distractedly ran from one side of the field to the other, watching carefully as the match developed. The Venonat had been clear in his words: he was not to strain himself much for the first half of the game. So far, he’d made quite a few important assistances, and his speed - which, though only average, was higher than that of many bug Pokémon in the field - had allowed him to steal the ball several times.

Now came the important part for him: he’d be used to carry the ball as far as his legs could carry him, and allow the Venonat to score. The perfect example of teamwork.

“Evan!” the bug Pokémon called before a ball bounced a single time on the floor and wound up in the Charmander’s hands.

He set to action at once. The other team, a collection of Surskits and some more bug Pokémon, was evidently worn down. Yet they weren’t about to relinquish. They still gave chase. Evan, however, proved too much for them.

Shirt flapping against his body, Evan darted undeterred across the field like an arrow. Just as planned, the Venonat was in position, but so was a rival Surskit. The Charmander just barely made it in keeping the ball within his grasp as the initial instinct to pass kicked in. With the other team closing in, he didn’t have much of a choice.

Sure, he didn’t have enough precision to score, nor was he close enough to do so safely. He quickly made a gesture at the Venonat, pointing at the tree trunk that was the backboard of the basket. The bug Pokémon gave a quick nod - however that was possible - and took a few steps back.

Everything was set. The ball left Evan’s hands and flew towards the trunk, just as the Venonat jumped in the same direction. The Surskit, caught by surprise, also leaped into the air to try and reach his foe - or the ball.

He reached neither, for the Venonat had jumped too high and the ball was not bound for the basket. It had bounced against, right into the Venonat’s grasp. With a swiftness the Charmander had grown used to see in the past hours, the ball passed right through the hoop.

Evan’s own cheering was eclipsed by the crowd’s burst of applause.

The game wasn’t over yet, but that singular trick had earned him the Venonat’s wholehearted trust.

----------------------------------------

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Written by
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