Set in the original region of Arciel, Legends Rising is a route-inspired, but not strictly route-based, Pokemon roleplay. Pick a faction, pick a class, and strike out into the wild to take on the League, master Contest coordination, research the mysteries of Pokemon and Arciel, and much, much more. Will you be a classic trainer? A criminal? A farmer? Choose your destiny on Legends Rising.
Post by Elliot Sunderland on May 2, 2020 22:52:12 GMT
The first annual HYAH!-lympics had been a rather solitary competition, but comparing times just wasn't good enough for HYAH! and Curly. Their score still needed to be settled, gosh darnit! That meant day after day Elliot returned to the Kiddie Pool, letting HYAH! and Curly loose to turn their talents on the poor, unsuspecting obstacle course. Today the two were trying out the battle course, an army of Substitute dolls drifting towards them from all sides. HYAH! and Curly stood back-to-back, Echo riding on the starfish's prongs and Reverb reclining on the eel's upper back. The two psychic-types pointed forward, and at the sound of Echo's high-pitched war cry they were off!
Unsurprisingly, it was HYAH! who made the first strike. They whirled in a circle with their Rapid Spin, Echo clinging on for dear life as the Starmie fired their Hydro Pump in mid attack. It might have been a bit too destructive for a contest combination, but as a battle combo? It succeeded in sending Substitutes flying in all directions, stuffing hitting the water like freshly fallen snow. At least two to three layers of the horde must have been knocked away at once. By the time HYAH! finally stopped rotating, the field of Substitutes was greatly thinned. But where did Curly go during all this?.
An icy mist rising to the water's surface made the answer all too clear. Curly had taken cover with a Dive, then resurfaced right underneath a pile of poor, unfortunate Substitutes. They scattered as he breached from the waters, two or three caught in his fangorious maw. A single clamp down was enough to shatter the Substitutes, sending ice and stuffing flying everywhere. Meanwhile, poor Reverb was coughing, sputtering, and shaking water out of his hair, clearly not prepared for Curly's dive trick.
Unfortunately, it may have succeeded in catching Elliot's attention. "Hey, wait, did you see how your dive knocked tons of the Substitutes out of the way?" he asked, Curly swimming up to hear out his trainer's coaching. HYAH! took advantage of this to swim over to Curly's side of the waterway, corralling substitute dolls onto his side so he could increase his victory count. How mischievous! "What if you tried doing that in reverse? I bet you'd be even more dangerous on the way down than you are on the way up."
Reverb took one look at Elliot, hopped off of his back, and patted the spot he cleared room on. If Elliot liked this idea so much, he could surf on the damn fish!
Elliot shrugged, ruffling Reverb's hair in a reassuring manner before mounting up. "Ah c'mon, Reverb, how bad could it bEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!?" Elliot asked, his question turning into a panicked yelp as Curly launched himself clean into the air. HYAH! and Echo stopped their own battle to look towards the sky, trailing the content serpent and his very concerned trainer as they went up, up, and away. Reverb simply ignored it, laying a tiny recliner, popping on a pair of tiny sunglasses, and sipping oran berry juice out of a martini glass.
Elliot looked at the waters below, swallowed nervously, and made peace with Arceus. With a sad wave to an invisible camera, Elliot plummeted down to the waters below. At least his terrified scream was overwhelmed by gleeful laughter from the sea serpent, Curly clearly having the time of his life with this strategy! The two landed with enough force to kick up a massive tidal wave, sending Substitute after Substitute tumbling onto the shore. After a few moments, Elliot and Curly resurfaced, headbutting another few Substitutes out of the way with his dive. Poor Elliot was gasping for air by the time he came back up, turning his legs to try and steer Curly to the shore.
When they reached the water's edge he practically crawled off of Curly's back, clinging to the land and snuggling it for dear life. "I missed you so much," he said as he laid there in the grass, before turning and woozily looking over towards Curly. "That Bounce of yours packs a lot of power, Curly. Maybe a little too much. Keep practicing it, but maybe let's save it for non-ride battles, eh? Phew . . ." His advice finished, Elliot flopped down to catch his breath.
Curly, pleased and satisfied with himself, turned back to the edge of the water to continue beating on Substitutes. However, by the time he turned around, he saw that HYAH! had rounded up all of the remaining Substitutes! He whirled his way through the pile, tearing them to bits like a buzzsaw. Curly barked in betrayal, swimming right back over to HYAH! to start complaining about the obvious and inappropriate theft going on here. HYAH! simply glimmered in response, daring Curly to come over and do something about it. Normally Elliot would've tried to intervene, but he was way too wiped out to find the strength.
Instead, his eye wandered over to another Pokemon. It was Murex! She nudged a few dislodged Subtitutes over to the edge of the water, setting them up in a perfect, orderly line. She eyed them, flicked out her tongue, and launched a string of pointed icicles right at the Substitutes! All five of them were skewered, one after the other; that was just some dead-eye skill on her part! She turned to Elliot, hopping up and down in excitement as she gestured towards the Substitutes.
"Good job, Murex!" Elliot said. "Trying to participate with them? You've been such a hard worker lately! But . . . this is surf training, y'know? You're a bit too small for that." Murex sighed in disappointment, looking down at the ground, only for Elliot to crawl over and comfort her. "Hey, no, c'mon! I didn't mean it like that! You're fantastic, y'know? This is just a different type of training, for a different type of Pokemon." The Shellder still looked a little bit downcast, so Elliot softly stroked her shell to try and make up for it.
"How about I give you a special treat, eh? One that I'm sure's gonna make both of them jealous." Immediately Murex perked up, looking towards Elliot with bright, eager eyes. How could he say no to that face?
(1041 words!
Using a Move Tutor manual to teach Curly Bounce! Elliot regrets it already.)
Post by Elliot Sunderland on May 2, 2020 23:59:42 GMT
Another wave of Substitutes came drifting by, the kiddie pool's hardworking Pokemon doing their best to restock it for HYAH! and Curly's continued enrichment. The two looked at each other, nodded, then tore off towards the Substitutes. HYAH!'s gem pulsed from red to blue as they readied another Hydro Pump, mist drifted between the gaps in Curly's teeth, and Echo was bouncing up and down with anticipation. No man, Pokemon, or force of nature could get in the way of their conquest!
Yet a whirlpool? That might just do the trick. HYAH! and Curly darted back in surprise as the waters in front of them started to swirl and churn before their eyes. Substitutes bobbed up and down in the whirlpool, spinning like an out of control merry-go-round, but otherwise seemed rather unharmed. Was this supposed to be a test of accuracy rather than speed? The two stopped, turning their heads from side to side to try and follow the motion of the substitutes. Curly reared back, primed to strike, only for the Substitutes to start tearing to shreds before his very eyes. He jolted back in shock, wondering how this whirlpool had turned into a blender within seconds. HYAH! zoomed forward to try investigating the cause, only to notice shards of purple chitin swirling through the water.
As the Substitutes tore to pieces, they funneled closer to the center of the whirlpool. HYAH! saw this as their chance to strike, their gem glowing a bright blue and water droplets spouting from each facet. Unfortunately, before they could fire, a column of water shot right out of the whirlpool's center. Substitutes went flying everywhere, felt and fluff raining down on HYAH! and Curly. The two flinched away from the onslaught, only to squeeze their eyes open as they heard the sound of shimmering ice crystals. The whirlpool had turned into a rainbow colored vortex, icy mist floating away from it with each spin. The sight was breathtaking. Echo burst into cheers and applause, and even the two aquatic rivals stopped their bickering to appreciate the vortex. Less appreciated was the pile of frozen solid Substitutes in the middle of the vortex. Who just stole the show in this competition?
A purple bivalve gently touched down in the middle of the vortex, purple spikes glistening in the rainbow light. Her eye glinted with a daring menace, and a wicked-looking grin spread across her face. With a cough, Elliot got HYAH! and Curly's attention. "Ladies, gentlemen, and starfish outside the gender binary," Elliot said, a proud grin on his face as he gestured to the Cloyster. "Meet the new and improved Murex!" Pretty much as soon as Elliot said this, the harsh glare in her eyes faded. They settled back to their usual droopy look, and her tongue lolled out of her mouth. "Okay, so in a lot of ways, she's pretty much the same Murex as before. But as you can tell, she's got a lot of new tricks up her sleeves."
Echo let out an excited squeal, teleporting onto her best friend's back and snuggling the crap out of her. She proceeded to teleport around the Cloyster in circles, babbling excitedly as she fawned over her new look. In response, Murex bashfully shut her shell, although Echo could tell that she was smiling behind the gap in her shell. She reached out with her tongue to pat Echo on the head, getting the Ralts giggling. Some things never changed, huh?
With her new abilities on display, Murex swam over to join ranks with HYAH! and Curly. The two simply stared as she swam over, the faintest blush across both of their faces. Elliot and Echo couldn't help but giggle in response. "Now, you might be wondering why I brought the three of you here today," Elliot said, Echo teleporting by his side. "After all. We do kinda have the surf thing under control. And even if we didn't, it isn't like Murex can really join the fun there. But, my friends, this isn't about surfing aanymore.
Y'see, I've had a few friends suggest I go for one of the gyms, and I figure we might as well hit up the one here in Bass before we finally catch that ferry. But everyone there must be sick of dealing with the usual Electric and Grass moves by now, you know? So I figured we'd give the leader a break and the spectators a show, and try challenging the gym leader at their own game. And if I'm going to be taking them on in a water-vs.-water battle, I want to make sure I've got the finest squad of water types that Bass City's ever seen." Murex, Curly, and HYAH! tilted their heads curiously. "And by that I mean you guys," Elliot specified. That finally got the intended result! Murex clapped her shell in excitement, Curly bounced up and down, and HYAH! spun restlessly, each already eager to get this challenge going.
"I've been up all night studying those books Koa gave me, so this time I actually know what I'm doing. We'll be doing some individual training with each of you. And then, when we're all done, there'll be a special guest here to really kick your training into overdrive. Don't worry; this time, it's not Lord Beerus. So what do you guys say? Are you ready to get your chance to prove yourself?" Elliot pumped a fist in the air, and his team cheered at this infectious energy. "Good!" Elliot chirped. "Don't worry about getting out of the water. Everything we need, we have right here in the kiddie pool. But by the time we're done with it, it's gonna be more like . . . like . . . " Elliot froze a little, then perked up. "More like the adultie pool!" Immediately, all of the cheering stopped, except for a second of polite, overly quick clapping from Echo.
"Okay, yeah. That one was pretty bad. Let's just, uh, get started, eh?" he said, chuckling nervously.
Post by Elliot Sunderland on May 3, 2020 1:41:08 GMT
The first one that Elliot wanted to pay a visit to today was HYAH! The Starmie needed an edge to keep up with the higher-leveled Curly, but a quick perusal through the Pokedex app left Elliot rather disappointed. The poor thing had been evolved too early, likely by accidental exposure to a Water Stone, and therefore had a rather anemic movepool compared to most of her contemporaries. Fortunately, Elliot had been doing a decent bit of saving along his journey, and if nature's movepools were insufficient store-bought ones could always do the trick. "Hey, HYAH!" he called, the Starmie zooming through the air and approaching Elliot at high speeds. This time, Elliot was on the ball. He took a step back and extended his hand. "Easy, easy, HYAH!" he chided. "I've got a special treat for you, too, but only if you remember what we talked about earlier."
HYAH! eased to a stop, skidding to a halt exactly six feet away from Elliot. It was still a bit close, but hey! At least HYAH! was trying to get better about their lack of boundaries. Elliot smiled softly, then beckoned for HYAH! to come a little bit closer. In response, the Starmie pretty much glommed onto Elliot again, the boy laughing warmly in response. "Okay, okay, I guess I asked for that one," he said, giving the Starmie's ring a gentle scratch. "Alright, check out my phone. I bought some TM movies. They should be able to seriously help you master some new moves. Let's give 'em a watch, eh?" HYAH! leaned in to get a closer look as Elliot pressed the play button.
MARKIE MEW IN - PSYCHIC PSHOWDOWN
The "TM," it turned out, was little more than an old-timey cartoon. A black-and-white Mew with big, pie-shaped eyes, rubber gloves, and oversized shoes bounced up and down to the background music as film grain danced across the screen. After a few seconds of bouncing, the voice of an old radio announcer shot through Elliot's speakers, Markie looking up in surprise at the sound. "Did you know, dear viewer, that a Pokemon only uses 10% of it's brain at a single time?" A magnifying glass slid over Markie's head, revealing that 10% of his brain was home to little Markies typing away at their computers. The other 90% was a nonstop conga line of Markies, swaying their butts in tune to some rather festive music.
"Slackers. But fret not, aspiring champion! Massage your Pokemon's brains in just the right ways, and they, too, can harness the incredible psychic power of Psychic! It's quick, and easy to boot! First, solve this simple Magic Eye puzzle." Markie held up what looked like a discombobulated mess of black and white stripes, Elliot and HYAH! leaning in closer to try and get a clear look at it. After a few seconds of scanning, Markie popped right through the Magic Eye, making a goofy attempt at a scary face. Elliot jumped back in fright, dropping his phone as Markie snickered at him. However, the phone never hit the ground; HYAH! was so interested in watching the video that they caught it with a wave of psychic energy.
"Right, right. You already use psychic energy to support riders," Elliot said. "Since you're already halfway there, this tape should get you to where you need to be, right? Let's keep watching." Elliot approached the phone again, just in time for Markie to wad the Magic Eye puzzle into a ball, lift it with nothing but his brain, and gracefully drop it in a garbage can.
"If this little prankster here didn't break your focus, congratulations! You're almost there," the tape said. "Next, take that newfound focus, and use it to grab ahold of the world around you! First thing you see, just start lifting it up." Elliot's phone started to float higher in the air, the gentle purple ripples around it intensifying it into a more solid aura. "Think of Psychic like a more precise, more powerful Confusion. Instead of just swatting things around, you have full control over how you manipulate your target. You can lift it, swing it, push it, smash it, or even reach out and crush it! And when you're all done, you can use that Psychic to light yourself a nice cigar-"
"Let's not do that part." Elliot fast forwarded past the footage of Markie Mew reclining back with a big old cigar in his mouth, then gently took his phone back from HYAH! "Alright, let's try this on something a bit less fragile than my phone. Like, uh . . . this rock!" Elliot picked up a small rock, offering it over to HYAH! The Starmie studied it intensely, their gem flashing from red to purple. The purple aura once again reasserted itself, this time surrounding the rock and lifting it out of Elliot's hands. HYAH! moved the rock around, looking it up and down. They then let out one of their titular war cries before spinning their prongs like a motor, trying to squeeze as much power out of their Psychic as they possibly could. While at first this did little more than shake the rock, soon cracks started to spread across its surface. "Come on, HYAH! You can do it! Push through!" Elliot cheered.
HYAH! let out another war cry, and with another push the rock crumbled into rubble. Elliot cheered in excitement as HYAH! swung the rubble from side to side. They swirled the rubble around their body for momentum, then punted it into the kiddie pool. "You did it, HYAH!" Elliot cheered. "Just remember that this move isn't just a bludgeon like Hydro Pump is. It can be used for a lot of fine manipulation too, so you shouldn't just use it to smash anything in your way. You can also try it out for deflecting attacks and manipulating the environment around you. It's a really versatile tool that way!
So, what do you say. Ready for the next one?" HYAH! nodded in agreement, watching as Elliot pulled up the next tape.
MARKIE MEW IN - A SHOCKINGLY GOOD TIME!
(2043 + 1017 = 3060, and more to see! Day 1 complete, long live Day 2)
Post by Elliot Sunderland on May 3, 2020 5:25:05 GMT
The tell-tale sound of a stuttering film real let Elliot know that Markie Mew's latest TM learning adventure was going to play out for him and HYAH! Latest probably a stretch, though, considering that this tape was every bit as 50s-esque as the last one. This time Markie was hard at work in a power plant, riding on a stationary bicycle to generate cartoonish bolts of electricity. "Hard at work today, aren't ya, Markie?" the 50s Radio Announcer asked, Markie stopping his pedaling and giving the camera a sad nod. "Now that's what I like to hear! An honest day's work is the key to a good living. But what if I told you there was a better way?" Markie's curiosity was piqued. He leaned towards the camera, cupping one of his cat-like ears so he could hear better.
"They say every living thing's got electrical signals going through 'em. Pretty nifty, huh Markie? You're a modern marvel, just like the television box! But just 'cause you've got it doesn't mean you know how to use it. So don't go trying to shoot off sparks like a Pikachu!" Markie, who was hunkering down and straining like a five year old trying to go Super Saiyan, was clearly doing it wrong. The announcer chuckled paternally in response. "No, no, Markie. Learning a new move takes focus, determination, and knowledge of what makes the body tick. Only once you've gotten the hang of that can you start putting those new tricks of yours to use. You ready?"
What followed was a 1950s understanding of bioelectricity, neurological impulses, and magnetic fields that sailed right over Elliot's head. The boy could barely tell what was information beyond his high school biology knowledge and what were just inaccuracies caused by the video's age. Fortunately, Elliot wasn't the video's intended audience. HYAH! was, and as a psychic type HYAH! had a pretty massive brain. The Starmie's gem flickered a few times in appreciation of the video, then settled from its usual red to a bright yellow. "That's good, right?" Elliot asked, only to notice sparks shooting off of the gem at a rapid rate. Just in case HYAH! wasn't in control of the move yet, Elliot ran for cover. Could never hurt being too careful, right?
It turned out Elliot's caution was well-warranted. While HYAH!'s typing meant that Psychic came easy to them, Thunderbolt proved a lot trickier to master. The first blast of lightning was more of a messy discharge, electricity traveling in every direction and even lashing back at HYAH! The second blast went completely wild, striking a nearby tree and leaving a glowing scar down its side. The third blast was more focused, keeping its shape and launching straight forward, but sent HYAH! falling onto their hindquarters due to the force required. Elliot ran over to check on the Starmie, sighing as he saw the frustrated flashes of their gem. "I know, I know. This isn't the easiest thing in the world," Elliot assured them. "But look at you go! You're learning so much already, and this is for an element you're completely opposed to! Not a lot of water types can even attempt Thunderbolts, let alone use such powerful ones. And yet, here you are. You never fail to impress me.
Lightning tends to strike high and follow objects that conduct it, right? Why don't you try making things easier on you by using Hydro Pump as a guide?" It seemed like a fairly smart idea. With the Hydro Pump needing to pass through HYAH!'s golden ring, there had to be traces of metals in the water, right? And if that was the case, it'd be a nice conductor for HYAH!'s Thunderbolt to work with. It was a crutch that training could buffer out, but for now it was better than leaving HYAH! struggling with the technique on his own. It was clear that HYAH! agreed, because after a bit of grumbling their gem flickered from red to blue. Elliot grinned, picked up a Substitute doll, and then tossed it in the air.
Against a (relatively) unmoving target, Hydro Pump's slow firing speed was no object. HYAH! blasted the substitute out of the sky with ease, sailing through the air to follow its path. If Elliot's advice was right, HYAH! should've been able to make a follow-up strike before it even landed. Their gem flickered from red to yellow, the sparks from each facet intensifying to a fever pitch. "You can do it, HYAH! Thunderbolt, now!" Elliot cheered, just as lightning tore out from HYAH!'s gem. It curved through the air, looking for a location to strike, before bending towards the thoroughly soaked substitute. The lightning lanced right through it, leaving the doll little more than a charred mess as it fell.
Elliot promptly punted it into the water so the doll wouldn't set the grass on fire, then excitedly ran over to HYAH! "That's how we do it!" Elliot cheered. "Keep on practicing like that and you should be good. And keep practicing Psychic, too. Just because we're on a new trick doesn't mean we can just let that one slip. Master those two by the time we regroup, and you'll be all ready to face our surprise challenger." HYAH! HYAH!-ed in agreement, then spiraled away to start practicing on a few other spare substitutes.
With HYAH! finished, Elliot stretched out and yawned a little. Murex would probably be next on his agenda at this rate. She was still getting used to her new body, and while she had already gotten some individual attention for Elliot she was never the most confident in her move usage. Besides, she had just evolved! How could Elliot not spoil her with a bit of attention over such a big change? Then once she was done, it would be Curly's turn. He was already the strongest battler of the three, if only due to his natural strength, and Elliot trusted him a bit more than the others to practice without guidance.
The rest of his schedule now set, Elliot headed back to the Kiddie Pool with his head held high.
Post by Elliot Sunderland on May 3, 2020 21:06:18 GMT
Elliot wasn't surprised to see that Murex hadn't got much practice in on her own. Whereas Curly was still diligently circling Substitutes, and HYAH! was alternating between thunderbolts and psychic pulses, Murex was content to lay back and sunbathe in the kiddie pool. Elliot couldn't really blame her for it. It was a beautiful day outside, and battle was never her strongest suit. Yet if she wanted to participate in training sessions with Curly and HYAH!, she'd need to be able to match their discipline. Briefly, he considered his approach. What would be the most appropriate way to reach out to a Pokemon as gentle and goofy as Murex?
That was the thought process that lead to Elliot floating on his back in the water, pushing off of the pool's side so that he could drift closer to the Cloyster. Soon, the two were resting head-to-head, trainer and Pokemon alike looking up at the morning sun. "Hey," Elliot said, voice soft and gentle. Murex rattled in acknowledgment. "So, what'd you think of the surprise?" he asked. "Your new body treating you well?"
Murex's resulting cry sounded somewhat bittersweet. "Still making your mind up on it, huh?" Elliot asked. Echo teleported onto his chest as he asked the question, resting her hand on Murex's shell. Elliot wasn't too surprised that she wanted to come along for the ride. Murex was her best friend on the team, after all. It would also be a major help for figuring out how Murex felt about the change. "How about I try some words, and you and Echo let me know if I'm on the money? That sound good to you guys?
Alright, here we go. Powerful." Echo waved her hand from side to side, the universal gesture of "kinda." "Sturdy? Big? . . . Too big?" There we go! Echo nodded in response to that. "Worried you can't really move like you used to?" Murex sighed, nodding. "That's not all, is it?" Elliot asked, Murex nodding slightly in return. "Are you worried about how you look?" A shake of the head, from both Echo and Murex. "How you feel?" Still no. "How others feel?" That got Echo perking up slightly. They had a hit! "Do you think they're jealous? Worried? . . . Do you think they'll be afraid you're dangerous?" Another sigh from Murex. There was the problem.
Echo paddled Elliot around like a raft, bringing him over to Murex's side. Once he was there, he gently set a hand on the Cloyster's shell. "You really think I could ever worry that you're dangerous, you big goofball?" Elliot asked, a gentle tease underlining his voice. "C'mon, you're a big softy! I still remember the day Echo and I met you. You were following us along the whole route, keeping up with a ride Pokemon despite all the odds. And when Echo and I caught notice of you, we knew we had to stick around and spend some time with you. You're just as adorable as you were then, y'know. Even if you're a bit bigger and spikier." As if to illustrate his point, he rolled over and gave the Cloyster a hug. Would he be caring for a dangerous Pokemon this way? Totally not! Point proven!
Murex sighed, leaning into him. "To me, you're always going to be the dork that got caught by another Pokemon," Elliot said, the three of them sharing a laugh. "And now with my help, you're going to be both a dork and the headliner of my gym-beating team. You ready?" Murex nodded, rocking a few times before righting herself.
"Now, you're right about that first part. By definition, you're bigger and less streamlined than your old form was," Elliot said. "But you've got a stronger tail now, so you can kinda split the difference. And you've got a trick up your sleeves now you didn't have before. Remember that Binacle we fought before?" Murex nodded, a smile spreading across Elliot's face. "Focus hard on your outer shell. Just like you did when you used those Spikes earlier. Except instead of breaking little pieces off, see if you can shatter the whole thing. Don't worry, you'll still have your shell. Unlike as a Shellder, you have a lot of layers to work with."
Murex took in a deep breath, then squeezed her eyes shut. Her tongue lolled to the side of her mouth as she focused, shimmering cracks spreading across the surface of her shell. Echo and Elliot leaned forward, curious, only for the outermost layer of her shell to explode off of her. The layer beneath was a little bit darker, a little bit sharper, and also noticeably smaller. She was still a good deal larger than her old Shellder form, but this seemed closer to her comfort zone. "Ta-da! Isn't that better?" Elliot asked. "Now, show me how fast you can swim, Murex!"
Murex looked at a pile of nearby substitutes, thrashed her tail from side to side, then rocketed forward at surprising speed. Her eyes widened in shock as at her own speed, and she giggled up a storm as she basically swam circles around a set of hapless substitutes. A whirlpool kicked up in her wake as she glided around the substitutes, leaving them all gathered there in the center. "Time for your favorite old trick. Hit them with a Liquidation!" Elliot called. Before, it was more of a blunt technique, but with her new spikes came a lot more power behind the move. She tore through the substitutes like a hot knife through butter, a few pieces of fluff left on her horns after such a beautiful hit.
Echo paddled Elliot over to Murex, cheering for her best friend all the while. "That was incredible, Murex!" Elliot said. "Still feeling all big and sluggish now? Bet you aren't after showing off that speed!" Murex gratefully swam up to Elliot, nuzzling into him. "You can do that at least three times or so. Sometimes more, if you're really in a pinch, but it gets really dangerous if you push the envelope too hard. So be careful using this new move, okay? Wait til you've already pushed through your opponent's biggest moves, then surprise them with a ton of strength and speed out of nowhere!
Now that you're feeling better about your new look, think you and Echo can practice this for me?" Murex nodded, a determined glint in her eyes. Echo shot Elliot a goofy salute, then teleported onto Murex's back. She pointed towards a pile of subtitutes, the duo laying waste to them with an intertwined Psybeam and Aurora Beam.
He mayy have had his doubts at first, but Elliot knew she and Murex were going to be alright.
(1120 + 4090 = 5210! We're at the halfway point, guys!)
Post by Elliot Sunderland on May 4, 2020 1:11:19 GMT
Last on Elliot's list for the day was Curly. The good news was that, without needing direct assistance like Murex and Curly did, the sea serpent could be counted on to push himself onwards. The bad news was that, with everyone spread across the kiddie pool and his usual competition currently absent, he was letting himself slack off. The Huntail was currently swimming in circles around a Substitute, giving it a few noncommittal jabs with his tail. It was only when he heard Elliot coughing from behind that he changed tactic. He flicked the Substitute into his mouth with his tail, gnashing down and tossing it away.
"Don't think I didn't see that, Curly," Elliot chided, a gentle smile on his face. "But, hey. If substitute training just isn't doing it for you, I can get it. Only so many times you can punch a bag before wanting to spice things up." Fundamentals were important, but every Pokemon had their own preferred learning method. "So why don't you show me what you want to do?" The Huntail perked up in surprise, but promptly tore off to another part of the obstacle course. Elliot did his best to follow along, even if he needed to remind Curly every now and again to slow down for his bad leg.
Finally, Curly had arrived to the wave pool. Whereas before he and Elliot had circumvented the obstacle by diving beneath the waves, this time he swam right to the center of the wave pool. He squeezed his eyes shut and let the waves better against his coils, tossing him from side to side. He held like this for a few minutes, only to relent and duck back beneath the waves. He resurfaced by Elliot, resting tiredly against the shore and looking up at him. "Oh, I get it! Endurance training!" Elliot said, grinning. "Smart idea. If we're fighting in the water, you gotta be ready to handle the water, even if they get it rough or choppy. I'm pretty sure the gym leader can surf circles around us, but that's no excuse for us to be sloppy.
Though I think I've got an idea that can test your strength and your stamina at once. Interested?" Curly perked up a little, nodding Elliot's way. Elliot took a nearby length of rope from the side of the pool, tying it around the waist of a substitute and the other end to a peg adhered poolside. "Here, try biting onto this. We'll see how long you can hold out as the waves batter you. And you should end up with some wicked jaw strength by the time we're through." This time, Curly went for a regular bite instead of his usual Ice Fang. With Substitutes being somewhat plush and malleable, an Ice Fang would likely shatter it before his regular bite ended up ripping it.
Then the waves started to roll in. A particularly big one swelled up right at Curly's left flank, hitting him before he even had a chance to prepare. "Try and curl up if you can! That way you can brace yourself more easily," Elliot warned. The Huntail nodded, taking Elliot's advice as another wave slammed him from the right. This time he was able to push against the force, his coils quivering slightly but refusing to break against the waves. A few more waves collided like this, each one threatening to loosen Curly's coils, but he managed to hold them off until the first set of waves subsided. The intensive workout left Curly's sides battered and jaw aching. They popped up to shore, resting next to Elliot and panting wearily.
"Not surprised that took a lot out of you, Curly," Elliot said, scratching the Huntail's head and gently massaging his jaw. "We're working to make sure you can hold on in a pinch. But generally, you don't want to do that unless you really need to. It's a lot better to roll with the punch if you can, even if it means you need to give up on a target. Give that a try, and see if it feels better on your sides." Energized by the pep talk and massage, Curly dove right back into the wave pool. This time he bent in a u-like fashion as the waves came, rolling so that the force would be spread across his entire length. Between that, and the way he followed the movement, the wave barely made impact on his side. However, his hold on the Substitute was a lot weaker than it was beforehand. It rolled around in his mouth at times slipping out before he could crush his jaws around it again. He continued this swaying motion for a few more waves, only for the last one to shove his head away from the Substitute. It flew out of his mouth, leaving Curly sagging in disappointment.
"Hey, don't sweat it," Elliot said, gently scratching the Huntail's fin. "That hurt a lot less, right?" The Huntail nodded, even as he cast a disappointed look towards the substitute. "Good. That's the part that matters. And everything we learned here goes for attacks, too, not just choppy water. Roll with the punches for as long as you can, and use all that stamina you saved to push through when there's finally an opportunity you can't refuse. That sound good to you?" Curly nodded, letting out a few barks of agreement.
"Alright! Murex and HYAH! should almost be done with their training, too. Ready to show them what you learned?" Elliot asked, earning a rather daring bark in return. "Meet me back at the marathon end of the obstacle course. Where we're going now, we're not gonna need targets." Before Curly could even respond, Elliot sped off. The eel tilted his head, curious, but swam off to inform Murex and HYAH! The Starmie was currently juggling substitute dolls with pulses of psychic energy, Murex using Icicle Spears to blast them out of the sky. Curiously, Echo was gone. Had she finished training with Murex?
The three water types made their way downstream, ready to discover whatever Elliot had in mind.
Post by Elliot Sunderland on May 7, 2020 3:12:41 GMT
When HYAH!, Curly, and Murex arrived at the marathon portion of the pool, they were surprised to see nobody was there. Murex zipped around the pool in every direction, flashing a bright light from their gem to try and light up any hidden areas. Curly was far less concerned, stretching out and floating at the surface of the water. He let out a deep, throaty sigh as the sun warmed his scales. Murex's reaction was somewhere in between the other two, keeping a cautious yet inquisitive eye on the waves below.
Maybe that was why Murex was the first to notice as Elliot rose from the waters, arms folded dramatically. His hoodie was freshly unzipped, billowing behind him as if carried on a dramatic wind. Steely determination shined in his eyes, and the smallest of smirks turned up the corner of his face. Murex started back, surprised at her trainer actually looking kind of cool for a change. She let out a keening cry, HYAH! zooming over to her side and Curly lazily coiling around the two of them. Elliot cocked an eyebrow in interest as the team assembled before him.
"So you finally made it," Elliot said, voice lower and deeper than usual. Murex tilted her head, curious, but HYAH! and Curly didn't seem to notice the change. "You've been through many trials and tribulations today. But all we've done today is drills and practice sessions. That's invaluable, but I'm not sure if it'll be enough to get you ready for the gym battle. Fortunately, I have just the thing to test if you're ready for the main event." He snapped his fingers, pointing towards the sky. "Dangerous Triangle, come on out!"
As he gave his command, Elliot promptly slipped and fell into the water. As he fell, Echo teleported over the spot where he had fallen. She looked around, curious, then shrugged. The four Pokemon shot each other awkward looks, only for Elliot to pop out of the water and take a deep breath. His cool, commanding aura disappeared entirely, especially with his hair slicked down by the water and his hoodie bobbing behind him in a wet mess. "Guess you're not ready for Psychic yet, huh, Echo?" Elliot asked, the Ralts shooting him a guilty smile. As he started treading water, Joule and Reverb approached from the water's edge. While they kept to the coast, they did their best to stand behind Elliot. "Still, as you probably guessed, that's my special surprise. You guys'll be fighting Echo, Reverb, and Joule to see if you're ready for the big time. If you lose, we stop to train more. And if you win?
Well, I think we have some unfinished business in Bass City.
So! Without further ado, let's get started!" Elliot chirped. Echo teleported him out of the water, the two gathering by Joule and Reverb's sides. As HYAH! zoomed up to meet them, Reverb suddenly hit the deck. He waited until after the Starmie had zoomed overhead, then leaped up to kick them in the back. The Starmie clattered away, gem pulsing a little, as they turned to look over at the two. "I did warn you without further ado, right? I know, it might be a little harsh. But it's not like the gym leader'll wait for us once we agree to fight him, you know?" A small smile crept onto his face. "Besides. I know you can do it, you superstar."
That pun seemed to reignite HYAH!'s fight. They pushed themselves off of the ground, spinning rapidly as they sailed to chase after Reverb. They gracefully spiraled around a Psyshock that sailed from both of Reverb's hands, then slammed into them at full-force. Reverb clung onto their spinning prongs to avoid being sent flying, but by now they were both being carried across the battlefield.
With one battle set, Echo and Joule murmured among one another, trying to pick who would go next. Murex bashfully drew back, making room for Curly to make his approach. The Huntail leered at the two, a cheeky grin on his face as he undulated his coils. Joule took a step forward, but surprisingly Echo threw out an arm to stop her. She babbled a little bit more, her insights causing Joule's eyes to widen in surprise. She nodded, gave Echo a pat on the back, and ushered her forward towards Curly. Rather than get ambushed like HYAH! did, the serpent lunged forward, jaws spread for a vicious Bite. However, before he could land the hit, he found his jaws gnashing down on empty air. He slid towards Elliot's feet, looking around in a state of absolute confusion.
"Behind you," Elliot warned, the Huntail looking up just in time to see Echo hovering overhead. She had teleported out of the way of his strike just in time. She held her hand high with a cheery grin on her face, then brought it straight down. Glowing leaves trailed her motion, raining down on Curly from all sides. He turned around, glowering, only for Echo to bounce off of his nose like a springboard. She giggled up a storm as she hit the water, Curly diving after her to give chase.
That just left Murex and Joule, the Dedenne smiling softly at her old friend. "You don't need to fight if you don't want to, you know," he said, finding the shy look in his Cloyster's eyes impossible to notice. Joule seemed to share the concern, her tail and ears drooping as she looked at the Cloyster. "I know you're new to this body, and to battling as a whole. We can totally wait for another way, if you wa-"
Much to Elliot's surprise, the Cloyster swam forward. Even as her tongue lolled from her mouth, her nervous eyes hardened with a new determination. Joule scuttled to the water's edge to meet her challenge, giving the Cloyster a gentle kiss on the shell. The grins on both her and Elliot's faces were radiant. "I'm proud of you, Murex," Elliot said, voice soft and warm. "You two begin when you're ready, okay?"
The two Pokemon looked at one another. They nodded.
Post by Elliot Sunderland on May 8, 2020 3:41:23 GMT
As HYAH! and Reverb hurtled through the air, the Gothita examined the ground below for safe hiding spots. Eventually, he found his target; a large berry bush, maybe about 2 and a half feet on each side. Upon spotting this target he pulled himself up to face HYAH!'s gem, his pupils darting back and forth. The Starmie's gem flickered, its dimming giving Reverb the chance to slip away from its rapid spinning tackle. The sudden drop in weight snapped HYAH! out of their funk, but by then it was too late. Reverb was nowhere to be seen.
The Starmie zoomed down to the ground, letting out a frustrated HYAH! as it started looking around. While its vigilance was admirable, it unfortunately proved just as much of a risk as carelessness could have. As HYAH! stared deeply into a trio of nearby bushes, Reverb jumped out from behind and sucker punched it with a Feint Attack. By the time HYAH! turned around, Reverb had ducked into another bush. Undaunted, they continued to look after their quarry, this time checking over their shoulder every time they examined another bush to avoid further sneak attacks. Two Feint Attacks had hurt bad. A third would have left them way too behind.
Unfortunately, it wasn't HYAH!'s rear they needed to look out for this time. This time, it was their front. As HYAH! turned over their shoulder, Reverb popped out of the bush they were directly in front of, hitting them in the upper prong with a sinister headbutt. They charged off shortly after landing, ducking into a third bush while HYAH! tried to stabilize their hovering.
Apparently, HYAH! had gotten sick of this chase. Instead of diving into the bush, they started spinning at high speeds. Psychic sparks gathered at Reverb's fingers, the Gothita ready to end this with a Psyshock, but before he could fire droplets of water started sputtering from HYAH!'s gem. That was the only warning Reverb received before HYAH! fired an explosively powerful Hydro Pump, its spinning ensuring the move would at least hit something. It was a lot weaker than a more focused blast would have been, but HYAH! didn't need power. They just needed to flush their adversary out.
Sure enough, Reverb had been launched out of his cover. He dashed away, trying to find more cover, but before he could escape he felt a crushing force coming down on him from above. HYAH! flew up, their gem glowing an ominous purple. It seemed a Psychic was doing just the trick to keep Reverb standing and fighting.
As Reverb and HYAH!'s battle raged on, Curly dove far below the depths of the kiddie pool. While Echo's Magical Leaves had very precise tracking, they did have their limits. Trying to travel through the water simply left them waterlogged and bloated, their natural buoyancy pushing against Echo's psychic power and preventing them from travelling into the depths. This was Curly's saving grace; without her most effective and accurate move at her disposal, Echo was left relying on firing Psybeams down into the water. The pulsing rainbow light traveling through the water made them easy to see coming, and the opacity of the water meant Echo had a hard time pinpointing Curly's location. Down here, he was safe.
Unfortunately, safety wasn't the same as victory. And in a gym battle, if you tried to bring the leader to a time out, you were probably just going to be disqualified. For that reason Curly started angling himself back up, trailing the glowing spots from Echo's laser-based onslaught. He waited until he saw another Psybeam launch past him, then began breaching towards the surface as quickly as he could. Echo was in sight, and before she could turn and react to him he gnashed a pair of icy fangs around her. The force of the bite sent her shivering, but before he could capitalize by coiling around her she teleported away from him. It wasn't long before a barrage of leaves peppered him from the side, each one hurting more than the last as they whizzed past him.
Her battle tactics were almost as obnoxious as his were. However, they weren't unbeatable. Curly dove to hit her with another bite, working up his scariest face, and Echo teleported away just as he predicted. When he heard the tell-tale shimmer of her reappearance, Curly pushed himself backwards and coiled his tail. He could feel a tiny body wrapped up in his coils; jackpot! Echo had warped behind him just as expected. With her wrapped up in his coils he dove beneath the waves, building up momentum so that he could bounce high into the air. Every few seconds he tightened his tail, breaking her focus that she couldn't teleport away.
At the apex of his jump he flexed his fins, posing for the world to see. After this, it'd be all downhill for Echo.
Finally came Murex and Joule. Whereas HYAH! and Reverb battled on the land, and Echo and Curly dueled in the water, their battle took place on the coastline. Currently, it was more of a sniper's duel than anything, icicles and jolts of lightning flying in so many directions that Elliot needed to take cover. Murex used her girthy shell to block any attacks that came too close, a shimmering aura surrounding her to repel all of Joule's best strikes. This left Joule forced to be the more mobile of the duo, ducking, leaping, and tumbling around the rains of icicles that Murex was unleashing on her. The more she fired, the better Murex's aim got. At one point, Joule had to fling a spare Substitute in the way of an icicle just to avoid taking a direct hit!
Unfortunately, a sniper duel wasn't the only path that this battle could take. Joule ducked into a bush, but as she poked her head out she saw that Murex was nowhere to be seen. Hesitantly she took a step forward, only for her eyes to widen in shock and understanding when a shadow settled over her. Murex had sprung right out of the water, spinning in place as she surrounded Joule in a field of chitinous spikes. With her escape routes cut off, Murex launched a torrent of water to pummel Joule with a Liquidation. The electric hamster went flying, and for a second Elliot was afraid the battle'd be over before it even started.
Unfortunately, Murex's relaxation was not to last. Tendrils of electricity zapped her, leaving her visibly fatigued. She may have been able to make a powerful entrance on land, but that didn't mean she could dodge worth a damn up her. Joule charged forth from the direction of the attack, flipping through the air as she smashed Murex's shell with a powerful Iron Tail. She clamped her shell tight, repelling the hit with a timely Protect, but the force from Joule's strike gave her the momentum to bounce off of Murex and over her field of spikes. Before the Cloyster could even recover Joule came charging again, this Iron Tail smashing through the Protect and driving Murex's pointed shell deeper into the ground. At this rate there was no way she'd be able to pop out of the ground and dodge, and another direct Iron Tail would have spelled her end.
That's why Murex decided she wasn't just going to take it. Instead, golden cracks started to spread against her shell. Could she break free in time, even as Joule leaped forward again?
(7268 + 1259 = 8527! Tune in tomorrow (I hope!) for the grand finale!)
Post by Elliot Sunderland on May 10, 2020 4:07:25 GMT
Curly's plan was brilliantly executed, but there was one variable that both he and Echo had forgotten about before it was too late. Teleport wasn't the only move she was capable of using. As Curly started sailing down, Echo raised her hands into the air. Leaves flew up from the water, glowing brightly as they smashed the Huntail right in his underbelly. He let out a pained gasp, tail slackening just enough for Echo to push out of his coils. She promptly teleported away, leaving Curly empty-handed as he sailed down to the ground. The Huntail looked up, slack-jawed from surprise, just in time to see that Echo had teleported above him. She brought her raised hands down, and with that gesture brought the leaves down towards him. He squeezed his eyes shut, bracing himself for the blow.
And yet, the blow never came. As Curly squeezed an eye open, he noticed a beam of rainbow energy colliding directly with the Magical Leaf. It may have been unavoidable, but that didn't make it unbeatable. The Aurora Beam withered the leaves on contact, leaving little more than crumbles falling on Curly. Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, he dove beneath the waves, taking a glance at the shore to see who his savior was.
It was Murex! The Cloyster had shed her shell at the perfect time, Joule hitting a piece of loose chitin instead of the actual Pokemon within. While her foe was left distracted, she had turned around to bail Curly out of his own bad situation. The two looked at each other, sharing a nod of mutual appreciation.
The respite wasn't to last. Joule leaped high into the air, preparing to come down on the distracted Murex with a vicious Iron Tail. However, it wasn't to last. Before she could land a blow Curly burst from the water, hitting Joule with a vicious bite of her own. He twisted his head once contact was made, tossing Joule away from Murex with as much force as he could muster up. Content with the attack that he had landed, he nodded towards Murex, giving her a push into the water with his tail. It seemed that the battlefield was changing up!
Murex looked around for her opponent, only to feel a gentle boop on the top of her shell. Echo had teleported right onto her shell, leaning over to wave towards her best friend. She then teleported away, giggling mischievously as Murex fired an icicle where she had just been. The Shellder was moving a lot more quickly and attacking a lot more powerfully now that she was on her second layer of smashed shell. Sure, her defense had been lowered, but that wouldn't matter if Echo couldn't catch her! She sliced through the water like a knife through butter, checking in all directions to see where the cheeky little Ralts had teleported.
As she did this, however, she stopped herself and spun rapidly in place. A high-pitched cry let Murex know that she had made the right decision. Echo, in chasing her through the water, had fallen right into her whirlpool! The Ralts flailed as she drifted through the waves, her distress leaving the perfect opening for Murex to slam into her.
A shame that as she did, she phased right through. Murex blinked, confused, only to see the Echo that she had hit dissipating before her eyes. Then another Echo emerged from the whirlpool, flailing and screaming. Then another. Then another! Soon at least seven or eight Echoes were drifting through the whirlpool, doppelgangers summoned forth by her Double Team technique. Murex watched them hesitantly. Which was the real one? Who should she attack? She narrowed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then launched an icicle . . .
At the empty air right above the whirlpool. The icicle sailed through the sky, making direct contact with a freshly-teleported Echo! It was a good bluff on the Ralts' part, but there was no fooling her best friend! The Ralts wailed in despair as the direct hit sent her right into the whirlpool, legitimately trapping her this time. Murex didn't waste any time, launching torwards Echo for another high-pressure tackle.
Her attempt was stymied by a sudden pain in her side. The Cloyster launched herself out of the water, looking down to see why her own technique had hurt her so badly. Body doubles weren't the only thing that Echo could fill the whirlpool with; Magical Leaves were now following her through the waters, surrounding her like a shield against any further attack. Clever thinking on Echo's part! She raised a hand to guide them towards Echo, but the Cloyster answered her attack by slamming her shell shut. A shimmering Protect was all she needed to keep those leaves away from her.
She landed, staring Echo down as she drifted to the center of the whirlpool. They were at a stalemate here, neither able to approach the other without taking serious damage. They nodded at each other, knowing that there was only one way they could end this. Rainbow energy gathered between Echo's cupped palms, and a similar blast gathered at the tip of Murex's tongue.
Their Aurora Beam and Psybeam fired towards each other, enveloping their end of the Kiddie Pool in a blinding white light.
By now, Curly and Joule had long vacated their former battlefield. Instead, it was time for a little game of cat and mouse. The thick treeline that Joule had ducked behind was far too tight for the clunky Huntail to pursue her through, but his snakelike body meant that he could navigate it far more easily than most Pokemon his size. She tried to zap branches off of trees to block his path, but his Ice Fang left them brittle and easy to crush. She tried to duck around tree trunks, but he was simply able to coil around them without breaking his stride. Even scrambling up the tree wasn't sufficient. A single Bounce was all it took for Curly to make it to Joule's perch, destroying the branch she was standing on with another icy bite. The Dedenne leaped for another branch, but a smack of Curly's tail shot that idea down. Soon he was positioned right under her, right on the receiving end of a Bounce.
A shame it wouldn't be quite that easy. Just before they hit the ground, Joule snapped out of her daze and blasted Curly with a point-blank coil of electricity. The landing still hurt, but her Parabolic Charge let her drain him to patch up her own injuries. She stood up woozily, dusting herself off as Curly landed in a heap at her feet. Electricity sparked at her fingers as she prepared to end this, pointing them down towards Curly's head.
In a singles battle, that would've spelled the end. In a situation like this, however, anything could happen. Even, say, a Starmie bursting through the treeline, separating the two fighters with a Rapid Spin out of nowhere.
Unlike Echo, HYAH!'s intervention wasn't so intentional. It seemed like they were just trying to get out of their own battle, judging by the lash of psychic energy that struck the tree next to them. Nevertheless, Curly barked towards HYAH! in acknowledgment, the Starmie stopping to answer with another shout of HYAH! The Huntail bounced up, and the two exchanged a manly hand clasp in the middle of the forest. Their veins practically bulged from the manliness of their handshake, but it wasn't just for showing off purposes. The two exchanged a few words, and then HYAH! began spinning rapidly in place.
Whatever Reverb expected when he popped out from his cover, having a Huntail fastballed at him certainly wasn't it! With the element of surprise on his side, Curly was able to gnash on the Gothita with a point-blank bite. It let out a loud call of pain, but before Curly could continue the assault Reverb kicked him right in the tongue. His eyes bulged in pain, and a punch to the snout did just enough damage to get his mouth gaping. The Feint Attack had been a resounding success, letting Reverb escape Huntail's bite with minimal damage. However, minimal damage from a super effective move and a much stronger Pokemon was still pretty hefty. Not wanting to endure another attack like that, Reverb lifted his hands high, launching another spark of psychic energy right at Curly.
Before it could hit, the Huntail had surrounded himself with a billowing wave. Rather than push outward like a surf or spiral around him like a whirlpool, this one simply hid him from view. With this cover granted the Psyshock missed its mark, instead uselessly dissipating in the water. Reverb tilted his head, baffled, only for Curly to burst from the waves like a bat out of hell. The Huntail winked cheekily at Reverb, then cracked his tail like a hydraulic whip. The hit sent Reverb flying into a tree, the force of the impact making it deal even more damage than usual. Rather than lose his momentum here, Curly bounced right off of the ground, wrapping around the same tree that Reverb had collided with. He slowly swung himself down the tree, leering face-to-face with the dazed Gothita. He then opened his jaws, leaning in for one last bite.
He didn't notice the Gothita's pupils darting back and forth. But did that matter when he was already in mid-attack?
As Curly and Reverb dueled in the forest, Joule found herself reversing the roles of the earlier chase. With their superior speed and preference for ranged attacks, HYAH! did everything they could to escape from the thick treeline Joule chose as her battlefield. With no other fights remaining to partake in, and her own stamina reserves running low, what choice did Joule have but to follow? HYAH! simply couldn't be allowed to heal at his leisure. Unfortunately, Rapid Spin meant that actually enforcing this was going to be a problem. With each use of the technique, HYAH! shifted into another gear, leaving Joule forced to push herself to her limit just to catch up.
Perhaps even agreeing to the fight had been a mistake. By the time she even burst out from the clearing, a Hydro Pump cascaded down on Joule from above. HYAH! had set an ambush for her, and the powerful hit they had chosen left her reeling. Nevertheless, its power came with drawbacks; it simply couldn't be used that quickly. As HYAH! prepared a follow-up strike, Joule forced herself to shake the daze and run away from it. The sound of dirt and grass being obliterated behind her was a reminder of her fate if she stood still.
Fortunately, while HYAH! was attacking, they were the one left a sitting duck. Joule crept over to a nearby rock, keeping as quiet as she could, and began building electricity up in her fingers. She pointed up towards HYAH! and launched her blast, hoping she could nail the Starmie before it could get moving again.
Her hopes were dispelled when HYAH! wheeled around, their own gem glowing a brilliant gold. A bolt of lightning tore from the gem, colliding with Joule's own lightning to cancel out. While HYAH!'s technique was naturally strong, Joule was far more used to using electricity. For this reason, they were evenly matched despite their best attempts. They orbited around each other, launching Parabolic Charges and Thunderbolts in all directions, but whether launching one or one hundred attacks the result was always the same. Not a single attack could slip through the barrage and actually make contact.
For that reason, Joule decided to switch things up. With each Parabolic Charge she dashed closer to HYAH!, waiting until she was close enough to charge into melee distance. Once she was in position she darted forward, flicking her tail right in HYAH!'s gem. It snapped like a whip, the sound leaving HYAH! cringing away. With the opportunity opened, Joule spun around and slammed her tail at the Starmie for real. It shimmered like solid steel, but before it could actually land HYAH!'s gem flashed purple. A pulse of psychic energy stopped Joule's tail in its place, HYAH! leaning forward to try and overpower the Dedenne. In response, Joule grit her teeth and stood her ground, pushing her tail against the onslaught with all of her might. Both HYAH! and Joule were left shaking from the sheer exertion that they were putting forth, but neither seemed willing to give any ground.
A final push from both sides left them flying away from each other. However, HYAH! was both faster and far more accustomed to aerial movement than Joule was. The Starmie adjusted course, pushing forward with one last Rapid Spin to tackle directly into Joule. They grinded against her like a buzzsaw, a few light hits slapping her around before a final, heftier one sent her down into the ground. Joule slid as she made impact with the ground, cheeks sparking as she landed on all fours. Maybe if she was quick, she'd be able to get a hit off before HYAH! rallied. As he sailed away and spun around for another pass, she put all of her body into one last Parabolic Charge. She turned to face HYAH!, daring them to approach, then let out a chatter filled with determination.
Her body lit up like a Christmas tree, and so did HYAH!'s as he slammed right into her.
~~~~
Why was it that every time Elliot went to the Training Grounds, his team decided it was a last man standing? He sighed as he walked through the treeline, returning his KO'd Pokemon to their balls as he found them. Lord Beerus walked by his side, tail swishing irritably. "Hey, come on, don't worry," Elliot said in response to the cat's harsh barks. "I'll make sure you get a chance next time. I was just hoping that having some . . . less intense Pokemon guiding this training would've stopped this from happening again, you know?" Lord Beerus shot Elliot a sarcastic look. "Well, yeah, now I know I was wrong! But Echo, Reverb, and Joule really didn't strike me as fight til the finish material, you know? I mean, it's two babies and a sweet old grandma, how was I supposed to see this coming?"
Finally, he came to the water, where a sleepy Echo and Murex were snuggled against each other. " 'Course, maybe that's not a bad thing," Elliot said, laughing warmly at the sight. "If they're willing to train this hard despite not being natural fighters, that just shows how committed they are to supporting each other, y'know? Even if it's to the point of three double KOs. Maybe Lynn wasn't wrong about battles and hearts and all that stuff. Just . . . coming at it from a different angle. It's not that their hearts are meant for battle. Just that because they love and care for each other so much, they'll show each other their best when they do battle."
Lord Beerus facepalmed, using a Psychic of his own to lift Murex and Echo out of the water. Elliot dried them off, smiled softly at them, and returned them to their Pokeballs. "I know, I know. You totally think I'm off base," he said, smiling guiltily. "But you can't deny that letting them compete, train, and strategize with themselves has been working wonders for them. Like, look at Echo! Can you believe she's the same little Ralts I was petrified of even letting you battle? She's come so far, and so have the rest of them.
You'd better look out, you know. They might even start catching up to you soon, Lord Beerus!" Elliot laughed warmly at the statement, but Lord Beerus sure didn't take it as a joke! A look of pure shock spread across his face, and he hunkered into an aggressive stance while barking angrily at Elliot. "Hey, hey, don't blame me! I'm not even the one who told them to train that hard! But if you really want to make sure you don't lose your spot, I guess we can do some training right here, right now." Lord Beerus grumbled a bit, but looked up at Elliot and nodded.
Your thread has been locked. Because it was 11250 words, you receive 23 rare candies, 2 quick balls, 2 net balls, 1 luxury ball, 1 premier ball, 3 timer balls, 1 heal ball, 1 great ball, 3 orange apricorns, 1 white apricorn, 2 pecha berries, 2 antidotes, 2 potions, 1 lum berry, 4 black apricorns, 5 oran berries, 2 cheri berries, 45 levels, 450 pen.
In addition, Curly has now learned Bounce!
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