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.
Request: If any ride-capable Pokemon are able to show up, I'd totally be down for a goofy surf-vs-surf battle, but obviously you guys don't gotta go for it.
Elliot looked up at the sign to the Bass City gym, a deep sigh rolling from his shoulders. Did he ever expect to show up here? Just two months ago, he had insisted that he wasn't a battler. Hell, two months ago, the first real battles he had gotten into left him sick to his stomach. Now he was at the cusp of his very first gym battle. His hand fluttered down to the Pokeballs on his belt. Three of them would be his battlers for today; Murex, once such a gentle and hapless Pokemon that she couldn't even use her attacks, but now one of his strongest Pokemon. Curly, one of the latest additions to his team, yet quickly making a splash with his agreeable demeanor and competitive spark. And finally, HYAH!, who despite starting out on very shaky footing become one of the most reliable Pokemon Elliot could ever imagine. The next two would be there to study the battlefield; Lord Beerus, a Pokemon who he once feared yet now deeply respected, and arguably the only reason why he was at the gym right now. Vivi, his protege, weakest of the team but filled with limitless potential.
Finally, there was his beloved starter, out of her Pokeball and sitting on Elliot's shoulder. Elliot had always imagined that when he was heading into a gym, it would be him and Echo standing off against the gym leader's strongest Pokemon. However, much to Elliot's surprise, she had actually rejected the idea. Maybe it was because battle wasn't her forte. Maybe it was because she wanted her water type teammates to get the spotlight. Maybe she just wanted to practice her cheer routines. Whatever the case, Elliot was more than happy to respect her wishes. He even made her a pair of pom poms and sewed a #280 patch onto the back of her hoodie to prepare for the occasion! She leaned against her trainer, chirping happily as she nuzzled him for good luck.
Elliot pondered for a second, then released his Pokemon from their balls. HYAH! and Curly were quick to sink into fighting poses, their overeagerness leaving Lord Beerus facepalming in frustration. Murex shyly peeked up from behind them, making her best attempt at a war face. Their energy was so infectious that even Vivi gathered by their side, her far sparking as she nestled into the hole in their team pose. Elliot laughed a little, ruffling the Eevee's hair. "Soon, Viv. I promise, you'll get your chance soon," Elliot assured her, the Eevee doing her best to keep dignified in the midst of all the fawning.
With his "team" for the day set out, Elliot took a few steps back to look them up and down. "I know today's got you all nervous. Or, at least, it's got me nervous," Elliot admitted. "But despite this being our first gym battle, it's not like we're coming in as total newbies, you know? It's been days upon days of training just for us to get to this point. We've learned a lot. We've grown a lot. Some of us here-" Elliot looked towards Murex, the Cloyster perking up in surprise. "-have even evolved. And I've been doing a lot of growing, too. I've gone from some nervous runaway from a little town in Hoenn to a trainer truly worthy of fighting by your side. And, again, this has all been over two months of journeying! Heck, for some of you it's been even less time. Curly's only been with us for, what, two weeks? And yet it already feels right putting my faith in you.
I can't guarantee we're going to be winning this. After all, we're here to fight a Gym Leader at his own game. Compared to most trainers coming in here, we're going to be at a disadvantage. But it's not just about winning. It's about being the best we can be. It's about pushing ourselves in ways we never expected to be pushed. And it's about making a splash that nobody could ever forget.
So let's head on in there and do our best, okay?" Echo raised her arms, letting out a cheer. All of Team Elliot (besides Lord Beerus, who simply stared curiously) returned it with a war cry of their own, before looking expectantly towards Elliot. He grinned, returning them to their Pokeballs, then drew his phone. Earlier, he had texted all of the friends he had met along the way: Fayne. Josh. Levy. Elise. Lynn. Koa. Andrew. Would they come to cheer him on? Would they text him back, in a show of support? Or would he simply just trust in their belief from afar? No matter the case, he smiled, clutching the phone close to his heart. He then took his first steps forward, opening the doors of the Bass City gym with a triumphant stride!
All that triumph promptly fell out of his face when he noticed the obstacle course of ropes and narrow platforms before him. Oh, no. Did this gym have any accessibility options? Maybe a wider course that he could go on? Echo looked at him, as if offering to teleport him from platform to platform, but Elliot simply shook his head. That just wouldn't be fair. Instead, with a sinking feeling in his gut, he took his first step onto the platform.
You... don't even make it onto the first platform? As your foot prepares to leave the starting side you slip on some spilled water at the edge and go crashing into the pool. Hiro appears distraught. He asks if you need help.
Post by Elliot Sunderland on May 11, 2020 1:58:37 GMT
Echo flung her hands to her face in shock. That wasn't supposed to happen! She ran to the water's edge and shook her pom-poms, as if magically hoping it would get Elliot out of the water. Thankfully, it'd only be seconds before Elliot popped his head out of the water, blinking a few times. He and Echo looked at each other, silence rebounding between them, before the two just burst out into laughter. "Not the dramatic entrance we were hoping for, huh Echo?" Elliot asked. He pushed off against the platform to try and lift himself back up, worming his way back onto dry land.
As he shook the water out of his hair he turned to Hiro, smiling sheepishly. "I'm okay, don't worry!" he said. "This course is gonna be a little tricky. But I should get the hang of it!" Perhaps he didn't want to call attention to his bad leg, even if it was a little obvious as he pulled himself out of the water.
What else was there to do afterwards but give it another go? There was no way he could embarrass himself that badly twice in a row, right?
You manage to get out on one of the little platform-- only to realize it's actually a floatie of some sort. It moves with you, and you could probably just stand and try to move it all the way across the pool.
Post by Elliot Sunderland on May 11, 2020 3:01:22 GMT
Speaking of accessibility options, there was one now! It was a rather unorthodox choice, but Elliot would take a flotation device over a series of platforms he'd need to hop through any day of the week. He took a look at Hiro, trying to confirm whether this was cheating or not, but didn't seem to be getting any indication one way or another. "I guess this is okay, huh?" Elliot asked, Echo shrugging in response. Either this was some Willy Wonka levels of temptation, or he was in the clear!
Then again, with how many Pokemon could have been lurking within the gym's waters, Elliot knew he wasn't out of the woods just yet. At any second now he could've been hit by a wave pool, sucked into a whirlpool, or even nudged around by an excited Sharpedo. He couldn't touch the water, so no doggie paddling or bracing himself against the float. However, in a situation lile this, his walking stick looked awfully like an oar . . .
All the while, his eyes darted around the gym, looking to see what could nudge him off of the raft. If he lost his lifeline here, he'd have to try again the hard way!
RZ_D17KIp_
(-10 Agility, -10 Luck. Would this still even be Agility? Or would this be Strength, Endurance or something else suited for "swimming" now?)
You start "rowing" with your stick while keeping balanced on the floatie. A little unorthodox, but Hiro seems to applaud your ingenuity. You make it to approximately the halfway mark of the pool.
Post by Elliot Sunderland on May 11, 2020 22:38:08 GMT
Hiro didn't seem scandalzied by Elliot's plan at all. In fact, he actually seemed a little bit impressed! Elliot couldn't help but grin his way as he adjusted his balance, waiting until he had found just the perfect angle to stand at before advancing further. The waters were surprisingly gentle, the base of the float was wide enough to comfortably stand atop, and his crutch was making for a surprisingly good oar. At this point, the name of the game wasn't speed but stamina. If Elliot could just hold out like this, he'd be okay! And if his injured leg started to give him trouble . . .
Well, this was a trial for a reason.
At the very least, Elliot was halfway there! He was starting to feel the burn, in both his rowing arms and his unsupported leg, but there was no way he'd quit now. Echo waved her pom-poms from atop his shoulder, her cheers setting the tempo for him to row on. He couldn't help but grin at her enthusiasm. They weren't even at the good part yet, and she was still giving him her 100%!
Xy6jonTZp_
(+1 Endurance, -10 Luck. If balance replaces fatigue as the main object, probably back to -10 Agility? Idk, you're the DM, not me!)
Post by Elliot Sunderland on May 12, 2020 1:25:37 GMT
So close . . . so close! Like a lighthouse appearing on the horizon, the other side of the gym was rapidly coming into view. Echo waved her pom-poms, cheering Elliot onwards with each push of his walking stick. The spectators murmured among themselves, wondering if such an unorthodox strategy would pay off. Even Hiro leaned forward to get a better look, intrigued. Yet as Elliot continued paddling forward, he felt a dull pain shooting up his leg. He wasn't meant to stay unbraced. Not for such a long time, on such an unstable platform. Elliot could acutely feel every rocking movement of the flotation pads. What he wouldn't give for stable ground right now! Yet he knew this was his one chance. Victory was mere strokes away. He needed to push through the pain.
He pushed forward with his walking stick. His arms tensed up, his leg quivered, but he continued onwards nonetheless.
Another push. By now the dull pain was starting to turn a lot sharper. For a second his knee buckled, but he grit his teeth and forced himself to remain standing. "I can do this," he whispered, Echo giving him a gentle bat with her pom-poms. Concern flickered in her eyes, but Elliot tried his best to answer it with a smile.
One more push. And yet this time, something had to give. Elliot's leg seized up, the boy letting out a yelp of pain as a shocking sensation shot up his leg. The end of the gym was fingertips away. He had to push through! He had to! And yet as he tried to force himself to stand again, he buckled for good, the pad slipping away from his feet as Elliot fell into the deep end of the water.
For a while he laid there, looking up at the gym's harsh lighting. Cold, soothing water ran over his leg, but the relief was nothing compared to the disappointment. He had been so close! He could literally lean over and touch the gym leader's platform! For a second, it was so tempting to do that. He had almost made it. The idea of completing the course again made his leg hurt just thinking about it. And the one lifeline he saw was now floating out of reach with each passing second. Hiro'd understand if he wanted to throw in the towel here, right?
Yet . . . the more he thought about that, the worse he felt about that idea. What was he supposed to do? Ask for a challenge out of pity? That wasn't what the gym challenge was about. That wasn't what he had trained his Pokemon for in the first place. If he was to give up here, and say that close enough was good enough, what example would he be setting for his Pokemon? For his friends? For himself?
He shook the thought from his head, flipping from his back to his belly, and began the long, slow swim to the shallow end of the pool. And then, once he was there, he stepped back towards that fated first platform.
kiecO91Qp_
(-10 Agility, -10 Luck. Back to the beginning.
In addition, Elliot's muscles are getting their asses kicked into shape today. Might this be enough words for a +1 to Strength?)
Elise had gotten into the crowd late. She was kind of sort of aware of when Elliot had said he was gonna challenge the gym, but she’d been busy with some other things and was only now just arriving— just in time to watch Elliot hit the water at the near end of the pool. She stared for a moment in startled shock before finding herself whispering over to one of the spectators to get a better idea of what was going on. Though she ahd lived in Bass most of her life, the Gym was still rather new and foreign to her.
But one thing was clear. One thing was certain. Elliot needed some support! “YOU CAN DO IT!” she shouted grabbing a Pokeball and releasing Shimmer out and upwards. Someone was trying to remind her that Pokemon needed to remain seated and quiet but Elise wasn’t having any of it. “Shimmer use Sweet Scent!” The Ribombee released the pleasant aroma up into the air.
It wouldn’t do anything for the upcoming battle. It wouldn’t even do anything for the pool challenge. But Elise wanted to encourage, and if a little warm fresh scent helped her, it would help Elliot too! “You can do it, Elliot! You can do it!”
As soon as Elliot had decided he was going to do the gym challenge he had told everyone. And once Levy had told him she would for sure be coming, even making sure she took a break from her training that wouldn't mess her up, he had even gone as far to reserve her a seat so that she would for certain have a spot.
She had even shown up before he said he was going to make sure she got said spot and saw everything.
She had known that the gym had a challenge before you could face the leader, it was the whole point. But seeing Elliot fall before even getting onto the first platform and falling right in? Equal parts hilarious and concerning. Levy had to try very hard to laugh (pro tip, she had failed) as she stood to look over the railing to see if it offered a better view.
Okay, not great, and honestly almost the worse case scenario. But he could still do it!
The second attempt was already going much better, Elliot rowing himself across on a floatie. Come one, almost there! But just before he could reach it, his leg gave out. Why had he been standing? He should have kneeled! Levy stood again, leaning over the railing as far as she dared before fingers were put in her mouth and she let out a very ear piercing whistle. Possibly with some complaints from the other spectators but she didn't care.
"Come on little bro! You can do it! Use your head! Work smarter, not harder!" Levy shouted out as loud as she could to try and encourage him, knowing just how bad his leg could be when he was doing stuff like this too long.
Post by Elliot Sunderland on May 17, 2020 16:14:00 GMT
The water again. Pure determination wasn't going to work here, was it? Especially when his leg was still sore, aching, and tight from his last attempt. Yet almost mechanically, Elliot starting paddling back towards the starting platform. He could do this. He had to do this. He would do this!
As he paddled back, however, he froze up. He looked to the sky, sniffing a few times. What was that heavenly smell? Elliot could feel the soreness and stress ebb from his body as he noticed the smell, relaxing a little in the water and letting his nose guide him to the source. That was where he saw Elise, cheering up a storm and shouting encouragement down towards him. Then, right by her, he saw Levy, her whistle like music to his ears as it echoed through the arena. The dearest friend who spared him the worst embarrassment of his life, and his beloved sister who gave him a place to stay when he had nowhere else to go. Now, while he was at the cusp of his hardest challenge yet, they proved they were still there for him. Elliot blinked a few times, a small, tearful smile on his face.
Then it spread into a wide, ear to ear grin. "You came!" he cheered, voice wavering with relief and tears of joy. With renewed vigor Elliot pulled himself back onto the main platform, looking at the platforms set before him. Again, it was going to come down to his ability to get onto that first platform. If he could just finally settle that score, it'd all be okay.
Elliot wasn't alone in his gratitude. Seeing the two coming to their aid, Echo let out a delighted squeal. She teleported right off of Elliot's shoulder, popping over to Levy and Elise to give them both warm, enthusiastic snuggles. After her teleports she settled down in Elise's lap, continuing to wave her pom poms from side to side.
As he stared the obstacle course down, Levy's advice echoed through his head. Work smarter, not harder. Right! Teleportation and riding were outlawed, but he could totally get help from his Pokemon, right? That gave him an idea. "Was hoping to save you guys for a dramatic reveal, but it looks like I'll need to depend on you sooner than I thought!" Elliot said as he threw a Pokeball in the water.
For a second, all was still. And then a whirlpool started to spread across Hiro's obstacle course. It started by the corner where his original "raft" was, but every few seconds it drifted further downstream and took the raft with it. Soon, the whirlpool had pulled right up against Elliot's starting platform, leaving his makeshift raft held right up against its side. All he had to do now was step onto it, right? How bad could that really be?
uTR5NksMp_
(+1 Stamina (if his plan lets him count as just stepping onto the next platform) -10 Agility (if, nah, you still gotta make that jump), -10 Luck (because he's Elliot). )
You misjudge the speed of the whirlpool. As the float circles around you step a foot onto it, but almost immediately it slips past and away toward Hiro's end of the pool again.
Post by Elliot Sunderland on May 17, 2020 21:36:31 GMT
So close, but so far! The whirlpool spun ever so slightly too fast, sending the platform shooting away from under his feet. Elliot slipped right into the pool, Echo facepalming quite audibly. However, being right by the starting platform meant he could get right back into the action. "A little bit slower next time, Murex," Elliot said, leaning down towards the water. "We had a good plan going here, but I think you got a little carried away on the spin. But let's give it another shot!"
The whirlpool snatched the loose platform up again, this time spinning at maybe half the speed. It was a good plan in idea, if not in execution. Surely they just needed to give it another shot, right? As the platform slowly, lazily drifted towards him, Elliot moved to ease himself onto it. At this point there was no way he could mess this up!
JIaWYwk1p_
(+1 Stamina (if his plan lets him count as just stepping onto the next platform) -10 Agility (if, nah, you still gotta make that jump), -10 Luck (because he's Elliot). )
Hiro congratulates you on your persistence and tells you that you've passed the trial. You can float across on the platform or just swim, as you wish. Then it's on to the gym battlefield, where Hiro awaits your first Pokemon!
Post by Elliot Sunderland on May 17, 2020 23:40:35 GMT
The second Elliot's foot hit the platform, Hiro declared the challenge was over. And, better yet, Elliot had passed! It seemed that in the end, the true meaning of the trial was persistence. Elliot's dedication and refusal to give in, even on the most agonizing failures, had proven he was worthy of taking Hiro on. Either that, or Hiro was starting to feel bad about having a kid plunge into the water over and over again. Whatever the case, Elliot had passed!
Now he just needed to get over to Hiro's platform. He could've just paddled across, but that proved bad on his leg last time. Besides, this time he had a better idea. He released another Pokeball into the water, a shadow rising up from the depths and docking onto the platform. The shadow started to spin, kicking up spurts of water on all sides, only for Elliot's platform to rocket forward like a turbo-charged motorboat. Elliot grabbed onto the platform for dear life as it shot forward, a Hydro Pump cascading behind him. "Here I come!" Elliot said, voice shaking from the force of how fast he was moving, only for the platform to stop on a dime inches before the end platform. Elliot was launched off of his ride, tumbling off of the platform before rolling at a very bemused Hiro's feet. "Hi! I made it!" he chirped, Hiro unsure whether he wanted to laugh or cringe.
"Y . . . you all good?" Hiro asked, reaching down to help Elliot up off of the ground.
"Never been better," Elliot said, taking Hiro's hand and easing up to his feet. "Especially because I've got a heck of an idea for our battle." Hiro cocked an eyebrow in curiosity, only for Elliot to turn and dramatically gesture towards the whirlpool in the center of the gym. A Cloyster came rising from the whirlpool, calling out to the crowd and showing off her best war face. "You're probably used to people bringing in a bunch of grass and electric types. So how about we try a change of pace, and have a water vs water battle?" Murex breached from the water, landing by Elliot's side and making another cheerful cry.
The crowd murmured among themselves. Some were confused. Some were intrigued. Some seemed to think Elliot was crazy. Yet Hiro found himself all smiles at his challenger's candor. "Coming to play me at my own game?" he asked, gesturing dramatically to the crowd. They burst into cheers at their beloved gym leader's excitement. "Well, you're really swimming with sharks today, kid! You might be cresting high right now, but by the time we're through, you're gonna be all washed up." While he may have been talking a big game, his tone was light and breezy.
Elliot couldn't help but laugh in response. "Well, water you waiting for? Let's get started!" Elliot said, moving back towards Murex's side. As he did, Hiro returned to his end of the platform, whistling towards the water's edge. The crowd leaned towards the dark shadow in the waters behind him, eager to see who Hiro's first teammate would be.
Post by Elliot Sunderland on May 20, 2020 23:48:04 GMT
The small shadow beneath the waves started expanding by the second. Even Elliot's eyes were locked on it now, the crowd starting to murmur in excitement around him. There was only one Pokemon that this could have been, and it was always a crowd pleaser!
A Milotic as long as the gym was tall breached from the waves, tossing his hair as the crowd erupted into cheers. Elliot's eyes were as wide as dinner plates, shining with excitement. "He's gorgeous!" he said, near-breathlessly.
Hiro laughed in amusement. "I'm no lobster; buttering me up's not gonna get you out of this fight," he said, voice light and breezy. "But, thanks. I already knew. And so's my Milotic!" The Milotic splashed his tail out from the water, casting a beautiful, misty rainbow above his head. The crowd went from laughing at Hiro's jokes to squealing over the Milotic's showing off. Was this really a gym battle? Or were the two of them about to get into an impromptu contest?
(Un?)Fortunately for the spectators, Elliot turned towards Murex. "Well, let's see if he fights as good as he looks. Kick things off with a Liquidation!" he said. Murex turned around, water spraying from the gaps in her shell and propelling her towards the Milotic. Much to Elliot's surprise, Hiro didn't command him to move. In fact, the Milotic puffed his chest out as Murex launched towards him. Was he seriously leaning into the attack? As Murex's shell directly impacted the Milotic, she cracked her shell open, trying to see if she had made impact.
She did, but the Milotic didn't even seem scratched! His face was right in front of Murex's shell, the Cloyster's eyes widening in shock when she realized how close he had gotten. He chuckled warmly, winking at her and sending a bright red blush across her face. She promptly bounced off of his chest, swimming over to Elliot and nervously glancing up at him. "Manaphy's not the only sea creature that can steal your heart"! Hiro warned. "This your first time dealing with Cute Charm?"
"Oh, Murex is just a little shy," Elliot said, leaning down and giving her a gentle scratch on the shell. "It's okay, Murex. You can ask him out after the battle. Right now, I need you to get your head in the game, okay?" Murex looked up at him, nodding, then turned back to the Milotic. She was finding it hard to make eye contact, but that didn't mean she was going to give up!
Unfortunately, her hesitation had brought the Milotic quite a bit of time. He dove beneath the waves, emerging with a shimmering ring of water around him. What little damage Murex had dealt to the Milotic was already starting to heal, bruises and scratches being soothed by the relieving waters. "I think we're going to need a bit more power to get through this one. You know what to do, Murex!" Elliot said. Murex brightened up again, turning to Elliot and shaking her head. "H-hey, c'mon, it's not going to be all of your shell. But okay, you can keep it to just two breaks if you want to stay modest. That okay?" The compromise seemed to work for Murex, golden cracks spreading across Murex's shell.
One layer of shell cracked off! Hiro raised an eyebrow at the move, but didn't seem too distracted. Two layers of shell cracked off! By now he shifted his position a little, watching as the cracks spread one last time. They shimmered, they glowed, and then . . . they stopped. It seemed Murex was indeed preserving their modesty for this battle. Who knew clams even cared about that kind of thing! Nonetheless, Elliot took the lack of a third technique as an opportunity. "Let's pick the offense back up, but keep out of melee," Elliot suggested, pointing towards the Milotic. Murex wheeled around, a quintet of brightly-glowing icicles slicing through the air. Water types may have resisted ice, but with all of these power-ups how could the attack fail to make an impact?
"Not so fast!" Hiro said. "Stop it with a Haze!" The Milotic's mouth opened, black mist rolling out and spreading across the battlefield. As it passed over the icicles, their glow had faded. The resulting hits barely even shook the Milotic, who stretched out to show the crowd just how uninjured he was. They clapped, cheered, and hollered. Even Murex clacked her shell to applaud along! She was a lot less appreciative when the mist rolled over her shell in turn. As it passed, the cracks in her shell had also mended, leaving her back to her bulkier, slower, and weaker form. No wonder Hiro hadn't even attacked! He was letting Murex and Elliot waste their time, all while the Aqua Ring brought this battle back to square one.
"He didn't even attack?" Elliot said, only to shake his head and realize what that meant. He didn't need to. He had only seen two moves and one ability from this Milotic, yet he already knew where its priorities lied. That also explained why it had opted to restore Murex's shell, even though a Cloyster's strongest aspect was its defense. He took a mental note, watching as Hiro's Milotic prepared to move.
"Alright, that's enough showboating for now. Dragon Tail!" Hiro called. It looked towards Murex, the nervous Cloyster withering under his gaze, then breached its tail from the waves. A beautiful rainbow trailed it, and Murex could feel herself quite literally clamming up. For a second, Elliot considered a Protect. In a water vs water battle, a neutral hit like this could be a tide-turner. However, he thought back to Hiro's earlier behavior. If offense was so important, why didn't he hit sooner?
This was bait.
In Murex's flustered state Elliot knew there was no way she'd dodge. They were just going to have to roll with the punches. The Dragon Tail arced gracefully over Murex's head, then pitched her to the other end of the pool. A few trainers took pictures as the Cloyster cannonballed through the air, but Elliot stayed resolute. "Hit the ground swimming, Murex! Try and surround him!" Elliot suggested. Murex nodded, sinking beneath the waves as she hit the water.
All was quiet, and with how much of the pool Milotic took up there weren't many places for him to run. In most situations, her long, snakelike body made this a nonissue. But a whirlpool didn't care if you could skim it or not. It only cared that you were in its wake. Murex's whirlpool rose up from the floor of the gym, its currents snagging Milotic's coils and keeping him locked within. Murex popped from the water, shaken yet mostly unphased from the Dragon Tail. There were some shocked gasps, but some of the crowd actually tossed her applause for her and Elliot's ingenuity. Sure, it was only one or two people, but it was progress!
The Whirlpool not only nullified the Aqua Ring's effect, but it also outpaced it. So long as the whirlpool kept going, Murex held the advantage. As if realizing this fact, Murex continued to swim around the arena. If she stopped, the pool would start to die down. And if the pool started to die down, her chances died with it. Hiro couldn't help but laugh a little. "That's 1 point for each of us, huh?" he asked. "It's a nice trick. But I think I'm gonna borrow it!" The Milotic's eyes glowed a bright purple and he fired another cloud of gas, but this one was purple instead of black.
Elliot's eyes widened in fear and recognition. Yet wasn't this the exact possibility he had seen coming? "Now we're using it, Murex! Protect yourself!" he called. The order was seconds away from being too late, and Murex's own hesitance delayed her further. The Cloyster was overwhelmed in purple gas, tendrils of pollution streaking through the water's surface.
"2-1 me," Hiro said, continuing to maintain his invisible scoreboard. "And unlike yours, mine doesn't just wash off. Yet he'd have to revise that scoreboard when he saw that Murex's shell was glowing in every color of the rainbow. She had gotten the Protect off just in the nick of time, leaving Milotic's move sloughing harmlessly off of her shell. She shook the vapor, then looked up towards him.
"Nice trick," Elliot said. Hiro looked at Elliot and pointed a little, as if to say "get a load of what this guy's doing." Some gym leaders might've gotten huffy at their words being turned against them like that, but Hiro? The bright, amused smile on his face said it all. He even pumped his fist as Elliot said "I'm going to have to borrow it!" As if on cue, Murex began rapidly opening and closing her shell. The high-frequency clicks she kicked up got the crowd flinching and covering their ears, but more importantly got Milotic's eyes swimming.
"Looks like you're not as out of your depth as I thought," Hiro said. "But I think by now, you're picking up what I'm putting down, yeah?"
"For every trick Murex and I have, you and Milotic have an answer."
"Right! It's almost like they're some kind of parallel. But here's a difference; I bet your Cloyster can't heal!" The Milotic stretched out, antennae softly pulsing to the side as a glow overcame her body. Elliot's face fell. She had Recover and Aqua Ring? How was he even supposed to put a dent in this thing?
It twitched, then slumped, shaking its head. The mental effort needed to heal, in its current confused state, had kicked up a wicked headache! Elliot blinked, then grinned from ear to ear. His win condition had just been served to him on a silver platter.
(Part 1 of 2! Tune in to see the thrilling conclusion!
Post by Elliot Sunderland on May 22, 2020 4:10:02 GMT
The Milotic's Recovery failing opened up a massive opportunity, and one Elliot wasn't about to let pass him by. "Let's power ourselves back up, Murex!" he chirped, Murex nodding. Golden cracks spread across her shell, launching off the first layer of chitin. Her swimming sped up, and the laps she made around the pool got faster. It was going to be no problem sustaining the whirlpool at this rate!
Hiro cocked an eyebrow curiously. "You do know that didn't work the last time, right?" he asked. Yet while his tone was easygoing, it was clear Hiro was keeping a close eye on the situation. As Elliot kept his calm smile up, Hiro shook his head and laughed. "Another Toxic, Milotic! No chance their Protect is ready again." If Murex was to keep the whirlpool going, she'd need to keep swimming in a repetitive circle that left her open to counterattack. If she didn't keep the whirlpool going, then Aqua Ring would start undoing all of his hard-fought progress.
Elliot grit his teeth. Even if he told Murex to throttle her pace, there was no way to guarantee it'd throw off the Milotic's aim. "I'm sorry, Murex. We're just going to have to push through," Elliot said, looking down and averting his eyes. "Brace yourself best as you can, then hit him with an Icicle Spear!" The Cloyster nodded, clamping her shell shut as poison gas washed over her body. This time, it was clear the attack had made its mark. Bubbles of toxic gas rolled up from her shell, and the Cloyster's dark face had turned a light purple. Elliot cringed a little at the sight, only to notice Hiro smiling gently towards him. "Trainers have to make the hard choices sometimes. You made yours best you could, yeah?
Now let's see if it pays off for ya!" Murex wheeled around, spreading her shell to reveal a quintet of icicles. They glowed faintly, matching the glowing cracks along Murex's shell, before rocketing towards the Milotic at terrifying speeds. Milotic tried to twist out of the way, but his confusion left him zigging when he should have zagged. Each of the icicles rained down on his coils, leaving him sinking down beneath the waves. Hiro clenched his fist, concerned. The crowd fell silent. Even Murex looked worried! Had she shit the Milotic too hard?
Black haze rolling out from the water answered Murex's question. It rolled over Murex, once more erasing the effects of her Shell Smash. She perked up in surprise, turning just in time to see Milotic's tail crashing down on her from above. She slammed her shell shut just in time, kicking up a Protect to deflect it. "Your Cloyster packs a heck of a punch!" Hiro said. "But she's on a time limit now. And if there's anything my Milotic's good at, it's running out the clock."
"That's if he can even focus on that. Don't give him the chance, Murex!"
"Only if your Cloyster's got her head on straight enough to try!"
Murex and Milotic stared each other down. Their eyes were stony. Their bodies were tensed. The air between them was electric. The crowd fell silent, wondering what these two titans of the battlefield would do next.
Murex promptly turned away, face bright red and shell clamped shut. It'd be the perfect opportunity for Milotic to capitalize, but he promptly missed his tail swipe and hit himself upside the head. Nobody came out of this exchange looking good!
Regardless, it was Murex who recovered slightly more quickly. "Another Icicle Spear, Murex! Use that boost while you have it!" Murex wheeled around, firing another quintet of icicles right at the Milotic's side. This time he was able to weave around a half of the spears, but the remaining half made heavy impact. The Milotic panted heavily, his head and tail starting to droop. This damage was really starting to get the better of him, and the audience was starting to look concerned. In contrast, Murex had taken a wallop, but could clearly keep going. To the crowd, it looked like Hiro's chances were dangerously low.
To Elliot and Hiro, it was a different story. Elliot held onto his walking stick with a white-knuckled grip, and Hiro put his hands behind his head to stretch himself out. "Hate to see a kid look so stressed. But if you ask me, that's a good thing," Hiro says. "If you were getting all cocky on me, I'd have to teach you a lesson!"
"Knowing how much that Recover can do to turn this around is real nerve-wracking," Elliot admitted. "The fact that your Milotic doesn't even need to fight to win is incredible. But if you're using Recover, then you're not-"
"Using Haze, this time. But by the time you've smashed your Cloyster's shell again . . . " Hiro trailed off. The look of recognition in Elliot's eyes meant Hiro knew he didn't need to explain any further. "It was a good bluff when time was on your side. But I'm afraid the tides've changed for you, kid."
"Strength's not all my Shell Smash is good for!" Elliot said. "Don't let yourself get psyched out, Murex! One last Shell Smash!"
"Don't say I didn't warn ya! Recover!"
Once more, Murex and Milotic stared each other down. Murex glowed a bright gold, power crackling off of every plate on her shell. Milotic glowed a soothing silver, tendrils of healing energy snaking up his coils. Their glows intensified to a fever pitch, lighting the arena up like a Christmas tree, before dispersing in every direction. There was no confusion interrupting Milotic's healing. There was no haze interrupting Murex's power-up. Once more the arena fell silent, the two Pokemon sharing a final standoff.
Hiro and Elliot looked at each other, then at their Pokemon. The gym leader coughed to get Elliot's attention, then slid his hands into his pockets. He sunk into a horse stance, looking for all the world like an Old West gunslinger. Elliot, picking up what he was putting down, did his best to sink into a similar position. Another few seconds of silence passed, and then they finger gunned at each other.
"Icicle Spear!""Haze!"
Murex turned, icicles at the ready. Milotic leaned forward, black gas gathering within his mouth. At the exact same time, the two of them fired.
The haze overwhelmed Murex before the icicles even made contact. Hiro raised his fingers to his mouth, blowing "smoke" from the tips. "Good effort! But it looks like Milotic takes this one home." He looked over to gauge Elliot's reaction, but quirked in eyebrow in confusion as the boy kept his focus on the battlefield. "Real intense about this, huh? I'm flattered!"
Then the icicles, still glowing brightly, breached from the water. Milotic reared back in surprise, a startled gasp rising from his throat, but was peppered on all sides before he could begin to dodge. For the second time this battle, the tremendous sea serpent toppled over. And this time, it wasn't getting back up. Hiro's eyes widened in shock, but the surprise didn't last long. In fact, soon he tapped his palm to his forehead, breaking out into laughter. "Of course! Now I get it!" he said. "Your Cloyster fired first, but dipped beneath the waves to get her shot off. That way they weren't going through my Haze, and could hit with full power."
"Yep! I knew your Haze was connecting, one way or another," Elliot said. "So I figured my only hope was if Murex got the first shot off. If she missed here? Well, then there's no way we'd break through Milotic's defenses before the-" As if on cue, Murex's shell eased shut. She let out a weary yet victorious sigh, sinking beneath the waves. "-Toxic set in. Y'know. Like that.
. . . Should we get them?"
"Oh no you don't!" Hiro said, laughing. "You're full of surprises in battle, but I've seen enough of you swimming today! I got this, don't worry." With that, Hiro shot the audience a wave that got them (and, honestly, Elliot) swooning, then dove beneath the waves. After a few moments he came up, Milotic's ball in his hand and Murex dragged behind him. "Phew! She's a heavy one! But I've had to pull off trickier rescues before." The crowd burst into applause, Hiro taking a bow at their adoration. This battle was really bringing out the goofier side of him, huh?
"That puts us 1-1, for real this time. Though, technically, you took the lead back there," Hiro pointed out. "Don't let the pressure get to you!"
Elliot blinked, uncomprehending. And then he perked up. "Oh! Like water pressure! Right!" he said. "Well, I'll be keeping my head above the waves on this one. Come on out, Curly!" Elliot threw another Pokeball beneath the water, his Huntail bouncing out to mug for the audience.
(Double KO! Milotic has fainted, but Murex has succumbed to Toxic and followed suit.
Elliot's next Pokemon is Curly!)
6ovCCaZH
Mod Call
Whenever you need modding, simply post a link to your thread and a short description of what you need.
Looks like we're all caught up on modding right now!
06
04
00
