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TAG WITH @cait

POSTED ON Jan 30, 2019 20:49:52 GMT

cait spun in a circle, raised her arms high above her head and lunged toward her victorious chesnaught. she'd embrace the mighty grass-type with as much strength as she could possibly muster, the 'mon returning the gesture - though he was far more gentle in comparison.

"good job, chesnaught!"

her defeated opponent begrudgingly recalled their pokemon before slinking off whilst blatantly ignoring the young sergeant's attempts to bid them farewell. unperturbed, the grass-type specialist pulled away from her pokemon and held up two fingers.

"that's two wins for you, boy," she said.

though she felt as though she had cheated, somehow. the individuals whom she had faced off against thus far were fresh-faced and had yet to even acquire the ranking of officer; their inexperience having hampered both themselves and their pokemon as a result.

'it still feels good to win, though. i'll just chalk it up as a guilty pleasure.'

cait glanced around at her immediate surroundings, the outdoor training area vast and nicely spaced. there were a small number of individuals running around alongside their companions, various exercises and skirmishes of varying intensity taking place all around her.

'i should find someone else to practice against.'

her wanderings were aimless as she sought out a lonesome individual to proposition. it required roughly a half hour of search before she discovered someone, though their back was to her and her chesnaught, and she initially failed to recognize them.

"excuse me?"

she'd smile invitingly as she attempted to capture their focus as she stepped closer.

"i was wondering if you were interested in a battle?"

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silph

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TAG WITH @silph

POSTED ON Jan 31, 2019 4:27:45 GMT

he's not here for a battle. no, his original purpose is to play the role of a spectator. with the public resignation of talia bosch, the need for talent has become a pressing matter that must be addressed. that's why he's here at the footstep of the league, eager to feast upon the ripe young talent that dares to test their mettle.

"oh."

alone, there can only be one person cait is referring to. fernando realizes this and turns around to address her. somehow, the voice fits her appearance and fernando greets her with a practice, faux smile.

"sure thing, trainer. what format?"

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TAG WITH @cait

POSTED ON Jan 31, 2019 4:56:00 GMT

cait found herself staring at fernando, her expression gradually transitioning from one of ease to a look of awe in the span of a few seconds.

"c-councilor silph," she sputtered.

she stood up a little straighter, attempting to maintain a position that reflected a professional air as opposed to a casual one. this was a man who's position far surpassed her own, after all, and she'd much rather carry herself properly for the duration of this encounter.

"my apologies," she said. "i didn't realize it was you."

cait bowed her head and shot her chesnaught a look that communicated that he should do the same. the grass-type blinked owlishly as his gaze flitted between the woman and the older male before he mimicked his mistress's posturing, the pair united in showcasing their respect for the man.

"i hope that i haven't interrupted you. you must be busy."

'so this is stormy's older brother? i never imagined i'd meet him myself.'

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POSTED ON Jan 31, 2019 5:01:35 GMT

"greetings," he pauses, expecting an introduction or at least a name. he doesn't let the awkwardness settles in and picks up on the opening with another statement.

"at ease, soldier," he answers with a relaxed tone. "don't tense up for my sake. looks like it's just the two of us anyway."

his hand reaches out and extends to feel for one of the many pokeballs that line his side. her initial inquiry still stands. fernando is open to the challenge, eager even.

"don't let a title scare you off. this is one of the rare opportunities that i'm free. i can't promise you another chance to battle if you let this one slip you by."

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POSTED ON Jan 31, 2019 5:25:46 GMT

"of course."

she sucked in a breath, struggling to rid herself of her own anxiety. but her limbs remained mostly uncooperative, the stiffness that presently plagued them refusing to go away. despite his assurance that she need not concern himself with his rank at that moment, it proved difficult not to.

"i - "

cait very nearly apologized again, but swallowed it down in favor of offering him a name.

"alfric," she introduced, gesturing toward herself. "sergeant alfric. and it'd be an honor to battle against you, sir."

'i don't think i even stand much of a chance,' she thought. 'his experience surpasses my own by years. but it wouldn't hurt to give this go.'

"since i won't have another chance," she continued. "i'd like to request that we each be allowed to use a maximum of six pokemon."

it was a bold request but one that cait doubted he'd deny her. she'd gesture toward a conveniently vacant battlefield, indicating the location where their battle was likely to occur.

"there's an open area just over there for us to take advantage of. by your leave we can start right now."

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POSTED ON Jan 31, 2019 6:01:35 GMT

"well, sergeant alfric, it is a pleasure."

a single glance at the chesnaught is all it takes for fernando to plan out his method of attack. his finger flirts over a particular ball but he reels it back in. on second thought, perhaps he should let her dictate the flow.

"a full on match? i look forward to it."

if she pays closer attention to his backside, it'll be easy to notice he carries past the standard limit of six. most of them reside near his sides, close to his reach and easily accessible.

fernando starts to make his way toward the battlefield, curious about the challenger. "how serious of a match are you looking for, sergeant alfric?"

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TAG WITH @cait

POSTED ON Jan 31, 2019 10:49:25 GMT

the sergeant considered his question for roughly several beats - because she'd never before been asked it until now.

'at least i don't think i have.'

eventually, she'd just chalk it up to her lack of exposure to varying degrees to battle.

"nothing too serious, sir," she said, airing on the side of caution. "most of my pokemon are on the younger side. that - and i'm still very much a novice."

despite quite a few of her companions being fully evolved, the lot of them were in desperate need of improvement. and a hand full were in the midst of adjusting to their larger and far more cumbersome forms, even.

'this will make for an interesting experience.'

cait situated herself on her side of the field, her green-eyed gaze settling upon the man as she carefully considered who to introduce first.

"chesnaught?"

she'd nod at the dual-type who unhurriedly ambled forward until he was situated before his mistress.

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POSTED ON Jan 31, 2019 21:36:43 GMT

"ah. fitting. i'm glad you know your limits and what you can handle, sergeant alfric. whether that's misplaced modesty or an accurate assessment," his smile widens. "i'm eager to find out."

fernando takes his position on his end of the field and waits for her to call upon a pokemon. her choice is obvious and internally, a wry smile cracks from the wickedness inside his heart. his penchant for teasing is stifled, hidden, but it beats underneath the professional exterior he wears.

"a swarm of froslass have terrorized a settlement north of fortree back in december. i've tamed this one but have yet to train it. i hope you find it sufficient, sergeant."

a tap of the capture mechanism spills out the pokemon held inside. with a stretch, yawn, and curtsy, the froslass glimmers in the sunlight, gathering her surroundings as the pokemon comes to. it stares ahead expectant, becoming increasingly familiar to being brought forth for battle.

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POSTED ON Jan 31, 2019 23:58:51 GMT

despite being anxious, cait managed to somehow conceal it behind a mask of calm.

'typically, acquiring victory in traditional battles are heavily reliant upon the pokemon and their respective handler's reaction time. skill and resource management also play an important role...'

the girl recalled the piece of literature she had read from cover to cover prior to her enlistment. this particular format was something she and her fellow league members indulged in to both hone herself and strengthen the formerly tentative bond she held with her companions.

"i don't have a doubt in my mind that it'll make for a good challenge."

her knowledge of froslass was limited, but she was aware of its dual-typing. its combination of ghost-type and ice-type would prove troublesome - the creature's dainty appearance hinting toward its superior speed and natural leanings toward mounting an elemental-based offense. that and normal-type and fighting-type attacks were useless against it.

'a few solid hits of wood hammer may work depending on how strong it is.'

cait bit her lip, realizing that the moment she uttered an order the battle would officially start.

'think of it as a mental exercise. you like those.'

"wood hammer," she instructed.

there was little doubt in her mind that fernando had selected froslass for the sole purpose of taking advantage of chesnaught's obvious flaws.

"ches!"

the pokemon lumbered forward - his speed moderate as he began to pick up his pace. both of his arms were encased in a green glow prior to him raising them and thrusting one toward his pre-determined target.

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POSTED ON Feb 1, 2019 1:15:36 GMT

it takes a special type of patience for fernando to not react. he hears the call for a WOOD HAMMER and is ready to shout counter orders. however, he waits, biding his time to allow his pokemon a chance to digest the situation and react accordingly. the value of this lesson is to comprehend how his pokemon attacks and to follow up with demonstrating why it's wrong. sometimes that means taking a blow to the face. in that instance, cait will take the fall, playing the bad cop that will shape his pokemon into obedience.

the hulking figure of a pokemon approaches and the froslass does little to get out of its way. instead, the pokemon charges up a visible SHADOW BALL. the murky mass of shadow energy consolidates into a growing sphere. when the chesnaught gets into striking distance, the froslass starts to drift away from it, not far enough as the blow lands across the pokemon's torso. however, up close, this is the perfect chance to release the SHADOW BALL.

oh, there's also the chance that frolass's CURSED BODY will prevent it from using WOOD HAMMER again. froslass itself is unaware of its ability but fernando knows it well. having fell victim to it during their encounter, that's one of the few reasons he doesn't interject when the pokemon doesn't employ evasive manuevers.

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TAG WITH @cait

POSTED ON Feb 1, 2019 1:39:37 GMT

the damage inflicted by the shadow ball had been significant, a tight grimace having settled itself across the grass-type's features. the large male had stumbled as a direct result of the attack, but balanced himself upon his large paws before facing the ghost-type.

"ches?"

a sickening sensation that originated from the paw he had struck the froslass began to creep further along his arm.

"chesnaught."

the pokemon shook the limb and dismissed it easily enough, assuming that it was some form of recoil damage.

"another wood hammer, boy!"

chesnaught moved to obey, lunging forward with a snarl as he raised his arm high. a glow once again encased it before it abruptly fizzled out -

"what?"

cait's shout of surprise came immediately after her grass-type sloppily skidded to a halt before the ghost-type, his expression one of bemusement as he failed to conjure up the power needed to execute wood hammer.

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POSTED ON Feb 1, 2019 1:55:19 GMT

how lucky. fernando hadn't expected the CURSE BODY to prove so potent. however, the fact that cait and chesnaught realized their inability to attack so quickly dissipates his chance for a surprise attack. unlike his scenario, cait has plain sight of the situation, able to discern that something's amiss.

"keep your distance. don't let it approach so easily."

the first WOOD HAMMER, no matter how diluted it may be due to the type disadvantage, still landed as a clean blow. fernando wants the pokemon to feel the pain, register the action as a negative experience to help reinforce the pokemon's willingness to avoid a repeat. with an aligned goal, the froslass starts to flee, attempting to create a decent and constant spacing between the two pokemon.

"pelt it from a distance. you can attack it and it cannot attack you. until it shows it has a means of using a long ranged attack, repeat the process to minimize damage while creating a constant output."

the pokemon starts to generate another SHADOW BALL.

"BLIZZARD will slow it down and prove more effective then SHADOW BALL." the statement isn't enough to dissuade the pokemon from continuing its attack. "WILL-O-WISP is also effective. burn it if it gets too close."

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POSTED ON Feb 1, 2019 2:13:39 GMT

they were in a bad way at the moment; the bulky grass-type disadvantaged due to wood hammer having been effectively removed from his already sorely limited arsenal. cait quickly realized that her companion had little to no chance of coming out on top of this particular match up.

'what do i do?'

cait stared wide-eyed at the scene before her, her expression visibly strained.

"i don't have much of a choice," she muttered.

her pokemon had already been previously weakened from his two prior battles, either way. and they had nothing on hand to potentially whittle down their opponent.

"return!"

"ches?"

cait's companion held a look of surprise before he was abruptly absorbed back into his capsule, the shadow ball whizzing past and dissipating someplace in the distance after failing to find a target.

"chesnaught has been defeated," she declared.

she just barely managed to maintain a look of calm, though the slight furrow of her brow and the corners of her lips tugging downwards ruined the facade.

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POSTED ON Feb 1, 2019 4:49:40 GMT

"an unfortunate match up," he comments. the quickness behind her decision is commendable. younger trainers tend to be on the stubborn side, willing to sacrifice more then they should. this does not seem the case, yet fernando can read her frustration.

she must not have had a solution for the match up. off the top of his head, fernando is unfamiliar with the chesnaught's abilities. whether it could launch a long attack was up for grabs but just by appearance he can surmise that the pokemon is highly reliant on physical moves.

indeed an unfortunate match up.

"shall i switch?"

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