She’d had a big breakfast. Given herself a pep talk. Given her Pokemon an even longer pep talk (she wasn’t sure where her Weavile had learned to roll his eyes, but she was sure that she saw him doing it four minutes in). And yet, her nerves refused to settle. Nobody would blame her. She was but a child, putting herself forward, to fluster and fail through a gym in front of an audience. If she came up short, every mistake would be immortalized on camera-

No. She clapped her hands against her cheeks for the fifth time that day. If she let those thoughts take root in her mind, then the challenge was already lost. “You wouldn’t have signed up if you didn’t think you had a chance. A good chance.” She was whispering to herself, but the stubborn determination rang through anyway. “It’s simple. Get in there, head held high. Kick some butt. Get a badge.“ She paused, narrowing her eyes at her own thoughts. Insecurities tried to seep their way in, but she forced them out again.

“The world’s watching. About time I showed it what I’ve got.” The girl took a deep breath in. She lifted her head and stared furiously at the doors before her. Hoenn didn’t need to know that Annie Mei faltered at times, or doubted her decisions. It needed to know that she existed, and she was going to rock their world.

[player]http://k007.kiwi6.com/hotlink/l1ulkbkmm2/10._Ifudoudou.mp3[/player]
When both hands forced the double doors open, there was not a trace of hesitation to be found on her face. Instead, there was a determined grin so intense that only a child could muster it up. Her gaze fixed itself on the announcer. She didn’t have the luxury of speakers and microphones to carry her voice, but that wouldn’t stop her for replying in kind, with a pointed finger at the man for good measure.

“Of course it’s familiar! If you haven’t heard of this up-and-coming trainer extraordinaire yet, you’re not keeping up with the times! This is Annie Mei’s grand debut, and you’re lucky to get front row seats to it!” Funny, how the mind worked. With every word of her bold claims, she convinced herself a little more that they might be true. Speaking the truth built up her confidence, and so the conviction made her words sound stronger, in a self-perpetuating snowball of arrogance.

Adults had always told that the secret to success was to fake it until she made it, and Annie had decided that that was only half true. Faking it until she became it was working out much better for her.

❤ wizz

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A PRINCESS OF STEEL IS CALLED UPON, and this one is not afraid to fight on the front lines. now with horn and maw, the intimidating duo face a potent threat against Annie Mei and their chance of success for completing the gym challenge.[break][break]

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The announcer’s words reaffirmed hers; gave them credence. That was all she needed to keep her confidence rolling. It didn’t waver, even as he questioned her strength. Even as the totem appeared. Even as the ground started shaking.

Her eyebrows twitched. Narrowed. Her smile went from overconfident, to overconfident and just a little confused. And concerned. But still confident. Totally confident. Right?

Horn, it was called. A mound of armoured earth if she’d ever seen one. Taller than all but one of her Pokemon, and a fair bit more imposing than most of them. The ground quaked with every step – not enough to make her lose her balance, but enough to briefly, very briefly, make her reconsider. A deep breath was all it took to rid herself of those thoughts, even as the Mawile joined the fray.

“She’ll handle it with ease!” A Pokeball was withdrawn, and from it, Trixie was revealed. The Whimsicott got halfway through a cheer before she realised she was fighting, two on one. That was when Annie’s other hand moved into her pocket, withdrawing… a blade of grass. “Ready, Trix?” The cotton ball took the blade, and gave her trainer a devious grin. Annie stepped back, pointing towards the Mawile. “Give the world a show. Get it with a Grass Whistle!”

The Mawile turned around, baring its second mouth at the Whimsicott. It was too slow. The devilish smile wasn’t for nothing, and neither was her name. The fluffball was a Trickster, so with her instrument already in hand, playing a lullaby was both trivial and surprisingly fast. In short order, the playing field was even, and Trixie only had one earth titan to handle.
They’d almost forgotten about it.
Almost.
The Stone Edge was a rude reminder, sending her flying into the air.

Annie grit her teeth. She knew her partner would be fine. Appearances could be deceiving, and few taught that lesson better than her little nightmare. Still, she never enjoyed seeing her Pokemon hurt. “That’s half the job done. Finish things up! Hit Horn with a Giga Drain!” Trixie’s mane cushioned her blow, and with a quick flip, she was back on her feet and charging her next attack. The rocky rhino would be treated to a health-sapping beam of energy, one that could had ended the fight if not for its own ability. It still had fight left in it. Enough to charge horn-first towards the little fighter.

“Hold…” Annie’s open hand gestured for her Pokemon to stop. Said Pokemon had other things to look at besides her, but that had never stopped Annie from doing them anyway. It wasn’t until Horn was three thundering steps away that she called for her to “Dodge!”, and so the cotton ball bounded her way out of a Hammer Arm to the face.

Trixie was in the air. The rhino was looking up, waiting for her to drop low enough for a critical blow. That meant the trainer had a critical moment, and she was taking a little too long to act on it. She couldn’t afford to. Not when the spotlight was on her.

She took a deep breath in and made the call. “Moonblast!” There was no moon in sight, but Trixie knew how to make do. A pink ball was fired from between her arms, slamming into the rhino’s body. It stumbled, then toppled over, shaking the ground one last time as his body hit it. The sleeping Mawile was handled with an empty Pokeball against its body. Annie let out a breath she didn’t know that she was holding. To think that was only the first challenge.

❤ wizz

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Trixie bounded into her trainer’s awaiting arms, always happy to get a hug from her trainer. For a few precious seconds, Annie forgot about the crowds. Her little puffball was more important, especially after a job well done. “You did great, Trix! I don’t know many Pokemon that can end a two-on-one so easily!” Both hands hoisted the Whimsicott into the air, and in the space between her arms, Annie saw them.

The crowds. The announcer. And a cloaked man that had to be the real star of the show, judging by his cloak. Nobody owned a white cloak for function. Hell, she couldn’t even afford one. Trixie adding to the audience’s cheers was an added sting to her pride. She knew her Whimsicott would cheer at anything if somebody else showed enthusiasm, but having at least one person in her corner would have been appreciated!

Still, she let her Pokemon go, knowing that she loved floating back to earth, and returned her to her ball as the man approached. Somehow, turning up to a gym battle shirtless felt like even more of a flaunt than a luxury wrap… But Annie couldn’t pretend that if the shoes were swapped, she would do her bit to keep the crowds happy. Until they remembered her name, she had to be her own hypeman. Business as usual, in other words.

‘Deep breath, Annie. You’ve got this.’

The cocky grin stayed on her face the whole time, but she was oddly silent, mostly lost in her own thoughts until the Pokemon came out. Still, anybody could see her eyes darting between Balder’s pair, and imagine her little hamster wheel figuring out a plan. For what it was worth, it only took her a few seconds to pull out a pair of Pokeballs, sending them spinning into the air. “It’s showtime, Blitz and Clamp! All of these people showed up to watch us kick some Bald Butt! We can’t disappoint.”

She was a simple girl, so it wasn’t hard for the audience to guess who was who out of a Scizor and Weavile. Both spared a second to look over their shoulders, nod at their trainer, and then at each other. Annie’s teams were often a cast of characters, but for the sake of a smooth battle, she’d chosen two beasts that thought – and fought – along the same lines.

“Keep sharp, boys! Clamp, Swords Dance, and Blitz, Hone those Claws!” Both Pokemon set to work preparing themselves for the battle ahead. Clamp’s rigid dance added a blue glow to his pincers, while Blitz’ claws shined in the light. “Do your worst,” she called to the man. “And we’ll do the same. Won’t learn anything otherwise, right?”

❤ wizz

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Annie’s attack had made its mark, but the same couldn’t be said for her Pokemon’s moves. The smog robbed her of her sight, but before it enveloped her partners, she saw the glow fade from their limbs, and heard their confusion as the strength left them. He’d earned her silence, if only for a few seconds – long enough for her to hear the grunts and strains as her boys struggled to stay standing. There was no question that they would survive the opening assault, but the gym leader had still opened with quite the challenge. She’d expected nothing less.

The real problem was how she was going to use it to her advantage – to impress the crowd, turn them to her side. “Blitz, four steps back, just in case.” Her voice was quieter, her eyes narrower. The tell-tale signs of a child focused on her next moves.

“Clamp, I bet Sandy hasn’t moved much yet!” The Scizor nodded, even if he couldn’t see her. There was no way something of its size was going anywhere without them hearing it. “Why don’t you throw a Silver Wind his way?” The clamps glowed again, white that time, as he drew them across his chest.


Scythes of wind flew through the mist to where the Hippowdon waited. As the attack was fired, Annie’s smile started to show itself again. If the beast had somehow moved, they would know. Not because of the sounds, but because the wind that carried the crescents cleaved through the Haze, clearing their view. Whether it would last, she had no idea… But the attack was a good way to find out if they had a way of removing the haze.

Before that, she had to make the most of it. If there was one thing her Weavile knew well, it was the dark. And stealing, and being a real buzzkill, but mainly darkness. Normally, it would use the shadows or the night to cover its tracks, but the Crobat had provided an opportunity. One that Annie would be crazy to miss. From his position behind the Scizor, the Silver Wind couldn't have ruined his cover that quickly, which meant- “If you’ve got the flying guy, Blitz, go for the Feint Attack!” Her confirmation came when the Weavile sprang out of the mist, his leap hoping to bring his claws bearing down atop Koga.

❤ wizz

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The gym leader’s skill showed itself in his partners’ independence. It would be a while until Annie could trust her Pokemon to act of their own accord, but to see such confidence from him… He’d earned a look of surprise, which quickly gave way to mild annoyance. No call-outs meant she had to hazard a guess at the Crobat’s attack. The wide-eyed pause from both of her Pokemon could only mean bad news, but as long as they could still attack, she’d have to figure out the rest later.

Sandstorm, on the other hand, she was very familiar with. Clamp was a member of the budding Sand Squad, and found few greater pleasures in life than going toe to toe with her Tyranitar. Annie knew that the stream wouldn’t faze, let alone damage him, but the same couldn’t be said for Blitz, and it quickly showed. A hailstorm was more up his aisle, which meant the sand had him shielding his eyes and gritting his teeth.

“If that wind didn’t budge him… Clamp, get in there with a Quick Attack!” The Scizor showed no hesitation braving the sands, charging through to give the Hippowdon a proper greeting. An arm swinging down onto his face might do the trick.

“Blitz, Icicle Crash!” If the bat could dodge a single swipe, then maybe a flurry would do better. If nothing else, its berth could help make up for him struggling to see in the sand. The Weavile’s mouth blasted cold air towards Koga, the sparkles within it quickly growing from hailstorms to ice spikes on their way to him.

❤ wizz

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Annie really wished she’d brought her backpack. It was half her size and often prompted a flurry of questions, but the swimming goggles she’d stowed within would have been fantastic for braving the sandstorm. Worse still, she could have sworn that they made her eyes deceive her. None of the battlers (as far as she knew) dabbled in illusions, and yet, she swore that she saw the gym leader strike a Pokemon’s attacks. Had he been wearing knuckle dusters the whole time? Had he slipped them on just for the attack? Why wouldn’t he just move out of the way? She had more questions than answers, and no time to address either of them.

At least she wasn’t in the thick of it. The Scizor would be fine, but Blitz was built for speed, not taking damage. The raging sands were but a countdown to his demise, and every attack knocked a few more seconds off the clock…

So she’d have to make his defeat worthwhile.

Without the commands to warn her, she didn’t see the Crobat closing in until it was too late. It was left to the Weavile to show off how he’d earned his place in Camp Annie. The first corrosive blade made its mark, but he took to the air before the second could land. Annie heard him wince in pain, and knew that the counter had almost hit zero.

His leap kept him out of the beginnings of the Earthquake (the same couldn't be said for Clamp), but between the sustained attack and the weather… Landing was a bad idea. There was only one thing she could think to do: “It’s time for an All-Out Attack! Take the big guy down!” Both of her boys perked their heads up, but it was Blitz that acted first. Dark energy propelled him towards the Hippowdon… But he wouldn’t go alone. The Weavile’s pack instincts gripped his allies, seen and unseen. From the sandstorm, he emerged to slash his claws upon Sandy…
Then Clamp appeared to bear his pincer down on the beast…
Then a Zoroark sprung force, swiping at the beast. Beat Up had chosen Annie’s third Pokemon for her. It could have chosen much worse.

Whether the attacks landed or not did nothing to change Blitz’ fate. Once he’d seen the attack through to completion, he fell to his knees, and then those failed him too. Kit should have been returned to his ball, but in the absence of a conscious combatant, it seemed that he was set to take his comrade’s place.

“Clamp, give that Crobat a Bullet Punch!” The newcomer would likely surprise everybody but her team, and she wasn’t about to let that opportunity go to waste. He ran back into the sands, eyes darting about until he found an airborne target. Koga deserved a greeting too – one that came in the form of a steel-clad fist to the face. …Or body.

While her Scizor rushed ahead, she grabbed Blitz’ Pokeball. A stationary Pokemon was much easier to see in the sandstorm, and so he was returned without issue. The words she held for him were barely above a whisper, but they seemed both and satisfied with his work.

❤ wizz