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noah finishes adjusting the paper crown on his own head. his thick hair juts out awkwardly in places where the crown meets. strands curl outward in charming swoops.[break][break]

"not gonna lie, pretty good, man." the gym leader grins. "it's like we're married or something, mister faber."[break][break]

his hand passes by a smiling bergmite on a paper cup before it plucks a salty fry.[break][break]

"we've been together a long time now." noah says. he waves the fry near kyle's lips so that he could feed it to him.[break][break]

"kinda crazy to think about. kinda crazy i've lived this long with all that's happened."[break][break]

he excludes 'we' for obvious reasons. today, the gulf between the blessed and the ordinary is the size of a bergmite king's table.

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it is a surreal sight. seeing kyle dressed in his own attire. this is no case of shared hoodies, no cute exchange of socks or mittens. just nonsense.[break][break]

and nonsense was fine. space for the ludicrous suggests the ordinary still survives. survives in spite of it all.[break][break]

noah rushes. he pulls the new pants up. fiddles with belts, zippers, buttons.[break][break]

he raises his arms, the sleeves in sheer dysfunction.[break][break]

"are we really going out like this?"

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"naw, i'm just a distraction."[break][break]

noah laughs. he pulls his hand, having sensed the prickle of aubre's surprise. [break][break]

"you might've been able to do this on your own. me? if i was the only one here? i'd be a goner."[break][break]

he fishes something out of his pocket. the gleam of his badge, its design two interlocking fists.[break][break]

"say, i think you deserve this." noah says. "that was basically like close quarters combat, right? the league needs people like you. front line medics. what do ya say?"

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"you and me? we're not too unlike after all." [break][break]

relief finally unfolds within noah's heart. it floods into his arteries like a warm antidote.[break][break]

"show me what you got, buddy."[break][break]

a fierce brassy ding announces the start of their battle. his CRABOMINABLE groans, its ever-open maw spilling a FROST BREATH as it advances relentlessly toward the SCREAM TAIL.

[attr="class","bottom"]Noel Parker[break]
TL;DR: crabominable uses FROST BREATH as it pursues scream tail[break]

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"forgive me if i'm a lil rusty." noah's smile is wide, knuckles itching for muscle. he takes his sneakers and socks off and tosses them out of the cage.[break][break]

the bell rings. [break][break]

like a leaping wave, noah's GRAPPLOCT lunges toward the POLIWRATH for a SUBMISSION. its stretchy body obscures ring lights: a cephalopodic curtain call for any caught beneath it.[break][break]

noah is quick too. he dances around the canvas, footwork light and spritely as he throws the first punch.

[attr="class","bottom"]MATIAS SILPH[break]
tl;dr - grapploct uses submission / noah punches[break][break]

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"oh crap. that's no good." [break][break]

the cacnea hop away from the ailing gwendolyn. their little pointy feet stab into the snow and their sad little eyes finding the ailing ranger's.[break][break]

noah calls his machamp from its ball. "kai, reunite these cacnea with their family. meet us back at the ranger post, okay?"[break][break]

the four-armed bodybuilder huffs. scoops the sentient pin cushions into its burly arms. with a heavy leap, the machamp departs.[break][break]

noah's iron hands takes gwendolyn in its massive palms. beneath the panels, the mysterious fluid churn with electrical charge. heat graces gwendolyn's body as the paradox pokemon acts as her personal warm compress.[break][break]

"you did great, gwen." the gym leader's breath becomes clouds. "let's get you outta here."

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noah drapes kyle's button-up shirt over his broad shoulders. he ignores the sleeves. instead, he lets the thin fabric dangle across his frame like a cape.[break][break]

"you're just being stupid now." noah snorts. "no way we're the same pant size... we're gonna be late by this point y'know."[break][break]

regardless, noah's pants slide down his legs, pooling like coiled flamigo necks by his ankles.

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the plastic tray strikes the table. a small song of rubbing paper wrappers and jostling ice accompanies noah's bright voice. the scent of his deodorant. the brushing of his shoe against kyle's as he slides into his seat.[break][break]

"don't worry i brought the paper crowns too." he lifts their thin bands up by one finger so that kyle can take one should he so desire. "i'm fucking starving, man. go ahead and dig in, kyle faber."

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after proud pat on his toxicroak's back, noah recalls it. he clicks the capsule onto a holster as the vital gear whirs off.[break][break]

"good idea." noah says with a knowing wink. "not good to play around on an empty stomach kyle faber!"

[attr="class","bottom"]kyle lopez[break]
[break]
TL;DR - NOAH WIN

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the MAX STEELSPIKE pierces a vulnerability. dynergy expels from the point of impact as the toxicroak begins to topple. its massive shadow engulfs the arena. widens like a dondozo's mouth as its descending body threatens to crush anything and anyone below.[break][breka]

before its massive form makes landfall, the body shrinks in time for noah to catch.[break][break]

"man, congrats." noah says. "you got us! give me your fave brand of shoe, man! what kinda style. your shoe size..."[break][break]

noah prattles on and gets carried away.

[attr="class","bottom"]ollie morales[break]

TL;DR - NOAH LOSE

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noah aids in the eventual dispersal. the carrying of the wounded. the ferrying of bodies. he and his pokemon aid in more delicate matters too. the plucking of metallic ruby shards for one. these fragments come from broken pokeballs. cracked capsules that betray close calls or absolute loss.[break][break]

although the league may have gained the blessing of one god, it draws the ire of many others across enemy lines.[break][break]

noah cradles a great ball uneasily. inside, the iron boulder he has tamed waits.

[attr="class","bottom"]
[break]
tl;dr: noah aids in departure and clean-up + catches iron boulder / 7 POSTS