"Kat" came a soft voice from the doors of the gym. Wren stood there, trying not to wring her hands nervously together. A fellow Gym Leader, challenging a Gym Leader. She wasn't used to such things. She expected her first challenger to be someone more... well, less experienced than Kat.

Wren knew that she had an affinity for ghosts, so she picked her Sylveon to be on the obstacle course today. "Hello" she says, speaking up again as she approaches the other leader. A hand was extended to the challenger. She hadn't seen Kat since... April? That's when she booked it to Sinnoh for a few months. Try to wrap her head around why she was in Rocket.

A wary smile entered her features. "Nice to see you again." But was it nice for Kat? None of the other Rockets seemed... outwardly nasty for abandoning them. She wasn't immune to their stares though sometimes. But nice ones existed. Like Priam. Like Kat had been, all the way back then.

Katherine Fairburne

It wasn't in Wren's nature to jump around like a child and squeal. It wasn't in her nature to not greet any challenger with courtesy. Especially a fellow Gym Leader. Kat had been one longer, so it stood to reason that the blonde would err to politeness. But the ghost-type leader was eager to begin.

"Not inside" the blonde would chuckle almost darkly, eager to show off the schematics of her gym. Gesturing to follow, Wren led Kat inside. The Gym's interior was dark, until it wasn't. A light from above illuminated the empty setting. Wren went to the panel by the door, fiddling with it until she found a good one. A press was all it needed before holograms lit the room in a green glow.

Forming and forming until a thick forest with fog appeared to the two humans and Pokemon. Raised on the other side of the gym was a platform from the ground. It was hard to see from the foliage but - "If you reach that platform, you get the badge" Wren explained, pointing "you're going to run a obstacle course with me and my Pokemon."

Releasing her Sylveon from his Pokeball, the fairy-type trilled in greeting. "The hologram will throw all sorts of shit at both of us. Overcome it, and press forward with your partner. You both have to reach the end - and before me." She had specifically placed the spooky forest out for Kat, being considerate of their advantage.

Taking point on this side of the gym, she gestured for Kat to stand a few steps away. "Challenger goes first, so make it count!" A clear indication for Kat and her Sableye to book it into the woods.

Katherine Fairburne
GO! please roll in your reply for each round!
1/5 rounds so far

The Icy Wind was weak. Puck released a Swift attack, hitting some of the cold air from a barrage of stars and dust. It tickled Wren's face. She grinned despite herself. Was Kat testing her? They started around the same time as grunts, but she pulled ahead as a gym leader and with promotion. Wren... well, she had catching up to do.

Win or lose, she was excited. If she had to part with a Badge, she didn't care. "We won't be beaten so easily" Wren says now, catching up to Kat and zipping past her. The brief spurt of energy may be ongoing or it may be fickle - the other young woman still had time to pull ahead. Puck cheers happily from the blonde's side, too big now to ride on her shoulder. "gotta do better than that!"

Entering the holographic woods, she clears a low branch.

Katherine Fairburne
please roll in your reply for each round! salac berries are not allowed
2/5 rounds so far

This time, the wind is stronger. Wren momentarily slips, almost falling on her ass as Kat takes the lead. "Moonblast!" if the Sableye was going to keep firing, she'd have to do better as well. This was her first challenger. It wouldn't do to make it easy.

Aiming at the Sableye, the Sylveon trilled and collected moondust as it propelled a ball of fairy energy forward. The dark forest's light was weak but the move was strong against the ghost typing. If it connected with Kat's Pokemon, it'd hurt. It might even slow them down or knock the Pokemon off her shoulder. But Wren made sure Puck wasn't going to hit Kat by accident.

Finding her footing, she'd pelt after her challenger. Whether she gained or didn't, the race itself was exhilarating. She felt new, fresh...

Katherine Fairburne
please roll in your reply for each round! salac berries are not allowed
3/5 rounds so far

"Get around it!" Wren orders her Sylveon. The light from the established connection, the shielding of its trainer... all fascinating to watch. Puck nods, jumping backward and onto his trainer's arms. She pushes him close to her chest briefly before flinging him up, out.

"Moonblast again!" she cries as the Sylveon flies through the air, trying to get around the Mega Sableye's shield and hit them in the front. The end is nearly in sight and she is happy they get through this 'battle' in one piece. Wren sacrifices her lead in favor of gaining the upper hand on slowing down Kat. Either way, someone was going to reach the end. Someone was going to win and someone was gonna lose.

Wren focuses on trying to keep up, moving around either slowly or not. The forest drags before her, but there is also light. At the end of this tunnel, one would be crowned victor. Puck aims another Moonblast at the Sableye, giving the ghost a soft wink as he did so. He was having fun!

Katherine Fairburne
please roll in your reply for each round! salac berries are not allowed
4/5 rounds so far

"Swift" came Wren's command. Mega Sableye may be powerful, but the attack was weak. Again. Why was Kat holding back? She should be dominating. The blonde gains ground on her, racing almost side by side as her Sylveon knocks back the Metal Sound/Magic Bounce combo with more star dust.

A few slivers of the steel move cut through Puck's body, but he grins and bears it.

The end is now visible through the forest. The Platform to crown the winner in sight. Wren's motivation was not to give in easily, and Kat had fought well in return. The purple-ette uses her Pokemon's ability, personal connection and moves in near perfect sync. They may be slightly weak a few times, but that wasn't important. The goal was to slow down the runner.

And she was doing a good job of it.

Katherine Fairburne
please roll in your reply for each round! salac berries are not allowed
5/5 rounds so far

BATTLE FINISHED;

3/3 - linked threads with partner
1/1 type advantage - wren
3/5 wren against 2/5 kat - wren wins race
1/1 creativity bonus of mega evolution
=
kat's total 6
against wren's 4
KAT HAS WON HER BADGE

Wren speeds ahead of her former brief mission partner. With both Sylveon and human touching the platform, she achieves the victory. However, she is bright as she turns to Kat and grabs something from the platform that was meant as a prize. A soft smile appears on her face as she regards the other Gym Leader.

"You may not have won the race" she says to Kat, approaching the woman "but you showed your friendship with Amethyst" the added touch of Mega Evolving when they needed it most did give them the upper hand they needed. Extending a hand, she presents the woman with the Bond Badge. "thanks for being my first match, Kat."

She pauses, closing her eyes with a nod. "You earned it."

Katherine Fairburne