It was possible that kyle lopez was some type of dog wizard.

Or maybe just really stinky like a dog, for how interested that the two pokemon were in him. When Kyle spoke, the Houndour actually flopped over and rolled on his back. Which was not something that Chu-e had seen him do before, and he spoiled them with treats. He was a bit jealous, really.

And only after squinting, some wave of familiarity coming over him as he looked at this guy, did it click. Oh, this was the Elite Four guy. Plus a lot of other things, but that was the most prominent right now. Maybe Elite Four people were just dog psychics?

Either way, Chu-e had shit he had to do, so he went over to gather up the leashes of his pokemon.

He got Trooper's, the Houndour lazily wagging his tail with his tongue lolling out, but Grump darted away at the Granbull. He yipped lightly at the purple pokemon, as if wanting to play with it. Chu-e sighed, loudly. "Why....." He said, to no one in particular. He didn't really want the attention of Magic Dog Man. He just wanted to finish this walk.

Oh boy. This was awkward as hell.

Normally Chu-e prided himself on making this awkward or uncomfortable, but damn, maybe Dog Wizard kyle lopez was actually Discomfort Wizard Kyle. Dual magic? Yeah, that had to be it. Anyway, he usually liked that, but only when he was the one in charge of it, ya know? It felt almost like two malicious gods had forced them on this path to interaction. Fuck those gods.

"This is really weird." Is what Chu-e finally says. You can't move past something if you don't acknowledge it. Still, he offers his hand to the other to shake. "Ji-Hoon Ki. My dogs are really taken with you." Maybe they just knew Chu-e was a cat person.

At least Trooper and Grump look pleased with themselves.

"You're that Elite Four guy, right?" Chu-e kind of chew about the gym leaders, elite four, and any other important people. Vaguely. Mostly just names since he wasn't a super invested in that kind of stuff. Never really saw the point in the idol worship a lot of those folks tended to get. Seemed dumb.

"I think they're salty I won't give them my dinner scraps." Glancing away from kyle lopez, Chu-e looked at Trooper, who laid his ears back- caught. Looking away, Chu-e noticed once more the gaggle of starry-eyed children hanging around, most looking no more than five or six at most. "So, uh... why are you battling children?"

Chu-e wasn't much a trainer himself, anymore anyway, but...

"Wanna fight these two? Wear them out a little. You'll totally kick my ass but it might be fun."

Chu-e is quiet when he glances at the children, seeing them misty eyed and sad over losing. He raises a brow and snorts, looking back at Kyle. Yet there wasn't anything judgmental there. So, kyle lopez could rest easy if he worried some rando thought he was a freak or not.

Since Kyle agreed, Chu-e pulls Trooper back by the leash and has Grump stay out on the field. The Rockruff seems confused, wanting to go after the Granbull, but Chu-e whistles and he stays back.

"We're going to battle, Grump." The Rockruff gives a belated tail wag. "Uh... Howl?" Grump snorts before tilts his head back, letting out a little puppy 'awooooooo' and hyping himself up as he did so."

Damn, this kyle lopez guy was really wasn't holding back. No wonder the kids were crying.

Whatever confidence that Grump had gained was immediately melted away at the Intimidate. Then the strikes came, the much younger and battle fresh dog doing little to do more than take them. His hard skin was the only thing that saved him from passing out right away, but before that final blow could land, Chu-e called him back into his pokeball.

"Holy shit." Then he just laughed, loud and surprised, while he unhooked Trooper's leash and nudged him to go into the ring with his foot. "You next. Use, uh... I dunno, Fire Fang or some shit."

The Houndour looks like he very much does not want to battle, seeing how his partner was taken down so easy and so viciously. But, he is still loyal, and charges at the Granbull with teeth lighting on fire to try and chomp down on the pokemon.

The fire fang quickly loses it's heat but Trooper keeps his fangs sunk into the other pokemon.

Chu-e is also confused, as it looks like... nothing happened.

But Trooper had felt something. Without any prompting, he latches into the feeling, letting it wash over him like water so he can force it back on the other with more force. The Foul Play is forced back on the Granbull with a putrid black energy around the Houndour and a shove of his body.

"Well, damn." Maybe this one had more potential than Chu-e had thought. He had just been treating Trooper like any other porch pup.

kyle lopez