the door is thrust open. with a stretched leg propped against a bench, noah rolls a pokeball around his fingers, smile on his face. truth be told, he was startled by the door's sudden opening— but he maintains a cool composure, posed like a rival awaiting another at the exit of a harrowing cave.

"finally! took you long enough, man!" noah says, nudging his sneakers against the bench for one last stretch. scraping his sole off the edge, he loosens the muscles in his neck and arms. "excited? you know the rules, so i'll pass on all the formalities if that's okay with you." he chuckles.

behind him, a large clang rings out from above. the caged ring is suddenly illuminated with stagelights, the metal chainlinks glistening under the beams.

[attr="class","pkspr"][attr="class","pokesprite pokemon machamp"][attr="class","pokesprite pokemon primeape"]

John Sullivan

"Oh shush, I was sorting m'self out!" Doug replied back, a grin on his lips.

With a sudden flash, spotlights were shone upon the cage that would be their little arena, drawing a curious coo from Doug's Ledian as he hovered above the youth's head. Doug's grin grew, his gaze turning up at the bug type.

"Ya heard the man, didn'cha? Get in there and show yer stuff, Asura!" Doug said, giving the Ledian a thumbs up.

The Ledian released a sonorous bellow, all for of his arms uncrossing as he screamed his tiny lungs out before he darted at max speed towards the open cage.

The Iron Fist would be tested against the Machampion at last!

"Ready when you are, Noah!" Doug said cheekily, stepping up to the ring's corner, throwing an arm atop the mat like some sort of Boxing Coach.

---

TAG: noah faber

after the pokemon enter the cage, the verdanturf gym leader wastes no time. he thrusts his arm out, his skin catching an intense beam of light.

"alright! no time wasted!" noah shouts. "STONE EDGE!"

his primeape huffs as it beats its fists. sharp stones begin to emerge from the canvas underneath doug's pokemon like teeth. as the ring rumbles, his machamp wastes no time.

it charges for the heracross in a wide turn. like a herdier guiding wooloo, the machamp attempts to limit the bug pokemon's options of escape from the rattling stones with a SEISMIC TOSS should its hard, gray hands reach it.

[attr="class","pkspr"][attr="class","pokesprite pokemon machamp"][attr="class","pokesprite pokemon primeape"]

John Sullivan

No time wasted indeed! One of the many things that made Noah a great mentor!

"Give 'im a lift, Asura!" Ordered Doug.

The Ledian moved quickly, a grin on his lips as he grabbed at the the Heracross' horn and swung him up at the chain fence ceiling, taking it off the rock teeth's path...

Before promptly throwing himself into the well and ready Machamp's grasp with far too much zeal.

"Megalos, use Aerial Ace!" The youth ordered while the Ledian got thrown about by the Machamp's seismic toss, the beetle spinning in the air to land feet first onto the ceiling before pushing off, the chitin panels on his back spreading wide to reveal his wings.

He flew in a spinning arc through the air, horn shining with a white glow as it went for the Primeape in the back!

---

-Ledian grabs and throws heracross out of the Rock teeth' path... then promptly flies fist first into Machamp's Seismic toss.

-Heracross utilized aerial ace on Primeape!

TAG: noah faber

the ledian's toss of its partner seems pulled from a troupe performance— and noah's own style. the improvised act is a spectacle to witness and as the heracross vaults upward, the machamp seizes the bug.

"against the wall!" noah commands his machamp. "marcel! fry the fence!"

as two arms focus on wailing fists against the bug, the other two hurl the ledian toward the cage's metal railing. noah's primeape flexes as its fur begins to rise from the charge it musters.

however, the heracross strikes the furry monkey from behind. the impact causes the primeape to wail in pain— and as anger galvanizes its muscles, the monkey engulfs itself in electricity.

the primeape THUNDERBOLTS; forcing electricity to wrap around its body before funneling toward the nearest exit: its joined fists. the bolt surges for the cage's walls to charge it with electricity in the hopes that the ledian will land on the electrified fencing.

striking the heracross at the same time due to its close proximity would simply be a bonus. as the primeape lands on the canvas, its back sore, it attempts roll itself onto its feet.

[attr="class","pkspr"][attr="class","pokesprite pokemon machamp"][attr="class","pokesprite pokemon primeape"]

machamp punches/seismic tosses ledian toward fencing; primeape is struck and uses thunderbolt on fencing, body momentarily wrapped with electricity

John Sullivan

If there was one fortune in all of this for the Ledian, it was his double resistance to fighting type moves that made the several fists smashing him into a pulp, as well as being thrown into a wall of chains...

Slightly bearable.

The electric fence, though? That was brutal.

The tiny bug released a scream as the lightning coursed through its tiny body. First Melody Miro's Lapras, now a friggin chimp! Everyone seemed to be able to use lightning, damn it!

The Heracross was zapped at as well, the electricity frying at its carapace. But... he grit his teeth and narrowed his gaze, legs coiling under him. He was a gutsy pokemon who wouldn't let pain alone hold him back!

"Asura, show 'em how ya fight on land! Megalos, help that chimp up!" Ordered Doug.

Legs curling under him, the Ledian pushed off the fence, spinning in the air before landing on the floor solidly, feet stomping down before it reared back its body and began banging all four of its fists atop his chest. He wasn't out of this yet, damn it! He hadn't even fought the Machampion for real yet!

The Heracross for his part leapt forward, his curled legs serving like springs as he lowered his horn downlow to be parallel with the floor, intent on scooping up the monkey and launching flying into the Machamp's back!

---

-Ledian used Roost! Ledian recovered some vitality! Ledian lost his Flying type!

-Heracross used Mega Horn on Primeape!

TAG: noah faber

excess electricity sparks off the fence in spectacular bouquets. the pageantry subsides with a final crackle, but the canvas rumbles with heavy steps. toward the shocked ledian noah's machamp charges.

"look out, cobra!" noah shouts.

his machamp is alerted of the incoming danger thanks to a primeape's frenzied squeal. struck by the MEGAHORN and scooped like a child on a swing, the ape soars by elytron.

grunting, the machamp pivots and raises all arms. two palms face the ledian's direction while the others face the heracross to forge a WIDE GUARD to defend.

his primeape can not recover fast enough to evacuate his carapaced aircraft. in a last ditch effort to hijack his heracross, he SWAGGERS the bug by tugging and huffing on its horns.

"doug, your pokemon are wild, man!"

[attr="class","pkspr"][attr="class","pokesprite pokemon machamp"][attr="class","pokesprite pokemon primeape"]

machamp punches/seismic tosses ledian toward fencing; primeape is struck and uses thunderbolt on fencing, body momentarily wrapped with electricity

John Sullivan

"Ya darn right they are!" Doug said with a grin and a fist pump, turning his gaze from Noah to the man's Machamp, a bead of sweat rolling down his neck. "Still, ain't no wonder they call ya the Machampion... Can't seem to get one over ol' Cobra!"

The scooping was a success, and soon the Heracross was flying with chimp in tow, intent on ramming him into his own partner. Noah's alert had also brought the Machamp's charge on the chest thumping Ledian to a stop.

It was a war on two fronts for the Machamp now.

"But that changes now!" Doug said with a wild grin, banging his fist on the mat as he shouted. "He's spread thin! Let 'im have it, Asura- and have some yerself!"

The Ledian launched himself forward with a wide, eager grin.

Four arms vs two? This was too easy!

BONK

A yelp left the Ledian's mouth as he ran face first into the Machamp's wide guard, reeling back while holding his head, teeth grit in pain.

Dagnabbit, couldn't he just get a darned fight?!

An angry shout tore out of the Ledian's maw as it reared back all four fists, each gaining an orange glow, before he began beat into the barrier wildly, swinging and swinging into them with a furious scowl!

As for Megalon's part? Well...

A shrill screech left the bug type's maw as he felt the chimp tug and pull no his prized horn, the thing he used to attract other mons and stuff.

Not. Cool. Dude.

Moving its head wildly to try and make the chimp go, he quickly lost control of his flight, his center of gravity shifting about too wildly for him to manage.

BONK

The Heracross ran into the barrier, perhaps with chimp in tow, skidding off it before flying into the chain fence face first.

---

-Ledian is using Drain Punch on the barrier!

-Heracross hurt itself in confusion!

TAG: noah faber

the drain punch pierces machamp's defenses. energy is siphoned back into doug's bug, and as the barrier swiftly fails against a single hit move. noah's machamp stumbles back; the strength surprising, despite their past training.

"asura's grown quite a bit, yeah?" noah shouts with his smile. "still a long way to go, though!" his machamp lunges for the ledian, jabs and hooks swinging toward the bug as its arms begin to pick up speed...

his primeape rolls off and strikes the fence— but the fur ball does not ricochet. instead, its fists, knuckles white like the anger it feels, latch on to the rail.

hanging from the wall, the primeape attempts to grapple the heracross close, one hand raised to summon a STONE EDGE above.

[attr="class","pkspr"][attr="class","pokesprite pokemon machamp"][attr="class","pokesprite pokemon primeape"]

machamp's struck by DRAIN PUNCH / attempts to punch ledian ; primeape hits fence, hangs on to it and tries to grapple heracross as it summons a STONE EDGE

John Sullivan

"He's only getting started!" Doug countered, pumping his fist as Asura grinned wide.

The praise flowing into him like a hyper potion, the Ledian reared back all four arms before launching them forth, its iron fists slamming into the Machamp's with cracking booms and shockwaves that whipped and shook the entirety of the mat.



Pain jolted down its limbs with every swing it managed to meet; The superpower pokemon was called such for a reason! But his iron fist was not just a funny name, either! Who's fist would surrender first?!

"And he ain't the only one's grown!" Doug suddenly said, banging his fist on the ring. "Megalos! Take the chimp dancing!"

Sharp pillars of rock tore through the chain fence above and striked at the Heracross' carapace as the Primeape grappled it, breaking and denting its tough shell while it grit its teeth. There was not much concussive force, but penetrating rock had managed to puncture deep enough to hurt fleshy bits underneath.

With a furious roar, the Heracross attempted to swing around the Primeape with his horn, with the only dancing move it knew.

Head banging.

---

-Ledian used comet punch!
-Heracross is struck with Stone Edge!
-Heracross used Sword Dance!

TAG: noah faber

like samsonian pillars, their arms launch toward each other. every punch lands with fierce force, and in the brief moments of contact, forge bridges— as if supporting the physical gravity of each of their trained bodies.

while the ledian's fists continue in cyclical arcs like comets— his machamp launches grey bullets.

"reset!" the gym leader shouts.

noah's primeape lets go. thrown off, the primeape lands quick. feet skid across the smooth canvas before the primeape chases after the heracross again.

the monkey crackles with electricity as it charges toward the heracross. a THUNDERBOLT lashes out from its head in an arc, traveling across the canvas in a scorching ray as it whips up toward the bug.

[attr="class","pkspr"][attr="class","pokesprite pokemon machamp"][attr="class","pokesprite pokemon primeape"]

machamp matches ledian with bullet punch (IT'S HAPPENING EBC!!) / primeape lets go, charges back at heracross while using thunderbolt

John Sullivan

The mother of all fist fights was happening before Doug and noah faber, and it was goddamn beautiful, the shockwaves bursting from each meeting of the pokemon's fists rippling through the ring and buffeting Doug's face like slaps across the face.

But he just COULD NOT LOOK AWAY.

The Ledian could feel itself being pushed back, even with its trained iron fists! The difference in physical power and mass was too great- but just as Doug could not look away, the Ledian could not pull back! If it had anything, it was pride and stubbornness in spades.

It needed more speed! More speed equaled more power! It needed Mach speed!

Lightning arced through the air before striking the canvas, slithering over the smooth surface like a serpent before striking at the Heracross in the chest, his carapace sizzling as he lurched forward, seemingly defeated as he fell to the floor, lightning coursing through him.

Until his foot stomped down the mat with a booming crack, the entire mat quaking under him, horn lowered and leveled towards the Primeape.

The heracross pushed off, launching towards the monkey like a missile as his horn glowed with neon green light!

---

-Ledian is taking damage!
-Ledian used Mach punch!
-Heracross is struck with Thunderbolt! Heracross is paralyzed!
Heracross' Guts ability triggered!
-Heracross used Megahorn!

TAG: noah faber

the primeape pushes on the canvas as if it were hauling a boulder before it. determination leads its charge toward John Sullivan's heracross. the glowing horn strikes fist— but overpowers the weakened monkey.

the primeape loses the lock up and flies back, striking the cage ring with a violent rattle.

"agh," noah calls out to his machamp. "take it!"

as the MACH PUNCHES land on the machamp over and over with blurred fists and blinding speed, the gray fighter is pushed back inch by inch. each step is purposeful. steady.

"COUNTER! give everything back! tenfold!" noah shouts as he recalls his primeape back into its ball.

[attr="class","pkspr"][attr="class","pokesprite pokemon machamp"]

machamp uses counter!

John Sullivan