skyler dross

greyson watches the woman approach, but waits before he offers any greetings. instead, he pats the giant dragonite's chest affectionally.

"don't worry buddy. we got this."

he leads sol to the starting line, but breaks off to greet skyler. there's a trace of alcohol in the air, but he doesn't comment on it.

"me and the sun don't get along much," he counters with a chuckle, noting how tan her skin was compared to his. the appearance of her cobalt skinned dragon is humbling. its scars tell a story that he wouldn't mind hearing one day. but she pulls his attention back before greyson could linger on the thought.

"ah fuck it, might as well. for good luck." greyson takes the flask from her and gives himself a modest swig. when he hands it back, the back of his other hand is already moving to wipe his chin. though, he can't help but pinch his face at the sour taste.

greyson gives her an appreciative nod and moves to settle himself as comfortably as possible atop his dragonite.

with both at their starting lines, a figure approaches to stand in between them.

'GET READY!'

greyson gulps.

'GET SET'

he leans further into the dragon.

'GO!'

and the race begins.

The pinching of Greyson's expression doesn't go unnoticed. Skyler's lips curl into a wry smirk at the sight, gladly returning the flask to its proper place on her belt. "Not quite champagne, I'm afraid. But it does the job." What, exactly, that job is she doesn't bother to explain.

Scarred ruby wings extend in preparation under the harsh sunlight, the Salamence's calm demeanour betrayed by a lashing tail. 

Muscled thighs squeeze the cobalt scales under her as Captain Dross leans forward, facing the looming cliffs with an eager grin and a ratty pair of goggles over her silver eyes. While the sky wasn't, ironically, her favoured terrain, she'd flown enough times to have become somewhat familiar with it.

Dust and sand are kicked up in the air as the race is called to a start - but instead of going forward, as one would expect, Salamence's maw goes instead for the Dragonite's tail, chomping down (CRUNCH) before pulling ahead with a mighty flap of her wings.

Skyler just gives Greyson a taunting salute.

Greyson Connors

skyler dross

"if you win, i'll buy you a drink with a little taste to it," he jokes, tightening his grip around the dragonite's midsection. he braces for take off, feeling the dragon's thickly muscled legs coil for flight beneath him an-

it's suddenly interrupted as sol is roars in pain, nearly bucking greyson off.

greyson turns quick enough around to catch the scarred dragon's jaw unclamp from his dragonite's tail, and then kick off in a show of dust.  and, if he wasn't wrong, a taunt that was aimed at him.

he chuckles to himself.

"let's show them a thing or two bud."

with his INNER FOCUS unshakeable, sol leaps off the cliffs edge in pursuit. his EXTREME SPEED soon finds himself a dozen feet away and on equal footing with the woman. sol sends a challenging roar in the salamance's direction.

he rises from his lowered position to give skyler a grin, hands cupping his mouth as he yells over the wind.

"is that as fast as you can go?!"

greyson gives her a taunting wink of his own and trains his attention ahead on the first upcoming gap.

What girl could say no to such a tempting offer? Captain Dross certainly couldn't.

"You're on, pretty boy." That she'd buy him a drink should he win went unspoken - but the promise was there, in the slight curling of a captain's lips. "Surprise me."

It doesn't take long for that surprise to spread itself across her expression, delighted laughter bursting wild and free from her lips as Greyson and his Dragonite quickly catch up to the bulkier shape of Atalanta.  Sound is eaten up by the fierce winds that pull at her hair, but if it bothers her, Captain Dross shows no sign of it. The thrill of the race floods though her veins, and Skyler basks in it like a Meowth under the morning sun.

Ahead, two cliffs converge into a narrow crevice, winding sharply in dangerous twists and turns. Skyler tightens her hold on Salamence, the dragon roaring its challenge and baring her battle-worn fangs at the other in an attempt to INTIMIDATE it.

And then there's little to do but to hold on for dear life as Atalanta sweeps into the narrow canyon, twisting her shape into a sideways position, ruby red barely brushing the edges of rock with neck-breaking speed. 

Her lashing tail slams into one of the cliffs, dislodging some of the rocks with an EARTHQUAKE in hopes of slowing Greyson down.

Greyson Connors

skyler dross

skyler's energy is infectious. his bundle of anxiety, and fear, begin to unravel against the harsh winds and joyous laughter of his competition. he too loses himself, a deep laugh pushing past chittering teeth. by the time he's done, wind dried tears stain the corner of his eyes, and his mouth feels more cotton than flesh.

but he doesn't mind in the slightest.

greyson taps- though, it's more of a pounding of his fist- against the hardened scales of his dragonite. the corner of the dragon's eye tilts up to acknowledge his trainer.

"watch out! they'll definitely play dirty!"

the dragonite huffs in response and greyson grins. he knew the feeling; he didn't want to lose either.

"and dont let that big lug INTIMIDATE you! we got this!"

violet eyes assess the narrow crevice, teeth clenched. he knew instantly both creatures wouldn't be able to enter at the same time, and, from his short time with skyler, greyson had a feeling that she wouldn't back down.

that left him to.

greyson applies pressure with his thighs, and squeezes the dragons shoulder. he's careful of shredding the vulnerable skin of his inner legs against the razor sharp scales; though, chaffing at this point was inevitable. sol hesitates, but relents, and allows the other dragon priority through. when the salamance's tail lashes out and strikes the rock face, sending a cascade of showering rock and boulders. even one could spell death, or worse- a loss.

"go! go! go!" he booms, voice dying on the wind.

greyson's body flattens as close as possible to the amber coated pokemon. legs wrap tight enough that he could feel the razor sharp scales tear into his flesh. beneath his grip, the dragon tenses again, sucking in an impossibly deep breathe. then, with one massive flap of his wings, he shoots forward at EXTERME SPEED.

through the grace of luck and, what will most likely be in the future for greyson, pain, the two narrowly manage to squeeze by. from behind them, the sound of rocks crashing against the waves is like a lullaby. proof they were still in the race and that they hadn't loss yet.

but still, they were behind.

he could feel sol's breathing get slightly heavier beneath him, the weight of two massive bursts of speed. but the dragonite was one tough son of a bitch. and highly, highly competitive.

If Greyson hadn't heedlessly thrown himself into the challenge, he probably wouldn't have been able to follow her and - that would've been that. As it is, when Skyler looks briefly back to be greeted with the sight of a struggling yet determined Dragonite and its equally stubborn rider, a pleased smirk is thrown his way. Silently daring him to follow in her wake, to be bold enough.

"So you've got some guts, huh, pretty boy?" Gusts of wind catch most of her words in their hungry howl, but the playfulness seeps through clear enough.

The crevice soons widens, making way for the waves to crash against the cliffsides with relentless ferocity. Calloused fingers tighten their hold on the Salamence as an obstacle materializes ahead - the upper part of the crevice merging together and leaving a narrow tunnel at the bottom.

A HYPER BEAM cracks part of the wall, but it isn't nearly enough to widen it enough for them to pass, not at the speed they're going.

The sharp change of direction nearly dislodges Skyler from her place atop Atalanta, and there are a few seconds (stretched out impossibly long) in which she feels her stomach going all the way up to her throat. Then gravity asserts itself and-

- they're plummeting towards the ocean below. Skyler's legs are holding on so tightly she can't feel them anymore. Nevermind breathing. 

And it looks for all intents and purposes as if they're about to crash into the surface of the ocean.

Greyson Connors

skyler dross

greyson catches skyler's look and returns a confident smirk. he leans back on the dragon, arms spread in embrace and acceptance of the wind, the circumstances, and her tricks. and even though her words die on the wind, her expression says it all.

now it was definitely on.

eyes narrow as the HYPER BEAM lances out towards the upper crevice, but surprisingly, it does little to damage it enough. instead, they dive, the salamance turning as sharply as a swellow in hunt. the idea alone made greyson shudder. he couldn't imagine the g-forces pressing on skyler.

but he doesn't need too. because he too dives.

sol tucks his wings and, with a little more of an arc to his turn, follows suit. the wind, the pressure, the fear. greyson's breathing is non-existent and he could've sworn that his heart stopped beating for a few moments.

he clings to the dragonite with all the strength he could muster, hands clasping wrists. still, the wind and water from below threaten to shatter that binding.

his eyes open a sliver, and even that takes monumental effort. he spots skyler ahead, the duo mere moments from the oceans surface and an incredibly quick death.

"pull up!"

he yells fruitlessly into the vacuum.

skyler's fate was her own.

Greyson's voice is lost to the howl of the wind and the sound of her own frenzied heartbeat in her ears. Adrenaline kicks into overdrive, blurring everything else around her and making time trickle to a sluggish pace as the dark waters rise to meet them.

Unlike her racing opponent, Skyler doesn't shout out a command, doesn't say anything at all. Shadows fall over them just as the Salamence's scar-riddled wings extend wide, catching the rising oceanic winds. Surf and sea spray buffets them as the dragon scratches the surface of the ocean - a second away from crashing before momentum carries them into the tunnel instead.

Only when they make it to the other side does Skyler's white-knuckled grip relent slightly, sunlight bearing down on damp golden curls and glinting off of a wild edge in molten silver eyes.

Still riding the adrenaline high, Captain Dross allows her head to tilt back and a peal of loud, unrestrained laughter spill from her lips into the morning air. Not a second later, she'd turn her head back to look at her opponent, not even entertaining the thought that he wouldn't be able to follow.

The challenge in her eyes burns brighter, louder, unquenchable - along with a fierce kind of playfulness. Teeth flash out from behind her lips in a sharp grin, silently commanding Atalanta to move forward - though not nearly at the same speed as before. 

The Salamance might be mighty, but she was also tiring.

Greyson Connors

skyler dross

peeling his face from the dragonite's back, greyson looks below to see that skyler and her salamance have pulled up and disappeared through to the other side. watching his chances dwindle, he yells out one word.

"HURRICANE!"

the dragon responds, shooting an orb of condensed wind in the opposite direction of the tunnel and towards the ocean. sol curves and arcs his body to follow after his cobalt hided rival, in the process tucking his wings close to his body like an amber bullet. behind him, the orb of wind detonates mere feet from the waters surface, and the HURRICANE force winds explode outwards.

sol and greyson ride the powerful tailwind into the tunnel, propelling forwards at mach speeds past the sharp sharp rock and raging sea. they break through to the other side in moments, somehow without a scrape.

greyson, now soaked in water, and greedily sucking in as many breathes as he can, lifts his gaze upwards to meet skyler's. the duo was able to successfully gain ground rapidly on the gale force winds, and when it finally subsides, they find themselves within' a cars length of the woman and her pokemon.

he sits upright, and with the little breathe he has, screams excitingly into the wind.

He's close enough that Skyler can see the mix of sea spray and sweat on his forehead, the winded but exultant look on his face, bright with the same kind of adrenaline high that rides through her own veins. For a brief sliver of time they coast through the ocean breeze, letting the sunlight bathe them in gold, halfway drunk on the rush that sharpens the captain's stare into something hungry.

"Not too bad, pretty boy." There's nothing wrong with indulging in some trash talk, is there? Except that genuine satisfaction underlines her words, especially when she notices exactly how much the distance between the two of them has shortened. "You might get a free drink yet." Her words are punctuated by a lopsided grin before Atalanta's scarred wings stretch wide, taking them higher.

The next obstacle looms ahead in the shape of jagged rocks that stick out of the ocean like the bones of some ages-old leviathan. It would be an easy thing to fly over them, except that a collection of Illumise and Volbeat loom above the area - likely to disqualify anyone who attempted to fly above.

A littany of colorful curses that would've made any sailor blush a vivid red slips past Captain Dross's lips when she's forced down again, losing what precious little advantage she might've had. The surface of the ocean meets them as they halt their descent, sea foam gathering on the edges of cobalt blue scales and golden curls.

Thighs tense around the Salamence's bulky body as the dragon is forced to dodge a large rocky protusion. Competitiveness flares in Skyler's eyes at the sight of the Dragonite and its rider - now neck and neck with Atalanta and herself. Gritting her teeth, the captain hisses something in Atalanta's ears, her voice lost to the howling winds.

Not a second later, Atalanta moves her bulky body into the Dragonite's space, using a ZEN HEADBUTT in an attempt to shove it into the depths.

Greyson Connors

skyler dross

greysn turns violet eyes onto the woman only a dragons length away. tears stain his eyes, and salt rolls around on his tongue. still, he grins at her, taking her taunt in stride.

"it's looking that way, isn't it?"

he lets out a laugh that dies on the wind. he turns his attention to the next obstacle and away from the friendly, haughty woman. the rocks that protrude are jagged and disorganized. where skyler sees the bones of an aged-old leviathan, greyson sees the razor sharp teeth of the ocean itself. one wrong move and he would be skewered, then swallowed, by the depths.

so why did his heart race with such elation?

like the duo, but with far less profanity, he and sol descend to just mere feet from the waves. indulging in his own excitement, the amber scaled dragonite dips his tail in the crashing waves below just before they enter the maze. the spray of ocean does nothing but further the excitement they both share.

then they're among the rocks.

sol, like his cobalt scaled competitor, is forced to dodge a rocky protrusion himself. but just as quick as they separate, they're back at each others sides, neck and neck. he looks over and sees the salamance's rider leaning heavily forward. between the previous EARTHQUAKE and CRUNCH— he expects the worst.

and he's right.

the slightest nudge in their direction could be attributed to the wind. but the bubble that rose in greyson's chest told him something wasn't right. when she brings her head down to crash into sol's with a ZEN HEADBUTT, he knows for sure. with his INNER FOCUS unshakeable, he shakes off any disorientation from the strike, looking at his opponent with a clear sense of competitiveness.

"our turn!"

an ethereal cloak of steel-blue surrounds them. wispier than the waves below, and brighter than than the sunlit scales of the salamance, the DRAGON RUSH consumes them.

wasting no time, the dragonite collides his entire body with the other dragon. a match of strength and will. if skyler allowed it, she'd be nearly face-to-face with greyson, his form ghostly beneath the shroud.

and if the competitive nature of the two pokemon weren't enough, they were headed straight for the widest rocky protrusion yet.

who'd break off first?

The blow doesn't submerge the Dragonite, as Captain Dross had hoped it would. Instead the orange dragon deviates slightly off course, though not enough to lose much ground to Atalanta and the wide stretch of ruby wings.

"Tough cookie, aren't you..." Veins flooded with adrenaline, her teeth flash out from behind the shape of grinning lips, provocative, their curve too fierce to be anything but a call to war.

Calloused fingers tighten their grip on cobalt scales, Skyler's silver eyes following the shape of pale blue wisps as they consume both the Dragonite and its rider - a ghostly apparition that has the ship captain gritting her teeth on instinct. Fists tightening until her knuckles bleed pale.

If there is anything in the world that sends a shiver down the superstitious captain's spine, it will probably be ghosts. She does have a reputation for attempting to punch them -  there's even a picture to prove it.

The abrupt dread that sinks into her stomach like a weight isn't given time to evolve, replaced by an alarmed, pained roar as the Dragonite swerves from its original flight path to ram into the bulkier dragon's side. Shaking off the hit takes longer than Skyler would've liked, the super-effective move spreading a bruise over Atalanta's side.

Whatever curse might've left her lips then is lost to the howling wind as they dart past smaller boulders, neck-and-neck. Steely silver eyes cut through the sky and the ocean like a whetted knife, finding Greyson's beneath the spectral shroud.

The boulder ahead isn't even registered in her mind. Grasping at loose threads of thought - or more likely, primal instinct - Captain Dross leans forward into the Dragonite. Teeth bared in a vicious smirk, she pulls her arm back in an obviously familiar motion, and throws her fist at Greyson's face in a lightning-fast uppercut.

Greyson Connors

skyler dross

a pang of guilt buried deep, as the salamance roars in pain. greyson didn't regret the action, considering the type-of underhanded tactics skyler utilized. but the idea of hurting a pokemon for sport didn't quite sit well with him. he had to shake himself loose of the thought, placing his only priority now on winning the race.

and, well, surviving.

peering beyond the veil of the cloak was like looking just past the surface of the ocean. things were muddled, and difficult to place, especially the further beyond it you attempted to look. being as the two pokemon were in a contest of strength, he could very clearly place skyler and her partner. the only issue was... they could just as easily place him.

the fist broke the barrier of energy like a specter of vengeance. he had just enough time to tuck his chin in alarm, before it came soaring upwards in a heavy-fisted strike. the sheer force behind it, coupled with surprise, knocked greyson from the make-shift saddle and off the side of the dragonite.

by the sheer luck of arceus did he manage to grab one of sol's feet. his head throbbed, and fingers began to slip from the water coated claws. looking down, he could just barely see that he was a dozen feet or so away from the water and it's rows of sharpened rocks that were jutting haphazardly about.

a hoarse voice roared for sol's attention, desperate to pull him away from the rivalry it had formed with the salamance. but his cries fell on deaf ears. he could only hold on in trepidation as they neared closer, and closer to the massive rock.