Really?! A battle with Katherine Fairburne ?! The doctor doubted she was up the Elite Four member’s level. Regardless, Eva never backed down from a challenge. She met the former gym leader with a bright smile that reflected her sheer determination, “Hey there, Katherine!” she greeted with a big wave. Although they had been in the same room several time, Eva had yet to really meet and talk to Giratina’s avatar. Part of her wondered if the deity would make an appearance during the tournament. She’d certainly watch that battle with enthusiasm if it chose to fight alongside its chosen companion, Katherine.

“Oh yeah, you know~” she sang with a shrug of her shoulders, “Can’t be too prepared when I gotta get out in the field,” Eva spent more of her time in the lab now-a-days but she’d rather be out there seeking adventure and getting into trouble. It’s a problem.

After a moment of consideration, Eva shrugged her shoulders, “Yeah! A Rotation battle sounds great,” it would be her first. The doctor’s mind raced through her line up to debate which pokemon to choose, “I’ll try to give you a good fight,” she teased, plucking three pokeballs off her waist and releasing each in a flash of light.

Katherine Fairburne

Eva shrugs her shoulder in response, she’s quite unphased by not being able to tell whether the Elite Four members was just being polite to not, “We’ll see, I guess!” Eva doesn’t consider herself anything above competent at battling, really. She’s good enough to hold her own but against a seasoned veteran like Kat she paled in comparison. Still, they’d give her a hell of a fight. Eva isn’t one to back down from a challenge.

“By all means, proceed,” Eva confirms, motioning towards the opponent to kick things off. She does so in a clever way too. The Gengar TAUNTS Shift into focusing its attention on itself. It works. The pale pink blob crawl forward, taking the first rotation position for the team as a result of the TAUNT. His form melts against the sand into a puddle. The pink color darkens as if burning below the bright Slateport sun. The mass flexes, and from it rises a copy of the GENGAR that taunted it.

Katherine Fairburne
Shift TRANSFROMS into a Gengar

As soon as the PERISH SONG is sung, Eva can see the strategy playing out before her. It’s clever, brutal, she should expect nothing less form an Elite Four member. She should have been more prepared to take on the former ghost-type gym leader, “Ahhhh very clever,” Eva praises, although Kathrine doesn’t need it.

Now, she’s racing the clock. It won’t be long until the Perish Song wipes out her team and gives Katherine the easy win. Well, Eva couldn’t have that. The options are simple. She either has to replace all of her pokemon quickly and let the Cursola have a second shot at Perish Song, or make the most of what she’s got now and try and sneak another pokemon in there before the fatal melody takes effect.

“Adele, front and center,” the pokemon rotate accordingly. Shift fades into the background as the Gardevoir pulls forward to lead the team, “Future Sight, Exploud,” Eva could foresee the Gengar being a problem, especially if it could mega evolve. Of course, Eva is familiar with the ability Shadow Tag. She’s attempting to read Katherine’s strategy. That would be her next move: trapping all of the pokemon so she couldn’t switch them out. Smart . . . if that’s the route she’s going. Regardless, it is the Exploud that will ensure Kathrine the win if she can’t dispose of it.

Adele obeys. Crimson eyes fade into a bright pink. Psychic energy swirls around her as she peers into the Exploud’s future. She sees it surviving Perish Song. Although she sees her own demise due to the melody, she shifts her perception in favor of trusting Eva’s strategy. Adele lays a psychic trap.

Katherine Fairburne
Adele, Blade, and Shift will faint in 3 turns
FUTURE SIGHT will strike in 2 turns

Adele uses FUTURE SIGHT on Crescendo

As Eva guessed, the Gengar mega-evolves, trapping her pokemon to the battlefield, and in turn, their fate. Fortunately, Shift had chosen to mirror the Gengar, effectively becoming a ghost-type pokemon. SHADOW TAG doesn’t bind it to the others.

Eva thanks her lucky stars for Shift’s choice there may still be hope yet.

For now, she doesn’t act upon it. Instead, she recognizes the threat the Gengar’s Hypnosis may have on the remainder of her pokemon. Adele remains in position, “Protect them,” she commands. A pale, pink mist spills from her fingertips. It’s heavy and crawls across the battlefield like an eerie fog. It covers the sand, morphing their arena into a MISTY TERRAIN.

Blade breaths it in, the drowsiness he once felt by the Mega-Gengar’s oppressive attack dulls. He becomes brighter again, standing back up straight to meet the opponent’s gaze with a satisfied grin. Although his fate hasn’t changed, there would be no coma today.

Katherine Fairburne
Adele, Blade, and Shift will faint in 2 turns
FUTURE SIGHT will strike in 1 turn
MISTY TERRAIN is in effect for 5 turns

Adele uses MISTY TERRAIN

Gengar’s hypnosis can’t do much against the Gardevoir’s MISTY TERRAIN. Eva is thankful, it buys them a bit more time. Well, not really.

Darkness clashes with light as the DARK PULSE parts through the pink mist like the hull of a boat through water. Shaft can do little to avoid it. In reality, it doesn’t quite batter. His fate was sealed with PERISH SONG, after all.

Dark Pulse strikes, driving the imposter Gengar back with a powerful strike. It braces itself, digging into the sand to prevent it from venturing too far. The mega-fueled attack is just too powerful. It sends the Gengar flying back. It braces itself, stopping the spectral form in midair. There’s a shudder and hesitation as it approaches forward again towards the battlefield.

Fuck it. He has to come out anyway. If she remembers correctly, it would be soon that Perish Song struck its fatal blow. A flash of light returns the Gengar. The ghost type can slip past the Gengar’s SHADOW TAG. Another flash of light releases another one of her pokemon. The Machamp flexes, taking the field with heavy footsteps.

Katherine Fairburne
Adele and Blade will faint in 1 turn
MISTY TERRAIN is in effect for 4 turns

FUTURE SIGHT strikes!
Eva returns the Gengar (Shift) and releases Syah the Machamp

As predicted, the Gallade and gardevoir succumb to the Perish Song. They slump to the sand without much warning. A light recalls them, leaving only the Machamp on Eva’s side of the field. An praise from the Elite Four member is appreciated. Although, she wasn’t too impressed with herself thus far. Kat’s strategy far outshined hers. Still, Eva returns the praise with a smile and small nod.

Kat also returns a pokemon to replace it with an excellent counter to her Machamp. The small Mimikyu would prove difficult to deal with. Regardless, the battle must go on, “Dynamic Punch, Exploud,” Eva points towards the normal type. Two fists smack int the palms of her other hands as she stalks forward. The slow steps accelerate into long stride as she pulls her fists back, striking at the Exploud with a DYNAMIC PUNCH.

Katherine Fairburne
Adele and Blade FAINT and are recalled
MISTY TERRAIN is in effect for 3 turns
Syah uses DYNAMIC PUNCH on EXPLOUD

Machamp lands its blow, and the Mimikyu wastes no time jumping onto the fighting-type’s back with PLAY ROUGH. Despite the pokemon’s small size, there’s some sort of indescribable weight that forces the Machamp to her knees. She roars in frustration, all four hands grabbing at the ghost, trying to rip it off her body and throw it across the field by slamming it with DARKEST LARIAT.

Katherine Fairburne
MISTY TERRAIN is in effect for 2 turns
Syah uses DARKEST LARIAT on MIMIKIYU