SO SHE THINKS SHE CAN WIN...[break]

[attr="class","setting"]

[break]
the dodge comes as no surprise to the lucario. anything less and he'd have been less than impressed; though, as it stood, he already was. his eyes shot upwards, catching the quickened blaziken easily. the issue with an airborne opponent wasn't how best to chase after them, but rather, how best to interpret their intent. so when the flames began to form — he reacted.
[break]
[break]

an explosion of vibrant blue light collides with the FLAME BURST of his opponent, his AURA SPHERE turning the deadly attack into little more than a firework show. pushing through directly beneath the explosion, another AURA SPHERE rockets forward and directly on path to strike the blaziken.
[break]
[break]

meanwhile, king catches lulu's challenge, his grin widening in realization. grabbing the neck of the bottle, he holds it out in a mock-toast, before pouring more down his throat. all the while, never backing down, and never losing sight.

[break]

[break]

if she wanted him to be impressed by her hands off approach, he made no sign to be. operating on kings level, that was just the bare minimum required. though, he had to admit, she would've held her own in the vast majority of kanto's battlefields.
[break]
[break]

hm.
[break]
[break]

Lulu Flint

SO SHE THINKS SHE CAN WIN...[break]

[attr="class","setting"]

[break]
a gathering of aura, and the shimmering glint of the blaziken, cues him onto the next threat. this would be the second time he'd have used that technique. perhaps the blaziken was using it as a crutch? lucario jumps backwards, the glowing orb colliding into the pavement where he once stood. it cracks from the impact, billowing a short-lived cloud of dust, and debris.
[break]
[break]

wasting no time, he tosses another cursory AURA SPHERE, aiming to gauge his opponent's response. as it clears his personal space, he begins to solidify this aura control even more, and strengthen himself for the coming battle. the blades of his SWORDS DANCE only sharpen.
[break]
[break]

king matches the woman's indulgence, feeling the bitter alcohol fill his senses again. a throb reminded him of the staring contest, but, he wouldn't concede. not yet. he could see the battle outside his peripheral, and couldn't help but feel the clock tick ever closer towards his victory. then again, he was arrogant.
[break]
[break]

Lulu Flint

SO SHE THINKS SHE CAN WIN...[break]

[attr="class","setting"]

[break]
king's smile broke even as she slipped into the shadows of a crevice. he'd gotten somewhat more used to the woman's ability to appear nearly wherever she wanted; a dangerous tool, if used correctly. he blinked, downed another gulp, and waited for the woman's inevitable appearance.
[break]
[break]

the irises of the aura pokemon begin to glow a brilliant white, glimmering as if they contained the essence of moonlight itself. with ease the lucario ducked the SKY UPPERCUT, his ability to DETECT his movements paying dividends. then, as if he had seen this all play-out before, he centers a METEOR MASH at the dual-type's exposed rib cage.
[break]
[break]
her presence raises his hackles instinctively, every fiber of his being telling him to react with purpose. but, the primal urges are silenced quickly. turning his head a fraction towards the shoulder she speaks over, his lips move.
[break]

[break]


"yer not so bad, either."
[break]

Lulu Flint

SO SHE THINKS SHE CAN WIN...[break]

[attr="class","setting"]

[break]
lucario felt the impact of his blow as a short, numbing sensation that lingered up to his elbow. he shook it loose without thinking, ears perking as the wall broke beneath the blaziken's impact. before he could follow-up, however, the fire-type was once again upping the tempo. throwing arms into a cross-guard, he easily blocked the METEOR MASH that was returned at him. the problem came in its wake; a FLAME BURST that layered itself atop his already wounded arms, sending licks of flame that singed fur and bubbled flesh.
[break][break]
he gave a pained grunt, but quickly worked to regain his composure.
[break][break]
when the blaziken didn't advance, neither directly did he. instead, he pursued his opponent cautiously, continuously maintaining a set distance between them. ready to strike, and defend as needed. all the while he began to collect dense aura between his paws for an empowered AURA SPHERE. he didn't fire it, not yet. just a little bit longer....
[break][break]
a low-growl pushed out from king's throat, his lips parting to reveal canines. he did not usually play the part of 'prey'. a part of him enjoyed the sensation, admittedly. a very small part.
[break][break]


his eyes followed the battle, though his head was inclined ever so slightly in her direction, still. it allowed him to recognize the trace scent of tequila that lingered in the air around him, much to his delight.
[break][break]
"he's holdin' his ground."
[break][break]
for now.
[break][break]
"a compliment to yer trainin'."

Lulu Flint

SO SHE THINKS SHE CAN WIN...[break]

[attr="class","setting"]

[break]
each FLAME BURST layers atop the last, colliding with light poles, asphalt, and even part of the train tracks. plumes of dust, debris, flames and smoke rise in the air. once or twice he was struck by a glancing blow, but so long as he maintained concentration, they weren't difficult to dodge; it seemed the blaziken was going for the nuclear option, rather than precision. lucario bided his time, however, and when the opportune moment came to him — he struck.
[break]
[break]

"mm."
[break]
[break]

the battle had reached new heights, each one testing the others limits. lulu's blaziken was a worthy competitor; in-truth, even luc might have faced difficulty against it. but the lucario was always the top-dog in their sparring sessions, and he had the utmost faith in the hound.
[break]
[break]

"oh? my blaziken 'n lucario spar almost daily. somethin' of a competition between the two."
[break]
[break]

he lifts the bottle to his lips again, nose twitching from the scent of tobacco and tequila. playing it dangerous, he lifts two fingers to his shoulder.
[break]
[break]

"care ta share?"
[break]
[break]


using his EXTREME SPEED beneath the plumes of debris, he appears mere feet away from the blaziken. then, a massive AURA SPHERE is released.[break]

Lulu Flint

SO SHE THINKS SHE CAN WIN...[break]

[attr="class","setting"]

[break]
wordlessly he accepts the cigarette, feeling the fresh rush of nicotine for the second time that night. he savors it for a moment, before holding it back out to the newly repositioned woman. he considers her words, blinking. fear? when was the last he felt afraid? the last time he saw matias? was it fear, when the fire burned the warehouse down around him, or relief?
[break][break]



maybe he needed to care about something, before he could fear anything.[break][break]

"why's that? findin' it harder ta hate me, eh?"
[break][break]

king chuckled at the thought, turning his gaze just to the edge of his peripheral to gauge her reaction. the massive burst of energy forces him to lazily shift his attention back towards the duel not soon after.
[break][break]

the battle thus far had been going in xen's favor, with a multitude of successful attacks breaking the fire-types defenses. still, something pressed on king's intuition. something... odd; he couldn't place it, however.
[break][break]

the lucario on the other hand found himself unmoving, eyes studying the blaziken. its aura fluctuated after the recent hit; likely a product of the damage he had taken. if it was smart, it'd back down now. before things started to have lasting effects.

[break][break]

Lulu Flint