"I suppose you wish to battle?"

it was a simple response to his overly dramatic way of asking. Siobhan laid her eyes on the man from a brief distance, already being pin-pointed by him casually. when their eyes meet, she leisurely walks over. her arms crossed over her chest, eyeing him up and down with some sparse judgement. 

"I accept."

another simple response, before the man could reply properly perhaps. fiddling with the pearl-belt she wore over her wrap, containing her Pokeballs, Siobhan waited for him to call out a beast of his own. she could play, no problem. it was amusing someone would seek her out. how fun would this be?

SILPH VS BURKE

A CHANCE ENCOUNTER

HE ANSWERS WITH A NOD. Words belay the whimsical need for battle that surges in his veins. Why resort to small talk when actions cut straight to the chase?

Her acceptance purchases a Pokeball to his hand. His thumb rubs over the capture mechanism in anticipation of her answer. What lies in the Pokeball is far from suitable for most challengers but Fernando’s intent feeds off his own selfishness. It’s about time it got some exposure during the tournament.

“How many badges do you have, trainer?”

siobhan burke

"none."

it was simple, as simple as the man in front of her with his direct speech. she does not appear concerned with the lack of badges compared to some. Siobhan faces the stage across from him, wondering what Pokemon he would call out. trying to make sure she was prepared for whatever came out.

"I just arrived in Hoenn" she would tell him. perhaps it didn't warrant an explanation but perhaps courtesy was in order "are you a Gym Leader, sir?" Siobhan would ask him politely enough, a lift of her brow at the brown haired man. he was to the point, which she appreciated. how far would that last?

SILPH VS BURKE

A CHANCE ENCOUNTER

A FRESH TRAINER RIPE FOR THE PICKINGS. To ask them to best his Pokemon is a folly reserved for those unaware of his reputation. Fernando may like to downplay his own prowess but his achievements are unquestionable.

“Indeed.”

He lobs his Pokeball forward. It lands with a soft plop, cracked open at the hinge as it reveals the Shaymin Sky forme inside. The Pokemon immediate takes to the skies with a sudden leap, walking on air as it maintains shoulder level altitude. The way it circles through the air effortlessly leaves behind a brief TAILWIND which only expediates its speed.

“Survive for fifteen minutes or defeat my Pokemon and I’ll award you the Silph badge.”

Fernando smirks as the Shaymin lets out an excited bark. More a pet than anything else, the Pokemon is eager to finally cut loose.

“Single battle format. You may use up to three Pokemon.”

An excessive advantage but considering the trainer’s lack of badges and apparent age, Fernando surmises they’re far from an expert battler. Worst case scenario, they’re up to snuff–which he has no issues with. It’s a good chance to push his Shaymin to the edge.

siobhan burke

the Shaymin is unexpected, however...

"you honor me with a real challenge" Siobhan concedes. she did not like others to take it easy on her due to her inexperience. the man was becoming a little better in her eyes. considering that the Shaymin was in sky-forme... "I shall try not to disappoint." she tossed a Pokeball into the air, releasing a Dusknoir to the field.

the Silph Badge. this had to be Fernando Silph, one of the big shots in the region. she would take notes as she ordered her Pokemon around. "Ice Punch" Siobhan would take advantage of the type disadvantage. a battle was about learning moves as well as giving them. she would adjust to the Shaymin's moves as well as her own.

the Dusknoir gave a eerie roar before attempting to shoot a fist toward the foe's Pokémon. the other's speed was a factor, but it had to stop sometime. when that happened, she was ready. they were ready.

gravedigger the male dusknoir
pressure ability
fire punch. thunder punch. ice punch.
shadow punch. payback. future sight.

SILPH VS BURKE

A CHANCE ENCOUNTER

“BATTLE ROUTINE SET!”

Fernando makes the call as soon as the Dusknoir is summoned. He had expected something weaker and more tame considering she has no badges. But he’s spent enough time in Hoenn to recognize the ghost type’s strengths.

“Execute!”

Permission to engage means the Shaymin immediate takes off. The TAILWIND allows it to soar higher, jettisoning into the air as it looks to create distance between them. The higher it climbs, the bigger the window it has to react to any ranged attacks.

Battle theory basics.

The ICE PUNCH comes close as the frigid blast barely misses the barreling Shaymin. From above, it looks down on its opponent, continues to gallop as it prepares to take evasive maneuvers. It may seem cowardly but the Pokemon needs to bide time for its SWEET SCENT to spread.

siobhan burke

"hmm."

Siobhan closes her eyes, knowing a fight against the Gym Leader would be difficult. she is not surprised that the Ice Punch misses - barely - but it does miss. "Fire Punch," she orders again pointing at the air between the Shaymin and Dusknoir. the ghost-type looks momentarily confused before complying. flames surrounding its fist, it aims not at the foe but at the Tailwind's effect.

oxygen and fire were a bad mix. 

the combination caused a brief aerial cover of flame between them. spreading over the air caused by the Tailwind, it could be a distraction. Dusknoir waited until it was hidden from sight, the flames licking the wind. if Fernando wanted to draw this out, she could play his game. though what did he plan? she would have to wait to find out. if she was lucky, the Shaymin would be licked by the flames as well.

fire spread, and when air followed after something else, it could crawl to the source.

gravedigger the male dusknoir
pressure ability
fire punch. thunder punch. ice punch.
shadow punch. payback. future sight.

SILPH VS BURKE

A CHANCE ENCOUNTER

FERNANDO CLICKS HIS TONGUE AT HER COMMAND. That makes two physical moves in her repertoire. The fact that they both have coverage for this match up means that coming in close for physical combat is out of the equation. That works for him–Shaymin’s specialization is medium range combat.

The flames from the FIRE PUNCH miss their mark. Catching the zipping Shaymin proves impossible at this distance. However, as the flames enter the slipstream of its TAILWIND the fire ignites, spreading like a well oiled trail as it follows the Shaymin’s flight path.

The sizzling sound of fire burning alarms the Pokemon as it momentarily turns its head back to view behind it. As the fire grows every closer, the Shaymin suddenly drops, no longer running as gravity takes hold. Some of the spreading flames lick at its grassy coat but it never catches on fire.

As the Pokemon enters freefall, energy starts to gather within the Gracidea flower pinned to its collar. When it enters striking distance, a SEED FLARE fires, exploding into a brilliant flash of light, a stark contrast to the SWEET SCENT its spread across the field by running about.

siobhan burke

she was waiting for the Shaymin to actually attack instead of flying around. "Payback" she quietly orders. the seeds hit some of the Dusknoir's larger body, but he ignores it. instead, Gravedigger is empowered by the assault. his body glows with darkness as he zips toward the Shaymin, aiming to tackle him with the result of the force.

Siobhan stood silently after that. her arms crossed again, her eyes hyper focused on the battle in front of her. this was her first real match since coming to Hoenn, and she would not go down easily. even if she was to lose, she would lose with grace and dignity. Shaymin was eager to keep a distance; she wouldn't allow that for long.

gravedigger the male dusknoir
pressure ability
fire punch. thunder punch. ice punch.
shadow punch. payback. future sight.

SILPH VS BURKE

A CHANCE ENCOUNTER

PAYBACK IS A BITCH. The Shaymin learns that the hard way when the much larger Dusknoir tackles into it. It brings them closer and within physical striking distance so it react accordingly. A discharge of telekinetic PSYCHIC powers is used to blast the Pokemon away after it lands the hit, both reestablishing space while doing damage.

Should it succeed, the Shaymin immediately takes off into the air again, spiraling upwards as its SWEET SCENT continues to saturate the field.

siobhan burke

"Future Sight."

very well. Siobhan did not move or even flinch when Gravedigger made contact with the Shaymin. though most of his moves were indeed physical, this was about endurance. the Psychic blasted him back, giving the Shaymin ample time to escape and place distance between them again.

she'd play the waiting game, if that's what it meant. the Dusknoir calmed itself, closing it's eyes and predicting a psychic attack. it honed its inner ability of clairvoyance before it's eyes snapped open again. he waits for Siobhan's orders, or the assault of the Shaymin. whichever comes first.

1/3 turns until FS hits

gravedigger the male dusknoir
pressure ability
fire punch. thunder punch. ice punch.
shadow punch. payback. future sight.

SILPH VS BURKE

A CHANCE ENCOUNTER

A WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY ARISES FROM THE FUTURE SIGHT. The time the Dusknoir takes to prepare an attack well ahead of time allows the Shaymin to steady itself above. It turns once it feels safe, firing several AIR SLASHES from the remnants of its TAILWIND.

siobhan burke

opportunity was a fickle thing. it allowed the Shaymin to attack, but also allowed Siobhan to watch. to see. the Air Slashes would assault Gravedigger one after the other. at the third scythe, she uttered a command. "freeze it" was all she gave the Pokémon. the concentrated air came at the Dusknoir, who would use Ice Punch -

and obtain a brilliant sickle of ice in return. before it shattered on the ground, he caught it and sent it back at the Shaymin with a mighty throw. if it connected, the damage would be great. ice was particularly nasty against flying and grass types. to which this Pokémon was both at the moment.

2/3 turns until FS hits

gravedigger the male dusknoir
pressure ability
fire punch. thunder punch. ice punch.
shadow punch. payback. future sight.