Ah, if only he could battle her with his shadows.

That would seriously unbalance their respective chances, however, and he acquiesces to a fair fight against his little sister.

Televised, too. He wonders what their parents would think if they weren't disguised. Did the Quinns keep up with international sporting events, or did they consider themselves above such base entertainment?

"Ready."

His lip quirks at the sight of the Blaziken.

"You got mega evolution?"

He won't use his own if she can't but the reason for the question is made clear as his Lucario takes the field. Not the one he'd acquired in college and hidden from their parents in his closet, not the one who'd stood with him in Rocket, in war, against Necrozma, but a fairly uncomfortable specimen who nevertheless sports the flash of a keystone around its neck.

His other Pokemon is an odd-coloured Aegislash.

Amber eyes gleam behind his sunglasses.

"You wish."

Lucario DETECTS the incoming threat from Blaziken and leaps clear of the flames, landing neatly behind the Aegislash whose steel shimmers under the effects of its SWORDS DANCE.

Gavin watches the Alakazam, suspicious of its apparent lack of activity.

Still in its SHIELD FORME due to not having attacked, Aegislash manages to resist the worst of the psychic influence upon it. The damage is minimal and the stalwart defender remains in its place, eerie eye blinking in the hilt of its blade.

It shimmers again, the SWORDS DANCE growing stronger.

Lucario COPIES the Alakazam's PSYCHIC assault, but it doesn't seek to hold anything in place. Instead, it rounds on the Blaziken with a challenging growl as it looks to invade the fighter's mind.

Alakazam finds greater success against the Lucario; with no way to detect the incoming mental assault, the canine yelps as it's hauled into the air by some unseen force. Its head snaps back with the force of the uppercut but it looks to retaliate in kind with a DRAINING PUNCH before Blaziken can get back out of range.

As it's gone ignored in favour of its partner, Aegislash unsheathes its BLADE FORME.

Blaziken is busy with Lucario and Aegislash targets their other foe, a wicked slash of its blade hoping to deliver a fierce FURY CUTTER.

Relentless in spite of the reflective barrier, Aegislash aims another FURY CUTTER toward the Alakazam.

Lucario, released from psychic imprisonment, lands on three of its four paws and growls as flames lick at its fur. The jackal COPIES its psychic foe, setting up a shimmering REFLECT of their own.

"How've you done so far in the tournament?"

Gavin lights up a cigarette as they watch their Pokemon spar.

"Shit that's been going on, you really think I'd manage to quit?"

His dry tone rings more of humour than offense, at least to a fellow Quinn. A briny breeze scatters ashes from the tip of his cigarette as he lowers it from his lips.

He frowns when the Alakazam teleports out of danger, then shifts his attention back toward his sister upon noting her soured mood.

"Sport fighting's bullshit anyway," he says, low enough that only she can hear. "S'long as you can hold up in a real fight this is just for show. I'm only about fifty-fifty myself."

He was proud to say a lot of his losses had been to fellow Rockets.

With its chain broken, Aegislash opts to erect its KINGS SHIELD, swapping back to SHIELD FORME as the guard goes up. Lucario launches another DRAINING PUNCH toward the Blaziken.

Amber eyes meet, brief, and Gavin smirks as she activates her mega-stone.

He reaches up to pull the pin from his glasses, Lucario consumed in a halo of energy before it clashes with its mega-evolved opponent. Comparatively buffed in its new form, it DETECTS the incoming threat in time to dodge.

Unfortunately, Alakazam disables its defenses immediately after.

"Mm. Clever."

He's competitive, too, but Rocket has punished enough to keep his arrogance in check. It's pride that surfaces, in the little sister who's always struggled against him in battle. She's improved so much.

Aegislash activates a third and final SWORDS DANCE, blade sharpened to a dangerous point.