"Always good news when Angelo's getting his butt kicked." The youth said with an air of sage-ness as she recounted upon him her grand victory over angelo vestri, before tilting his head. "Sandcastle Warfare, though?"

The contest must've really stuck in Zac's mind...

"Can't say I ever did! What's it taste like? Should I go get some?" He said, glancing over his shoulder in search of local ice cream men. There was always at least one at the beach, right?

Behind him, his own trio of pokemon noticed their opponent doing their planning, and promptly- did mostly nothing, with Junior picking his nose while Boomer rolled himself up further into the sand, trying his hardest to dig himself into the dirt.

With an irritable sigh, Akua reached over and yanked the unsuspecting Machop closer, much to his undignified sqwacking, dragging him closer to the ball-like pokemon, who glanced up curiously at them.

The Illumise huffed. If the enemy was planning something, then so were they!

"Glad to 'ear ya slapped some wins under yer belt! Really helps me out, haha!" So long as neither Hideo Kino nor Eris were dead last among the Gym Leaders' choices, he was safe. "Anyway- I 'ear this format was created by Zac himself! Lotsa tourney participants have adopted it since- and the reviews are ravin'! Turns out, Volleyball's real fun!"

---

TAG: Eris Halla

"I'm sorry, ẅ̶̨͓̤̪̔ȟ̴̨͔̠̜̙̽͆̊͆̌̄̽̈̅́̕͝ă̶̢̛̤̥̟͕̖̲̗̙̘̟̙̏̇̏̎͐͂͗͝ͅͅt̵͎̼̼̂̂͑̀̚͘?" The youth uttered with a blank smile, reeling back as one last, mighty KABOOM was reenacted, trying not to show how horrified he was to hear that Sandcastle Warfare was a rather... authentic bloodsport.

The fact Eris Halla was healthy and peppy enough to excitedly tell him all about it was about the only reason he hadn't already left to throttle some sense into Zac Ramsay.

The fact she wanted to do it again was making him seriously consider it, though...

"What did poor Magikarp ever do to you?" Doug asked wryly, glad angelo vestri had held back on the madness- unless Eris' was holding back on the details.

"Well-" He began to say no, before considering the fact he had tried making a bet with FERNANDO SILPH. "... Practically, yeah."

He shook his head, chuckling.

"Us Gym Leaders decided to have a lil' gambling fun with the tournament." He said, tipping back his hat to scratch at his head. "Bet on who would win the tournament, rather. I went with ya and Hideo Kino."

He then rolled his eyes.

"Mr. Silph went with kyle lopez and Raziel Beckett. Borderline cheatin', huh?" He said with a laugh, it slowly dying down until he gave a winking shrugging. "But well, I'll be fine so long as either of my picks ain't dead last."

He dragged his hand over his locks of hair, smirking.

"I'm honestly more worried for Melody Miro." He said casually. "If she loses, she's gotta shave her head."

---

TAG: Eris Halla

Doug hadn't really been too cautious himself until Hideo came into his life- must've been those big brother instincts awakening.

The youth didn't get to grill her further on the subject however- his line of thought was immediately derailed.

"Your mom was a Gyarados Hunter?" The youth said with palpable awe, as the author had just decided Gyarados Hunters were the Kantonian equivalent of revered Dragonslayers.

Eris now has Gyarados Hunter blood(?).

"No wonder yer punching fishes..." Doug said, scratching at his chin thoughtfully before grinning and shrugging at the girl. "Awright then, carry on!"

He reached over to ruffle her hair next.

"Good job beatin' Raziel Beckett! That's a real big win, ya know? He's a fave to win the tournament! He's got more fire in his belly than one would think with how shy he is!" He said, sighing.

Unfortunately, Razz winning, as much as the man might deserve it, meant that FERNANDO SILPH would win the Gym Leader bet. Unfortunate, if entirely predictable.

Poor Melody Miro.

"Good question, I've no idea why." The youth said as he scratched at his chin; he had stopped reading the betting chat after Fernando had dropped the bomb, having laughed too hard. "I think I might have to? Either that or pay for the next Gym Leaders' Meet up."

He would probably be bald next time she saw him if given the choice.

As the referee approached them, Spheal in hand ready for abuse, the youth grinned at Eris, grabbing the 'ball'.

"Wouldn't dream of it." He said, moving to the back row. It had been a long while since he had played Volleyball- about the second to last P.E. Class he had attended to before his rampant truancy began in earnest.

Still, he more or less remembered the basics. His pokemon were the problem- they knew absolutely nothing about volleyball.

... Eh, it would be alright. Throwing the Spheal high in the air, much to its amused squeal, the youth leapt in the air before swinging his arm at it, sending the ball hurtling across the court all the way to the opposing team's side!

---

ZwXAQyMa

TAG: Eris Halla

[player]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/850907874325823529/868124695642406972/Melody_of_Jellyfish.mp3[/player]
"What? No, no." Doug said quickly to the girl, waving a hand in front of his face while laughing. "I'll sooner shave my head Tibetan style than make my friends pay for my own choices."

As the Spheal ball was spiked down towards the Earth, Junior launched into motion, his arm extending out to bounce it back high in the air with a squeal.

Doug quickly moved under it, bouncing it back for his Illumise to move in, spiking it down upon Eris Halla's court with Play Rough!

"Loses are inevitable with so many people here; don't worry 'bout any of that, yer doing better than thousands of men and women. Couldn't be more proud of you and Hideo Kino; yer both goin' places!" Doug said between rounds, grinning at Eris.

Beat.

"... Wait, your mom punched legendaries too?"

[player]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/850907874325823529/868124695642406972/Melody_of_Jellyfish.mp3[/player]
Eris' mother made Chuck Norris sound like Weenie Hut Jr's regular.

"Damn, she must have been famous!" He said, brows furrowing slightly as he tried to think. A woman badass enough to whoop a Gyarados' and Zapdos' ass with only her fist...

... Was Eris Calliope Marks's daughter?

Thoughts for later.

Boomer rolled over the floor at high speed as the ball was spiked with a Wood Hammer, grinding to a stop just immediately below it at taking it straight to the face with a booming smack, the spheal arching across the air once again.

Without warning, Akua moved to Junior, the Machop yelping as her iron grip latched onto his hand and she SPUN him around, his panicked screams filling the air as they became a blur.

A zoom echoed across the court as Junior was launched high in the air to meet the spheal, his cheeks whipping about as he broke through the wind.

Junior will remember that.

At the apex of his ascent, face to face with the Spheal, the Machop apologized profusiely.

And then flexed.

The spheal squeaked in pure horror as the Machop reeled back his arm and SLAPPED it across the face, spiking it down towards sand full force with a thunderous CLAP.

"Don't be getting too rough with the ball now, kids." Commented the youth wryly, scratching at his cheek.

---

-Akua the Illumise used helping hand!
-Junior used Bulk Up!

[player]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/850907874325823529/868124695642406972/Melody_of_Jellyfish.mp3[/player]

The ball was spiked down with yet another booming clap, the spheal planting itself in the sand behind Doug after just barely missing his face, the heat of it leaving the youth warm and red.

Akua blew a raspberry and punched the air in frustration as she squealed at the other players on the court, throwing a fit.

"This is getting a bit too intense, ain't it?" He said after a moment, blinking at the Spheal as he slowly turned around to pick it up, a little tremble in his hands. One point his court, one point Eris' court.

Breathing in deeply, he tried to shake off the trembles, turning over to look at Eris with the Spheal under his pit.

He didn't really recognize the name of Eris' mother, and though it was tragic to have his Calliope Marks theory so swiftly disproved, he was nonetheless curious about the woman who could punch Gyarados in the face and write scientific papers at the same time.

"Her findings, huh? What did she specialize in?" He asked curiously, tilting his head as he approached the line, preparing to serve. Throwing it in the air, he clapped that Spheal's cheeks, sending it over to the other side of the court.