Mars was nothing if not one to love a spotlight, so it could have been said that a battle with an audience was definitely his kind of battle.
[break][break]
An audience made out of mostly flying type pokémon, though? Well, that was a first, he’d admit to that, but it was much better than having no audience at all, right?
[break][break]
Across the field, right before Alexei, roared an eager Salamence.
[break][break]
”Ha! Good choice there. I wouldn’t have wanted the battle to be cut short because of type advantages.” He smirked as he reached for a pokéball, well aware that he could still go for a type advantage. His Hatterene could make quick work out of most dragons, after all, but where was the fun in an easy battle? If he was going to challenge a gym, he might as well put on a show! Have an exciting battle! Razzle dazzle! Mars loved winning, but there’s no joy in an empty victory, and he’d much rather lower his odds for the sake of doing things the way he wished.
[break][break]
In this case, “the way he wished” was clicking the button on an Ultra Ball; a flash of light being followed by the crackling of electricity…
[break][break]

[break][break]
”This is Notus!” Mars introduced the Alolan Raichu with a grin, the pokémon twitching his cute little ears as he confidently surfed through the air while standing on his tail. ”Figured an Alolan variant would be a good way to honour our first meeting. He’s a cutie, isn’t he?”
[break][break]
That first meeting when they had hunted down some burning Alolan Exeggutor.
[break][break]
”Notus, you do your thing.”
[break][break]
This was permission to get things started, and so the pokémon did: instead of attacking, he surfed up through the skies with its psychic power, doing a flip and spinning in an AGILE display of acrobatics that seemed to only increase his speed by the time it was over with. The pokémon was already fast, and he was getting faster by the minute...
[break][break]
Mars simply watched him, a calm smile tugging at his lips.
[break][break]
”So, tell me, Alex… Did you end up enjoying your battles at the tournaments? You were a little stiff and serious back there.”

[break][break]

+ NOTUS USES AGILITY (Speed boost)

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Notus had once been the name of the South Wind; the storm-bringing wind of late summer, the one that carried with it thunder and lighting.
[break][break]
Out of all pokémon, it was an Alolan Raichu who had been given this name, and as it gracefully soared through the air, perhaps the reasons for this would become clear to anyone who knew its true meaning.
[break][break]
One single look at the Salamence had made the pokémon pause, losing his momentum. The intimidating stare paired with the dragon’s horrifying facial features (read: Scary Face) would have been enough to do that to anyone, and yet, the Raichu was quick to shake it off, twitching its ears and pointing at its opponent with an enthusiastic ”Chu!” before rising up in the air once more.
[break][break]
This time, electricity sparked, being released by the Mouse Pokémon’s body and surrounding it with its light. Enveloping it. Engulfing it...
[break][break]

[break][break]
The light became so bright it was almost blinding, and then, in a single pulse, all that electricity was suddenly released, leaving its mark in the field.
[break][break]
”Ha! Glad to hear that! What’s the point to things like these if they’re not exciting, right?” Mars had to make an effort to raise his voice in order to be heard over the sound of crackling, sizzling, and buzzing, for all around them there were sparks of thunder and lightning. "Speaking of which... Hope you don't mind a little static!"
[break][break]
The air and the ground had both been energized, an ELECTRIC TERRAIN surrounding them.


[break][break]

+ Alexei Ivanov
[BREAK]NOTUS USES ELECTRIC TERRAIN

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

It cracked and it buzzed, and it sure made for an impressive sight from the distance...
[break][break]
In the air, out of the electric field’s reach, a Rotom drone recorded the battle; flying around in order to capture both the pokémons’ attacks and the trainers’ reactions. It would zoom just at the right moments, as if taught to do such a thing (which should have perhaps come as no surprise when considering who Mars had borrowed it from for the sake of this gym challenge of his).
[break][break]
The Rotom drone took a wide shot of the ELECTRIC TERRAIN, only to then zoom in in order to show the gym leader's reaction.
[break][break]
’Open fire, Gabe.’
[break][break]
And so, with a deep breath on the Salamence’s part, the battle turned to the offensive, a FLAMETHROWER being sent in the Alolan Raichu’s direction.
[break][break]
Or, to where the Alolan Raichu had been a second ago.
[break][break]
With static filling air itself, the Mouse Pokémon moved even faster than what it had at the start of the battle, almost too fast to be captured on camera. This was his domain; a SURGE SURFER true and true, meant to ride the electric waves of this terrain.
[break][break]
Quickly turning downwards in order to avoid the attack, only the tip of one of its spiraled ears was touched by the flames, the pokémon seeming almost unbothered by this as the sheer speed of its movement extinguished their touch. It headed directly for the Salamence, and while still metres away, it jumped down from its tail, an ELECTRO BALL being gathered at the tip of it and sent towards the dragon.
[break][break]

[break][break]
It was bright, too bright perhaps, almost blindingly so – the attack being filled with the electric power thanks to the pokémon’s now increased speed and the effects of the field.



[break][break]

+ Alexei Ivanov

SPOILER: Click to show

ELECTRIC TERRAIN ACTIVATES SURGE SURFER (Speed is DOUBLED)
[BREAK]NOTUS IS GRAZED BY THE FLAMETHROWER
[BREAK]NOTUS USES ELECTRO BALL*
[BREAK]* ELECTRO BALL's power is based on speed difference + a 30% dmg increase from Electric type move used in ELECTRIC TERRAIN

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Faster. Faster. Fastest.
[break][break]
It was swiftly that the Alolan Raichu avoided the ROCK SLIDE’s sudden rain of boulders; going around one only to follow this with a sharp turn when noticing another right behind it. Up it went, and up again, then down, and down, and left, and right, and left again. Through it all, it kept moving forwards towards the Salamence, its resolved absolute and its will unwavering. Another right turn was made in midair in order to avoid one of the larger rocks, and then…
[break][break]
Boulder.
[break][break]
The force with which it hit pushed the floating Mouse Pokémon back, dragging it away from where the dragon stood. The Alolan Raichu’s psychic abilities may have been powerful indeed, but having been caught off-guard and weighing a mere twenty kilos, little could stop the momentum of the large rock. It seemed as if all hope was lost, but when white paw touched the ground, sparks rose.
[break][break]
Mars knew what he was seeing at that very second: all that gathered electricity in the ELECTRIC TERRAIN wasn’t only around them but beneath them as well, and in a single move, in a single action, the Raichu made the choice of forcing much of it to rise from the very ground right beneath the Salamence.
[break][break]
RISING VOLTAGE.
[break][break]

[break][break]
And just as the rising lighting volts combined together into a pillar of electricity at the very spot where the dragon was, the Raichu gathered itself, standing back up on its tail and ready to continue the battle – ready to fight until the very end.





[break][break]

+ Alexei Ivanov

SPOILER: Click to show

NOTUS IS HIT BY ROCK SLIDE
[break]NOTUS USES RISING VOLTAGE*
[break]* RISING VOLTAGE's base power is DOUBLED when affected by ELECTRIC TERRAIN + Electric type move bonuses

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

How much longer would this go on for?
[break][break]
How much longer could it go on for?
[break][break]
Eyes of a bright amber looked at the arena, as if inspecting their static-covered battlefield. The Electric Terrain would not last forever, so it would have made sense to keep taking advantage of the boost it gave to Electric type moves, and yet…
[break][break]
”Notus, remember to use your environment.” It was with calmness that the advice was spoken, and it came just as the Salamence began its charge towards the small Raichu. Twitching its round ears, the latter listened carefully, then also looking at its surroundings until realizing what its trainer meant by this.
[break][break]
It turned back, towards Mars’ side of the arena, and as it did, the glow of its Psychic power emerges from its body, causing all nearby stones summon by the ROCK SLIDE to rise in the air and point towards the Salamence.
[break][break]

[break][break]
By way of the Raichu’s PSYCHIC abilities, boulders and pebbles alike shot as if projectiles towards the dragon, serving as both an attack and as a way to partially shield the Raichu from the force of the DRAGON CLAW.
[break][break]
Making use of the environment.
[break][break]
Of the remnants of a past attack, in this case.

[break][break]

+ Alexei Ivanov

SPOILER: Click to show

NOTUS USES PSYCHIC*
[break]* PSYCHIC has a chance of lowering the target's SPECIAL DEFENSE.

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

By the will of the ever too smart Alolan Raichu, rocks pelted the Salamence, smashing against it with the full force of a PSYCHIC attack while the attacker himself watched the spectacle. After all, focus was primordial in order to keep this onslaught going, but while a good strategy at first, it soon also proved to be detrimental...
[break][break]
It meant the Raichu was a second too late to avoid the FLAMETHROWING. It wasn’t caught by surprise, but it was too late in breaking its psychic grasp of the boulders, flames hitting its small body just as rocks smashed right back down to the ground. It cried in pain, rising up in the skies before the attack could keep going.
[break][break]
”Notus!” While easily mistaken for concern, this was not Mars’ intent when calling his pokémon’s name: it was a command, a needed reminder to snap out of it and not allow itself to go on the defensive. Raichu was not a pokémon made for defense, and once again, it listened to its trainer.
[break][break]
What was left of the ELECTRIC TERRAIN began gathering within an instant, sparks flying through the air and concentraining in a single spot.
[break][break]
A final boosted electric attack.
[break][break]
A spear of light aimed for the Salamence.
[break][break]

[break][break]
Once more RISING VOLTAGE, taking all of the electricity in their environment and releasing it in a single attack.
[break][break]

+ Alexei Ivanov

SPOILER: Click to show

NOTUS IS HIT BY FLAMETHROWER
[break]NOTUS USES RISING VOLTAGE*
[break]ELECTRIC TERRAIN fades away after this attack.
[break][break]* RISING VOLTAGE's base power is DOUBLED when affected by ELECTRIC TERRAIN + Electric type move bonuses

[attr="class","pokeclass"]