In the distance, a preemptive scream sounded at the motion of the initial Zen Headbutt— an attack that was only followed by a brief and oddly calm pause as the recipient really just felt…nothing.[break][break]

He only had a moment’s reprise to give a screech in victory before immediately being hit by the following Headbutt, to which he responded with yet another display of Arm Thrust, even going so far as to quite literally throttle the dragon into a headlock before pummeling him with the repetitive hits.[break][break]

Meanwhile, the man by the ringside merely gave another shrug. ”Aaaand yet you don’t really seem to believe it~.” With a faint tilt of the head, he propped his elbow atop the rest of the seat he’d occupied, leaning his chin idly against his palm while chuckling. ”Like, believe it or not, I don’t even mean it as a pass or anything. I mean it— genuinely~.”

DAPHNE STONE [break]
mission: down for the count

☉

angry bagon was angry, so the little guy started huffing, and puffing, then he tried to just dig his little feet into the ground before trying to just charge and.. run with the arm over his head. something in the bagon's head thought that it would be a good idea to just.. ram both his head and the panda out of the ring, onto the ground. he's probably gonna be disqualified. [break][break]

all while the trainer's face is reaching a deeper scarlet in colour; accepting compliments was never her strong suit. or.. rather, accepting them was easy for her - they were a dime a dozen. accepting sincere and genuine compliments were difficult. just as she's about to say something, though, her eyes catch the little bagon running his way out of the ring, toppling himself over with a pancham. "apatite!" she starts to stand instead, then moving to start weaving through people to get to the little.. dragon. [break][break]

that looked more like he was trying to roll and wrestle with a pancham. oh dear.

Calix Nikolau

☉

…It was such an odd change of pace to see someone so taken aback by compliments.[break][break]

Not quite unfamiliar, and certainly not unwelcome— but the truth of the matter had been that it was something that he was…honestly out of practice with as far as being on the receiving end of such a reaction. A smile—one as genuine as the very words he’d uttered—remained upon his lips as he watched the words sink into her mind but there was a faint sense of nostalgia that rung true within his own mind before long.[break][break]

The past was the past, though, of course.[break][break]

Before he could run away with his own thoughts, he’d brought himself back to reality; the smile upon his lips faltering the faintest bit before rescinding altogether— though from surprise, rather than his own emotions. His gaze drifted in the same direction hers had gone, and he found himself perking up at not only the sight and sound of the two Pokemon barreling out of the ring, but also the name that the woman called out.[break][break]

”Aaaalrighty, I think we should call this one a draw, boys—” he started off with a hasty laugh, immediately getting up and reaching for his own panda cub. He clicked his tongue as the aforementioned cub seemed to instinctively insist on swinging in the air. ”I get boys will be boys, but man...”

DAPHNE STONE [break]
mission: down for the count

☉

she immediately reaches over, scooping the bagon off the ground. though he's still energetic, trying to struggle in the trainer's arms as she desperately tries to hold the little dragon back. "h-hey.." she grumbles, softly, watching as the blue and white pokemon whines and struggles and thrashes in her arms. she has to hold him out, just so he doesn't accidentally kick her. [break][break]

"i am.. so, so sorry.." she mumbles, quickly adjusting her arms to hold the bagon in one, using the other to quickly grab his pokeball and contain the little dragon. confined, she lets out a soft sigh of relief. "i should be going, mmn.." she holds her hand over the pokeball, doubtlessly feeling the little bagon thrash about in his jail "we can perhaps.. finish our conversation another time?" it's a bit of a questioning tone, and comes out a little less sure than she wanted it to. [break][break]

regardless, she gives a wry smile before turning off, intending to go and.. maybe get some poffins. maybe to bribe and calm the little dragon down.

end

☉