trouble always seemed to find him first, though. but he indulges in it, embraces it, as he ushers the royal penguin forwards. "your best option is to go on the defensive at first," greyson relays, taking a step back, "your armor plating will help you take the brunt of any attacks you can't dodge, or deflect— "
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as if to demonstrate his point, the meinshao crosses the distance between the two, paws lashing out with viper like DOUBLE SLAP strikes. crown blocks the first one, but the second pushes through his defenses and collides with his steel body. it didn't even tickle.
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"— but don't let them decide the tempo of the battle!" his voice rises to match the new pace, set by the wild-pokemon, "step into their comfort zone; force them to work for it." he was a lumbering creature, not built for speed, but once he was able to get close, that didn't much matter. beyond the physical there was the mental gymnastics. the innate fear and nervousness of an enemy stepping into your bubble. it forced the less experienced, and even some of the more-so, to panic and make mistakes.
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"keep it off kilter," the empoleon responds with jarring, quick FURY ATTACKS, aimed to keep the fighting-type on its backfoot. it works, forcing the less experienced pokemon to give ground, eyes wide in its panic, "then deliver a finishing blow!" the METAL CLAW, raking the meinshao across its chest. it cries out in pain, then, flees as fast as its legs can carry it.
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the empoleon was out-of-breath, but no worse for wear.
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"good job, crown. good job."

[attr="class","ooc"]@sw/SKIP[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-empoleon"]