oblivious to bryan's performed fraternity facade, noah guides him deeper into their battlefield. one more step and the lights turn on with a dramatic thunk.

spotlights beam toward the caged ring. the chainlink fencing goes all around, light captured as diamonds in their corners. on either side of the cubical cage, a mini-stage or podium is stationed.

"yeap!" noah says. "nice and simple, but it's my baby." he trods over to his side, the one furthest away from the entrance.

he pulls out two pokeballs and hurls them at the ring. they crack open like blissey eggs. red light shoots forth, arcing in dramatic bolts before slamming onto the canvas to reveal a crabominable and hariyama.

they immediately pose up, ready for bryan's answer.

"just need to show me how you fare in close quarters combat. if i think you can hold your own? then, you get one of these." noah grins, lifting his the knockout badge. he wonders briefly, whether bryan can even see it from this distance. "you get the first move, dude."

tl;dr and notes

here we go!

bryan delarosa

☉

to see the hairy monstrosity make use of the fencing is an exciting exercise. a gem-like glint is caught in noah's eye. there was no hesitance from the other. an immediate debut. the silvered environment is taken advantage of despite its claustrophobic confines without fuss.

"defend fong! yank him down!" he shouts.

immediately nearby, the crabominable is quick to defend its partner. it lunges in front of the mimikyu's PLAY ROUGH, frosty shell hardening with an IRON DEFENSE.

it eyes down at the petite ghost with its stupid look. raising its thick claws it attempts to grab or pincer the creature together.

as the grimmsnarl releases its tendril, noah's hariyama raises its broad palms, taking the power whip to its hands. a grunt and the hands close. they grab the hair tight, black strands now tufts between its brown fingers. another grunt and the hariyama tries to to SLAM THE GRIMMSNARL DOWN FROM THE AIR.

"love the mankey bar technique, man." noah says, his own fist clenched. "you train alongside your pokemon too?"

tl;dr and notes

CRABOMINABLE:
IRON DEFENSES + claws reach for MIMIKYU

HARIYAMA:
hit by POWER SHIP + tries to grab hair tendril to yank GRIMMSNARL down

bryan delarosa

☉

the DISGUISE falls lopsided— mitigating much of the fervor behind the crabominable's claws. startled, the crab reels as shadowy limbs lash out from the grisly gilt of mimikyu's cloth. a frightening rebuttal. and like a unsuspected spinarak climbing on one's arm, the crabominable tosses the mimikyu away as orders are barked.

a SUPERPOWER slams into the canvas, launching the crabominable up so that it can grab the cage ring's ceiling.

likewise, the hariyama is pulled to the ground with a hearty thunk— but its gaze remains steeled under bushy brows. the ankle pins the tip of the whip before can retract. with a disciplined hah! the hariyama rolls toward the grimmsnarl, wrapping the whip around its foot over and over.

when it comes close, it SURFS so that the wave carries them closer to the MIMIYKU.

"a life of physical labor's a tough one!" noah shouts, casting his arm this way and that. "but it makes you resilient, yeah?"

tl;dr and notes

CRABOMINABLE:
lets go of MIMIKYU + SUPERPOWERS to dangle from ceiling

HARIYAMA:
snagged by POWER WHIP by foot. rolls toward grimmsnarl, wrapping vine up and SURFS toward MIMIKYU with GRIMM.

bryan delarosa

☉

bryan's grimmsnarl launches from the cage wall. diamonds of rattling metal sound from the shaking fencing, scattering across the ears.

the hairy behemoth bulldozes into noah's hariyama at the end of its SURF. with a haggard grunt, the wrestler holds its ground- feet burying their soles into the canvas. belly bouncing like a thrown igglybuff. despite the hariyama's calm, the damage has been done.

"now!"

while the mimikyu hones its claws, noah's crabominable has been maneuvering above as if on monkey bars. the crab drops. with a stupid grin, it darts toward the grimmsnarl, claws pressed together to strike with a CLOSE COMBAT.

the hariyama, huffing heavy, attempts to hold the grimmsnarl in place.

tl;dr and notes

CRABOMINABLE:
drops to CLOSE COMBAT on GRIMMSNARL

HARIYAMA:
struck by GRIMMSNARL / holds its ground

bryan delarosa

☉

noah winces, seeing the ring's canvas used like a kitchen's honing steel. but the caged arena has suffered worse, and while a floor is replaceable, a fierce battle is not. the gym leader's smile is savage. fangs dripping with enjoyment as the grimmsnarl uses its z-move.

hair ensnares his hariyama as it saps it of health.

"cool!" noah mutters, before casting his hand outward as a firm spear. "stay calm! try to close them in with you with ROCK TOMB!" he whistles, his crabominable scuttling around.

it lowers its jaw to fire a horrid gale of FROST BREATH against the mimikyu and hariyama.

as the hariyama attempts to summon rocks, if successful, they would emerge around mimiyku, hariyama and the crabominable. regardless, the hariyama would slump in a heavy faint.

fong is recalled as the crabominable stands tall within the wintry air.

tl;dr and notes

HARIYAMA - HEALTH TAKEN + TAKES SHADOW CLAW -> ATTEMPTS TO USE ROCK TOMB -> FAINTS

CRABOMINABLE - FROST BREATHS (CRITICAL HITS)

bryan delarosa

☉

"raise your claws! hurl it back into the mimikyu!" noah's voice carries above the crabominable's raising arms.

crossed claws gleam with the twinkle of an IRON DEFENSE. within the frame of a crumbling ROCK TOMB, the crabominable faces the grimmsnarl headon. the FIRE PUNCH lands. pushes the claws deeper—and a donk is heard.

however, the crabominable manages to spring its powerful limbs outward. a haggard groan accompanies the release— with incredible strength, the crab throws grimmsnarl toward the frozen mimikyu.

but a brief moment or two passes before the crabominable slumps. it is recalled quick; the rest of the ROCK TOMB disintegrates across the melting ice.

"hoo! man. that was a good one." noah says. "congrats, dude!"

tl;dr and notes

Crabominable IRON DEFENSE -> catapults grimmsnarl back at frozen mimikyu before fainting.

bryan delarosa

☉