He grabs the hair in front of his eyes as he comments about it. "It's not my favorite color, but thanks. I like it too."

Impromptu battles were troublesome. He brings his Poochy team most of the time, with majority of them being unsuited to single battles and are more likely to thrive as a secondary threat rather than a main battler. They were weak, at least compared to the larger and more popular ones. He supposed it was the reason why they are more likely to form packs than hunt independently in the wild. Kyle decides to shrug off his insecurities, knowing that he might just be making excuses for himself.

"Guess I'll have to thank you for giving me the first attack too."

A Mightyena is released from its Pokeball, valiantly sizing up its opponent as soon as it was introduced. He was the right choice, he hoped. Kyle didn't really have anything to deal with Electric-types out of his Mightyena team, with most of their kits fitted for certain scenarios instead of having battles in mind.

"Toxic."

Bravo starts to regurgitate something from its stomach. The Dark-type hasn't enjoyed using the move, which led to the visible lack of comfort when executing it. Regardless, a spray of poison comes out of its mouth, covering a wide area against the Electric-type.

Moreover, Mightyena weren't biologically designed to take multiple heavy hits. Thick fur could only stand so much damage compared to tough hides and natural plating some Pokemon have. The only way to win this battle was to stall things out with Toxic taking effect.

"Play defensive. Sand attack."

Powerful as the attack may be, the Dark-type's keen senses allow it to anticipate the attack. The moment it took the Eelektross to coil gave the Mightyena enough time to ready himself for the next split second. The claws still graze the Mightyena's front side as the canine hops backwards despite the canine's precaution, clipping part of its fur that Kyle had groomed on his free time. This was no time to think about the wasted efforts that went with it though.

Claws scraped across the floor as the Mightyena skidded from the momentum of the dodge. Chipping the flooring, any loose particles would be directed towards the Eelektross's face. Anything that prolongs the battle would tilt the scales to their favor.

"Pounce."

The command confuses the Mightyena, but its loyalty to its trainer overrides the doubts that the instruction implies. It was a direct opposite of playing defensive, as what was told to him earlier, but the Dark-type nonetheless complies with the command.

Legs scrambling against the gym floors, the canine would charge towards the Electric-type's attack. The Mightyena would slow down, thinking that he had dodged the attack, before throwing himself at the Eelektross. It was only then that he saw the tail. Bracing himself for impact, the worried look on its face immediately went blank as soon as he heard his trainer's next words.

"Protect."

A protective bubble surrounds the Mightyena. The attack hits, throwing the Mightyena across the battlefield with the impact and once again regaining distance from the adversary. A yelp sounds from the canine as soon as it lands, finally reacting to the fear it felt earlier. The shield dispels itself the moment it hits the ground, although it wouldn't matter much as it has already done its job.

"Activate Quick Feet."

The Mightyena remained shaken for a moment and was unable to react in time for the Zap Cannon. Time wasn't something he could alter, but the Dark-type's agility some something he could. Bravo quickly realizes the need for the next move, and as unpleasant as it would be, it seemed like the only way for them to avoid the Zap Cannon given the distance and speed of the projectile.

Bravo immediately moves out of the way the next moment, much like a blur. Another Sand Attack at the Eelektross ironically tells the opposing Pokemon of his location. He starts breathing heavily, but remained lacking of any visible injury nonetheless. Moving to a corner of the room, he vomits out purple liquid from his insides. Toxic has taken effect, the same slow poison affecting the Eelektross now targeting his systems as well.

"We're going offensive soon," he forewarns

Bravo gets excited with the previous words Kyle had uttered. They could continue stalling and secure a better advantage with each passing moment in a safer manner, but since this was a controlled environment anyways, Kyle found nothing wrong with taking the unnecessary risk. It wasn't like failure meant anything here.

"Parry with Protect."

The Dark-type's legs could still function, but the debilitating poison in his body would make it harder for the Mightyena to concentrate, or at least, that was how Kyle would interpret the situation. Bravo remained stable in his footing at least, waiting for the right moment before erecting another barrier.

The shield doesn't stay in tact for long. The immense strength behind the attack is apparent when the Protect immediately cracks under the pressure. Kyle does not need it to stay up for too long, however. A split second was enough as long as it breaks the Eelektross' attack's momentum and allows room for the Mightyena to finally get an attack in.

"...And then go for the kill. Not literally though."

Crush Claw crushes the Protect. Quick Feet allows the Mightyena to move in as soon as the attack connects all throughout. Bravo chooses to go underneath its peripheral and into the more sensitive parts of its body. Without wasting a moment, the Mightyena brandishes his teeth and lunges for the throat with Crunch. He remembers his trainer's follow up statement and gets careful not to tear the flesh.

The unforeseen movement allows the attack to miss, teeth chomping on empty space. The Eelektross moves itself in a way that restricts the Mightyena's routes of escape, limiting the Pokemon's chances to dodge the incoming attack. The self inflicted status move makes it much less hopeful, had it not been for the kick of adrenaline it brings in the Mightyena's system.

The nonchalant expression in Kyle's face soon twists into one that properly reflects the thrill of a fight. Brows furrowing and a lip tugging his one side of his smile to a playful smirk, he would utter the next command without the intent to win, but the aim to make a spectacle out of the show instead.

"Toxic, into Play Rough."

The combination of moves did not make sense in the Mightyena's head, but Bravo knew the constraints of time in a battle and had blindly followed the command at the spur of the moment. Poison was spewed, coughed from his bowels forcibly, as the liquid was sprayed all over the Mightyena, and by extension, the Electric-type coiled up around him.

Quick Feet and the lubricating function that the sludge insinuated made it easier to maneuver within the closed space. There still was only one exit though, which was through the Eelektross' attack. The Mightyena squeezes himself and launches himself in a corkscrew motion towards the attack. The claw gets a gash on the Dark-type's side, causing a bleeding, but had otherwise allowed him to narrowly miss the fatal blow.

Much like its opponent, the Mightyena feels more exhilarated as he receives punishment. They were seldom used for battles by their trainer, and the rush of adrenaline and the need to seize the moment fills him with determination.

The Mightyena attempts to latch on to the Eelektross afterwards, its own claws trying to get a hold of the Electric-type's skin in order to finally sink its teeth onto it.

The Eelektross is recalled, prematurely ending the build up of excitement in Kyle. He is somewhat ready to see another Pokemon pop up on the other side of the field, continue the battle, make the best use of his Mightyena before it falls down...

What the gym leader had said was right though.

His expression mellows down again as he observes his Pokemon. Its legs could hardly support its weight, struggling to even keep his consciousness in tact as the poison contaminates its body. It looks paler than normal, with a rugged appearance that contradicted the groomed look it had before the battle started. Bravo should not continue battling. Faint wagging of the tail suggested the dog wanted to keep going, but they were often stupid and did not know any better. Perhaps grit had been the only thing keeping him up.

"You're right." Kyle recalls the Dark-type back to its ball.

He takes one glance at the ball before returning it to his holster. "I think I'm done," he says as he turns to Alexander. "I don't think I have anyone else that can keep up with pressure like that." He had trained his party of Dark-types to work as one cohesive unit instead of a combatant, much like most trainers who battled for sport. The specialties do not align well.

"Besides, the rest of my Mightyena aren't suited for one-on-one battles. I'd have lost too, if it weren't for me getting the first attack in."