"Greyson Connors!"[break][break]

he calls back, stepping into the hallway only for the lights to flicker on one at a time down the line until eventually reaching the major league gym leader.[break][break]

grinning, he gestures down the hallway, inviting greyson to approach.[break][break]

"you mean it's time to get your ass kicked again?"

[attr="class","ooc"]Greyson Connors[break]

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

"you know," he says "that you barely won the last one, right?"
[break][break]
his head turns left, right, up, and down, regarding the gym with a critical eye.
[break][break]

"not as good as mine, but, it'll do." he grins, taking a few steps in. "what are you using? i don't want any excuses for why you lost, y'know, like 'he used type advantage! wah wah.'"

[attr="class","notes"]CIAN MAHER

[attr="class","wizzcredit"]☉

"a win is a win."[break][break]

at greyson's question, a cacturne rises out of the ground, disrupting the bed of sand. it had been hidden in its SAND VEIL, apparently.[break][break]

"lugh over there. don't worry, there'll be no excuses from us when we win."[break][break]

even before greyson has a chance to call out his pokemon, cian's pressing on a button that summons a SANDSTORM. cacturne starts to fade away in the thick of it.

[attr="class","ooc"]Greyson Connors[break]

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

"hm, how's this?" he releases a pokemon — avalugg. but, this one was clearly one of the rare variants that had been showing up recently.
[break][break]
as the SANDSTORM rages, it buffets the ice and rock-type, but does little in terms of damage. greyson lets slip a broad grin, one hidden beneath the raging storm around them. his voice pushes through it, reaching the ears of the varient.
[break][break]
"let's fucking go."
[break][break]
it's body shimmers as it solidifies an IRON DEFENSE, and with an exertion of will of his EARTH POWER, summons scattered clumps of sand and dirt into a rough, patchy shield around him.

[attr="class","notes"]CIAN MAHER

[attr="class","wizzcredit"]☉

"oh, nice! i have one just like it. big boy."[break][break]

the battle commences.[break][break]

EARTH POWER is made less potent by the roots that were dug into the ground the previous round via INGRAIN. it makes it nothing more than a nuisance as cacturne fades deeper into the SANDSTORM, hiding with its SAND VEIL.[break][break]

it reappears right behind the avalugg like something out of an anime, NEEDLE ARM swinging at its leg.

[attr="class","ooc"]Greyson Connors[break]

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

the PIN MISSILE embeds itself into the creatures tough exterior, rising from it, just a grunt.[break][break]

it's vision obscured by the veil, its options are limited. so, toughened by another round of IRON DEFENSE, further improving its durability, it tucks its legs and begins a RAPID SPIN aimed at where the cacturne was last seen.

[attr="class","notes"]CIAN MAHER

[attr="class","wizzcredit"]☉

while avalugg's IRON DEFENSE shimmers, cacturne is allowed the opportunity to slip away, fading back into the SANDSTORM to conveniently avoid the RAPID SPIN.[break][break]

knowing their locations exactly, a GRASS KNOT grows out of the ground, curling around avalugg's legs to hold it in place.[break][break]

and then, a DARK PULSE fires.

[attr="class","ooc"]Greyson Connors[break]

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

a prickly vine, like the root of a cactus, wraps around its massive leg. avalugg grunts, moaning in a sound of annoyance, before a wave of shadow washes over him.
[break][break]
it's a stark cold, a cold bucket thrown over ones head, but this creature was well-adapted to the cold. following it's origin point to the best of his abilities, he RECOVERS what he can of his stamina before tossing fist sized rocks (ROCK SLIDE) in a spray-n-pray style.

[attr="class","notes"]CIAN MAHER

[attr="class","wizzcredit"]☉

spray-n-pray works out this time as one of the stray boulders from ROCK SLIDE slams into cacturne. it grunts in place, now forced to INGRAIN itself while it takes cover behind the boulder.[break][break]

whatever. it fires another DARK PULSE, knowing exactly where the avalugg is.[break][break]

"man, your avalugg's big as fuck."

[attr="class","ooc"]Greyson Connors[break]

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

greyson laughs, a grin spreading.
[break]
[break]
"he prefers big-boned!"
[break]
[break]

the air around the great lug of a creature begins to chill, dropping dangerously. again the DARK PULSE washes over him, and with it, the source of his troubles.
[break]
[break]

solid chunks of ice form by the dozen, and with a great heft of will, he tosses a MOUTAINOUS GALE at the cacturn.

[attr="class","notes"]CIAN MAHER

[attr="class","wizzcredit"]☉

"i didn't say fat but maybe i should've."[break][break]

it's not as slender as his own avalugg is. maybe greyson should put it on a diet and exercise plan.[break][break]

when MOUNTAINOUS GALE flies over and slams into the ground, the impact scatters the SANDSTORM for a brief moment to reveal nothing but stretched out roots of INGRAIN. it goes off to the side, then circles around right as cacturne closes the distance once again to throw a NEEDLE ARM into avalugg's leg.[break][break]

then, another DARK PULSE into its belly.

[attr="class","ooc"]Greyson Connors[break]

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

a true battle of attrition. the constant blows do little damage, but they stack heavily in number. greyson regrets not teaching the pokemon blizzard, or hail — or something.
[break][break]
but the one thing they did have — durability — cacturne did not. all it took was a few well-placed hits, and this fight would over.[break][break]
"scatter them!" he commands, urges, really. if large attacks weren't working, then smaller, more wide-spread ones would. hopefully, at least.
[break][break]
MOUNTAINOUS GALE is condensed, shaped by the will of a truly patient creature. they form into blunt, glass-like shards of ice, that circle around him in the dozens. at once, he unleashes them all.

[attr="class","notes"]CIAN MAHER

[attr="class","wizzcredit"]☉

imagine challenging the weather gym for the second time and still not bringing a counter to it. could not be cian because he's a little rat he would do almost anything to sneasel his way to victory.[break][break]

SAND VEIL covers their approach and retreat. still healing from INGRAIN, caturne steadies itself and slams its foot into the ground, summoning a SPIKY SHIELD to block the incoming MOUNTAINOUS GALE.[break][break]

the moment the attack passes, a DARK PULSE bursts, scattering the SPIKY SHIELD only to carry spikes along with it as it travels towards the avalugg.

[attr="class","ooc"]Greyson Connors[break]

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