[attr="class","icon"]

the verdanturf building houses a separate gymnasium for battles. a caged ring sits doused in stagelights, chainlink catching crystals of light in their corners of metal mesh.[break][break]

on either side, a small elevated stage awaits either trainer.[break][break]

"oh man, long time no see for sure." noah takes angelo's hand, the rough warmth of his lifting gloves gracing the other's palm. "how's life? guess not too busy since you can fit a battle with me, huh?"[break][break]

a laugh is loosed through a brilliant smile. though muffled, the electric pulse of workout music drums against the walls.[break][break]

"you ready for this?" noah plucks out a pokeball from his holster, its small globe expanding to full size. "i've trained some new pokemon up for this. try 'em on for size, aight?!"[break][break]

he throws the pokeball against the metal fencing. the capsule cracks open as it falls back and a red bolt arcs aggressively into the cage.[break][break]

a FLAMIGO stands tall, neck coiled up tight like a choking balloon animal. bright yellow eye staring straight and loud like a foghorn.

[attr="class","bottom"]angelo vestri [break]
feel free to use first move / have the bell ring for the battle to commence in first post so they clash![break][break]

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"totally. beaker needs some friends." [break][break]

noah laughs, while his flamigo stares coldly. facing its opponent from its side, it is a yellow cyclops: one webbed foot lifted and dangling like some fishing lure.[break][break]

"i've never met one of those in person," noah says under his breath. the glimmora is an odd creature; otherworldly in form and movement, eyes haunting like scrutinizing stars.[break][break]

as STEALTH ROCKS scatter across the ring, noah is quick to issue command.[break][break]

"LIQUIDATION! take it down quick!"[break][break]

the flamigo soars across the stony shrapnel. though its movement is limited, it manages. barely. water pulses from its beak as its taut neck swings toward the alien creature.

[attr="class","bottom"]angelo vestri [break]
flamigo's movement hampered by STEALTH ROCK; attempts to use LIQUIDATION.[break][break]

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TOXIC SPIKES clatter against the canvas like spilled jewels. after all, the pokemon's petals are reminiscent of the jewels formed during terastallization.[break][break]

there is little room to maneuver. littered with poisonous caltrops, the tables are turned. noah's flamigo is now trapped with the glimmora rather than the other way around.[break][break]

the flamigo is struck by the VENOSHOCK surge. it drenches the bird's wings and oozes like foul sap.[break][break]

"oh man, angelo. you're dirty for bringing this pokemon in." noah says in jest. "take flight, beaker! stay in the air as long as you can!"[break][break]

cawing, the pink bird launches from the floor to avoid the TOXIC SPIKES.[break][break]

"AIR SLASH!"[break][break]

sharp blades of air soar toward the GLIMMORA like westerly winds. though the flamigo is in the air, the gunk caught between its feathers will eventually force it to land...

[attr="class","bottom"]angelo vestri [break]
flamigo hit by VENOSHOCK; takes flight and tries to AIR SLASH; will need to land eventually because wings are drenched.[break][break]

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dripping with sludge, the flamigo is forced to alight upon the canvas.[break][break]

brilliant gems soar alongside the launching glimmora like crystalline stars. though noah ponders the bird recovering by ROOST, he opts for a more ruthless defensive.[break][break]

"don't let it get a free hit!" noah shouts. "DOUBLE KICK!"[break][break]

the flamigo leaps toward the glimmora. one leg pushes off the ring's littered floor while the other swings. the two pokemon meet in the center as the POWER GEM collides in a spectacular show of brilliance.[break][break]

perhaps, a kick or two has landed. but in the fade of their duel, noah's flamigo lays fainted among toxic shards.[break][break]

"nice work, buddy." he recalls the flamigo back while simultaneously unholstering his next pokemon. "this one's an old friend of mine! we got this no problem."[break][break]

with a smile, he summons his ANNIHILAPE. the frenzied fighter with tortured hair lands upon the TOXIC SPIKES and is immediately poisoned; however, the pain does not register on its contorted face of deathly rage.[break][break]

"man! poison's a pain, isn't it?" noah says- but his grin does not falter once.

[attr="class","bottom"]angelo vestri [break]
flamigo faints from POWER GEM; attempts to use DOUBLE KICK before going down.[break]
annihilape sent out into TOXIC SPIKES and is POISONED.[break][break]

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like, you're sayin' you're toxic, man?" [break][break]

noah laughs, not quite grasping the comparison the pilot makes. not that it matters much. there is little time to linger upon their banter.[break][break]

the spikes scattered about make any possible advance haphazard. yet, noah does not let hesitance shackle his tongue.[break][break]

"PHANTOM FORCE!" noah says. "keep them guessing!"[break][break]

the annihilape plunges into a spectral pool. an eerie stillness pervades the ring before the ape appears behind the glimmora, aiming to strike with its ghostly fist.

[attr="class","bottom"]angelo vestri [break]
annihilape uses PHANTOM FORCE to avoid spikes + tries to strike glimmora.[break][break]

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across the ring, the toxic spikes skitter like crushed pill fragments. the annihilape huffs as the glimmora is recalled, and though it twitches from a tick of poison, remains forever scornful in expression.[break][break]

"'course leonard does!" noah says of his pokemon's punch. "he gets it from me!"[break][break]

the gym leader laughs, a play-fist firmly sculpted at the end of a flexed forearm. [break][break]

"who's next?" noah shouts. "we'll take 'em."[break][break]

readying its fists, the annihilape snorts. its tendril-like hairs sway like cemetery branches as it waits.

[attr="class","bottom"]angelo vestri [break]
annihilape awaits next mon![break][break]

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noah rides the wave of angelo's raillery and a laugh leaves him. it's in the job description yes—and although his seat in the gym challenge carries with it, a multitude of pressures, he counts his blessings that this his what sustains his living here.[break][break]

and not just by income, but by being a continual defense for a region at risk of folding into itself.[break][break]

the OMINOUS WIND sttrikes the annihilape and poisonous barbs sink into its fur. briefly, the damage seems significant. super-effective, poisonous and unnerving... but the annihilape rares up again, its nostrils flaring like a thousand furnaces.[break][break]

"RAGE FIST!" noah says with a cunning smile.[break][break]

leaping forth, an empowered spectral punch is thrown toward the charizard, the metal cuff rattling about.

[attr="class","bottom"]angelo vestri [break]
annihilape hit; uses rage fist poggies[break][break]