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POSTED ON Apr 11, 2023 1:26:04 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","skullhover"]

[attr="class","skullimg"]

[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skulloverlap"]BUT HOLD YOUR BREATH, GUESS WHO'S RUNNING THE SHOW?

[attr="class","skullbody"]Was it carelessness? Or was it one step closer to the turnabout Isaac needed? His Pokemon had taken no damage, and Alec had been forced to block the lesser of the two incoming evils. Buffaloman hit harder, knew fighting type moves better, and unlike Omega would've been completely shut down by an attack decrease.[break][break]

Even more importantly, the King's Shield seemed to be wavering. How much more could the Aegislash keep guarding? Perhaps it was time to start testing those waters.[break][break]

Buffaloman picked up what Isaac was putting down. As he stomped away from Inferno, his posture took a turn for the taunting. He swished his tail, swayed his hips, and with a dismissive grunt acted as if a Mega Pokemon wasn't even worth his time. That level of Swagger would be hard to ignore, especially with Maximus' confusion still in its final stages. There would only be one responsible adult left, and he had a tendency to keep his orders quiet.[break][break]

As Buffaloman tried to get Inferno's goat (or, in this case, bull), Omega turned his attention to Maximus. Without a steady shield, he'd risk having to return to his less defensive blade forme. All he had to do was overcharge again, and-[break][break]

"Let it go, Omega."[break][break]

One turn of extra Infinity Energy was a breeze to draw out. Two turns was asking for painful backlash at the worst time. Letting out a reluctant growl, Omega let it go, settling back down into his regular Metagross form. His Tough Claws were gone, but that was fine. The King's Shield blunted his offense enough anyway, and neither attack would give Maximus much pause.[break][break]

A pulse of Psychic energy, on the other hand, just may have done the trick. It rippled from around Maximus on all sides, feint after feint trying to distract Maximus before the real pulse finally shot towards him from behind.[break][break]

It was time to kick things into the final gear. Either Team Isaac leveraged every advantage they've carved out throughout the battle, or what little life they held onto finally gave way. No matter what, they were in the endgame now.[break][break]

TEAL DEER;[break]
Buffaloman tries to work Inferno up with a Swagger, poking more holes in the Alec's offense and defense.[break]
Omega releases Mega form, but takes advantage of Maximus' impending defense drop and his own elevated Special Attack to try and pound him with a Psychic.

[break]

[break]

[attr="class","skullinfo"]MOBILE POST / alec foster

[attr="class","skullcredits"]TAIKO!

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alec foster

POSTED ON Apr 13, 2023 1:06:00 GMT

As much as Inferno wanted to attack, he couldn't with Buffaloman coming back out on the field, so it settled for playing defense, casting PROTECT in order to prevent itself from being confused. At the same time however, Maximus took a hit from the incoming PSYCHIC blast that was fired from the Metagross. However, despite taking the hit, Maximus was far from being taken down. What had saved him from taking too much damage though wasn't just the fact that the Metagross released it's Mega Evolution, but also because of it's STEEL typing, along with it still being in it's SHIELD STANCE. Every Aegislash Alec knew of had a solid physical as well as special defense, as did most other steel types.

What's more was that on top of Maximus being a Steel type, it was also a Ghost type, which made fighting types completely ineffective to fighting type moves. Psychic types could still damage him, but not as badly as one would think. Isaac's pokemon made a good play but it wouldn't be nearly enough to do his pokemon in. Even with Alec's Aegislash hurting itself from it being confused would only cause some annoyance to it. "Not bad, but Maximus is still in this fight with it being in it's shield stance." Alec started to speak, pausing as he started to notice that the affects of Maximus's confusion were wearing off. Them same, however, was also for Inferno's Mega evolution, returning back to regular form.

SPOILER: Click to show
TL;DR:
- Inferno casts Protect, protecting itself from the effects of Swagger. It also returns back to normal since this is the 3rd/final turn for it's Mega Evolution.

- Maximus takes the hit from the Psychic attack and also hurts itself from confusion while in it's shield stance. It is now no longer confused next turn.

Isaac Merlo

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POSTED ON Apr 17, 2023 2:47:26 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","skullhover"]

[attr="class","skullimg"]

[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skulloverlap"]BUT HOLD YOUR BREATH, GUESS WHO'S RUNNING THE SHOW?

[attr="class","skullbody"]They were stuck in a loop, and that was both the best and worst place for Isaac to be.[break][break]

Going toe to toe was a bad idea. Team Alec had more energy left in the tank than a nearly-fainted Tauros and a Metagross going through Mega withdrawal. Most of Buffaloman's power hits would wipe him out from recoil, and between his injured legs and his lowered strength Omega was down to launching off Psychic after Psychic. In a direct test of might, their best would be found lacking.[break][break]

Going for a war of attrition was an equally bad idea. Alec's Pokemon could shield themselves, while all Isaac could do was delay the inevitable with Swagger after Swagger. To his credit, it had paid off dividends; for several rounds, he'd narrowly managed to avoid retribution. However, his luck was starting to run out, and soon those Swaggers would go from confusing the opposition to outright empowering them. If they tried to outlast each other, Alec's team could coast those power-ups into a decisive finish.[break][break]

No, Isaac's best option was to turn that loop until he had the advantage, then follow it up with a decisive strike. That moment was now.[break][break]

Inferno had used his Protect, allowing him to finally take the offensive for the first time in several rounds. Maximus was about to ease out of his confusion, and with the Swagger undoing the effects of two prior Intimidates he was surely eager to test his blade once more. Alec's team was both at their strongest and also at their most vulnerable. It was time to do or die.[break][break]

Omega and Buffaloman flanked Inferno as he threw up his shimmering barrier, quite literally deflecting the Paldean Tauros' vibe check. Buffaloman nodded towards Omega, taking position by Inferno's rear. Omega cracked what two good knuckles he had remaining as he scuttled towards Inferno's front. They waited for the barrier to drop. And then they moved.[break][break]

As soon as the barrier started to fade, Omega began pressing down with as much Psychic energy as he could. By now, his reserves were running dry. He wouldn't be surprised if he had only one good Psychic left in his tank after this. However, he didn't need a knockout blow. He just needed to either steal Inferno's focus or daze him enough to prevent what was coming next.[break][break]

Namely, Buffaloman's next headlong rush, the Tauros' skull crackling with psychic energy. If he could just nail a powerful blow from behind before the Charizard could turn around, the resulting one-two punch might have been just enough to force this into a two on one.[break][break]

It was Isaac's turn to be the quiet one. Every bit of focus he had left went into observing his Pokemon's final stand.[break][break]

TEAL DEER;[break]
Isaac does not want to end up in either a direct punch-up or a war of attrition. He's forced to strike now while the moment is as right as it ever will be.[break]
Omega is running low on Psychics, but tries to push Inferno into the ground with one of the last ones he has remaining.[break]
Buffaloman tries to follow it up with a Zen Headbutt, hoping their one-two punch can leave Inferno down for the count.[break]
Both are lowkey worried that, even if this works, Maximus will have enough left in the tank to handle their best and leave them down for the count.

[break]

[break]

[attr="class","skullinfo"]MOBILE POST / alec foster

[attr="class","skullcredits"]TAIKO!

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POSTED ON Apr 18, 2023 23:29:17 GMT

Once again, Isaac's Metagross employed the same use of Psychic that it had been using, forcing Inferno down to the ground, or tried. With the Metagross being weakened, the Psychic energy wasn't nearly at it's full capacity. Despite this however, Inferno couldn't seem to move from it's spot. This only lead to one solution. However, even Alec knew that this would probably be it for Inferno as far as the battle was concerned. The black charizard once again unleashed a BLAST BURN at the last second at the incoming Tauros with it's ZEN HEADBUTT. The collision from both of the attacks created an explosion between the two pokemon, knocking them backwards. Inferno had attempted to get up, but couldn't. Alec's smirk grew wider as did the crowd's bellowed-out cries of excitement.

"You did well, Inferno. Rest," Alec said as the shiny charizard was returned to its pokeball. Despite Inferno's attack being a fire type attack, with how much damage the Tauros took beforehand was also surely enough to knock it out as well, which meant that Maximus was Alec's last Pokemon, while the Metagross was Isaac's last pokemon standing. "It seems like we're both on our last legs," Alec calls out toward Isaac. Alec glanced over at Maximus who seemed determined to give the Metagross everything it still had. What's more was it didn't seem to be confused anymore either, which was perfect. Alec didn't know what else the Metagross had up it's sleeve, but that didn't seem to matter to Maximus, as he used SHADOW SNEAK, wasting no time in switching to it's SWORD STANCE again. It's body covered in black phantasmal energy as it lunged toward the weakened Metagross.

Alec stood there silently, wanting to see how things would turn out. Would this final attack decide the battle itself? Regardless of the outcome, Alec admitted that this was definitely fun. Isaac and his pokemon were definitely worthy opponents, and if Isaac did manage to pull out a win here, then Alec would still be content.

SPOILER: Click to show
TL;DR:
- Inferno on it's last legs, attacks the incoming tauros with BLAST BURN. Due to how close the collision of both attacks were, both the Paldean Tauros and Inferno knock each other out.

- Maximus, no longer confused, switches to it's blade stance and lunges forward w/ a Shadow Sneak.

Isaac Merlo

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Turned on my friends and brought them pain. I have no right to show I can change. But I gotta try!

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POSTED ON Apr 19, 2023 3:09:36 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","skullhover"]

[attr="class","skullimg"]

[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skulloverlap"]BUT HOLD YOUR BREATH, GUESS WHO'S RUNNING THE SHOW?

[attr="class","skullbody"]Even with a type advantage and sheer momentum on his side, Buffaloman had been too badly battered by prior attacks to stand a chance. The Tauros didn't even attempt to rise back to his feet, instead tumbling across the battlefield from the sheer, explosive force of impact.[break][break]

The roar of the audience was like nothing else. So, too, was the grin on Isaac's face as he returned Buffaloman to his ball. "You did incredible out there, buddy," Isaac said, giving the ball a little pat before tucking it away onto his belt. "Take a nice, long rest for me, okay?"[break][break]

Omega would heed that advice as well. The battlefield was practically paused as Isaac and Alec retrieved their respective Pokemon. The crowd continued cheering, at the edge of their seats to see how this showdown would finally resolve. What was once a pristine arena now looked like a warzone, ravaged by Psychic smashes, Frenzy Plant roots, and a trio of increasingly fearsome Blast Burns. How long had Isaac and Alec even been fighting for? Isaac didn't know, but at this point he didn't care.[break][break]

He was having the time of his life.[break][break]

In his case, last legs was literal. Two of Omega's legs had been busted up. His Magnet Rise had run out of steam, leaving him grounded once more. The Speed Boost he'd been passed down was starting to fade. Seeing his opportunity, Maximus shifted from barrier to blade, that familiar shadowy aura spreading across his body.[break][break]

There was no time left for Omega to calculate. For the first time in his life, he'd need to count on base instinct. Putting all of his boosted speed into the legs he had left, Omega leaped backwards.[break][break]

At first, Isaac wondered why Omega didn't try to leap over the blade. Then he saw the sheer speed at which it hurtled forward; even if his reactions were immaculate, Omega would have been sliced before he could retaliate. Leaping backward only delayed the inevitable, but that delay may have been exactly what he needed.[break][break]

Purple sparks arced dangerously off of Omega's body. He knew he had enough juice for one last Psychic. However, even with the time he'd brought himself, the question remained; would he be able to bring that power to bear before getting skewered?[break][break]

There was so much that Isaac wanted to say. He had so much to thank his team for. He had so much to thank Alec for. Yet in the near-instant before their collision, he could only find two breathless words.[break][break]

"C'mon, Omega!"

Time seemed on the battlefield seemed to slow to a crawl. Maximus's shadow-wreathed blade stretched closer and closer. Omega's psychic-powered body sparked brighter and brighter. The collision between the two was inevitable. The end to the battle was nigh. The crowd waited at the edge of their seats.[break][break]

When the dust settled, which of these steely titans would fall?[break][break]

TEAL DEER;[break]
Maximus hops back to buy himself precious seconds, trying to draw one last Psychic out of his reserved.[break]
How this ends is all in your hands now.

[break]

[break]

[attr="class","skullinfo"]MOBILE POST / alec foster

[attr="class","skullcredits"]TAIKO!

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POSTED ON Apr 19, 2023 6:11:14 GMT

Despite the incoming attack, Maximus's determination didn't waver. He kept pushing through the PSYCHIC wave, it's phantasmal body forcing itself through it. Once Maximus had passed through the attacking Metagross, Alec felt as if everything stopped, while oddly enough still continued on. The two attacks from both Maximus's delivery and receiving end had connected. There was no mistake about that. Then finally, both the Maximus as well as Metagross hit the ground where they stood. At first the crowd was silent, as if they were all in shock, and then just like that, the stands erupted with shouting from each and every direction, engulfing the arena in crowd's echoes.

With a soft smile, Alec returned Maximus to it's pokeball. "You did very well. You deserve the rest," He said, clipping the pokeball back onto his belt as he began walking closer to Isaac. Once he was close enough, Alec extended out a hand, waiting for Isaac to accept the gesture for a handshake. "You and you're pokemon did great too." Alec said, pulling out a wireless mic from his back pant pocket, turning it on. "Do you not agree!?" Alec shouted fervently into the mic, making crowd roar much louder with excitement. Before Isaac decided to bolt though, Alec spoke once more to him.

"Tell me something, Isaac," Alec paused, continuing to speak into the mic in his hand. "I wanna ask you ... What's my Gym's Educational Goal? Sure, it's nice reciting lines that have already been said before, but I would like to hear it coming from you, in your own words," Alec said, placing the head of the mic in front of his face so that the audience could here him speak. Hell, Alec didn't care if he took the mic from him.

SPOILER: Click to show
TL;DR:
- Maximus continues it's onslaught with Shadow Sneak, despite the incoming psychic attack. Due to Aegislash's attack still connecting while the Metagross's attack still took a toll on Maximus, Both of them knock each other out.

- Despite the battle ending in a draw, Alec stops Isaac from leaving and asks him what his gym's educational goal is in his own words.

Isaac Merlo

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