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(Elite Test) The Determined and The Volatile, Act 1

POSTED ON Apr 10, 2023 7:48:55 GMT

This was by far the biggest crowd Josh had ever battled for. Even walking through Ever Grande's stadium halls, he could hear the crowd roaring. His own fans, fans of the individual Elite Four, and fans of professional battles in general filled the seats. The only time the stadium was more packed than this was for a big-time battle tournament.

The Gym Leader had done Hoenn many a service alongside MATIAS SILPH . Josh had built up quite the friendship with the Volatile, the first Avatar he had ever met. Though Johto's Raikou was dead, stranger things had happened. Until he had evidence of Hoenn's Raikou appearing, or that of another region, though, he had to get stronger another way. Deep down, he believed he was the one with the birthright to sit in Raikou's thundercloud saddle. It was just a matter of time before Raikou found him. But that timetable was not his to control, and the lives of legendary Pokémon were far longer than humans. It could very well be that by the time Raikou made a decision, Josh could very well be too old to fill the role he desired above all else.

He didn't need a legendary Pokémon to prove himself to the League. His team was more than capable of taking one down. The expectation was that Virizion would make an appearance in battle, after getting a promise from the Volatile that his patron Pokémon would not appear in today's match. If the route he encountered Matias in was to be believed, even Virizion would be incredibly difficult for his team to overcome.

Josh rode down the concourse on his Manectric, entering the stadium's battle court from the south side. His friendly demeanor was completely different than it was at the arena. If Matias was savvy, he might have been able to tell that this was about more than a simple Elite Four match.

Their friendship was starting to unravel.

Josh's entire team stood or floated near him as he waved to the crowd, then the Volatile himself. "Afternoon, Matias! Great to see you take on challengers so late in the day. I didn't see a spot on your application to name a format, so I'm under the assumption you wanted to name the format for battle. Lay it on me."

The Gym Leader was also aware of an additional advantage the Volatile would have. Under the special premise of Josh's Champion Assessment, he would have to overcome an extra handicap with each battle. The handicap Matias had over him was that he would have unfettered access to his team sheet mid-battle. There was no hiding secrets from Matias in this battle. He would be armed with the knowledge of every single move Josh's Pokémon knew. The knowledge of every Z-Move, held item, and even every Tera Type his Pokémon could assume at the toss of Josh's Tera Orb would be at the Volatile's fingertips...

MATIAS SILPH

{WC: 493}
{PC: 1}

NAME SPECIES STATUS
Saber Manectric Good
Aslan Pyroar** Good
Bladestorm Skarmory Good
Nitro Gogoat** Good
Twilight Absol Good
Resheph Dragonair Good

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matias

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(Elite Test) The Determined and The Volatile, Act 1

POSTED ON Apr 10, 2023 15:38:29 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","matiasbase"]

[attr="class","matias1"]

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[attr="class","matiasimg"]

[attr="class","matias2"]

this challenge had been set up for josh to lose, and what better way to do it than with a large crowd watching? they will bear witness to the beginning of the end of a friendship, one forged in the flames of mount chimney.[break][break]

it was only a matter of time.[break][break]

the smile he offers josh is bare at best.[break][break]

"nothing too complicated. just a simple one-on-one, six pokemon total."[break][break]

matias will not be needing all six.[break][break]

"is your manectric up first?"[break][break]

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[newclass=.rouxcredit]align:right; color:#AB4646; font-size:10px; text-align:right; padding:10px; [/newclass]

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raikourider

Master of Faster

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December 12

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(Elite Test) The Determined and The Volatile, Act 1

POSTED ON Apr 11, 2023 5:15:44 GMT

"He is not," Josh answered, Bladestorm the Skarmory screeching. "Bladestorm will be." Matias likely knew why; his Manectric was very clearly his ace. While the Volatile had yet to see the Gym Leader's Z-Move, he was likely fully aware of what it could do, given how much it had been integrated into his Gym. It was a potent crash of lightning capable of frying even ground-type Pokémon, and it came at mach speed. Even Virizion would have a hard time dodging an attack that fast. He had to hold the attack for the Elite's legendary he would no doubt be staring down.

The aggressive Steel-type awaited the skilled trainer's first Pokémon. Though he was eager to taste blood in his beak, he was well-behaved enough to wait for the signal to begin. The scoreboard lit up, Josh's entire team on display while Matias' was shrouded in question mark icons. It didn't seem quite fair to him; why should the Elite Four get full advance knowledge of all of his Pokémon's tactics? It wasn't his call to make, though; that was the stipulation of Matias' challenge. Like the Gym Leaders, he expected every battle with the Elite Four to have their own gimmick that they no doubt crafted their teams to take advantage of.

Once Matias' Pokémon was inside the central circle of the enormous battle court, the match would begin. Josh had to watch the timer, too; not only was the match timed, but there was a move timer, as well. The penalty for letting the move timer expire was harsh: an automatic knockout.

MATIAS SILPH

{WC: 268}
{PC: 2}

NAME SPECIES STATUS
Saber Manectric Good
Aslan Pyroar** Good
Bladestorm Skarmory Good
Nitro Gogoat** Good
Twilight Absol Good
Resheph Dragonair Good

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noodles

matias

he/him

thirty-two

november 14th

saffron

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champion

1321 height

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(Elite Test) The Determined and The Volatile, Act 1

POSTED ON Apr 14, 2023 10:05:47 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","matiasbase"]

[attr="class","matias1"]

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"very well."[break][break]

to contest the skarmory, a charizard materializes, one many would know to be matias' ace. the black-scaled fire-type roars as it takes to the skies.[break][break]

"good luck."[break][break]

the start of the battle is signified with a FLAMETHROWER that pours across the battlefield.[break][break]

[attr="class","matias3"]

[attr="class","matiaspoke"]

[attr="class","rouxcredit"]♠

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Master of Faster

He/Him

December 12

Goldenrod, Johto

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(Elite Test) The Determined and The Volatile, Act 1

POSTED ON Apr 15, 2023 23:27:13 GMT

Yikes.

This was already getting off to a terrible start. The black-scaled dragon was as intimidating as a legendary Pokémon, a gout of FLAMETHROWER forming at his foe's mouth. "Return, Bladestorm!" Josh immediately recalled the Skarmory for Resheph, his Dragonair.

The serpent sounded an aggressive cry before stretching her body into a bracing stance. The Pokémon's scales deflected much of the heat away. Had Matias studied the challenger's Gym battles, he might be on the read that a Dragon Dance was coming. A simple Dragon-type attack would not be able to fully handle the Dragonair, either. Having nothing to hide made the battle far harder than it had every right to be. If this was the gimmick for just the first battle, how much worse would it be for the rest of them?

He would just have to out-think Matias. After all, half of every Pokémon battle was fought in the space between the Trainers' ears.

MATIAS SILPH

{WC: 159}
{PC: 3}

NAME SPECIES STATUS
Saber Manectric Good
Aslan Pyroar** Good
Bladestorm Skarmory Good
Nitro Gogoat Good
Twilight Absol Good
Resheph Dragonair Good

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matias

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thirty-two

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(Elite Test) The Determined and The Volatile, Act 1

POSTED ON Apr 16, 2023 14:09:18 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","matiasbase"]

[attr="class","matias1"]

[attr="class","circleoutline1"]

[attr="class","matiasimg"]

[attr="class","matias2"]

the DRAGON DANCE is expected. despite what he might let on, he actually does do his research, and he had studied Josh Devlin thoroughly to know what he relies on. what he resorts to.[break][break]

it's why charizard's already closing in, ready to circle around the dragonair before holding it down with DRAGON PULSE.[break][break]

[attr="class","matias3"]

[attr="class","matiaspoke"] ash (m) blaze - dragon pulse, inferno, hurricane, subtitute, rock slide, flamethrower, hurriferno (z-move)

[attr="class","rouxcredit"]♠

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Master of Faster

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December 12

Goldenrod, Johto

Straight

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(Elite Test) The Determined and The Volatile, Act 1

POSTED ON Apr 17, 2023 6:26:47 GMT

Even so early in the battle, Matias had the perfect counter to Josh's battle strategy so far. Had he abused his access to the Gym Leader's battle records? If he was buddy-buddy with Top Champion kyle lopez and Commissioner dahlia goode , there was not a soul in the League that could hold him accountable. Not even the Council had direct oversight of Matias regarding improper Gym Challenge records access. That, or Matias was just that skilled.

Behind the eight ball already, Josh had little choice. He had to protect Resheph so she could survive in combat long enough to DRAGON DANCE. As long as she could do that, Josh would have control of the battle. He hurled his TERA ORB toward the dragon-type, a water-covered crystal veil encapsulating her and helping her ward off the DRAGON PULSE mid-dance. Her tail and head glowed with purple dragon energy, her extra speed allowing her to strike more suddenly and evade attacks with ease. Whatever attack Josh commanded next was going to hit extremely hard if it connected.

MATIAS SILPH

- Josh Tersatallizes Dragonair into the WATER-type to blunt the Dragon Pulse.
- Resheph finishes the Dragon Dance, now moving extremely fast and making it more difficult for the Charizard to lead its shots.

{WC: 173}
{PC: 4}

NAME SPECIES STATUS
Saber Manectric Good
Aslan Pyroar** Good
Bladestorm Skarmory Good
Nitro Gogoat Good
Twilight Absol Good
Resheph Dragonair Good

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matias

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(Elite Test) The Determined and The Volatile, Act 1

POSTED ON Apr 20, 2023 6:43:12 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","matiasbase"]

[attr="class","matias1"]

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[attr="class","matias2"]

not allowing a moment of respite, the MEGA STONE fastened to the harness on his shoulder begins to glow.[break][break]

DROUGHT forms overhead as a charizard MEGA EVOLVES, and from its maws comes another DRAGON PULSE that sweeps across the battlefield, larger in size and area that even the swiftest of pokemon will have trouble evading.[break][break]

and over the roar of the crowd, matias taunts.[break][break]

"come on, josh. is that all you got?"[break][break]

[attr="class","matias3"]

[attr="class","matiaspoke"] ash (m) blaze - dragon pulse, inferno, hurricane, subtitute, rock slide, flamethrower, hurriferno (z-move)

[attr="class","rouxcredit"]♠

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Master of Faster

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December 12

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(Elite Test) The Determined and The Volatile, Act 1

POSTED ON Apr 20, 2023 20:59:43 GMT

Matias' status as a war veteran was showing. He was clearly not afraid to put all of his cards on the table, making the arena unbearably hot in the process. Even the trainer known for his electric and fire Pokémon was having difficulty adapting to the heat. While his plan was to fling his Dragonair's AQUA TAIL at the Charizard after evading whatever attack Matias sent his way, the mentally agile Avatar responded with an attack that no amount of speed would let him dodge: a DRAGON PULSE that covered not just a plane, but a sphere the size of the entire arena. Nothing short of burrowing would let a Pokémon dodge that.

He had to do what he could to stop it, or get his Pokémon inside it before the dragon energy became too intense for Resheph to withstand.

"EXTREME SPEED, Resheph!"

Glowing with purple dragon energy of her own, Josh's Dragonair lunged horn-first toward the Mega Evolved dragon's jaw, in an effort to pass through the shockwave unharmed. While she was able to evade the first by only being in contact with the dragon energy for a split second, the turn she made toward the Charizard was wide enough to leave her much more exposed to the second shockwave, slamming her into the ground. While it was unclear whether or not Resheph's uppercut worked, it was clear that Resheph wasn't getting back up anytime soon, her only motion being when the side judge counted "six".

"Eight. Nine. Ten. Challenger's Dragonair is unable to battle. Judges' call: one point, Elite Four Matias."

Matias was showing his brutal and direct battle style, one Josh had to attempt to match. "Twilight, get out there and finish the work Resheph did! NIGHT SLASH!" With powerful leg thrusts, the Absol got up to speed and lunged toward Ash, ready to rake her sharp claws at the dragon-type. She was also ready to Mega Evolve at Josh's command. The trainer's outstretched right fingers were above the MEGA GLOVE on his left hand, ready to pinch them together at the right time...

MATIAS SILPH

- Josh's Dragonair pushes through the first pulse with EXTREME SPEED, lunging at Charizard's jaw before fainting to a second.
- Josh sends out his Absol and orders NIGHT SLASH, ready to Mega Evolve her at a moment's notice.

{WC: 350}
{PC: 5}

NAME SPECIES STATUS
Saber Manectric Good
Aslan Pyroar** Good
Bladestorm Skarmory Good
Nitro Gogoat Good
Twilight Absol Good
Resheph Dragonair KO

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matias

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thirty-two

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(Elite Test) The Determined and The Volatile, Act 1

POSTED ON Apr 21, 2023 16:04:38 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","matiasbase"]

[attr="class","matias1"]

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the EXTREME SPEED is not dodged. charizard takes the full impact of it, feeling the blow to its jaw which dazes it. but it's not enough to bring it close to fainting.[break][break]

"keep going."[break][break]

gliding past the NIGHT SLASH, charizard brings its wings forward to summon an empowered INFERNO that looks to incinerate their opponent.[break][break]

[attr="class","matias3"]

[attr="class","matiaspoke"] ash (m) blaze - dragon pulse, inferno, hurricane, subtitute, rock slide, flamethrower, hurriferno (z-move)

[attr="class","rouxcredit"]♠

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raikourider

Master of Faster

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December 12

Goldenrod, Johto

Straight

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Champion

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(Elite Test) The Determined and The Volatile, Act 1

POSTED ON Apr 22, 2023 4:58:43 GMT

The power of MEGA EVOLUTION made that Charizard one tough dragon. Maybe, one day, Josh would find a similar Mega Stone to be able to do this with Ares. Resheph fought valiantly to the very end, giving Twilight the opening she needed while the Mauville Leader's foe was reeling. That didn't last long enough, though; a mere fraction of a second after the Absol left her Poké Ball, she was bathed in the flames of INFERNO, her fur now black instead of white with how badly she was burned.

He had to pull the trigger now.

The young man's MEGA GLOVE and the ABSOLITE embedded within Twilight's saddle glowed a brilliant purple, the Absol spreading false wings and flaunting a solid white sheen that showed not one blemish from the fire attack Matias' Pokémon had subject her to seconds ago. Predicting Matias to withdraw his ace Pokémon to save for later in the battle, Josh instead ordered the use of PSYCHO CUT, sure to find a chink in the armor of whatever Matias sent out in the Charizard's place... or best case scenario, down the Charizard, thanks to her uncanny SUPER LUCK aiding in finding the weakest point in any Pokémon's natural armor.

MATIAS SILPH

- Charizard's INFERNO deals critical damage to Absol, which Josh reverses with the light of MEGA EVOLUTION.
- Absol retaliates with a PSYCHO CUT, Josh's trainer predicting a switch. Her SUPER LUCK makes critical hits more likely.

{WC: 206}
{PC: 6}

NAME SPECIES STATUS
Saber Manectric Good
Aslan Pyroar** Good
Bladestorm Skarmory Good
Nitro Gogoat Good
Twilight M-Absol Good
Resheph Dragonair KO

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matias

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thirty-two

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(Elite Test) The Determined and The Volatile, Act 1

POSTED ON Apr 23, 2023 15:34:52 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","matiasbase"]

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coming to the end of its MEGA EVOLUTION, the charizard slows down just enough to allow the PSYCHO CUT to find purchase. maybe it's the SUPER LUCK that adds to the damage of it all but it's enough to sink the fire-type.[break][break]

it plummets, and matias watches it fall and hit the ground before recalling it back.[break][break]

"tch."[break][break]

giving his opponent no rest, he calls out his next choice and looks on as an AGILITY wraps around it.[break][break]

round two.[break][break]

[attr="class","matias3"]

[attr="class","matiaspoke"] rapidash (f) flash fire - poison jab, agility, smart strike, flame charge, megahorn, flare blitz

[attr="class","rouxcredit"]♠

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raikourider

Master of Faster

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December 12

Goldenrod, Johto

Straight

Mauville Gym Leader

Champion

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(Elite Test) The Determined and The Volatile, Act 1

POSTED ON Apr 24, 2023 7:23:24 GMT

Josh was perplexed at Matias' decision. He full well knew the power of speed. With the Volatile having worked with the Master of Faster many times, he had to have known that high speed was the Gym Leader's element. Why, then, try to compete against him on that axis? Was this his way of flexing on the Gym Leader?

Whatever.

Josh wasn't going to let the opening get away from him. He had the power of Twilight's MEGA EVOLUTION, giving him the first true advantage he had in a while. "NIGHT SLASH, Twilight! Cut it down to size!" While the order was a bit odd, he figured the Elite Four would anticipate the use of Rock Slide. He just needed to bait the equine into a corner where it wouldn't be able to dodge without risking going out of bounds. If it connected, this dark-type attack would sting far worse than the Psycho Cut did; it, likewise, took advantage of the Mega Absol's SUPER LUCK.

MATIAS SILPH

- Absol isn't going to be fooled by speed alone! What she can't outrun, she can try to cut off with a NIGHT SLASH. We're fishing for crits!

{WC: 165}
{PC: 6}

NAME SPECIES STATUS
Saber Manectric Good
Aslan Pyroar** Good
Bladestorm Skarmory Good
Nitro Gogoat Good
Twilight M-Absol Good
Resheph Dragonair KO

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matias

he/him

thirty-two

november 14th

saffron

straight...unless?

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1321 height

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(Elite Test) The Determined and The Volatile, Act 1

POSTED ON Apr 27, 2023 11:31:23 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","matiasbase"]

[attr="class","matias1"]

[attr="class","circleoutline1"]

[attr="class","matiasimg"]

[attr="class","matias2"]

AGILITY was only done to create enough space for rapidash to evade the attack. it manages to slip underneath the NIGHT SLASH, grazing by it as it closes in.[break][break]

MEGAHORN looks to ram right through it.[break][break]

[attr="class","matias3"]

[attr="class","matiaspoke"] rapidash (f) flash fire - poison jab, agility, smart strike, flame charge, megahorn, flare blitz

[attr="class","rouxcredit"]♠

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raikourider

Master of Faster

He/Him

December 12

Goldenrod, Johto

Straight

Mauville Gym Leader

Champion

6'1" height

"With great speed comes great responsibility."

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