“Come on down any time, Mr. Kino. You’re always welcome at the Dewford Gym. Us freshman gym leaders gotta stick together.” He’s cordial, even friendly, with his peer. And then, the world shifts.[break][break]

A sharp whistle escapes his lips as the world changes around them. They’re in another world. Another time. Another place. Ever the astute detective, Navy lifts his leg up off the ground and taps the floor. He hears the same thumps as before. An illusion. A pleasant illusion. If this kid’s going to go all out for him, setting the stage, the least he can do is indulge in the fantasy.[break][break]

“It’s taken me a long time to get here, Clockwork King!” He declares in a dramatic voice. “And, being honest, I didn’t think you’d be so young! But I’m here to free the people you’ve trapped in your bird cage! Ralsei! Attack! Flora, back him up! We’ll show the people what the dawn looks like!”[break][break]

Flora and Ralsei look at one another in confusion. Flora’s interpretation of that statement is to protect Ralsei from the impending surge of psychic energy. She throws up a light screen and fusses at Navy in the language of her species. The detective, much the same as any other human, doesn’t understand her.[break][break]

Ralsei kicks to the air, his wing forming into an impromptu bow. Setting his sights on Mr. Rime first, he sends an arrow of spectral energy out from behind the light screen. It cuts through the ear with a cool, clean whoosh. Spirit Shackles form around the arrow wherever it lands, whether on the ground or by the Mr. Rime, exploding out with ghostly force.







[break][break]

+ Hideo Kino

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[attr="class","credit"]milky

What’s life without a good story? Everyone needs a fantasy. The people of Hoenn deserve a good show. Battles with Rocket can wait. Today, there is only the hero and the evil king. Give them their bread and circuses.[break][break]

“Good job, Ralsei! Help the healer out!” Having locked one of the Pokemon down, Ralsei swiftly turns around, flying towards his partner. He’s hit by a rollicking headache, dulled only by the field. Flora’s light screen helps him fight off the headache as he dives upon the Malamar, the edge of his feathers sharpening into a blade. He lashes out with a leaf blade before climbing into the air again, turning his attention back to the Mr. Rime. Observation is key in battle.[break][break]

Flora, meanwhile…[break][break]

Well, she’s angry. Angry at Navy’s antics. Angry at the situation. Anger defines this seemingly gentle Pokemon. She shouts at the Malamar. In a language unknown to humans, she gives him a thorough tongue-lashing about the way it’s conducting itself. Thrown into this rant are a number of expletives concerning his trainer, her own trainer, Ralsei, and the awful mustache of Mr. Rime.[break][break]

At some point, as her ears bleed from the psybeam, she throws an egg at him. This is no treat, but a bomb filled with toxic sludge that explodes on contact.[break][break]

“Sounds like the maiden’s got some words for your guard, King!” Navy says with a dramatic wave.


[break][break]

+ Hideo Kino[break]
Dedicudeye and Blissey are both hit.[break]
Thankfully, light screen helped.[break]
Decidueye uses Leaf Blade on Malamar.[break]
Blissey uses Toxic on Malamar.

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[attr="class","credit"]milky

The chips are down. Battles are sometimes brief, sometimes long. Who can say about this one? All the gallant hero knows is that every turn the royal guards are allowed to play their tricks, the worse it’s going to get for his party members. Flora is caught by the superpowered Malamar, tossed back. Steam rises from her rotund head in anger. Perhaps she remembers her manners, because her language grows clean. Heated, but clean. Softer words are thrown at every Pokemon in attendance, but they remain scorching. This nurse is no roleplayer.[break][break]
“I can see your guards are no joke, your highness.” A smirk crosses the hero’s face. A hand slides into his pocket. When things get this bad, in all the games he played with his brother, the hero would pull out a secret technique – something that could turn the tides in their favor.[break][break]
Unfortunately, he doesn’t have any Z-moves on hand. The hero came ill-prepared. Nor can these two mega evolve. Nor has he bothered with the tera crystals of Paldea. …so, it could be said, this hero doesn’t have any keen tricks.[break][break]
But he does have a trick. Just one. Maybe it’ll turn the tide. This hero doesn’t really do pre-planning. What he excels at is this, throwing himself head-first into a predicament and fighting his way out.[break][break]
“Ralsei. Bring the thunder. Give him a hand, will ya Flora?” Ralsei understands the command. He flies towards the center of the arena. Leaves begin to billow around him. A gust turns into a breeze, which cascades into a monsoon. His razor feathers fly in the gust of wind.[break][break]
Flora, who is by no means used to taking punches, recoils from the pain of Malamar’s strike. The royal guard almost put her down for the count. But she can do this. Her eyes glow. Gabe taught her well, taught her how to support those around her.[break][break]
With a cry from her heart, the storm grows fiercer still. Ralsei stands in its eye, flying about, working the wind up into a frenzy.[break][break]
“You hear that, your highness? The people are singing a song of angry men. It’s the music of a people who will not be slaves again!”



[break][break]

+ Hideo Kino [break]
Blissey takes a big ole hit![break]
Blissey throws out a helping hand on her last legs[break]
Ralsei uses leaf storm![break]
Navy is extra!

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[attr="class","credit"]milky

And like that, the great healer Flora falls. She and this royal guard burned themselves out fighting one another. Another pair of casualties of this war for the freedom of an imaginary people – people longing to see the sun. Ralsei, perhaps more prone to believe in fantasy and make-believe than his peer, bows his head in mourning.[break][break]

But he has his own fight. Whether or not the Mr. Rime was hurt by his leaf storm, he can’t say. All he knows is that he has to give everything he has. For Flora, who will badger and berate him when this match is over. For Navy, who himself pursues a world beyond tomorrow where he stands at the summit. In this moment, that tomorrow depends on him.[break][break]

His head hurts. Were it not for the field, he has no doubt he’d be bleeding from the ears. Taking to the air, he draws his wing into the shape of a bow once more. His target is locked on. This shot won’t be as powerful as the one that came before – his supply of feathers is light – but it will do. This shot will be his own cover as he closes in to finish this.[break][break]

It’s an arrow of ghastly spiritual energy. Spirit shackles, but the binding chains shatter in favor of raw power coalesced into the arrow tip. Fighting through the headache, he rushes to meet his destiny.[break][break]

“Come on, Ralsei! You, Flora, and me! We’ve got this!” Navy pumps a fist into the air, filling his owl’s ears with an impassioned plea.









[break][break]

+ Hideo Kino [break]

Blissey is knocked the frick out.[break]
Decidueye takes the hit.[break]
Decidueye fires another spirit shackle and rushes for Mr. Rime.

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[attr="class","credit"]milky

The last of the heroes charges Mr – no, this close, it’s plain to see it’s Ms. – Rime. Riding high on adrenaline, his vision fades in and out. A Decidueye he may be, but Ralsei is young. Inexperienced. An underleveled unit, one might say. There’s still gas in the tank yet.[break][break]

He feels his feathers starting to grow back. Overgrowth is never a good sign. The body telling itself that it’s in danger, mustering up all of its power to try and end things before it is overwhelmed. Charging Ms. Rime, he notices too late the ice gathering around her feet.[break][break]

There’s nothing to be done except to fight this battle to his last breath. Piercing the ground beneath his feet with his talons, planting himself in place, his green wing seems less a wing and more a leaf blade, a hero’s sword. Again and again and again the blade meets the ice. Colors one of the witnesses will never see rain, a splash of terrific , extravagant color for the onlookers. All Ralsei can do is raise his war cry and keep fighting.[break][break]

“We’re not out of this yet, Ralsei.” His trainer

"Well, to break character: great job! It was by a hair, but you were able to beat both my Pokemon."

A few Psychic Pokemon that had helped maintain the illusion approached. He handed the two Pokeballs to one of them, another preparing a Heal Pulse for the Decidueye.

A Beheeyem stayed with Hideo as he approached Navidson. "Victory is yours - though before I give you your badge: was there anything you would have wanted to do differently in this battle?"

The decisive blow is struck. Ralsei, really more of a bowman, looks like a seasoned swordsman for just a moment. He holds the pose, holding in his breath, as if by simply remaining still he can ensure victory. When the opposing gym leader declares the match to be over, only then does he allow himself to fall. Collapsing into a slump on the ground, Ralsei smiles.[break][break]
Navy pulls out a pokeball, intent on recalling the Decidueye before several other psychics run up, tending to his wounds. Ralsei stumbles to his feet, flies over to his trainer, and pulls him into a hug. The bird offers a friendly cheer, as elated as Navy is about their victory. The two are lost in their cheers, raising an arm and a wing into the air and giving a loud ‘woohoo’![break][break]
It takes a few embarrassing moments for Navy to remember he’s dealing with a co-worker. Ralsei senses the shift in emotion, releases his trainer, and flushes red with embarrassment. Regarding Hideo’s question, Navy plays the battle back in his mind. He muses, thinking over what he sees as failures on his part…[break][break]
“Didn’t check Mr Rime as much as I should have. Flora’s a Pokemon I got from my brother. I think she needs more self-defense training. If you had been a Rocket, she’d have been a goner.” Reflective words, critiquing his own style. That’s the point of all this, right? To educate. It’s not just for the thrill of battle. Well, it isn’t for most people…[break][break]
“Y’know, Kino, you’d make a pretty great actor. Even if we were just battling, you got into character quick when I started messing around and calling myself a rebel.”

[break][break]

+ Hideo Kino

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