This gym is incredibly understated. Compared to the bombast of Johanna’s gym, it’s downright quiet. There isn’t another soul in the waiting room. Most of the townsfolk are at a pitch near the water, where the remains of the old non-traditional challenge rot. There, gym trainers keep the people entertained.[break][break]
But the real war is in here.[break][break]
“Ah, Joy. Good to see you.” Navy himself emerges from behind a door, eating an ice cream cone. “Glad you could join me, I’ve been looking forward to round two.” She’s the second gym leader to challenge him after he managed to grab their badge. Who knows, maybe they’ll all be Champion rank by the end of the year.[break][break]
“It’s standard practice here that I try and get up to speed on the people who take my challenges. I like to understand people. Bad habit from when I was a detective. We’ve got a l’il bit before we start. I wanna ask you a question.”[break][break]
Seeing her Pokemon of choice, Navy takes out his own ball. There’ll be more later, but it’s just the one for now.[break][break]
“Why d’you fight? What makes you wanna put everything on the line, day after day.”

[break][break]

+ Johanna Joy

“I don’t believe in cliches.” He says with his chest. “Everything’s a cliché until it happens to you. You’ve got someone you wanna protect, Joy. You’ll fight like hell for ‘em. We’re at war.” He allows that obvious statement to hang between them as he configures the arena below for the battle to come, pressing away at a control panel.[break][break]
“Not just with Rocket. It seems like everything wants us dead. Meteors come to strike us down. Gods and monsters try to devour us. You gotta be strong.”[break][break]
Their pitch shudders. What appears to be the arena is actually just a massive elevator, sinking them into a steel shaft that seems to keep going.[break][break]
“I want the same thing as you, Joy. A world where the people we love don’t have to bear the burden of strength. There are plenty of strong people who fight dirty. Rocket’s a bunch of bastards.”[break][break]
Pulling out a pokeball, he calls forth Hattori, a remarkably small Greninja. After having just given a spiel on strength, Navy tosses out a Greninja that seems to be nothing more than an oversized Frogadier.

[break][break]

+ Johanna Joy

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Once upon a time, he was desperate enough to give an offer to join Rocket due consideration. He wonders how different his life would have been, had he told that recruiter yes. Would he be a reformed grunt? Would he have died? Or would he have simply became the person he was supposed to be sooner, fighting on the wrong side?[break][break]
There’s no point in hypotheticals. All he can do is try to understand.[break][break]
“They say you have a choice in Rocket.” It’s more reflecting out loud than carrying on the conversation. “But I guess, at the end of the day…when you have a gun pointed at your head, you have a choice, too. There’s just an obvious answer.”[break][break]
An affirmative nod follows.[break][break]
“If you know anyone trapped who wants out, I’d fight like hell to get ‘em out. I hope you know that.” It’s his place to fight. His one task. It’s all he’s good at. “…but that’s not what we’re here for today. Lemme explain the point.”[break][break]
The steel shaft gives way to an excellent view. Below them is a battlefield carved out of granite. Rocky outcroppings, cover, space enough to hide or use any large Pokemon. It’s a warrior’s paradise.[break][break]
“We both know Rocket doesn’t play fair. A lot of their top guys like to play dirty tricks. They cheat. The questioned posed by Dewford is…how cool’s your head? How far are you willing to go?”[break][break]
Hattori fires an ice beam with no warning. One moment, he waits. The next, he fires. His aim is precise. Screaming into the void, he freezes the air and that energy blasts into the Claydol.[break][break]
That is not the only strike. A sniper perches down in the battlefield. Leviathan, a Kingdra bred from Amor Rose’s finest stock, fires a precisely aimed hydro pump across the battlefield at Claydol.[break][break]
The battle begins!


[break][break]

+ Johanna Joy[break]
Greninja uses Ice Beam[break]
Kingdra uses Hydro Pump

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

“Still alive out there, Joy?” Navy’s voice comes in loud and clear through an excellent acoustics system. Whoever rigged the sound in this place was a genius. It sounds like he’s right next to her, even if he hasn’t stepped a foot off of the platform.[break][break]
“Let’s enjoy ourselves, yeah? Something big’s always around the corner. There may be no audience, but I’ll cheer you on enough for a crowd!”[break][break]
Were it not for what the Claydol saw in its future sight, perhaps the words would pass for friendly banter.[break][break]
Hattori does not attack from on high. He does not jump out from the side. Nothing camouflages his approach. All the same, he comes. Johanna’s shadow begins to bubble. From that shadow emerges the diminutive greninja, shadowy kunai in hand. His shadow sneak ends with him trying to drive it into Claydol’s body.[break][break]
Such is the future that has been written. What will the Pokemon do with what it has seen?


[break][break]

+ Johanna Joy [break]
Greninja uses Shadow Sneak![break]
Kingdra is off dragon dancing or something idk.

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Hattori scrambles out of the shadow, narrowly avoiding the rocks conjured by ancient power. Leviathan hears the commotion that accompanies the greninja’s cries. Like a sharpedo that has scented blood in the water, the great king of the sea swims through the air like a creature on a mission. Fluttering about, trying to get an angle so he can see behind the rocks.[break][break]
Scrambling back, Hattori aims several water shuriken at Clay. He makes a desperate attempt to avoid hitting Johanna. For one under such panic and duress, his aim is impeccable. One, two, three shuriken fly like little razors, right for the Claydol.[break][break]
By itself, that would be bad. Leviathan swims into sight and calls forth water from below. Where before there was solid stone beneath them there is now water. A whirlpool threatens to catch both trainer and Pokemon and pull them towards the center. These waters aren’t deep enough to drown anyone, but they can sure lock them down.



[break][break]

+ Johanna Joy [break]
Greninja uses Water Shuriken![break]
Kingdra uses Whirlpool!

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Hattori breathes a sigh of relief. Upon Leviathan’s entrance, he thought that he was about to have to jump in and rescue Johanna from the whirlpool. As much as his Lord wishes to test trainers, he understands that the aim is not to harm them. Fortunately, the bond between Clay and their trainer is strong.[break][break]
“Nice moves so far, Joy. You’re awesome to fight!” More white noise n the background, spoken in an even, confident cadence. “Too bad this isn’t a one on one, huh?”[break][break]
Were this just a battle between Hattori and Clay, the whirlpool would die there. Instead, Leviathan spits out water to maintain the swirling torrent. It pulls in errant rock, stone, and loose dirt. The whirlpool becomes a thick, soupy miasma. The smell of the earth down here is awful.[break][break]
“Help him out, Hattori!” Claydol is caught within the freezing waters. Hattori sighs, taking his Lord’s meaning. As the two forces struggle, he inserts himself as a third party. As the water is conjured, he freezes the muddy stuff solid. Getting out of that might prove a little tricky.[break][break]
“Pull through with a smile!”


[break][break]

+ Johanna Joy [break]
Kingdra continues to use Whirlpool[break]
Greninja freezes the swamp created by the elemental clash with an ice beam!

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Hattori feels the gathering storm before Leviathan or Navy does. His eye shoots open. Panic overtakes his little heart. Johanna decides to build for herself a bridge over troubled water with a big frickin’ cannon. Scurrying away like a rat in a cellar, Hattori tries to stay clear of the impending blast.[break][break]
Even from where he’s sitting, observing the fight, Navy is knocked off his feet. Falling onto the metal beneath him, he grunts in pain. It’s a brilliant light show his eyes were conveniently shielded from. When he stands up, he blinks. Looks out. Surveys the devastation.[break][break]
“This wasn’t what I had in mind. Man, what a devastating blow.” He whistles, impressed despite himself. Hattori and Leviathan are forced to take pressure off of Johanna, blowing water over smoke that would otherwise spread throughout the arena.[break][break]
What happens next is up to Johanna. Navy doesn’t order his Pokemon to attack, but neither has he yet called the match.


[break][break]

+ Johanna Joy [break]
Kingdra continues to use Whirlpool[break]
Greninja freezes the swamp created by the elemental clash with an ice beam!

[attr="class","pokeclass"]