He’s had his mind on a burger all day. There’s a new place that’s opened a few blocks down the road, away from a beach. It’s a chain based on the most famous Unovan brand. Navy’s been craving that burger while working himself raw. He’s seen a fair few challengers. There’s just five minutes left on the clock. Five more minutes and he’ll be home free to go and get himself one of those juicy burgs.[break][break]
Five minutes and---[break][break]
Kyle Lopez himself bursts through the door, riding a legend. Navy’s jaw goes slack. He’d have sooner inspected a Rocket Beast or three to attack, or for Cillian Quinn to destroy his gym in retaliation for the little trick he pulled during Elinor’s rescue. The Top Champion riding in on top of Entei, a Pokemon that most people could only ever dream of seeing, was pretty low on the list of his priorities.[break][break]
“…Order me that burger on OUeats.” Navy orders his secretary. “Looks like I’ve got one more challenger today.”[break][break]
Luckily for both of them, the cleaning crew had finished resetting the gym just a few minutes ago. Waving Kyle on through, they head to the pitch. It’s…boring. Just a pitch.[break][break]
“You know, you doing this really takes the fun out it, considering you’ve taken the lesson of this gym to heart.” Navy chides him with a smile.[break][break]
“Fine…lemme see what I can drum up. I know someone who’d love goin’ a round or two with Entei.” Voyager, oh blessed and loving Arcanine, barks happily. Perhaps he misunderstands the meaning of battle, because he runs up to Entei and nuzzles him like they’re old chums.[break][break]
“I usually start off with a question. Hmm…” Navy pinches his chin, thinking. “Alright. Here’s an interesting one. What made a slacker like you say yes when they offered to make you one of the Elite 4?” There’s no derision there. Indeed, Navy is still smiling.

[break][break]

+ kyle lopez

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

“Man, fuck being an elite four.” Navy laughs, only then realizing that the battles are recorded. Not only are they recorded, but they’re recorded specifically for the viewing pleasure of the Elite 4 and the council. Coughing into his hands, he corrects himself.[break][break]
“Erm—I’d rather hold off on that for now. There are far better trainers than me who could fill the spot, you know?” False modesty looks better for the camera, he supposes.[break][break]
“I was a pretty crappy detective, you know. Well…in everything except one area of expertise.” He holds up a single finger to accentuate his point. “I may not know how to make sweeping leaps of logic…but I know people. So, while I have ‘em here, I like to get to know ‘em a little bit better. You see, buddy, the point of this gym is this:”[break][break]
A gloved hand presses a button. The pitch shakes. It lowers, sinking them into a massive steel elevator shaft. It drifts down at a comfortable pace until steel gives way to open space. Beneath them is a massive battlefield, large enough for a legendary or a Dynamax pokemon to cut loose.[break][break]
“war’s hell. And there’s plenty of people who won’t tell the kids who sign to volunteer what they’re getting themselves into. That’s my job, just like I told you back at your place.”[break][break]
Jumping the rail, he lands on Voyager’s back. They’re much closer now. This is exciting. Navy can count the times they’ve fought since Kyle walked into his life on one hand with fingers to spare.[break][break]
“Way I see it, you may call yourself a slacker, but you’re always in the thick of it. You don’t like to try, but you’re damn good at trying when you wanna. So, Mr. Champ, ahead of the match I plan to have with you in December…”[break][break]
Navy urges Voyager. Turning, he jumps off of the pitch, soaring through the air and landing in a bout of extremespeed, a red blur around the arena.[break][break]
“…let’s have some fun here! Careful, there’s traps and secondary helpers all over the field!”


[break][break]

+ kyle lopez

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Kyle pulls out his phone. A thief in the night makes his entrance. The phone seems to disappear from the reigning champion’s hands. Perched on top of a nearby rock is Hattori, looking equal parts relaxed and curious. His fingers rapid-fire press across the keys.[break][break]

FERNANDO SILPH [break]
U up?

[break][break]

Eva Morales [break]
U up? Asking 4 a friend.

[break]

MATIAS SILPH [break]
U up?

[break][break]
Inevitably, Hattori grows bored of this. Instead, with a salute, he shoots off, making himself scarce in the field. There’s ample cover, space for legendary canines to navigate. It’s more of a playground than a battlefield for men on their level.[break][break]
Stealth rocks are sent flying by Entei’s roar. The force of the legendary guardian’s bellow dislodges them from their hiding places, sending the sharp stones flying in a gust of titanic wind.[break][break]
“Oh, I want the special. Listen here, buddy. When we fight in front of the crowd, I want your best. Anything less and it’s an insult. To me, to you, to Gabe. Voyager, show ‘em how serious we are.”[break][break]
Voyager stands somber. He has known Kyle since he was a little Growlithe, a shared Pokemon owned by the Navidson brothers. Standing here, grown up, seeing how these two humans have changed, he only knows one thing: there are things human words can’t say.[break][break]
Even if it’s folly for a mere false legend like himself to attack a guardian head on, he does so anyway – with its own element, no less. Flames gather around him as he builds up speed. Bravery turns to full-on recklessness as he cascades towards Kyle and Entei, his flare blitz scorching the edge of Navy’s clothes.



[break][break]

+ kyle lopez

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Hattori sees just enough to know how right the champion is. Putting the phone away, he’s taken aback by the sucker punch. The phone is knocked free, sent sprawling out across the field. Beneath Seth’s paws are toxic spikes, meant to poison. Hattori chuckles despite the pain. He’s grown pretty good at taking a beating ever since he met up with Navy. He scurries off, now in a race to regain the phone before his foe can get to it first.[break][break]
Hoping to hamper the dog’s path, Hattori spews an ice beam from his throat. Whenever he has a spare moment in the battle, his red eyes fall on Kyle. They’re full of judgement. He may have been the one writing ‘u up’ texts, but the stuff on that phone…[break][break]
It’s not fit for children.[break][break]
No more than Voyager’s meant to slow down. Stone edge just about kills his momentum dead. Navy’s reaction time is just a hair quicker than his Pokemon’s. Digging his boots into the Arcanine’s side, Navy urges him to pivot. Stopping in a dime is impossible, but turning? Voyager can turn like nobody’s business.[break][break]
“Got one with Rayquaza’s dragon ascent? You two won’t look as good as Eva or the real deal, but that’s somethin’ I’d love to see.’ He teases. Looking down at his own Pokemon, he decides to attack from a distance.[break][break]
“Don’t act so friendly, goofball. Show ‘em what you’ve got.” A happy bark turns to a snarl, loud enough to reach Seth’s ears too.




[break][break]

+ kyle lopez

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

“See, this is exactly what I mean, Lopez. Guy with battle senses like yours…it’s like a high school physics teacher giving Silph a lecture on how pokeballs work.” It’s a test for himself, in a way. He’s staying cool under pressure. It’s role reversal. Voyager’s extreme speed is the only thing keeping them safe. His neck’s mighty sore from all the turns. It’s impossible to get close to Kyle like this, one on one.[break][break]
They don’t call Entei a legend for nothing.[break][break]
Every sort of trap imaginable starts going off. Electric terrain pops up. Toxic spikes explode. Misty terrain triggers. There’s even a bladed swing trap and some spikes somewhere in there – although not sharpened like they could be. Just more tools to teach more lessons.[break][break]
A sharp whistle cuts through the chatter.[break][break]
“HATTORI! Do your thing!”[break][break]
Hattori disappears. If the other dog is content to simply trigger traps, then the shinobi will take advantage of the chaos.[break][break]
There is no Pokemon on Navy’s team who knows this battlefield better. He is not Shuwen, king of fighters. He is not Vortigern, a creature that could devour legends. He isn’t any of the legends he’s heard his Lord obsess over.[break][break]
He’s simply a creature with a duty. He wants to be lounging on the beach.[break][break]
In that way, he and this challenger are kin.[break][break]
Taking a guess on where they’ll be in the fog, mist, and dust, Hattori skids towards the champion and his legend. Shuriken form in his hand and begin to twirl. One by one, he launches the water shuriken off, meaning to catch the legend. This is the real fight. Voyager is a good-hearted idiot, too dumb for this.[break][break]
It falls to him to conduct this battle against a legendary dog four times his size.


[break][break]

+ kyle lopez[break]
Hattori is the realest G on this forum

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

“Maybe so.” Navy acquiesces Kyle’s point. It’s fun seeing Hoenn’s champion truly be in his element. It kindles his own warrior’s spirit. His soft smile is slowly morphing into a face splitting grin. His heart’s pumping. This is the Kyle he wants to beat.[break][break]
“But you’re gonna try. You’re not gonna pull any of that Vaporeon shit you did with Melody.” Voyager starts building up speed again. Thanks to the wonders of wonderful acoustics and speaker systems set up all over the field, they can have this conversation. Yujin Ha is a miracle worker. Arceus bless that woman.[break][break]
“We’re gonna give ‘em a show!” More fire. Voyager’s a comet streaking across the battlefield, oblivious to what Seth has in store or him. “We’ve gotta. We’ve gotta show Rocket that, no matter which one of us wins, they’ve got a threat on their hands. Them and everything else comin’ for the region.”[break][break]
And what of Hattori? He’s the one standing before Entei. He’s darting about from cover to cover, feeling the residual heat of sacred fire. Even a water type like him feels the burn. Yet still, his water shuriken fly.[break][break]
There’s a part of him that hates fighting this man. His Lord’s best friend isn’t a fitting target…[break][break]
Humans are so weird with how they express their love for one another.



[break][break]

+ kyle lopez [break]
frog v legendary dog[break]
demi-legend vs. poodle[break]
we have devolved into unironic dogfights[break]
PETA is gonna shut the forum down

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

“Of course I wanna show off, idiot!” Navy shouts as the ground rumbles around them. Voyager stumbles. A creature that is merely called a legend cannot stand up to something truly worthy of the title. Navy is knocked off, leaving him standing on the battlefield amidst the falling rocks.[break][break]
“What kinda guy wouldn’t wanna have an all-out brawl with his best friend on national television? A pulse-pounding match for the ages, with everyone watching…that’s what I want!”[break][break]
Hattori releases an exasperated breath. He knows what’s coming next. The next thing on the docket was him. Turning his attention from Entei to the Furfrou, he gets an idea. His Lord can use tactics, when they suit him, but he supposes right now is not any such time. Now’s a time for masculine bravado.[break][break]
So, he switches targets once again. His water shuriken are aimed at the Furfrou this time. Their aim is not even to hurt. Surely they will, as the water shuriken of the Greninja are deadly. What he’s really after…[break][break]
…is revealed with the sound of thunder.[break][break]
“TEOOOOOOOOON!” Raijin, Navy’s freshly trained Jolteon, bursts onto the battlefield from a far corner. This was to be the one of the tricks in the latest match. One of a few surprise latecomers. Raising his battle cry, he unleashes a thunder bolt on the Furfrou, whose fur might well be soaked through with water. There’s nothing quite like wet dog.


[break][break]

+ kyle lopez [break]
Greninja decides to douse Furfrou via water shuriken[break]
Arcanine stumbles down 'cause a bulldoze from a legendary is stronk[break]
Jolteon makes a dashing entrance by thunder bolting a Furfrou who is hopefully soaked[break]
Man this is about to be a live leak video.

[attr="class","pokeclass"]