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[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skullbody"]As Junior came waddling up, Vesper stood on his hindlimbs and settled into a battle stance. Excitement and danger alike sparked in his eyes. For a second, Isaac was worried the overexcited Cyclizar would bowl right through a Pokemon that had barely raised a hand to him.[break][break]

His worries evaporated when Vesper leaned right into the clumsy hug. His tail waggled back and forth, and the danger in his eyes gave way to an almost bright eyed innocence. Isaac blinked rapidly at the spectacle, wondering how a gym challenge he'd been warned would be one of his most intense yet could take a turn like this.[break][break]

Disbelief gave way to laughter. How could he not? Something so unfittingly hilarious and adorable was unfolding during a gym battle of all things! "Good news! They can tell friend from foe," Isaac said as he recovered from his little laughing fit. "They, uh. Just don't know they're supposed to be foes right now."[break][break]

It was for the better, honestly. Isaac would rather have Pokemon that trusted a little too much than mad dogs waiting to fly off the handle.[break][break]

Navy tried to motivate his Pokemon to step into the fight, but his words seemed to fall on deaf ears. All Junior could muster up the will to do was whip up a Protect, covering not just himself but also his new best buddy from the wrath of Smaug's Earthquake. On Marie's part, she dug her flaps into the ground, their spiked edges and suction cups stopping her from being flung even as the attack racked up some serious damage.[break][break]

It was a strangely static battlefield. If anything, Isaac and Navy were the ones experiencing the worst of it. Their support platforms shuddered for dear life with enough force to toss them around. No wonder Navy had safety handles installed on the damn things. "You're just realizing that now?" he asked, a touch of fond sarcasm to his voice. "Dude, your team's a bunch of forces of nature!"[break][break]

One of those forces of nature was about to meet their match. Marie's flaps unfurled, revealing quite the peeved looking Toxapex within. Cracks ran alongside the length of her flaps. Scuffs and bruises covered her main body. She was shaken up bad, but that didn't mean she was out of the fight. If anything, it just meant she was all the madder.[break][break]

She lunged towards Smaug, her front flaps raised. However, rather than smash them directly into Smaug, she crashed them down around each side of him. Her goal was to cut off his most obvious routes of escape, leaving him a sitting duck as her main Liquidated body smashed towards his face.[break][break]

It was a little different for Vesper. As the Earthquake subsided, he broke free from the hug and hopped back to face Junior properly. His war cry echoed across the arena. His hackles raised in an almost exaggerated fashion. Then, after letting his warning sink in, he turned to whack Junior with a heavy Iron Tail.

Isaac raised a brow in confusion. Why did he attack Junior? The Tyranitar was still surrounded in a barrier of shimmering light. Even if he was trying to smash through it, the Iron Tail was moving way too slowly to build up the proper force for it. Were his guard to lower, it would feel more like a particularly heavy slap than anything actually dangerous. Was Vesper even trying to fight?[break][break]

As the realization hit, Isaac sat back in his booth. The grin on his face and the shine in his eyes couldn't be prouder.[break][break]

TEAL DEER;[break]
Marie is hit hard by Earthquake! In retaliation, she tries to use her flaps to limit Smaug's mobility, then bop him with a Liquidation.[break]
Vesper is protected. He launches a slow, gentle Iron Tail Junior's way, a simple probing strike to help guide the unaccustomed Tyranitar.

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Roaring Moon is knocked out. Navy doesn't throw Vortigern out yet. Tyranitar uses stone edge, not knowing his own strength.

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[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skullbody"]"Hey, never said nature's perfect," Isaac said, noting the ironic timing of his words. Marie's grin was sharklike as she waved bye-bye to her fallen foe. "But it does pack a hell of a punch!"[break][break]

As if on cue, the more damaged portions of the Toxapex's flaps began to crumble away. Smaug's onslaught had been vicious, and his Earthquake especially packed a horrific level of punch. Had a Pokemon who wasn't a walking take been forced to take it, they'd surely be buried alive. When no new foe was sent out to face her, she put on a disappointed pout, but in truth was thankful for the breather.[break][break]

Vesper wasn't so lucky. Junior hefted up a mound of stone bigger than he was and hurled it towards him at full force. The Cyclizar's eye went wide with shock, but Isaac kept his composure. It was big. It was powerful. It was fast. It was lacking one key element.[break][break]

Intentionality.[break][break]

Isaac thought back to beach days, where at some point splash fights would devolve into him and El Sunderland throwing around as much water as their tiny arms could manage. In a kid's mind, when it came to horsing around, bigger was always better. It didn't matter that most of the water didn't even come close to hitting, or that they tired themselves out way before anyone "won." In a real fight, they'd be decimated, which was a supremely silly thought to have about kids on a beach.[break][break]

At least, it was until now. Junior was a kid on a beach thrown into a battlefield where he's have to play for keeps. His attack, while beyond impressive, was far too raw to be practical. Vesper was too close to dodge to the side, but the attack was coming in from on high. It was easy enough to sink down deep on all fours and try to squeeze under it.[break][break]

For the most part he escaped with a graze. However, his writhing tail poking out from the wreckage was a warning sign of just how close a call it was. Before the sight could give Junior too much of a fright, Vesper approached from behind, setting a proud hand on his shoulder.[break][break]

The Cyclizar then walked over to the rubble, picking up two rocks the size of his head. He lobbed the first into the air, letting it crest up as high as it could go. Once it started to dip, he unhinged his jaw, a Dragon Pulse ripping out to obliterate it.[break][break]

He wouldn't attack the next rock. That one was all Junior's.[break][break]

"We can try and push all we want. But the next step's all their choice," Isaac said. He thought back to Watson, who had been a Totodile for longer than many of his more experienced teammates had been alive. "Maybe you pushed him a little hard. Maybe he rushed to try and impress you. But if he's here now, it's cause he wants to be, yeah?"[break][break]

Who thought Isaac would be the one teaching today?

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A new challenger approaches

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[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skullbody"]Precision. Control. That was what Junior said as he barreled into the stone, his shoulder lancing clean through it and shattering it into rubble. The Cyclizar raised his fist in time with Junior's, the two excitable dragons sharing in a brief moment of camaraderie.[break][break]

Perhaps it wouldn't be quite so brief. The Cyclizar held up a finger, then untucked a bandana wrapped around his neck. Out from the bandana he revealed a small, peachlike fruit. He held up a finger, as if to signal "don't obliterate this one!", then casually lobbed it towards the Tyranitar.[break][break]

Marie's eyes boggled, as if to ask "what are you doing, you idiot?" Between the toxic spikes littering the arena and Marie's own large body, friendly fire was a possibility Isaac was well aware of. The Pecha Berries he'd given Vesper and Megalon were supposed to account for that. Now they were used to make sure this little intermission didn't spell Junior's untimely doom.[break][break]

"Sheesh, you really think so?" Perhaps Isaac's words were ironic coming off of his Pokemon's noble, mentorly actions. It was clear he had the willingness to teach and the drive to learn. In the past, that was the core of the gym challenge. Maybe now, even with the pall cast over Hoenn, it still was.[break][break]

Willingness could only go so far, though. The question that remained, the one Navy was here to test, was ability.[break][break]

"Guess there's one way for us to find that out, huh?" Vesper's casual stance sank back into that of a warrior. He motioned for Junior to come at him, then leaped back while firing a Dragon Pulse to cover him. Marie grinned as she heard of a new foe coming to turn up the intensity of the battle. She prepared to assault him with toxins from within before he'd even known the fight began, but his rocklike perch left him rising above the Toxic Spikes that lined the battlefield.[break][break]

So be it. If he didn't want her poisons, then she could have her plague. Hot pink quills launched from the Toxapex's protective dome, each carrying a polyp Infestation as they sailed towards Vortigern. Just one hit and he'd be trapped here, her spawn blocking any of a Pokeball's usual recognition systems as they gnawed at their target.[break][break]

TEAL DEER;[break]
Vesper tosses his new bud a Pecha Berry as apology for the intermission. Then, as the fight kicks off, he leaps back and covers his retreat with a Dragon Pulse.[break]
Marie, her hopes of an early-early Venoshock dashed, instead tries to wear Vortigern down with an Infestation.

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Granite caves, a treacherous place full of Gibles, Gabites and Garchomps, in a sense it brought back memories of a chase, and the fight that had made him the man he was in that moment, cementing his ideals in finality. His fingers briefly brushed over the hard granite that covered all four walls, its ancient surface weathered by centuries of existence. Bits of dust impacted his head, an indication of the conflict heating up above.. The earth quaked beneath his feet, a deep rumble that resonated through the very core of his being, a tremor felt even from this far down in the bowels of the earth.
[break][break]
The dragon by his side, Druddigon was prepared, Kouji was prepared, it was just a matter of doing it, of rising through the earth like a soaring dragon, he held onto the back of the dragon just as it began to charge upwards, its claws sharpened by every strike against the dirt above, forcing it to part ways until it hit against cement itself. ”We’re in the final third.”
[break][break]
His foes were going to be strong, he knew just how strong Michael Navidson was, but the other? He had survived against that man. Isaac Merlo was someone he didn’t really understand, but he understood the warrior whose gym it was, who was the one defending this city; the hospital that existed here.
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The only reason he could be here was trust, the trust that one would survive, and the trust that one would defend.
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”How stupid, I’m about to look like an idiot.”
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Druddigon broke through, draconic claws parting the middle of the battlefield, rocking it upwards and apart, Kouji stood on the back of his dragon who had just swam through the ground like it was the sea. Kouji didn’t say anything, his eyes scanned for a second as the sandstorm was parted for only an instant, giving him a proper overlook on the battlefield.
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”Hydreigon, all out.” He pulled out his pokemon, the dark dragon, its obsidian scales shimmering with malevolent power, immediately conjured a pulsating ball of crackling energy between its three menacing heads. With a deafening roar, it unleashed this arcane orb, sending it hurtling upwards with unrestrained fury. The impact against the towering ceiling was explosive, shattering stone and releasing a cascade of shimmering blue meteors that rained down like an otherworldly storm, each one carrying Hydreigon’s unrestrained wrath.

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Junior eats the berry. Vortigern is hit. Junior protects our boy Vesper. Navy uses the home field advantage to set stealth rocks against Kouji. Vortigern is blindly destroying part of the battlefield with outrage.

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[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skullbody"]Marie's giggles in the face of her successful attack quickly subsided when she felt the ground shudder beneath her feet. Her eyes widened in desperation as she pulled her flaps closed, aiming to shelter herself within her Baneful Bunker.[break][break]

The good news was that, as she was flung into the air by an emerging Druddigon, she was safe. The bad news was that she was now airborne and vulnerable, just in time for the fireworks. As Junior and Vesper huddled protectively against each other, Marie and Vortigern would both be at the mercy of the storm. Perhaps there was a lesson to be found there.[break][break]

Unlike Vortigern, Marie had already been banged up for a while. It was no surprise that as she landed she sunk into the floor, no longer able to muster up the will to fight. Isaac was quick to recall her, hopping off of the safety of his podium platform to look his foe right in the eye.[break][break]

Kouji. Of course it was Kouji. "Unexpected to you, maybe," Isaac said as Navy weighed in on the situation. With the sheriff's offer made, he could now turn his focus to Kouji in earnest. "Me? Well, I always figured you were a man of your word."[break][break]

"Good thing you're not the only one."[break][break]

For the purposes of the challenge registry, Kurze was Isaac's fourth and final Pokemon. However, it wasn't his Pokeball that Isaac drew. Instead, it was a ball that had seen far better days. Scuffed up, cracked, and already furiously twitching, it was clear that the Pokemon that dwelled within was completely unsuited for the gym circuit.[break][break]

"Remember what we said? About people that only live to kill?" As the Pokeball hit the ground, a familiar shape stormed out from the light. A Genesect, eyes blazing and posture hunched, stared Kouji down from the other side of the battlefield. "Here's mine. And let me tell you; MUGEN here is not happy about that little stunt Rocket pulled on him last time." Gouts of hateful erupted from the Genesect's joints in confirmation.[break][break]

Vesper slipped in front of Junior, the Cyclizar snap-firing a Dragon Pulse towards the Druddigon that had burst out from the ground. As he took the offense, MUGEN remained eerily still, his targeting computers Locking On to the Hydreigon's current position.

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Kouji grinned.
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It was a strange sight in all of this, but there was something behind there. He had lost the shine that existed in his eyes the last time they had met, they were murky, something else was swimming in those golden orbs. ”Didn’t think ya believed in that. Route CC.” He told his two pokemon.
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Druddigon had little time to react as it was struck by a Dragon Pulse, it was a strong strike, a powerful move that struck it square on the chest; shooting it backwards; impacting against the wall with an explosion of force. But that only enraged the dragon, the orders were straight forward but it hesitated for a moment before it charged forward with an Iron Head
[break][break]
The two biggest threats on this field were easy to see, Genesect and Vortigern, but for at least a moment, he could put the dark Garchomp to the edge of his attention; he was dangerous to both sides at this moment. But then again, so was Hydreigon.
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The three-headed dragon of the dark found its minds filled with the evilest of notions as it spotted Vortigern, its sinister thoughts intertwining with the malevolence of its three heads. Energy surged in tumultuous waves, crackling and pulsating, as it witnessed the other dragon, Vortigern, begin rampaging with its outrage. The dragon's heart pounded with anticipation, hope of reclaiming its pride. Nasty Plot was in effect, pushing its strength upwards.
[break][break]
Evening the odds, Kouji brought out Samurott, the darkened swordsman of a pokemon who would be a calming force on his team. Even if it felt the hidden rocks dig into his paws, into his legs, and various other places; it kept a calm eye on its surroundings.
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”Navy, are you really gonna go two on one, where’s your warrior spirit? Becoming a gym leader’s sure doused it, huh?” There was a playful smirk on his face as he said the words, he didn’t expect the words to have an effect, they were lies; both would know that.
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The stealth rocks would be a problem, might as well provide some to the opposite side. ”Ceaseless edge.” The Dark Type swung his horn, sending shards of blackened crystals around the area as the blade charged towards Mugen.
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The battle had only just begun.
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”I hope you guys don’t plan to pull punches, cos I ain’t either.”

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Junior raises a wall with stone edge, Vortigern outrages.

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”It sure does make ya a dirtbag, Navy. Well, after hunting traitors, crossing fists with you is a close second, so I’ll let it pass.” It was a crooked smirk even as he looked across the battlefield, frankly speaking.
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It was almost a mistake to be fighting in such a manner, to fight the two of them at the same time, but he didn’t have much of a choice. It was best to prepare, a fourth pokemon to even the numbers, Umbreon made her appearance, but she didn’t move from beyond his side.
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The greater shock came in two parts, it was the Outrage and the Zap Cannon, both aimed at Hydreigon who had made itself the focus of all the attention in the room. The electrical charge struck first, a blinding burst of lightning arcing in all directions. The three-headed dragon roared in agony as the searing electricity surged through its muscular frame, rendering it momentarily paralyzed. Its stumpy wings began to twitch involuntarily, and its heads writhed in anguish. Before it could recover, a powerful blow struck, propelling the dragon backward with explosive force. It crashed against the walls, rage was rolling from just as the blood flowed from his chest. Yet, myriad of elements formed within its mouths; fire, electricity, and ice arced towards the duo who struck it.
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Druddigon’s Iron head was met by the Iron Tail, the two moves clashed; a shockwave blasted outwards from the point of contact before the dragon had to rear back, shaking its head as it found itself disorientated, before going back for another as if stubbornness would carry it to the end of days.
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”That pokemon’s a Genesect, scum of the earth kind of creation really; rumours say it’s made from the parts of other pokemon.” He said as he looked at Mugen, a rictus of disgust. ”Sure explains why this darn thing is so angry, I’d try and kill you too if I was torn into pieces, and put together with parts that ain’t mine.”
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Still, in the back, Umbreon used focus energy, preparing for something as Kouji tapped at his thighs.
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”Not like it matters, but…Realised you couldn’t help from the inside, huh?”
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”Didn’t take you for a quitter.”
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Water surged up from beneath Samurott’s feet before covering its form, rotating at higher and higher speeds before he charged forward like a jet, aimed right at Junior.

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Junior uses earthquake, spelling a bad time for literally everyone else. Vortigern outrages.