[attr="class","spiral"] Well, that was anti-climatic. At least Cait knows when to call the match early and Fernando appreciates that in an opponent. Unless she had a way the maneuver around being ASLEEP and CONFUSED, then allow the battle to drag further would've been a waste of time. And, unsurprisingly, her next Pokemon happens to be one that invalidates both. The SAFEGUARD is obvious and there's little that Fernando can do to get around it. Not with Spinda, anyway.

"Good choice, Alfric, that walls me off completely. Spinda, WISH."

Fernando laughs as he's met with an insurmountable wall but he's greedy enough to demand one last task from his Spinda. The Pokemon clasps its hands together, pivoting on an off beat step as it tumbles in place, WISHING for something good to happen. All they need now is to buy enough time for it to come true and from there Fernando can formulate a plan to take down the behemoth of a dragon.

[attr="class","spiral"] In any other casual battle, Fernando would've returned the Spinda immediately after executing WISH. It goes without saying that the smaller Pokemon has no chance against a SAFEGUARDED Dragonite. But here, under the trust and mutual tutelage of Cait, Fernando allows the battle to continue under the guise of limit testing. There's an interest in seeing the extent of his Spinda's stamina against the raw power of her Dragonite's attack.

Unfortunately, the scene plays out as expected. Against the velocity of the FIRE PUNCH, the much smaller Pokemon is scooped up in the swing, launched hurtling backwards as the momentum seizes hold until the Pokemon disappears in the arc of a Pokeball light.


"Impressive. Quite the powerhouse you have there, Alfric. Let's see how you fare against this one."

His next choice in Pokemon is purely on a whim. He has no idea how the match up plays out but considering the nature of the Pokemon, there's no better place to familiarize himself with it than here on the battlefield. A Golisopod is his next Pokemon of choice and Fernando relies strictly on the Pokedex entry for his strategy, having rarely is not ever seen the Pokemon in action itself.

[attr="class","spiral"] Fernando narrows his eyes at the sight of his own Pokemon. It may look bulky at first but the Pokedex had mentioned that this species specializes in being deceptively fast in practiced spurts of speed. Their movement proves so contrary to its appeaance that most opponents will be left dizzy from their FIRST IMPRESSION. He's yet to see it in action but he waits for the Dragonite to move before making a command.

The moment it takes off, Fernando makes the call.

"FIRST IMPRESSION!"

The Golisopod digs its feet into place, bending at the knees, ready for impact. When the Dragonite is within a few feet the Pokemon presses off, disappearing in a blur of speed as it hurtles forward to catch the approaching Pokemon with its own punch, straight into the Dragonite's tummy.

[attr="class","spiral"] Dragonite isn't the only one caught off-guard. Even Fernando is astounded by the Pokemon's speed, eyes narrowing in on the Pokemon's backside as he mentally reassesses his initial judgement. "Again," he commands, knowing full well that it shouldn't work. The Pokedex had noted that the technique only works at the beginning of battle when the opponent doesn't know what to expect, but mustering that same type of speed proves impossible without letting the Pokemon catch a breather. Still, he's here for limit testing and that's why he gives the faulty call.

The DRAGON PULSE rips forward and Fernando can see his Golisopod's knees buckle. They twitch like they're supposed to move but they stay still, unable to react after straining themselves from the first FIRST IMPRESSION. Fernando notes this, having finally seen it in action, and considers his next option once the bug is pelted by Cait's attack.

"RAZOR SHELL."

The Pokemon reels back from the DRAGON PULSE and stutters with every step backwards, tumbling as it tries to regain its footing from the attack. Once it grasps a good foot hold, it brandishes its arm to the side, a blade of water ejecting between its pincers. In a much slower run forward, the Golisopod approaches with a speed that seems more appropriate for its size and weight.

Fernando continues to observe, ready to make a last minute command the moment he sees the Dragonite commit to something.

[attr="class","spiral"] Fuck.

Fernando's initial plan had been to exploit the bug's speed in another burst. FIRST IMPRESSION may prove difficult to pull off again but the moment the Dragonite attacks, it can leap in close with a SUCKER PUNCH. That only works when the Dragonite proves vulnerable. With Cait's order for a HURRICANE, Fernando fears that the whipping gales will catch the Golisopod regardless of its speed as long as the Pokemon enters the Dragonite's airspace.

"AQUA JET."

If they can't come in close against HURRICANE then the next best technique is to fight it head on. Rather than let his bug get tossed into the air from the sharp winds it can fight against the current. The Golisopod surrounds itself with water before launching forward, facing resistance from the HURRICANE and held in place as it tries to break through. Several shockwaves cut cleanly through the water and rattle the Pokemon's body but they pale in comparison to being swept up in the tumultuous winds unprotected.

[attr="class","spiral"] The Golisopod suspects nothing. The weakening winds point toward the Dragonite's intent but the Pokemon proves too inexperienced to notice. It assumes the attack is coming to an end and from it lies an opportunity to break through and continue onward with its AQUA JET. And the moment comes, speed festering under the Pokemon's struggle until it it all unleashes at once. It continues to surge forward and lines up perfectly for the Dragonite's THUNDER PUNCH.

The strike lands true and the electricity bites through the water with a vice that dares to crack through the Pokemon's carapace altogether. Brute force meets brute force and they're locked into a momentary stalemate before the Golisopod loses momentum and ends up tossed back several paces. Unstable footing causes the Pokemon to stutter, collapsing as it tries to pick itself back up.

In weakness there is opportunity.

[attr="class","spiral"] The Dragonite grants no quarter and Fernando's Golisopod annexes ground in order to grasp at any distance it can create. The first THUNDER PUNCH connects but Cait's Dragonite doesn't stop there. It continues to press forward and another comes out to billow the opponent in a barrage of attacks.

The second one is only narrowly dodged by the Golisopod continually staggering backwards, shifting onto its other foot in an unintentional strafe from the attack's pathing. The Dragonite adjusts for this and launches another one but it's too late. Golisopod will only remain defenseless for so long.

In an effort to curb the assault, the Golisopod lashes out with both arms in a cross-like pattern against the incoming punch. STRUGGLE BUG is a move found in hazy situations and all its power is put into combating the attack head on to create an opening to breakthrough. The moment the attack connects the Golisopod disappears, slipping out from the attack and underneath the Dragonite with an underhanded SUCKER PUNCH thrown in a rising uppercut.