With her wounds mostly healed, Shalin felt comfortable signing up for the Vital City Tournament, if only to improve her combat skills. The war had made her realize how inadequate they were. She much preferred Ranger work, though as a Captain, she couldn't exactly pick her tasks. At her side was a Shiny Beedrill that was quite big. For those familiar with her, seeing her without her saddle on may have looked strange. Without that saddle and the Beedrillite embedded in it, she wouldn't be able to Mega Evolve.

She wouldn't need it.

Her blue, compound eyes flickered as her gaze met Tsukiko's. "Good luck to you!" Shalin waved toward her purple-haired opponent, communicating while she could. Once those wings of hers started churning, both of them would be able to hear very little.

As Shalin waved and called to them, Makoto blinked a bit - but would nod and wave back, a quiet reciprocation as they readied their Tera Orb.

Tsukiko, meanwhile, was clearly ready to go - her tails swishing as she dropped down into a play-bow, upon seeing Queen Zing! Yes! It was time to have fun! Let's go!

With the battle beginning, Tsukiko's Snow Warning would start a snowstorm across the battlefield. The snowflakes glimmered and shone, especially when Makoto terastallized the Alolan Ninetales into a pure Ice-type, crystalline and beautiful!

And this was but a herald, to the Blizzard that began to howl, ice crystals flying through the air for Queen Zing; how would the Beedrill stand up to this?

Gimmick: Tera (+15 on even rolls)
HP: 3/3
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Shalin Nariya

Shalin, too, had her TERA ORB ready, stowing it when she saw the Ninetales before her. What a nightmare matchup this was. At least it wasn't against a battle specialist like a Gym Leader. Maybe she would be able to clutch this one out?

When Zing churned her wings all the louder and more harshly to try to blunt the impact of the ice shards. The howling wind and droning buzz mixed to become a terrifying battle dirge. Tilting her wings forward, she zoomed toward the source of the ice storm, relying on the wake of the turbulent air around her to push aside as many of the shards as possible. Were she to get within melee range, she would loose a flurry of POISON JABS, one after another. Were enough of them to strike, the wasp would aim to pin down the Ice-type, the barbs of her stingers glinting in the arena's lights.

Though Zing put on a good show in the flurry of Poison Jabs, Tsukiko was ready - cleanly avoiding the worst of the strikes, and being able to slip away from the attempted pin, by burrowing with Dig. Disappearing underground, she left the Beedrill to face the howling storm aboveground alone - pelted by ice shards aplenty!

As the Blizzard finally died down though, there came the question of where Tsukiko was. Which was to say, down below. She'd wait for a moment, doing her best to listen for where the Beedrill was...

... Before with an explosion of earth, she'd emerge - seemingly out of nowhere - to try and pounce upon the insect, with a playful foxlike yowl!

Gimmick: Tera (+15 on even rolls)
HP: 3/3
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Shalin Nariya

The ice-type had disappeared beneath the battle court, out of sight, leaving Queen Zing alone in the ice storm. No matter how fast her wings buzzed, she seemed to be unable to overcome the cold wind with wind of her own. Multiple ice crystals pierced her abdomen, the struggling wasp's blue eyes flickering as the wind around her died down.

Though the vulpine was crafty, so was Queen Zing. Having been under a Ranger for so long and having been exposed to the Infinity Energy of Shalin's Sygna Suit from lifting the girl on her wing, she had become quite sensitive to vibration. That would come in handy as she tracked Tsukiko's location the best she could. Hovering upright above where she thought her foe was, she would be ready to meet their burrowing attack with a FELL STINGER from above, using the momentum of their own leap against them!

This was going to hurt - Tsukiko knew this the second she emerged from the earth below. And indeed, the Fell Stinger would sink into her shoulder - drawing a yelp from the fox. She managed to pull and dart away - but that had not been a pleasant experience.

Keen on trying to stay a step ahead of Queen Zing, Tsukiko would let loose a Tera Blast - breathing out a blast of ice in the Beedrill's direction, in the hopes of keeping the currently melee-focused bug-type at bay!

Gimmick: Tera (+15 on even rolls)
HP: 2/3
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Shalin Nariya

Another strike; the Drill Run shatters through the ice of the Tera Blast, with plenty of inertia to spare to send Zing slamming into Tsukiko! The fox staggers back, looking almost ready to fall over with another good hit, panting - though her tails stil swish a bit.

Cornered and with the pressure building, Tsukiko makes a split-second decision, to try and fight back with Dragon Hammer. Her tails light aflame in a draconic-violet blaze - and fanning them out, she backflips away from Queen Zing to try and uppercut her by slamming the tails into her!

Gimmick: Tera (+15 on even rolls)
HP: 1/3
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Shalin Nariya

Shalin knew that cornered prey was dangerous. Whatever was coming next, she had to be prepared to resist with all her might. She did not expect that tactic to be a nine-tailed DRAGON HAMMER. The backflip amplified all nine "heads" of the attack. Using her TERA ORB was an enormous risk, but one she felt she had to take. Hurling it toward the Beedrill, her green carapace became partially masked by a glittering, crystalline body of a tan color associated with the GROUND-type.

Her new body let her brace herself against the earth after landing, meeting the Ninetales' upward-facing DRAGON HAMMER with a downward-facing DRAGON HAMMER of her own. Purple-colored foreleg stings met her foe's violet tails in a clash of holy energy. The two clashed in a contest of brutal strength, Queen Zing vibrating her wings at full speed to numb the tails and induce them to run out of strength faster.

Though Zing put up a respectable fight, the inertia and force put behind Tsukiko's Dragon Hammer would win out. A blazing uppercut is sent striking into the Beedrill, as the fox backflipped a safe distance away from immediate retaliation.

Lingering violet sparks danced about Tsukiko, before she took a second to shake herself out - panting, but looking thoroughly satisfied by how this fight was going. Win or lose, she was content with this first showing.

Thus, she saw no harm in being showy with her last attack - a Springtide Storm whipping up through the battlefield, pink petals glimmering with frost from the cold that Tsukiko's presence brought on! She directed the whirlwind in Zing's direction, readied to see how she might hold up to this final stand.

Gimmick: Tera (+15 on even rolls)
HP: 1/3
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Shalin Nariya

Queen Zing's eyes began to flicker like a computer monitor without enough power to remain on. Fluid oozed between the cracks in her Terastal body -- and her carapace as the DRAGON HAMMER struck the flats of her mandibles with crushing force. She was in big trouble. Shalin gasped; with her Beedrill immobile from being overpowered, this seemed like it was Makoto's match to lose.

Completely grounded, she desperately raised her shaking foreleg stings toward the icy vulpine. With a TWINEEDLE that was liable to sail wide in her unsteadiness, she fired her last-ditch effort toward Tsukiko. If fortune smiled upon her, the venomous projectiles would cut right through the swirling winds headed her way.

Like an arrow, Zing went flying through the storm - and in doing so, would slam into Tsukiko once more. The Alolan Ninetales is sent tumbling and sprawling, skidding and bouncing... But with her energy exhausted, she does not rise.

Or, well, perhaps she could if she tried hard enough. But she definitely didn't have any gas in the tank left for a fight; and as if to signify this, she'd make a point to roll onto her back and (melodramatically, laying the back of her paw across her eyes) play dead.

Makoto, seeing this, simply sighed a bit - walking over to pat Tsukiko on the chest. "You did good," They praised softly, reaching to scratch her behind the ear.

Then glancing to Shalin and Zing both, they'd nod to the duo. "Good fight," They spoke.

Gimmick: Tera (+15 on even rolls)
HP: KO

Shalin Nariya

Queen Zing, too, keeled over after being struck by the potent SPRINGTIDE STORM. The outcome of the match would come down to instant replay. Shalin's heart raced in anticipation of the judge's ruling. While she was waiting, she gave the motionless wasp a pat on the head after her Terastal body shattered. "Win or lose, you were amazing, Queen Zing. Thank you." While she wasn't responsive, the two were close enough that she could tell her partner's appreciation.

"That was unbelievably close," Shalin complimented. "Would love to square off against you again if we meet in top cut. We're such a close match that there's no telling who will win." She offered them a handshake before withdrawing her partner and heading back to the arena's exit, her head tilted toward the judge walking to the sidelines. They raised a red flag on Makoto's side, declaring Shalin the winner.

If this was what her first round opponent was like, and things would only get tougher, she stood little chance of advancing deep!