With Josh so close to the title of Champion, a battle tournament would be a great way to get the Master of Faster prepared for his title match with KYLE LOPEZ. His regulars would be watching from the lounge on the second floor of Mauville Gym, following the action and watching feature matches their Leader was involved in.

The sheer efficiency that the tournament's healing machines operated at was a marvel of the event: they worked faster than ones at most Pokémon Centers, making sure the Pokémon were all in top shape for each round. This was going to be a long day: battle after battle. With them being only one Pokémon per side, at the very least they would be quick. As Josh was sipping on a bottle of water, an announcement blared over the venue's loudspeakers:

"Attention all Vital City Tournament participants. Pairings are up for round one. Pairings are up for round one."

Pulling up the list on his phone, he scrolled down to his name and found his opponent and his assigned arena number. That opponent was Ettie .

Josh took his place on his assigned side of the battleground. Next to him was Raikiri, the Zeraora he was known for. It seemed he wasn't fooling around; he was in it to win the whole tournament. "Ettie !" the Gym Leader waved. "You entered the tournament, too? Thought I'd be battling mostly Gym Circuit grinders. The same people I take challenges of every week."

Upon seeing her opponent, Ettie perked up visibly. "Oh! Josh-friend! Hello!" She chirped, waving back. "Mhmm! Ettie and Yip want play-fight! Have lots of fun!"

Yip would make a few barks of agreement, tail swishing as she looked to Raikiri. The Zeraora seemed imposing - but she wasn't scared. She had shenanigans aplenty to make up for this; which would include that of terastallization!

As Ettie's Tera Orb glowed bright, Yip's Normal typing was enhanced, her fur crystalline-white - and wielding her tail like it were a rifle, she'd fire off a Tera Blast from it, right at Raikiri!

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

Josh Devlin

Josh had yet to see Yip; had they been apart for so long that the wild child had caught a lot of new Pokémon? He had become familiar with the versatility of Smeargle from kyle lopez 's horde of them. "Best of luck to you, Ettie! I plan on making a deep tournament run, though. Can't let you stand in my way, heh," he chuckled, his thundercat's fastest move a hidden weapon he could spring on the unsuspecting normal-type at any time.

While the feline's defenses were low, that was the price to pay for being one of the fastest Pokémon in the world. Capable of rivaling even some gods known for their speed, there were times where it seemed like the rest of the world moved in slow motion to such a noble creature. The Gym Leader's yellow and black partner leaped the moment he saw the TERA BLAST, soaring skyward before BOUNCING toward the glowing Yip!

Though Raikiri was fast, leaping into the air like this meant that he had to commit to an arc - and Yip was quick to catch onto it. Bouncing to the side and adjusting her aim, she'd fire upwards at the Zeraora - her Tera Blasts appearing to take the form of sprays of pressurized paint, white from the Normal Tera!

And whilst Raikiri was doused, Yip would begin to - well - yip in mischievous yet playful laughter, bouncing about the battlefield for a moment, before she'd attempt to hose Raikiri down with another Tera Blast!

Gimmick: Tera (+15 on even rolls)
HP: 3/3
tPoD4vvM

Josh Devlin

The volley of paint from Yip's tail not only stung from how dense the liquid was, but it knocked Raikiri just off course enough to land in front of the Smeargle rather than on top of her! Was this the reaction time of a wild child on display? The thundercat landed and purred loudly, shaking his fur clean of as much heavy paint as he could. Its weight would only slow him down.

With a prideful roar, the Zeraora flung himself in Yip's direction, Josh banking on him being quick enough on the draw to knock the normal-type's tail out of her hand with a flurry of PLASMA PAWS. If the first were to hit, he would attempt to heave the Smeargle skyward and juggle Ettie's partner with a blindingly fast flurry.

Ow, ow, ow - a flurry of punches would send Yip flying upwards, only to get bounced up again and again with each subsequent strike. It'd take a Teleport for Yip to get a safe distance away - but even then, it was clear she was smarting from the blows she took (and puffed up as well, no doubt from the electricity that was lingering in the air.)

Seeing that there was no reason to stay in her present form though, Yip was quick to Transform - painting herself into a fascimile of Raikiri. And taking a second to flex the muscles of her newfound shape, she'd readily take advantage of the moves offered; attempting to regain a bit of pep by charging forth with a Drain Punch..!

Gimmick: Tera (+15 on even rolls)
HP: 2/3
vzg605M_

Josh Devlin

Josh laughed on the inside when he saw Ettie command Yip to transform into a copy of the mythical thundercat. Yes, it granted Yip incredible speed, but was she able to control it? Furthermore, could Ettie follow something moving so fast? If the wild child wanted to battle her friend in his element, he wasn't stopping her!

Seeing the high punch coming, Raikiri lunged toward Yip in a low-trajectory QUICK ATTACK, sparks flying from the friction of sharp claws against turf. If that DRAIN PUNCH connected, it was going to hurt. A lot. Relying on his supernatural speed, the purpose of Zeraora's weak but fast attack was twofold. First, to interrupt the DRAIN PUNCH itself. Second, to trip the Zeraora and pounce Yip, flipping the transformed Smeargle onto her back.

The thing was - Ettie wasn't commanding Yip all too much. She was mostly cheering the Smeargle on with little whoops and - well - yips. This wasn't a cooperative activity like a hunt, and it wasn't as though Ettie was in on the fighting, too - so as far as the wildchild cared? Yip was an equal - her own person - who was able to make her own choices.

Raikiri's little gambit was a success in either case; Yip swung high, and the enemy Zeraora struck low. The disguised Smeargle yelped as she was tripped up and sent tumbling down, and grunted as Raikiri slammed atop her.

Eager to kill two birds with one stone - getting free and using the proximity to her advantage - Yip would attempt a close range attack. Namely, letting loose a Tera Blast at Raikiri by attempting to swing a strike at his gut.

Gimmick: Tera (+15 on even rolls)
HP: 1/3
_913zYn|

Josh Devlin

The Smeargle's TERA BLAST sent Raikiri flying; all the speed in the world would wouldn't save the Zeraora from such a close-range swipe. His face covered in paint again, he took a moment to shake his fur clean a second time.

That moment would be all Ettie and Yip would get.

Raising his Z-GLOVE in Ettie's direction and pointing it toward the crystal of QUICKINIUM-Z hidden within the electric-type's fur, Josh widened his stance, trying to maintain his balance while looking like he was sitting on a Pokémon's back. "HYPERSONIC..."

The Gym Leader drew his arms upward as though he held the reins of one of his Pokémon steeds in his hands. He threw both his fists downward, barely avoiding falling over during his Z-Pose meant for when he was mounted.

"...PLASMA CHARGE!!!"



With the Gym Leader's loud command, Raikiri became enveloped in lightning bolts, zipping toward the opposite corner of the arena before ramming and trampling Yip with every bit of speed he had. It was difficult to tell whether the sonic explosion ravaging the air was from the lightning strikes that rained down behind him, or if it was merely from the Zeraora going supersonic.

And that was all she wrote; in the face of such a powerful Z-Move, Yip had no answer, and would be sent flying. She'd bounce once, twice, before coming to a stop with a soft whine - that smarted a great deal more than the prior hits.

Ettie, though, would crouch down to pet Yip with a smile. "Had fun?" She asked - and when Yip nodded, the wildchild's smile brightened. "Did good!"

Glancing to Josh and Raikiri next, Ettie would give a big wave - one that Yip would wearily join in on - calling "Was fun! Playfight more later?" Not today, obviously - cause there were lots of playfights to be had for the both of them! But later!

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

Josh Devlin

Josh recalled Raikiri as the horn sounded, the Gym Leader getting the first of hopefully many wins behind him. There were only so many losses he could take before he would be removed from contention for the second day of the tournament. "It was. Raikiri rarely gets to stretch his muscles at my Gym," Josh nodded. "Tournaments and really serious League stuff is about the only time he gets to actually battle. Using him against just any old Gym challenger wouldn't be fair, after all."

Josh frowned at Ettie's request for another battle. "Unfortunately, the only way we'll be able to face each other again is if we both make the top cut. Hopefully I'll help your tiebreakers if I can keep winning." Why did he ramble off all that tournament jargon to Ettie, anyway? It would likely go over her head. "You can always drop by Mauville Racing Grounds if you want to spar with me! Good luck with the rest of your tournament run." With that, the Gym Leader turned around to get his Zeraora patched up. Pairings for the next round would be announced soon, after all!