[attr="class","bodygold"]
[break]


Stormy is just finishing up with a small group of younger trainers, keen on learning the in's and out's of what being a fire-type trainer is all about, when she receives a ping on her mobile indicating a challenger had arrived.[break][break]

She glances over her shoulder just as the man approaches, shirtless and sweaty. She frowns a bit as the youngsters exclaim in surprise and grow visibly uncomfortable. She shoos them away, eager to get them out of the vicinity.[break][break]

"Is it too hot for you? That's a little concerning, considering it's only going to get hotter."

[attr="class","bodygold"]
[break]


Stormy squints a bit at his response. The heat did actually seem to be bothering him, since his body was glistening with sweat and he had needed to take his shirt off in order to not be as uncomfortable. But if he was set on being unrealistically proud, then so be it. [break][break]

When he begins to flex and indicate how tough he is and how prepared he is for her challenge she smirks, somewhat impressed by how confident he seems to be.[break][break]

"Miss gym leader? How about you just call me Stormy."[break][break]

Shinra encourages the conversation onto the rules of her game and she waves a hand to the arena he's presently standing in. The hot springs are surrounding but otherwise protected by fencing and barriers that are set in place to prevent tourists and other customers from getting hurt. They are, however, able to see the battle. In fact, most tourists come out here in the hopes they spent good money on a hot spring bath and gym battle to watch.[break][break]

"Well, the rules are pretty straightforward since I like be traditional. I prefer double battles to see how you can control two Pokemon at the same time and work on strategy and cooperation. But really, I just want to see how hard you fight in order to beat me. You ready to come get this badge from me, pretty boy?"[break][break]

With a wink, Stormy would gesture for him to find his position on the field while she makes sure the youngsters she was training had gotten safely off of the field. Still, she waits for her challenger to produce his Pokemon instead of making the first move.

[attr="class","bodygold"]
[break]

Stormy squints once again at the man's confidence. His chest practically swells as he speaks. She shakes her head in mild amusement and slight annoyance, but her face remains controlled and calm.[break][break]

"Good, good. You'd better not disappoint me now."[break][break]

The idea that she's nothing but a stepping stone is mildly disrespectful in the moment, but she glances over it without barely another thought. [break][break]

He releases two Pokemon, both of which she is quite familiar with back from her home region. One of which she has the female counterpart in her arsenal, albeit not fully evolved.[break][break]

The woman nods appreciatively, tilting her head and whistling. Wadjet and Sol appear not too far behind it, the fire-type Pokemon huffing and tossing her head in greeting and in passive aggressive dominance as she makes her way across the field to make eye contact with the Nidoking and Starmie.[break][break]

"I think I might already know the strategy you pose, boy. I'm flattered."[break][break]

Sol remains more passive and a little nervous. It's one of the few time's he's been chosen for a gym battle. Stormy lifts a hand to tickle his chin encouragingly, and his fear seems to melt away into relief.[break][break]

"Tag team matches are quite exhilarating."[break][break]

[attr="class","bodygold"]
[break]

Novice trainers would absolutely do the same thing, but it doesn't make it any less amusing. It's part of the reason Stormy has trained so hard, become so accustomed to trainers coming into her gym with Pokemon deemed effective against her arsenal. She's prepared.[break][break]

"I would be incredibly disappointed in you if you weren't aiming to win. Let's see what you've got."[break][break]

She nods towards him and her two Pokemon begin their approach. Wadjet has begun to pump her wings and lift her into the air. Her massive black body is almost camouflaged against the black rocks of bedrock and lavastone and the like that surround the area. The fog, the thick smog hangs on her wings when a breeze carries the ash and smoke from the mountains down.[break][break]

"I'm flattered, but you can take the first move. I'm waiting."[break][break]

Sol remains nearby, having not followed Wadjet into the sky. The small cloud Pokemon seems to be biding his time and waiting patiently.[break][break]

[attr="class","bodygold"]
[break]

The earth opens up as the Nidoking approaches, his feet slamming the ground with enough force to create cracks and spikes that strike from beneath Stormy's Pokemon's feet. Except, Charizard is too high in the sky for it to harm her, and she watches as Sol handles the attack.[break][break]

Just before the sharp spires could stab into his soft, cloud-like body, Castform seems to channel some unknown energy, and rain falls heavily from the sky. It dampens the earth and makes it soft, malleable - but Castform's body turns to liquid and he melts through the attack, arriving on the other side of it virtually unscathed.[break][break]

He spits out bits of rock and gravel in an adorable display of disgust. His rain dance continues to pelt the ground with ice cold rain.[break][break]

Wadjet bellows from the sky, but she doesn't seem bothered by the rain. Thanks to Alexei Ivanov's gym challenge, she was stronger than the rain. She had seen much worse.[break][break]

"Well done, Sol. Wadjet, retaliate."[break][break]

The swift slams both of her Pokemon, the shooting stars sparking against Wadjet's neck and chest and Sol's water droplet form. Stormy nods, encouraging Wadjet to take advantage of the lull in the battle.[break][break]

Wadjet approaches the Nidoking then, flying in close to effectively land her attacks. Her claws glow with intense draconic power as she lashes out with a dragon claw.[break][break]

[attr="class","bodygold"]
[break]

Charizard meets the poison jab with a counter, and, while the attack in itself is not as effective as it could be had she been countering a Pokemon not nearly as strong as Nidoking, she manages to lock forearms with her opponent for a brief moment. She huffs, grunting in exasperation as she pushes off from her opponent. The pair break apart, her feet pressing hard into the ground as she slows her momentum. [break][break]

The rain makes her scales slick and her warm breath steam between her eyes.[break][break]

Thunder and lightning rumble in the rain clouds forming overhead, and the weather seems to turn even worse. A crack of lightning illuminates the sky and reflects in the glittery eyes of Stormy Silph. Her hair whips painfully against her cheek as Sol's tiny body trembles with power. He's so focused on conjuring his hurricane that he doesn't see the Starmie swelling with it's own unnatural power. His tiny body is thrown viciously across the ground and his watery form splatters against a rock.[break][break]

But it's the crack of lightning and thunder as it strikes between Wadjet and Nidoking (harmlessly), that gives Wadjet her edge. [break][break]

The thunder is deafening, the flash of light blinding as the sky continues to toss and roll with raw energy. The storm worsens as the hurricane rolls in. The wind whips and shreds, tearing up the ground and slamming everything with loose rocks and stones and debris. [break][break]

And Wadjet uses that deafening noise to cover up her air slash. She twists rapidly, forcing the wind into razor-sharp energy as she attempts to slash her opponent with wind energy that combines with Sol's hurricane as it rolls in to pick up the Nidoking.[break][break]

[attr="class","bodygold"]
[break]

The hurricane seems to have worked. It separates Stormy's Pokemon from Shinra's. Wadjet spreads her wings to catch the updraft, to help her back into the air to make distance. Meanwhile, Sol begins to reform his splattered body, spitting stones from his jelly-like body as he repositions.[break][break]

"Well done. Very well done. Stay alert, Wadjet, Sol."[break][break]

Wadjet's eyes are keen as she watches the hurricane lift her opponents off the ground. The wind pulls and pushes at her wings, cuts at her scales, breaks her smoothness. But she's never really been smooth to begin with. [break][break]

And then she sees it, sees both of them charge up to hit her with a hydro pump and ice beam. She speeds up, performing a

dragon dance

reactively, using the balance of her tail to pivot in the air. This, along with the fact that the hurricane very abruptly dies, putting Nidoking and Starmie back on the ground, it seems that she'd dodged the

hydro pump

in exchange for her wings being caught and frozen with

ice beam

.[break][break]

Wadjet bellows in a rage as she crashes to the ground, unable to unfurl her wings and save herself. She plummets and Sol's form changes from a water droplet to a blazing sun. The torrent of rain immediately disperses as the sun comes out and the humidity rises tenfold. The dampness of the ground begins to evaporate and steam as Sol's incredible

sunny day

changes the weather once again.[break][break]