Ah, a Z-Move. She had expected something. Most people here had some kind of gimmick, be it terra, mega or otherwise flavoured. A Z-move was rather novel in that regard, but it wasn’t like she had much room to maneuvre in that regard anyway. The speed boost was too much, especially with her own mega already used up.
[break][break]
Lucario did take a battering due to that, the force of the attacks driving it back. But where fire was an issue, lightning it could handle a bit better. Bruised and injured, it was heaving and hawing, but tried to at least remain standing after being hit like that.
[break][break]
It was always best when it was pushed into a corner. Sadly though, the rules of this tournament acted against that. Those vital points were always depleted before the actual hitpoints were. Megan sighed. “Ah, well, you did well enough buddy. Just get a bit of rest and don’t let it get to you,” she told her Pokemon, who scoffed at something but still accepted the order nonetheless. “I probably should not have brought my most stubborn fighter to this,” Megan then told the other trainer. “But this was a good enough fight still, thanks for that.”

[break][break]

+ loss

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

That hit well enough for the time being, but their opponent definitely was not a pushover. Both Lucario and Megan could tell from the way that the other switched tactics already and found its opponent once more after that blitz-y exchange. The Zeraora brought an entirely new element to the mix, attacking with flaming claws.

[break][break]
And Lucario met it. Well, he did not run away at the least. That was out of the question. But he did his best to dodge and only get singed by the flames as the two Pokemon at least briefly turned towards a proper little fistfight, answering the flaming fists with Close quarters Combat of its own, seeking to bring this down to an exchange of punches, bobs and weaves with the other.

[break][break]

+ Josh Devlin VP:1/3, using Close Combat, NTvVEdM0

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Well, could not fault her for that. Then again, type advantage was one heck of a drug when one could not switch anyway. Even with that Dynamax wearing off, it was evident that Lucario was not exactly going to get anywhere like this. It managed to evade the earth power without being rocked too much, but it still did not make any headway yet.
[break][break]
Naturally, that meant nothing. They were ready to fight until the end, naturally. Only, well, the system did not like it. Despite having stored up power from the Sword’s Dance, being hit by the earth power at all was enough to lose the last vital there, causing Lucario to scoff as it stopped another Aura Sphere in its tracks. “Hmm, that was a bit anticlimactic, to be honest,” Megan had to admit.

[break][break]

+ Johanna Joy, using Aura SphereTgYkmDd4

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

“You know, I was kind of impressed by the size at first, but it’s kind of a one-trick pony, isn’t it?” This was the third time in a row that the Claydol had used that attack. Maybe it was the only one it could use? Either way, they seemed to get weaker already.

[break][break]
Lucario had not quite managed to escape the first and was now battered by the second in succession, but it was able to shake that off more easily now, retreating for the time being and using a Sword’s Dance to prepare – just because it quite seemed that it would have to put everything into one attack soon enough.

[break][break]

+ Johanna Joy, VP 2/3, using Sword's Dance, ww_fd3SM

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

“Well, if you say so,” she replied with a shrug. That guy should know best what he could handle and what not. Megan was not the kind of person rude enough or sufficiently interested in playing mom to a grown man, after all.
[break][break]

He should know better, if he didn’t.
[break][break]

Then again, men were fickle creatures, were they not? Lucario was the same, in a way. Despite landing a good hit with that Aura Sphere, he evidently was not satisfied yet. Instead, he tried to rush after the electric type, trying to catch up with Extreme Speed and deliver at least one proper jab as the other came rushing at himself, to weave around the incoming attack and deliver his own at the same time.

[break][break]

+ Josh Devlin, VP:2/3, using Extreme Speed, Mega 2/2 cgVXctNt+20

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

She could tell that she had piqued some interest, but also that she best left it at that for now. No reason to rush or get distracted. They both had pulled out their big guns already, after all. It was just human nature to focus on this clash of titans – though obviously, Claydol was several times bigger still.
[break][break]
Meg really had to get her hands on that terra stuff too. But for now, she watched as another Mindstorm was flung towards Lucario – who this time sought to evoke it’s own Extreme Speed and weave around the attack, so it could finally get close and rush right into the Claydol in an attempt to topple it over.

[break][break]

+ Johanna Joy VP: 3/3, using Extreme Speed, Mega 2/2, rnwLdukd+20

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Young miss, huh. Old people were just weird. She shrugged and accepted the idiosyncrasy. Not like she had a leg to stand on in that particular regard. Best to just accept it and move on. “Well, you too, mister,” she simply replied, implying that she was talking about both matters. This had been a decent fight after all.

[break][break]
She was just miffed about fighting another flier was all. Lucario was, too. He had not been knocked out, but was evidently too beat to continue the fight. Still, he did not seem completely dissatisfied, either. Which was good enough for now. They had already made plans for the most important fight, later.

[break][break]

+ ooc notes

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

“Thanks. And don’t be too hard on yourself, they just gave you a terrible match-up,” she replied, raising a hand to wave at the other. Really, a pure dark type was a terrible opponent for a mega-evolved Lucario, no two ways about it. Just like when he had to fight fliers, hoping they got close or having to rely entirely on aura sphere. This whole single-Pokemon gimmick was already rubbing her the wrong way.
[break][break]
At least at the gym, there was a pre-registration and they tailored the encounter to an extent. But this was just kind of random. Either way though, she would take the win and shaking hands with the unfortunate one. Could just as well be her, next round. “Either way, good luck in the battles to come. See you around, possibly,” she thus said farewell to the redhead, her mind already moving on towards the next battle.

[break][break]

+ win

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

“Yeah, another,” she simply replied, evidently adamant about keeping things undisclosed for the time being. That was not how she usually went about all this stuff, but she had given this a lot of thought. And Megan with a plan was a completely different beast from Megan just playing things by ear.
[break][break]
Which, admittedly she would do here. “Lucario, use that window of opportunity,” she ordered as Jo went for the predicted play of going big right out of the gate. That was why it did the same, intent on meeting the Claydoll right away in its own empowered form as Megan utilized her mega accessory – right before it threw an mega-empowered Aura Sphere at the incoming Mindstorm – and the Claydol behind it, seeking to pierce through and strike true.

[break][break]

+ Johanna Joy, VP:3/3, Mega active 1/2, using Aura Sphere hPal6wtd+20

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Well, the fox was beaten, but it wasn’t down yet. Which meant that this was the moment to press the advantage. Megan swiftly activated her Mega Accessory, causing the light of mega evolution to engulf Lucario.
[break][break]
Which rushed out of said light immediately with an Extreme Speed, trying to get the attack in before that Night Daze, seeking to uppercut the Zoroark out of the ring – unless it managed to find some more hidden power within itself.

[break][break]

+ VP: 3/3, using Extreme Speed and Mega 1/2 nEoxi7Sp+20

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

She could only sigh in return. “Only battle-crazies could get into a competition like this one where the only way to win is to just fight as much as possible,” she replied, unceremoniously loping this guy in with Cian. Evidently, he was on the same train. And evidently, he was wearing himself out doing that.
[break][break]
Some people were just silly. No, she had her own plans. Fight a good few matches, then top it all off with something special. She wanted to finish this on a high note one way or another, not run herself ragged only to get like, fourth place or something.
[break][break]
That, she left to others. Especially in a somewhat rigged format like this. Not rigged as in determining the winner, but not exactly running by standard rules, either.
[break][break]
Like the law of gravity. That was somewhat standard. Once it was bounced up into the air, it took the chance to send an Aura Sphere straight down at her opponent – assisted by Megan, who activated her mega accessory on that note to empower that throw.

[break][break]

+ Josh Devlin, VP: 2/3, using Aura Sphere nad Mega Evo 1/2, pLL3|xeu+20

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Ah, so now it was backing up, despite the system calling this exchange for the Zorua. Which was strange, given typing and the still evident lack of blood, but she had learned to roll with that. It simply was what it was, really.
[break][break]
Plus, they still had a fight on-going. Lucario weathered the scary face, trying to not let it get to him and instead prepared for the inevitable resumation of close-combat hostilities. It did not even try to rush after the other, but instead sought to meet it in Close Combat once more, when it returned.

[break][break]

+ Yvaine Varron, VP: 2/3, using Close CombatR18tKd6Z

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Ohh, a gym leader. Too bad, she already earned a badge this tournament. Then again it could never hurt to see more of those, one way or another. Though she probably should show some professional courtesy, then. “Oh, in that case I should probably disclose that I work at the Rustboro Gym. My boss is around here somewhere, too, probably getting way too much into battles.” She sighed at the end there, feeling like she could talk a bit more freely with someone that probably also knew the man.
[break][break]
That being said though, the system did give them the go-ahead, so that they should naturally do. That man seemed a bit battered, but he was a gym leader. He had to be professional enough about this, of course. “Anyway, let’s do this swiftly and decisively, as is warranted. Then you can rest a bit before your next one, no matter how.” This turned out. But she did not say so.
[break][break]
Being professional sometimes meant not saying certain things out loud.
[break][break]
That being said, though, Lucario would allow the other canine to come at him, and instead prepared a Sword’s Dance so that he could try and snap into a Meteor Mash once the other got close – or just prep for a stronger attack after, if left alone.

[break][break]

+ Josh Devlin, vp:3/3, mega standby, using Sword's Dance, maybe meteor mash if roll is high enough ER4N|zXh

[attr="class","pokeclass"]