[attr="class","danny"]danny knows nothing at this point; not that it'd change much.

"yeah maybe! but it's great to meet you anyways. big fan of your battles so far. i especially like the one against that dude with the noivern. MATIAS SILPH, i think!"

spoken like a true fan boy.

his jaw drops when the ILLUSION shatters.

"holy that's so cool."

grimmsnarl certainly thinks so as well, stunned for a moment, but he's quick to recover to throw an uppercut of a POWER-UP PUNCH.

[attr="class","noodles"]Cillian Quinn

[attr="class","danny"]watching the riolu fly back like that makes him feel a little guilty, but this is the nature of battling. pokemon get hurt. the important thing is that they learn and grow from it.

"you're doing great, riolu!"

grimmsnarl turns back as if to ask for approval as well.

"you too grimster!"

it's from that distraction that allows the SPIRIT BREAK to connect. it slams against grimmsnarl but it's not enough to send him off his feet.

grimmsnarl turns, roars, then returns a POWER-UP PUNCH after closing in.

[attr="class","noodles"]Gwyar Wledig

[attr="class","danny"]danny isn't actually expecting to be handled an umbrella but it's a welcome surprise even if he feels a bit guilty watching andrea walk across the whole length of the battlefield. actually, he jogs up to meet her halfway.

"thanks so much, andrea! i owe you one."

too bad the soft towel's drenched moments after by the SURF as well as danny's entire person. wet clothes stick to his skin as he laughs, handing the umbrella back over to andrea.

"don't think i'll be needing this anymore."

meanwhile, grimmsnarl braces himself through the force of SURF, somehow remaining on his feet only to bow his head to FALSE SURRENDER. a spike of hair darts out towards milotic, similar to how danny's hair had once looked before the rain.

[attr="class","noodles"]Martín del Mar

[attr="class","danny"]danny's caught off guard as evident by how he stumbles on his next few words.

"o-oh yeah, i am! and cool! i knew she knows a few pro trainers but i don't think she's ever mentioned you."

not that it's suspicious in any way, it's just...small talk, let's say.

danny calls out his choice for the battle as well.

"alright! thanks for accepting the challenge, liam! we'll be sure to give it our best."

it's grimmsnarl. it's always grimmsnarl.

"same thing as always, grimster."

somewhat weirded out by the lucario, grimmsnarl lunges forward to throw a POWER-UP PUNCH.

[attr="class","noodles"]Cillian Quinn

[attr="class","danny"]"woah! riolu's strong!"

it surprises grimmsnarl as well. his muscles tense, growing in size after the first POWER-UP PUNCH, and though the usual plan is to keep throwing more, he's suddenly wary of letting the riolu copy him.

so through the cloud, grimmsnarl swings his other first in an attempt to SPIRIT BREAK.

[attr="class","noodles"]Gwyar Wledig

[attr="class","danny"]"hello! my good sir!"

danny jogs after someone he's definitely seen competing. they're strong; stronger than any opponent he's ever faced. but that only excites him even more.

this'll be a chance to prove himself. to who exactly? he's still not sure.

"liam king, right?"

[attr="class","noodles"]Cillian Quinn

[attr="class","danny"]"oh sure! definitely. i'm sure it'll still be a tough battle."

smiling, danny releases his grimmsnarl, which really has been the only pokemon he's used in the tournament thus far. but hey, if it ain't broken...

"alright! let's start off strong, grimster!"

the grimmsnarl nods, flexes, then jumps ahead to throw the first POWER-UP PUNCH.

[attr="class","noodles"]Gwyar Wledig

[attr="class","danny"]"excuse me, sir!"

sir? come on, danny.

he stops a stranger on the beach.

"i was wondering if you were participating in the tournament? i'm looking for a couple more battles and you look like someone who's really strong!"

[attr="class","noodles"]Gwyar Wledig

[attr="class","danny"]grimmsnarl slowly recovers, now forced to bring both his hands up to cover his ears as the DISARMING VOICE sounds. he grunts through the pain, then bows his head to FALSE SURRENDER once again, perhaps hoping it'd be enough to get the espurr to stop.

his hair spikes out; spikier than danny's.

"nice one, grimster!"

[attr="class","noodles"]Eris Halla

[attr="class","danny"]mars is toxic.

even more toxic than making it rain over a very beautiful day.

"not at all! it's actually really refreshing."

danny beams back a smile, brightness unaffected by the pouring rain.

"kinda wish i had an umbrella haha!"

sticking close to the milotic, grimmsnarl continues his assault with another POWER-UP PUNCH that makes his muscles grow even larger. kinda scary, really.

[attr="class","noodles"]Martín del Mar

[attr="class","danny"]grimmsnarl's caught off guard by the FAKE OUT — it causes him to flinch, which loses him the round of combat.

"recover quick, grimster!"

[attr="class","noodles"]Eris Halla

[attr="class","danny"]grimster the grimmsnarl is a very cool name.

grimmsnarl's pretty stubborn and not very evasive, so he takes the brunt of the HYDRO PUMP and forces his way through, struggling as he eventually makes it to throw the first POWER-UP PUNCH.

"nice one!"

[attr="class","noodles"]Martín del Mar

[attr="class","danny"]danny doesn't realize until it's a little too late to do anything but to clarify.

"no, no, not us. i just mean all of this."

her frustrations are recognized, understood, and he's reaching for her hand in an attempt to placate some of them.

"but it's okay. i'll get used to it...i just need some time."

[attr="class","noodles"]Serena Malcolm