Copperajah’s ROLLOUT continued against the opponents again, even as she sank further towards the ground, not moving from the canine’s clamping jaw. It was working, but at what risk? The force of the rolling rock only increased—this time threefold from its original power.

As the Obstagoon was busy defending its partner, the unattended Golurk took the opportunity to throw a HAMMER ARM straight for its back.

Regardless of what happened, Copperajah would slump to the ground shortly after, FAINTED from her injuries. Bo would look impressed.

Their opponent went down, and Aurorus was the victor. Things had gotten a bit chilly, so Bo recalled her as well back into her capsule, and the BLIZZARD subsided.

Bo smiled and nodded. “Hey, you too. Saw you’ve been doing pretty well in this thing! Your Spiritomb’s pretty tough.” If anything, it could withstand the cold for a while.

He’d been keeping his eyes out.

“Hey, no problem! Yeah, that’s me. Or you can call me Bo—whichever.”

Beside him was the giant that was Golurk, eyes aglow as it awaited orders. Then, Cradily, hunkered to the ground even in the sand with its SUCTION CUPS, head and tentacles bobbing around contentedly in the beachy breeze.

“This’ll be our third battle with a gym leader this tournament. Hopefully we can do as well against you guys as we did against Silph!” He flashed a slightly sideways grin. The loss to Zac Ramsay had been disappointing, but there would definitely be another challenge there in the near future. He wouldn’t settle for that outcome.

The opponents doubled up on the greatest thread—a good strategy. Bo watched, wondering if the two might be enough to bring down his strong Copperajah.

Not taking any chances of losing his teammate, Golurk opted for another assault in favor of boosting his defenses. Only time would tell if it was a poor decision. Another FOCUS PUNCH sailed for the Absol as it passed, hoping to do damage and knock it off course or diminish the damage of its PURSUIT on the Copperajah. Unfortunately, NIGHT SLASH hit, although a rolling rock came fast behind the Obstagoon—giving it (presumably) two options: move, or be crushed.

The ROLLOUT continued, boulders becoming heavier and more damaging as they seemed to draw sediment and power. Copperajah was still in it, though she finally bent at a knee.

Shit. Why ask later when you could know now?

Would Bo still eat calamari? You bet your sweet ass, he would. In fact, he would eat even more calamari now, just to show Inkay who was boss. Bo, because he wasn’t in a pokeball, unconscious, like some weak-ass squid.

Aurorus was still CONFUSED, and so all of her hits would not land quite on target. This time, actually, there was no hit. Instead of attacking, she simply roared and thrashed her head.

Bo raised brows and gave a nod as his Copperajah’s move was OBSTRUCTED. “Huh. Not bad, kid!” Perhaps it was the parent in him cheering this kid on.

Unfortunately, with defenses lowered, the elephant was made especially vulnerable—as she had no defensive moves. She was all offense. With nothing to further bolster her, she went all in. No use in running. As the teeth of BITE came over her ankle, her energy glowed, and large boulders rose from the sand, a ROLLOUT taking over the field, making it hazardous. With each hit, the damage would increase.

Copperajah had taken on much of her own, and cried out in pain. The Golurk answered, appearing out of PHANTOM FORCE to deliver the its damage on the Absol which had abandoned its spectral form. Perhaps it wouldn’t be that effective, but maybe it would be enough to shake the dog loose.

Copperajah’s swing found purchase, only to be knocked right back even harder with a formidable COUNTER. However, the elephant’s mass kept it mostly weighted, and still close in range enough to retaliate right back with her opposing STRENGTH, lashing out again with her hard head.

When the Absol came in for another bite, Bo commanded again quickly, “PHANTOM FORCE.” With the distance it had created, Golurk was able to disappear mostly, the teeth of the canine’s BITE just barely finding the spectral form of the giant.

Dark-types would prove a fierce match for the Golurk, but they would not go down easily.

Bo watched, assessing the kid’s strategies. So far, so good.

As the Absol came in close, Bo called out to assist with a suggestion knowingly:

“Golurk: FOCUS PUNCH.”

While the dark energy surrounding Absol's BITE did impressive damage to the giant, its fist went sailing straight into teeth anyways, fighting through.

Meanwhile, Copperajah needed no instruction. Emboldened by the 'come hither' TAUNT of Obstagoon, She headed straight for it, steely trunk rounding towards its body with IRON HEAD.

He watched the Durant FAINT. It seemed it was having a rough go of it this tournament. It needed more training. It was returned to its ball first, and then Golem, who stood weighted with ice to the ground, hardly even shivering at that point in her stillness.

Bo was happy to have been met with such a challenging battle. “Yeah, it was!”

Golem was his strongest pokemon, and she stood there,

“You really gave Golem a run for her money. Thanks for the battle, Aria.” Eyes lingered for a moment before he turned to leave, giving a wave. “Good luck! Not that you need it.”

As the BLIZZARD continued, Golem finally began to FREEZE. It would maybe take a little bit more, but she would fight through until she froze solid—Bo knew that much, and made no move to recall her.

The SHEER COLD stopped her in place. Would this finally be the match that toppled her streak? Surely not…

There was little else that could be done. As ice began to form, the remainder of her energy glowed, sending ROCK THROW towards the Frosmoth this time, to hopefully knock it out of the air, and within reach of the Durant—who delivered another X-SCISSOR across the rooted pokemon. 

What to even do in such a situation? People were staring. He was still seeing red, and also: his brother.

His fingers began to slacken, only a little. He shook his head, giving a huff of disbelief at the response. Was he being serious? Even after twenty-five years, Bo sometimes couldn’t tell. Eyes searched for answers and came up short.

“How do you know he ran away? Where is he, Cian? His mother’s worried.” He was worried. Rage seethed audibly in his voice; a heated core under stone.

Golem finally began to catch a chill, apparently. Knowing to keep moving, lest she be frozen solid, she went back in towards the Abomasnow with a BULLDOZE.

Meanwhile, Durant seemed pretty unperturbed about the weather. It did not let up. Was it growling? Was that something Durants did?

Its VICE GRIP merely clamped down harder on the ankle it still had in its pincers.