Ice Shard was never going to do much to an Arcanine and just about everyone knew this. Even the pokémon in question knew it too, and as the gelid chunks of ice headed his way, he did no more than stare at them expectantly – as if he thought some ice would be a nice way to cool off in the middle of this game of dodgeball.
[break][break]
Vic’s Bagon, however, didn’t know this, and upon seeing an attack headed straight for her bestest of friends and dearest teammate, the little Bagon jumped between them. ”GUMBALL?! Vic exclaimed in shock, barely giving himself enough time to duck out of the way of Jayden’s oncoming attack.
[break][break]
Instictively, in order to avoid the ball, he fell flat on the sand – close to the Bagon but not close enough to stop the inevitable. She took the full force of the attack, shards of ice smashing right against her head and causing her to stumble and fall back. No… Not again… Not like this… What did his little dragons do to deserve this?!
[break][break]
The worst part of it though: her noble sacrifice didn’t even completely block off the attack. The Arcanine was still hit by some of the shards, but he shook them off, being more concerned with the now unconscious Bagon.
[break][break]
A loud, heartbreaking howl pierced through the air, and with it, Vic stood. That made three of his pokémon that had bitten the metaphorical dust (or sand?) during this game of dodgeball. He didn’t like it at all. Neither did Nougat, who’s gaze now burned with the fires of vengeance.
[break][break]
Without even waiting for a command, the pokémon moved almost faster than what eyes could see, headbutting the nearest ball towards the Weavile with REVERSAL.

[break][break]

+ jayden cross | 3 FAINTED
[break]

The farm life, as some people called it, was a mystery to someone like Vic. Sure, he may have spent a significant portion of his childhood helping take care of his mother’s dozens upon dozens of pokémon (Pokémon Breeder as she was), but he was sure there was a big difference between playing with and looking after cute little baby pokémon at a nursery and actually having herds of Ponyta, Wooloo, Mareep, and any other species of the sort. He was a city boy, through and through, no matter how small of a city Mistralton actually was.
[break][break]
As far as mysteries went though, it was one that had always sounded really fun to Vic! He couldn’t help but feel curious whenever Leo talked about his life in Oldale, and when his friend had suddenly invited him to visit home with him, of course he had said ’Hell yeah!’ without even giving a second to consider it. Long story short: that’s how Vic had ended up trotting down the road on the back of a Zebstrika, all while holding onto Leo.
[break][break]
”They all sound great, I can’t wait to meet them!”
[break][break]
Apparently, he wouldn’t have to wait at all.
[break][break]
One short phone call later, the Zebstrika was rushing down the road at top speed, and thank Arceus Vic had spent years of his life dealing with an Arcanine that was way too fond of Extreme Speed, or he would have probably gotten motion sick. He held on tight, trying to ignore the blur that was the scenery around them, and when they finally stopped upon reaching their destination, he took a deep breath as if in relief. Or, well, he tried to, since Leo grabbed his hand and began pulling him towards the building while halfway through this.
[break][break]
”Wai–Huh,” Vic stumbled, a chuckle leaving him, but he followed along nevertheless, his gaze fixing on all the little pokémon the moment they made it into the building. ”Oh! Now, that right there was as familiar of a sight as one could be. ”Look at you guys, you’re all so cute!” Obviously, he wanted to pet them, but he managed to resist the urge, his attention instead turning to the girl in the room.
[break][break]
”You must be Care Bear, huh? I’m Vic, it’s nice to meet you! Leo has told me a lot about you,” he grinned.




[break][break]

+ leo del río & caroline foster
[break]Sorry this sucks D:

The poor little Bagon took the Shadow Claw head on, the power of the move dragging her back in the sand even if she withstood it with the grit of a pokémon much larger than what she was.
[break][break]
Larger pokémon such as the Dragonite, for example, who was stopped in his tracks by a super effective Moonblast, Pez finding himself gritting his teeth and glaring at the Primarina as he gathered the strength to power through the pain and take a step forward. A red aura surrounded him, and Vic sighed in turn, because a second later the Dragonite was going on a rampage, OUTRAGE being directed at the Spiritomb simply because it was the nearest enemy in sight.
[break][break]
The Bagon, motivated by Pez’ anger and determination, tried for revenge, aiming a FLAMETHROWER at the Runeringus.
[break][break]
Meanwhile, unbothered by the chaos around her, the Hydreigon dashed forward with another DRAGON RUSH.



[BREAK][BREAK]

+ siobhan burke |
[break]Dragonite: OUTRAGE @ Spiritomb (Lasts 2 more posts)
[break]Hydreigon: DRAGON RUSH
[break]Bagon: FLAMETHROWER @ Runeringus

8NJZPG7M

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Like the parent of a spoiled child, half of Vic’s time in the tournament had been spent letting his Dragonite do just about anything he wanted. Punch a legendary pokémon to his heart’s content? He got it. Drag the rest of the team into a bloody and violent dodgeball game? No problem.
[break][break]
Well, honestly, that last one had been as much for Vic as it had been for Pez, but here’s the thing: Vic didn’t want to battle.
[break][break]
He absolutely didn’t. He had told himself he wouldn’t no matter how fun he knew it would be. And yet, here he was: battling. Since, unlike him Pez really wanted to battle. So, he compromised: maybe it would be fine, maybe if he just let the Dragonite do whatever he wanted and didn’t worry about how wrong his moveset was for this type of thing, it would be alright. It wouldn’t matter if he lost, he wouldn’t take it as seriously as he did in the past. Or, at least he would try.
[break][break]
”Hey! How’s it going?” Funnily enough, the trainers stood as if reflected images; one with a giant Houndoom beside him, the other with an Arcanine that was way over six foot tall at the withers. The Arcanine looked serious despite his wagging tail, and to match, the pink-haired man smiled with nonchalant cheerfulness. ”Wanna take the first move?”
[break][break]
Honestly, the Dragonite he called to the skies would have probably attacked the moment he saw his opponent with no care for decorum, but since none was there just yet, he just huffed, waiting.



[BREAK][BREAK]

+ maverick noah ryder | First move is yours!
[break](Promise the next ones will be shorter, openers get long hehe)
[break]Move hits if 50 or higher, misses if lower
[break]Adding total of hits determines winner

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

”Unova’s pretty cool, though I guess it depends on where you wanna g–”
[break][break]
He didn’t get to finish his sentence. Mostly because he was distracted the moment Pez jumped up to the skies, recognizing all too well the acrobatic movements characteristic of a Dragon Dance. ”Yeah, he is, but… Wait– Pez!” Too little, too late. Winds rose up, a hand being instinctively raised to cover his eyes from the specks of sand and dust. But it wasn’t just sand and dust. Soon it was grass, leaves, bushes, trees, and just about all of the greenery surrounding the Land Spirit Pokémon.
[break][break]
Fuck.
[break][break]
Obviously, Zac knew his good ol’ pal Bulu pretty well, because he was right: Tapu Bulu looked pissed.
[break][break]
Vic also found himself taking a couple of steps back in preparation for what could happen next. But, the Dragonite, on the other hand… Well, he just looked at the legendary from where he was up in the air, a smug expression plastered all over his arguably-goofy dragon face. Did he have a death wish? Was he that reckless? More like delusional, maybe.
[break][break]
”Pez! Move out of the way!” The ranger yelled just as Tapu Bulu reached for a nearby tree, but of course the Dragonite wasn’t going to dodge, because he was no wimp. Instead, he readied to meet the tree with a punch, a faint yet strange red aura surrounding his body just as it made contact.
[break][break]

[break][break]
It sent him a few metres back in the air, but the tree snapped in half, rage filling the Dragonite’s gaze as it stared at Tapu Bulu, all while flapping his wings to steady himself in the air.
[break][break]
On the bright side… At least Tapu Bulu was finally awake?
[break][break]

+ Zac Ramsay | I'm sorry Bulu ily ;-;
[break]Dragonite uses OUTRAGE on the tree

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Vic was well aware that most of the tournament at Slateport beach consisted of actual pokémon battles. Everywhere around them there were people having their pokémon fight until only one was left standing, and honestly, it would have been a lie to say the ranger didn’t feel an itch to battle just by thinking about it. That’s why he couldn’t do it. What if it awakened those old goals he had thought were long gone? What if he fell into the same old habits and the same obsession with gym badges and the elite four? He didn’t like the kind of person he became when it came to battles, no matter how much he loved them or how fun he found them.
[break][break]
This, on the other hand, was fun and harmless.
[break][break]
”Hey Siobhan!” He smiles brightly, bringing himself not to think about all the events that took place the last time he saw the woman before him. Three pokéballs were retrieved from his pocket, calling out the pokémon that would participate in the Sack Race for him: a Dragonite, a Hydreigon, and a Bagon. Also quite the combination. ”Remember, guys, no flying! That goes for you and you, Pez and Skor,” he would tell them as he helped them into the sacks, half of them not looking too pleased about it.
[break][break]
”Okay! Let’s get things started, shall we?” A grin, and when the signal was given for the race to begin, the attacks came almost immediately.
[break][break]
Ever aggressive and competitive Pez tried a Thunder Punch on the nearest ghost, while the Hydreigon propelled herself forward while attacking with a Dragon Rush, and even the Bagon joined in with a Zen Headbutt.
[break][break]
Oh man, this was going to be chaos.


[BREAK][BREAK]

+ siobhan burke | You decide who gets hit! From left to right for rolls...
[break]Dragonite uses THUNDER PUNCH
[break]Hydreigon uses DRAGON RUSH
[break]Bagon uses ZEN HEADBUTT
[break]✔ Endeavor: Participate in a triple battle

Zb7kw8wK

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

”Nougat! Buddy! You know dodge balls aren’t fireproof, we’ve talked about this!”
[break][break]
Honestly, Vic couldn’t help but laugh, roughly yet affectionately squishing the sides of the canine’s huge head and shaking him a little while the Arcanine whimpered about the ball that had just turned to dust – or rather, to ash. This only lasted a few seconds though, because they had a game to play, and it was soon enough that both him and his pokémon were back to having all their attention fixed on the other team, ready to dodge whatever came their way…
[break][break]
What came wasn’t exactly an attack though. Well, it was an attempt at that, but not a very successful one.
[break][break]
Vic wasn’t sure what his friend had meant when asking his pokémon to cover him, but whatever it was, it probably wasn’t what the Krokorok did – especially since the ball fell flat on the sand and didn’t even make it to the other side of the field. ”Uhm…” Unfortunate, but the game must go on, no?
[break][break]
”'Ey, pass,” he whistled, and when a ball was thrown to his hands, he himself tossed it straight up. ”Taff! Hit ‘em!”
[break][break]
The Dragapult appeared on command, and he sure did as asked.
[break][break]
’Flap ‘em wings’ may have meant a hurricane to the Dragonite, but the Dragapult, ’Hit ‘em’ meant SUCKER PUNCH.
[break][break]
He readied the strike, and aligning it with the rising ball, he hit it as hard as he could, straight towards their opponents.





[break][break]

+ jayden cross | 2 FAINTED
[break]

Vic had always been one to be easy to distract, and at a cave where dragons could appear left and right, he was like a little kid in a candy store. Which was kind of a surprisingly fitting metaphor, considering the types of names he usually gave his pokémon.
[break][break]
In his looking around, he noticed it at a distance seconds before the Sigilyph showed up: a Goomy hidden between two rocks, its slimy body looking harmless and soft. Goodra had always been one of his favourite pokémon, but as such, he also knew Goomy were much more sensitive to their surroundings than what most people would have thought.
[break][break]
What to do?
[break][break]
He didn’t get the time to decide. The loud splashing and waves were enough to scare the skittish little pokémon, soon beginning to look for a place to hide. ”Ah! Hey, Soda Pop... Bubbles, to your left.” The attack had a certain amount of range, enough to hit the Goomy as it moved towards more distant rocks in order to try to avoid the Dragon Pulse. And, when it did, Vic was ready with a pokéball, throwing it from right where he was.
[break][break]
Of course, he would have asked Katja if she wanted to have a go at it first, but there wasn’t enough time, and the blonde was preoccupied with other stuff at the time. Plus, she caught the Garchomp, so fair was fair, right?




[break][break]

+ katja weiss - Catching Goomy! ♡

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

It’s awkward.
[break][break]
When was the last time Vic felt awkward? He has never been one to easily falter; not as a kid, not as a teen, and even less as years have passed. Most situations rarely shake him. Yet, here he stands: shaken.
[break][break]
Flynn steps closer, reaches over, and there’s a small comfort in that. For a second, he’s almost the kris flynn-edwards Vic remembers: caring, reassuring, a comforting and steady presence in his life. But... it still doesn’t feel right.
[break][break]
Violet eyes fix on the other man, and in a way that has been mastered over twenty-seven years of life, he returns his expression to a calm and joyful one. He doesn’t want things between them to be broken. He doesn’t want Flynn to worry. So, he smiles. ”Hah, yeah, I have! Well… Not tonight, or I wouldn’t be here, but we’ll get to that.” A soft laugh; joking to ease the tension that looms over them as if a raincloud.
[break][break]
”How are you though? It’s so good to see you!” These words, by contrast, are pure and honest, and so is the happiness with which they come.




[BREAK][BREAK]

+ kris flynn-edwards

”Oh.”
[break][break]
It’s not the response that makes him pause, but the way it’s said. Vic understands it then: no matter how happy he is to see him again, kris flynn-edwards probably doesn’t feel the same. He doesn't want it to, but it hurts. Rejection has never been something Vic takes well, specially from a friend.
[break][break]
Then again, how long has it been since they were friends?
[break][break]
”...Yeah, I, uh–…” His heart aches, he doesn’t know what to say. He suddenly remembers the reason he’s here, and guilt overtakes. ”I’m actually here to file a police report? Can you… uhm… help me with that, maybe?” There is a smile, but it’s faint – gentle, apologetic.
[break][break]
Why does it hurt?



[BREAK][BREAK]

+ kris flynn-edwards

It’s selfish, but for a second, when he sees him, all of his worries are washed away. Everything that happened on this terrible night vanishes as if with a snap, and in its place there come a thousand memories of a life long past. Happy memories. Cherished ones.
[break][break]
When the other says his name, confirming his suspicions, Vic smiles. A smile that, even after years have passed, still shines as bright as it once had. One that isn’t jaded – immune to the corruption of time.
[break][break]
”Flynn! What are you doing here?!” He’s ecstatic, and while he thinks he knows part of the answer, he still asks.
[break][break]
He never imagined he would see him after all this time.


[BREAK][BREAK]

+ kris flynn-edwards