Of course it is,” she replied, flipping some of her black-red hair over her shoulder. Alliteration was always nice, though she had not exactly chosen the nickname because of that. No, she wasn’t that good at those. She’d just chosen it because it was a shorter name of the species.

But, well, that could not be helped. She shrugged to herself, then focused on the fight in front of her. The Pidove was going all in right away, but Lash decided that they had enough leeway to set up for the future first. “Try to get away from that and set up your Stealth Rock,” she ordered and the stoney dog tried to do just that. To howl, causing splintered rocks to erupt from the ground all over and then to dive away to the side. They would have a harder time hitting the Pidove in the air, but it might well have to come down to Lyca’s level to hit, after all. Might as well try.


lam logan
HP: 3/3
Z-Move unused
Stealth Rock used
CsuMkRij

Seriously? That guy wanted to stay here?

…

Well, everyone knew what to do about unwilling guests. Well, in this case, a too-willing guest. But if he truly wanted to stay, she certainly was not going to stop him. In fact, she barely knew the man. Leaving him behind to his own devices instead of taking him against his will just seemed right, after all.

…

Though his boy would probably try to save him or stay as well, and the two smarter ones would be left having to answer a whole bunch of questions from the authorities later. Lash had her Hydreigon turn, briefly, while going through her Pokeballs, looking for the least worst option to help out there.

Fortunately though, the smarter woman was already on the case. Lash briefly wondered if that Mega was supposed to go and flatten the hive, but instead it was just used to swoop up the silly man. Good enough. “Well, we got our last man then. We really should get a move on, now.”

Guillermo Marceliño Alexei Ivanov Elinor Anderson

VUqf4TPC

A Pidove, eh. There were all sorts of folks in this. And due to the odd rules, everyone had a chance. In fact, she all but assumed that it was mostly just luck that determined winners here. Most likely to help anyone to have a proper chance of winning.

Likely good for ratings, still felt weird to play with. It probably explained why this guy seemed all but disinterested in the actual fight, not even introducing himself.
Still though, she had come up with a staple introduction, so she would give that. “It’s fine, I guess. Doesn’t really feel like much of a tournament the way it’s set up,” she first stated, shrugging. “Anyway, I am Lash, this is Lyca and we are ready. Sadly no word with L for that one.”
Her dusk form Lycanroc would take the stage anyway, stoic as always.

lam logan
HP: 3/3
Z-Move Status
Move used

“Tofu, hm? Can’t say I am a fan,” she replied, shrugging but inwardly happy at the little pun. Well, even calling it a pun was probably stretching it. More just an observation on the other’s weird naming conventions.

Still, it was a Pikachu. The most popular pokemon of all the polls. Weird how she didn’t run into those as much, come to think of it.

Yet, that meant nothing. Instead, it was on her to keep the etiquette going. “I am Lash, this is Lyca, don’t get it confused. All those four letter words with L, right?”


ollie morales
HP: 3/3
Z-Move Status
Move used

Uh…huh. Truth be told, Lash was not quite sure how that happened. The last vital point was lost, even though no attack actually connected on Lyca. The rock slide did not hit, but it was still weird that a tail-wind would win a match.

There probably was some reason that the system called this for the other, but Lash could only shrug, slightly confounded. But it was also whatever. Ever since she learned that these were more like exhibition matches with obscure rules, some might even say random ones, she had given up on really trying.

Ah, well, she would simply shrug again. “Guess that’s it. People usually don’t stay to chat after these, so I am not going to keep you needlessly. Have fun in your next match,” she replied, staying polite. The other had given her no reason not to. And no one was at fault for the odd system.

Well, neither of them at least.



Shalin Nariya
HP: 0/3
Z-Move Status
lossl]

Yeah, of course mega evolution on top of everything else was enough for that guy to knock Lyca out for the time being. Luckily for him though, he did not end up doing something that might have spilled loads of blood or anything, things just kind of staying on the level of the so-called PG-13.

But while that hurt Lyca, Lash knew that the dog could take it. They had been at this for a long time, after all. This wasn’t really something new in that regard. It would ultimately be fine. Hence she simply recalled Lyca with the implicit promise to get her some healing-up soon enough.

Once that was done she clapped. In the golfy kind of way. “Congratulations, you won against a little girl,” she exclaimed with a chipper grin, evidently not exactly torn up over it, though she would never not make snide remarks here. “I do guess that is a step beyond taking a lollipop from a toddler. Still though, a fight is a fight.” And she shrugged, could not exactly put that on weird rules or anything. Still, she wasn’t here for that, anyway. Hence, she would leave, though as she turned her back to him she would raise her hand and at one more thing: “And give your girlfriend my greetings. And condolences. You know, because of you finishing too quickly.” She had already started mouthing off, might as well end that way.


Gerald Kaiser
HP: 0/3
Z-Move Status
loss
[roll]

Well, that did not go so well. But she had experienced that new thing, so there was that at least. Plus, she had shown that she could keep up, maybe even earning some respect from this woman.

Lash still did not quite know what to make of that. But she never said no to free food. Hence, she took that hand and shook it. “Breakfast does sound good, yes. Battling always leaves one hungry,” she noted, though Lyca probably would complain, had she not been recalled for now. A bit of rest would do the Pokemon good. Always important after going for a Z-Move. Which was one of the reasons why she was not trying to win here. The randomness of battles meant that doing as many as possible was likely the best strategy. And that was not something she wanted to push onto her Pokemon.


Genevieve Cromwell
HP: 0/3
Z-Move Status
loss

So, this was no moon. Well, not really at least. Lash had no idea whatsoever what even kept this afloat, but they did manage to get here on the updraft of the Celesteela – and right into a nest of sorts for Kartanas.

Those were quite interesting though, so she took a closer look at them – from afar. Lash was reckless enough to go to a moon to look for a distortion, but she wasn’t quite this reckless. “No distortions up here, either. Guess you aren’t my lucky charms here this time,” she noted, sighing, then rolling her eyes at those brave comrades of hers. None of them seemed like they even wanted to be there to begin with. “So, um, I reckon we not disturb all those Kartana. You all in favour of that?”

Elinor Anderson
Guillermo Marceliño
Alexei Ivanov

A good battle, sure. Maybe they should not have held back after flattening that frog. She was not quite aware of consciously pulling her punches, but it was not impossible, either.

Still though, Hydro-Pump spam was difficult to deal with. Not that it made for what she considered a good battle though. “Suuure,” she hence said, kind of biting her tongue on the matter. And she just decided to take that loss. After all, she still got a step closer to what she wanted, anyway.


CIAN MAHER
Loss

Ah, no more words. She guessed she had won on that arena at least, while making at least a little headway on the other. That Z-Move had probably impressed him a bit more than he let on.

Good. Served him right.
The Absol was certainly trying a bit harder, immediately retaliating but not quite making it yet. Which was good, since they were still at the last vital. That had not changed. But then again, that was half luck anyway. And when one was with the back to a wall, it made going further easier. After all, ahead was the only direction left, now.

“Shift gears, then,” she ordered Lyca, who got what that meant. Namely to change into a more physical form of combat now that the Z-Move had been exhausted, rushing headlong at the other in an attempt to land an Accelerock.

Gerald Kaiser
HP: 1/3
Z-Move used up
Accelerock used
5Kp6KUQJ

Oh, so it was over now? Interesting. But she figured it was just as well anyway. The counter showed the other to still be at three points, which probably was what this was all about. It had clearly taken this hit badly and Lyca had not lost her last point. So, it had to be what this gimmick was about, in the end.

But that did not help too much. “Gordo got what?” Her reply belied an unfamiliarity with whatever slang this was, but she left it at that for the time being. Instead, she focused on the battle while rubbing the back of her hand. “Double Team and try to evade that. If possible, Sucker Punch it after,” she ordered the rocky dog which would try to do just that. It was already injured though, so it possibly would not work anyway. Still, they had to try at least.


Genevieve Cromwell
HP: 1/3
Z-Move used up
Sucker Punch used
j43YX|0I

Now this? This was the proper result she wanted to see out of a Z-Move. Taking away her opponent’s advantage, backing them into a corner and doing damage. That was, in her opinion, the proper outcome of a one-time trick like this.

Plus, it made up for having to strike a silly pose to boot, so there was that. It was the kind of trade-off she could sign off at least. But it was not the kind of attack that always, without fail, ended a fight. The bee was injured, sure, and it could not exactly mega-evolve again to heal that. Yet, it was still fighting, seeking to strike back right away.

Yet, this was still the best opportunity to try and press that advantage. She probably would not so soon get another one. Whatever happened next would certainly decide the match. Hence, she gave it some thought. But in the end, the was only one real option that seemed promising. “One more Rock Slide, try to finish this,” she ordered and Lyca put what she got into forming some more rocks, aiming them at the insectoid opponent.

Shalin Nariya
HP: 1/3
Z-Move no longer available
Rock Slide used
lxpxHzE5

Ugh. It was kind of nice that the other was impressed. But Lash was a little disappointed. She had hoped for that attack to actually punch through, but it diverted some of the power of the rock attack at best. At least that was what these vital points indicated. Dynamax was another broken thing she had to look into, apparently.

But, eh, she was still convinced that this was mostly a contest of luck. A stat that she definitely was not proficient in. Otherwise, she would not have lost herself, after all. But that just meant she had to take opportunities where she could get them. “I mean, I can show you. But only over lunch, which you will invite me to, got that? Also, Lyca, just put it all on one card and Accelerock this!” The Lycanroc would comply. Unfazed by the incoming steel spike and huge size of the armadillo, it tried to leverage superior speed and tried to interrupt the whole thing with the speediest of headbutts.

Genevieve Cromwell
HP: 1/3
Z-Move used up
Accelerock used
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