Finn stopped right where the path fed into the main square. He didn't need to see Zev to know he wasn't having a good time - he heard his feet pounding painfully on the ground and his limbs flapping in the wind.

Finn did feel a bit bad for the guy. He looked breathless and lost. Maybe he was really out of practice. But what about his enthusiasm for his previous training, the way it unwound his mask to reveal that excitable, pliable warmth inside?

"Alright, I give you my word - I won't move more than three feet away."

Finn's stance shifted. Instead of resting light on his feet, he let his weight sink deeper into the ground. He lowered his centre of gravity, spread his feet apart, and moved one arm up to guard himself, his other arm holding the glass away from Zev like a treasure.

"You said you've practiced before. Show me." Finn tilted his head gently, almost mischievously, daring Zev to make a move. He was trying to keep things open and jovial, but his students often said - although perhaps not in front of him - that he sometimes came on too strong for them to breathe.

Zev Harcourt

On one side, Dafutou brandished his arm-swords fiercely in the air. On the other side, Finn crept in like a Mightyena out for blood. The thief tried sticking his hand into his shirt to retrieve a Pokeball, but Dafutou hissed and released a terrible buzz from his bristling wings so loud and violent that its sheer sound made the criminal retch. Seizing the chance, Finn prowled up to him and socked him across the jaw.

"I don't even need my swords to deal with someone like you."

Finn's punch landed like a bomb strike. The thief was down for the count - for now.

Brushing the sweat off his spiky green fringe, Finn picked up his bags as Dafutou settled down beside him. "Thanks, buddy." He rubbed the Scyther's snout with his elbow, and the creature growled appreciatively in return. Catching his breath, Finn looked around him, the crowd tightening and dispersing - it was over. Where was Ayana now?

Beidou teleported before him, his eyes wide with urgency. Finn's stomach dropped. He'd hate to have pulled Ayana into this. She was a good and strong person but this need not have been her fight to settle.

"Let's go."

With another burst of lavender light, the world spun around Finn and his team, and they rematerialised beside Ayana on the roof. The wind in his hair told Finn about their height. Ayana faced off against two brutish thugs, a Musharna floating in a pink haze ahead of her. Her face had totally transformed from her friendly cafe persona; Finn knew the look of someone accustomed to force.

Finn threw his bags to the side.

"Dafutou, you're up." The Scyther answered the call with a harsh hiss.

Responding in kind, the two grunts summoned a Liepard and Golbat.

"Tsk. Dying on your girlfriend's behalf?"

Finn snarled.

"We're not the ones dying today. Go!" Dafutou lashed out in a blast of slashing wind, his scythes glowing insect green. Scyther used X-Scissor on Liepard!

As the battle started, Finn glanced towards Ayana. He realised he did not know who she really was at all.

Ayana Takahashi

Economy of effort. Why waste energy doing more than you need to get the result you want?

Zev threw his hand forward; Finn responded simply by stepping to his left, barely causing a stir in his tea.

Finn wasn't always like that. Back when he was a hotheaded beginner, neophyte Finn saw force and agitation as the cure to all problems. He learned, as he matured on the path, that not all problems require solving, and that solving them often needed less force than you thought. And so he felt that, with enough guidance, Zev had promise to grow like he did too.

A Taillow's chirp rang in the air.

"I'll see you when I see you."

Finn dashed off in a blitz of green, back down the rows of huts and towards the main training area. This felt good to him. He felt certain that Zev would give him a good workout.

Zev Harcourt

Finn's smile broadened even as his brows and chin remained strong, as if to reassure Zev that he wasn't going to be in any real trouble. Instead, he would just be in a little bit of trouble - a splash of finely calibrated chaos. 

"Relax. You don't need to prepare anything. We have all the equipment we need right here." 

Finn paused to let the uncertainty sink in. There was nothing much around them. They stood on an earthen pathway flanked by two rows of training huts and a drink stand. What did Finn possibly mean?

Satisfied (with himself), Finn took another sip of his tea, enjoying its cutting coldness as it fanned across his lips. Then, Finn raised his glass as if to offer Zev a toast. 

Some Taillow peered down at them from the red-tiled rooftops.

"Your test is to take this glass off me. No breaking; no spilling." 

Finn's smile shifted into a crafty smirk. 

"Do you accept?" 

Zev Harcourt

OOC: I'm thinking this could evolve into either a bareknuckle duel, a chase, maybe a Pokemon battle? However it flows!

A new class had just graduated from Flying Sword School's beginners course. Since they were short on manpower, Finn had to step in to examine their sparring - every single one of their two hundred students. By the end of the week, Finn's body was shattered. He needed an escape and the first place he could think of was Lavaridge's famous hot spring spa village.

And since he was in the area, why not check out the nearby Meteor Falls too?

Finn always found this place intriguing. The energy felt different; the rock seemed heavier, denser than usual. The whole area seemed to buzz with a force in its molecules that felt just out of this world. Finn stood in a huge yawning cavern, so tall and wide it hosted a waterfall. The air danced on Finn's skin. He felt like he could do anything - scale a rock wall? Go for a swim? He was dressed the part, too. Each breath stoked his appetite for adventure.

Finn's judgment of Zev shifted as the visitor spoke about his experience with MMA. It was like watching a machine warm up its engine. The fondness of Zev's memories melted through his mask, and now he looked genuinely eager to learn, share, explore. He moved and spoke quicker and brighter. Finn's own expression lightened reciprocally. It lit a fire inside him whenever he saw other people glow with passion. It was why he did what he did. 

"You're right," Finn answered Zev approvingly. "When you fight with swords, you have to move your centre of gravity like mercury. Silvery, quick, always adapting to change." As if to demonstrate - but really just because Finn's thoughts wore his body like a glove - Finn slid his weight from one foot to the other like a shadow gliding over a pavement, a dancing Absol. 

As Finn took a long cool sip of tea, he thought about how Zev might fit into his school. He had some prior skill, a good dose of enthusiasm - but what Finn looked for was flexibility. 

"I think you might enjoy yourself here, Zev," Finn remarked, his half-finished glass held loosely in his grip; "I'm just thinking about which level we can slot you into."

A playful smile underlined his cheekbones. 

"If you want, we could do the entrance test right now." 

Zev Harcourt

Responsibility always went both ways with Finn. Could he empathise with people who felt shackled to duty? Yes. But did Finn also like being Master Flying Sword? Oh, yes. He couldn't imagine himself doing anything else with his life. Little escapes like their royal fancy dress party helped him keep his good cheer. Some of his students and fellow teachers might say he could use more of it, though.

"Oh my, heir to Galar? What a heavy crown to wear." Finn nodded and raised an impressed eyebrow. An interesting choice of monarchy. Wouldn't one usually go for an obscure kingdom or faraway nation - something with plausible deniability?

Still, like any good larper, Finn played along. "I hail from Flying Sword Kingdom. We are a humble but sturdy people on the border of this good city." Finn raised a strong robed hand, gesturing outwards with an understated flourish of his fine silk sleeve. Emerald dragons danced along Finn's arm. "Our people are earnest and work hard, but we are unfortunately not the best at business. We would love to learn from your kingdom in your ways - we can offer your knights martial arts training in return!" Finn smiled, much more broadly than he usually did. Part of it was that he enjoyed this little skit they had going on; part of it was also that he could be more fully himself when in disguise.

Elise Calcifet

Pivoting smoothly on his handmade dress sandals, Finn turned to regard the woman who addressed him. People turned up at the faire in their best, but this lady really showed up to win. Her dress transcended all of Finn's expectations - it seemed to actually be an outfit from a real royal palace. Finn's eyes glimmered merrily.

"Oh yes, madam, a fine evening indeed." Finn chirped, the airy mood of the event and the commitment of his new roleplaying partner getting to him. His breath lifted his chest high, poised elegantly like a Gallade mid-dance. "I, too, am escaping from my duties as Crown Prince of my kingdom. I come from a nearby land and am here to live, even if for a while, among the common people." He waved a hand, which he carried with weight and magnanimity, at the warm atmosphere around them. Bright lanterns, Pikachu and Growlithe with festive hats scampering about.

"I'm pleased to meet you. I'm Prince Yang." Finn greeted the lady with a deep bow. As a member of a martial clan, every movement of his was suffused with decorum. He offered her a graceful and bracing hand.

Elise Calcifet

"Coach, do you have a bit of time after class?"

Finn's face knotted slightly. "Yes, but we have to be quick. I have something on in the evening."

That "something on" was the Renaissance Faire. Finn was a sucker for the monthly festivities. He loved the sticky sweet smell of toffee apples, the lights strewn across the Fortree canopy, and the kids running around in their little costumes and holding lanterns.

It also gave Finn a chance to dress up. Finn had a soft spot for fine clothes, such as the royal green kimono and polished headdress he sported proudly, but rarely had the chance to come out like this. He might be alone, but he was a man of solitude, and his thoughts and the music of local cheer was enough to lighten his spirits.

Some merrymakers who recognised him from the village bowed respectfully to him as he walked past them, and Finn responded with a light smile. He didn't want to always be Master Flying Sword. Now, he just wanted to be a normal citizen, dressed sharp enough to kill, enjoying his evening off.

Elise Calcifet

Zev seemed earnest. Well, earnest enough. Finn nodded approvingly in response to Zev's comment about in-person visits. He was right - trying to conduct online sword lessons was a nightmare that Finn hoped to never visit again. Sometimes, his marketing committee pushed him to do some questionable, questionable things.

"Well, I have some time before I see my next student. Shall we have a look at the grounds?"

Finn led the way, opening the grand doors of the main hall to look out at the courtyard, bathed in sunlight and wind. Students in black training robes sparred in small pockets across the big open space. Some Taillow perched by the sides, watching the clash of wooden training swords as they chirped amongst themselves. The forest air laid lightly on the School. All about was the sound of honest hard work, and sometimes a chuckle.

"Have you had much experience with training before? What are you trying to get here?" Finn asked softly, measuredly. They turned a sunlit corner and strolled past some gardens and huts where other teachers and students consulted in private. A refreshment booth stood with a humble pitcher of ice cold tea and some cakes.

"Tea?" Finn asked, making to pour them both cooling glasses of their kitchen's crisp-tasting tea.

Zev Harcourt

A prospective student?

Well, then Finn better put on a shirt.

Finn strode over, slowly and stately, to a chair by the side. He pulled his green and white robe off its back and draped it over himself, knitting it loosely over his waist.

Finn inspected Zev as they locked hands. He looked like he might be decent with a sword. He might even have had some kind of experience with fighting. But beyond his face, Zev looked like a shadowy haze. Like there was more to him that Finn couldn't see - or was being blocked from seeing.

"I'm Finnegan. Nice to meet you." Finn's smile was stoic but respectful. Still, he wondered why Zev came all the way here. If he'd seen their school online, he could have signed up online.

"It must've been quite a journey to get here. What brings you this far out?" Finn's eyes flickered.

Zev Harcourt

Finn was fast, but not fast enough to catch up with a scooter. He roared as he turned the corner in hot pursuit, his mind honed like a blazing dagger. As distance yawned between them, Finn's heart began to slip. 

Then, Ayana released a curious creature - an exotic Voltorb that had also recently started sprouting in Finn's woods - that sprayed Leech Seeds all over the scooter. Ropey vines unfurled and knotted up all throughout the motorcycle's machinery, bringing the vehicle to a screeching, tumbling halt. If Finn could, he'd turn round to pump his fist in the air with thanks - but the thief was good! As the scooter flipped off the road, he leaped off it, light as a leaf, with his bounty in hand! 

The chase continued; but this time, he was on foot. Finn snarled as his legs pounded the road. He was trained to run and leap amongst the gigantic roots of Fortree's undergrowth - this was nothing! They wove in and out of a crowd, but Finn was gaining ground. 

"Stop him!" Finn roared, throwing out a Pokeball to summon his friend Dafutou the Scyther. The green monster screeched and slashed through the air above them, landing far ahead and cutting off the thief's path. He was cornered - for now. 

As he sealed off his end of the path, Finn's mind sped back to Ayana. Would she be okay? 

Of course she would be. She probably hasn't even revealed her true strength yet. Finn almost looked forward to her joining him just to see what else she could do.

Ayana Takahashi