[attr="class","icon"]

"really? i'll give you some ideas then." [break][break]

kyle takes the telescope away, freeing noah to move on ahead. he's careful to navigate the roof tiles—but he sneaks in a slap of the other's ass as he passes.[break][break]

"i'll be waiting!" noah almost cackles before descending back to earth.

[attr="class","icon"]

if RAGE FIST is a vengeful punch, then a COUNTERED RAGE FIST is a punch of intergenerational comeuppance. when the tail whips around, it strikes the ape like a cracking tree trunk.[break][break]

instantaneously, noah's annihilape FAINTS. its thick, dense body strikes the fencing, almost forcing it to bend.[break][break]

though one may assume noah would be frustrated by the swift turn of events, the gym leader seems remarkably pleased. the recall of his annihilape is crowned by a wide, proud smile.[break][break]

"that's exactly what i wanna see!" noah says. "COUNTER's one of my faves. gotta be careful that you don't dish out what you can't take, am i right?"[break][break]

he leaps from his podium and scrambles over to angelo. from his pocket, he produces the KNOCKOUT BADGE.[break][break]

"congrats, man! super deserved."

[attr="class","bottom"]angelo vestri

[attr="class","icon"]

noah can not discern her grimace through the cufflinks. the bolt and wing. not that it would matter; should he have seen her wince, he would have landed on some other assumption.[break][break]

"take the hit, leonard!" [break][break]

the annihilape huffs and receives the punch head on. a hard thwack forces the ape staggering back. from the dragonite's fist, a wreath of flames flares on its tough fur.[break][break]

"good!" noah says, his smile teetering the rope between masochistic and mischievous. "RAGE FIST!"[break][break]

anger pumps in its veins. makes the blood heavy. the annihilape charges forth with brutish speed. with a crazed face, it leaps onto the ring's chain-link wall, using it as a rattling launch pad before diving toward the dragon with a raised, dense fist.

[attr="class","bottom"]freya morningstar [break]
ANNIHILAPE PUNCHED / RAGE FIST ON DRAGONITE ATTEMPTED[break][break]

a red light lashes into the dissipating smoke. the battle is over—and noah, who pats the pokeball containing his weary medicham, smiles.

"flying colors, man."

the gym leader leaps from his podium. fishing a badge from his shorts, he passes it over to michail. underneath the ring lights, the interlocking boxing gloves gleam hot.

"had a ton of fun. you and your pokemon. deserve this." noah says.

"glad hoenn's got good trainers like you."

[break]

tl;dr and notes

WOOOO ty milky

jayden cross

☉

[attr="class","icon"]

there was some comfort found in rowan's words. they weren't empty, hollowed out declarations. no, rowan had laid out a plan. all noah had to do was see if he followed it through.[break][break]

"bye rowan." the gym leader manages to say.[break][break]

briefly, shame shrivels his stance. noah stares at his fists, scrutinizing the red, raw skin. [break][break]

before noah can lose himself in them, his machamp holds his hands. covers them with its own.[break][break]

"i'll be waiting. waiting for you to show me."

[attr="class","icon"]

as the pokeball cracks upon the cursed skeledirge, noah leaps at the perceived triumph. the ghostly crocodile is siphoned in. and after a few shakes, it is sealed.[break][break]

"hey! let's go!" noah shouts. "proud of you! see? you got the stuff."[break][break]

the gym leader whistles with his fingers.[break][break]

"you just gotta build your confidence bit by bit, y'know? build your bravery." noah says. "i had to do it. i was forced to."

[attr="class","bottom"]Vanilla Kingsley / ghost psychic / skips[break]

[attr="class","icon"]

a pleasant scent is carried with sprigatito's attack. despite the soft scent, the flurry is scathing. it carves cracks and chasms into the boulder: warnings not to underestimate both cat and royal.[break][break]

noah's heracross follows up. several punches obliterate the remaining rock, clearing the path.[break][break]

"nice." noah says. [break][break]

he grins, peering at the calcifet as his heracross pats the sprigatito on the head—should it allow it. [break][break]

"you got a certain style, right? like maybe, a royal style. for battling." noah says. "lean into it. no matter what people say."[break][break]

he begins to move toward the cleared path. his sneakers kick away pebble and dirt clump.[break][break]

"let's go! we'll get home in no time if we work together."

[attr="class","bottom"]Elise Calcifet[break]
[break][break]

MISSION LINK

noah's medicham attempts to defend itself immediately after the vaporeon is felled. arms raise to a cross before its chest, a psychic energy manifesting for a DETECT.

however, the FEINT ATTACK breaks through the preemptive defense. the medicham cries, informing both trainers of the attack making purchase.

"don't let up! BULLET PUNCH!"

the medicham retaliates with a flurry of fists. hardened by the pokemon's technique, a barrage of punches swerve toward the umbreon like a cloud.

[break]

tl;dr and notes

medicham hit; uses BULLET PUNCH.
you can faint the medicham in your post and we can wrap up!!

jayden cross

☉

[attr="class","icon"]

noah rides the wave of angelo's raillery and a laugh leaves him. it's in the job description yes—and although his seat in the gym challenge carries with it, a multitude of pressures, he counts his blessings that this his what sustains his living here.[break][break]

and not just by income, but by being a continual defense for a region at risk of folding into itself.[break][break]

the OMINOUS WIND sttrikes the annihilape and poisonous barbs sink into its fur. briefly, the damage seems significant. super-effective, poisonous and unnerving... but the annihilape rares up again, its nostrils flaring like a thousand furnaces.[break][break]

"RAGE FIST!" noah says with a cunning smile.[break][break]

leaping forth, an empowered spectral punch is thrown toward the charizard, the metal cuff rattling about.

[attr="class","bottom"]angelo vestri [break]
annihilape hit; uses rage fist poggies[break][break]

[attr="class","icon"]

"yeah, there's gotta be something in paldean water. she's nutso." noah says of the flamigo.[break][break]

however, before the bird can act again, a twinge of fire wreathes its pink plumage. the BURN takes it down to the canvas with a thud. still, before it loses consciousness, the flamigo's yellow eye twitches as it defies forced rest.[break][break]

the bird is recalled.[break][break]

"happy to see you represent hoenn's dragons with your friend there."[break][break]

noah says with a grin. he tosses his pokeball and an annihilape emerges from the cracked capsule. it lands on the ring with a heavy crash.[break][break]

"guess you're repping hoenn in a way!" the gym leader shouts his command immediately after: "move in quick! use THUNDERBOLT!"[break][break]

the ape surges forth, chains rattling from one of its wrists as a bolt of electricity cackles from the cuff.

[attr="class","bottom"]freya morningstar [break]
FLAMIGO FAINTS / ANNIHILAPE SENT OUT & USES THUNDERBOLT[break][break]

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for a little while, noah is in his own little world. it's like a little vacation—though this destination is devoid of the chaotic din of tourists. just ticking. tocking. irregular staccato and the churning of gears against rust and time.[break][break]

noah picks up some bolts and gear pieces near the clock tower. like MATIAS SILPH, he sees that it is broken, the hands of its clock unmoving behind cracked glass.[break][break]

"hm?" noah stands up from his squat. his fingers find the bristly hairs on the back of his neck and scratch. "oh i've been good. y'know, just the usual. haha! just doing little ol' gym leader things."[break][break]

he smiles.[break][break]

"and you? as dangerous as these places are, i bet it's nice to be out of the office, right?" noah asks—the hot prickles of feeling out of place in the presence of someone so high in the political hierarchy jabbing into his armpits and neck. but the needles soon fade as the sound of heavy metal steps interrupts them.[break][break]

noah points toward a moving patrol of volcanion guards. their eyes are soulless. no bulb remains behind the bevel of their spheres.

[attr="class","bottom"]kyle lopez MATIAS SILPH PENELOPE LIVY[break]