[attr="class","icon"]

noah pinches one of cian's arms. he pulses the pressure of his fingertips as he measures with both feel and eye. [break][break]

"sure. come to my gym. i'll even give you a discount." noah lets go and launches into a brisk jog. "half-off for the vct champ!"[break][break]

his hitmontop flips and lands on its head. as it scouts forward, it carves calligraphy into the dirt. several boulders cut into thin rocky streams: possible cover should they require it.

[attr="class","bottom"]CIAN MAHER[break]
BlAqZeoj[break]
[break]
excursion c - monster hunter

[attr="class","icon"]

on the stony promontory, noah lies flat on his stomach. the rock's cold penetrates through his shirt. waterfall vapours render the cliffside damp and chilled—but despite the beauteous panorama, little distracts noah from observing the rocket outpost below.[break][break]

he elbows lam logan beside him. [break][break]

"you see that, man?" noah says. "i see at least five hostiles and their pokemon. nothing we can't handle though, right?"[break][break]

the fighting-type gym leader grins before chanting:[break][break]

"tag team. tag team. tag team."

[attr="class","bottom"]lam logan[break]
Fc4qShNp[break]
[break]
excursion b - research station

[attr="class","icon"]

"oh yeah?"[break][break]

noah rubs his fingers together. excess salt scatters across the paper tray liner for good luck.[break][break]

"like a second honeymoon? extended vacay?" noah says—though the sediment of wartime reality textures the fantasy coarse. "or bro, like a maternity leave if we get a kid, mr. faber?"[break][break]

his sneaker claps back. [break][break]

"can you imagine that, man?" he laughs.

[attr="class","icon"]

upward, the grapploct soars. seran-wrapped in a crackling psychic energy, the tentacled fighter loses control of each limb. the purple silhouette reverberates with mind-searing current, plunging through shafts of stage lights before shattering against the fencing.[break][break]

noah's broad back slams against the canvas. his voice threatens to leap out of his throat, but it too, is caged. caged by gritted teeth, a frustrated scowl.[break][break]

"the hell you mean, man?" noah forces his knee toward matias' gut, thick arms snaking around the other's shoulders to find his neck.[break][break]

the GRAPPLOCT'S tentacles curl around a metal-link. an anchored turret, the octopus fires pulse after pulse of OCTAZOOKAS.[break][break]

noah seethes. "what's your deal?"

[attr="class","bottom"]MATIAS SILPH[break]
tl;dr - grapploct hit by psychic + uses octazooka / noah grappled down - tries to use knee to separate or choke[break][break]

[attr="class","icon"]

noah stares at cian, eyes boltund-wide. he keeps his nostrils lifted up and away from the dung pile.[break][break]

"uhhhh," the gym leader says, "wasn't me."[break][break]

inevitably, the smell travels upward. noah's nose wrinkles like a withering daisy.[break][break]

"it's real fresh though. can't be too far." noah shakes his head. "sorry about your shoes."[break][break]

his hitmontop emits a sharp cry. its serious face concentrates, eyes attempting to discern shape and movement in midst waterfall spray.

[attr="class","bottom"]CIAN MAHER[break]
DjOuED28[break]
[break]
excursion c - monster hunter

[attr="class","icon"]

good luck, kyle says. but to be blessed by flame also means to be burned by fate. but one has yet to see where the skin will char and blister. like scavenged wood in the campfire, it will inevitably crack.[break][break]

"like the day? or what we did?" noah says. "it was a valentine's date."[break][break]

he munches on another fry.[break][break]

"or like, marriage certificate date?" he laughs through chews. "once wartime's done with, we can finally get to the ceremony."[break][break]

his sneaker kicks kyle's: a playful prelude beneath bergmite crowns.

[attr="class","icon"]

the scream fries the air. it travels into the cage's frame, rattling the metal links as the soundwaves seek exit.[break][break]

the CRABOMINABLE'S advance is slowed. its yellow tufts of fur remain stuck, pointed backwards still from the SCREAM TAIL'S shout.[break][break]

"oh loosen up buddy!" noah says. "find some joy in it!"[break][break]

his CRABOMINABLE slams the canvas with its heavy claws (ICE HAMMER). ice spreads across the floor, crackling like a crawling witch.[break][break]

the ice threatens to encase the SCREAM TAIL'S feet as boiling water begins to bubble from the crab's maw.

[attr="class","bottom"]Noel Parker[break]
TL;DR: crabominable hit; uses ICE HAMMER to make the ring icy; prepares another attack[break]

[attr="class","icon"]

the BRICK BREAK blows the octopus upward and like a parachute, it billows backward. however, GRAPPLOCT'S TENTACLES thrust forth like muscular spears. stretching, ever-seeking, they attempt to latch on by stubborn suction. [break][break]

should they stick, the GRAPPLOCT attempts to hoist and slam the POLIWRATH toward the floor.[break][break]

noah deflects the jab, but the hook lands squarely. like fire, the pain spreads, its shape filling the gym leader's gasp.[break][break]

he matches matias' gaze. furrows his brow as if tightening a lens.[break][break]

"that's how we're going to play?" noah expels the hottest breath. [break][break]

he beckons for the man with two fingers.

[attr="class","bottom"]MATIAS SILPH[break]
tl;dr - grapploct attempts to grapple + slam / noah waits for matias' approach[break][break]

[attr="class","icon"]

"yep, yep, we're going now." noah speaks through a smile, though it is faint and thinned by unease. "you'll get outta here, i swear."[break][break]

while they descend the mountain, the snowfall slows though it is but an illusory show. one brought on by winds that toss the snowflakes back into the air like pirouetting ballerinas.[break][break]

somehow, noah feels romance in the storm. and though he simply plays audience to gwen and robin coello's dance, the gym leader can not escape the frisson of her unfolding story.[break][break]

gwen is another he'd fight for.

[attr="class","icon"]

noah feels like he's at an outfitter with the amount of fabric being swapped. he laughs; the note darkens and slows.[break][break]

after a swift swoop, he grabs the buckle of kyle's belt.[break][break]

"we got time." the gym leader says. "i got this for you."[break][break]

and the clock ticks away.