(FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT)
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"CHALLENGER!"
The battlefield sat right under an old windmill—one Brassius has rigged to turn at his command. Which explains why the blades stood still, allowing him to stand on top of one blade, and belt out his speech.
"You did well to come this far! I was watching you. Back then."
Linh stood on one end of the battlefield. In the stands around him, was Poppy and her team, and the usual townies who hung out at the arena. On Brassius''s side, the empty half, many Grass type Pokémon sat and watched also.
"You demonstrated a proper eye for beauty, putting back together my old works. Not as I would have done it, no," Brassius spoke softly. "But it was undeniably beautiful. I... appreciate, what you''ve done for me. And it''s certainly as much worth as the Gym Test."
"Yes, it was truly Avant Garde." He nodded firmly, "Which leaves just one last question—"
He took two steps back, tiny steps on that thin wooden blade. And then—
—Leapt! Leapt into the air! A somersault, a flip! Fearless flying falling to the three point landing. Nary a scratch or skid, or even broken skin.
Brassius stood up, and posed. "—Are you ready!" Behind him, great plumes of spores were released in the air—spores from a crowd of Sunflora behind him. They ignited, and a flare explosion plumed up behind them. It spread far and wide, but weakly—the Sunflora''s leaves did not appear scorched. From the heat-wave Linh smelt only acrid spores, no smoke. He blinked.
"Was the explosion necessary?" Linh asked.
"Fool! You have spoken to dear Hassel, have you not?" Brassius posed, "There is art, and beauty, to all things! By embellishing it, by acting for it." He posed again.
"We will achieve something truly Avant Garde!" Another plume explosion behind him.
Cheering from the audience, although it felt slightly surreal to Linh. Brassius held his pose for a second, and then dropped it. He looked pensive.
"And... by the way... About." He gave a very meaningful look to Poppy. She pointed at herself, confused. "I have decided. I will not be helping you there."
... Really? You like her, do you not? "...Can I ask—"
"I will not explain why." Brassius turned back to Linh. "Now. Shall we battle?"
Linh scrunched his eyes shut, then sighed. He raised his Pokéball. "Yeah. Let''s do this."
"Art is creation and destruction!" Brassius threw his Pokéball—a fast spin, releasing as far as he can down the court. "Draw your clouds, Petilil!"
"Casket, out." Linh''s command was outmatched by Casket''s howl—loud for such a small dog.
The flag dropped, the Referee cried, "Begin!"
"Dig, Shadow Sneak, rush ''em down," Linh commanded. And Casket ran forwards, Brown Ground underneath parting in her paws. The shallowest a Dig can go—and that churned up ground mixed with Casket''s shadow. Riding with her and pulling her faster.
Petilil watched Casket approach placidly, bulb-like head turning. Until Casket crossed an invisible line and she shook herself—yellow powder so soft and fluffy it bloomed in the air. Brassius watched with his arms crossed, waiting.
What is that? Some kinda—Stun Spore—"—DIP!" Linh shouted. Casket fell into her shadows as the cloud exploded towards her. Floating there in the windless arena, a bubble half a metre long.
Petilil hopped out of the spore cloud, pretty as can be. She twirled and sang to herself—with the soft crinkling of leaves unfolding. Casket reappeared well away from her, outside the spores. Away from the debilitation.
Petilil released another cloud of stun spores, dense and lingering on the battlefield. Brassius''s lips quirked at the sight.
"Oh." Linh frowned. "Roar—Racket, please." There, second variant to Roar. Doesn''t phase, force Pokémon back into their ball, but does push things around.
Casket growled, a rumbling white glow building in her throat. It raced down her teeth and—
—And then she froze up, a choked confused bark, yellow lightning arcing across her. Paralysis!
Brassius chuffed, "Mega Drain."
Linh winced as the green orb shot into her side, Petilil dancing joyfully as Casket whined. "Uh." With Casket under Paralysis, she had little chance of being effective in the long run of the battle. "Fuggit—Casket! Shadow Limbs! We''re going full send."
Casket barked—voice a bit warbling as cords catch on the lightning. She dipped into her shadows and she was reaching forwards again.
"Charm, then sketch more," Brassius said, calm as can be. Petilil turned shy eyes on Casket, and her sprint forwards grew a note of hesitance—Petilil''s power getting to work working down Casket''s offences.
Not fast enough, however, and Shadow Sneak landed true. Casket leapt out of her shadow with not just her sharp teeth, but several inky paws. Reaching out with her.
The latest innovation Linh and Casket made—blending Limbs and Walk until it''s a tangle of claws and teeth erupting out. Petilil was tackled by the dog, and sent rolling over. And then the paws wrapped around her, pulling her closer and into Casket''s mouth.
Petilil gave out a single fervent cry, and released another spore cloud, lingering across the terrain.
Why...? Linh thought. Casket''s already Paralysed.
They rolled all across Brassius''s half of the battlefield, a small ball of shadows, leaf. and fur. And twice more, yellow spore clouds sprouted up. Massive lumps vaguely hilly, spread out over the wide area.
Linh looked towards the first spore cloud. The oldest one. It still looked remarkably cohesive.
Oh. "... How long are those clouds going to stay?" Linh asked.
Brassius smiled. He raised Petilil''s Pokéball. "That should be enough. I withdraw Petilil from battle!"
Linh gestured, "Casket, drop." And Casket broke away from Petilil—revealing that under the shadows, she was fainted.
"Petilil is fainted! One-Nil to the Challenger!"
"We have our Paint, so paint! Go, Doliv! Start us with Grass Knot!"
"Shadow—Walk, back here!" By Linh''s reckoning, Casket''s Roar is the best option he has for these Spore Clouds—bar Menace''s Rapid Spin. But that''s... Unpractised. And also Menace has no good way to attack Doliv—Grass Normal.
A shadow flitted across the ground, just behind it, Tree roots burst upwards. Breaking dirt open as the roots tried to hit what was never there.
Casket popped out again, and stared down Doliv. A puppy and a young tree exchanging violent glares. Then Casket shivered.
"Roar—and keep moving, dodge!" Casket ran to the right. An unending stride for the ground under her was not yet broken.
"Again." Brassius commanded. Eyeing the increasingly white glow from Casket''s throat. Shining between the fur.
And then Casket froze up, the yellow sparks acting up. Just in time to get grabbed by the roots and flung back.
Linh winced, and the audience behind him gave a commiserating groan. Poppy loudest of them all. "New plan! Get a Nightshade—Projection.
"Nightshade—Projection. Give us a mist—just blind them!"
Brassius nodded. "Smart act, if Paralysis doesn''t. Doliv." Doliv half-turned, "Keep it up. I''m content."
Doliv nodded fiercely, and as she drew the under-roots back up, she gave a war-cry. Slick and clear, oily.
Casket stayed still—she had to. She was not as skilled with illusions as friend-Menace. She had to haunch down, muzzle touched the grass and spit seeping into the cracks. Even then, the illusion wavered, occluding mist across the entire field flickering in and out of sight.
The roots came up, big spikey pillars in the air. Surrounding Casket.
The roots came down, smashing into her.
Casket did not faint.
More roots came down.
Casket did not faint.
More roo—
The mist snapped into place, not a thin transparent film, that built the further you looked in. But white-gray scribbles in the air. No depth at all. Linh grinned at the sight. It was also one directional—literally just a wall a brick long between Doliv and Casket. Right across the middle of the arena.
Linh''s grin sharpened. "That''ll do."
The sound of cracking wood, thudding against ground. No dog was hit. Instead, Casket popped out of her shadow, several metres right.
"Now—Roar. A Racket until these Spores are gone!"
"Mega Drain, weak," Brassius barked. And Doliv shot tiny green orbs across the battlefield—head height. Not at the smaller dog. Each shot caught on the illusion. Smearing it in streaks behind it. Damage to tear away the image.
Casket tried to Roar. Tried. An entire section of the fog wall faded away, thankfully. Not the one Casket was behind.
"... Again. Keep moving. Avoid where the illusions collapsing!"
"How long can you keep this up?" Brassius taunted. "Doliv, split each wall in half! Nowhere to hide!"
More fog went down. Casket found a frog in her throat, instead of anything useful.
"... C''mon Casket, give me a Roar, we need those spores gone yesterday."
Casket built a rumbling Roar, and then froze up again—tripping and tipping over her frozen feet into an undignified heap. All around her, tree roots and Mega Drain''s broke the ground.
"Casket please." Linh begged. "It''s only a quarter chance!" he cried.
Half the audience were complaining with him. The other half just laughed.
"Five times!" Poppy shrieked, outraged. She nearly leapt out of her seat, before Tinkie grabbed her, and pulled her back in. She fumed with her arms crossed as Tinkie fussed and Riolu sniff snorfled her bonnet.
Brassius shook his head, although, with some schadenfreude. "Terrible luck." At this point, the fog wall was almost entirely gone. "One good hit: Finish it!"
"Body Press." Linh scowled. Looking aside. "Shoulda done this from the beginning."
Naturally, Casket was not paralysed. In fact, she rode the shadows so fast that she dipped and dived between Doliv''s roots. And leapt out up and high in vengeance. Coming down right on top of Doliv with a super effective (But halved in strength by Charm) Body Press. Before eating a point-blank Mega Drain, and fainting.
Doliv giggled, leaves unfurling to soak in the stolen energies. Linh sighed as he recalled Casket. Staring down at the old-worn plastic.
"Greavard down! One-one!" the Referee called out.
"Enjoying my colour palette? Some cheery yellow to brighten up the day." Brassius smiled.
"I am pissed beyond belief," Linh confessed. The Pokéball shook. "Oh no—not you—not you at all! You were perfect." He clutched Casket''s Pokéball and whispered to it, even as he flung his next Pokémon.
Kaolin, Linh''s Polteageist, cheered out as it appeared. Then it peered curiously at the spore clouds.
"Well, no more reason to see if you can beat this—Doliv! Sweet Scent!"
Linh scrunched his brow''s in confusion—as he watched Doliv seep the oils that she produces. The oils bubbling from her surface into fruity, heady, scents. Curlinng around the battlefield and mixing with the spores before homing in on Kaolin—Bringing the spore clouds with them.
"YOU CAN DO THAT?! Shit, Kaolin, Substitute!" Immediately after calling that out, Linh thought twice. Does Substitute actually block status here? "Nasty Plot, after. One clean shot should do it."
Brassius gave no commands, he just leaned back, watching and waiting. A tick? Linh guessed that was a sign of Brassius''s uncertainty. Early battle, watching and waiting. Once Casket was struggling? Taunts.
(Look at him! He''s reading his opponent. Poppy will be so proud! Linh thought, ruefully.)
The clouds drifted towards Kaolin, sitting and quietly humming to itself. As it daydreamed about world domination or some other nasty plot. Dark swirling energies formed in it''s tea, reabsorbed for greater power as the clouds slowly lurched over it. Swallowing like a dust storm.
Linh watched this all with trepidation, beating a drum beat into his arm—crossed over each other.
And then Kaolin rose out of the spore clouds. In it''s grasp was a small plush, lizard like.
Electricity arced over the plush, not it. Linh''s grin returned, lighting jagged. "Stored Power now—Sweep her!"
Brassius nodded. "Good—I can step it up! Grass Knot, walls!"
Kaolin spun and in that moment, the plush disappeared back to whatever realm it stays until it is needed. And as it faced Doliv again, it opened its hands and many glowing purple-pink lights floated out. Drifting in the air like glowbugs.
Doliv reached down and slammed her leaf hands on the ground. Oil built up and seeped out of her hair ''ornaments'', spilling from the olive divots.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
Many, many roots broke the ground and came up. Twirling and twining together into structures that can self-stand. And structures that weaved and wove towards the lights.
Kaolin tried to guide the orbs past the roots—ready to take the roots to its teapot, in exchange for a good hit. But. That was not what Doliv was doing. And despite Kaolin''s best efforts...
A root lightly touched the side of one light.
The root caved in—thick gouges exposing the snapped fibres. Uneven toothpick edges. A great crack like a tree-felling as the Stored Power released its energy into the wood. Utterly obliterating it.
But the Stored Power achieved no more, spent utterly on the mundane, not-Doliv, wood.
And then another root hit the other Stored Power. Same result. Then another.
None of the lights managed to get through to Doliv. Thanks to her sweating efforts.
Linh frowned. "Keep it up, she''s pinned like this."
Kaolin agreed, and with another swipe of its hand, more lethal lights flittered across the battlefield.
Same result—with Doliv showing exhaustion, and Kaolin giggling at the turn of events. But. Kaolin was not achieving anything as well—wasted effort, both ends.
This can''t continue, Linh thought. Tapping away again. Really awkward situation to be in.
"Talk about a difficulty jump," He muttered to himself. He started, "Uh. Shadow Ball through! Make her flinch!"
In between the probing pink-purple spheres, something golf-ball sized flew. A purple-black orb seeping mist flying dart-fast. It shot into the thick tangle of roots and through. All the way towards Doliv—eyes widening.
Brassius took a step forwards, clenching a fist—"Doliv no! That won''t—" But it was too late. Doliv flinched away from the Shadow Ball. Dodging something she did not have to.
Just for a Stored Power to sneak through the tangle, and slam into her face.
Doliv fainted. She was lifted up into the air, and came down hard. A wheeze escaped her, mixing with oily spit.
The crowd cheered—they always loved a massive hit. The referee even waved his flag with more energy. "Doliv is down! Two-one, Challengers favour!"
Brassius ran a hand through his hair, frowning at Doliv''s loss. "... I need to teach my Pokémon what moves they''re immune to."
"Yeah, I get an surprising amount of millage out of that," Linh agreed.
"Well—it''s not the circumstances I wanted, but. Go, Steenee!"
Steenee appeared, spinning like a top on her two pointed feet—twin-tail hair-leaves clunking against each other. Sepals hard as shields.
"Give her no quarter—Shadow Ball, Stored Power. Flood the room!" Linh barked immediately.
"Up! Up up up up!" Brassius called, popping his ''p''s playfully. His gaze never deviated from Kaolin, however. Steenee took his words and went up—legs tensing and stretching and she bounced up.
Bounce—light-blue-blue energy around her legs as she soared upwards. Then floating up high. Hanging there in defiance of gravity and reality.
Shadow Balls and Stored Powers came up to her in their customary fashion—dark blobs the size of billiard balls slamming forwards just like them. Fat flittering lights as bright as glowbugs drifting like them. Large lights and little unlights chasing the rising Mangosteen.
What comes up. Must come down. And Steenee dives, towards—
—through—
—the orbs, Linh just starts to shout a warning as Kaolin''s surprise etches.
Yet Steenee kicks before either of those! It clinks against the teapot like talons on pottery. And Kaolin''s wheezing bubbling face puffs away in smoke.
A plush replaces Kaolin—one lizard-like. And still sparking electricity.
Steenee completes the kick, and the plush soars high above Linh, landing somewhere into the audience.
A small child holds it up with glee, his hair all frizzy.
Kaolin phases into existence mere feet away from Steenee, as she finishes her kick. Foot stamping a needle point into the ground. Kaolin''s still dazed from the blow. It''s dribbling tea down his front, and its arms hang low.
"Fling!" Brassius exalts, he leans forward, predatory. Steenee winds her leg back—a kick fit for a penalty shoot. Dark energy builds around the tip, and at a pebble at her feet. The object to be flung.
"Teatime!" Linh cries, "Teatime now!"
Kaolin shakes itself aware, just to see the approaching pebble. With a steamy yelp, it claps its hands together—exploding them into steam that occludes and engulfs both Kaolin and Steenee.
As it fades, it reveals Steenee, sitting daintily on her stool. Ankles crossed, not the legs, as a proper lady should. She held up a teacup, filled with steaming hot tea. Kaolin''s tea. And took a sip.
Kaolin said something from the heart—which is why it came from the spout—and Steenee laughed, flicking her stiff-hair back.
"Steenee!" Brassius called.
Steenee froze. Looked at herself and what she was doing. She remembered, and launched herself out of her seat, towards Kaolin—
—"Teatime!" Linh yelled again. And Kaolin brought its hands together—
—And Steenee was back to having a lovely meal! With such a gracious host, too! In fact, one so gracious that it set out MULTIPLE tables and MULTIPLE chairs! ''To be able to accommodate all of my guests of course!''
"Steenee!"
To true bestie. To true.
"STEENEE!"
Steenee jolted. And suddenly remembered. She vaulted out of her chair and—
—"Fling! Fling now!" "Teatime!" Kaolin brought its hands together—
Kaolin hosted a tea party with Steenee.
"Moth—Steenee! Just—Linh! Why are you doing this!" Steenee jolted, remembered, and lauched herself forwards.
"You''re not the only one who can set hazards! Teatime!" Linh shouted.
"STEENEE—" Brassius thundered.
Kaolin brought its hands together—
Kaolin brought its hands—
Kaolin brought its—
Kaolin—
"...Why?" Brassius said, baffled by the sheer number of tables and stools all over the battlefield. Tables and chairs slowly breaking down into mist, but slowly. Not fast enough
"I''m opening an IKEA, naturally," Linh sniped. "I switch Kaolin."
"... Ahem!"The referee jolted and gestured to Linh, "The challenger switches out his Pokémon, using one of his two switches! Challenger, release your next Pokémon—now!"
Linh released Menace, in between the tables and under the chairs. "Nightshade," he commanded. And Menace cackled and crackled—dead flesh uncurling.
Steenee, still a bit discombulated from switching gears so many times, flinched away as the illusion passed through table and stool and into her mind''s eye. It showed her a terrible fate. Her hair rotting and falling away, and the rot carrying further in and in and in and in and in...
"Steenee! Focus—Bounce!" Steenee jumped up reflexivly. Then in the air, looked around wildly, searching for—there! Moving vines between the table gaps!
She dove, dodged the stools thrownn back and hit the table. And to her surprise, did not break through. It was merely wood!
She stalled on the table, cracking it, but not getting any further. Steenee made a confused sound, before slumping as she heard a spiteful rasp. Menace''s favourite move, Spite.
Brassius blinked, thenn nodded firmly. "Fine strategy. Well done!"
Linh asked, "Clever, right?"
Brassius nodded slowly, then looked closer at the tables—"... That''s too weak. You''re clever Trainer, but these tables don''t look hard enough to withstand higher level battles. And I don''t believe these tables can get any stronger! In the future—"
"The future is far away and this battle is now, Nightshade." Linh concluded. Steenee saw a terrible fate, mildew between her fingers, and cried terribly. Menace, naturally, mocked her with his rasping roots.
"But! There are ways to clear obstacles! Steenee! Rapid Spin!"
Steenee stopped, and spun in place like a top—and then she was off. Careening around the battlefield shrouded in white light—Normal Type energy. Everything she touched, was flung away. Tables overturned, chairs launched out of the field. The impact so much that they faded away as the illusions they are swiftly.
(Rapid Spin also blew away the single, massive, spore cloud that was still there. But it wasn''t important at all now)
And in harsh moments the battlefield was clear, bar the damage to the ground—roots poking up and slumped down, and discoloured puddles where the tea spilt.
Finally, Steenee spun towards Menace, a spinning top coming faster and faster until—!
—She went straight through. Naturally, as Menace was a Ghost.
"Good!" Brassius cried, "Bounce now, no more tricks!"
"New moves—Infestation and Spikes!" Linh commanded, and Brassius winced. Menace exploded with two pulses of energy, neon green and dirty brown. The green wave became many many bugs. Brightly green-shelled and with an indeterminate amount of legs, all stacking up each other. The brown wave sunk into the ground, and overturned the grass to reveal shifting soil.
Steenee went up, true. But when she came down, it was to a wall of bugs between her and Menace, and when she came down through (ew ew ew) the bugs. It was upon a bed of spikes. Caltrop''s shaped from dirt. Menace cackled as he rolled away, eyes steady in his centre, fixed on the wild flailings of Steenee.
"Nightshad—" Linh began.
"Enough! Enough!" Brassius recalled Steenee with flash of light. "Steenee can''t beat that yet—I withdraw her!"
"And that''s our second withdraw. Leaving the score at three-two, Challengers favour!" The referee swung his flag.
"Oh. Uh. Thanks." Linh smiled. Menace hissed, displeased. Then a moment passed. "... You... You gonna send out your last?"
Brassius stared, clearly thinking hard. He only reacted when the referee called out, questioningly. He took a sharp breath, "Ah. Yes. Well—I''m not sure I need too. Challenger—you''ve displayed. Well. REMARKABLE flexibility and skill! Truely—truly Avant Garde!" He grinned, wide and bright—it sorely cut against the image his eye-shadows formed. "If I were to judge your work, for that is my job, I would say it passes my inspection. Yes—a pass without exception!
"So—as proof of your artistic prowess, you may—"
The referee coughed, it sounded like ''regulations''.
"I''ll take the write-up—see if I don''t," Brassius said as an aside. "—As proof of your artistic prowess, you may have my Gym Badge!"
Linh pursed his lips, and shared a somewhat disappointed glance with Menace. "Sure."
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Messengengar:
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<td style="width: 98.1237%">Larry
Look out! It''s the invincible Salaryman!
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Larry
> Congratulations on your second badge. Heading off to Levincia next?
> Thank you. How''d you hear? It''s been like 2 mins
> Poppy''s still battling, even.
> Yes, Levincia. A nice short walk that isn''t across half the country.
Larry
> Hassel shouted about you once Brassius complained about it.
> We''re watching the recording right now.
> Rika, Hassel, and Geeta.
> Oh. The mortification fo being known
Larry
> Your face after seeing the explosion is amusing.
> Are you aware that you blink a lot when stressed?
> Ok Larry Imma need you to stop. Like, watch me all you want but I dun like the running commentary.
Larry
> Brassius usually actually does the spore explosion again when he gives the badge out. Must have been really off-balence to forget that.
> SHUT
Larry
> VERY poor luck with Para
> But, I''m sure that the kids these days would call it
> Skill issue?
> Why did you send Kaolin out and not Menace? You''ve shown Menace has Infestation.
> Could have done the Shadow Ball bluff earlier, would have saved some of Kaolin''s stamina.
> Why didn''t you use Teatime to force Doliv out of position for an easy hit?
> By the way, you were slouching for most of that battle. Posture is important!
Read at 14:43
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(Larry did not, in fact, stop. He increased the fidelity of his comments.)
(A little revenge for ratting out his extracurriculars to Champion Geeta.)
(Worth.)