Pokémon Legends: Court of Kings

[Jump Einatz]

Sal remembered Hazard when she was a Gastly. I ******** hate Ghosts. "Get outta here."

Hazard flew off. Salieri had an itch on her butt that she desperately wanted to scratch, but couldn't with Zack around. Yet another reason why the Chatbot's operator was the most heinous villain she had ever faced.

"As long as we're waiting for this search to happen, I wanna get my gym match out of the way." Sal looked to Zack. "You can watch, I guess."  

[Marsuru]

'And so can the rest of Kalos,' Zack replied. 'Gym matches are broadcast live, idiot. Do you really want to go on national TV like this?'  

[Jump Einatz]

"What, with a man shaped wart attached to my right hand? I think I'll manage." Salieri needed those badges. She thirsted for them. They were her ticket to the league, which was her way to the nobility and the way to save her father. She had her pride, but she'd battle naked if she had to.

Sal rose an eyebrow and grinned slyly. "For someone who doesn't seem to care what people think, you care a lot about what people think."  

[Marsuru]

'I have an image to maintain,' Zack said, looking away. He thought about explaining to Salieri what being in character meant, but he saw how that conversation would go a mile off. 'If you don't care, that's up to you. This'll be a good chance to see how lamely you battle anyway.'  

[Jump Einatz]

Sal was about to tell him exactly what kind of image he was maintaining, but the more they argued the more time they wasted not being in the Gym. She recalled Reynard. "I'm gonna prove you wrong."

Shalour City Gym

Salieri found herself back in the Gym she had trained in earlier, just as crowded as before. The rail system that was made for rollerblade grinding had shifted into new loops and positions, and the colors lights on the rails had changed as well. Sal wanted to get her grind on, but alas, she'd have to wait for her lesser half to be cut loose.

"Korrina!" Salieri yelled, cupping her hand around her mouth. "Let's do this!"

She got stares from many trainers who had been patiently waiting to fight Korrina all day. The Gym Leader herself came out from behind the elevated platform that served as the main arena in the middle of the Gym, grinding a rail on her way over and hopping off in front of Sal and Zack. She braked to a sudden stop.

"I didn't think you'd show so soon!" said Korrina, flicking a thumb across her nose. "You finally ready to battle?"
"I was ready to battle, now I'm ready to win!"
It was hard to look tough holding hands with someone else. Korrina looked Zack over. "And who are you? Emotional support?"
"He's actually a large child," Sal chimed in. "I'm his babysitter."  

[Marsuru]

'I'm her excuse,' Zack said, giving Sal a sideways frown. He wasn't exactly a fan of gym matches or the fame they brought, but here he was. 'When she loses, she's going to put the blame on me.'  

[Jump Einatz]

"If I do lose, it's gonna be your fault. I mean, I won't lose. I mean, shut up!" Zack would start to feel flustered, because that's how Salieri felt. "Can I battle you now or do I have to wait in line?"

"Rules are rules," Korrina mused, ignoring their hand-holding predicament. It was none of her business and it seemed like a weird, touchy subject. "Buuuut I make the rules around here, so yeah. Come on up."

The decision was met with groans from the surrounding trainers. "Oh, pipe down," said the Gym Leader with a flick of her wrist. "This will be quick."

She led Sal and Zack up the stairs to the large square arena. There were posts at each corner that held up tightly wound ropes, creating an environment like a boxing ring. Perfect for the up close and personal style of most Fighting types. "One on one okay? I'm trying to keep this brief."

"Ohhhhh it will be," Sal asserted, releasing Reynard with her good hand. The Vaporeon stretched on her haunches as spotlights centered on the arena.  

[Marsuru]

'I hope that doesn't mean you plan to just lay down and die,' Korrina said, grabbing a pokéball from a rack shaped like a dumbbell stand. She didn't need fancy tech like Clemont to gauge an appropriate pokémon for her opponent, she trusted her gut. The ball gleamed in the spotlights before popping open in a flash.

'Presenting,' Korrina threw her hand into the air as the mass of light reformed atop one of the ring ropes. 'Hawluchaaaa!'

The rope bowed when the light became heavy and bounced back as the level 40 Hawlucha sprang into the air. He performed a revolving flip and landed on the arena floor, a single red rose purchased in his beak. The crowd went nuts as the bird man played to them, waving his rose this way and that, bowing before he eventually turned his attention to Reynard.

[Ahh, chica, you here to challenge my gym, eh?] Hawlucha hopped from one foot to the other in a fighting stance, springing with grace and ease. [Try to make it look good, okay? We on television, you gotta look good on television.]

Zack had never actually seen a Hawlucha up close before. He was mesmerised. 'Check out between its legs,' he said to Salieri. 'Is that a Blaziken toe?'  

[Jump Einatz]

Salieri had heard of Hawlucha before, but she had yet to see one fight in person. She had once considered the luchadore for her team, but that was a long time ago. What she did know was that it was part Flying type, and Reynard had Ice moves to take advantage of that.

"Stop staring at Pokémon dicks," Sal harshly whispered to Zack. "...I don't know, they might be related..."

Reynard started to slowly circle around Hawlucha in a predatory, low stalk. [No beatdown looks good, bird brain.] She tilted her neck, cracking it. [This is gonna be a short broadcast.]

As was customary, the first move was Salieri's. Ice Beam would be her primary offensive tool, but she needed to gauge what Hawlucha could do first in case the bird could get an easy drop on Reynard. Setting up some level of defense was a safe bet. "Reynard, Aqua Ring!"

[LAME!] Rey barked back, churning a Scald in her cheeks and blasting the boiling water beam at Hawlucha without a second thought.  

[Marsuru]

'That's a funny looking Aqua Ring you got there,' Zack said as Reynard launched her Scald.

Hawlucha was caught off guard for a second, also expecting an Aqua Ring, but he was far enough away and his reflexes were on point. He used his Acrobatics to duck and dive away from the Scald, boiling hot flecks of water spraying across his feathers as he avoided the jet. Once Scald ran out of steam, Hawlucha landed in a Y pose, facing the crowd, rose between his lips.

'Looks like you're having some technical difficulties there,' Korrina called across the arena. 'Why don't we give the challenger a big cheer!'

[Yes, yes, excellent, chica!] Hawlucha said, clapping his claws together beside his head, giving Reynard an Encore. The crowd swelled with claps and cheers at the same time, making sure that Reynard couldn't ignore or block out the rising applause. [Scald me with your fiery passion!]  

[Jump Einatz]

Salieri ignored Zack's quip, trying to concentrate on a way to attack successfully. Hawlucha didn't seem as punch-y as other Fighting types. Reynard was playing right into his tricks. "Fine, just hit him!"

Reynard found the Encore much harder to ignore. The bird's taunts served to make her more aggressive. [If that's what you want!] she growled.

The Vaporeon turned into water, activating her quicker Seine mode and launching her Scalding body at Hawlucha for a full on charge. Up close and personal was just fine with her.  

[Marsuru]

[Dios mío!] Hawlucha leapt straight up as Reynard crashed through where he was standing. She was the only source of water nearby, so her seine form wouldn't be particularly impressive right now. He got air beneath his wings and pushed himself higher, faster, to make sure she couldn't catch him out with any quick deviations in her shape. As he reached the apex of his flight, he began to spin, knowing what Korrina would want him to do.

'Swords Dance!' she shouted, and as Hawlucha finished his spin, the dance was complete, his attack power doubling and negating the passive Acid Armor effect of Reynard's seine.

Zack looked sideways at Salieri, unimpressed with what he'd seen so far. 'You're never gonna control that thing--'

Hawlucha divebombed the arena, landing in a superhero pose, his Thunder Punch catching the trail of water that marked where Reynard had passed. The attack's power would charge the water, electric blue crackles bolting along the trail until they reached Reynard's main body. Unless she exited seine, the Vaporeon would be electrocuted for a hefty blow to her health.

'--if you let it do whatever it wants to do.'  

[Jump Einatz]

Knowing all too well how water conducted electricity, Reynard was forced to become solid again in order to avoid getting shocked, sidestepping her own trail. Her stats went back to normal, including the boon Seine gave her Defense.

"Nobody asked you," Sal snapped back to Zack, having no better or constructive response. He was right. Reynard had been unruly since she had been caught, only listening to the most basic of offensive orders. All she cared about was winning, and doing it fast.

So Sal decided to adjust. If she could play to that trait, maybe she could make the playing field even again until she could formulate a better strategy. "Keep up the pressure!"

That was something Reynard could live with. She fired another Scalding beam at Hawlucha while jumping up and onto the ring ropes, continuously hopping lightly on them to retain some momentum. She expected Hawlucha to dodge it like he had before, and if he did, she'd take control of the missed attack with her hydrokinesis and swerve it around to return for an attack to his back.  

[Marsuru]

'Maybe they should've. Then you'd be winning this fight.'

After sending Thunder Punch towards Reynard, Hawlucha bolted forwards, closing the distance as Reynard reverted to normal form and launched her Scald. Since he'd already Encored, Hawlucha knew exactly what was coming his way and was able to predict it. He darted sideways as the rush of steaming water swept his way, and flexed his armwings while winking in Reynard's direction.

The Attract would project an enormous pink love heart and send it speeding like a bullet towards the water type. With the pressure Scald was under at this close range, it would be unlikely that Reynard could reclaim its momentum and turn it back on her opponent before Korrina could command a dodge. If Reynard tried it anyway, she'd be struck by Attract. If she dropped the attack, she would have a shot at escaping but allow Hawlucha to transition from his Attract into another Swords Dance.  

[Jump Einatz]

Reynard wasn't going to give up her attack to dodge some sissy looking cartoon heart, allowing it to hit her as she kept up her returning Scald. He still wasn't impressing her...well, actually, maybe a little. It was his arms. They were so well toned. And his beak was curved in a very unique way. Exotic, even.

Before the Scald could strike Hawlucha's back, it fell to the arena floor, a puddle of hot water. Reynard looked away, cheeks tinged pink. [You think you're cool, or something?] she muttered to herself, hoping that he heard her.

Salieri ignored Zack as best as she could, but he wouldn't be able to ignore the feeling of embarrassment coming from Sal as she put a hand up to her face, watching the battle from between her fingers. "Oh my god..."

Infatuation was an incredibly hard status to deal with. There was a high chance that Reynard would be too lovestruck to attack. Salieri needed to move those odds into her favor, and go with the flow of the match. "You know what Hawluchas love? Big wet hugs!"
Rey's ear fins perked up. [Shut up. No they don't...do they?]
"Give him your love, Reynard!"

So Reynard turned back into water and leapt at the soaring Hawlucha with a speedy Yser attack, trying to bring the bird to the floor. And if she did she'd follow up by...turning solid, lounging next to him and trying to cuddle.