Pokémon Legends: Court of Kings

[Marsuru]

As Veillantif launched Dragonbreath, Vivillon set off with a powerful flap of her wings. Moving quickly, she spiralled around the attack. Her speed forced the air away from her body, and the spiral move created a vacuum effect around the Dragonbreath, keeping it contained and harmless.

Vivillon was at ground level now, circling Veil while putting on another burst of speed. As Salieri made her Smokescreen command, Viola countered with "Psybeam." Vivillon generated a pink blast of energy, which collided with Veillantif's black bubble and sent it crashing into the ceiling. The hissing Smokescreen was instead covering half of the opening to the arena, but not the arena itself.

Viola counted on Salieri being distracted at her attack's diversion, calling for another Psybeam, this time at Veillantif. Horsea weren't very mobile on land, so she doubted it would dodge without the use of some kind of attack, likely a Water Gun's propulsion. And if the challengers were too busy following the Smokescreen trick, Salieri wouldn't give the command in time to stop Vivillon from blasting her opponent.  

[Jump Einatz]

Salieri grit her teeth as the Smokscreen was deflected. Merde! This bug is fast on the uptake! Maybe we can try it again another way. There was no time for Veillantif to be given another command, but Vivillon's attack still fit in with her order. Now that the flying type was closer to the ground, it was even better.

Right before Psybeam collided with her position, she angled herself at Vivillon and uncoiled her tail, striking into the ground with a high power Bounce. Instead of going high into the air, Veil took advantage of the closed distance and arced closely over the Psybeam at Vivillon to flip her tail into the opponent for a super effective hit.

If a counterattack was made and Salieri saw it coming in time, she'd order Veillantif to "Jet!" away with a Dragonbreath to push herself in midair back to the ground. Most Horsea weren't mobile on land, but Salieri's had perfected the Bounce attack to give herself a higher degree of movement. The trainer was counting on that surprise to score at least on hit on Viola before the trick was revealed. If there was any time, it was now.  

[Marsuru]

As Veil's Bounce occurred at the same time as Vivillon's Psybeam, the bug type needn't use another attack to counter. Instead, she angled her blast so that it went upwards slightly, which was all it would need if Veillantif was arcing so closely over the beam.

The chances were that Veil was moving too quickly in one direction to be able to change course before being hit. However, if she were able to jet to one side, then she'd be off course for her Bounce and miss completely, leaving herself vulnerable to another beam attack. If the Psybeam did land, then it would have an increased damage effect, with the force of Veil's movements enhancing the opposing force of Vivillon's beam. If this happened, then Veil would land her super effective blow, backed with the sheer brute force of a Horsea, but receive a critical hit Psybeam in return.  

[Jump Einatz]

Salieri ordered for Veil to "Jet!", but it was too late to stop the collision into the Psybeam. The Horsea got her hit, but was blasted back by the telekinetic blow near the edge of the stadium. Salieri checked Veillantif's health on her pokedex. It was already in the red. The pokedex also told her Veillantif learned the move Salieri knew was coming: Bubble Beam.

One Bounce is pretty good, but it's not enough to win. Range isn't good enough alone, but I can't switch to Biz Marquis just yet. Bubble Beam won't slow down Vivillon if it has Shield Dust. She's really forcing my hand...

"Don't let up, Veil!" Salieri clenched her fists. If her Horsea couldn't pull out a trick soon, the higher leveled bug would take out her first pokemon.

Veillantif rose up, shaking off her exhaustion to get back into the fight, and charged herself with a Focus Energy. The once curious Horsea had become calculated in one move, narrowing her eyes and observing the moth's movements very carefully.

She tracked the Vivillon's flight path and fired a stream of Bubble Beam directly at where the Vivillon was about to fly. The current tactic was to keep firing at Vivillon to pick away at the bug's health until they could get a better opening. And if they were really lucky, this barrage strategy would be all the opening they'd need. Either way, Veillantif was running out of options.  

[Marsuru]

"Light Screen!"

Veillantif had been blown away further than anticipated. She had been weakened and was close to the edge of the arena, meaning that one good hit should end it one way or another. Of course, Viola and Vivillon knew to be careful near the out of bounds zone. It was their gym, after all, and it would be embarrassing for the gym leader to lose a pokémon on a technicality.

The Horsea knowing Bounce had proven unexpected, though Viola was still not quite sure what she had seen. The crowd seemed to love it, roaring with approval at every exchange of attacks. Despite the level difference, and Veil's low attack power, her strike had still be a super effective hit, costing Vivillon about a third of her health.

So she had Vivillon bring up a shield of light to reduce any incoming special attack damage. Horsea were able to shoot bugs out of the air for their meals, so it would be foolish to underestimate one, even if it was on its last proverbial legs. Vivillon would only be covered from one side, leaving her flanks, rear, top and bottom uncovered. However, the bug type would be able to quickly move the Light Screen in any direction she wanted to around herself, allowing her to fend off attacks from single directions, and always keep it pointed at her opponent.

Vivillon flapped hard to halt her momentum in the air, allowing Bubblebeam to shoot right past her. She went back to her original strategy, stirring up the air currents with a "Gust!" then riding the waves. It would keep her movements fast and unpredictable while she closed the gap between herself and Veillantif. Once she was close, but not too close, she'd flap hard with another Gust, aimed right at the Horsea. If it hit, the damage would be enough to knock the pokémon out of consciousness, as well as out of the arena.  

[Jump Einatz]

It felt like time slowed down for the focus powered Veillantif, who wondered what angle she'd have to shoot from to get Vivillon's wings with an Octazooka. If she changed her ink to be sticky it'd restrain her flight, but getting that shot through the Light Screen would be the real challenge.

Sal's eyes darted every which way, trying to find a weakness or somewhere she could take an advantage. She didn't look as confident as she was when she came in. Were all Gym Leaders really this strong? Vivillon's power was overwhelming compared to her Horsea's. I can't lose now! I won't be another statistic, tallied off a list of losers! There has to be something we can do-

Vivillon used Gust once more, and if Veil could Bounce away from the flier she could get in a Disable. Finally, Sal saw a new move to make.

"Hey Veil what's that?"

Salieri pointed up and the Horsea looked to where: the web strand suspended from above the arena. In hindsight, Veil was disappointed that they didn't get to swing on it the way down. No time like the present.

When Vivillon swooped in with a Gust blast, Veil sprang into the air towards the web strand past Vivillon. If she got there unimpeded she'd coil her tail around the strand and swing on it until the next move. As she sailed over the Scale Pokemon, she winked at him.

The wink sparkled with the power of Disable, sending out a wave of unknown energy to temporarily bind her foe's last move. In this case, it was Gust. If it worked Vivillon's movement would go back to normal, and the Horsea would have a chance to make her shots.  

[Marsuru]

Using Gust at the end of a swoop forced Vivillon to kill her momentum. Had she expected Veil to grab a webline, she may have given it the little extra oomph needed to soar away, but it was too late for that now. Disable's mysterious energy washed over her, and she temporarily forgot how to use Gust. The annoying part was that without her knowledge, she'd also be buffeted around by the disturbed air currents until they died down a few seconds later.

Thankfully, Veil would also be getting knocked about by the fading Gust, dangling from her position on the web. If Vivillon could strike the webline at the right time, it would send the little Horsea spilling over the edge of the arena and into a disqualification.

Viola tapped a button on the camera she had slung around her neck. It was a special camera, and not just because her sister had given it to her. With this, she was able to manipulate the match's TV broadcast to focus its attention on the challenger, herself, or the battle. The gym leader gave herself a close up, then smirked theatrically.

"Infestation," she said just as Disable finished washing over Vivillon. The pokémon shook her wings, pushing herself into the squalling air currents and away from the arena's edge as best she could. For the next second, she'd be a little distracted trying to keep her position, but that was okay. Veillantif would be distracted as well.

Thousands of tiny black bugs crawled from the thick webs that came down from the ceiling. They didn't look like pokémon; more quivering black blobs of thin flesh, with no obvious face or features besides their dozen spindly legs and shivering wings. They hissed, climbing out of the gaps between the webbing, fumbling over one another, towards Veillantif. The webs bled with insects, and they began to file down Veil's webline. Unless she moved, they would chew through the web and send her falling out of the arena.

And if she did make a move, the Infestation would set off in earnest. Spewing from every crack and gap in the webs around the ceiling. The summoned bugs were able to fly in a swarm, and would make it their mission to overwhelm Veillantif, and start the long, painful process of burrowing into her flesh.  

[Jump Einatz]

Infestation finally reared its ugly head. Salieri had heard rumors about the move while training, but none of them did the sight justice. Now she could see why it made such an impression. The black bugs were expected, just not crawling out in droves from the ceiling. It was clear that if they didn't act fast enough, Veillantif would lose to the Infestation.

"Get higher! Ink bath!" Salieri roared up to her pokemon. Veil complied, and before the webline could snap she used her swinging momentum to boost herself towards the ceiling, right at a tiny patch where there were no webs for bugs to crawl off of.

On her way up to the ceiling, she'd do two things. The first was to spin around and, in the manner of Mud and Water Sport, coat herself with ink. Veil became a black silhouette of a Horsea, except for her eyes blinking through the murky liquid. The coat of ink would suffocate the incoming bugs and slow down the Infestation, but it was only a stall. The ink would dry out and flake off very quickly, and she had to keep moving because the rest of the Infestation still followed her.

The second thing she'd do was to take aim with Focus Energy at Vivillon. Without Gust's assistance, Vivillon's movements were much easier to read, and with the precision her species was known to shoot with, she blasted an Octazooka down at the bug.

The move was wide, dropping a blanket of sticky ink at the enemy. This less focused version of the move had less power, but more width. The Light Screen would minimize the damage coming at Vivillon's frontside, but it's hugeness would envelop the rest of the bug in an ink that would weigh down its wings like flypaper if Veil's shot was true.  

[Marsuru]

Infestation shot out in full force once Veillantif swung from her thread. They swarmed, grouping together like buzzing black tendrils that came from two directions at once. Veil's manoeuvre bought precious moments, but she was surrounded from both sides. If she didn't find a way to get down quickly, she'd be engulfed by the Infestation. Her Ink Bath may give her a slight defence, but once it was devoured, she'd be vulnerable. At the same time, the airwaves disturbed by Gust started to settle, making movement easier for both parties.

When the Horsea shot her wide Octazooka, Viola's response was simple. "Finish it!" Veillantif's spray of ink covered a wide area, probably hoping that no matter which direction Vivillon chose to dodge, she had no choice but to get caught in the attack. But unlike regular Octazooka, this variation was flimsy, and easy enough to punch a hole through with a more powerful technique. By spraying the ink in the way she had, Veillantif had also limited the scope of her vision, filling her view with the blackness of her wide spray and masking Vivillon's counterattack.

Veil traced an arc across the underground sky, so all Vivillon had to do was trace her trajectory, and swipe a Psybeam in the opposite direction. It would hit Veillantif first, then carve a line through the Octazooka, separating it into two halves that would shower either side of the butterfly pokémon, leaving her clean, with Light Screen catching any leftover drops of ink that might fall through the middle. Vivillon flew higher, making sure she had the air advantage.

Dodging the Psybeam was one thing, and as unlikely as it was that the Horsea would see the attack coming before it landed, she still had the Infestation to deal with.  

[Jump Einatz]

Veillantif touched the ceiling with her tail briefly, looking down at her Octazooka attack. Already her ink coat was peeling off, dripping dry flakes down to the arena floor below. Infestation was still coming in full force, and she only saw one option.

From below the ink blanket, Salieri looked up to see Vivillon ready a Psybeam. Veil would have no way of seeing it from this angle, and the only option she saw to counter with was the same one Veillantif was thinking of to use her finishing move. Here goes nothing.

Salieri rose up a hand, pointing to the ceiling. "End this fight! BOUNCE!"

From off the ceiling Veillantif sprang down, assisted in her movement by the gravity of the drop. The move dropped her below the Psybeam just as it came in and right as the ink was sliced through like butter. Vivillon flew upwards as the Horsea rocketed down, bringing Veil's target closer than before. She was followed closely by a malicious tornado of tiny black bugs.

Focus Energy and her Sniper ability were working in full force as Veil flipped through the air to slam her tail down on the bug's incoming head like a hammer. If it hit and it was critical, Salieri estimated it'd be enough to end the fight based on the previous damage that Bounce had dealt.

If it didn't, then Veil would probably land on the ground and be swallowed by the Infestation. And then Salieri had no idea what she'd do next, especially if Viola's next pokemon was just as strong.  

[Marsuru]

Octazooka's ink dyed the ground with a black splatter. Vivillon wasn't entirely sure how Veil had avoided the Psybeam, but that didn't matter now. The Horsea was coming in with a deadly Bounce attack. The distance was narrow, and for all her speed, Vivillon couldn't manage a dodge without Gust's assistance. Viola saw it too, quickly shouting for, "Draining Kiss!"

Rather than weakening her position and trying to avoid damage altogether only to fail, Vivillon aimed to mitigate it by using Veillantif's attack as a means to promise her own. So as the Horsea whipped out with her tail, Vivillon would hit it with Draining Kiss. It would mean taking a super effective critical hit to the face, but the damage from the Kiss should finish off Veillantif, while the draining effect would provide Vivillon with a slither of health to stay in the battle.

If Veil dodged the Draining Kiss, she would miss her attack. And if that happened, Vivillon would use the opportunity to flap hard and make some distance, while at the same time blasting at her opponent with a Psybeam before she hit the ground.  

[Jump Einatz]

There was no way at the speed she was going that Veillantif could dodge the Draining Kiss. Salieri winced as she heard the smooching sound, and Veillantif fell to the floor below. The Infestation caught up with her, and she was surrounded in a swirling storm of tiny flesh hungry bugs.

It was hard to tell if it was the Draining Kiss or the Infestation that ended the fight, but either way Salieri had to concede for Veil's sake. With a straight face, she recalled her fainted Horsea to her pokeball. "That was a good job, Veil."

Vivillon's almost down, but she still has another pokemon waiting in the wings. What if its just as strong as Vivillon? Salieri felt her throat dry up. What if its even stronger?

She looked at the three remaining pokeballs on her belt. Banksy wouldn't listen to her in a fight, and she had promised Biz Marquis that he'd get to have a chance in the gym battle. Durendal would have an easier time, but going back on the promise made her feel sour.

After mulling it over, she looked up at Viola and her feral smile returned. "You're stronger than I gave you credit for, Viola." Sal unclipped a pokeball and lobbed it into the air. "But don't count me out yet! Biz Marquis, it's on you now!"

The Chespin landed in the arena, rotating his shoulders to stretch. He bore a boisterous smile and punched one hand into the palm of the other. [Get ready to get wrecked, son!]

It's risky, but it's not worth winning if I don't win the right way. I won't go back on my promise just for that. Gust is still disabled for now and Vivillon's almost done for, if we act fast we can end this fast.

"Get going!" Sal shouted, and Biz complied by rolling into a ball for a Rollout. He drove forward with speeds he couldn't reach on his legs, and gained more speed as he went by. When he was almost under Vivillon, he launched upwards as a whirling spikeball to tackle the flier out of the sky.

Between the battle with Banksy the night before and the warm up battles this morning, Biz had gained a couple of levels. But his was still much lower than Vivillon's, and even lower than Veillantif's. Salieri was relying on tricks and misdirection to win, and she could only hope that it would hold her over long enough to get the badge.  

[Marsuru]

"You're not so bad yourself," Viola replied with a sweet smile. It vanished when Biz came out, settling back into her match face. Infestation left the arena when Veillantif had fainted, each bug crumbling like wet sand until they became a fine mist, which soon vanished without a trace.

Tired as she was, Vivillon wasn't so slow that she couldn't dodge such a telegraphed attack. With a laboured flap of her wings, she sent herself over the spinning Chespin as he launched himself at her. She twisted around in the air to blast at him with a "Supersonic!". Her wings shook for a second before unleashing the high pitch ringing sound right at her foe.

Normally inaccurate, there wasn't much distance between the two airborne pokémon, so the chances of Supersonic sending the Chespin into a stupor rose. Viola hoped that the Rollout would disorientate Biz just enough to let the Confusion effect take hold more easily. If it did, then it was a toss up as to whether he'd hit the ground spinning, or land flat on his face.  

[Jump Einatz]

((Dice tossin! Odds are confusion recoil, evens are a pass
EDIT: Oh nooooooo))

Salieri didn't expect Biz to land such an obvious Rollout on the battle experienced Vivillon either, but she needed him to build up momentum to get high enough into the air to execute the next part of her plan. As soon as he missed his attack, Salieri yelled for him to "Swing!".

With practiced skill, the Chespin uncurled right before the apex of his jump and cancelled his Rollout. A Vine Whip snapped forth from the armor on the back of his neck, shooting up to grab a hold of the webs on the ceiling. Biz had begun to swing back around at Vivillon with his previous momentum when the Supersonic hit him in the face.

Biz didn't have a defense for sound based techniques like Veil did, so he had no choice but to take the technique head on. He suddenly became very dizzy, and the whole battlefield became a blur.

Salieri yelled for Biz to "Take the shot!", but the confused Chespin lost track of where he was swinging and swung up into the ceiling, racking up some collision damage.

"Biz!" she shouted when he missed. Even with just a handful of hitpoints, Vivillon was still threatening.

Perhaps the ramming realigned Biz's ringing eardrums, or perhaps he was just well adjusted to disorientation due to so many Rollouts. Whatever the case was, he shook off the confusion quickly and clung onto the webs with his hands, looking down at Vivillon. [Think you're tough down there?!] he yelled, slurring his words and rolling his eyes in an attempt to still look confused. [Come up here and fight me like a badass would!]

He waited to make his move, hoping Vivillon would take the bait and attack first as the webbing he gripped on began to give way.  

[Marsuru]

Unfortunately for Biz, Viola was the one giving the orders and she didn't speak pokémon. "Infestation!" she commanded, and with a shake of Vivillon's wings, the black bugs were summoned from the webs on the ceiling. They would shoot out in every direction like black waterfalls, pouring through gaps in the webbing. If Biz was still there when the bugs came, he'd be scratched as they exited the ceiling webs, but not caught in the trap. The Infestation bugs took a few seconds to swarm into tendrils before they could be used to their full purpose, and in that grace period, they were relatively harmless. Painful, but harmless.

Vivillon maintained air superiority, and it wouldn't be long before her Gust was operational. If Biz still clung to the ceiling after Infestation was summoned, Viola would call for another "Psybeam!" to blow the Chespin from his hold.