Pokémon Legends: Court of Kings

[Klarp Glornharm]

Vivillion was a flying type. "Slide!" Was called out suddenly, as Benedict acknowledged this fact. The easiest attack to use at a charging pokemon that he knew was gust...

Essence would follow this command, as those wings blew a gust, she would lean back, and slide with her forward momentum as a baseball player might to avoid getting hit by a ball, or stepping off base accidentally on arrival. The movement would make her a small enough target quickly enough that the gust would miss...

And her hands would push her to her feet in the next moment, her legs pushing her forward with, hopefully, enough strength to reach the vivillion before it could dodge or throw another attack. Poison sting would swing out, and Benedict would hold his breath. There weren't many other moves that could be made now.  

[Spinne Biss]

Camphrier Town

"I gotta drop these guys off," Helena said once they'd arrived. She moved to the counter where she let the nurse take her Pokemon and reflected on the day.

Once she was at her brother's side it was with a disappointed look at her arm. "You know something else I've noticed?" She held up the arm for him to see that she'd managed to get a sunburn. "Bookworms cook easy. I'm investing in some sunscreen."

Helena probably wouldn't realize it herself, as there wasn't a mirror around, but she looked like she'd been at it all morning. Her skin reddened by the sun, some parts glistening from sweat and strands of hair pointed out in crazy directions where they had escaped her ponytail. She looked excited.

"There's a beach this way too, right? Would we have time to hang out there? I wanna get an actual tan if I'm going to spend so much time in the sun."  

[Spinne Biss]

Santalune City - Pokemon Gym

It was a gambit that you didn't see some your average trainer. Viola herself couldn't see it properly for all the blowing infestation and powder that had overtaken the arena.

Vivillon herself moved to dodge it, but her wings weren't going to be able to move fast enough for her to get far enough away. Instead she made to gather another gust. As her wings came down, however, Essence would be upon her. The other Pokemon would have retained most of her momentum, giving her the faster shot in their contest.

The sting, powered by all of those growths and in Essence's new body, would make contact before Vivillon could bring down enough wind to tear Essence to pieces.

With the bug/flying type fainted a moment later, the infestations and powders would begin to blink away. As the arena cleared, Viola began to cross it until she reached its center where she held out the badge for Benedict along with the TM for Infestations.

"Congratulations," Viola said as the board in the lounge would change to reflect his victory and the trainers watching from above would begin to cheer. "You've earned the bug badge, your first badge, as well as this TM."  

[Marsuru]

"I have no idea, you know how I am with maps..." Zack said. It wasn't that he couldn't read them, he just felt a strong inclination to avoid consulting a map unless he absolutely had to. It may have something to do with a childhood trauma, but then most things did.

"At least you won't struggle to find some lotion. This country is pretty much squirming in it." Zack recalled Serene and passed the pokéball over the counter for a trip in the quick heal machine. Serene wasn't injured, but she needed her energy restoring after using Teleport. Zack hated to go around without being fully loaded. "I must've overheard at least three different Hikers make the same joke about 'craggy skin'."  

[Spinne Biss]

"You know how hikers are with their dry humor," Helena said as she started for the center's exit. "So there's a castle? Like, one we can go inside of?"  

[Klarp Glornharm]

As the arena cleared, Benedict raced across it to lift Essence, who seemed surprisingly tired from the whole ordeal for someone with less than half the battle on her shoulders, and spin her about. Essence tiredly lifted her new arms in victory. [See that? I hit it!] A moment later, she was returned by the grinning Benedict who finally remembered to properly approach the gym leader offering the badge and TM.

Ever the gentleman, he took both, and gave a deep bow with a nice flourish to her in return. "Thank you very much." And then, assuming there was nothing left to the whole pomp and ceremony that was there, he turned to leave.  

[Marsuru]

"Yes," Zack said, retrieving Serene's ball from the nurse, giving her an appreciative nod as he set off.

The day was still sunny and warm, though not as blisteringly hot as it had been at noon. Camphrier Town looked like a broken pack of crayons; colourful buildings scattered here and there, close together and far apart with cobbled streets running between them, and none of it level. Shabboneau Castle stood to the north atop raised plateaus that were covered in green. Dappled sunlight glinted on its spires, and banners of the Kalos Royal Crest flapped either side of its main gate. The castle looked well-tended, but as Zack observed earlier, quiet and restful like the town it overlooked.

"So what's your plan? I'm gonna keep going and see if there's anything worth catching around here," Zack said. It was a while yet before he wanted to return to Lumiose, and in many cases it was easier to catch a strong pokémon rather than train one from the ground up. He'd probably ditch his weaklings soon.  

[Spinne Biss]

"My gym battle is soon, so I'll be headed back to Santalune shortly. Then I wanted to check out Lumiose some more, and I need to get camping supplies anyways. I can meet you back here for dinner," Helena said. She wanted to explore the castle now that she caught sight of it, but she wasn't sure there was enough time to do that.

"So who owns the castle?"  

[Marsuru]

"Sure," Zack said when dinner was mentioned. That gave him what, two or three hours of training before coming back here? That could work. But as for who owns the castle...

"How the hell am I supposed to know? What am I, a tour guide?" He threw Helena a smirk then shook his head. "Just go win your battle, 'cause I'm making you pay for my food if you lose, and I am hungry today."  

[Spinne Biss]

If I lose I'll have to rob a bank. Helena left out the part where she had no money and simply grinned. She had no intention of losing. "Me too. Something about moving around got my metabolism going at hyper speed."

So, with a curtsy and a nod, Helena raced off to gather her Pokemon and head for her match.  

[Spinne Biss]

Santalune City - Pokemon Gym

Helena's Pokemon were ready, she thought to herself. She had gotten to know them, and they had gotten to know her. While they hadn't fallen into the rhythm she had hoped they would, they weren't the same losers that lost immediately to people like TK and Viola anymore. At least she hoped as much.

So when Helena's name was called inside the gym and she progressed down into the arena, it was with a new confidence in her abilities.

"Lilt," Helena said as she released her Fletchling, ready for the battle. "Time for payback."  

[Jump Einatz]

Santalune City Gym

Viola stood under the web strands that held up her pokeballs with her camera focused on Helena. "I was wondering when you'd come back. That glint in your eye says you're focused on victory."

She selected a pokeball and lobbed out her choice: Vivillon. This one had a Garden Pattern and was level 17. Viola wanted to test if Helena could use her skill and take advantage of Type Effectiveness to overcome a Pokemon of a higher level.

"The first move is yours whenever you're ready."  

[Spinne Biss]

"Get behind it, then finish it off in one go," Helena said.

Lilt chirped back in her singsong way and was off.

Quick attack gave Lilt her speed boost in a long arc, and the goal was to force Vivillon's response while she continued round and round the opponent in this fashion.  

[Jump Einatz]

Vivillon used her Compound Eyes to track the tiny bird as it circled around her, continuously spinning to face Lilt and hide her back. When it was clear Lilt planned on completing more than one revolution around her pokemon, Viola ordered a "Poison Powder!"

The Bug type flapped back and up, and puffed out a cloud of noxious purple scales in Lilt's flight path.  

[Spinne Biss]

"Now!" Helena ordered in response to Viola's order. As Vivillon puffed up to release the poison powder, Lily would prepare to move and once the powder was released the Fletchling would twist toward the bug/flying type.

Lilt would speed with Quick Attack to get behind the other Pokemon. If the plan worked, Lilt would move to hit Vivillon with a peck attack as the other tried to turn to face Lilt.