Pokémon Legends: Court of Kings

[Jump Einatz]

Cyllage City Gym

If he had hair on his scaly skin, the static created by the charging of the Thunder would've caused it to stand on end. The thunderclap would suffice in allowing Lupin the time to register the move, as did Sal. Its bellow drowned out some of Grant's words, but she caught the gist.

"It's okay!" she called back to Grant over the growing hum of the Thunder. "I'll let it slide! Maybe I can set you up with him later!" She became a bit more serious when she yelled to Lupin, "Brace yourself!"

The Kecleon was already on it, looking up at the lance of lightning preparing to drop down. Once the charge up time was over, the Thunder would drop, its speed wicked. The light it produced would temporarily make producing a Shadow Sneak impossible. It was a short window of time, but a crucial one. Still an Electric type, his Charge Beam's power was boosted up higher, and was his only chance and not taking a full on assault.

The Charge Beam came from within his mouth, shooting upwards right before the Thunder collided into him and the cliff. The opposing magnetic wavelengths warped the electricity around, splitting the falling Thunder into various beams of electricity that danced around. Lupin absorbed some of the plentiful leftover electricity from both attacks to slightly raise his Special Attack. The other whips of lightning lashed out at his sides, creating long, thin burns.

The light subsided, as did both attacks. A few of his extra scales peeled off, and specks of green skin seemingly floated in midair before they were regrown instantly as Kecleon teetered to side of the cliff. Only his large Special Defense stat saved him from becoming KO'ed fried lizard. I don't wanna take any more of those. What's the point of this fight, anyway? What do I get from-

Finally, Lupin noticed the earpiece in the Raichu's large yellow ear. He looked back, and saw that Grant had a matching one with a mic. Both were ruby red, and very shiny. He loved shiny. Hello, beautiful.

Still invisible, but a few feet from where he once stood, he snapped his camouflaged tongue out at Raijin's ear, hoping to both slap the mouse upside the head and snatch the earpiece right out of the Raichu's ear with Thief. If he got it, he'd fall off the cliff, swing around to Grant's cliff, and hide behind the sponsored trainer until he found a chance to snag the second earpiece.  

[Spinne Biss]

Cyllage City Gym

"Sweet, I was worried he might be straight!" Grant called back, his words littered with light laughter.

Raijin's reflexes were lighting fast. He was used to fighting and changing tactics on a moments notice. The smallest change to his perception of a battle would cause him to react to it. Intuitive impulses had turned him into a Pokemon with honed skills.

Lupin's attack would instigate this reaction speed. Raijin had already figured that the weakness to the opponents invisibility was that he had to reveal himself to attack. So long as Raijin could take advantage of this, and shrug off the blows, he could win the match.

For this reason, Lupin's entire strategy was too slow. He'd only have the time to touch Raijin's ear before the electric type was upon him with Quick Attack. At the cliff edge, he wouldn't get the chance to swing over to Grant's cliff, nor even pull the ear piece completely over to himself.

Raijin, instead, aimed to thrust him from the cliff with Quick Attack, all of the speed and force collecting into a fist that he'd position to throw Lupin diagonally where he couldn't escape into a shadow, nor use his tongue to right himself in the air in time.

If it worked, he'd spin himself in the air due to his body twisting from the direction of the blow. Hand open, he'd charge up the thunder bolt and, as he finished his turn, he'd fire it in the direction that he'd sent Lupin flying.  

[Jump Einatz]

((EDITED))

Cyllage City Gym

The Kecleon's tongue snapped back into his mouth like a retracting rubberband as Raijin punched him in the gut, winding him. Extra scales broke off his body and fluttered away, regrowing again immediately after. The earpiece, stuck to his sticky tongue, went into his mouth as well. At least he had his prize.

Lupin fell off the cliff, down but not out. He too twisted in the air. If he could be seen, it would look like he was throwing a punch at nothing. But this was just to distract from his tail was unfurling, lengthening towards the rock climbing wall below the cliff. A move that seemed like another move: Feint.

Its speed allowed Lupin to cling to the wall below by the end of the tail, swinging down and dodging the Thunderbolt before it came. He caught his breath for a moment, shut his mouth closed so the earpiece wouldn't fall out, grabbed onto the footholds with his proper limbs, and started climbing back up towards Grant's cliff.

Salieri grit her teeth, finally settling her full attention on the match. Grant wasn't kidding the day before when he said he was strong. There was a good reason that Pokétch sponsored him. With her lack of understanding about Lupin's full potential and the gap in levels, winning would not only be incredibly difficult. It would take time though a cat and mouse game, time Salieri couldn't afford. She couldn't let The Sniper have the time to track her location and get into position. She needed to keep moving, and the only way she was leaving the city was with the badge.

"Grant!" she yelled, holding up her hands in the internationally known gesture for 'Stop'. If there's a time to pull this card, this would be the time.

"I'm calling in that favor you owe me! I want you to throw this match!"  

[Spinne Biss]

Cyllage City Gym

The two were battling for whoever would face the gym leader next. Grant didn't mind waiting a few minutes at this point, since he'd just go after Salieri, but it was still a bummer that she wanted to end the match this way.

Grant decided to play the good sport and said, "alright, but that makes us even!" He recalled Raijin. Ever attentive, he'd already noticed the missing earpierce. "I'll need Raijin's earpiece back first, though."  

[Jump Einatz]

Cyllage City Gym

Salieri sighed in relief. She didn't particularly enjoy winning a match this way, but for her purposes, a win was a win. Right now it didn't matter much how she got it.

"Deal," she said as she leapt over to the battling cliff, then again over to Grant's. If Lupin stole Raijin's earpiece, it meant he'd go after Grant's as well. Finding the chameleon would be easier that way. She paused right in front of Grant, staring just past the trainer. Eventually, she kicked at the air in front of her.

Lupin dropped his camouflage, winded again for the second time in a minute, and spit out the earpiece. "Ouf, that was a lucky shot," said Salieri as she returned Lupin and picked up the earpiece. It was covered in tongue slime. She grimaced as she handed it back to Grant. "You'll want to wash that off...and consider our score settled."

Durendal hopped over to catch up to his trainer. "If it's any consolation," she said as she took another swig from her water bottle, "You would've beaten my Kecleon eventually. I just...I have places I have to be, you know? I can't play Lupin's stall game all morning." Sal lamented how lame that sounded, but she couldn't tell him the truth about The Sniper. Not if he happened to be friends with any of the sponses that might be after her.

"...hey Grant, do you know a trainer named Faust Nostrad?"  

[Spinne Biss]

Cyllage City Gym

Grant shoved the earpiece in his pocket, clearly grossed out by the stickyness of it.

"I know," Grant said to Salieri about his inevitable victory. There wasn't a hint og smugness or confidence in his voice, it was just a matter-of-fact statement to him. "You're a decent combatant, but all of Raijin's moves are derived from my training, you can see him in me. I couldn't see any of you in your Kecleon."

Grant was wiping his sticky hand on his jeans when Salieri asked a name that Grant had never heard before. "No, should I?"  

[Klarp Glornharm]

Benedict didn't really remember arriving at the gym. He couldn't really remember who, exactly, had told him about the battling to get ahead thing either. It was a dumb-sounding idea, except that it gave him a chance to use the newer pokemon a little, at least, it did when his opponents didn't look too tough. The sorts of people that had made this their first gym to face. Not that there were many of those, really. Or too many people at all, it felt like.

What almost stopped him from going on was the climbing of the wall. It wasn't exactly like he would stop and not face the gym leader, but he almost considered stopping with the battling his way up.

At least, up until the point that his head poked up over the top in time to see, and hear, Salieri calling in a favor to Grant. Where had he heard that name? Had she gotten a favor from the gym leader? A moment of focus after he pulled himself up showed him the person that they'd both talked with the day before. The sponsored guy. I should ask him business questions. Still have no idea what to do about those people that called. He couldn't work for them all, and not just because they might not go for that.

Mostly because it would ruin whatever admiration the people were looking at him with.

"Hey." He called to them as he finally approached. He had missed Faust's name, and was mostly just interrupting them. Ben gave them both a grin and ignored the fact that he was probably covered in sweat. "So, you two are here too."  

[Marsuru]

Sycamore Research Lab

'Look who's talking,' Zack grumbled under his breath. To his untrained Unovan eye, Lysandre looked ridiculous. He wasn't sure if it was the hair, the black leather suit or the fur collar at the height of summer, but then again he was in Kalos. They did things differently over here.

'Elisio!' Sycamore brightened up, hurrying around the large round table and snapping off his pink plastic gloves. 'You're not interrupting at all! In fact, we were just about to start-'

The Professor paused a couple feet away from Lysandre. From the waist up, Sycamore was covered in varying hues of varying slime that once lived in Aerodactyl's mouth. His hair was a splatter of slick bundles, his coat and bare forearms saturated and filthy. He slapped Dexio on the back.

'Dexio, give Mr. Lysandre a brotherly hug,' he said, and the aide stood to attention, hurrying towards Lysandre. He did his best, but the firm squeeze of arms and bodies was ultimately robotic and awkward. Sycamore washed his hands at a nearby scrub sink and started toweling them off. 'So what brings you to our neck of the woods? Oh wait. Kids, meet Elisio Lysandre. He's the owner of-'
'Lysandre Labs,' Sina swooned, on her feet and clasping her hands. 'Oh Professor, why didn't you say you knew such a rich man?'

Sycamore rolled his eyes. 'Sina, a man's worth isn't judged solely by his - you can let go now, Dexio - by his bank balance. Mr. Lysandre's also renowned for his humanitarian efforts. Isn't that right, old friend?'

The doors opened and Helena came in. Zack gave her a nod, and stepped aside so she had space to stand next to him. 'Bad move, little sister,' he said, leaning over so only she could hear him. 'You should've run while you had the chance.'

Battle Chateau - The Courtyard

Jullien spread his fingers on the balcony's white stone, silver rings clicking. The greeter told him that Elizabeth Leroux was waiting here, but it seemed she had more pressing matters at hand. Standing on a beam in the middle of the courtyard, the two duelists were physically indistinguishable from one another. Their fencing uniforms were identical, their mesh masks hiding their faces. He recognised his daughter immediately. Her collected, airy confidence with a blade, her easy composure; she radiated Juliet. Opposite her, Elizabeth reeked of unease and suspicion. Even across the yard, he could smell it.

She looked at him.

---

'I'd say your father wouldn't think much of either of us were we to bet our lives away,' Elizabeth turned back to Juliet when Nostrad put his hands behind his back, his face unreadable. She flashed her own grin back at her opponent, but of course it was invisible to the younger Nostrad. 'Especially you. And especially when you can't be sure you'll win.'

She swished her foil, eyes electric behind her mesh, and stepped further onto the beam. 'I seem to remember a little lady who couldn't hope to best me.' Elizabeth held her foil at the ready, 'Is she ready to try again?'  

[Spinne Biss]

Route 14

Once peppy, with a literal skip instead of step, Bridgette's now-walk had turned into a slump. Posture ruined, head hung and physically tired, the only thing that kept her moving was the restoration of hope once Lumiose City had come within sight.

"You know what the worst part is?" Bridgette as the Drifblim that she held on to the appendage-hand of as she walked, "that Laverre City was just a little shack in the woods. At least we got a badge out of it." Bridgette tapped the badge that she wore on her orchid colored hoodie.

The badge was made of word and obviously fake, but the trainer didn't know that. "I could really go for a battle to take my mind off of what a terrible day this had been."

Bridgette slowed to look around and then caught sight of Wayne heading toward Lumiose. She ran toward him, waving her free arm, "heeeey~ Let's battle!"  

[Marsuru]

Route 14

Lumiose City's north gate wasn't far now. Wayne was red and sweaty from the run, which had been a little further than he'd bargained for. But since Ronin wasn't tired, he decided that he shouldn't be either. Then some girl started shouting at him for a battle. Thank god. He staggered to a halt, bent over, gasping. As Bridgette approached, Wayne held up his hand, trying to get his breathing steady.

Ronin glanced at his trainer, shrugged, then sat on a roadside rock, unaffected by the run.

'Hey, hey, hey! What're you doing stopping here? We're almost at the gate!' Aipom squeaked from the trainer's shoulder, hopping up and down and waving at the city gates.
'She challenged me,' Wayne gasped. 'We have to battle now. It's the law.'
'What the- no it isn't! Just ignore her!'

'Heeeey~!' Wayne stood up tall, waving to Bridgette. He grinned when she came closer. 'Careful what you wish for, people tend to quake in their boots once I get going. The name's Wayne Lee, but people call me Wayne for short. I'm a pokémon master.'  

[Spinne Biss]

Route 14

"If you were I'd have heard of you. I mean, I've been to the Pokemon Stadium and everyone who is anyone is there. Name's Bridgette."

She crossed her arms, an act that caused the Drifblim to float away from her and then around the two in a circle.

When she uncrossed her arms it was with holding two pokeballs that she'd stealthily removed from the pockets of her hoodie. They enlarged in her hands. "Let's see if I should get you an invite this year or not."  

[Marsuru]

'Oh man, that's a pretty badass battle opener,' Wayne grinned, 'I once met a guy that just told me how much he liked wearing shorts and then bam, grabbed his balls and started battling me. Needless to say, I won. Though I don't think he appreciated my joke about him needing to wash his shorts cause I left a boot print on it, on account of me kicking his butt.'

Aipom sighed noisily and Wayne paused. 'Right. The battle. Gimme a sec.'

Wayne hurried back several paces. They were fighting in the middle of the route's main track, deserted at all hours, no witnesses to their battle. A park lay dormant not a dozen yards away, its swings squeaking in the breeze. Wayne smiled, drew his foot back, scratching up a cloud, and flicked the bridge of his nose with his thumb.

'We'll keep going until you give up, okay?' he called to Bridgette, grabbing a pokéball from his belt and calling on his Typhlosion. The pokémon materialised in a burst of light, and hit the floor face-first with a thud, snoring. Wayne stared at the slumbering pokémon and slapped himself on the face. He peeked out between his fingers. 'Uh, can we have a time out?'  

[Spinne Biss]

Route 14

"Yeah, let me know when baby's nap time is over, okay?" Bridgette's words were littered with laughter that she tried to stifle to get her whole joke out. "I'll just be over here not getting my butt whupped, with my clearly superior Pokemon."

Bridgette thrust the pokeball over her shoulder, tilting her head to the side as she did. Once it was released her fingers curled so that she was pointing her thumb behind her at the Kabutops that materialized.

That was smooth, nice job Bridgette.  

[Marsuru]

Kabutops stood before them, blades gleaming in the sun. Wayne stopped shaking his Typhlosion's flank for a moment to stare in awe. 'Whoa. Cool scythe-hands.'

Aipom hopped down and peeked over Typhlosion's back, squinting. 'Huh. That thing looks nasty. You sure you're up for this? I mean, assuming you can get lard-butt here operational.'
'Absolutely,' Wayne grinned, pulling his hands away from Typhlosion's side and holding them up. They were covered in blue-black and yellow fur. 'Stand back and be amazed! Seriously, stand back.'

Wayne slammed his hands onto the Typhlosion's neck and swiped them sideways. The fur stuck to his gloves sparked against the pads on the back of Typhlosion's neck, and fire roared like a motorbike's engine as Wayne pulled his hands away. Instantly, Typhlosion snapped awake, shoving itself from the ground in a single push.

The trainer fell on the floor but couldn't stop grinning. His Typhlosion stood with its head tilted at the Kabutops, its collar of flames blazing and making the air shimmer. Aipom scurried back up Wayne's arm and to his perch on the trainer's shoulder.

'Right,' Wayne shouted to Bridgette, 'Prepare to get your butt whupped by my superior pokémon! Demo! Flame Wheel!'

Demo lurched forward and broke into a sprint. His body bowed, his collar exploded into an enormous ring of fire that span around his neck like a catherine wheel. While the flame itself wouldn't be very effective against a rock/water type, the sheer force would be enough to throw Kabutops off balance, leaving it open for a follow up 'Power-Up Punch!'  

[Spinne Biss]

Bridgette's eyes lit up with the sudden glow of Demo's flames. The flames danced in her eyes, and she felt herself mezmerized for a moment. The next moment was spent moving in a semi-circle away from Kabutops so that the two of them could face off without her standing dead in the middle.

"Di*, get back!" Bridgette shouted.

* Di is short for dicer, so it's pronounced like die.

Di shot himself back instant with Aqua Jet. The force of Typholosion's Flame Wheel would be felt on the stone like flesh of his body. His blades dug into the ground to slow his movement, so that he wouldn't get too far away from the battlefield.

Bridgette caught on to the motion and spoke in a quick, squeak-resembling voice, "Dee Bee Mud Shot!" DB: Mudshot - Double Barrel Mudshot.

The blades had torn into the grass and ripped it up, revealing the muddy soil beneath. The blades had also dragged said soil back into two decent sized piles. Di respositioned his blades so that they sat on the opposite ends of the piles, the flat of the blades against the muddy soil. Then, with all of his might, Di launched these two shots at Demo accompanied by Bridgette's shouts of "bang! bang!"