A friendly fight [Looking for a battle AW]

[seiko]

Seiko strolled into the park with a determined look, a smile on his face, mainly from Jasmine and Anthony's joyful bounding in front of him. His Kitcia and Growlithe were busy trying to keep themselves from overflowing with excitement, in two very different ways. Jasmine was busy swishing keeping pace with Seiko, while Anthony the Growlithe, was trying his hardest not to sprint into the park and run around in a circle for a while. They were finally going to go battle, and he couldn't wait for it!

Seiko had finally broken down to their requests for a fight, and had told them he would take them to the park. Seiko had also tried to communicate that there was a chance that no one near their strength, or anyone period, would be around, but it went directly over both of their heads. They didn't care, they were going to finally get to fight each other, and who was he to dampen the mood? Seiko just kept walking calmly, as they reached the edge of the park. Walking in, he saw there were quite a few people here, and hoped he actually would get a battle. The pair could use some exercise, and he wouldn't mind the pair of them getting stronger. Would mean he was better protected.

Alexandria wasn't quite as pleased to be out fighting however. She didn't know these people, and if someone a lot stronger than them tried to fight them, and won, they could be seriously hurt, or even fainted, in which case Seiko would be all by himself. What if he had a seizure? What would happen then? Sure, he'd had one last week, which meant he shouldn't have another one for a while, but you never knew with him. He could fall down right now. Still, she did need to get stronger, and this was the best way to do it. She'd be able to carry him more, and protect him better. Which was worth at least trying to do this.

Anthony did not share her concern about battling. Battling was the best thing ever, and he needed to get stronger if he ever wanted to rival the majesty of those Arcanine's. Besides, when he was stronger, and bigger, he could take Seiko wherever he needed to go, and fast too! Then they wouldn't have to wander around everywhere by foot, or have to camp out with him paralyzed. He could just run him to a hospital! The mere thought of being able to do this finally pushed him over the edge, and he started to bark, running towards a bench at light speed, before skidding to a halt, wagging his tail as he waited for Seiko, who'd been left behind.

Jasmine's excitement was more, sedated, to say the least. She wasn't the manic energy kind of pokemon, no, she was more thoughtful. Smiling to herself, she couldn't wait to see the first trainer they would challenge, someone probably somewhat stronger than them, but not by much. Seiko would show his prowess then, and get better. As would she, and then she would be able to show the rest of them what she was made of. No one would harm Seiko then, that was for sure, and if any did, she would seek them out. Oh, and she would have her revenge. What a lovely thing, revenge is.

Seiko and the rest of his pokemon managed to reach the bench Anthony was at, and he sat down, relaxing in the warm weather. It was a good day for a battle, he had to admit, and the park setting was nice. It was at least a bit fresher around here, than in most of the city, and there was something to say for that. Now the question was whether someone near their ability would be around, so they could have a good fight. He didn't want to get crushed in a few seconds, but he didn't want to crush anyone either! With how weak he was however, he wasn't too worried about the latter situation. The former was the real concern.

[McKenna L. Madison]

[Here ya go. Thought I would get some sleep but couldn't actually go to bed without finishing it first. It feels off, probably because I should be sleeping but I obsess too much sometimes. xD But here ya go. Not my best, also 'cause of lateness I guess. But it'll do. Next post will be more McKenna-ish, I think. xD Gah. I'm going to sleep now. -keels over-]

“Whatchu lookin’ at, ya ugly mug? You wanna piece of me? That’s what I thought ya said, keep walkin’ ya moron! Never cross the Family, ya no good son of a-” That thick, movie-mafia toned accent belonged to Ruff, a Mankey who was swinging upside down by his tail, arms crossed and brown eyes narrowed at every passerby that moved within twenty feet of the tree he was guarding. Every time someone came near, he’d hear a small curse issue from McKenna and would nigh lose his temper and threaten to kill the man or woman that walked by. Of course, his threats were all very much hollow, and as he curled his tail tighter around the lower arm of his trainer, hauling himself up and onto her shoulder with a slight sigh, it became apparent that his “tough guy” behavior was really just an act. His brow furrowed, his gaze retaining that glare that his breed was famous for as his eyes darted around the Park. “Ya doin’ alright?” The question was a soft one, so that none would hear, but his nostrils flared and his fingers gripped onto her shoulder tighter, tail curling through the air behind her as he stared across the Park.

“No,” she bit out. “I’m not.”

And no, The Rat, was not “doin’ alright”. No matter how much Ruff tried to console her –and God she loved him for it- all of his taunts, threats, jeers and even the occasionally checkup on her was not making anything better. People stayed away more when he was yelling at them, but it failed to ease her nerves, and she shuddered every time she spotted something new. McKenna, was in fact, hiding below the shade of an oak tree, trembling occasionally and holding tight to Ratta, her ever silent partner, who dangled in her arms, red eyes half lidded. He did not mind being clung to like a teddy bear might be, but his silent concern for her health was evident in how his breath sometimes caught or he shuffled in her arms. He was virtually mute, when in public.

“Well I like being out,” a voice said from near the tree, poking his fluffy head out from a few leaves. It was Gavin, her Sentret, though his black eyes softened and he hesitated on speaking because of how obviously nervous she looked. For a second, his ears drooped and he appeared just as down trodden. “Well…it’s pretty today, at least.” His sudden sadness was of course, justified not by empathy, but by guilt. He and Rote had gotten carried away that morning..and though Electron, the only Pikachu on the team, seemed all for a little positive reinforcement, Gavin was no regretting their decision.

…

“It’s..very beautiful, yes.” McKenna’s voice was barely above a whisper, her gray blue eyes softening as she glanced down at Ratta in her arms. Though she ignored Ruffs paw pat against her shoulder in an effort to encourage her, she glanced, slightly forlorn at Rote, who was sprawled below the tree, watching her with the same remorse that Gavin expressed. Damn it, she felt guilty. They only wanted to go outside…but she wanted to protect them too. When they left Pravus that morning and they’d somehow made their way to the Park…a part of her had been relieved that she managed to follow. Her Pokemon were hardy, sometimes stubborn and very fast on their feet…but she loved them to death.

Even now, she could feel some of the tension in her shoulders easing a bit. All six of them were out today, including Electron, who was promptly snoozing against the base of the tree. She wished she could explain why she was upset. Or she wished she wasn’t upset by all of this. Public places and so many people didn’t used to make her feel vulnerable and afraid. She closed her eyes, ducking her head and gritting her teeth under the hood of her hoodie. She tolerated a lot of things in life, but it seemed to all catch up with her in recent years.

Because every time she looked out there…she saw his face amongst the crowd. Or she felt all those eyes on her. Everybody watching. All the time. It made her stomach reel to think that people were passing silent judgments on her. It made her sick to think that they were curious…even if the notion were an innocent one. And sometimes she was horrified by the prospect that she would know one of them, and they would find out that she was here, in hiding. A fugitive from her own damn region.

… But still. All that panic, all that fear. She hated to disappoint her boys, the only friends she ever really dared to keep or claim she had.

She took a deep breath, kneeling down to set Ratta against the grass, her expression softening as she reached up to pull her hood back down. Though exhausted and appearing as such, in a dark hoodie and black jeans she seemed a tad out of sorts, but ordinary, none the less. Granted, she was twenty three but short, a simple five foot three and no more. She was probably the least intimidating person in the Park right now too, and she frowned when that small voice that loved to wish for the impossible popped into her head and told her she should try to be bolder. Pft. Yeah. Right.

Talking to people, coming out during the day, staying out, and not freaking out with so many people around were not some of the strong points that she had. Now, mechanics work. Pokeballs, technological work…that was more her forte, and she did it in peace, far away from the public. Damn people.

“Alright. I…sorry guys. Let’s..ah. I mean. You should…do something.” Though she didn’t sound too enthusiastic to her team. She didn’t want them to go off to far and yet-

“Yo! Moron! The hell you doin’ up in our space? Ya lookin’ for a fight?” As Ruff’s voice boomed out over her shoulder again, she straightened, some of her Pokemon pricking their ears in interest. It was always funny when Ruff began to switch his accents, but his confusion was quickly forgotten as his tones moved back and forth and he leapt down from McKenna’s shoulder, rubbing one paw across his nose and snorting. “Seriously. Ya feelin’ lucky today or what?” He was glaring at a nearby bench and its most recent inhabitants, and McKenna cursed under her breath at all the attention it was getting.

“S-sorry.” Damn it, she hated it when her voice tripped. “He’s not..” She growled. “Thinking.”

But Rote, the territorial, temperamental Ratatta, was on all for feet as well, tail twitching. “Oh, we can take ‘em!” Gavin said, excited. His eyes glinted while most of the other Pokemon kept quiet. “C’mon McKenna, we can!”

Uh.

No. They couldn’t. And she knew it. She was terrible at Pokemon battling, and she’d never really even bothered with training in the past. Slowly, she raised a brow and gawked in disbelief up at her Sentret Pokemon. The hell. First they run off. Then she caught them. Then they kinda felt bad. Then they kept people from getting too close. Now they wanted somebody else to battle? That seemed like backwards logic.

…

But she growled, ignoring the thundering of her heart in her own chest. She didn’t even know how to ask such a stupid question, much less have a decent Pokemon battle. But Gavin went right on talking. He seemed to know what to say. “No really! We should! Can we? What do you say?” The last question was directed at Seiko, the small Pokemon acting as if he already knew the young man, even though he didn’t. Oh he was such an amiable little thing, wasn’t he? McKenna almost grumbled under her breath.

“Oi. No need,” Ruff snorted. “I’ll take care of the mook myself if he wants to have a try.”

…

She wondered if turning around now and banging her head against the tree would attract more attention. Damn parks and their damn people. And stupid males, with all their testosterone and challenge crap. She reached back and yanked her hood back up over her head. One, it was easier to hide embarrassment that way, and two…it was also easier to not notice how many people were actually looking at her. She felt more comfortable like that. Even if Seiko was maybe the only one (along with his Pokemon) that were even watching them at this point.

[seiko]

Indeed, Seiko hadn't paid much attention to the Mankey chattering at him, considering that he wasn't scared of it, when they suddenly seemed much more interested, one Pokemon asking her trainer if they could fight, then after a bit, asking what did he say. Well, that rather surprised him, considering normally people were more eager to send their hapless pokemon into fights than the Pokemon themselves, but he was about to say only if their trainer wanted to, when Anthony answered for him. Of course he would answer for him. Leave it to the mouth of the group to put his foot in it. Leave it to Anthony to turn any situation into a comical, if amazingly awkward and embarrassing one.

"Of course he wants to! What kind of question is that? Seiko's amazing at battling! He's so good, he coudl win with just me! In fact I b-" This spew of foolishness would have continued if not for an artful tackle by Jasmine directed in his direction. Anthony has by now luckily known that when one of his own teammates tackled him that he should just go with it and shut up, but he couldn't resist one last quip after getting up, saying "Well its true!"

Jasmine's tackle had been prompted mainly from the reaction she'd seen growing on Seiko's face. First surprise, then mild amusement, to completely embarrassment as Anthony continued on. So she'd acted quickly, and after getting up, acting if that hadn't happened at all, she calmly walked back to Seiko, rubbing her head against his leg and saying "I think he would love to." She still wasn't going to let him get out of this chance though. They were going to fight, just not in a stupid way, like say the Growlithe challenging to take on all her pokemon at once by himself, and betting all their money on it. She wouldn't put it past him to at least try that.

Alexandria had herself been ready to shush the Pokemon when Jasmine had acted, and she decided to just ignore it, standing next to Seiko and nodding at Jasmine's statement. She herself needed experience, something, anything, so she could grow stronger and evolve. Once she evolved, she wouldn't have any more trouble with carrying Seiko. Then they could go anywhere they wanted, instead of being stuck nearby the city, or at least relavitely close to it, until he had his seizure, then would be safe. It was a pain, and made her feel less than adequate. "Yeah. I would not be against a battle, myself."

Seiko was about to apply his palm to his face at his Growlithe's comments, when Jasmine's flying tackle managed to stop the entire event, making him inwardly sigh in relief. Well, at least he didn't have to worry about being challenged to some insane match. Besides, he had a creeping feeling that he was dealing with someone similar to Aubre, in that she didn't want to deal with people at all, and would much rather be by herself if not for her pokemon. So, he figured the polite, calm, and civil approach would be best. Especially since he didn't know how actually strong she was.

"I wouldn't mind battling, but only if your trainer is okay with it. I wouldn't want to bother her." He nodded slightly at this, standing up and stretching slightly. He knew his way around a battle, but it had been a while since he'd had anything resembling an actual battle. Most of the time he was more busy desperately trying to stay alive during some overly difficult challenge. Like fighting off people much stronger than him, until his father arrived and could save him. Or when he was trapped, in... the barn. A shudder passed though him, but it was temporary, just a specter of a horrific memory sliding past his mind, then disappearing, much to his relief.

[McKenna L. Madison]

[Here ya go Reece buddy. xD Hope it's good enough for ya. ^^ ]

…Idiots.

McKenna hissed quietly between her teeth, her brow furrowing as she shoved her hands into the pockets of her hoodie. Logically, Seiko seemed a reasonable person. His reaction to Ruff’s outbursts, at least, had been taken in stride and though his Pokemon seemed eager for a fight, he was respectful enough not to go ahead without clearing it up with her first. She let out a breath she’d been holding in, anger slightly subsiding at his invite, but still felt the nervous truth weighing down on her. Though her Pokemon were ready to do this, she was not. She hated it out here.

People didn’t understand.

Every slight step they made, every little word they spoke. Every unimportant side glance, even non-purposeful stares bothered her immensely. Having people watch her was disturbing. A part of her wished she could tell them that, but judgments were often cruel and unforgiving. Regrettably, the situation before her was some cause for concern. She was out in the open, and though a perfectly capable Pravus strategist and mechanic, she was downright terrible at these…ah. Whatever the hell people called them these days. Pokemon battles, fine. She was the last person picked for the front lines in the heat of battle.

But as she let out that breath and kept quiet, tensing under Seiko’s direct attention (damn this kid was young), she started to realize that practice had to come eventually. Wasn’t she slated for an upcoming visit to Garth? Oh boy, that would be fun, wouldn’t it? Absently, she reached up, grunting as her hand cupped the back of her neck and her expression softened. Having her Pokemon fight some kid in the middle of a Park might attract a few eyes…but it could also be completely looked over. People came to these Parks to have fun, didn’t they? And she naturally noticed that her “boys” were not having much fun at the moment. That was some cause for concern, because she loved them to death.

Damnit though, Pokemon battles were so damn pointless. If people wanted to solve disputes in wars, they deserved to just stand there all day out in the field and try to shoot each other. Not have their Pokemon do the work for them. A part of her didn’t like the idea of losing either. She’d seen one too many people with fainted Pokemon, and the thought of going back to the base without her team with her was…aggravating. It made her growl under her breath, the sound barely audible. But then…

Damn if she didn’t love them, and if Electron hadn’t woken from his nap and jumped up, unbelievably happy. “We can do it, McKenna! Come on! Trust me!” He smiled up at her, one of his ears twitching as a happy grin passed over his face. And when he tugged at her jeans and nodded, eyes lighting up, she sighed and lowered her arm slowly away from her neck.

“…Alright.”

She clicked her tongue at all the cheers that went up and glanced up at Seiko again, swallowing some initial fear. Take it easy. He’s just a kid. It’s not like Joseph is-…. Damnit. “..Y-yeah. We’ll have a go.” In spite of the first trip in her voice, the rest of her words were fairly firm. Electron was jumping into the air, cheering and Gavin hopped down from his spot in the tree to land with a light thump on her shoulder. He laughed as his bushy tail swept around and seemed to hug her neck. She was maybe the only one that ducked her head, brow twitching as a nervous grin set in place.

Boys, I swear. I don’t even remember what the hell to do here. We’re gonna get our asses handed to us…can’t wait to tell that one to Garth. Oh hey, I’m here for training. Only, I suck. I lost against a kid that looked like he was…fifteen. She winced a bit as the thought entered her head and closed her eyes, reaching up to pinch the bridge of her nose in irritation. Oh boy. Loads of fun.

“Yo, yo! Check it! I call first throwdo-“ but Ruff’s proclamation was instantly interrupted by McKenna, surprisingly.

“No. Electron…Electron goes first.” Rote and Ruff were maybe the last two she wanted to use right now. They were headstrong, and battling with them was like. Well it wasn’t fun. Zachary seemed bored, and was yawning and stretching like a tired cat in the background, and Gavin was never much of the leader sort, though he pretended to be. She glanced down at her pikachu with slight concern, because he was her right hand scientist and mechanic on most days. But he deserved a break now and then and probably wanted to exercise too. She trusted him to keep a level head at least, more than Rote might. Ratta, the quiet one, just wouldn’t be right for a battle. She smiled weakly as her eyes traveled over him briefly. He refused to speak unless they were alone, and right now, she needed…assistance.

And Electron could provide that. He loved to help out, and with something like this, he was pretty much logical and fast on his feet. At least…pikachus were supposed to be fast right? Ah ha, well, she’d find out, wouldn’t she? God, it’d been so long since she even tried something like this, much less watched another two people duke it out with their Pokemon. Pokemon battles were for the most part, a waste of time. If someone wanted to really beat the other guy, why not just order a Pokemon to attack the human, and ignore the other Pokemon? Pft. All these damn rules were questionable, and highly illogical when it came right down to it.

But as Ruff sidled back, crossing his arms and tapping his foot as he resumed his position close to her, at least the order had earned a few respect points in her team. They were quiet now and Electron was dashing forward on all fours, smiling as he halted when he was a good few feet away from both trainers. Sparks flew out of his cheeks from excitement, and he clenched his small paws like a person eager for a fist fight. “C’mon! Let’s do this!” In truth, she knew that his cheerful, blatantly naïve attitude was more or less fueled by the hope that she was actually socializing with someone else.

She smiled a bit.

Damn it all if she didn’t love her Pokemon for their concern sometimes, and their happiness whenever she seemed to do something right. … But then again. She paused, trying to remember.

…

What were his attacks again?

[seiko]

Seiko was waiting, wondering what she would say in response to his question. She seemed to be thinking hard to herself for some time, but before she said anything, her Pikachu chimed in that they could totally win, and she should trust them, tugging on her jeans. This seemed to make her sigh, then said something that seemed to cause jubilation amongst her Pokemon. Seiko assumed it was likely because she had agreed, which was soon confirmed as she said that they would give it a go. His own pokemon, mainly Anthony reacted with joy at this, barking happily, even though the rest were more concerned with who would go first.

She seemed to have her first chosen, as before the Mankey could call it, she said Electron would get first dibs. Seiko studied this choice, deciding what to do. Thoughts of all colors ran though his head as he tried to figure out what Pokemon to use, how strong the other was, and the best counter. He ended up with the simple fact that he had no idea how good they were, and that since it was electric, both his Feebas and Kitcia were out. So, his best lead would be Alexandria. He loathed to put her in danger, but she needed the experience, and would get mad if he kept her out of danger just because he was afraid he would be left defenseless.

"Alexandria. Your up." Seiko was already wondering exactly what he should do, when a thought occured to him. As the other Pokemon called out lets get this on, he said " I must ask, do you want to fight until one faints, or until one of us taps out?" This was basically withdrawing your pokemon before it fainted, meaning it didn't have to be brought back to consciousness, but that also meant that once you withdrew a Pokemon it was out for good. Each had their own plus's and minuses, but that was okay. What else did one expect in battling? It, like life, had its up and downs.

Alexandria meanwhile, seemed to be in a trance. Walking in front of Seiko, she seemed to breath deeply for a few moments, then open her eyes, determination flashing out of them. Now she was focused. She pushed aside her caring personality, and adopted her battle stance. Her job was to listen to Seiko, and do what he asked. No longer was she going to do her own thing, unless absolutely necessary, she was going to follow orders. She knew Seiko was always planning his next move, and sometimes his nexts moves next move, and that it was better to trust him when he gave out a crazy command than to question it. "I'm ready," She said, waiting for the attack to begin.

On the sidelines, Jasmine and Anthony cheered her on. Anthony couldn't wait for his turn to get better, but that would have to wait until after they gauged the enemies weaknesses. Thats why Seiko led with his strongest, because she was the most likely to be able to adapt to new situations. They were well trained in what to do, but they weren't strong. Which meant that in the end, the battle was likely to go any which way. The victor was far from known, and that always sent a thrill though Anthony, calling out "Go Alexandria! Show that Pikachu who's boss!"

Jasmine was staying silent, more focused on watching the other Pokemon, and the trainer, than on cheering on her teammate who would likely ignore anything shouted her way. No, it was better to watch, and study, then use the enemies weaknesses against them in a slow calculated assult, than to cheer and ignore the other side. Besides, when she was thrown out there, weak as she was, she was likely not going to do that well.

[McKenna L. Madison]

[Here ya go. x-x Kinda crappy. D: Been busy lately. x-x ]

So he was using the bird Pokemon. McKenna wasn’t an expert in these affairs, but a few years in Pravus had at least exposed her to quite a few different types of Pokemon. Judging from colors alone, Alexandria…was that what he called her? …was a Fire Pokemon. Logically, electricity and fire kind of went hand and hand and neither would have much of an upper hand against the other. Even so, she doubted it would matter much. Pokemon battles weren’t her specialty, and even though Electron was pumped for one, she was still wary.

…

Damnit, she still couldn’t remember his attacks. Some of them were obvious. Didn’t he have like, a tackle or something? Granted, there were all of those specialties, hinted at by the sparks flying out of his cheeks and the occasionally bolt racing across his fur. He probably had one or two good electrical attacks that she could have him use, but what was that one move? The…tackle thing. No. The fast tackle thing. Quick Attack? Was that it? God, all these names were stupid.

McKenna growled a little under her breath. These Pokemon battles were so complicated. She didn’t care for them, rarely ever trained, never bothered to learn attacks…and hated it all because it was just all highly illogical. Honestly, if Pokemon wanted to fight each other and get better they could do it on their own time, couldn’t they? Trainers weren’t necessary for that. All they did was stand around and shout things in the heat of battle. If Pokemon couldn’t attack on their own or react in time to save themselves from an attack without a human telling them to do so, they were in trouble to begin with. In a way, it was kinda sad.

Though, a part of her own agitation with the whole affair could like back to Santoro, full of those conceited idiots. She knew very well that things might have ended up differently.

But. Hn.

She just. Didn’t care. That seemed to be a lot of her feelings on the things going on around her, and she often spaced out on the thought, bored. At least thinking about things like that made her forget the rest of her issues. This battle would attract maybe an eye or two, but as long as she wasn’t thinking about those people…they couldn’t bother her much. And maybe, focusing on Electron and Alexandria would be enough to deter her from the usual anxiety attacks she had in public.

But wait. The kid was talking again.

She clicked her tongue against her teeth, ducking her gaze and considering their two options. What was the point in fighting until fainting anyway? None. At least, it would bother her to go home with none of her boys able to talk to her like they usually did. Her eyes flashed momentarily as she crossed her arms in thought. It would be a bit of a trek back too. She wouldn’t like that at all. Naturally, as she lowered her arms again and glanced back up, shoving her hands into her hoodie pockets to hide another tremble, it was only right to go with the most obvious choice. Ha. This would be an interesting tale to tell Garth –if she ever met the infamous Pravus grunt trainer-. Somehow the thought almost made her laugh, and the sound almost broke into her voice as well.

It would have been a nice reprieve from the anxiety. But ultimately, it failed, and she sighed softly, her gaze softening a bit as she stared over at him. He really was just a kid, wasn’t he? Though younger, she had some respect for him. He was definitely polite and respectful, which was a rarity. Thank God for her that she seemed to have hit the jackpot at running into someone that had decency and manners. And he seemed to have a particular know-how with what he was doing, even if she occasionally noticed a how quiet he was. At least, he appeared to want the battle more than she did, which was enough proof that he was more at ease here than she was.

“Tap out,” she growled, soft at first before she cleared her throat and repeated the words. “There’s something..I must do after this. I need my Pokemon for it. So…a tap out would be preferred.” She’d be able to handle it if they were tired, and she knew none of her Pokemon would complain either. She only felt slightly regretful that circumstances being what they were…she couldn’t do much else to let them have much fun. As she stood there, mulling over the situation, her hands clenched in her pockets, an odd, numbing sensation seeming to overcome her. It was all somewhat new, but very boring to her. She’d be happy if she could just retreat to her room, not come out for a few days and pretend this all never happened. She wasn’t called The Rat, for nothing.

She preferred stealth as opposed to the direct approach. She liked to think things through, and she hated to be seen. Night was the perfect time to get what she wanted done, when no one was really around to stare and judge. As things were now, however, she had little choice but to accept. It offered a slight reprieve from her own worries, but at least she did not seem to be facing a thug or something. That would have been bad, and like any “Rat” in an obviously threatened position, she would have refused the challenge and fled. Confrontation could be deadly, after all.

…

But this one was just some kid.

She wasn’t much of a "mouse" character, in spite of how quiet she often was. She could handle this…she just…needed not to think so much on everything was all. She sighed again.

“Alright…Electron. Let’s…ah.” Pause. Oh come on. Seriously? Gaaah. She frowned as she reached up and brushed her hand through her hair lightly under her hoodie for a moment. Uhm. His attacks. Right. Those. Uh. “Quick…attack?” She slurred it on purpose to sound like a question, but Electron blinked only once before darting forward, grinning as he charged Alexandria.

…

This would be interesting.

If she didn’t lose, that is. She was already expecting it though. Quietly, she balled her hand into a loose fist and rested her chin against it, contemplating.

...

Would shouting, ‘do the electric attack thing’ be sufficient enough in guiding him? She sure hoped so. Because hell if she could remember whatever-it-was-called.

[seiko]

Seiko waited patiently for her response as she seemed to mull over his words, then she came out with her decision. Tap out it would be. He honestly liked that fact, mainly because he wanted to keep his pokemon away from as much harm as he could, while still training them. This way it would be restrained, but only enough so that they didn't knock each other out. It was the best way to make sure that no one was harmed as well, as no one would be trying to win at any cost. He didn't want to have to worry about this battle continuing to fight on, even after he had passed out, should his unfortunate condition occur. It was in all honesty, a giant pain, but he dealt with it as best he could.

"A tap out it shall be then." he nodded, then focused in. He no longer cared about the world around him, just two tings. The trainer, and her pokemon. Both had to be watched, intently, in case one or the other betrayed its next attack early. Who knew what you might gather from watching, and it never hurt to try. A grin crossed his face as excitement began to build for him, anxious to try this out. He always did love a good battle, even if he was pretty sure his disability would kick in some time, he didn't care. It would still be a good battle, he would make sure of it.

Alexandria watched the entire time, waiting to see what would happen, and the next attack. Which, after a bit of hesitation, was given, in the form of a quick attack. She saw the creature rush forward, then seemingly disappear as it rammed into her, hitting her with his fast moving body. Of course, that hurt, but she was used to pain. She had dealt with harder things than this before, and to her, this was nothing more than a love tap. No, she'd show it how a real Pokemon fought in short, once Seiko told the attack, which was almost instantly after she recovered.

Seiko was thinking at lighting speed, trying to decide which attack to use. Many ideas presented themselves before him, but the one he settled on was Double Kick. It would do enough damage, and show the pikachu's defenses. Opening his mouth, he called out "Double, now." He didn't like saying more than he had to, and he knew Alexandria would understand. It was a ploy on his part, to confuse his opponent, if only for a few seconds at best.

Alexandria did just that, rushing forward and lunging out, reaching the electric mouse, and sending her foot flying towards it, soon following up with her other foot, in an almost spinning motion. Both kicks were delivered within seconds of each other, the only question being what damage was inflicted, if they even hit at all. This was all up to chance now, as both had tried their best.

((word count 503))

[McKenna L. Madison]

…

“Double?” The word passed softly from her lips as she stared out over at Electron, slightly confused. What. They were using nicknames for moves now? Double what? Good lord, Garth would probably kill her if he could see how confused she was now. But in all honesty, she didn’t care for his opinion. In the end, she’d shrug it off and flat out admit that she was downright terrible at Pokemon battles. In field expertise…that wasn’t where her specialty lay. Sure, strategies and sometimes infiltration tactics were easy enough to come up with. The Rat could determine a plan as well as the next person and plot out intended cautions they should take to minimize casualties. But she was good at making pokeballs, good at experimenting with machinery and enhancing its capabilities.

…

Not trying to figure out whether a double whatever-it-would-be would take out Electron in a matter of seconds. And as that whatever-it-was turned out to be a kick, she growled under her breath, struggling to remember something important. There was a move that Electron had that was similar, a double something, but it slipped her mind too easily as she reached for the answer. It was a pity too, because the Pikachu’s dodge was sloppy. He was no more used to battle than his trainer was, even though he was psyched for it. One kick slammed right into his center as he came to a stop, and the other knocked the wind out of him and sent him flying backwards before he dug his paws into the ground and skidded to a painful stop.

Of course she frowned. And her fingers dug into her palm a little more out of concern. But he straightened up on all four paws again, panting a little, and shaking, but hardly down and out, so to speak. Sparks flew from his cheeks, the bolts racing across his fur as his brows furrowed and he glared up at his opponent. The seriousness though, was completely loss as he breathed out what sounded like a “Pretty good,” before his tail twitched and he fell silent at McKenna’s order,

“Thundershock.”

…

That had been one of the attacks she was looking for, but as a strategist, it hadn’t been the right electric attack that might have given them more of an advantage. Pokemon had specialties, sure, but any person with common sense would realize that manipulating a situation could be more beneficial than an all out attack. And as she crossed her arms, ignoring the slight shiver that crawled up her back at a stray thought, it only came to her after the fact that she gave Electron the go-ahead for an assault. Thunderwave. That was the one she wanted, and it would have been very helpful to paralyze a fast moving fire Pokemon like Alexandria, but it was too late to change it.

…

Hn. Oh well, she supposed. They were still going ahead with the “tap out” rule that was so much more useful than its counterpart. She was still agitated by the whole battle affair to begin with, and she quietly admitted that the whole idea was…barbaric. A pity though, her Pokemon were excited about it.

“Finally,” the pikachu said, grinning as his sparks grew in number and he raised up on his back legs. It’d been too long since he released a powerful electrical discharge. McKenna often had him helping with her mechanics work, sure, but he’d never given a full dose of volts towards anything before. And maybe this would be the one time she could see him cut loose and give it all the energy he had. She was slightly impressed by the large, yellow glow that overtook his body. That aura had never before been so large, and her eyes flashed with interest at seeing it.

…

Hm. If she could reconstruct that design for the portable gener..oh wait. Battle. Right.

She sighed as the electric attack crackled and split through the air in a glimmer of light, zigzagging towards Alexandria in a frantic pattern. She guessed..it would hurt to be struck by lightning like that. And she wished she had a tool that could measure the amounts of energy Electron was giving off. It was kind of impressing her actually, and gave her a lot of ideas for projects back at the base. At least some good had come of this. Electron had an opportunity to test the power of his electric attacks, and if she could see all sorts of potential for the amount of energy he was giving off.

…Still though.

This was all really barbaric. And she winced, trying to think about how much it might hurt to be hit with a bolt like that. Maybe Alexandria would dodge and she wouldn’t get hurt at all. That seemed like a good idea, considering that every time McKenna thought about it, she grimaced or felt bad for even thinking it up.

…

But wait.

Pokemon battle. She wasn’t supposed to feel bad for Alexandria. That was stupid. See? These Pokemon battles were downright barbaric.

[Word: 851]

[seiko]

Seiko couldn't help but grin slightly when the attack connected, twice. Sure, it wasn't likely to miss, but then again, it wasn't likely to miss. Still, you had to be happy for the little victories you got in a battle, things could turn on them. She had hit him twice, both seemingly good hits, and managed to not get paralyzed by the static he gave off, so that was a good thing. He had remembered about that little ability, and realized perhaps he would try less physical moves, if at all possible now. Not like he wanted her to get paralyzed in the middle of battle.

She had dodged backwards after the attack, not about to stick close to him, since he was an electric mouse, and the closer she was to him, the more powerful any retaliation was bound to be. Since electricity lost power the farther it had to arc, she didn't plan on taking more volts though the chest than absolutely necessary. No need for barbecued chicken this time around. Still, she heard the attack, Thundershock, and as the Pikachu prepared for it, sparks flying as it shot out, she did her best to dodge the attack, by darting over to his left, but the flying bolt still managed to hit her, shocking her with a violent stream of electricity. As she felt it surge into her, she winced in pain. It hurt, far more than just a simple tackle. Still, she was not about to be counted out by a little shock. As her vision regained focus, she turned, facing the Electric rat as Seiko called out his order.

He had to think. Dare he risk another double kick, or should he pull for an ember. As the attack connected, he saw that it hurt, and winced. He never did like fighting, but he knew it was necessary. No, more important was that he needed to figure out what to do. He settled with an ember, a burn might result, slim a chance as it might be, and it would give him a chance to see how much damage that would do. If it did enough, he could use that, but if he needed to do something else, he could use shadow claw, or another double kick. It never did hurt to try after all.

"Ember." He called out as she seemed ready, and decided to hope for the best. He didn't have any snappy name for this, as it would become quite apparent what attack he was using soon, considering the fact that she would soon unleash it. It only mattered when there was a chance she could think of something to counter it, such as, per say, counter. Best to give as little advance advice as he could. That, and it never did hurt to try and psyche out your opponents. Still, as he watched Alexandria prepare for the attack, he wondered who would win. That attack was stronger than he had expected, perhaps she did indeed have the level advantage? However, there was the fact they seemed clumsy. Both factors could be crucial, and he didn't want to disregard either.

Alexandria had no idea what was going on in the head of Seiko right now, but that was okay, because she didn't worry about that. All that mattered right now was beating that Pikachu back into submission, however she could best do that. Seiko was the strategist right now, she was the muscle. Didn't mean she couldn't use her own strategy in the midst of it however.

Intaking air into her chest, she soon spat out flames from her mouth, drawing closer when she did so, before unleashing the small stream of flames at the Pikachu. Not all the flames connected however, a few landing on both sides of him, in case he got sneaky and tried to dodge out of the way. She would have none of that.

((657 Words))

[McKenna L. Madison]

Huh. … A direct hit. McKenna blinked, partially surprised. Alexandria accepted the powerful blow though with little consequence. That in itself was enough to impress her, but then, McKenna rarely witnessed Pokemon battles, and rarely cared to learn how much stamina or endurance other Pokemon had. Her fingers twitched lightly as she rested her chin against her fist, trying to strategize.

…

This definitely wasn’t as easy as the mechanics work she was so used to back at the base. This kid could hold his own, and Alexandria was a hardy Pokemon. She’d thought for sure the electric attack would give her more of an advantage, but her eyes flashed, returning to rest on Electron as the main stream of electricity died down and sparks continued to dance over his fur. When she caught the faintest smile out of him and the eagerness shining in his eyes, she smiled herself. He never cut loose before. In the future, she’d be able to let him waste all the energy he wanted. That electrical discharge would have so many uses with the technology she had to work with.

…But she perked up, catching her breath lightly at the order that Seiko gave next. Ember, huh. She blinked, feeling slightly exasperated with the battle already. Ember was a flame attack, if she remembered right, and it could burn something real bad. Muttering under her breath, she ducked her head and brought her hand up to scratch absently at the back of her head while staring at the ground. “Uh.” God damn it. What was that stupid technique of his…double…double…double something. Hadn’t she figured it out earlier? Oh wait. There was still that Quick Attack thing. Maybe if he moved fast enough..

She lifted her gaze, ready for another order, but slowly shoved her hands in her pockets, clicking her tongue at the new predicament. Things had heated up in her mental absence, literally. Electron tried to bolt to the side in a small effort to dodge without a command, but wound up nearly stepping upon scorched land. When he turned in the opposite direction, his jaw dropped in surprise. And then of course the ember attack hit him straight on while he was busy staring at the traps on either side of him. Well so much for that.

…

McKenna’s concern though, was not for the battle so much anymore. She cupped her hand close to her mouth, shoulders slumping as she called out once the flames had passed and gone. “Electron? You okay?” She winced slightly at the smoke dispersing lightly into the air. Ember wasn’t a particularly powerful fire attack, apparently, but it still caused some serious concern. And of course, there was that ever present thought of I-suck-at-this making her bored with everything that was going on. Damn society and it’s damn…obsessive little games.

“F-fine!” Electron coughed, leaping backwards on all four paws, slightly ashen. He glared across the way at Alexandria, but when at last he slid to a stop, it was evident that the worse had happened: he’d been burned, and the extra tint to one of his back legs made him shudder uncontrollably.

“…Can you handle it?” She felt ready to call it quits then, but he shook his head, bolts flying from his cheeks and striking the ground. The little stubborn mouse. She sighed half heartedly, glancing over at Alexandria. The rest of her Pokemon had been dead silent, and now broke out in cheers, more than pleased that he was still standing. Rote was the only one grumbling about having him hit in the first place. McKenna supposed it was her fault –and in all likelihood it was- but in an absence of battle tactics thought, she finally recovered that defensive maneuver she had so much trouble remembering. “Double team. That was it.”

“…Oi. Try to be a little faster with the thinking,” her Mankey rumbled, brow twitching from her sudden epiphany.

But Electron caught the order. His ear twitched and then he smirked. McKenna knew he didn’t have much energy left. One more hit and she’d pull him out, regardless. She hated these battles anyway, but pulling him out just now, might hurt the moral and the fun the team was having. She couldn’t ruin it for them when there might be a small chance that Electron could get a few more hits in. “Keep moving and try a quick attack,” she called out, knowing that Alexandria might be well prepared for it.

…But it made Electron happy, and so she would let him fight the way he wanted. Without another word his electricity started to heat the air unnaturally, and illusions of himself popped up, two or three look-alikes all charging at once towards the fire Pokemon. It might however, have been easy to spot the fake amongst the rest, with the particles of electricity flowing across Electron’s fur. The copies could not mimic the attack, but as a way of making up for it, he continued flowing in between each illusion quickly, rarely ever staying in place within the line of three. In one second he was on the left, in another he was in the middle, as another passed, he was on the right, and so on and so forth he went, charging the fire Pokemon in an effort to get in another hit.

…But McKenna noted, with that burn, he could take only one more hit, if that, and she would pull him out. He was already starting to slow down, and she couldn’t blame him for it.

[Word: 942]

[seiko]

Alexandria and Seiko watched, waiting for the Pokémon to retaliate, and preparing their attack in turn, Seiko scanning quickly though a range of strategies in response to what unfolded, each being considered and discarded with all the haste he could muster. Most were half baked ideas, or discarded instantly due to the simple fact this was a simple brawl, nothing requiring anything serious. It’d been a while since he’d not had to actually fight every battle full throttle, and it was relaxing. Just he wasn’t quite used to it, at least not yet.

Still, as he watched the Pikachu, trying to glean from its action how much strength, and willingness to fight was left in it. It seemed, from its actions, to have ample levels of spunk, but it had luckily received a burn from the attack. That was a very fortunate plus for him, he never would turn down something that hindered his opponent. It was a lot harder to attack when every action you took hurt. A slight grin came out as it said it was fine, and the double team command went out. This was followed by a quick attack, a somewhat surprising move, considering its burned status, but then again, she was apparently one to keen on battling.

That fact made him wonder how in the world she had managed to get where she was. Her pokemon weren’t that weak, in fact stronger than his, but yet she disliked battling? Maybe she had a friend train them up? That was the only reasonable solution he could come up to for this odd problem. Still, what did it matter to him? He was more concerned with winning, and he felt that it was likely he was going to indeed, carry this battle.

Alexandria looked on, breathing deeply to restore the fire in her as well as regain energy. It was hard spewing fire out like that, and it took a slight breather to regain her composer. By that time, he’d managed to use double team, and was now going to attack, though she wasn’t sure what. A quick attack was soon ordered, and launched, while she focused once more, attempting to predict where it was going, which one was the real one, and above all, listening to any strategy that may have been ordered. She was not about to miss an order, or react slowly.

Seiko, as the attack came, smiled. There was a simple answer to the question of how was he to guess which target was right? The answer came with the simple fact that he couldn’t. He couldn’t know which one was right, so why place only one shot at hitting? It would greatly increase his odds, if he simply increased the attacks he could land on the Pokémon. As such, his option was clear. A double kick would be his next move, and increase the likelihood of him hitting his elusive foe by that much. “Alexandria, double kick, target!” This was his way of hopefully saying, to Alexandria, to target the right clone, should the first one not hit.

Alexandria did indeed get the message, to try for more than just one image. That was why he would order a double kick, and she had to admit, she hoped she could fill the order. The Pokemon was rushing at her at an ungodly fast speed, yet she knew she could pull this off. She had to. If she could do this, she wasn’t sure, but it was her best shot. Who knows, she could get out of this in better shape than she thought if this worked. Unlikely, but who was she not to try in a match like this? It was the best time, and as she took off, rushing forward towards the three Pikachu’s, she hoped to high heaven this would work.

Her plan, was simply to use the Pikachu’s momentum against it. If she could land this first kick, she could pound him in, then use him as a springboard to leap backwards, putting her out of harms way, and possibly ending this segment of the battle. The problem was, she could totally miss. If that happened, who knows what would happen, but she was sure it wouldn’t be pretty. However, it was a gamble she was willing to take, as they neared.

As the two pokemon raced towards each other, Anthony watched, intensely interested in what was going to happen now. This was really exciting, and he couldn’t help but bark “Go Alexandria!” In excitement.

Even Jasmine was interested, looking on intently as she watched both of the trainers have at it. She was intrigued by how intensely Seiko fought, he never seemed like the kind of lad to get so into it. Yet, she’d fought under him, and he was good at what he did. It was a reason why she trusted to stick around with him.

Seiko watched, waiting to see if this would work. Only a split second had passed since his order, her charge, and now, yet it felt like forever. Who knew how this would end up, this could decide the entire battle, for all he knew! Unbeknownst to him, his hand twitched, flying upwards in an erratic jerky motion, but he paid no mind, not even realizing it happened.

Alexandria watched, waiting for the moment to strike, and then, when he was in range, her foot left the ground, and charged, sweeping at the one she felt was the most likely, the most solid, the one that sounded like its feet were actually falling. And she let loose the attack.

((940 words))

[McKenna L. Madison]

If she were only better at this she might have been able to predict was Seiko and Alexandria had planned. As it was, part of the reason she was so terrible at pokemon battles was her own blatant concern for her pokemon. …They were all that mattered to her. All she had. She wanted them happy, and as she glanced over her shoulder, checking on her team and their cheerful attitudes, she swallowed, the former relief she felt slipping as her eyes returned to the battlefield. She crossed her arms over her chest, waited, feeling the trip in her heart.

Electron was fast. Very fast, even. It was almost like watching a yellow blur move, but she could somehow guess which one was him…and she almost smiled at her ability to do so.

She knew her pokemon.

But then the realization faded into reality and she saw a blur of golden yellow and red hot orange. Alexandria moved, Seiko gave her an order and McKenna’s concern rocketed for Electron. She held her breath, raising a hand to cover her mouth and ignoring the quiet that consumed her mind as she watched. A kick, any kick at this point, would be a terrible blow on Electron. She’d pull him out after a long effort. It was a good run, and admittedly, though she felt the entire ritual barbaric and pointless…she knew he loved the change to battle. All of them did. That was why she caught herself and averted her gaze when she discovered what the outcome would be.

She wasn’t stupid. Her emotions were muddled with a mix of concern and obligation. The battle was a distraction, it allowed her to focus on Electron only without any concern for their environment. There were people in the park other than Seiko, eyes everywhere, men and women talking, walking, also distracted. For once she could concentrate on something without feeling in immediate danger and terrified. At the same time, her gray eyes withheld a hidden fear that she was letting this go too far, and at the terrible expense of placing Electron in more danger. She had to grit her teeth against the warning, and felt terrible of it.

He could have dodged if she’d given him a heads up. But the idea was trivial at best when she considered that burn on his leg. This was his last shot, his best effort. She’d allow him to stay in the fight temporarily, only to lose. She knew it wouldn’t shame him. He’d be happy, and she’d be proud of him and content with the knowledge that he was at ease and felt as if he’d done everything he could do. She couldn’t risk him anymore than this, and she couldn’t take him out early…it was an interesting, but unfortunate situation.

The kick landed. She had never doubted it would. The illusions instantly faded and the Double Team maneuver failed. Thankfully the blow was not as terrible as she thought it would be. He was tossed to the side, eyes closing in pain as he fell on all fours and skidded across the ground and grass, digging his paws in to keep from falling onto his side and rolling. The final kick was what made him move so far, the one that Alexandria used to shove away and keep out of range. It was a clever tactic. One that McKenna never saw coming, and one that left Electron barely standing. He panted heavily as he finally stopped and collapsed on his side, ears falling back.

She could hear behind her that the team had gone somewhat silent. She felt a heavy thud on her shoulders as Ruff leapt and landed there, his hands clinging to her shirt, tail curling around itself as his brow furrowed. The rest of her pokemon remained quiet as she stepped forward, shook her head and called it quits for the round. When she moved, Ruff went with her, and the Mankey’s eyes flashed as they neared Electron and she knelt down to check on him.

Static still jumped around on his fur, so when she reached out to touch him she jerked her hand back when a bolt nearly zapped her. Her eyes jumped up to Alexandria, wondering if any of that had transferred off of the small mouse pokemon. Pikachu pokemon could induce paralysis through direct contact, couldn’t they? Regardless [and she didn’t know the real answer to that question], she waited only a moment before reaching out and placing a hand against his back.

“I’m okay,” he breathed, trembling as he turned over onto his belly and rose up on all fours. He let out a shaky breath, grinning until he stood, her hand placed against his back to help him. “But I lost,” he sighed, admitting it. He winced, ears falling back for a moment. “…that’s okay.” McKenna watched him for a few minutes as he glanced over at Alexandria. He was terribly weakened, but well enough that he could walk. With that burn however, he grimaced as he turned, his eyes reflecting pain. “It was fun,” he said, a slow smile passing over his face.

At first, McKenna lost the words she were going to say. No matter what he thought [and she recognized the slight disappointment in his voice], he hadn’t exactly failed. Admittedly, she hated pokemon battles and this was only round one…but she couldn’t ignore the burst of cheers going on behind her, in spite of his admission. Ruff was laughing on top of her shoulder, his blood boiling for more action. They were all happy for Electron, and she couldn’t deny that she felt a sense of pride for it as well…even if she had pulled him out. Most pokemon were used to rougher times of battles…but she could never bring herself to risk them like that. Other trainers, fine. But she didn’t have the brutality that Pravus longed for in their grunts.

She was a mechanic, an expert in the affairs of all things cold and metallic. She made them machines, weapons, she could build aeronautical equipment, she could master the efficiency of pokeballs and come up with schematics to benefit their technology. But she was not a soldier.

Even so, her eyes flashed with a bit of excitement as well. All of this made her forget her own fears. She quietly placed a hand against Electron’s head and ruffled his fur with a brief smile on her face. She whispered three words to him and promptly stood, shoving her hands into her pockets to hide the fact that she’d been shaking.

“Ruff…you’re up,” she said, deliberately being loud and swallowing back her own hesitation far more quickly than usual. She glanced over to Seiko. She knew nothing of the progress of these battles. If he were going to keep Alexandria in and save his other pokemon until he declared defeat for her, then that might be interesting. She was tempted to find out if Electron’s natural static fur had caused any unfortunate side affects in the fire pokemon.

…

The pokemon battle after all was giving her valuable information that she would never have noticed before. Though she doubted Ruff was nearly as useful insofar as her experiments went, she knew he was just itching to be next in line. And he practically leapt off of her shoulder, landing feet away from her before she turned and walked with Electron closer back to the group.

“What’s a matter with you?” The Mankey shouted, glaring across the way, his tail swaying back and forth. “’bout time you let me handle this mook and his ‘mon. Whatchu lookin’ at? Bring it on!” The taunt even made McKenna roll her eyes, but she couldn’t resist the smile again. Her pokemon had such personality. Such variation. It might be highly amusing to see Ruff in a situation where his fists were being judged, as opposed to the brunt force and quick wit of his tongue. “Are you stayin’ in or what, make up your minds will ya? I ain’t gonna wait all day,” the Mankey taunted, glancing over to Seiko.

Whether or not Alexandria stayed in to fight into the this battle, would be his decision, and his decision alone.

[Word: 1378]

[seiko]

It worked. That was the surprising part of this whole thing. Sure, Seiko had planned on it working, but he didn’t really expect to get so lucky as to have it pulled off flawlessly. The hit had landed, somehow, despite the speed and unlikelihood, had been pulled off as well as he could hope for with Alexandria. Not only that, but it seemed the other Pokémon had taken quite a bit of damage. Stumbling upright, it seemed to try and get up, before collapsing. A shadow of concern passed over his face for a second, not wanting to have hurt the Pokemon that much at all, but it soon disappeared. She declared this bout over, for now, withdrawing her Pikachu, and going over to him. That gave him time to see Alexandria.

Alexandria was not in as good shape as she had hoped for. Rushing forward, she’d not known how, but she had launched her kick, and landed, her leg smashing into the Pokémon’s body rushing towards her. It was a jarring impact, and it hurt, but not as much as it could have. The second kick landed as well, propelling her backwards as he landed, a grunt coming from her as she did so. She felt stiffer, and on trying to rise, couldn’t seem to get her body to listen to her timely. She was afraid she was hurt, but wasn’t sure why that would be, it was all over, not just her leg.

Seiko saw that she was slow to rise, or to stand, and seeing as she was out talking to her pokemon, he did the same thing, saying “Hey, are you okay?” He hurried over, kneeling down next to her and asking “What’s the matter?” She was never one to stay down longer than necessary, so he knew something had to be the matter. He just hoped this wouldn’t be anyting too serious. He had planned for her to stay in a while longer, and if she was hurt, that ruined his plan of letting Anthony in after her next one was weakened. It would remain to be seen how she would do.

She looked up at him as she stood, attempting to shake it out, in case she was just stiff from fighting. After a few sluggish movements, she seemed to be a little better off, but it was like she couldn’t go fast, and sometimes refused to move. “I don’t…know? I feel rather, sluggish.” However, she wasn’t sure why this would be.

Seiko huffed, grumbling to himself. Great, he should have expected as much. “Pikachu, of course.” Shaking his head in mild annoyance, he said “It’s the Pikachu. It can paralyze on contact.” His brow furrowed as he thought, trying to decide what to do next. She wouldn’t likely last all that long paralyzed, and neither would he want her to be, especially considering he needed to get to a Pokémon center after this, and he didn’t want any unfortunate complications along the way. The last place to pass out would be in the middle of the city. Still, he wanted to give her as much time fighting as he could, and this was the best way to do it. “You willing to shoulder on a bit more?”

Alexandria nodded slightly as he seemed to concentrate, worried that he would withdraw her. She wasn’t finished yet, she still had plenty in her, even if she couldn’t move as well as she would like. She had to get stronger, it wasn’t an option to do anything else. “I’m fine. I have more fight in me than this you know!” She grinned, wincing slightly as she flexed once more. Seemingly they were about ready, so she took her fighting stance, once more calming her mind, and focusing only on the target.

Seiko noticed that she was likely to push herself too far and vowed to keep track of her. Still, he knew she would hate to be taken out earlier than she felt she needed to be, so he stood back, nodding and saying “Don’t hurt yourself too bad, but I trust you in this.” He just hoped he was making the right choice by keeping her out. It really was a toss up as far as he was concerned. Watching the mankey seemingly taunt his pokemon, he shook his head, snickering slightly. That wouldn’t work too well for it.

Anthony had watched all this, tensing up and getting prepared to go out, excited for his first battle in a while, but seemingly Alexandria was fated to stay out a little while longer. He sighed slightly to himself, and said to Jasmine “I hope I go in soon! I don’t want it to be too easy you know!” He was going to show Seiko how good he was now, and didn’t want some easy weakened fight.

Jasmine just rolled her eyes at him. Leave it to Anthony to totally miss the whole point of Alexandria staying out longer. She realized she wouldn’t be able to beat him, unless the pokemon was far weaker or they got far more lucky than they deserved, the whole point was to soften him up for them. She just snorted slightly at Anthony’s comment, and said “Well, sure, you do that. I’m sure it’ll work out wonders for you.”

Alexandria watched her opponent dance around, and said “Ready.” She watched him, waiting for the first signs of this next fight to begin. She just hoped she was up to this as much as she sounded.

Seiko nodded, and said "Lets start this out with a bang. Close Ember." Sure, she wouldn't be the first to attack, unless he was a lot weaker than he seemed, but it got the order out quickly.

Simply nodded, and started to summon up the flames in her chest, not exactly sure how she'd do this, but admiring the strategy of it nevertheless. If he approached, she might even get a good attack off on him. If she got lucky.

((word count, 1017))