Anxiety Trials is a Pokemon Special sandbox RP. We are a friendly, no-fuss site where you don't have to worry about posting 24/7, but when you've got the muse. We are based loosely around the Pokemon Special/Adventures manga, though set in a slightly alternate universe. If you're looking for a fun place to explore what life with Pokemon would be like, hopefully we're the place for you!
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Post by RUTH IEGRIYEGA on Jun 3, 2014 9:29:19 GMT 9.5
Ruth and her Hawlucha, Zivilyn have just arrived in Driftveil City from Route 6, and their eyes were wide with wonder. Helpful trainers told her to come here for its marketplace and perhaps even a way to make it home to Kalos, but they never told her how... Fancy and populous the place would be. There was so much... Green. Almost TOO much green for her blood, and this was coming from someone who made her living picking berries from trees and had green eyes of her own to boot. To give her some credit though, emeralds aren't leaves, so of course the sight of gem-like glass seemed harsh on the eyes, despite being a rare and mystical sight. She raised a hand over her glasses to provide some much needed shade while looking over her map.
"Alright Zivilyn, we definitely have our work cut out for us... Should we find a place to rest first, or check out the market, rest, then find our way hom--AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!!"
A gust of wind was quick to answer her question, tossing her hair into a mess and tossing her map clear down the street, and to the left. Her Hawlucha blinked hard, and didn't need his trainer to tell him what to do. With an affirmed and reassuring screech, he ran after the map before Ruth even knew what was going on. By the time she did though, she let out another startled squeak, and followed her Pokemon.
"Wait up, Zivilyn! I mean, don't wait up, get the map! But no, I'm going to lose you, slow down--No, hurry up WHERE DID IT GO!?"
The Pokemon winced at Ruth's befuddling suggestions, and quickened his pace, occasionally jumping up to glide after the map. Eventually, and finally, the map blew into one of the emerald-tinted buildings. Hawlucha slipped through the sliding glass doors, and Ruth ran into it with a SLAM.
Post by GRIMSLEY DELACOUR on Jun 7, 2014 20:50:36 GMT 9.5
Driftveil City was not the usual haunt of this particular Pokémon trainer.
The markets were quite picturesque with their slanting roofs and tables overflowing with merchandise, and they always held a few hidden gems for the eagle eyed shopper to win out on. But shopping wasn’t something that really interested Grimsley anymore. You might be surprised to hear it, but ever since he’d got himself a stable job in the League with a steady income to support himself with, he’d lost some of his interest in spending it. When he’d been losing and gaining 100s of dollars a day, he’d waste all his free minutes at markets like these, spending as much as he could on whatever he saw before he lost all his money again an hour later (and usually had to sell the stuff back). That danger added fun, the thought that there was only a narrow window to buy something before he lost the ability to do so again; now there was no danger so there was much less enjoyment in the thing.
Instead then, Grimsley was here to visit the docks, the other thing Driftveil was famous for. He’d had a couple of errands to run there, and had just bought his Liepard a succulent roasted Basculin to enjoy before they had to set off again to their next, as yet undecided, location. The Liepard was currently licking her paws clean with a very contented expression on her feline face, a small purr escaping her lips as she did so. When she’d finished she purred more audibly to her trainer, rubbing herself up against Grimsley’s leg in a thank you, before the two of them set off away from the docks and back into the city centre.
The infamous winds of the city caught the yellow scarf around Grimsley’s neck, sending its long tail flapping wildly in the air, and ruffling the well styled curves of his hair, and Grimsley was forced to turn his back to it to avoid the cold. As he did so, he caught sight of a piece of paper flying past on the breeze, closely followed by a Hawlucha who seemed to be trying to catch it. A few seconds later, a girl ran passed in the same direction, shouting nonsense to the bird Pokémon as she tried to catch up to them. Grimsley watched their path for a couple of seconds, one eyebrow slightly raised in surprise, before shaking his head and setting off again. The people of this city were certainly… energetic.
The pair hadn’t been walking for long before their journey was interrupted by none other than the paper, then the Hawlucha, then the girl, all crossing the path in front of them and heading into the building to their left. Correction, only two of them went into the building. It may be more correct to say the girl went onto it. The man and the Pokémon both winced slightly as they watched her collide with the wall whilst the Hawlucha continued on its mission, seemingly unaware that this had happened.
It seemed a bit mean to just walk away without acknowledging the situation, particularly as that impact had looked rather painful. The Liepard had wandered towards the sliding doors, her inquisitive gaze following the Hawlucha as it ran inside, whilst her trainer took a step towards the girl. “Excuse me,” he began, letting his gaze slide over her in an attempt to check for any wounds, “are you alright there?”
Tag?!: Ruth ! Words?!: 583 ! Lyrics?!: No Cheap Thrill ~ Suzanne Vega Notes?!: No worries, I only got back from holiday on Wednesday and I've been busy up until now anyway ^_^. Credit?!: Sigyn ! (image by たわし)
Post by RUTH IEGRIYEGA on Jun 9, 2014 6:55:20 GMT 9.5
Ruth groaned as she peeled her face off the glass. Dazed and out of it, one could practically see the Pidgeys circling her head as she tried to remember which way was up, and what just happened. She murmured as she felt out her glasses, dizzily checking if they were alright.
"Ow... Maybe? Sorta? Wow, what just--Man... That hurt... No, I'm fine! I can remember who I am... This isn't bad. Oowwww... Uugghh..."
She sat right in front of the doors, holding her head. The doors opened again, revealing her Hawlucha looking even more distressed than before, map in claw. He looked to both Grimsley and the Liepard apprehensively, as if sizing them up and checking if they were going to harm his trainer in any way... And the verdict? He put the map on Ruth's head, and using his strength, moved the disoriented trainer out of the doorway, a few steps away from Grimsley. As a whole, it looked like textbook case of a Pokemon being very protective of its trainer.
"Zivilyn? Is that you? See, I can remember those little claws anywhere! Wait, silly me--'See', haha... Where are you--"
Ruth removed the map and her eyes fell on someone who looked like a dandy, and a strange, unfamiliar Pokemon. She practically squeaks and kicks at the Liepard to get away from her, though thankfully, if Zivilyn didn't preemptively pull Ruth away, one of those kicks might've connected. In a way, the Hawlucha's trilling sigh was either in relief out of well-executed foresight... Or exhaustion, knowing that this long and arduous routine was going to continue. Maybe both.
Ruth pointed between the Liepard and Grimsley.
"What is thAT?! WhO is that Pokemon!? WHo are you!? Did I bump into you? I'm so sorry if I did! I probably got your clothes dirty or something and you're gonna sue me and I don't have money--"
Post by GRIMSLEY DELACOUR on Jun 10, 2014 0:44:06 GMT 9.5
The Liepard hissed loudly and leapt away from Ruth as the human’s foot headed towards her, crouching down as she prepared to pounce at the girl who had threatened her. A small halting gesture from Grimsley stopped her attack before it could begin, but her tail continued to slash viciously through the air, a growl issuing through her bared teeth whenever the girl so much as twitched. She did not take kindly to unprovoked attacks, especially from humans, and if the girl dared threaten her trainer, no command from Grimsley would stop her from lunging at the brat.
Grimsley himself was not particularly pleased with the recent turn of events either. His whole form had stiffened and his expression had become fixed the second her leg began to kick out at the feline Pokémon who was luckily just out of her reach thanks to the quick thinking of the Hawlucha. It was the usual defence mechanism for Grimsley to hide his emotions, and it came in very handy in confrontations and poker games. By this point though, he’d used it so often that it had leaked into everyday situations like this, when there was no real harm in letting your feelings be seen. Still, when Grimsley opened his mouth to speak again, everything about him was that little bit more guarded.
“That is my Liepard, and I would thank you to refrain from kicking her.” His tone was sharp now, with none of the earlier concern left in it to take the edge off his words. He was understandably protective of his partner, but his voice didn’t soften when the conversation turned to him instead. “My name is Grimsley,” he replied, a slight pause following his name before he continued with, “and no, you did not bump into me. You did hit that door with quite impressive force, however. I was merely inquiring as to whether or not you were hurt.”
The pause had occurred while Grimsley debated whether or not to state his profession after his name. It used to be an immediate ‘yes’, as any opportunity to brag about his status was very difficult to ignore, but since the League went public about their decision to help the Knights of Arceus, he was no longer so sure he wanted to be associated with them. It didn’t matter that he’d been against it; now that the decision had been released his ‘public persona’ had to support it, regardless of what he actually thought. If this girl didn’t simply recognise him (he had quite a unique style, and his name wasn’t exactly common either) then there was no need to draw her attention to his allegiance, now was there?
Post by RUTH IEGRIYEGA on Jun 10, 2014 4:27:40 GMT 9.5
Ruth cowered with each swish of the Liepard's tail, each growl and baring of fangs. The show of intimidation was doing what it was meant to, and though Zivilyn understood where it came from, even the Hawlucha thought it was a bit much. With a short chirp, the short Pokemon stepped between the Liepard and Ruth to imply that the former should stand down, and the latter should know she had his comfort and protection. Between shivering, Ruth musters out a response to Grimsley.
"It's good t-to meet you Grimsley, and th-thank you for checking up on me. I-I'm Ruth Iegriyega. And this is Zivilyn, my Hawlucha. I-I think I'm okay... I-I'm s-sorry for kicking... I've never seen a Liepard before..."
She peers out from between her fingers to look the Pokemon over. In attempt to patch up this disastrous first impression...
"I-Is she a poison-type? Or electric? She's all purple and yellow and zig-zaggy..."
What an astute observation, Ruth. One that impresses her Hawlucha so much that he groans out a dejected, embarrassed chirp. As if he's seen this as long as he's known her. Which would be the truth that somehow diminishes the perception that he's a calm, powerful, intelligent, and stalwart protector, and instead an overworked babysitter. It hurts his pride so much you wouldn't even know.
Ruth doesn't notice Grimsley's hesitation. In fact, if he actually did mention his profession, she wouldn't be impressed... Primarily because she wouldn't understand the importance of his title. Ah yes. There're perks to being extremely sheltered. Those perks remain to be seen.
Post by GRIMSLEY DELACOUR on Jun 10, 2014 8:02:09 GMT 9.5
The way the girl shrank from the Liepard’s threats was amusing to both trainer and Pokémon alike. It was a completely understandable reaction – the Liepard could do a good deal of damage to the girl if she was to actually attack – but Grimsley knew she wouldn’t do anything without a very good reason. And to react in such an extreme way to the actions of such a well-trained Pokémon was almost comical to him. Of course, neither the girl nor her Pokémon saw this side of the situation, and he couldn’t imagine the smirk on his face would help them calm down either.
The Liepard herself clearly loved the fact that her little display had caused such a response, and when the Hawlucha moved in between herself and her prey, err, I mean, the girl, she made no attempt to hide her pleasure at this new development. In fact, the new Pokémon’s involvement spurred her on further. With what could only be described as a smirk, the Liepard feinted forwards towards the Hawlucha, snapping her teeth in front of its face before leaping backwards out of reach again. The noise she made as her eyes flicked back up to the Hawlucha sounded annoyingly like a snigger, and she turned side on to him, front legs pushed towards him and forwards so her head was lower to the floor, giving him the same stance and look she’d give to a Rattata that made the mistake of wandering across her path.
Grimsley kept one eye on his Pokémon as he continued speaking to the girl. She could certainly handle herself without his commands, but she lacked respect for Pokémon she deemed weaker than herself, and was likely to cause trouble where there needn’t be any if he left her unsupervised for too long. She was living up to her reputation as he watched, but he didn’t call her off just yet. Let her get some revenge for what had happened before spoiling her fun; it was only fair, at least in his eyes. “No, she’s a dark type,” he replied, an obvious pride in his tone when he mentioned ‘dark’. He’d raised dark types ever since he’d started out as a trainer, and the League had recognised him as a ‘master’ of the type, so yes, he was going to sound a little proud when they came up in conversation.
“I would call your Hawlucha off if I were you,” he suggested a few moments later, glancing down at the two Pokémon again before adding, with a certain level of amusement in his voice, “she doesn’t play very well with others.”
Post by RUTH IEGRIYEGA on Jun 10, 2014 11:54:41 GMT 9.5
The Hawlucha did what he could to stand his ground, but he couldn't stop himself from taking a step back when the Liepard snapped at his face. He narrowed his eyes at the feline, feeling his dignity slip away. Well, what's left of it. Don't feed the troll, he was silently reminding himself. You had only one responsibility, and that was to keep Ruth safe. So long as the Liepard was messing with him, and not his trainer, he was willing to tolerate the humiliation he was feeling. It was the least Zivilyn could do for his trainers. Ruth, on the other hand, flinched and squeaked again when the Liepard leapt at her Hawlucha.
"Zivilyn, I don't want you to get hurt! You're a fighting type! You'd beat her in a battle anyways! Let it go."
The Pokemon couldn't hold it back anymore. Here he'll stand, and here he'll stay. Let her goad him on. The Dark typing never bothered him anyway. But... Disobeying his trainer, after all this? It would only reflect poorly upon his discipline. Let him salvage at least a little bit of his self-esteem, would you kindly? He let out an acknowledged chirp as he folded his cape-like wings. Time to take the high road like the bird he was. He stood tall like the warrior he saw himself, and not the feathery toy the Liepard was willing to turn him into.
"Good boy~"
And Ruth ruffled the mask-like feathers on his head, much to his chagrin. She finally stood up, and once more backed away from the Liepard, to bow towards Grimsley.
"I'm sorry for all this, Grimsley. Zivilyn meant no harm. He can be kinda... Uptight? Overbearing? Too protective? I mean, I would trust him with my life, sure, but I guess you can say he's like a helicopter parent, always hovering over their kid. I bet you understand THAT. And he IS a flying type too, so that oddly fits more than I thought..."
Aaaannnddd Zivilyn felt like crap again.
((OOC: I'm gonna be at E3 for the rest of the week, so pardon the slower responses!))
Last Edit: Jun 10, 2014 11:58:49 GMT 9.5 by RUTH IEGRIYEGA
Post by GRIMSLEY DELACOUR on Jun 10, 2014 22:16:51 GMT 9.5
“…He wouldn’t.”
It would have been far too easy to let that little comment slide by, especially since it hadn’t even been aimed at him or his Liepard. They could have ignored it and ended this little conversation quickly so that both parties could get on with the rest of their day. But Grimsley wasn’t about to let his partner’s skill and strength get swept away like that, not after how much work the two of them had put in to get it there. It was understandable for Ruth to look at their base types and assume her Hawlucha would win. He would have an advantage, yes, but he would need a lot more than that to beat a League level Pokémon. And no offence to little Ruth, but she didn’t look like the most advanced trainer in the world.
Perhaps he’d have to spell it out to her then. “Typing isn’t everything. You don’t know what attacks she can do, nor do you know her stats. It’s all well and good having a type advantage, but if her defences are too high, you aren’t going to do any damage.” His fingers clicked by his side, and his Liepard straightened, walking over to her trainer and curling round his legs, turning her smug gaze back to the Hawlucha. Her trainer was defending her skills, her trainer understood her strengths, her trainer was proud of her. Her trainer was much better than his. “In short, he wouldn’t beat her in battle.”
The Hawlucha didn’t look too pleased at the turn of events, and part of Grimsley was becoming more intrigued in the prospect of a battle as he watched him. It would be an easy victory, but it had been so long since he’d had such a simple battle. It was always League stages, League rules, and all the respect and care that came with that. He missed street fights. Most people wouldn’t challenge him outside of the League these days; his reputation tended to precede him, and it scared most challengers away. This girl didn’t know who she was up against, so maybe she’d be tricked into a proper street battle with him.
Grimsley glanced down to his Liepard, watching her taunt the Hawlucha as she purred and rubbed her head against her leg. She was clearly up for a fight, and seemed to be trying to start one on her own. But perhaps this wasn’t the most respectable thing to do. If the girl wanted to challenge what he’d just said, she may well initiate the battle herself, and it would be rude to turn her down. Otherwise, he should just let it drop for now. He distracted himself with her next words instead. “Oh it’s no trouble at all,” he said, smiling and shutting his eyes for a moment, waving his hand in a ‘no’ gesture to accompany the statement. “Protective is a good quality to have in a partner.”
He didn’t really understand helicopter parenting actually. Well, he knew the theory of course, but neither his mother who left him as a child nor his father who was only interested in him when he was gambling really fitted the ‘helicopter parent’ description. But family was long behind him now, no need to drag up memories where they weren’t useful.
Tag?!: Ruth ! Words?!: 552 ! Lyrics?!: No Cheap Thrill ~ Suzanne Vega Notes?!: Oooooo, have fun! Credit?!: Sigyn ! (image by たわし)
Post by RUTH IEGRIYEGA on Jun 14, 2014 8:57:08 GMT 9.5
"Oh... That makes sense..."
Ruth was willing to let Grimsley have the final say on the matter. After all, she knew very, very well that she wasn't great at battling. Heck, she wasn't even decent. Over half of her Pokemon weren't caught by her, let alone properly trained by her, and she got by at best by them simply being strong out of the box. In short, Ruth and her Pokemon were like a 10-year-old with a god in their possession--wait, hold on, let me fix that--were like an amateur with the best tools in their possession. She made no effort to stand up for herself, especially as the Liepard obeyed Grimsley with a snap. Not that her Pokemon was disobedient. They just... Well...
Zivilyn's loyalty is firm, but his morale dipped even lower at the sight of the Liepard CLEARLY pushing his buttons. He couldn't help but feel a little jealous of the Liepard's trainer. He used to have a great trainer like you. But he took a responsibility to the knee. And like Ruth and everyone else here, he wasn't confident in Ruth's ability to battle... But...
"Zivilyn, what are you doing...?"
The Hawlucha toddled over to reach around Ruth's person's to bring out two Pokeballs and hand them to his trainer. He looked over to Grimsley and his Pokemon, fully aware of what he was doing. Ruth followed the gaze and paled. She knelt down to hiss out frantically.
"Noooo... You know I can't do that...!"
He chirped as he opened up his wings to place one claw on his chest, then point at Grimsley. Ruth nervously laughed as she looked up at the dandy.
"I'm sorry, but... I think Zivilyn wants to battle... We really don't have to. You have places to go, I have places to go, and Zivilyn is probably acting out because he's bored and wants something to eat--"
He chirped again, sharply, as if to correct Ruth. The snatched one of the Pokeballs from Ruth's hand to make his point clearer. Ruth laughed even more nervously.
"OOrrr, Zivilyn is doing that silly thing again where he thinks he's a trainer, hahaha... Silly Zivilyn, you don't know what you're doing! Let's go, Zivilyn--"
A death glare doesn't even begin to describe the look the Hawlucha gave Ruth before turning to the Liepard and Grimsley. Yes, he was restless, but he couldn't stand being coddled much longer. He's been keeping Ruth safe this whole journey, so it was about time he did something that'd finally convince her to trust him more. Obedience be damned.
((OOC: Aaaannddd I'm back! Sorry for the wait! - GRIMSLEY DELACOUR ))
Post by GRIMSLEY DELACOUR on Jun 15, 2014 1:38:00 GMT 9.5
An intrigued smirk worked its way onto Grimsley’s lips as he watched the little bird instruct his trainer to battle. How strange. I mean, how often were you challenged to a trainer battle by a Pokémon? And the Hawlucha clearly knew what it was doing, even if Ruth wasn't so sure. Strange that he would act against his trainer’s wishes in such a way; but then, on the other hand, perhaps forcing a nervous girl like this into battles was the only way to help her learn.
Perhaps it was good for a new trainer such as Ruth to have a Pokémon like this guiding her actions. Grimsley’s Pokémon would never question his orders in public (although they would be very vocal about them in training), and would never act out like that when there was anyone else around. Obedience and discipline was important to both their reputation and their success, and though Grimsley may look like a strict and unloving trainer in battles and other formal settings, his act would drop behind closed doors, and he'd happily curl up with his Pokémon and a good book on the floor of their penthouse apartment as though they were one big family. Which I suppose they were by this point. But in public, appearances were everything. Their discipline alone was often enough to intimidate the opponent into making a mistake.
“No, no, we’re in no rush to get anywhere, and a battle would be a wonderful interruption to our day anyway,” Grimsley said as his Liepard gave him a rather amused expression. Really? They’d battle this girl? What was she, four? She had no chance, this battle would be over in minutes and where would the fun be in that? But if Grimsley was really that bored she would oblige. After all, she’d enjoyed playing with the Hawlucha up until this point; now she could show him the force behind her threats.
With a glance across to the two Pokéballs in Ruth’s hands, he added, “How about a single battle, with two Pokémon each? That way we can ensure it doesn’t take too much of your time. And we can be gentle with you if you would like to use this as a bit of experience.” That received a glare from the feline Pokémon as she stepped between her trainer and the Hawlucha, knowing she would be allowed to battle without having to see a signal from her trainer (Grimsley knew the Hawlucha wanted to battle her specifically, it was only courteous to let him). She didn’t want to go easy on them, but at least that meant she could toy with the bird a bit more before .
“Are the two of you ready, Ruth?”
Tag?!: Ruth ! Words?!: 453 ! Lyrics?!: No Cheap Thrill ~ Suzanne Vega Notes?!: How was it? I love the references in your posts by the way (Frozen/Skyrim)! Also, if they fight, the Liepard will use Fake Out so will hit first; just a heads up. Credit?!: Sigyn ! (image by たわし)
Post by RUTH IEGRIYEGA on Jun 15, 2014 9:11:42 GMT 9.5
It was a peculiar thing. Zivilyn knew Grimsley and his Pokemon were strong. He just knew. The Hawlucha didn't think Ruth's party had much of a chance of winning, though not nearly to the same extent as Ruth. More than anything, he mainly wanted to show his trainer that she should have more faith in the "trainer in a past life" Hawlucha. He DID know what he was doing. Their party had A chance, not none. If he could get that much across, it would be a victory in his mind. Being a Pokemon is tough. Ruth let out a defeated laugh as Grimsley took up on the offer to battle. The vote was 2-3 against 1.
"Well... So long as you're gonna be gentle... I mean, wow, I had a feeling you've been looking down on me this whole time, but hey, at least you're sorta considerate..."
Self-deprecating humor. Ruth, sometimes you really need to shut your mouth. It's not funny. Not in front of the guy who's gonna cream you, Ruth. Anyhow, she stepped back some more to give the battle some room. It was the most she could muster to agree to having a battle. The Hawlucha watched the Liepard get into position. It was fine if Grimsley pulled his punches. The Pokemon was already thinking long and hard about what he needed to do, and he needed to stay conscious enough to lead the next Pokemon to take his place, should he go down. It was tempting to have another Pokemon take the first battle, but he felt he needed to lead the charge. After all, he prided himself as the fastest Pokemon in Ruth's party. In fact, he was especially proud of being faster than the team's Noivern. One expertly landed kick, and the cat would go flying.
And here before he could even attack, Grimsley's Liepard already got the jump on him with a Fake Out. Isn't life funny? Ruth didn't even know what was going on before seeing her Hawlucha get knocked back off his feet and sliding onto his side. She wanted to scoop up her Hawlucha then and there, but the Pokemon wasn't having any of it, already trying to pick himself up to close the opening as fast as he could.
((OOC: It was fun! Super tiring though! I wish it wasn't over and I wish my body could've kept up with it! Also, goodness, Liepard is such a troll, haha~ I hope I gave enough to work with for the Fake Out!))
Post by GRIMSLEY DELACOUR on Jun 16, 2014 0:04:32 GMT 9.5
He hadn’t expected his comment about going easy on them to be taken in an entirely positive way, though that was how he had intended it. He knew it made him sound incredibly full of himself, but he was hoping Ruth would at least take heed of the not so subtle warning in it. But no, she sounded offended about it, as well she should really. But we can’t have that though, can we? “I do apologise if you thought I was being patronizing. Of course, we will use our full strength then. It is only fair.” The smirk that returned to his features at his reply was quite a small gesture for the over dramatic Grimsley to give with a comment like that, but he was still locked into the don’t-show-too-much-emotion mode from earlier. It was usual for him to be very stiff around new people, but if this had been a conversation with a friend, there would have been quite a few theatrics to accompany a response like that.
A shiver of anticipation ran through the Liepard from front paws to tail as she heard her trainer’s comment. That was more like it! No playing nice, just full on fighting. And of course, that meant their usual strategy then. Darting forwards towards the Hawlucha before Grimsley could even give the command, she used Fake Out to knock the little bird off its feet. It wasn’t a very strong attack, but considering it always hit first and made the opponent flinch, it was like a free turn. Might as well use it even if it only takes off one hit point because your opponent can’t attack in that time anyway. Without waiting for the Hawlucha to get back into position, the Liepard kicked her legs back into action and launched an Aerial Ace at her opponent, darting round the bird at an impressive pace before slashing out at the last moment.
This opening gambit was all about speed. That was the Liepard’s best stat, and their strategies were always around making the most of that. It worked even if the opponent was faster, as using a move to make them flinch and then darting in with an attack based on speed that can’t miss gave the impression of the cat being impossibly quick. First impressions were vitally important in battles; if you started off weak, your opponent would gain the confidence to win from the first move onwards. If you start with your best moves, you can frighten your opponent into losing some of their morale before the battle has even started.
As soon as the Aerial Ace had hit, the Liepard had leapt back a few feet, eyes glinting at the Hawlucha as she prepared for the first attack from her enemy. Creating the distance wasn’t so much about preparing to dodge the next attack (which was always easier said than done), but was more about being able to attack straight back once theirs had hit. It was highly probable that the Hawlucha would use a fighting type move – in fact Grimsley would think it silly if it chose not to – and fighting moves nearly always occurred at close range. That gave the Liepard a couple of seconds while the bird launched its attack to prepare her next one. Hopefully, just long enough...
Tag?!: Ruth ! Words?!: 555 ! Lyrics?!: No Cheap Thrill ~ Suzanne Vega Notes?!: Awesome ^_^. And I know, haha; there was a Liepard in the game (Cheren's maybe?) that used to irritate me so much in battles so that kind of came across to her xD. Credit?!: Sigyn ! (image by たわし)
Post by RUTH IEGRIYEGA on Jun 16, 2014 11:51:43 GMT 9.5
I TOLD YOU TO SHUT YOUR MOUTH, RUTH, BUT NOOOOOO NOW YOU HAVE TO SUFFER. Do I even need to describe the incomprehensible, frantic noises she made as she waved her hands and tried to backpedal hardcore? Well, even if I did, Zivilyn wouldn't have seen it, on the account of him being slashed and batted aside like a red shuttlecock. He rolled against the ground back onto his feet, though shaken by the previous move. He could've sworn he would've been faster. Throttle him when speed was one of his finer traits, why don't you. But in a way, at least he'll be testing his mettle against a trainer at his best. Fortunately, tenacity was another trait of his.
"Zivilyn! You don't have to do this!"
And stubbornness. This wasn't the time to express annoyance at Ruth. It was time to strike quickly and with a degree of cleverness, as he knew very well that the Liepard was expecting the Hawlucha's attack... It's only unfortunate that he was forced into this predictable strategy, if you could call it that. Zivilyn leapt high into the air with a flap of his wings, taking advantage of the blinding light of the sun to obscure his position. One would think this was a typical Hawlucha doing one of its signature move, Flying Press, but he figured that the Liepard would be smart enough to track his shadow to prepare to dodge...
And should she do so, the Hawlucha would land where he intended and launch himself from the ground to throw a knee into the Liepard's side. The idea was to take advantage of the Liepard moving and technically being off-balance to slam an extra bit of weight into an object in motion. Physics! Whether or not the Liepard was baited into dodging, the goal was to land a High Jump Kick, however, and knock the Pokemon away. He only hoped that his cleverness wasn't to be trumped too. And that he doesn't miss. He might be able to take another hit or two from the Liepard before needing to back out to lead the next Pokemon.
Last Edit: Jun 16, 2014 12:07:07 GMT 9.5 by RUTH IEGRIYEGA
Post by GRIMSLEY DELACOUR on Jun 16, 2014 23:42:12 GMT 9.5
The frantic noises and gestures from the poor girl were terribly amusing. He’d given her what she wanted hadn’t he, how could she be upset about that? Honestly, people could be so fickle. And there she went again, telling her Pokémon it could stop fighting, that it didn’t have to do this. Could she not see how much the Hawlucha wanted to do this? Either it was really bored, wanted to be purposefully rebellious, or else it was trying to prove something. And honestly, the little bird was doing quite well on its own; it deserved a bit of trust in its actions.
Crouching slightly as she watched the Hawlucha launch its attack, she at first tensed her muscles as she prepared for the impact. It wasn’t her plan to dodge; she would just take it and then attack back when the bird was at close range. But… wait… its jump had been slow, and though it had used the sun to hide its position in the sky, the shadow that it cast could be easily tracked. It couldn’t change direction in the air quicker than she could on the ground, so she could actually do this. She waited until the Hawlucha was within a couple of feet, before kicking at the ground to leap off to the right, enough to make the attack miss and give her space to turn around and –
SLAM!
The Liepard went skidding across the ground on her side, too surprised to land on her feet like she would normally try to do. The kick had caught her square in the ribs and she hadn’t even had time to tense in preparation for it before it sent her flying. She hadn’t been expecting a tactic like that from the stupid bird. She couldn’t have underestimated it, could she?
Grimsley himself was impressed, and he even allowed his expression to show it. Whether the Hawlucha was trying to prove something to its trainer or not, it had certainly proved itself to Grimsley. The look on his Liepard’s face on the other hand was far from positive, but then she never did like being tricked. She was glaring daggers at the bird as she jumped back onto her feet, purposefully turning the side it had kicked away from it, not stupid enough to give it the same target twice. “That was clever,” Grimsley said, his voice rising above the violent hiss coming from the Liepard’s lips. “Very clever. Your Zivilyn is a good fighter. Let’s see how he deals with this then, shall we?” Some of the anger visibly left the Liepard’s stance when she raised her head, predicting what her trainer was about to say and looking obviously pleased about it.
“Liepard, Attract.” Now that would make things interesting. The Liepard’s tail curled playfully as the familiar heart shapes appeared in the air around her. Regardless of how effective a tactic this turned out to be (since Grimsley seemed more intrigued by what the Hawlucha’s reaction would be, rather than its effect on the battle), she was sure it would annoy her opponent. And she wanted nothing more than to rile up the stupid little bird after what it had just gotten away with.
Post by RUTH IEGRIYEGA on Jun 17, 2014 4:29:45 GMT 9.5
The High Jump Kick landed! Hawlelucha, was Zivilyn so glad he didn't miss! He couldn't afford to fly into a building after the damage the Liepard did to him, and he could've sworn this would be the attack that'd do her in, but... Like Grimsley said: He didn't know her stats, and her defenses were high enough to withstand a solid hit. This Pokemon was trained inside and out to be on another level. Nothing like the wild Pokemon he easily hurled into the grass to protect Ruth from. It was frankly intimidating, and made him question if he was skilled enough to protect Ruth from other trainers, Arceus-forbid.
"Whoa...! Zivilyn, you can DO that...?!"
The Hawlucha grinned and puffed his chest a little at the admiration from Ruth, but he was especially grateful for Grimsley's comment. He doubted his trainer would've picked up on his tactic on her own. He needed this, after all he's been through. Mission accomplished. It wasn't the time to celebrate just yet though. Why was the Liepard not upset anymore? Why was she being smug? What's going on? What are these strange feelings bubbling up inside him? Oh no. Attract. He could practically feel the feathers on his face burning red. He let out a distressed shriek as he unsteadily stepped back, as if backing out of the Liepard's vicinity would cure the infatuation. It didn't.
"Zivilyn, are you okay?!"
WOMAN, I AM IN LOVE AND I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DEAL WITH THESE FEELINGS AND I JUST WANNA PUNCH SOMETHING. If Hawluchas could talk, Zivilyn's screeching and his claws wringing the air would equate to that. He was flustered beyond all belief and couldn't focus on his plan of carrying or leading the battle. His mind was just occupied with how... Smooth the Liepard's fur was... How gentle her curves were... If her teasing was because she was interested in him this whole time NO! NONONONONONONO! h@x, attract is op and needs to be nerfed. Poor Hawlucha. He couldn't bring himself to attack. The ONLY tactic he could think of was letting the Liepard close the gap with an attack so he'd be able to attack back but he just wanted to... Lie down and let the Liepard do whatever she wanted to him NDFKSHDSJFLGHKAJHLJKDJSK. NOOOOOOO he suppressed this desire and more than anything wanted out of this battle. Curse you, responsibility! The Liepard was just so... Beautiful... How dare he want to AAAHVDJHSDVGSHKJJ Mission accomplished. Grimsley's Liepard got under Zivilyn's feathers in the most painful way.
Poor Zivilyn. All that calm and discipline just... Went out the window.
Post by GRIMSLEY DELACOUR on Jun 19, 2014 8:21:39 GMT 9.5
The response of the Hawlucha was almost comical to the Liepard who by this point was just dying to mock the bird for falling for the attack. But that would defeat the point of using it of course, so she would have to play along for a little longer. She could use this distraction to close the gap and attack from up close now that the Hawlucha was less likely to strike first. She kept her movements slow and calm, trying to make the bird forget they were even battling as she began to approach it. When she finally did attack though, it had a chance of shattering the original illusion, so she had to make sure it would count.
Grimsley was working on that as she approached her target. His knowledge of the Pokémon of Kalos was not as in depth as his knowledge for the other regions, so it was taking him a little longer than usual to decide their next attack. From what he could remember, the Hawlucha was flying and fighting: its body shape, its markings, and the attacks it had already shown were all helping to confirm this so let’s take that as fact. His Liepard had two attack types it could use: dark or flying. Dark was out of the question for an opportunity like this since it would only do half damage. Flying was of course super effective against fighting, and as far as he could remember, it wasn’t actually weak against flying either. He’d already seen Aerial Ace do a good amount of damage so regardless, it seemed like the best choice.
Of course, they had to make the most out of this moment: some Pokémon would be kept under the spell of Attract for the entire battle, whilst others would snap out of it as soon as they were attacked, so they had to assume the latter when planning strategies. In which case, he should get their next move sorted too, in case she could manage to squeeze one more in. The High Jump Kick had done a lot of damage, and he wanted to avoid that happening again; the Liepard seemed to be limping slightly now, her back right leg touching the ground more gingerly than the others. So perhaps plan a way of stopping another one of those attacks hitting her. If she could stay at a far enough distance, she could just dodge it (particularly now they knew the bird’s little trick) and let the recoil damage of a miss finish the bird off. But it had been surprisingly fast, catching his Liepard off guard when she was often the fastest thing on the field. So, something else then.
He was surprised how in to this battle he was getting. Considering he’d expected to crush the girl and was doing this more for fun than training, he was actually spending time spinning out strategies instead of hitting it with the same attack repeatedly and just battering the opponent to victory. Surprisng. But he was certainly pleased for it.
“Aerial Ace my dear, then a Torment if you can.” Although that was almost certain to break the spell of the Attract, it may well mess with the emotions of the Hawlucha long enough to be of use (love to anger in a split second would throw any man off his stride). And, far more importantly, it stopped it from using High Jump Kick again, at least for its next attack. It may well have other fighting moves to use, but it had been the strength and speed of that one in particular that he’d wanted to avoid.
The Liepard was only inches away from the bird when the command came, so she managed to dart in, land the speed attack and be away again in just a couple of seconds, skidding to a halt after leaping back a few yards and trying as quick as she could to land the Torment as well.
Tag?!: Ruth ! Words?!: 664 ! Lyrics?!: No Cheap Thrill ~ Suzanne Vega Notes?!: You're more than welcome to get your attack in before the Torment since it's your turn, I just wanted to say she was going to try. And I always write that Aerial Ace hits since it never misses in-game so I hope that's ok too ^^. Credit?!: Sigyn ! (image by たわし)
Post by RUTH IEGRIYEGA on Jun 21, 2014 8:01:31 GMT 9.5
Nearer and nearer the Liepard came, and Zivilyn frantically tried to back off, wanting to run away... Especially from his confused emotions. He was chirping much more, as if trying to tell his opponent to back off instead, but she just... Walked towards him, slowly, deliberately. He was blushing like mad. Why wasn't she attacking? WHY WASN'T SHE ATTACKING?! ATTACK AND FREE ME FROM THIS CURSE, DARN YOU! But no. Ugh... He was an absolute mess, trying to get away, trying to make the Liepard go away, then wanting her to attack instead, then internally wanting to find out if she will cuddle against him if he let her come close enough to--Wouldn't YOU feel like a mess if all this was going on at once?!
Ruth was feeling just as confused. She's never seen Attract before, or its effects. Zivilyn was often the calm and firm leader of her party. He wasn't the sort to take breaks unless he needed to, almost making him the fuddy-duddy of their party. And Attract could reduce him into a pile of... This!? Wow. Pokemon are capable of all kinds of scary things, huh. Like an Aerial Ace to the face.
"Zivilyn!"
The Hawlucha was flung to the side, snapped out of his haze, though not without feeling the sting. Ow. This would be a good time to back out while he was still conscious and had his wits about him. If only he could land one more attack...! Well, Grimsley's follow-up command ensured that he wasn't going to be kicking the Liepard again any time soon. Not that he'd need to be cheesed off by the Tormenting enough to not do it again; They already saw one of his tricks, and it was too risky. He was tired, he couldn't afford to miss, and the other other option was to do an Aerial Ace of his own.
What would happen then though? He was confident it'd be enough to possibly knock the Liepard out, judging by how devastating his earlier kick was, but what of Grimsley's next Pokemon? An electric type? A rock type? He didn't know. He just knew that if he won against the Liepard, the next Pokemon would do him in. The only thing he did know was the Liepard's typing, so he was going gamble on this... He chirped and toddled back to tap on Ruth's leg, signifying his retreat.
"You're done...?"
Chirp. He held his neck.
"No more battling?"
Chirpity. More battling.
"No more battling?"
Disgruntled chirp. Yes, more battling. He points at the other Pokeball in Ruth's hand to drive his point home.
"Send Bastien? Great idea! He's bigger, and fast, and--"
ANGRY CHIRP. The Hawlucha reached around on Ruth's persons to bring out another Pokeball. This one. Send this one, he was trying to communicate.
"But why!? She's... Small! And that Liepard is... FAST."
He gave out a low sigh and pointed at the Liepard. It sucks to not speak human.
"Well... If you say so... Go, Amanda!"
She let out her Florges, whose presence radiates along with her haunting cry. She casts a cheeky glance at her opponent.
"That petal leaf storm thing!"
The Florges quirked an eyebrow at her trainer, then confusedly obliged. Zivilyn let out an anguished screech. Petal Blizzard. Of all moves. He was too late.
Post by GRIMSLEY DELACOUR on Jun 22, 2014 3:57:00 GMT 9.5
As the Hawlucha moved back towards its trainer, a flash of disappointment crossed the Liepard’s face. Although she shouldn’t be surprised about a battle ending this way (a lot of trainers returned their Pokémon when they were weak rather than fighting on until they fainted), she’d wanted to finish off the little bird with her own claws and didn’t like seeing him walk away before that could happen.
At least the battle wasn’t over yet though; there was another Pokémon to come out. And this was one the Liepard had never seen. As the… flower, apparently, landed in front of her, she was momentarily distracted by its appearance, head tilting sideways to take it in better. Grimsley was having a similar reaction himself, but he kept the emotion from his expression. Luckily, he seemed to remember reading something about this particular Pokémon when he’d been researching the newly discovered fairy type (a League member should always be up to date with the latest research). Scientists had been studying the first stage of its evolution, Flabébé, when they’d been investigating the potential new type, and so it and the rest of its chain had been the main feature of their report.
The Florges released a Petal Blizzard in the direction of the Liepard, who could do nothing more than brace herself against such a wide ranging attack. Even so, she fell back a few metres, losing her footing and dropping onto her side as she tried to protect herself from the surprisingly violent petals. Surprisingly though, she pushed herself back on to her feet with seemingly the same vigour as earlier, standing fiercely before her new opponent looking ready to perform her next attack. Only Grimsley could see the pain she was really in, knew what the tremble in her back legs meant, and the warning her lowered tail represented. She would fight to the death if she could, refusing to give in until she was specifically called off, but a Quick Attack could knock her down now. “You did well, my dear,” Grimsley said as he called her back, the red silhouette falling to its knees before disappearing into the Pokéball.
Now he had to decide who to use next. His main ‘fairy type fact’ was that it was super effective against dark Pokémon, which again left him at a disadvantage. But he had watched a battle between one of those sword shaped Pokémon, Honedge or something, that a friend of his had owned, and a Flabébé, and seemed to remember its steel typing being very good against the fairy. So his Bisharp seemed to be the best bet here.
Oh and it had been years since he and his Bisharp had fought like this, amongst buildings and people and lampposts and more, the elements beating down on you as you worked, trying not to damage anything whilst having the freedom of the seemingly infinite space. In fact, the last time may well have been against Alder, the fight that had won him a place in the League. The Bisharp had been his first Pokémon too and Grimsley was admittedly biased towards using it anyway, so his hand had been on his Pokéball from the moment the idea of using him had suggested itself.
The ‘ball was launched into the air and the sword Pokémon landed a few feet in front of the Florges, meeting his opponents eyes and bowing deeply to it. His size was impressive, being less than a foot shorter than his trainer, and his blade-like arms glinted as the sun’s rays touched them. A swell of pride rose inside Grimsley as he watched, as though the Bisharp had only just evolved instead of it having happened years ago. But anyway, back to the battle at hand. “Swords Dance, Bisharp,” Grimsley said, receiving a sharp nod from his Pokémon before its blade like arms began moving in the familiar synchronised actions of the Swords Dance.
Tag?!: Ruth ! Words?!: 658 ! Lyrics?!: No Cheap Thrill ~ Suzanne Vega Notes?!: I start my placement on Monday so I'll be much slower at replying over the next three weeks I'm afraid. Credit?!: Sigyn ! (image by たわし)
Post by RUTH IEGRIYEGA on Jun 22, 2014 15:55:36 GMT 9.5
The Florges was awfully pleased with herself after knocking out the Liepard, Ruth was proud of the fact that one of her Pokemon managed to faint a rather tough one, while Zivilyn was torn between feeling relieved and disappointed. Unlike Ruth, the Hawlucha was more familiar of the Fairy-type's capabilities, as a Pokemon who's actually roamed Kalos before settling with the trainer he was tasked to protect. Weak to Fairies since he's a Fighting-type, he knew Fairies were also ferocious against Dark-types, and to see Amanda use a move that that he didn't intend for her to use... Well, he's glad that his plan of downing the Liepard worked, but of the few and far in between victories Ruth has seen, he was sure it'd go to her head. And it did.
"Great job, Amanda! That Liepard was super tough! Now for the next WHAT IS THAT THING!?!?"
Amanda couldn't help but blush at the Bisharp's bow, and return the sentiment with a coy curtsey. He shimmered... Like a knight. Ah yes. A lady like her was indeed drawn towards more chivalrous types, as a Pokemon in want of finer things but instead raised by... Ruth. It was the best day of her life when Zivilyn and Sinclair were left under her trainer's care, even if the former never returned her displays of affection.
Speaking of... The little bird recognized the Pokemon from his travels with his previous trainer. His eyes widened, worried for the Florges. The Hawlucha was often brought out to deal with Steel-types Fairies couldn't, and odds were that Ruth had no idea what she was up against. Was Ruth frightened by the Bisharp's stature? Very much so. He was a little taller than her, and covered in blades. But she had no idea just how much she should be afraid. Not that the Bisharp would look his way, but the Hawlucha gave an acknowledged nod of respect. Oh, how much the bird wanted to be back in the battle and fighting in the Florges's place...
"W-w-w-w-well, he's? Not attacking, Amanda, so I think we're okay for now!"
Zivilyn snapped out of his thoughts. He quickly chirped a warning to her, and in fact, the only strategy he could come up with to deal with the Bisharp. Ruth placed a hand on the Hawlucha's head, patting him.
"You should rest now, you don't have to worry about me."
The Hawlucha removed his trainer's hand from his head with his tiny claws and chirped some more as the Bisharp did his Swords Dance, gaining strength. Something Ruth shouldn't, but did, take lightly.
"Amanda! Do that thing with the light and the glowing and the pew pews!"
With an embarrassed and heaved sigh, the Florges turned towards her trainer with a look that read, "excuse me?" Before she was feeling confused as ever, but now... In front of the BISHARP? Oh how mortified she was feeling.
"The sunny pew pew!"
Zivilyn frantically shook his head and waved his claws about, chirping about the "moon pew pew" instead. Or, in less childish terms, Moonblast. The Florges looked between the two... Zivilyn, the Pokemon who was very intelligent but chose to ignore her affections? Or Ruth, the trainer who couldn't tell up from down but at least did her best to treat Amanda like the lady she was? Hmph. She was feeling rather spiteful today, so she gathered sunlight.
Zivilyn buried his face into his claws. He let out a low chirp that might as well mean, "GG".
((OOC: Alrighty! The very best to ya!))
Last Edit: Jun 22, 2014 15:56:58 GMT 9.5 by RUTH IEGRIYEGA
Post by GRIMSLEY DELACOUR on Jun 25, 2014 6:04:34 GMT 9.5
The Bisharp was silently pleased by the curtsey of the Florges. This is how all battles should begin, like an old fashioned duel full of respect and chivalry. Of course, he’d been raised by the very upper-class Grimsley, and the pair had been learning how to battle together at the same time as the boy had been learning to foil fence. It only made sense to transfer these skills to his work with his sword Pokémon. The salute, the parries, the strokes; they could all be transferred into strategies and behaviours for his little Pawniard, and a good many of these had survived as the Pokémon and trainer had advanced and evolved.
He caught sight of the Hawlucha’s nod as well, and returned it before he turned his attention back to the battle at hand. This girl’s Pokémon were very respectful, he was enjoying this fight already. Too many cocky trainers came barging into the League, shouting profanities and proclaiming their certain victory, their Pokémon as crass as their owner. They would ignore the bow or even mock it, and when they inevitably lost, they would shout and threaten and make utter fools of themselves. Awful attitudes. But these Pokémon were better, yes, far better.
Oh. But perhaps that wasn’t because of the trainer though.... Grimsley’s expression perfectly matched his Bisharp’s as the two blinked in confusion at the words coming out of the girl’s mouth. The pew pews? What? Was that supposed to be Solar Beam? A grass attack… which would only do half damage to the Bisharp since he was a Steel type, and she’d waste a turn setting it up as well. It didn’t seem very smart. The Bisharp glanced back at his trainer, almost not wanting to fight someone like this, when she seemed too under-experienced to fight back. It was for the same reason you wouldn't challenge a child; it just wouldn't be fair.
Grimsley waved his Pokémon forward, regardless. They were too far into this battle to back out now. Eyes focused forward again, the Bisharp lifted his bladed arm, running towards the Fairy type and slashing out at it with a Metal Claw. Going this close to a Pokémon preparing a powerful move like a Solar Beam might not have sounded like the smartest idea, but he had the type advantage and a decent enough special defence to handle it. It was certainly worth the risk.
Tag?!: Ruth ! Words?!: 405 ! Lyrics?!: No Cheap Thrill ~ Suzanne Vega Notes?!: Sorry it's short, don't have much time at the moment. Credit?!: Sigyn ! (image by たわし)
Post by RUTH IEGRIYEGA on Jul 12, 2014 12:01:51 GMT 9.5
The Florges's eyes widened at the sight of the Bisharp charging at her, and before she could let loose her Solar Beam, or even a cry, his Metal Claw slashed and threw her aside. She was only so light, after all. The force of the Steel attack was so great that after she bounced across the ground, she could only muster lifting her upper half an inch before fainting. Amanda thought she could take whatever the Dark/Steel type was going to throw at her, but boy, was she ever wrong. Ruth let out a shocked gasp, and rushed over to her Pokemon's side to crouch down and cradle her close. She was fighting back tears.
The battle was over.
"I'm so sorry, Amanda! I'm so so sorry!"
Ruth has lost many battles, and yet, this one was on a completely different level. She couldn't exactly explain why, beyond Grimsley's Pokemon simply being much more committed to what they were doing. Call it a growing moment for her, even if she barely understood this life lesson being taught. Well, if she put in a bit more effort, she'd eventually figure out that a good degree of type coverage also helped but... C'est la vie.
Zivilyn hobbled over to join the two. A part of him wanted to chirp out an "I told you so" to the ones who didn't listen to him. However, this wasn't the time nor place. All he could do was stand by and watch Ruth check if the Florges was still alive (which she was, albeit knocked out). While his trainer was preoccupied with rocking the Pokemon in her arms, the Hawlucha made his way to Grimsley and the Bisharp.
He looked up to them, and chirped out his apologies for his earlier behavior, and for how Ruth was taking the loss. He also chirped his acknowledgments of his opponents' strength, and gave them both a deep bow. Hopefully the message would make it across, at least to the Bisharp. He owed Grimsley's team, for indulging in the battle, for complimenting him, and for allowing the opportunity to show that he was doing the right thing.
((OOC: Sorry for the wait, GRIMSLEY DELACOUR ! My job has been keeping me busy. Don't worry about length. I'm a relatively short poster too.))
Post by GRIMSLEY DELACOUR on Jul 16, 2014 7:20:05 GMT 9.5
The Bisharp stood himself up straight again after his attack and turned towards the Florges, waiting to see if she would stand again and continue their battle. When she didn’t and her trainer ran to her, he assumed the battle had to be over and so turned to face her fully, saluting her before walking back towards Grimsley. The man nodded his approval to the steel Pokémon, the small smile pushing itself on to his face as it did after any win. This was still a victory, still a moment to be celebrated, even in an unusual battle like this. Neither Pokémon nor trainer was exactly surprised at the outcome though; the Bisharp was the strongest member of Grimsley’s team and the type advantage had meant it would take a considerable force to defeat him, or to survive more than one successful attack.
The Hawlucha had done very well though, although granted the Bisharp was significantly stronger than the Liepard. Grimsley was still admittedly impressed by the bird, and he normally didn’t like fighting types as a rule. The Hawlucha did have some of the stereotypical traits of the average fighting type Pokémon, but he’d proved himself to be a respectable creature, and Grimsley was willing to wave his prejudices for this case. An eyebrow quirked as the bird Pokémon approached them, and the victory smile widened slightly into one of intrigue. He would have expected a fighting type to go off and sulk about a loss, not to come over and address them like this. How grand; he rather liked this bird.
The Bisharp was not one to show emotions on the outside (much like his trainer often was, although Grimsley just turned on the apathy when he wanted to), so his stoical expression didn’t change as the Hawlucha spoke to them. Instead, he gave the bird a low nod. It may not have looked like much but it was the best acknowledgement he would get, and it showed that the Hawlucha had at least gained his respect. He looked back up to his trainer as Grimsley returned him into his Pokéball: the Bisharp was not a sociable Pokémon with anyone but the other members of the team (and even they knew not to pester him) and it seemed smart to just let him rest back in his ‘ball while he was still on good terms with the other Pokémon.
Stepping over to the concerned trainer after pushing his scarf further back over his shoulder, Grimsley stopped over the pair, smirk still touching his lips though perhaps this wasn’t quite the right time for that. “You weren’t too bad,” he said, a rather smug tint to his words that he couldn’t really keep out. To be fair though, that smugness could usually be found in his speech regardless of the topic, so it was nothing to take personally. He cocked his head towards the bird before adding, “and your Hawlucha is a decent Pokémon. You should listen to his advice more.” After all, it was because of him that she’d lasted so long in a battle against a League member.
Tag?!: Ruth ! Words?!: 521 ! Lyrics?!: No Cheap Thrill ~ Suzanne Vega Notes?!: Don't worry about it ^^ Credit?!: Sigyn ! (image by たわし)
Post by RUTH IEGRIYEGA on Jul 16, 2014 16:59:35 GMT 9.5
Zivilyn will take Bisharp's nod. Of Ruth's team, he wasn't terribly social, so he understood. He hobbled over to Ruth's side, and fished out Amanda's Pokeball to press against his trainer's arm, reminding her that there were other ways for Pokemon to rest. Ruth looked up, reminded of the world she's in, and got the message. With a little shakiness, she returned the Florges to her ball, then looked up to Grimsley. She practically blushed at Grimsley's first comment. She pressed her glasses up to her face as she tilted her face downward.
"Oohhhhh, you don't mean that, Grimsley. You practically thrashed me! Like, WAY harder than anyone else, and trust me, I've been beat a whooooooolleee lot...!"
As for the comment regarding her Hawlucha, Ruth had to look where Grimsley was looking to be extra sure. Well, she KNOWS her Hawlucha was great, but losing so much has caused her to doubt her ability to tap into the abilities of her Pokemon. As far as she's concerned, they can only be so good on their own, which is how she's been letting Zivilyn battle. Zivilyn was watching the League member, and upon being mentioned, he stood up a bit straighter and humbly nodded once. He was exhausted, and needed to get to a Pokemon Center, but he could stand to show that he was still hanging in there for her. Ruth glanced at her Hawlucha, then briefly at Grimsley before resuming her downward gaze. Gotta hide that embarrassment, yo.
"Well, who am I to argue against the guy who beat me into the dirt! Now that you mention it, really, I should've listened to Zivilyn more anyhow, seeing as he was my brother's. Heh, he was the one who trained him, after all, and unlike me, he actually has waaaaaayy more experience battling around the world than I have. I mean, how long have I been away from home now? Too long. I'm surprised I'm still alive!"
Oh, how over half of Ruth's team would beg to be under Grimsley's care instead. Especially the ones that used to travel with her brother, with the exception of Zivilyn. If they were outside their Pokeballs, they'd instantly leave Ruth's side in a heartbeat after witnessing their battle. Zivilyn knew this, and was internally glad that Amanda was knocked out. He wouldn't know what she'd do upon hearing all the disparaging Ruth was doing to herself.
Post by GRIMSLEY DELACOUR on Jul 18, 2014 7:10:10 GMT 9.5
The Liepard’s Pokéball shook gently in Grimsley’s pocket, its inhabitant apparently rested enough to come back out and cause trouble again. And she would love to be let out and strut around the Hawlucha, silently bragging about the power of her team and how stupid it was for their challenge to have been placed in the first place. And as amusing as it would be to watch her humiliate the already dejected trainer and her Pokémon, that was hardly appropriate behaviour. Grimsley was always the gentleman, as chivalrous in victory as in defeat, and though there was always a part of him that wanted to revel in a win (as he was sure there was in everyone) he knew that was a quick way to make enemies, and to gain a reputation that was hard to shake off. So he simply patted his pocket to calm the Liepard down and left her safely locked away from their previous opponents.
Although he hadn’t thought from her previous vocabulary that Ruth had had much experience in battles (pew pews?), he still felt a slither of sympathy when the girl declared her previous record of losses. “Yes, but I doubt you’ve fought someone like me before.” It was meant to be a comforting statement, but the previous smugness intensified with his comment although it was sort of justified this time. A bit. After all, Grimsley had been officially recognised as an expert trainer, and he sincerely doubted Ruth had fought another League member in her time. She certainly hadn’t sought them out and few of his fellows would randomly challenge a girl on the street without telling her who they were, and he guessed Ruth would have declined the battle had she known what she was up against.
Perhaps he should enlighten her, maybe that would cheer her up a bit. She clearly hadn’t recognised his well-publicized appearance or name, so he assumed she didn’t know a whole lot about the League; but that was fine, he could explain it. “If it makes you feel any better, I’m a member of the Unovan Elite Four. I’m a certified expert on dark type Pokémon, and I’m one of the final challenges for trainers taking the gym challenge for this region. Very few people can best me in a battle, so I’d be proud you did as well as you did actually.” He pulled at the cuffs of his jacket, ensuring his appearance was perfect to accompany the new status his words should have provided him.
A tiny niggle in his brain chastised him for being proud of his title. It didn’t feel right anymore, talking about being a member of the League in such a positive light. Since the League had handed power over to the Knights, Grimsley had wanted nothing more than to rant at someone about what a stupid decision that was and how terrible he felt about it but he couldn’t. The public persona of the league had to stay strong, had to support the decision, and Grimsley was a vital part of that. But it didn’t mean he couldn’t be internally upset about the whole ordeal, and it didn’t mean he still had to be proud of being a part of it. But that was too much to be thinking about right now. Far too deep into already buried emotions for an afternoon battle like this.
Tag?!: Ruth ! Words?!: 566 ! Lyrics?!: No Cheap Thrill ~ Suzanne Vega Notes?!: 'Tis my birthday on Wednesday so I don't think I'll be free to post again until after then ^_^. Credit?!: Sigyn ! (image by たわし)
Post by RUTH IEGRIYEGA on Jul 18, 2014 17:15:40 GMT 9.5
Unlike many, especially nowadays, Ruth didn't know of the Elite Four, and was thoroughly impressed by Grimsley's title. She looked up at him with widened eyes and mouth agape, that's how impressed she was. And at the same time, flustered, since she just battled someone waaaaaaayy powerful and didn't even know it. Ruth covered her mouth with both her hands, and her Hawlucha patted her shoulder to help with the comforting.
"Ohmygosh. I never would've thought--!"
And the signs were all there! She just ignored them since he dressed all fancy and fancy people TOTALLY don't go outside and do normal people things like... Battling... Being normal... Like Ruth... So experienced... In battling... Man, would things be totally different if they didn't battle. Sure, Grimsley was smug, true to the rich person image she has painted in her mind, but in this case... Which was admittedly hard for her to accept... He had every right to be. At least he was polite. She wouldn't even know how to deal if he ended up being super stuck up after winning. If that was the case, she'd be quicker to assume that he had someone else train his 'mons and he just tells them what to do. Trading and gift Pokemon are a thing, after all.
"W-well then! In that case, I'll take your word for it that I did alright then! Wow, what were the odds of bumping into you... I'd think people would be all over you right now, like paparazzi. Or at least, I think that's what most battle-hungry trainers would do if they knew you're strong? Or wait, avoiding you because you're strong, 'cause I tried to do that regardless of knowing how strong you were, but if I knew, I'd have avoided you even more..."
Onward she rambles. Zivilyn gently nudged her into finally standing up, for if he didn't, Ruth probably would've stayed down there as she continued to ramble.
"...Unless you just like traveling, which I wouldn't think you'd be based on how you dress, but what do I know, I didn't choose to dress like this--Not to say that you dress terribly! Even if your pants are kinda weird, but again, it's not like I know what makes a good outfit and maybe exposed ankles make it easier to walk around!"
Zivilyn took a deeeeeeppp breath, and whistled out a sigh. And buried his face into his claws again. Oh, that lack of social etiquette. It can be inferred that his muffled chirping was another apology for his trainer's behavior.
Post by GRIMSLEY DELACOUR on Jul 27, 2014 5:14:53 GMT 9.5
It was nice to see Ruth react with genuine surprise to his title. Nice not to have the questions, the disapproving look hidden just a moment too late, or the abrupt end to what should have been a lengthy conversation. Those kinds of reaction had died down recently, time being the greatest healer and all that, and they'd only ever come from people with enough political knowledge to understand the League's involvement with the Knights situation, but they were still painful, particularly for a socialite like Grimsley whose whole life was often centred around his reputation.
He was almost used to Ruth's rambling by now and just waited quietly for her to finish rather than trying to interrupt her. She was quite amusing for a while, until her words somehow turned towards Grimsley’s fashion sense, which was something he hadn’t seen coming. One eyebrow rose sharply while he resisted the urge to look down at his clothes as if to check whether he was wearing his usual outfit or not. He liked his look (after all, he’d spent a very long time perfecting it), and a little girl’s opinion wasn’t going to make him change it. It was Ruth’s rudeness then that bothered him more than her actual statements.
To be fair to Ruth, Grimsley had stereotypes of his own that he’d been quick to label Ruth with, and rudeness had been one of them. She was young (and Grimsley did not like children) and she seemed to be lacking a certain level of class. Her recent words had proved him right in that she was rather uncouth, and her skill at battling left a lot to be desired, though he’d predicted that before they’d started. The older man certainly looked down on Ruth; he was just more subtle about it than she was, apparently. Until given a reason not to be, Grimsley would be courteous to anyone, and though he admittedly thought himself better than Ruth, he’d do his best not to show it. That didn’t make it ok but, heh, what you gonna do?
Rather than responding to her comments then, he decided to ignore them and turn the conversation onto a different topic. “Has your opinion of my Liepard changed at all since we met?” His hand hovered over her Pokéball for a second, but didn’t make a move to let her out. “Not all new Pokémon are going to be aggressive towards you, you need not fear them.” His fingers twitched slightly, moving towards his Krookodile’s, and his Scrafty’s ‘balls, two Pokémon she probably hadn’t met yet either and both with very different personalities to his Liepard. It might be nice to introduce Ruth to them, since she clearly needed educating in Pokémon. Or perhaps he just wanted to show them off, it was hard to tell which motive was stronger.
“Perhaps you won’t resort to kicking innocent Pokémon the next time you’re greeted by one, hmmm?” Innocent may be a strong word for his darling feline, but he was trying to make a point so we’ll gloss over that for now.
Tag?!: Ruth ! Words?!: 516 ! Lyrics?!: No Cheap Thrill ~ Suzanne Vega Notes?!: Grimsley's being an arse today, I do apologise xD. Credit?!: Sigyn ! (image by たわし)
Post by RUTH IEGRIYEGA on Jul 27, 2014 19:44:47 GMT 9.5
No words can describe how glad Zivilyn was for Grimsley to have the patience of a saint. If only the Pokemon could speak human. He'd be apologizing and explaining up and down about how he's been trying to break Ruth's especially persistent bad habits. Like a trainer would with a misbehaving Pokemon, incidentally. Not that he'd need to explain too much though. It's not hard to pick up that Ruth didn't get to meet to many people beyond her home.
"Oh! Umm... That your Liepard is super scary? Not really..."
The Hawlucha knew what Grimsley was trying to get at though. He lets out a low trill to encourage Ruth to keep working at it. As a whole, the Pokemon was glad that he didn't lose his cool over someone who didn't know better. In fact, he even took it upon himself to do some teaching, where others would simply stay angry at her.
"I don't... Kick ALL new Pokemon though! Just the... Dark types, since... They're... Weak against Fighting types and... I thought so long as I could do the kicking and punching, I wouldn't need--"
Her Hawlucha slowly and purposely turned his masked head towards his trainer to make absolutely sure she chose her words carefully.
"--Wouldn't need to do the punching and kicking if I simply used my Hawlucha like I'm supposed to...! HAHAHAAAaaa... I'm really sorry, Grimsley. Liepard. And Zivilyn."
Zivilyn folded his wings across his chest. She better be.
"You've got your Liepard under control, like REALLY under control, so even if--If? Whether or not I'm scared of her, I don't think you'd let her do anything to me... Unless you wanted to, and that'd be suuuuuper scary if you did but you didn't, so thank goodness for that! And give me some credit. I didn't run in to kick your other Pokemon! It was a Dark type, right? Or he? And who'd be crazy enough to punch or kick an axe... One that's huuuuggee..."
Fighting types like Zivilyn. Fighting types be cray cray. The little bird tilted his head to the side at the sight of Grimsley's hand moving towards his Pokeballs. With the battle over, he wasn't sure what he was planning, so he couldn't help but feel wary. Ruth wasn't as perceptive, and continued.
"I'll definitely do it a whole lot less from now on though. Waaayy less. If at all. Because I have a Fighting type who can do it for me. Who won't always win because typing isn't everything, but Zivilyn is a good Pokemon. Yes."
Post by GRIMSLEY DELACOUR on Aug 3, 2014 10:43:09 GMT 9.5
Oh his Liepard would have been thrilled to hear that. ‘Super scary’ was probably not the impression she’d been aiming for but she would still be very proud of herself for achieving such a lofty title. Maybe he’d tell her later to cheer her up for having to get switched out in the battle. None of the rest of Ruth’s rambling was quite as complimentary though, but Grimsley did notice how she singled out dark types. It was only those she attacked, hmmm? And she was saying this in front of a dark-type master? She must have realised that would provoke a response.
You would have to be blind to miss the mischievous glint in Grimsley eye, as his hands slowly closed around the two Pokéballs they’d been hovering over moments before. Whether she kicked at dark types because she thought her actions were the same as a Pokémon’s (so super effective), or because she particularly disliked that type was irrelevant to him by this point, he’d already decided what he wanted to do. He’d let Ruth finish first though, particularly because since Grimsley had decided not to take her seriously (which had happened a while ago), she had become quite amusing.
The image of Ruth running in to kick Grimsley’s Bisharp was almost too funny, and he had to repress the smile that wanted to come out at that. To be honest, the best bit was imagining the Bisharp’s reaction. He would be so confused by the action, he may not react at all and watch her tend to her probably broken foot (tip of the day, don’t kick steel). Or maybe he’d try to comfort the girl who must have been very upset to have attacked him. Oh it would have been so good; he really wished she’d done it now.
“Well I’m pleased to hear that,” he replied, leisurely flicking one of the Pokéballs in his hands into the air and catching it again. “But perhaps your first response to seeing a dark Pokémon shouldn’t be to attack it. They’re really a fascinating type. Perhaps you just need to learn more about them.” With that, he opened one of the Pokéballs, releasing a Scrafty on to the ground between the two trainers. The new Pokémon ran a hand back through the red comb on his head and re-arranged the trouser-like skin on his legs, making sure he was thoroughly presentable for this new audience. He looked the Hawlucha in front of him up and down a couple of times, before feinting towards it to see if it would flinch, though not in the derogatory way the Liepard had - he was literally testing the bird's response time. The other Pokéball was clicked open, forming the much larger shape of a Krookodile, which gave a little roar as it landed. It was a yawn in all honesty, but sounded like a roar to everything except another Krookodile.
Grimsley smiled slightly at his Pokémon. Combined with the earlier two, these four were his main team, the ones he’s been training the longest. Yes he had a few others – and he would have loved to see Ruth’s face when faced with his Drapion or Tyranitar – but these were definitely his favourites. “Scrafty and Krookodile.” He gestured to each as he named them, and the Pokémon in question nodded in response as though answering a register. He didn’t really intend to ‘teach Ruth to like them’ or anything like that, he actually just wanted to show off, but it was a pretty good excuse to do so. “You’ve seen two of my dark types already; meet two more.”
Tag?!: Ruth ! Words?!: 605 ! Lyrics?!: No Cheap Thrill ~ Suzanne Vega Notes?!: Thank you ^_^ Credit?!: Sigyn ! (image by たわし)
Post by RUTH IEGRIYEGA on Aug 4, 2014 20:19:24 GMT 9.5
Zivilyn couldn't help but size up the taller Scrafty as well, as one fighting type to another. When he was suddenly feinted at, the most he did was open into a stance suggesting that he'd counter if he had to, even in his current condition. But he didn't. He had a good idea about how disciplined Grimsley's party was by now, and honestly didn't think the Scrafty would be the loose cannon of the group.
His reacting to both the Liepard and Scrafty's feints sure said a lot about his character. A truly self-assured Pokemon would know when a feint's a feint, and wouldn't need to prove anything. Zivilyn? Protective. Brave. Quick. Astute. But this Hawlucha couldn't help but react. He had a hard time ignoring things. He overthinks. In a way, perhaps he was overcompensating in the strategic department. Fighting types are known more for their brawn than their brains. And as a Hawlucha, he had a reputation to keep as a diminutive Pokemon that can keep up with Machamp and Hariyama. The amount of responsibility he shouldered was a double-edged sword. This was the kind of Pokemon he was.
The Hawlucha's eyes drifted over to the even bigger Krookodile, then widened. Goodness, he could fit in his MOUTH. Ruth's reaction to both of these Pokemon were admittedly more extreme.
"EEEEEEK!!"
Ruth jumped back a full two feet from the rawning/yoaring Krookodile, and her glasses almost fell off her face. Was this Pokemon... Technically bigger than HER biggest Pokemon?! Her Noivern was big, but...!
"And he's wearing sunglasses too--!"
...She squeaked out mostly to herself. Her gaze followed the direction of Grimsley's other arm to see his Scrafty, another strange Pokemon to her. Not nearly as frightening as the Krookodile, however... She couldn't help but cover her eyes and turn away.
"N-n-nice to meet you, Krookodile, and... Scrafty?I... Can't tell if Scrafty is electric or fighting... Electric on the account of being all yellow, fighting because of how... Gangster he looks? HOW ARE THOSE STAYING ON?! Aren't you afraid of pantsing yourself?! Though not to say I should be judging solely based on appearances! Lots of dark types, and in different shapes and sizes, clearly! Just so many Pokemon to keep track of is all, and I have no idea how how people can. Maybe with some catchy song or rap or something... Anyways, why the specialization in dark types? And how would you say they're different from other Pokemon types?"
Last Edit: Aug 5, 2014 10:04:44 GMT 9.5 by RUTH IEGRIYEGA
Post by GRIMSLEY DELACOUR on Aug 6, 2014 7:16:07 GMT 9.5
The Scrafty seemed appeased by the Hawlucha’s reaction to his ‘attack’, and gave him a respectful nod in response. He appreciated a Pokémon who prepared itself but who didn’t flinch like a child; this bird had made a good first impression. His gaze lifted to the girl who must have been his trainer, and he had to say, she did not strike the same thoughts as her Hawlucha had. In fact, the screech and the jump had quite the opposite impact than the counter move, leaving the Scrafty frowning at the girl with what was probably no longer respect in his eyes.
The Krookodile on the other hand, was not a very serious Pokémon. He wasn’t trying to size up everyone around him like the smaller Scrafty, he was just quite happy to be out in the open. He rolled his shoulders, tail slapping at the ground while he cricked his neck, another low growl coming out of his mouth but again, it wasn’t an angry one, it was more a growl of content. Of course, no-one else knew that. Grimsley had a fairly good idea what his random sounds meant after all this time with him, and could usually sense the slight change in his tone when the Krookodile actually was being aggressive, but still had trouble determining more than the general emotion behind a noise.
When Ruth greeted him directly, the Krookodile took that as an invitation to lumber forwards and hold out his hand in front of Ruth for her to shake, a grin on his face to try and lower the intimidation factor, although he was accidentally just showing off more of his teeth. The Scrafty didn’t move and folded his arms instead, looking more like a stroppy teenager than he’d probably intended, not planning on being quite as friendly as his companion. Grimsley stepped forward now, walking to the side of his Scrafty so he could keep a more watchful eye on his Krookodile (or more accurately, Ruth’s reaction to his Krookodile). “He’s dual dark and fighting type,” he said, signalling down to the smaller of the two Pokémon who nodded proudly, “and the Krookodile is dual dark and ground.” The crocodile Pokémon wiggled his claw-tipped fingers at her, trying to encourage her handshake. His trainer smiled at Ruth’s confusion in what was hopefully an understanding way (rather than the smug way his smiles usually came across). “You simply need more experience. The names start to stick after a while.” Granted it was part of his job to know about as many Pokémon as possible so he could be quite flippant about it, but he still felt his words would be true for her.
Her next question was surprisingly difficult to respond to though, so he had to hesitate for a moment. It wasn’t that he had no answer – quite the opposite in fact, he had too much to say on the matter, and though Ruth had already shown that rambling was one way of getting information across, Grimsley did not particularly fancy following her example. So he gave it a couple more seconds before settling on, “That’s a rather tricky question to answer. I suppose in short, it’s due to their attitudes, their personalities. Dark types tend to be more… devious, more cunning and clever; they don't just abuse brute force like fighting types do. I mean no offense dear Zivilyn, but it’s never just a straight forward offensive with them, there’s always a twist in their strategies. And, well, I could lecture you for hours though I assume you wouldn’t appreciate that, but you’ve seen some of my dark types battle. You must admit they are stylish in their actions.”
Tag?!: Ruth ! Words?!: 618 ! Lyrics?!: No Cheap Thrill ~ Suzanne Vega Notes?!: Credit?!: Sigyn ! (image by たわし)