[Sophia Schuster]

Things had been changing at a steady pace, as of late. Sophia had focused on breeding and managed to obtain her four Breeding Emblem. Honestly, at that point, she didn't feel too far off from the final emblem. She had Seraphina and Sylvia to thank for that, of course, but, assistance from outside parties or not, the fact still stood that she had made that progress. She completed her first mission, doing so alongside Seraphina and a young boy by the name of Tyson. There, she realized Silk was strong enough to handle multiple consecutive battles, if the terms of battle were marginally in their favor.

Though her trainer-battling experience was still lacking, she had fought a number of wilds, and that gave her an idea for the basic structure of combat. Add in her basic research, the information that she acquired from Seraphina, and the faith she had in her Pokemon, and the young lady didn't feel terribly over her head when the idea of challenging a Warden settled in her. It would definitely be a learning experience, win or lose. Naturally, she had no intentions of losing, but she was at least willing to acknowledge the chance. She was confident, but not deluded, after all.

Honestly? Sophia wasn't anxious. What would be would be. If she won, excellent. If she lost, then she didn't prepare her partners enough. No, she wasn't anxious. However, to say that she was calm was a lie. After all, she was, without a doubt, filled to the brim and pulsing with excitement. She had yet to actually battle another trainer. While it might have been more appropriate to do so with her roommate for a first time, or just a friend in general, there was something special, she thought, about her first battle being an opponent of note. It made her chest go aflutter.

While it was true that a battle was a battle, and that there was no real need to look pretty or proper for an engagement like that, Sophia did come dressed properly. Mary Janes covered her feet, and solid white, knee-high socks reached into the void of her skirt. The skirt, gypsy in design, reached halfway between her knees and ankles. The color was a light crimson, but the multiple layers gave it a darker, more maroon tone. A dress shirt hugged her torso, buttoned up nicely and tucked into the rim of her skirt. Over it was a sleeveless scarlet vest, left half-unzipped for a tasteful exposure of the upper region of the dress shirt. Finishing the top was a lightweight jacket, primarily a light gray in color, with black lines criss-crossing over the sleeves. Half-buttoned to keep the ends flapping, the jacket's right breast had two tiny patches sewn in, the two decidedly “cutesy” heads of a Mareep and Eevee. It was the sort of thing that one would expect to see on the clothing of a younger child, but it seemed oddly appropriate.

Sophia stood in the lobby of the Wave dorm. Seth Silvester wasn't a complete stranger. She had obtained a Feebas from the Warden, and that fish had proven quite valuable in terms of breeding. Knowing of him, specifically, did influence her decision to challenge him, certainly. The intel from Seraphina was the nail in the coffin, though. With a brush of her right hand against her side, she lightly smiled. The strip connected to her skirt hosted six balls, each holding a partner she selected for this trip. In her left hand was a disposable styrofoam lunchbox holding freshly prepared sweets- cookies, cakeballs, and various other tiny things. Nothing amazing. It was a customary, formal gift- something like a sign of thanks for meeting with her and battling.

Well, assuming he was around. Given she wasn't male, she certainly wasn't going to gallivant into the boys' side of the dorm. The person at the front desk had sent for him, at least. And, barring unfortunate timing, she didn't think anything would get in the way of her match. Ah, she had to fight back that excitement. Her lips had curled into a goofy, childish grin. That would be embarrassing- to be caught smiling like an idiot.

And by an opponent, no less.

Notes: Somewhat wordy. Still, it's her first battle and her first gym. It's excusable.

[Seth Silvester]

“I’m not saying it’s an emergency per say, but if this was your home and everything was melting wouldn’t you think that’s pressing enough for a mechanic?” Seth replied icily into the phone. The man was sitting stiffly in his desk chair, watching the ocean waves from the window as the person on the phone gave another litany of excuses. “This isn’t a matter of comfort, ma’am, it’s a matter of health and safety. We have Ice type pokemon that require our machines to be working.” A pause as Seth stood slowly, continuing to listen. “Yes, later today would be convenient for me. Thank you for your time, I will see you then.”

With a push of a button Seth ended the phone conversation, neither happy nor displeased with the overall outcome. Out of all the Wardens covering the Wave dorm it felt like Seth had taken the lion’s share of the work when it came to maintaining the facilities, watching over his wards, and accepting gym battles. Not that he minded, exactly, he quite enjoyed the challenge and the business. It kept him active. But when it came to things like this—like calling up maintenance to fix the air conditioning units that had malfunctioned again—even Seth had his limits.

At least now he had a few moments to himself, he thought as he reached into a desk drawer. Pulling out and popping open his pain medication, Seth downed two pills before the knock at his dorm came. A flicker of irritation passed over his face. “Just a moment.” Returning the bottle back, Seth answered the door, not surprised in the least to see one of the Wave students who worked part-time for the secretary at his threshold. The girl explained to him that a challenger for their first badge was waiting in the lobby for him and him specifically.

An eyebrow rose at this as Seth thanked the girl and replied that he would be down momentarily. A female challenger asking specifically for him? Immediately the face of one Seraphina King came to mind as Seth recalled their last mock battle together. Her challenge came quicker than Seth thought it would, but even this wasn’t astonishing. Of course, it might not have been her. Seth knew it was no one from the Wave dorm, none of his wards, but he had a feeling it would be someone who he already met if they were requesting him.

Regardless, for the first badge battle it would be a 3v3 of lowest tier pokemon. Attaching the needed pokeballs to his belt, along with a few others that he always kept with him, Seth departed from his room. He was dressed in a white turtleneck and darker jacket, the collar popped up, as an interesting, though small, medallion hung from his neck. Adjusting his glasses, Seth walked into the Wave lobby.

And that’s when he saw a Bolt student, but not the one who he thought it was going to be. “Miss Schuster,” he addressed, noticing the grin on her face and the cartoon patches on her clothing. He smiled at this, remembering that no matter what, the students of this academy were kids at heart. He wouldn’t be in the position he was if he wasn’t the best or if he didn’t enjoy helping students test themselves. “How excited are you?”

Thanking the secretary, Seth motioned for Sophia to follow him. "This way if you please." Following the flow of the water cutting through the inside of the lobby, Seth led them outside to the beach where the small decorative river released into a decent sized pool. Further from this was the beach where Seth was planning to have their battle. It was empty enough around this part and he had no desires to be cooped in all day. That was, of course, after they went through formalities first.

“You’re here for your first gym battle then? This will be a 3v3, no items, lowest tier pokemon battle,” he explained, pausing only to give Sophia a comforting smile. He didn’t mean to be all business right now, he just needed to get out of that mindset he had on the phone. And for the pain medication to kick in. “But first, how have you been? How’s the Feebas doing? I hope she is treating you as well as you treat her.”

[Sophia Schuster]

Sophia felt a chill run down her spine when she was called. Oh no. Oh dear. She was still smiling. And he even asked. How excited was she? Was it that obvious? Ah, she could feel her cheeks burning with embarrassment. A nervous laugh escaped her at the question. In all honesty, she was very much ashamed of letting something so shameful be seen. She'd have to take greater care to not be seen like that during her next battle- whether it was a rematch or at the next Warden's dorm. She relaxed a little as the man led the way. Despite her clothing, she had no issues keeping up. She was confident in her walking speed. It was just tests of endurance, or actual full-sprint dashes that she'd lose in.

”Correct.” She responded when he finally checked with her. By then, she had regained her calm, and a pleasant smile was on her face. ”The first-badge battle, in which the Warden is restricted to a base-form party, and neither side can use items.” She nodded after a moment, parroting the information she'd crammed into her head before finally going through with the preparations for the battles. At his second, less business-oriented inquiry, though, she could only smile, stepping closer to present the styrofoam container. The warmth of the contents had probably been lost- not much could be done about that- but they were still fresh. Oh that, she was confident.

”Out of gratitude for meeting with me today, and for the battle we'll be having. If you're not fond of sweets, perhaps your Pokemon would like them.” The young lady had her priorities straight, she felt. ”I've been doing quite well. She herself has been a great help, too. She usually takes it easy, but there's no doubt I wouldn't have come as far as I have with Breeding Emblems, if not for her.” And that wasn't just her being nice, either, though it might have been meant purely in the numerical sense. With a smile and a light kick to the ground, she hopped to the side, putting a small bit of distance between them. It wasn't yet time for the battle, but there was a certain degree of space that should always be between those of different genders if they weren't known to be great friends.

”I hope your day has gone well, as well. I have no doubt the Growlithe is doing just as well as Feebas, though.” She wished him well before shifting her posture slightly. Still, he was probably busy. There was no telling what all sorts of chores a Warden got stuck with. ”From what I've reviewed, if you don't mind my asking, it's up to the Warden to determine any specific rules that might be implemented for a given battle. Was there a specific set of terms you would want included in ours, or would we stick to a basic three-on-three singles match style?” Even if it was a little ahead of time, getting that knowledge in her head, even a few seconds ahead of time, would let her come up with contingencies, if anything other than the norm was selected.

”Either way, it'll be both a pleasure and honor to battle you.” She offered a slight bow. It was true, though. Wardens were supposed to be the best of their dorm. If that were true, then Seth should have been an exceedingly capable individual. Even if he was restricted to “weaker” Pokemon, she was sure he'd be a challenge.

[Seth Silvester]

“I was too when I had my first badge battle,” Seth chuckled, noticing how the young Bolt student had managed to contain some of her excitement. A personal choice, Seth figured. He didn’t mind the eagerness of a student, especially when it came to battling. Eagerness correlated with passion and Seth admired a person’s passions. It made them better at what they did. However, he also understood pre-teens and teenagers’ self-consciousness from his years mentoring them as a Warden. It was whatever it was. But now he was rambling with his thoughts when the man should be concentrating on the upcoming battle.

Sophia surprised him with the gift box. His eyebrows rose at the presentation of the styrofoam container, taking it graciously from the girl as she stepped back. “Well, that’s certainly kind of you,” Seth smiled, taken back by the gesture. Rarely did his opponents ever bring him something to compensate for his time. In fact, Seth never thought anything about it because it was his job to proctor badge battles. But to have someone do this? “Very thoughtful, thank you.”

“I’m glad to hear the Feebas is doing well,” the man continued, holding the box in his hands as he spoke. “And I’m glad she’s helped you in your journey with breeding. If I’m being honest, Sophia, I’m surprised you’ve picked up battling as well given your proficiency with breeding. Testing the waters now, are you?” Seth chuckled at his own joke, realizing the pun was terrible, but making it anyways. Every man had their flaws. “And, yes, the Growlithe is doing very well. He is rather,” another chuckle, “barky. But a spirited soul.”

It seemed that would be it for their small talk, however, which was fine with Seth. He was looking forward to what will happen next. “We’ll stick to the normal rule for this battle given it is your first badge challenge,” Seth answered, shifting the box to one hand as he adjusted his glasses with the other. “My only extra stipulation will be that we battle on the beach, yet confined to a normal battle radius. As much as I enjoy using the environment as part of the battle and tactics, it seems unnecessary for this challenge. That being said the ocean itself will be off limits. Does that make sense?”

Perhaps if they fought again, Seth would include the sea or pool as part of the battlefield, allowing them to play off those areas. For now a standard rectangular shaped perimeter would work for today. “That should be it for anything extra. And, likewise, it will be a pleasure to battle you too. First, however, I think I want to make sure these,” he gave the gift box a little shake, “stay safe.”

Reaching for a pokeball, Seth summoned out the second pokemon he ever owned. A long term friend, but heavy reminder of the one he’d lost years ago. None of that showed on the smiling Warden’s face. “Ozymandias, would you be so kind and take these back to our room, please? I wouldn’t want the weather or the battle to ruin them,” Seth asked his Kingler as the pokemon gently took the box from his trainer’s hands. Resting the container between his claws, Ozymandias gurgled happily, blowing a few bubbles at Seth and Sophia. “And don’t eat them all,” Seth warned as his pokemon skittered back to the dorms, treats in claw.

Seth turned back to his new opponent, giving a weak sigh. “He’s going to eat most of them, I’m afraid. But,” the Wave Warden gestured to the beach, moving them closer to the shore. “I think it’s time we begun, don’t you?”

[Sophia Schuster]

It seemed that the gift of food was odd. That was unfortunate. Not for her, of course, but for Seth. Nobody else did something like that for the Wardens? Honestly, that seemed a bit rude. Even if it was their job, it wasn't like they had to respond to a challenge right then and there. Oh well. She'd just have to make sure to do the same for all the other Wardens she challenged. That way, she'd know for sure that they'd all get something they did deserve, even if it was a trivial gift.

”In all honesty, breeding was the simpler field to take up first. I had every intention of challenging both fields, but breeding was quicker to take up, and cooperation produced results much more quickly there than elsewhere. If anything, I'm sorry to have taken this long to get ready.” It was true, though. Her progress on breeding was wonderful, yet this was literally only her first battle- in general. Still, she seemed relieved that the Growlithe was well, even if the joke flew over her head.

”That's perfectly understandable. Thank you for taking it easy on me.” That pleasant smile lingered. Sure enough, a fight on the beach was simple. Her Pokemon adapted pretty quickly to different environments, so it wasn't like there would be an issue. A sheepish laugh escaped her as the Kingler appeared and transported the sweets away. Her expression didn't seem discouraged in the least by his estimation, though.

”So long as someone enjoys them, I don't mind.” She concluded before beginning to increase her distance from the man, as they'd arrived at the beach. ”Will you be attacking first, Mister Silvester, or will that fall to me?” She asked, already showing her willingness for battle by sliding straight into things. She'd already reached for her belt by the time she'd taken her place, and she released a single Pokemon- one that might have seemed unfit for a challenge to the Wave dorm. Still, with Seraphina's information, she was very confident in her choice.

Silk the Larvesta scuttled about on the sand, scanning around before noticing the man. For a moment, he seemed slightly confused. Then, looking back and seeing the smile on Sophia's face, he understood. It was clear there was a sort of newness to the experience for the bug, but once he understood what was about to happen, he let out a quiet hum of anticipation. Even if he seemed like an inappropriate choice, the girl's expression showed she wasn't just sending out a random Pokemon. She was confident in the bug's abilities.

The time for battle was just about there. Would she get a badge, or would she simply have to settle with knowing she needed to improve further? Time would tell.

[Seth Silvester]

Seth’s eyes flashed as he listened to Sophia speak. Sorry to have taken as long as she had? Seth held back a small laugh, knowing it would be misinterpreted given the setting. If only Sophia knew she had been the first out of the new wave of incoming students to have challenged him so far. Other challengers who were going for their second or third or plus badge he had in plenty. But, oddly enough, none from students trying out for their first badge. No matter. Perhaps breeding had won all these fresh faces over. 

“I won’t be taking it easy on you,” Seth returned, wondering how she misinterpreted rules for lenience. “Now you don’t have to worry about extra factors such as battle terrain given your lack of battle experience, but I won’t be taking it easy on you. You earn what you get.” And, in case that came off too harsh, Seth smiled again. “This is an important challenge, though, given its status, it is not the most important you’ll take. They only get harder from here.”

Gaze flickering over to his retreating Kingler, Seth nodded, mentally and physically readying himself for the battle. Seth was a kind man, a thankful one given Sophia’s gifts, but he was a serious one as well. This was not like the battle he had with Seraphina the other day—a casual, friendly, thing—this was a formal challenge. And while Seth did like Sophia as a student (he wouldn’t have trusted her with his Feebas otherwise) he still had to treat her as fairly as he treated other unknown challengers.

He had a feeling Sophia would understand. She was a bright girl.

“You will have the first move,” he replied, stepping back so the distance between them was the correct amount. His voice trailed off when he noticed the pokemon she released for the first of her team of three. Younger students may have judged Sophia for using a Bug/Fire pokemon during a battle against the Wave dorm and marked it as an easy win, but not Seth. He knew that a Larvesta with specific training could easily learn Grass moves. And given Sophia’s previous display of research, Seth didn’t doubt that she would have researched Wave types, perhaps his pokemon through experiences of other students, and bred her Larvesta correctly.

That possible Grass move could be his undoing given two out of three of his basic challenge pokemon were weak to Fire. No matter, he would do what he could. And, seeing that badges needed to be somewhat easily won for students, it was rare for a student to fail their first badge challenge. The outcome was in the challenger’s favor the moment they showed up with pokemon trained past the four moves Seth’s team was limited to. Simple, really. 

“It appears you won’t be going easy on me either,” Seth nodded, pleased with Sophia’s choice. “And you will make the first move as the challenger.”

For his own pokemon, Seth summoned the only one that could handle a type like the Larvesta. With a flash of red, his Barboach appeared, eager to fight. Because of his Barboach's sensitive skin and tendency to dry up and weaken when not wet, a bubble of water formed around the piscine pokemon. The trick, trained by Seth, allowed Herger to battle outside a fuller body of water. It was something he tried to teach his own Wave wards. Of course the bubble was purely aesthetic in nature and didn’t hinder Herger’s move or provide him with any extra defense.

“Begin whenever you are ready, Sophia.”

[Sophia Schuster]

Perhaps her words were incorrect? Well, either way. She appreciated the lack of inclusion of other factors, and she more than expected him to not hold back against her. All was well. Her smile never faltered as the man spoke, though. In fact, she only lightly giggled, seeming more than eager to rise to the challenge of the harder trials that would come in the future. That difficulty was her safety net. If she easily got through the later battles, she'd worry- not that the opponents were any less of a challenge, but that she'd get ahead of herself. So long as she and her partners received difficulty, they'd know they had room to improve.

Sure enough, though, Seraphina's information came in handy. The biggest threat she anticipated, the “long fish with Mudslap”, was Barboach. With enough research and verifying the aesthetic with her roommate, she accurately predicted the fish's identity. It knew Mudslap. While weak, it could inhibit accuracy. It didn't matter how weak the attack was, if it caused the target to miss, everything would fall apart. It seemed that, due to her being the challenger, Sophia would be the first to attack.

”Then,” She gripped the sides of her skirt, curtseying to her opponent, ”I, Sophia Schuster, will do my best. Thank you for accepting my challenge.” Her smile hadn't faded, but her eyes were much sharper than before. The time for socializing was over. The formalities? Done. Once she gave the order, the battle would begin in earnest. For a moment, she waited, then she nodded.

”Silk, go. Use Giga Drain on the Barboach!” The Larvesta hummed for a moment, then quivered as he began to suck in air, trying to drain energy from his target! Silk's physical attacks were his strong point, but, against a Ground-Water type? Grass was a monster. She was confident in the effect it'd have. As for the almost-definite Bellsprout, and the anticipated Ice-type, well. If things went as expected, she'd only need one other move.

Notes: No held items on any Pokemon involved. All accuracy rolls and damage calculations using the calculator will be located in spoilers in my future posts.

SPOILER: Click to show

No accuracy roll due to 100% accuracy of Giga Drain.

Damage calculation for 0 IV/EV in HP/Sp Def Barboach receiving Giga Drain from 0 IV/EV Sp Att Larvesta. Natures are neutral to stat changes.

0 SpA Larvesta Giga Drain vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Barboach: 264-312 (125.7 - 148.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO

[Seth Silvester]

The outcome of the first move didn’t surprise Seth in the least. He had surmised that Sophia’s pokemon knew at least one grass move, given her research and breeding habits, from the moment she brought the Larvesta from its pokeball. In fact, given that the Fire/Bug type knew a grass move, it only made sense it would have a few Fire moves in its arsenal as well. That being said, this battle was over already. It wasn’t a matter of Seth giving up or not using his tactical skills or battle experience, it was simply a matter of moves and levels. Most smart challengers had trained their pokemon before going after their first badge and that meant their team would always have more moves than Seth’s beginner challenge pokemon.

It was more of a challenge for a student to lose their first badge battle than win it.

Withdrawing Herger back into his pokeball, Seth reached for the next creature he had. “The outcome of this has already been decided,” he mused, mind trailing back to the phone call he had earlier. He hoped the repair worker would come sooner than later. “Even though we’ve only briefly interacted, Sophia, I have a feeling you know the last two types of pokemon I have left given my dorm’s specialty. Perhaps Ozy won’t have time to eat all those pastries after all.”

Appearing on the field next was Seth’s Bellsprout. “Poison Powder,” he commanded, a bit disappointed with how easy this battle was. No challenge was no fun. Then again, it would give him time to attend to other duties and at least Sophia would be happy when she won. Young students always were.

SPOILER: Click to show

Rolling for 75% accuracy. norbbBSf1-75

1-75

[Sophia Schuster]

Something stirred inside Sophia. It wasn't excitement, though. Honestly speaking, it was a curious fact that Seth sent out his Barboach first. He willingly gave her the first move, yet sent that out. Was he counting on the Larvesta not knowing a Grass-type move? Or was he unwilling to make a sacrifice of his Bellsprout or unknown third Pokemon? There was little doubt that Seth at least had an inkling of why a Fire-type would be sent out at the Wave Warden's badge battle.

It wasn't like her contemplative nature was a secret.

”Is that so?” She asked with the declaration. Her expression was blank at that point. At the very least, her assumption was correct, it seemed, going by Seth's comment. His final Pokemon was going to be an Ice-type. Or another Grass-Poison. Whatever the case, the Warden seemed to lack confidence that his partners would be able to beat Silk. The Warden made a few light comments, seemingly joking, but the girl felt an overwhelming sense of dissatisfaction. One Pokemon- one move- in, and he was happily commenting on the match's conclusion? Any joy she might have felt from the prospect of planning accordingly, or eventually winning against her opponent, was gone.

”Bellsprout I know, yes. Seraphina claimed you had used one against her.” She calmly commented, the earlier energy in her voice gone. ”With that, and her description of Barboach, I pieced together what I felt was, at the very least, your choice of type for the final Pokemon.” The Bellsprout appeared and used Poison Powder. Silk was poisoned, as most targets likely would be after the move. ”Was I over-prepared?” Her tone suggested she was more thinking aloud than looking for an answer, though. She tilted her head before sighing. Honestly, investigating information on her opponent had been fun. However, while she had been confident in Silk, to think that he alone would be enough was a bit. . . well, it was impressive of the bug, but it left her conflicted.

”Flare Blitz, please, Silk.” The order rang true enough to the bug that he, despite being poisoned, lit up slightly and stormed at the Bellsprout like a bat out of hell. Flare Blitz was the most powerful move at Silk's disposal, not only strong in terms of raw power, but boosted by his being a Fire-type. It was a dangerous attack, and Bellsprout was weak to it. The only drawback was recoil.

She didn't feel that she'd done anything wrong. She properly prepared. She sent out what felt like a good choice. But this match- regardless of whether or not she was going to win, of whether or not it was “already determined”- was it really being taken seriously? Was it just the comment Seth made? Did it just strike a nerve? Honestly, she- . . .

. . . - she just needed to stop thinking about it, probably. Something still felt wrong, though. It felt off. This. . . probably wasn't what a battle between trainers was supposed to feel like. Either way, Silk had faithfully launched his second attack. Hopefully that empty feeling would just. . . go away.

SPOILER: Click to show

No accuracy roll. Flare Blitz is 100% under normal circumstances.

0 Atk Larvesta Flare Blitz vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Bellsprout: 602-710 (286.6 - 338%) -- guaranteed OHKO

Flare Blitz has a recoil of 1/3 of the damage dealt. Provided nothing obscures the attack, or switches the target, 1/3 of Bellsprout's maximum health (the maximum recoil consideration value) would be 31% of Larvesta's health. Additionally, poison damage at the end of the turn is 12.5%, totaling up to a final damage of 43.5% health lost.

[Seth Silvester]

“You came to win, did you not?” Seth questioned as he heard the passion leave Sophia’s tone and her features flatten. “You should be proud, or at the very least content, that you did your research before battling your first badge challenge. We both know that Larvesta can learn grass moves. You from your firsthand experience with Silk and me from my own years of training and tactics. The challenger is always given the first move given it is your first formal battle against a Warden. Combine these aspects together and you, Sophia, are left with an easy win.”

His words were unvarnished, speaking from truth than any other source. The man nodded as the Bolt student spoke her predictions about his team, slightly surprised that Seraphina and Sophia knew each other. Then again, he shouldn’t be that surprised. They were of the same year, same dorm, and trading battle tactics was almost as revered as trading gossip when it came to students. “Then you must know the conundrum I’m in,” he offered, withdrawing Jataka as she fainted from the Larvesta’s brutal attack. “Lead with my Bellsprout or Ice pokemon and your Larvesta will burn them into oblivion,” he paused momentarily, reaching for the last pokeball. “Or lead with my Barboach and risk the grass move Silk may and did ended up knowing.”

Perhaps Seth could have led with Jataka or Himalayas as sacrificial pieces, allowing Barboach to get one water move in before succumbing to Silk. But what was the point in that? It wouldn’t have knocked out the Larvesta in one hit and even if it did Sophia still had two other pokemon to use. No doubt they were selected from her team to be specifically strong against Water dorm’s specialty. “Truthfully, you will find the battles after this all the more challenging and therefore all the more rewarding. We give out more first badges then we withhold them. Do not think poorly of your preparation for winning. Be proud of it.”

The last little pokemon to appear on the sand was Seth’s Snorunt. The only off-colored pokemon Seth took interest in and one of his personal favorites out of three lower tier he owned. It was only a shame Himalayas wouldn’t be able to show off his abilities given Larvesta’s fire moves. Even disabling the last move would prove worthless as Silk no doubt had more than one fire based attack. Might as well use the strongest move his Snorunt had against the Larvesta.

“Shadow Ball.”

Shivering from the sight of a fire pokemon, Himalayas quickly formed a dark mass of energy in his hands as it exploded away from him and towards the poisoned Larvesta.

SPOILER: Click to show

Snorunt uses Shadow Ball (100% accuracy).

0 SpA Snorunt Shadow Ball vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Larvesta: 54-64 (21.5 - 25.4%) -- 0.7% chance to 3HKO after poison damage

Larvesta's health was set for 56% total in Battle Calculator after subtracting the 43.5 health lost in previous post.