[Shane Norwood]

To say that Shane Alexander Norwood was getting gradually accustomed to the lifestyle that was being a student at this glorious academy would be a rather bold understatement. In actuality, the boy was loving every minute spent here thus far! Wanting to expand his horizons and pursue his goal of becoming a professional pokemon trainer had been panning out to be a favorable decision on his part. Or rather, it has been up to this point in time. He had taken his first steps towards making his seemingly ludicrous dream a reality. Settling in this new environment didn't turn out to be as much of a challenge as he had originally anticipating, save for the part of reading and correctly analyzing his map of the island. Within his first few days of explorations, he had already gotten himself lost more times than he'd be willing to admit.

Classes for the day had gone smoothly enough. However, while it may be rather painful to admit, some classes were deemed more enjoyable than others. In the case of the sixteen-year-old Vermilion City native, island navigation was proving to be a bit of a hassle. As aforementioned, the struggle with that tedious was too real right now. Additionally, breeding pokemon sounded like a handful as well. Considering that he is the son of a prolific breeder, one could have likely assumed that Shane would inherit that knowledge required to efficiently perform such a task - or worse, do that nonsense for a living. Nonetheless, he'd have to learn eventually. But that was a story for another time.

Shane has particularly favored his battle tactics class. He has genuinely enjoyed learning of more useful strategies and couldn't wait to put them to use in an actual battle. Speaking of learning, it was determined that he will need to do more of that this afternoon. For today's 'homework assignment', the class had been split up into pairs. Their task? A mock pokemon battle. The purpose of this battle? To obtain details of which moves are effective against which certain types of pokemon. The boy had to admit, it was a tall order. No matter the degree of difficulty, that order would indeed be a dish served on a hot skillet and worthy of an A grade.

After classes had concluded for the day, Shane had spent the majority of his free time watching live feeds of ongoing exhibition battles in the academy's battle dome from inside the common area. As he looked on, he would periodically jot down various notes in a notepad he had kept on his person at all times. "Sweet mother of Arceus, all of those pokemon look incredibly strong!" he interjected, startling his two companions positioned on either side of him and comfortable on his shoulders. "No worries, I'm sure you two will grow just as strong in no time!" The electric mouse and pudgy bird squeaked and squawked respectively, content with those assuring words.

For the educational task at hand, Shane had been paired up to practice battling and perhaps later discuss strategies with one female in particular, Lithra. He didn't know much of anything about her, save for the fact that she was in his class anyway. In his feeble mind, he would take this as a golden opportunity to actually get to know her. And also get to know her pokemon as well. With a stern and unwavering look of determination on his mug, Shane made haste for the battle dome. Upon arrival, his two pokemon removed themselves from their usual spots on his shoulders and began to take in the glorious sight of an actual arena along with him.

The aspiring trainer's imagination had begun to run wild at that moment. In his mind, he envisioned there being a sellout crowd filling the place as he battled on. His daydream had come to an abrupt halt at the sound of the Pidgey squawking obnoxiously. "Whoa! Relax buddy! What seems to be the prob...oh!" Lo and behold, his assigned partner in this operation had arrived. "Hey there, glad you could join us!" he greeted the brunette with a quick wave and an earnest smile.

Lithra Trease

{ooc: i wasn't sure where to post this at first, but since i figured that they would likely be battling in this thread, i imagined this dome being the ideal place for it. i hope it's okay! please let me know if there's anything wrong! and sorry for the massive wall of text! i was thinking of a way to set up their meeting! please do not feel obligated to try and match this length! *sweats nervously!*}

[Lithra Trease]

She needed to think of something more important than who she’d been partnered with for their homework assignment. She needed to think about which pokemon she would bring to the battle and how she was going to use their moves effectively. She needed to remember what types were strong, weak, or resistant to what. She needed to recall the names and types of pokemon she hadn’t experienced before. Those were credible and sound things to think about. But what was one Lithra Trease doing as she walked over to the Battle Dome? She was thinking about the student who was placed in the same team as her.

Admittedly, Lithra had been throwing glances over to him most of that class period. She didn’t think he would notice her or that anyone would notice the innocent act, but somehow, by fate or the instructor, Lithra and Shane’s names had been called together. Even thinking about it now made the teenager turn Lava dorm red as she recalled the moment. What was he going to think of her once he saw how lacking her skills were in battling? It wasn’t that Lithra didn’t like battling, she’d gotten a hang of some of it during her adventures around the island and the mission she completed a week or so ago. She had even managed to evolve her Bulbasaur earlier this month! So it wasn’t like the Nature student was completely clueless. On the other hand, she’d been dabbling with breeding and enjoyed hatching eggs. So, when it came to settling on a goal and pursuing it, Lithra was at a loss and it showed in her abilities (or lack therefore of).

Yet, the girl had passion. There was no denying this. She was determined to do her best and when things were going well, she actually enjoyed battling with her pokemon. The way they cooperated with each other, the way they cared and defended one and another, it warmed her heart. Maybe instead of noticing her questionable battle technique, Shane will see how much she loved her pokemon team instead. Oh! What was she thinking now? Goodness, she hadn’t even hung out with the Bolt student before this and she was already trying to guess how he’ll perceive her?

Lithra groaned, her Cottonee wiggling slightly in her arms as they reached the Battle Dome. For his part, Bell seemed excited for the activity planned out. He hadn’t done much battling lately so this would be a good way for him to release all of his pent up energy. Trailing behind Lithra’s heels was a recent addition Lithra had acquired earlier from a trade. The Eevee, Lyra, had hatched from an egg Lithra owned and was still young (though old enough to battle, Lithra was informed). Lyra’s personality hadn’t appeared beyond the pokemon’s affinity towards water and her love of the beach. By using her in today’s mock battle, Lithra was hoping to discover what made Lyra, Lyra.

Tugging open the doors to the Dome, Lithra was awed by its size and grander. It froze the student in her tracks as she took it, slightly intimidated by the new setting. If it wasn’t for Bell bleating in her arms or the fact that Lyra had taken it upon herself to race forward, Lithra may have stood there for quite some time. “Lyra?” the Nature student questioned, jogging after the prancing Eevee. Glancing up with a quizzical expression, Lithra saw the person that her Eevee was running towards.

“Shane,” she breathed, partially in greeting and partially a slip as her thoughts manifested as sound. “Hi! And thanks! It looks like we arrived just in time,” she answered, beaming and blushing at the boy. Her cheeks felt red but there was nothing she could do to control that now. “Are those your pokemon?” Lithra looked at the Pichu and Pidgey (both she recognized, thankfully) waving at them with a free hand before setting her Cottonee on the ground. “Hello to you too!” Without hesitating Lyra trotted over towards the Pidgey, mewing at her new companion while Bell blinked at the Pichu, wiggling his ears playfully.

Remembering to introduce her own pokemon, Lithra gestured to her Cottonee. “This is Bell and that,” she waved at the Eevee, “is Lyra. If I remember the assignment only asked for two pokemon for the battle so I thought I’d bring along these two. Not that Bell is ever far from me,” she laughed, suddenly realizing how much she was talking. A lot. Abashed, Lithra adjusted the pink flower pinning back some of her hair from her face as she looked at the pokemon around them. “Anyway, I’m ready when you are.”

The Battle Dome sounds great for the thread location! Perfect choice, I'd say. And nothing is wrong with your post at all ^^ I was happy to read and reply to it today~ No need to worry about length either-- I just go with what the muse feels like. Nervous sweating? Need a napkin?

[Shane Norwood]

The timing of her arrival couldn't be better. Impeccable as a matter of fact. Remaining stationary wasn't his style at all. Apparently, it that wasn't his pokemons' style either. As if his gleaming expression wasn't any indication of it, he was grateful for his assigned battle partner's presence her today. Who knows what could have happened had either received a failing grade because they couldn't even commence the battle in the first place? Shane couldn't afford to get a low mark for this stuff, and quite frankly, neither could his opponent here.

Nothing like a little small talk to at least get these two better acquainted before the impending match, not that it had any major implication on where each of them stood as trainers and what not. Or at least, not yet. "Hey uhh...Lithra, right? You made it alright, and it was good thing you did! I was starting to worry a little, but hey, it's cool!" the Bolt student remarked, taking note of her currently burning red features. What was that all about? But hey now, there was a more important matter at hand; the mock battle.

Shane nodded when asked if the shiny electric baby mouse and the pudgy bird where in possession. He may not have had them along with him for too long, but he took great pride and pleasure in calling them his own. "Yup! These are my buddies!" he began answering, gesturing to the emphatically eccentric Pichu first. "This little guy here is Mickey." he introduced the minuscule spark plug. He seemed to be occupied running circles around that cotton ball. Shane then pointed towards the Pidgey. "And Bird Brain over there is Falco."

The avian pokemon didn't seem to take kindly to that suggestive jest as he flapped his wings furiously at his trainer. "Yeah well, you are a bird after all." Point taken. The bird was rather busy getting himself acquainted with the Eevee. The boy's seen his fair share of those back home. That puff ball on the other hand, was a new sight to him entirely. Cue the PokeDex! "Cottonee, the Cotton Puff Pokémon. Cottonee shoots cotton to distract its opponent when attacked, and travels around wherever the blowing wind carries it."

"Hehe, cute." The Bolt boy praised with what was probably the cheesiest grin he's given to anyone or anything yet, flushing lightly in his own right. "Quite the dynamic duo you got here, Lithra. I can't wait to see them in action!" He paused to think for a moment...oh yeah! The assingment did indeed call for a two-on-two battle. Luckily for this guy..."You're right. It's two versus two, which is fine and all, 'cause really..." he started explaining with arms spread out on either side him. "...these two are all I've got right now!" he finished with a conspicuous display of simultaneous feelings featuring nervousness and embarrassment.

Nervousness because this was to be his first battle against another trainer here at the academy. Embarrassment because...wow! His opponent was quite the beauty indeed! How did he not notice this sooner!?

Nonetheless, he was ready. His partners were ready. Lithra and her companions were ready. It was time to throw down! "Okay then, let's do this!" Taking that as a call to action, Mickey and Falco joined their trainer in taking up a position on one side of what was probably the standard neutral battlefield. "Hey Lithra?" Shane called out to his adversary. "Before we start, I wanna say that no matter what happens here, just give it everything you've got and have fun!"

In a matter of seconds after that little pre-game speech, Mickey stepped forward, squeaking with excitement for his first true test of his abilites. "Huh? You wanna go first, buddy?" The mouse looked back at his trainer and friend and nodded with a loud "Piiiiichu!"

"Alright pal, go for it!" The Pichu took up a readied stance on all fours as Falco took his usual spot on Shane's shoulder. As far as the first move goes..."Ladies first!" he offered with a wink.

{ooc: here we go! \o/ }

Lithra Trease

[Lithra Trease]

“Lithra, yes,” she nodded, affirming the quasi-question thrown her way. Had she really started to worry him with her absence? Goodness, she would have to be more careful with her timing in the future. Perhaps this was as good as a lesson in time management given the distance between dorms and school facilities as it would be in battle tactics. The girl didn’t let this bother her (too much) as she focused on Shane and his pokemon.

There was something about a person’s starter pokemon that spoke about their personality, Lithra thought, and her belief seemed to fit with Shane as well. She didn’t know if the Pichu or the Pidgey was his starter, but both suited Shane nicely. At least from what she gathered of him so far. Truthfully, Lithra knew very little about the Bolt student besides his attitude in class and his physical appearance. She hoped that today’s homework would let her know more about him.

The way he talked about his team was endearing already, making Lithra smile at the group. She giggled at Mickey’s playful show around her Cottonee, watching as Bell spun around to keep facing the circulating Pichu. Silly attracted silly. When Shane introduced his Pidgey, the pokemon reacting indigently to the nickname, Lithra grinned kindly at Falco. “And such a handsome bird at that,” she said soothingly. As Falco studied her Eevee, Lithra saw Lyra try and bat at the Pidgey’s body. The action lacked hostility as Lyra seemed more curious about the new pokemon before her than anything else. Everything to the hatchling was new and thus worth exploring.

She listened to Shane’s PokeDex as it chimed out, humming her own agreement as soon as the voice finished. “Bell does tend to go wherever the wind pulls him…or if something catches his attention.” Lithra’s eyes lit up as Shane gave his own opinion on Cottonee. Her whole demeanor seemed to brighten under the single word spoken. Cottonee weren’t the strongest pokemon out there so Lithra appreciated it whenever anyone gave a kind word about them. Bell was her starter after all. She wondered what that said about her own personality then.

“Thank you, Shane,” she said, tripping slightly over his name as she rubbed her arms. Personality wise her team could be described as dynamic, but in skills? Lithra had to stop herself from giving a self-deprecating laugh at that. The Bolt student would see the truth soon enough. Yet, Lithra couldn’t linger on these dour thoughts for too long as Shane’s larger-than-life display redirect her attention. “Well, they’re the start of a fine team! I can tell that already,” Lithra replied earnestly. Was she gushing too much? Too many compliments? The girl hoped Shane wouldn’t think her insincere now, she just liked to make people feel good and meant every word of it.

Following Shane’s lead, Lithra took her place at the other end of the battlefield, her pokemon crowding around her heels. She glanced up as Shane called her name, flushing as he spoke directly towards her. “You too!” she called back. “I mean, yes! It’s training, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be enjoyable! You're right!” It certainly would be given the view she had of Shane. No getting distracted, she thought to herself. How embarrassing would that be if he saw you staring?

As Shane decided who he was going to use first, albeit with a little persuasion from Mickey, Lithra looked at her own group. Bell had seen more battles than Lyra, then again, anyone would have seen more fights than the Eevee given she had never been in battle before. So Lithra decided it would be Bell she relied on first. Fitting given he was her starter.

“Okay, Bell, you go ahead now. You’ll do great, I know it!” she cheered on her little Cottonee as the pokemon hopped forward into the arena. Half hopping, half floating from the Dome’s air conditioning, Bell blinked over at his new opponent. Meanwhile, Lyra busied herself in a vain chase to catch her own tail. Lithra tried not to pay the young pokemon’s antics too much attention. She had a battle to focus on!

Shane’s wink nearly caused a volcanic eruption of color to spread on Lithra’s face as she tried to regain her focus. “O-okay! Thanks!” She had a few options to choose from currently, but never one to start off too offensively, Lithra choice a different route. “Bell, use Tickle!”

‘Nee!’ the pokemon exclaimed before hopping over to Mickey and using his leaf-like ears and cotton body to tickle the Pichu. ‘Nee, nee, nee,’ Bell bleated as he worked, almost as if he was laughing too. The move wouldn’t cause any damage, but it might help Lithra in the long run. Though even now she was started to second guess her choice.

Was that a good move to use first? She pursed her lips nervously as the battle begun.

Cottonee uses Tickle. Pichu's defense and attack lowered by one!

Shane Norwood

((So it does~ \o/ How exciting!))

[Shane Norwood]

And so the battle has commenced! Shane's adversary, Lithra, had opted to dispatch Bell the Cottonee against his own trusted companion Mickey the Pichu. It seemed to be the logical alternative. Sure, he sort of had to agree with that choice, as Lyra the Eevee appeared to be in her own little world right now. From what he had gathered from the two thus far, they made for quite a quirky combination. Whether or not that had anything to say about the way that the Nature student has raised up to this point in time? That remains to be seen.

But let's focus on the matter at hand here: Pichu, an electric-type pokemon, is starting the contest against a Cottonee, a grass-and-fairy-type as his pokedex had revealed to him. On paper, this didn't appear to be a favorable matchup for the miniature spark plug. With an unwavering driving force, Shane and Mickey would press on.

Or so they thought...Although he was glad that his assigned training partner shared a mutual understanding of this being all for fun regardless of whether who ends up with the short end of the stick, he'd try hard nonetheless. And he could only hope that Lithra would do the same with her puffy companion and four-legged furball.

The hopping cotton ball initiated the battle with a tickling manuever, at Lithra's command of course. It seemed to have tickled Mickey's fancy. (Get it!?) As the contact had been made at that moment, sparks began to form on the electric pokemon's cheeks. "Careful now..." the Bolt trainer mused. The Static ability of the young Pichu had often proved to be a problem in more ways than one. He hoped it would come into play here, but at the same time, he had to reconsider the fact that was battle was merely practice.

Although, part of battling was getting a feel for you pokemon's strengths and weakness. One could presume that Pichu's electricity was more like a double-edged sword than anything; it's effective, but it can cause you to hurt yourself in the long run.

"Get back!" Shane demanded, and Mickey complied. The jolts on his cheeks still lingered. "Okay Mickey, it's our turn now! Let's go for a Charge Beam!" the boy instructed. And again, the young electric mouse obliged. Mickey retained a stationary position as sparks gradually grew. "Get ready guys, here it comes!"

After a few seconds of charging up, Mickey unleashed a blast of concentrated electricity straight at the Cottonee whilst excruciatingly crying out "Chuuuuuuuu!" Not only did he vie for it to connect, but he may very well wind up feeling a tad...well...charged from the after effects of the attack.

{ooc: here's to hoping i'm doing this right...!? }

Lithra Trease

Pichu used Charge Beam! It's not very effective...

Roll for Charge Beam hit (90% accuracy)
fVWE02aJ1-100

Roll for Special Attack increase (70% chance of +1 boost via Charge Beam's effect)
1-100

Current Stat Adjustments: Attack -1, Defense -1, Special Attack +11-100·1-100·1-100

[Lithra Trease]

SPOILER: Click to show

((Shane Norwood You're doing it right! I'll go ahead and roll for Static's 30% chance to paralyze now and work my post off of that. If that's okay with you? I'll edit the rest in once I'm done!
Static-- GnkbylFf1-100

As entranced as Lithra was with watching her Cottonee battle, her heart worrying already for Bell, she couldn’t help but feel the occasional bump into her foot. Lyra’s body would rub up against the girl’s ankle, her fur making contact with Lithra’s skin. Smoothing down the green and cream dress she wore, Lithra nudged Lyra back, gently, motherly almost as if to warn the Eevee. There was a huffy sigh, but Lyra did settle down, flopping on her belly, paws spread-eagle as she tuned into the battle. At least that would be one less thing for Lithra to be embarrassed about. It did make her wonder if Lyra was too young to battle…that’s not what her breeding teacher said, but doubts lingered.

She wanted to do well with this fight, though. The Nature student had spent quite a long time battling against wild pokemon with her team. She knew what she was doing (more or less) and she was confident in her pokemon. And, yes, she was going to worry and feel terrible when her pokemon were hurt—her empathy was a curse there—but she didn’t let that hold her back from coming up with a plan. Plus, part of her wanted to not only prove something to herself, but to Shane as well. She needed someone to see that despite her lack of experience she was still dedicated.

Concentration knitted Lithra’s eyebrows together as she watched the fight. “Oh!” she exclaimed, breathing in sharply as she watched Mickey’s cheeks spark with electricity. That wasn’t just a reaction to the tickling, was it? She knew pokemon had abilities (she wasn’t that clueless) and she knew that electric types could have abilities linked to paralysis. Now whether Mickey had that or was simply reacting to Bell’s attack, Lithra was unsure. She would have to see if her Cottonee could still move afterwards to test that theory out.

“Get ready, Bell,” Lithra warned, her hands clenching into fists as the Pichu charged and then charged. (Got it?) Her Cottonee took the impact like a champ. Like a light-weight champ, but a champ nevertheless. ‘Tooonnee’ Bell cried as he rolled backwards, blinking as he finally settled on his back, staring up at the domed ceiling. Mickey’s attack had connected and it was clear Bell suffered from the attack…

But that was about it.

Right! Electric moves aren’t that great against Bell! Lithra suddenly remembered, a wide smile blossoming on her face. “Can you get up?” She asked her partner before stealing a quick glance over at Shane and trying again with more confidence. “Get back up, Bell. We’ve got more work to do!” Alright, she could this! Looking at Mickey the Pichu appeared, well, electric even more than he had when they started the battle.

“Let’s keep our distance then,” the girl thought out loud as Lyra mewed in agreement. “That was a shocking surprise!” she yelled over at Shane, giggling at her own joke. “That’ll teach us not to get too close.”

“How about we get some of that health of yours back, Bell. Use Giga Drain!”

Responding to his trainer’s command, Bell rolled back up. (Thankfully he hadn't been paralyzed!) The off-white coloring of his body began to glow green as balls of life stealing energy pulsed around him. They stilled for a few seconds before lunging for Mickey’s body, aiming to damage and then return back to Bell. What will harm his opponent will heal him. Hopefully it would also keep away the electric mouse’s sparks from Bell. If she had to play this battle from a long range, well, she could do that. She hoped.

Cottonee takes minor damage from Charge Beam.
Cottonee uses Giga Drain on Pichu. (100% Accuracy) Inflicts damage and heals half of that.

((Yup! You're doing everything right. Since this is a 'for funsies' battle are you good with not using a real damage calculator?))1-100

[Shane Norwood]

That has been a rather shocking development thus far.

Mickey's Charge Beam was right on target, knocking the little puff ball over. It didn't seem to have much of an effect on Bell though. You really do learn something new every day. After all, their assignment was to discover what works and what doesn't work. What didn't seem to work that time was that electric-type moves don't seem to be very effective on a grass-type such as Lithra's Cottonee. Shane would have to make of a note of that for future reference. Right now though, he needed to maintain his focus on the battle.

After initiating the attack, Mickey could feel a more potent flow of energy running through him, none like he's ever experienced before. He had only just learned that move recently, but that was the first time he's actually used in a battle. Now the boy just needed to determine an ideal method of using the sudden spike in power to use advantage.

But it was the cotton-bodied pokemon's turn to make a move again. Green balls of energy were shot at the Pichu. "What's that...? Look out!" Before he could have even a second to react, a strange feeling surfaced on the cheeky mouse, as if he was being sucked dry from something of the supernatural variety. Afterward, Bell looked to be alive and kicking again, as if he hadn't been damage at all. So that was the effect of that last move, huh? For some odd reason that he couldn't possibly explain at the moment, the attack drew a smile from Shane.

This was what a battle against another trainer feels like...? The adrenaline, the high tensions, the will to win...? Awesome! Living for the moment...that's vintage Shane. You could say that he's savoring every minute spent in this fight. Why wouldn't he, really? He couldn't possibly deny that though. The thrill of it all...how much more often would he be able to experience this? Only time will tell.

Lithra seemed to catch onto his battle plan in which, as a lot of things were in his case, all on a whim. He couldn't help but worry about his most valued companion. The Pidgey on his shoulder began flapping his wings emphatically, as if to say he's itching for some action. Shane immediately responded by ruffling his feathers. "Take it easy, you'll get your turn soon enough." he assured the pudgy creature. Gazing up at his opposition, he called out again. "Well now, color me impressed! That was one heck of a move!"

Looking down at his first partner and friend, worrisome eyes filled his features. "Hey buddy, you doin' okay?" "Piii!" he answered as he took up his on-all-fours stance yet again, awaiting Shane's next order. "Great! Now, use Thunder Wave!" he commanded whilst pointed at the target directly in front of them. The electric baby wasted now time in launching a wave of static electricity at Bell. It wouldn't do any damage, but hopefully, it would slow him down at the very least; to the point where he may not be able to make a move at all.

{ooc: he's enjoying this way too much. >///<; }

Pichu took damage from Giga Drain.
Pichu used Thunder Wave! (100% Accuracy)
Cottonee has been paralyzed! It may not be able to attack! (25% chance of moves failing)

Lithra Trease

[Lithra Trease]

That’s the power of nature, Lithra thought to herself as she watched Bell reenergize himself off of his last attack. She’d noticed that ability with a lot of grass and bug pokemon, those special to the Nature dorm, and it was a move she favored. Anything that restored life to her partners would be a favorite of Lithra’s. It was only a bonus that it happened to harm their opponent at the same time. “Nice,” Lithra whispered under her breath as Bell completed his attack.

He hadn’t suffered too much from Mickey’s first attack so when his health was recovered it was like looking at a brand new Cottonee. Bell bleated out a cheerful tune as he bounced up and down on the floor, reenergized and restored. It was clear the little Cottonee was happy with the outcome of the move as much as his trainer was. Lithra found herself smiling fondly at the little display, wanting to relish the moments Bell enjoyed life while at the same time wanting to reel in that playfulness.

“Alright, alright, remember to concentrate,” the girl said soothingly. “This is a serious battle, okay?” Bell didn’t turn around to answer her, but he did settle down a bit. ‘Cotton!’ he replied as he readied himself for Mickey’s next attack. Speaking of the next move, Lithra wondered what Shane had up his sleeve. Looking at his face he seemed really, really into the battle. Which was a good thing! She’d have to ask him after the battle if he was planning to challenge any Wardens for badges or what his plans were after the Academy.

First things first, they had to finish the challenge before Lithra could know more about Shane’s aspirations. His compliment made Lithra twirl a lock of her hair, giddy and somewhat proud of the comment. “Not bad, right?” she questioned back. Lithra watched as Shane then turned his attention to his Pichu and she almost felt bad at the previous move. He was worried about Mickey’s health just as she had been worried about Bell’s, though she doubted Mickey could drain anyone's health.

Still, she wasn’t going to underestimate her opponents! The Nature student had no doubt in the world that Shane and Mickey were going to give it their all and she had to pay them the same respect. And it looked like Mickey wasn’t anywhere near giving up yet. Lithra smiled. Good. Mickey had spirit.

“Thunder Wave?” Lithra parroted. Unaware of what the move did, she watched the waves of electricity washed over her Cottonee. As the electric power hit Bell he didn’t flinch or make any signs of pain, but something did happen to his body. All the cotton surrounding him fluffed up, reacting to the static in an almost hilarious way. It was if his fur suddenly went ‘poof!’ and transformed him into an unhappy pokemon.

Lithra bit back a laugh.

Bell looked ridiculous, but she needed to take this seriously. “Okay,” she said, speaking around a smile, wondering if Thunder Wave would have any other affect besides turning Bell into a floof ball. “Try Fairy Wind! Let’s see what Fairy attacks have on an Electric type.”

It wasn’t Bell’s strongest move, but hopefully it would cause some damage. If he could move that is.

Cottonee regains some health from Giga Drain.
Cottonee becomes paralyzed by Thunder Wave!
Cottonee tries to use Fairy Wind. 1-25 the move will fail!

Tv8NbqPu1-100

((That's the spirit of a champion! :3))
Shane Norwood 1-100

[Shane Norwood]

The way in which Bell, um, puffed up a bit more after that move struck up a stifled chuckle from Shane. While it may not have been a damage-dealing maneuver, Mickey's Thunder Wave was often effective at slowing down the opposition. Unfortunately though, it didn't seem to have much of an effect this time around. Somehow the little puff - er, rather the puffier ball had managed to power through the vicious static power of what normally was a paralyzing move. Man that cotton ball was tough!

A classic life lesson of 'things aren't always as they appear' was being taught here. Shane realized at that moment, he will need to stay on his toes in future battles. The excitement, the intensity, the passion, the drive to survive...it was all too much to bare! And to think that this was only the first round! Neither party had shown any signs of letting up to this point, and Shane was darn sure that neither would want to start now.

Bell the Cottonee squared up, or dare I say it, rolled up for his next attack. Sparks flying (literally) with anticipation, Mickey the Pichu stood firm as both he and Shane awaited for Lithra and her fluffy friend to make their next move. And so they have done. A blustery wind emanated from the hippity hopping pokemon which shot the little electric mouse backward, nearly pushing him to the brink of getting knocked out of bounds. The shiny thing was a considerable lightweight after all. The effects of Bell's Giga Drain didn't seem to help the cause either.

Seeing this, Shane cringed at the thought of getting put down for the count by way of, well, being blown away. "Come on...keep it together..." the Bolt student croaked, worry and panic enveloping his tone as shielded his eyes from the Fairy Wind with a free hand. Mickey shot up, albeit a bit worse for wear after getting blown off course just now, a tad slower getting back to his vertical base.

Just how in the world was the Cottonee able to survive that Thunder Wave? Or maybe he hadn't? Maybe the effects would eventually catch up to him? For the love of Arceus, he hoped it would. Otherwise, this may very well spell the end of Mickey the shiny Pichu right here. "Alright Mickey, we've got to stay focused. We can't loose our cool here. How about we cook up a little...Nasty Plot!" Upon hearing that, Mickey stood up and began rubbing his voltic cheeks, as if he was legitimately 'plotting' something...big! And at that moment, he began to feel a renewed power surge through his tiny body.

It was crunch time now. And this time, Mickey means business!

{ooc: Bell has been the real MVP so far. x3 }

Pichu had it's health drained!
Pichu took damage from Fairy Wind!
Pichu used Nasty Plot! Pichu's Special Attack sharply rose!

Current Stat Changes:
Attack: -1
Defense: -1
Special Attack: +3

Lithra Trease

[Lithra Trease]

She was watching Shane more than she was watching the battle. It was the wrong thing to do given that their homework assignment was based on the information they pulled from this battle. Chastising herself, Lithra tore her eyes away from Shane and that little chuckle of his to focus back on what really mattered. If she wanted to get better at battle tactics then she needed to work for it, not get distracted by a cute guy! With a new sense of purpose, Lithra cheered on her pokemon. “You’re doing great, Bell! Keep going and I promise to fix your fur later.”

Hands balled into little fists, Lithra stood at her side of the field, determination and nervousness both affecting her stance. Her face lit up as the Cottonee summoned a silver-ish wind around him as if the very air itself was sparkling. Despite being a weak move, Lithra found Fairy Wind inherently beautiful. It honestly made her wonder why the school didn’t offer more pokemon contests like they did with battling and breeding. A move like Fairy Wind could stun an audience with the right combination.

She watched, jaw tense, as Mickey struggled to stay in the ring. Lithra knew she should be happy that Bell was doing such a good job (and she was, yay Bell!), but she felt bad for Mickey and Shane. Funny how the Nature student wanted to do well and to do well meant to win, but to win meant that the other person would lose and it was hard to enjoy a win when someone else was bummed about losing. If she went into battling as a career she’d have to learn how to get over other people’s feelings and start enjoying her own.

Yet, growth like that was a long way away so for now the girl bit her lip and gave worried glances at Mickey. Lithra found herself nodding along with Shane’s pep talk, freezing only when he commanded Mickey’s next move. Nasty Plot? Well, no, she didn’t know that attack either. As distressing as the name sounded, Mickey’s actions were pretty adorable. That was, of course, until Mickey got back up looking as if he could take on an Onix without breaking a sweat.

Bell may have been doing well so far, but he didn’t have that vigor Mickey had now. “Okay, uh, bear with me,” she spoke, thinking of the moves that Bell knew. There was one that she wanted to try, but she didn’t know how it would work on Mickey given the Pichu’s typing. It might not do anything. “Part the assignment is to test out moves so I’m going to try this one,” Lithra explained, already feeling embarrassed. “I don’t know how it will work on Mickey, if it will work even, but that’s what we’re doing, right? Practicing moves and pokemon types.”

It wasn’t as if she needed to say this to Shane, he knew the assignment as well as she did, but Lithra felt better cushioning the potentially disastrous move with an explanation. “Alright then, try Stun Spore, Bell.”

Granted Bell wasn’t paralyzed, bright yellow powder would pull away from his body as he jumped and shook in the air. That power would then float over and try to paralyze Mickey. It all depended if the Cottonee could move or not.

Cottonee tries to use Stun Spore. 25% chance to fail. (Rolling 1-4. 1 will be paralyzed seeing as I brushed up on the battle rules for that hurk)
u9u3uluj1-4


((Stun Spore does not affect Grass or Electric types so Mickey is immune. Lithra doesn't know that though~))

Shane Norwood 1-4

[Shane Norwood]

A girl and her pokemon.

Seeing Lithra encourage her adorable little cotton ball like that, in his eyes, was assurance that battling didn't always have to be serious business. It was sad to say however that this battle in particular was indeed a crucial matter. This was their task assigned to them after all. He'd be willing to bet that neither he nor the Nature scholar could afford a failing grade right now. Nobody liked failing, especially not Shane. For this being his first battle against another trainer, albeit being unsanctioned, it certainly has a great deal of implications as to where he currently ranks as a trainer.

With that in mind, he couldn't afford to lose this one. But now that he a moment to think it through as Bell prepared his next move (or rather, he would try to at least), Lithra probably couldn't afford to lose either. Needless to say now that the Bolt dorm inhabitant was at an impasse. Should either of them hold back, then they'd be hindering their chances of growing.

The struggle was all too real.

The girl was right about one thing though, he envisioned as he gently nodded in agreement. Gathering information from each other, and learning what moves work, as well as testing their potency against certain pokemon types? That was the true task at hand. Shane knew this full well. From what he had gathered thus far, Mickey's electric attack didn't seem to have much of an effect on Bell up to this point. But with the Pichu having been newly charged up with his previous move, perhaps he'd have better luck this time around.

Right now though, the Cottonee was on the offensive, or at least he tried to be. Shane's eyes grew wide at his opponent's next command. It was something which he surely did not expect. "Stun Spore!?" he mimicked. "But...what...?"

He was at a loss for words for the moment, as Bell struggled to make a move. Could the attack have failed? Of course! That Thunder Wave from earlier in the match must have finally kicked in! Up until now, Shane might questioned himself as to why it didn't seem to have much of an impact at all. Okay, so make that two things he's learned from this battle thus far. The second being that Thunder Wave may not always bring the opposition to a complete stop.

The effects were not guaranteed, but man! What better timing for it to take effect now! Wait...something was wrong about all of this! This was supposed to an educational yet fun battle. At that moment in which his time came to issue his next command, the aspiring pokewizard had come to the realization that maybe...just maybe...he was taking this way too seriously...

He mentally vowed to make up for this inconvenience. Somehow. Gazing up at his battle partner, he'd clue her in on some battling details. "Sorry about that. I guess...I may as well explain it to you now. Electric-type pokemon are immune to paralysis. Stun Spore would not have worked on Mickey, had Bell been able to move." As the shiny Pichu awaited his next command, Shane continued to speak.

"But I've learned something from this battle as well. About how electric attacks normally don't do well in situations like this. That's really the only thing Mickey knows how to do right now though. But I've also learned...how cool Bell is! You must have done a heck of a job in caring for him. I can tell. Tough little guy if I say so myself."

With feelings or remorse, which could very well be detected, Shane then went on to issue his next command. "Now let's show them just how tough you are, Mickey! Thunder Shock!" With his power surge a few moments ago, Mickey wasted no time in projecting a jolt of pure static electricity straight towards the ailing Cottonee.

{ooc: poor Bell! Shane feels hella bad about paralyzing him! D; }

Pichu used Thunder Shock! It's not very effective...

SPOILER: Click to show

Current Stat Changes:
Attack: -1
Defense: -1
Special Attack: +3

Lithra Trease

[Lithra Trease]

Lithra’s command left her lips but Bell didn’t move. He tried to. You could see that in the way the Cottonee’s body shook, his extra fluffy fluff vibrating from the strain. Lithra could hear her pokemon struggle to fight the effects of Mickey’s earlier paralyzing attack and his cries of ‘Nee, Nee, Nee’ broke her heart. Lithra clutched at her chest, one hand digging into her dress as she watched from the sidelines. Was this part of battling? Watching someone you love suffer and not being able to do something about it? The thought left a bitter taste in Lithra’s mouth as she tried to say something to Bell and failed, lips opening and closing wordlessly. Even she couldn’t encourage him out of this one.

How long would Bell be paralyzed like this? She knew from his Stun Spore move that the paralysis would stay until he was withdrawn, defeated, or the battle over, but how long would Bell stay locked in that tense motion? She hoped that he would break through it long enough to attack and finish Mickey so she could trade him out for Lyra. Start the battle fresh, so to say. But there were no promises that Bell would be able to move on his next turn. He could be forced to stay like that.

The Nature student whined nervously, only loud enough for Lyra to tilt her head up at her trainer, drawn to the sound. Still, this was part of learning, part of the lesson, and, ultimately, part of battling. If Lithra wanted to become a battling trainer (which wasn’t a certainty) she’d have to get used to seeing her pokemon hurt, overwhelmed, and taking injury from her orders. It wasn’t enough to put her off battling completely, she found it more interesting than breeding so far, but her bleeding heart wasn’t helping.

“Sorry?” Lithra questioned, ripping her gaze from Bell long enough to glance over in Shane’s direction. She didn’t know what he was apologizing for, but she’d been distracted enough with Bell that she may have missed something he said. Lithra’s embarrassment grew as Shane explained the relationship between electric pokemon and paralysis moves, even Grass based ones like Stun Spore. “I didn’t know that,” she admitted, eyes falling to the floor. Great. Now Shane would see how bad of a pokemon trainer she was. This kind of information was something that most beginner students knew, never mind an older student like Lithra.

Lithra’s head snapped up to look at Shane, a little wary that he was going to make fun of her last move. He didn’t. Instead he spoke of his own thoughts of the battle and he even complimented Bell. He complimented her little Cottonee! Wariness and embarrassment transformed into honest joy. Lithra’s eyes lit up as she smiled openly at Shane. “You really think so?” She laughed at the compliment, happy for the words and his attention. It was hard for Lithra to ever stay on one emotion and her ‘easy-to-read’ face never concealed such things. “Thank you! He’s everything to me right now. And you and Mickey! Neither of you guys are giving up—it’s so passionate. Admirable really.”

Shane’s compliment lifted Lithra’s spirits as she returned to cheering Bell on. “It’s okay, Bell! Don’t struggle against it, you just do your best!” She still felt bad about his predicament and there was something not quite right about battling for Lithra, but she wouldn’t give up on Bell. After all, Shane never gave up on Mickey.

The Nature student flinched as the bolt of lightning struck her Cottonee. It seemed like the move was still not that effective against him, but with Mickey’s new vigor it did more damage than normal. Wincing on behalf of her pokemon, Lithra hoped that Bell would be able to attack this turn. Now that Stun Spore was out of the question, Lithra opted to go for a different approach.

“Dazzling Gleam if you can, Bell!”

Cottonee takes damage from Thunder Shock!
Cottonee tries to use Dazzling Gleam...
Rolling 1-4. 1 will be paralyzed wq0NFHpp1-4

((Awww poor Shane D: Lithra's emotions are all over the place omg and sorry about having a late post! Shane Norwood))
1-4

[Shane Norwood]

If there was anything that Shane wasn't quite accustomed to just yet when it came to battling, it was the sight of opposing trainers grieving over the well-being of their own pokemon. In order to become a full-grown professional someday, he knew full well that he would have to get over it at some point. On the flip side however, coping with your pokemon's emotions - as well as your own for that matter - were a vital part in growing as a trainer. With that in mind, the boy was at an impasse. His smile grew weak, looking on as the cute pile of fluff struggled to stay in this match. That got him thinking...was he doing too much? Was he trying too hard? Probably. Sure, this was all for the sake of academics, but he could have toned it down a bit?

Too late for that now though. Right now, both he and Mickey needed to focus on finishing this fight. No matter what the end result may end, they'd take it in stride. He felt his slim cheeks flush profusely at the Nature girl's notion of his driving force being somewhat admirable, and she'd probably be able to see it. You would think Shane would have to interpret that as a sign that he's doing something right in raising what was his very first pokemon after all. "Yeah...that's my little buddy alright..." he mindlessly reacted, drifting off for but a mere second until the Pidgey perched on his shoulder flapped his wings angrily, as if he felt at that moment...that he was being blatantly neglected. "You too." he assured the pudgy bird as he ruffled the feathers on its head.

Falco couldn't wait any longer to have his turn to battle. From the looks of it though, his turn may be coming up sooner than his trainer would have liked. A flash of bright light, shrouded the battlefield and before he knew it, Shane found Mickey on all fours, sparks continuing to trickle on his plump cheeks. "It's all or nothing...come on Mickey! Thunder Shock! Once more...with feeling this time!" As he trainer commanded, would gather the strength he had remaining to deliver another blast a concentrated electricity. Under normal circumstances, it wouldn't do much, but under the influence of the moves used previously, they the bolts seemed to at least make a dent on the Cottonee.

Pichu takes damage from Dazzling Gleam!
Pichu used Thunder Shock! It's not very effective...

SPOILER: Click to show

Current Stat Changes:
Attack: -1
Defense: -1
Special Attack: +3

Lithra Trease

{such a try-hard! i'm sorry for him! D; }

[Lithra Trease]

Lithra diverted her eyes upwards as Bell readied to flash another round of blinding light. But in the few moments she looked from Shane to the ceiling, she thought she had caught some color on the guy’s face. Was he? Could he? She smiled to herself, holding back a giddy giggle that threatened to escape her body. Had she made Shane blush? The thought alone was enough to cause a thousand Butterfrees to come alive in her stomach. Her heart raced faster and now Lithra was unsure if that was because of a rush of adrenaline from the battle or from interacting with Shane.

When the light faded away and Lithra returned her gaze to Mickey, she was surprised to see him standing and ready. “Wow,” she muttered under her breath, truly in amazement of the determined Electric pokemon. Mickey really was something. He had taken a beating, hadn’t gotten a chance to heal like Bell had, and he was still standing, still throwing off electricity, and still ready to attack his opponent. Mickey was born to battle like this.

The lightning was particularly strong this time. Strong enough that Bell gave a cry as the electric bolts wracked his body. He convulsed a few times before settling down, a comical puff of smoke billowing off his burnt fur. He was standing, but barely. Lithra could tell that one more move, even another electric one, would be the end of Bell. Perhaps that was a good thing. She couldn’t take much more of her beloved Cottonee getting injured.

And because Lithra didn’t want him battling longer, she decided not to heal him and drag things on. One more move may take out Mickey, but at least the next move would finish Bell. “Hang in there, Bell, and use Fairy Wind. You’re almost done!”

Her partner nodded as he tried to use Fairy Wind.

Cottonee is damaged by Thunder Shock. It's not very effective...
Cottonee uses Fairy Wind!
Rolling for paralysis. 1 is paralyzed. NddKVYvv1-4
Shane Norwood1-4

[Shane Norwood]

Even with the ineffectiveness of his lightning attacks and the power of the almighty cotton ball of doom, Mickey has been able to hang in there up until this point, despite of his inability to critically damage the opponent. Come to think of it, if it hadn't been for Bell's ability to drain portions of health from his adversaries, the baby electric mouse could have even kept it up until the Cottonee would eventually be knocked out. But that draining technique though...it may very well prove to be the difference maker in this fight. Would it possible for Mickey to learn that move, or any move similar to it? Probably not. In fact, it was highly unlikely. They'll just have to think of something else.

The shocks of thunder seemed to be having a gradually increasing effect though, but in the end, it was Mickey himself who was ultimately revealed to be left worse for wear. He couldn't possibly endure another shot like the last one he took. Or could he? There was only one way to find, and Shane will stick with him until the end. Although, it was sad to say that the end could very well be near. Or maybe even closer then either the Pichu or his trainer would have liked. Sooner enough rather than later, another blast of sparkling wind had been fired at the electric pokemon. The force from the wind felt stronger than before. Mickey was blown away by its power. Literally!

The wind had knocked him off the field, giving his trainer a valid reason to worry for his little buddy. Falco, although often envious of his comrade, seemed to develop some bit of concern as he squawked angrily as if to will the Pichu on. Oddly enough, Mickey found somehow crawling back onto the field. "You're doing great! Just stay sharp...just for a little longer...Thunder Shock again, Mickey!" But just as the young pokemon was ready to charge up some more voltage...

He had been short-circuited...

With a faint-sounding thump, Mickey fell hard to the ground. A noticeable grimace followed by a brief frown emanated from the Bolt student. "I guess I've been pushing you too hard...I'm sorry Mickey..." Shane moved to pick up the baby mouse, the pudgy little bird still perched on his shoulder. "You were amazing little buddy. You deserve a good long rest." He carried the little critter back to his side of the battlefield. "Bell is pretty amazing too..." It was time for his feathered friend to take flight. "Alright Falco, it's your turn!" The bird wasted no time in soaring into action. "Use Gust!" The Pidgey began to flap his wings rapidly, forming a small burst of harsh winds straight at the cotton ball.

{Bell ftw!}
Lithra Trease

---

Pichu fainted!
Shane has sent out Pidgey!
Pidgey used Gust! It's super effective!
(100% accurate, no additional effect.)

---

[Mankey Hatch Count: 4 of 5]
[Emolga Hatch Count: 3 of 5]