( SEMI-OPEN ) hardcore monster fighting: the movie

[refuses]

Who: silver ( refuses ), steven stone ( geophile ) + you!
When: slightly backdated to the afternoon/evening of 4/11!
Where: all things ViViD.
What: WHAT EVERY TRAINER LIVES FOR, pokemon battles!! in which steven mops the floor with silver :') characters are welcomed to enter the open ViViD session and watch from the audience bunks ( handwave it to your heart's content! ), and/or can interact with either of them after the battle's end.
Rating/Warning: maybe a bit of language, animals fighting each other-- but that's it for now!

POKEMON BATTLE: IN SESSION_
VS
ADD:\ player.cde < viewing only >
ENTER ?_

[ in this session of ViViD is a room— large and widened, reinforced floors of shimmering onyx reflecting the lights from each of its corners, soft designs carved into each plate of smooth stone on the battlefield. the room is set up as a stadium, its enormous middle arena surrounded by hundreds, seemingly thousands of bunks and an open sky that seems so dark, you could very well mistake it for a poorly lit ( vast ) ceiling. for now, all things are in silence, not a single sound to be heard other than the quiet, echoing steps of two trainers down below, a shock of cherry red hair on one side, and a shine of silvery white on the other.

they both look excited.

more lights clap on, shining down to properly illuminate the battle arena, and with that, a grand screen lights up above them for the whole room's easy viewing, from close ups to amazing camera angles, would you look at that. the trainers speak with each other, exchange smirks, and with a fast beat tune beginning to play, surrounding the arena and booming with the beat of one's heart with each drum— it could make just about anyone's pulse race all of a sudden ( especially with the appearance of creatures most would call otherworldly ). the entire room roars with cheers and yells from faceless npcs that were moments ago nowhere to be seen, whistling and clapping for the battle's start.

pokemon battles, man. things are going to go down. ]

Comments

[geophile]

[ while Steven wasn't as outwardly excited as Silver was about this engagement, it'd be a complete lie to say that he wasn't looking forward to it. as a Champion, it was his duty to represent the Hoenn region as its best battler... but as a Trainer, he just wants an exciting match. from how the younger man had challenged him, he feels like he's in for something good.

he looks as collected as ever, but his eyes have a fire in them that looks quite foreign to anyone who's met him previously. before he takes his place, he smiles at Silver. at his side, beldum floats silently. ]

I'm expecting nothing less from you than your best. Don't disappoint me, Silver.

[refuses]

[ there's nothing else that makes him feel more alive these days. it's something that was worked on, polished— once upon a few times ago, battling was too serious, to the point where silver didn't allow himself excitement. victory was an obligation, failure was death. he'd run from his errors, find fault in something that wasn't him; he'd beat his own pokemon up for it, and sometimes his verbal abuse would have no end. his pokemon were worked over their limit, lacking union and possibly the most important thing that a trainer should have from the start— a healthy bond.

a bond that only today he shared with a group of six that he could proudly call his team, his comrades.

trainers have a sort of sixth sense, call it that if you will— trainers know challenges when they see one. to some, silver was grumpy, prickly, easily ruffled and one serious little stick. now was one of the only times where his smirk is wide, evident and restless to being. his eyes are bright, full of vigor— he was one to keep cool, sure, but he never really did. you can't quite be the cool kid when your emotions are so openly plastered over your chest ( and he doesn't even mean to— he just can't quite help it ).

already, he's reaching for his first choice, a small pokeball rolling along the inside of his fingers, clicking the mechanism to make the device grow into a larger size, fitting over his entire palm easily. ]

I'll do a lot more than that. [ a lot more than his best, of course. ] —We will. [ correction. he's not alone, here. with that said, he gives his pokeball a glance, a confident thought that they could do this. he throws the ball abruptly, spinning in the air and cracking open with light— his first choice is sneasel, who erupts from the pokeball's light with a striking yap!, landing on his legs and thrusting his claws out in challenge.

bring it pretty boy ]

Not even in your dreams, so don't even think about holding back!

[geophile]

That's what I like to hear!

[ it makes him smile - it's a wide grin, much more than the polite, tight-lipped smiles he's given in the past. this was real excitement, and it's easy to tell that he's pumped up.

the small ball he takes from his belt enlarges the same way silver's did, and he throws it up to release his skarmory, which takes its place in front of him in the air. he's got an advantage with typing, but that may not necessarily play out. it all depends on how both trainers strategize. ]

Then let's begin! Skarmory, Spikes!

[ the bird begins to spin, and from it a multitude of metallic red spikes come out of its body and fall onto the battlefield. they sink into the ground, seemingly dormant - but they'll come into play later. charging into a battle with guns ablazing isn't always the best move. ]

[refuses]

[ a set up. silver's quirked lips don't quite leave his face, but at the same time, he's staring harder, eyes centered and focus concentrated, narrowing in on their next move, perhaps the move after that.

he's got this. ]

Hail!

[ sneasel puffs his chest out as he sharply inhales, craning his neck back— and with a blast of ice from between his fangs, he shoots a ball up into the sky. it makes its ascend like a bullet, reaching the sky's high point and from there, it explodes, cracks loudly. sneasel yaps to skarmory with fangs bared in a cheeky smirk, another challenge as dark clouds spread from where the ball of ice had broken apart, rumbles of low thunder vibrating above their battlefield. an ice pellet falls, then another; from a select few, it turns into a drizzle, and from the drizzle, wind hitches, blows with it a storm of ice. hail begins striking down in storm, some large enough to leave dents against the floor. to sneasel, it's nothing, and perhaps even something of an aid. for anything else that didn't share his typing, it would be a pest.

he's getting a feel for steven. for now, he waits for the next move— and sneasel is on stand by, claws out and bouncing. ]

[geophile]

[ weather, huh? so he's not just all about brute strength - steven likes that. he's seen far too many trainers think that force is the best way to win a battle, but when it came to high-level competition, that was never enough.

the hail begins to rain down, but it's nothing skarmory can't handle. he's able to dodge the larger bits, but the ones that do hit do minor damage. it doesn't break either of their focuses, and they still have enough of an advantage to be comfortable. ]

Don't lose it! Aerial Ace!

[ skarmory flies through the newly-formed clouds, shifting its feathers to gain even more speed than before. it flies into a shuttle loop, and dives down to strike sneasel in a direct hit. it's impossible to miss with that kind of move, and from the way it sends sneasel flying, it's much more powerful than average. ]

[refuses]

[ silver's tackled a brick wall headfirst one too many times to keep thinking brute force would fix anything. every little thing counts.

except, perhaps he hadn't expected such speed— a hit that comes just as it's said, without a millisecond more, getting both he and sneasel out of their own loop. the ice-dark type sounds a squeak when hit, rolling and skidding backwards from impact. they both have to gather themselves here, silver shaking his surprise off as fast as he could to support, and sneasel, who snarls wildly, digs his claws to the ground enough for it to screech as he pulls himself to a stop, leaving the ground completely slashed. it took a chunk out of him that they weren't waiting for, and they had to retaliate, now.

above them, the clouds thunder, and hail continues to fall. no time to think wow, so fast. ]

Don't let that get to you—Wait for it.

[ and with that, sneasel yowls, huffing and calling for skarmory to come at him again. this time, he'll be ready for it! ( or will he? )

when skarmory flutters to a point that silver feels right, he yells out, lashes his arm forward. ]

There, Shadow claw! [ sneasel hops, propels himself into the air, which doesn't seem high enough at first— but sneasel shouts, one of his claws rearing back, and in a clap of glowing purple comes shadows that envelope it, grow larger, and stretch for the bird with intention to slash down at him. ]

[geophile]

[ steven knows that sneasel are fast - and because of that, his strategy is to fight speed with that of his own. skarmory can hold his own in a competition like that, and being able to fight from the air gives even more of an advantage.

he goes in for another aerial ace - not because it's the smartest move, but because he wants to see what silver will do. his curiousity is getting the best of him. unlike may, he hasn't seen silver battle before.

but that doesn't mean that he's going to go easy on him. ]

Dodge with Agility!

[ almost as fast as a blink, skarmory seems to disappear. when it reappears, it's directly behind sneasel from above.. ]

Now, Air Slash!

[ skarmory begins to flap its wings, and multiple light blue glowing saw disc-like energy blades begin to rain down onto sneasel. the hail hits it all the while, but it's minor damage. ]

[refuses]

[ this wasn't going to work. despite sneasel's speed, skarmory still outspeeds him by a mile, even more so in his element, flying about where sneasel could only jump. silver changes his direction of thought, jaws clenching together as it misses; sneasel is in the air, vulnerable to airborne attacks he can't run or fly from— only fall. sneasel attempts to dive head first, to get a head start and faster way to reach the ground and move freely— but here, the winds cut through, zephyrs slashing their way to him. he could only fold himself up to face the attack, claws crossing in front of him to prepare for impact ( he'd prefer tacking impact from the ground than from the winds entirely ). air slash crashes, and so does he, taking damage and curled against the battlefield floor.

get up, silver thinks. he knew sneasel was probably the one that needed the most work, but maybe that's why he's out here. he wants him to get better. get up, he thinks a second time, and only making that verbal when sneasel's tail feathers twitch. ]

Get up! You're not done yet!!

[ it's said as encouragement, with words strong and wanting to pick his pokémon up the way a coach would. they help, even more so when not said coldly, demandingly, and sneasel pushes himself back up, smirks gone, and only glares to the bird up above. he's not done yet. ( it's here where silver breathes out a sigh of relief he almost didn't know he was holding in ). they both exchange quick looks, a confirming nod, before sneasel's focusing all he has up ahead, claws out and yowling like an angry cat would.

they should have done this from the start. ]

Blizzard— clip his wings!

[ and with a sharp intake of air, sneasel blows out freezing winds at their capacity, abscuring vision with it's heavy snowfall and blaring bits of hail together, all of which blow in unison with the continuing storm. they roar together, swirling and blowing into a winter gale that's sure to give them a momentary upper hand. ]

[geophile]

[ they're determined. they don't panic. they change strategy on the fly. steven recognizes all of these traits, and they impress him. being able to keep a cool head in the heat of battle is no easy feat - it takes practice. he wonders vaguely how long it took him to master it at such a young age.

but that's enough musing, because there's another attack coming. blizzard has enough of a range to hit, and combined with the hail and where its aimed, does just as it was intended to do - clip skarmory's left wing. it's impossible to fly like that, so it's forced to glide down and land to shake off the ice. but that doesn't phase steven, who knows exactly how to handle it. ]

Crack it with Steel Wing!

[ skarmory outstretches his wings and they seem to harden and turn into a shimmering steel. with a few flexes of its feathers, the ice on them begins to shatter. the question will be if it breaks before sneasel can get a hit in. ]

[refuses]

[ this was their chance to get a proper hit in— they had a time limit, and the ice wouldn't freeze those wings for as long as silver would have liked. steven thinks fast, and at every moment he's keeping silver on his toes. he tries to adapt the best he can, and quickly he shouts to sneasel. ]

Feint attack!

[ sneasel puts every last ounce of strength he has into his speed, shooting forth like a bullet with only his late afterimage visible to the human eye. in rapid time, he's upon skarmory, claws crossed in an 'x' in front of him to slash upwards and down.

silver has his fists clenched the entire time, shoulders tense and breathing harder than normal. this was all adrenaline, after all. it had to work— ]

[geophile]

[ feint attack is a specific move, in that it never misses. steven knows that, and he doesn't force skarmory to try and dodge it. he'll let the hit land, but it all works according to plan. ]

That's perfect! Finish it with a counter!

[ with sneasel close by, the hit breaks whatever of the ice was left over. it reveals the true nature of steel wing - skarmory's wings are now sleek and solid, which allows it to hit right back and send it flying.

it's a super-effective hit, and at close range. there's no coming back from something like that. ]

[refuses]

[ the hit connects as expected, but silver knew the bad news to come once the remaining ice shatters into tiny crystals, showering to the ground and leaving steel wing at its prime. equally fast, skarmory's bright wing digs into sneasel's gut like a hardened punch, and flying him backwards as impact from both the attack and the stadium's floor finishes the weasel off. sneasel tumbles, skids once his body comes to a stop, and this time, he doesn't get back up, knocked out and drained of what energy he had left. the hailstorm stops, and any bit of weather he had once brought upon them disperses.

he did good— sneasel did what he could, and while he doesn't say it outloud— he's sure to remember the thanks he should give to the pokémon that just fought for him, and the apology on his end for not training him hard enough. it's a trade—

he'll make sneasel the fastest, hardest hitting thing alive. he owed that to him.

silver's jaws have yet to unclench; steven was no game, that he knew from the start. sneasel had a disadvantage, so this time— it was time to buckle down, because from here on out, things were going to get bumpy. the trainer calls sneasel back, bright light from the pokéball enveloping him and bringing him back to rest. silver isn't going to ease off now, in fact— he's going full throttle, without a word said to steven. only his expression speaks for him, neck deep into the battle and his mind on coming out on top. another ball already in his hand, silver throws it out— but when the light erupts and unleashes his next pokémon . . . nothing seems to be there.

at first. ]

Don't give him breathing room— Omnious Wind.

[ he's getting really, really into this. the response to his command is an echoing snicker, low yet thick, continuous and sinister as their air begins to weigh down on them. it grows darker, and wind begins to blow, a cyclone of purple and black—it brings with it overlapping whispers and chuckles that lash out to torment and repulse, circling about skarmory and blowing more wild as the seconds tick.

and for the trained eye, you'll see skarmory's shadow twisting into something that doesn't look bird like at all, and the more his winds blow the more he seems to laugh, shadow form rising from the ground to grow over his target, glowing red eyes and the shape of an unnatural smile spreading wide as jaws open up.

if he can't eat him, he could at least pretend he's going to, right? ]

[geophile]

I see... interesting.

[ for a moment, steven can only watch in amazement. that's quite the powerful ominous wind - possibly one of the most powerful he's seen, second only to phoebe and her ghosts. but his impression will only last for a moment - now he needs to focus on the battle. ]

Endure it, then Steel Wing once more!

[ once skarmory musters up the strength, it cuts through the purple wind with its steel-plated wings. it swerves around to slash at the shadowy jaws, hopefully landing a hit. but whether it does or not, skarmory definitely looks a lot more tired than he did before. ]

[refuses]

[ the wind disperses, but the shadow is still there, it's source being skarmory and following him from the ground wherever he flies. his laughs never cease, only taking pausing when the shadow decides to rise off from the ground and take his form once more; the darkness forms claws and sharp ears, spikes and a tail, but the face remains abstract, eyes only a glow and jaws a wide bit of opening in between all the purple.

skarmory delves and the shadow takes the hit, a bit of space in its middle separating itself from top to bottom, and echoing a terrible screech of pain that could ring ears— the shadow shimmers, claws dig into the ground and with a mixture of more shadow that streams and swirls into him, gengar finally appears in his true form, grin as wide as ever and eyes so very pleased.

jaws open up, and he sticks out his tongue, giving a loud HAH as it falls nearly to the ground. "just kidding", as words would say. it didn't hurt that much! he bounces back onto his toes, and waves his arms up and down, hopping with anticipation. ]

Stay where you are— Shadow punch!

[ gengar winds one of his arms back, in which a shadow pools behind him, grows as he hops backwards a few spaces to give him some comical momentum— until he launches his fist forward, where the growing shadow follows, rocketing towards skarmory without the need of gengar having to fly after him. the shadowy fist is on the road to connect, and hit hard. it doesn't stop there, for when the shadow punch finished, the large arm of shadow continues to linger in the air, opening to reveal claws, and snaking around to "look" for skarmory.

ruh-roh. ]

[geophile]

[ and unfortunately for them, shadow punch is yet another move that never misses. the punch has already landed by the time steven can even think of calling out a command for skarmory to stand his ground, and the impact has the steel bird tumbling out of the air, down for the count. steven can only smile sympathetically, returning him to his poké ball. ]

Well done. You've set a wonderful stage for us.

[ and with that, he'll send out his next pokémon. aggron is seven feet of pure power and intimidation, and it seems to rattle the ground when it readies its battle stance. ]

Let's not hesitate. Rock Tomb!

[ he knows that there's a great difference in speed between agile gengar and heavy aggron, but he knows just how to even the playing field. with a glowing punch to the ground, pointed stones shoot out of the ground in close quarters to impede gengar's movements. while the first few traps miss their mark, it's the third that finally captures it in a wall of rock. ]

[refuses]

Dodge them!

[ gengar's shadow punch dissipates, and he wails in response to the command, a sound that mixes with that of a high pitched groan. let's have at it, then, big strong iron guy. as predicted, gengar slips through the first ( he taunts, gives a wave and a yoohoooo as if to say, "hey i'm right here" ). the second is where he jumps, holds his feet and flips in the air as he levitates back down and plants his claws to the ground, snickering wildly. he licks his teeth, claps them together— he could feel silver ready for an attack of his own, so he prepares himself, as if he already knew what to do. ]

Sucker Punch!

[ the ghost type slithers at swift speeds via shadow only to appear in front of the other pokemon with a prominent haha-!, claws already behind him to give momentum. couldn't keep his boy waiting, could he? gengar throws his fist now, flowing up as a glowing purple uppercut that starts from the chin and shoots up—

and it's here, where the ground cracks below him and pointed earth erupts around him. gengar gives an "uh-oh" sounding hum, before the rock tomb envelops him whole.

huh. he couldn't get out so easily through these, either. gross. ]

You still have time! Get out of there!

[ and that's what gengar tries to do— squeeze his way through the cracks and tiny holes that the rocks leave, but.

it slows him down a good ton. ]

[geophile]

Stand your ground.

[ the order isn't yelled, but said calmly to aggron, which it obeys. patience is key in steven's strategy, and the calmness shared by him and his pokemon is proof of that. sucker punch hits, but the steel and rock-type takes it like a champ - its defenses are some of the best around.

ah, ah, ah. he set up rock tomb for a reason, and that's to harness aggron's incredible physical power. as long as that target isn't moving, it's an easy hit. ]

Now, Iron Tail!

[ with the time it has to approach, the buildup of power that's set in aggron's long, thick tail manifests in it hardening like newly forged steel. when it swings it towards gengar's stone prison, it shatters the rock like glass before making incredible impact. ]

[refuses]

[ aggron has mad defense and it makes silver think to himself — wow — but during a battle isn't really a time to fully admire while you're trying to get the upper hand.

ahhh, this one. he doesn't think he could get out of this one. gengar's never one to fret, but he does chime another comical uh-oh when he can't quite seem to ease through. gosh darn you rock type attacks, you could have been a normal type. iron tail is not only coming at full speed ( as fast as an aggron could go, hehe— gengar enjoys making jokes like these ), but at full power. they both could see the shine of a properly forged iron tail. he remembers it from olivine city's gym leader ( a young woman that, at that particular time, earned little fuss; she was weak in silver's mind, but only after he had won, and that was only when typhlosion was out to bring down their defenses ).

gengar holds his ground now that he can't flee quite so easily, bracing for impact&mdaash; ears back, grin wide, eyes narrowed and giving a challenging hiss. if you're in hell, hug the devil— so come right at him! ]

Dark Pulse!

[ it's a last minute effort, and silver only calls for it when aggron is nearly upon them. gengar's eyes glow, he builds up his thoughts— and just as the steel type is ready to crash into the tomb, gengar releases a blast of negative thoughts, one that helps shatter the remains of his container—

and also the one that has impact mostly absorbed by all that rock. the tail's impact cuts through gengar's shadowy body, leaving him a pained sort of screeching sound that bellows, echoes into something faint and ghostly, and eerie wail that follows the ghost as it flies back, flutters down to the ground— and laughs. he seems to have taken the whole of iron tail's force, down for the count, but he laughs as his form pools into shadow on the ground, begging him to rest.

silver recalls gengar— they were at their last. he wasn't done yet. ]

Don't keep your hopes up— I still have one more left.

[ his trump card, and considering steven's choice in pokemon ( skarmory, aggron— ), his next choice would be the one to end it. so he thinks, at least. silver throws his final pokemon onto the battle field, the crack of his pokeball bringing to the ground typhlosion, who lands on all fours, stands on his hind legs— and erupts the flames around his neck like an explosive crown, giving a fierce roar that thunders across the stadium. ]

[geophile]

[ steven's lips quirk up at the sight of gengar being recalled to his poke ball, but he knows that the battle isn't over yet. he's still expecting plenty from silver, and he knows that the younger trainer has saved his trump card for last. he recognizes typhlosion as the final evolved form of one of the pokemon professor elm gives to rookie trainers, and that means that he's in for a challenge.

he watches typhlosion with an impressed expression, then looks back to silver. ]

I can already feel the close bonds that you two share. Don't hold anything back! [ and to aggron: ] Stone Edge!

[ aggron proceeds to heavily punch the ground, giving way to large, pointed stones erupting from the ground. they aren't meant to trap like rock tomb did, but to hit with full force. unfortunately, it's a risky move - non-perfect accuracy means gambling on luck. ]

[refuses]

[ typhlosion did not only pack a punch— he was quick on his feet. he drops down to all fours as steven speaks, gives silver a quick look over his shoulder, and cocks his head up ahead, making a noise. let's go.

and silver is more than happy to oblige. if he was excited before— now, he was brimming, a confident smirk playing against his lips and his eyes wide with rush. so excited that he can't help the volume in his voice— ]

—Weave through it! [ typhlosion's claws grab at the ground, making it shriek before he kicks off with speed, running for aggron— the earth rumbles beneath him, shakes just before it erupts, which, for something that reached typhlosion's speed— he was capable. he could dodge. the badger does as instructed, weaving left and right as the stones come, fire burning brightly, body swaying and slipping, seeming to dance as the stones come and going in circles once. it gives him the set up to use one of the stone as his own diving board, jumping for it, lunging for aggron with claws forward and fangs bared— ]

Eruption!

[ typhlosion was at his most healthy, and binding with one of his strongest attacks— the crown of flames on his back burn, and with his growing bellow comes a loud crack, like that of a volcano's warning. the fire type seems to shimmer in color and heat, only growing, and growing— until he's nearly face to face with the steel type. his jaws flicker and clap with the ignition of flames, and with a slightly lowered head, he seems to do just what the attack was named after. he erupts, and from his back explodes an inferno of fire and lava, smoke and steam shooting upwards to accompany the show of light. ]

[geophile]

[ it's a good move by silver, but one that steven was expecting. eruption is a move best used at full health, and even with its resistance from rock typing negating the super effective hit, it's still a major blow. aggron's defenses lie in physical attacks, so eruption will hit as if it were pure lava from a raging volcano. ]

Endure what you can!

[ and he does, but not without repercussions. when the attack subsides aggron is still standing, but a few moments pass and he falters, falling to his knees and then to the ground with a heavy impact. steven sighs with an understanding smile, returning him to his ball. after a whispered word of "well done" to the recalled pokemon, he addresses silver once more. ]

Impressive. Very impressive.

[refuses]

[ typhlosion flares his nostrils, pushing the remains of smoke through them while he lifts and positions himself, standing back on his hind legs and holding his head up high, prideful, sounding out another flaring byshaaaaaa of a cry. ]

I meant what I said before.

[ "i'll do better than that". he flashes a smirk— and typhlosion's air shimmers with the heat his body still emits, excitement in the steps of his paws that fall back down to the ground, on all fours, as he sways from one side to another, making a sharp grunting sound.

he's pumped. they both were. ]

He's waiting, you know.

[geophile]

I can tell. You're serious about this.

[ he draws his last poké ball, but he doesn't look too concerned - in fact, he looks quite calm. silver might be good, but steven is better. it's that simple. ]

But our bonds are strong, too. Let's see how you measure up to them. [ and he tosses his ball into the air-- ] Metagross!

[ with a final flash, metagross appears on the battlefield, making the ground shake when its four legs hit the ground. it looks exceptionally strong, but what sets it apart from others of its kind is the accessory on its leg, with a mysterious, glittering stone set into it. ]

The first move is yours.