[X] My Assistant

[Living Arrow]

Could Tag be using a second bout of Confusion against Darmanitan's boosted attack, knowing that it would inflict more damage if he took recoil? It was difficult to tell. While it was clear that the challenger had a more-than-decent grasp of battle mechanics, would he really have taken the time to consider that eventuality? The challenger information panel before the Gym Leader's narrowed eyes claimed that his experience was enough to say yes, but who kept such a level-head in a battle such as this?

In any case, the time had come for the home team to move onto a more offensive track.

*Flash Fire will come into effect if we use a fire-type move... so...*

"Darmanitan, use Headbutt on the Vulpix!"

The great blazing Ape smacked his chest once and surged towards the fire fox Pokemon like a mini torpedo. A torpedo, however, that had a very predictable trajectory. Supersonic waves screamed into Darmanitan's ears before he could reach Tobi and before he knew it, his own fist was slamming into his stomach. With a great cry, Darmanitan stumbled back and teetered on the spot.

Otis caught a glint in the challenger's eyes. He thought he had gained back some footing? Otis inwardly cursed.

"Dodrio, go!" In a flash, the bird Pokemon was on the move. Kicking up dust as its wide-splayed claws scrabbled furiously at the field, Otis could clearly see that his bird's Speed had been the stat to benefit from its Acupressure. Excellent. Now, Dodrio would be harder to hit and faster to strike!

"Give them no quarter! Drill Peck on the Ledian!"

The brown blur raced across the field, a three-tiered battlecry screaming throughout the arena. How would Taggarty Lee choose to deal with that move?

[Kamaitachi]

The battle seemed to be teetering on the brink of success and failure, rapidly gyrating between the two outcomes. Since Suzu had been hit with Encore, she had no choice but to use Supersonic. However, it worked in his favour, perhaps out of sheer luck. The Darmanitan, charging full speed towards Tobi, had opted to sucker punch itself in the stomach, leaving Tobi free for the time being.

However, the Dodrio lanced forward, it's discordant cry piercing the air as it attacked Suzu with alarming speed. Without wasting even a second, Tag began to yell a command...

Unfortunately, he severely underestimated Dodrio's speed boost. The acupressure from earlier had raised its speed to an alarming height, and he didn't even have time to issue an order before Suzu felt the full brunt of a drill peck attack.

Suzu slammed backwards, landing on the ground with a dull thud. Tag's breath caught in his throat as she lay there unmoving for a moment. She twitched once slowly, before pulling herself back up. The only attack she'd take thus far was the Drill Peck, and while it was a heavy one, it appeared that she could still fight. Resilient Suzu rose slowly back into the air as Tobi bounded over, his eyes full of concern.

Suzu did not have much left in her. Tag knew it was time to launch a counter-offensive, but he would leave himself very vulnerable to the speed-boosted Dodrio. He'd have to gain full control of the field through more buffs and debuffs.

"Suzu, Double Team!" Luckily for Tag, the encore from earlier had faded, and Suzu was no longer relegated to simply firing off Supersonic attacks. "Surround Darmanitan." Suzu obediently flew forward and initiated her technique, surrounding Darmanitan with several illusory copies of herself. Mind you, she was simply moving very quickly, but to anyone watching, the after-images seemed almost full and real. It was the first time Suzu had used the move in a match, but it seemed that she already pulled it off with aplomb. Suzu was his most trusted pokemon, after all.

"Tobi, Will-O-Wisp on Dodrio!" Tobi's eyes glowed an eerie purple as several similarly coloured spheres of flame appeared in the air over each of his outstretched tails. The six wisps of fire shot forward, spinning around one another in a display worthy of a contest move. The goal was not to inflict damage, but rather to burn the Dodrio. Tag remembered that burns essentially cut the attack strength of a pokemon in half, while causing it residual damage over time. It was perhaps exactly the right move he needed to cripple the Dodrio.

If only the move would hit.

[Living Arrow]

"Burning my Pokemon won't help you!" Otis warned almost mockingly as the flames of Will-o-wisp approached Dodrio. Unable to dodge the attack after just landing her own, the Gym Leader's Pokemon was surrounded by the many wisps of flame and with a triple cry of anguish they left their mark on her feathered body. "Using fire attacks against a fire specialist means only one thing - I know their weaknesses."

*And that means switching to Special Attacks... But first to make some breathing space...*

Darmanitan tottered back and forth amid the flickering images of Tag's Ledian, not really focusing on planting his feet in any firm direction. That was, however, until Otis called the next move.

"Ignore the Ledian! Darmanitan use Encore on the Vulpix!"

Otis' giant ape clapped his hands in excitement and his eyes momentarily caught focus, his tiny brain battling through the confusion that plagued it. Slamming his wide palms overhead, the Encore started up anew, this time taking hold of Tobi and his Will-o-wisp attack. Almost instantly, however, Darmanitan went back to staggering aimlessly with a comical look of astonishment on his dumbstruck face. Otis pushed the glasses on the bridge of his nose upwards.

"Now, Dodrio! Tri Attack on the Ledian!"

Running wide around the arena in a speeding arc to ensure a clear shot, Otis' second Pokemon primed itself to attack. All three heads of the monstrous bird locked into a triangular formation and a shimmering beam formed between them. With a piercing scream, the Triple Bird let loose with her attack in a sweeping motion, aiming to mow down the Double Team copies of her opponent one at a time.

[Kamaitachi]

Dammit Tag found himself visibly flinched as Encore whipped up once more. First Suzu, now Tobi had been the recipient of the attack, and to be quite honest: Tag now knew what it was like to battle against himself. It was infuriating.

However, that was no cause to lose his head over Otis' well planned strategies. It was almost refreshing to meet a fellow strategist on the field of battle. Refreshing and incredibly annoying.

"Suzu, Light Screen." Tag had now taken into account Dodrio's speed, and had been able to react accordingly this time. Each of the Suzu doubles raised her hands, forming a defensive, translucent yellow screen. However, the ones that were merely copies simply faded away as the tri-beam passed through them. The real Suzu remained, holding her Light Screen in front of her like a shield. Accepting the force of the attack, the shield held firmly for a brief moment before shattering. However, it had given Suzu enough time to maneuver out from behind it, dodging the vicious beam.

This was not good, however. Tag had given Otis the chance to get back on the offensive. Darmanitan seemed dazed and confused, but time would only tell how long he stayed that way. Slipping his hands into his pockets, Tag gazed across the field, wondering the best way to turn the tides here. Otis severely outclassed him at the moment.

"Tobi, Confuse Ray on Dodrio"

Tag regretted the command immediately, having just forgotten Darmanitan's Encore attack. Tobi attempted to follow through on his trainer's orders, but found himself forming the same purple wisps from earlier, sending them at Dodrio again to no apparent effect.

Tag frowned, having essentially wasted a turn on a foolish move. Maybe it didn't show outwardly, but he was definitely getting frazzled from Otis' brilliant ploys.

[Living Arrow]

"Darmanitan, keep it up!" Otis urged his newest Pokemon into some sort of sane action but the flaming ape continued to teeter from foot to foot in a daze. "Go and use Hammer Arm on the Vulpix!"

"DARMA!" A primal roar was uttered and the fire-type raised a glowing fist, advancing on his small opponent with glee... Then punched himself in the stomach again. "MANITAAAN!" He roared, toppling to the side and puffing out smoke with a fainted gasp. Otis sucked air irritably between his teeth. He had lost the first combatant... Not only that, but the challenger was using fire and flying types, too. A similar situation had transpired not too long ago but Otis had taken the win eventually. The same would just have to happen again!

"Darmanitan, return! Rise to the skies, Charizard!"

Finally getting his opportunity to take to the battlefield, the Flame Pokemon spread his great wings wide and burst from the sidelines in a swirling cloak of dust that trailed lazily in his wake. Otis had had enough of playing nice - moves that tricked and stalled your opponents would only work for a while but in the end sheer power would win a battle like this. And his Charizard? Well, his Charizard had power by the scale load.

"Sky Drop on the Vulpix!"

Almost immediately, Otis could see Taggarty Lee searching for his Ledian's support to intercept. Otis curled his lip.

"Dodrio, Drill Peck on the Ledian once more!" Freshly confused by the ghostly rays emitted by Suzu, Dodrio's three heads shot into motion, each one stabbing at slightly different angles with whirring beaks that sang like masonry drills. One head swung back too far and stabbed itself in the side but somehow the other two managed to continue their assault on the bug type unperturbed. Despite the magnificent speed and valor of his bird Pokemon in the battle, Otis knew it was only a matter of time before she would join Darmanitan in her ball, leaving only Charizard on the field. But then again, Charizard was all he needed on the field.

[Kamaitachi]

This was yet another example of the outrageous luck Tag seemed to be having in his gym challenges thus far. Darmanitan had defeated himself with none of Tag's pokemon ever having laid a finger on it. It was a shame, really. All of its monstrous strength had been used on itself. A risky gamble on Tag's part, but one that had ultimately paid off.

The small victory that Tag had gained left no time for any sort of revelry. The dreaded Charizard took the field and immediately moved towards Tobi.

And of course, Tag fell right into Otis' trap.

"Suzu, intercept with Comet Punch!" As Suzu buzzed up to intercept the much larger opponent, Dodrio came whirling out of nowhere in an elegant display of three heads attacking in two-thirds unison. Two heads repeatedly slammed into Suzu, whilst the third attacked Dodrio herself. Suzu never reached her intended target. Instead, she found herself unconscious on the floor of the gym, victim to Dodrio's powerful Drill Peck.

"Excellent work, Suzu." Tag's recall beam struck her square on, retreating the tired bug pokemon to her home.

Elsewhere, Tobi shrieked in panic as the Charizard rose into the air with him. Not only was he airborne, but airborne via a large dragon-like lizard. The sky drop attack was devastating, landing Tobi in a crumpled heap on the ground, almost precisely where his comrade, Suzu, had fallen. Otis had swiftly turned the tide of battle by eliminating both of Tag's pokemon in one fell swoop.

"You were wonderful, Tobi. Rest up now." Tag's voice croaked from the stress. His throat and lips were dry, almost hoarse from the stress of the battle and issuing commands.

"Bachi, let's go."

Bachi bristled his poisonous spines threateningly as he charged forward onto the field. He roared out in challenge to the two larger pokemon, eying them defiantly in hopes of avenging his fallen comrades.

"Bachi, Fury Attack on Dodrio!" With a baritone rumble in his stomach, the Poison Pin Pokemon burst forward, imitating Dodrio's earlier Drill Peck attack with several rapid thrusts of his poisonous horn. Bachi was the powerhouse on Tag's team, though that paled in comparison to the raw might of the Charizard before him, it seemed that the trainer had now choice but to rely on Bachi's power as well. He and Otis had silently come to the same conclusion that the time for trickery and support moves was over; it was time to come to heads with sheer power alone. Tag only hoped that his friend was up to the mountainous task before him.

[Living Arrow]

Horn met beak in a clash of keratin that clacked harshly like the sound of wooden practice swords at the Kendo training school on the other side of Arasam. Otis watched closely as the Nidorino and Dodrio did battle and was not surprised to see his own Pokemon falter. One simple stumbled from the bird and Otis knew it was over. A clear stab of the horn and the Fury Attack hit home once, twice, three times. Dodrio squawked desperately and staggered sideways, flames sprouting up around its triple necks. Falling foul of her burn, the giant bird continued to stagger until both legs could grasp the ground no more.

"Dodrio, return." Otis recalled his second Pokemon as it fell harshly to the ground in a splutter of singed feathers. She had fought well and had added another win to her belt - one of the best in his flying-type arsenal - and bestowed the small gift of pride upon her master as she went back into the Pokeball for a well-earned rest.

"I must say, master Lee," Otis touched his fingers to his wire framed glasses once more, "you have proven your worth as a talented trainer when it comes to challenging a gym with a sound strategy and honourable Pokemon that continue to battle even when the odds are not in their favour. You must know, however, that the tables are now turned completely against you so I only believe it fair to extend your options further during this match. Previously, I stated that the end of the match would be when one side of the field has no Pokemon remaining. If, however, you choose to bow out before that time comes there will be no shame here today."

Charizard roared overhead, its massive wings beating in great arcs that sounded like rumbling thunder. His vermillion scales glistened as he focus his attention on the purple ball of spikes below him in a look of what might only be called 'murderous intent'.

"Whether you take that option is up to you but, right now, I suggest you act quickly! Charizard, Flame Burst!"

The Flame Pokemon's mouth opened wide and from the blazing fire sac within his belly roared an orb of burning embers that spat free and fast like a meteor, right for the challenger's Poison Pin.

[Kamaitachi]

The battle between Bachi and Dodrio moved about the field like a dance, the two fighters elegantly parrying and thrusting. Bachi had three heads to worry about, but Dodrio likewise had to attack with precision, so as not to find herself on the receiving end of Bachi's poisonous pins.

Dodrio fell to the ground under the heavy assault of Bachi's Fury Attack, signalling that the battlefield was now one-on-one. Bachi wasted no time in turning his intense gaze to the much larger Charizard across the field.

As the two squared off, Otis took the moment for yet another lengthy speech. Tag was slightly taken aback at the offer for a surrender. He pondered for a moment, but that was all the time it took for Otis and Charizard to begin their attack.

The Flame Burst attack shot forward, similar to Tobi's, but much, much more powerful. Problematically enough, Bachi was not nimble enough to get clear out of the way, and the attack had such a wide explosion radius that Bachi would not come out unharmed. Tag still held firmly to the change in tactic from support and stagger to All-Out Offensive.

Therefore, attack was the only option. Bachi, however, could still inflict one deadly status effect, and Tag banked on that for his next move:

"Bachi, Poison Sting!" Bachi braced himself firmly and launched forward, directly into the incoming attack. His horn glowed a venomous purple, and actually succeeded in cutting through a small portion of the attack, dispersing the flames ever so slightly as to not receive the full brunt of the attack. Shaking his head as he charged valiantly through the flame, he lowered his head and aimed at the Charizard's soft underbelly. Poisoning the Charizard was one of the few options Tag had remaining.

"I will not concede!" Tag, now wearing something of a smirking grin, called over the battlefield at Otis "Not when your friend has been so eager to battle this whole time."

[Living Arrow]

"Hah! You're more foolish than I first thought, challenger." Otis pushed his glasses up his nose in contempt. How could someone who had generated so much fuss on the Championship track since his successful challenge in petropolis make such a reckless move? A Nidorino was approximately a quarter of Charizard's weight and smaller than even one of the great dragon's legs. Using a straight forward attack like Poison Sting would never work.

"Charizard, catch it!"

Dropping to the ground and holding out his claws, Charizard weighted himself firmly and braced himself for the incoming poison Pokemon. Bachi flung himself with all the power his legs held straight for the fire-type's chest and immediately squawked back a strangled cry as his horn was clasped in two massive claws and his movement stopped completely. Charizard lifted his opponent so that they could be eye-to-eye and grinned wickedly at the immobilised Pokemon in his hands. With contempt, he blew smoke in the Poison Pin's face.

"This battle is over, Master Lee. I suggest you call your Pokemon back before my Charizard fries him to a crisp." Otis taunted.

"NIII-DOH!" Otis gasped as he witnessed the much smaller Pokemon begin his completely unexpected counter-attack. Double Kick met reptilian chest and, using the hard scales as a springboard, the poison-type swung around in the grip of his captor with his spines bristling wildly. Needles met face and neck of the Flame Pokemon, eliciting a terrifying roar as Charizard bellowed in pain and swung the Nidorino in his claws around and away through the air.

"AIR SLASH!" Otis commanded, angered that he had been caught off guard so easily. His mighty Charizard, exhibiting a few spines embedded in his flesh dripping with poison, beat both wings forward in a powerful gust that sent slashing wind at the airborne Nidorino.

[Kamaitachi]

Otis was looking pretty contemptuous. Sure, Tag had chosen an incredibly reckless move. But Tag felt that perhaps Otis’ contempt was unwarranted. After all, Bachi had no real choice but to attack head on, and even if the opponent was a Charizard, Bachi would still have to face him.

As a Nidorino, Bachi was much, much smaller than Otis’ Charizard, and probably much less powerful. Using a straight-forward attack like Poison Sting was the only plan he had.

Tag gasped as Charizard caught Bachi’s attack head on. His breath caught as his pokemon was lifted clear into the air by the overpowering might of the enemy pokemon. It was incredibly demeaning as the smoke hit Bachi’s face. Mind you, Tag had been expecting a Fire Blast or something ridiculously powerful to hit point blank.

“This battle is over, Master Lee. I suggest you call your pokemon back before my Charizard fries him to a crisp.” Otis taunted.

Due to his gargantuan sense of pride, Tag set his mind on coming up with a witty retort. Then he tried to switch gears mid-process in an attempt to rectify the current situation. However, that sort of put him at a mental impasse.

Bachi, loyal as ever, took advantage of Tag’s indecision to take matters into his own hands. Tag found himself glowing with pride for his pokemon as Bachi made a move all on his own. He’d trained the Poison Pin Pokemon since it was a…well…smaller poison pin pokemon, and it showed. Bachi’s battle cry resounded through the air as he swung himself downwards in a ferocious double kick, using the torque of the swing and the gravity of his own weight in order to increase its strength. As the Charizard stumbled backwards, Bachi swung around, bristling his spines as best as he could.

Tag found himself wincing as the Charizard roared in pain, throwing Bachi clear away from himself.

Otis’ overconfidence had given Bachi an incredible opening, and even in Tag’s indecision, Bachi had capitalized on it. Tag watched as a few of the poison pins remained embedded in the Charizard’s flesh, seeping their toxins right into the enemy.

“AIR SLASH!”

In the back of his mind, Tag had been expecting a powerful move…but for whatever reason he had assumed it to be a fire attack. He was dead wrong as the Charizard wipped up some razor-sharp wind, sending it flying at the mid-air Bachi.

Bachi, undeterred even in flight, twisted himself with surprising agility. Perhaps the pokemon’s instincts were running at a higher rate than usual, since Bachi rarely displayed this sort of thought process for himself. Perhaps it was because the stakes were so high; facing a dragon-like pokemon under the command of a talented gym leader tended to do that. The air slash impacted at an odd angle. Instead of slicing through with all of its force, it merely forced Bachi into a rotation. He landed hard on his side, grunting in pain, but rolled himself back up with very little difficulty.

“Bachi, Fury Attack!”

With a determined roar, Bachi trundled forward at full speed, his footsteps resounding through the gym hall as he hurtled forward. As he drew in close, he began to jab swiftly with his deadly horn, sending it at a wide array of points on the Charizard’s body like an expert fencer. Things were once again teetering in Tag’s favour, all thanks to Bachi’s quick thinking.

[Living Arrow]

Otis cursed himself for being so complacent and narrowed his eyes deeply - if he had spent more time attacking and not talking then he wouldn't have had to find out how Tag Lee had managed to earn the Twilight Badge. A simple, well executed move had managed to bring the power gap between his Charizard and the foe's Nidorino closer together and not only that, he was on the defensive!

"Bachi, Fury Attack!"

Otis watched on as the poison-type launched into a full-frontal assault with that sharp horn that would have no difficulty in cutting Charizard down to size. The great fire lizard found himself stabbed repeatedly for a few moments, unable to get away from that fierce bombardment of attacks, until the Nidorino began to slow with the fatigue of his exertion claiming his limbs.

"Rwwrr." Charizard moaned as poison sapped his strength for a moment and his opponent began to regroup. With a roar, the Flame Pokemon beat his wings to become airborne and gathered flames within his throat.

"Charizard, use Bursting Flame once more!" Otis commanded, aiming to take that spiteful little pin cushion out with a barrage of aerial attacks.

*If that thing can't fly or fire something back, all we need to do is defeat it from above.* Otis mused mercilessly.

[Kamaitachi]

Otis' next choice in tactic had been one that Tag had mentally prepared for. He hadn't prepared Bachi for it, but the Nidorino was a very loyal soldier of a pokemon.

In so many words, Otis had chosen something of a stall tactic by keeping his distance. While Bachi had suffered some damage, so long as he hadn't been hit, he would remain standing. The mighty Charizard on the other hand was suffering from Bachi's poison. If Otis stalled, it would only serve to hurt Charizard.

Now the tricky part was to keep Bachi alive while the poison whittled away at the great lizard. Tag and Bachi had no options for counterattacking at such a great distance, and no techniques to employ in order to protect Bachi.

Trajectory wise, the Flame Burst attack was easier to dodge from the air, since its path was angled and easier to avoid. Bachi, a grounded pokemon, had full use of the two dimensional plane to dodge. Had it been simply from a distance, Bachi's only options would've been left or right, where he was least agile.

"Bachi, dodge forward and focus energy!" It was a bit of a risky gambit, considering Flame Burst's radius, but Bachi charged forward at full speed, receiving only a singe on his haunches as he made a mad dash forward, settling himself closer to the aerial Charizard, where he crouched for a moment. The Poison Pin Pokemon closed his eyes for a moment, concentrating hard, even going so far as to radiate a blue aura momentarily. This would help in the combo that Tag was preparing to unleash in the next turn. However, this was entirely dependent upon the Charizard's aim with his potent fire attacks.

"Otis, I see now why you hold your title." Tag gave something of a bow as a small smirk crept across his face "But where is your confidence now? I never expected you to command your Charizard to flee from a pokemon a quarter of his size." Tag was not really one to gloat, but on the battlefield, a simple taunt could turn an experienced strategist into a novice. Either way, he was about to see just what Otis would produce under duress.

[Living Arrow]

Otis snorted.

"My Charizard isn't fleeing - on the contrary! If you are from Blackthorn City, you should know how a pseudo-dragon like Charizard responds to a lengthening battle." Otis raised his hand in the air to point at his gliding Flame Pokemon. The fully evolved fire-type winced as poison in his veins sapped a little more strength but then, much to Otis' enjoyment, the great lizard grinned.

"Of course, his natural Ability is Blaze - your dodging may work for a round or two but don't expect your Nidorino to stay standing once a fire attack hits the mark." Otis educated his opponent as, on cue, a shining vermillion aura burst around his final Pokemon.

"Charizard! Rapid fire Bursting Flame!"

[Kamaitachi]

Tag's eyes widened in shock. Not because Charizard had activated Blaze, but rather that it had come so soon. He had been intending to skip that part of the battle all at once by having Bachi launch a final furious assault (most likely in the form of Fury Attack). Likewise, he had been hoping that his taunt would have somehow brought Charizard to even ground with his own pokemon, allowing Bachi to attack.

Otis had seen through his ploy, and allowed the poison to actually work in his favour somehow, and now it seemed that all would be lost.

The salvo of Bursting Flames, or Flame Bursts, or whatever they were actually called, would be devastating. It could potentially cover the entire field in flames.

"Bachi, evade!" Tag roared over the sound of the searing flames, with Bachi panickedly obliging him. The Nidorino hauled himself along at his best full speed, but kept taking the last edge of each of the blast radii. This would probably weaken him as the Charizard continued to fire them off. What a rotten strategy. Effective, but still rotten.

"Bachi, stop!" This was the best plan of action in terms of defense. Hopefully, Bachi would only have to take one while the Charizard continued to fire in Bachi's path, thus missing him. It was true, the Charizard soared by overhead, slamming one hard bursting flame attack into Bachi's back, but the rest were clearly ahead. There was really only one chance he had, and it was a bit of a long shot. Bachi seemed to be reeling heavily from a direct hit from a Blaze-boosted Bursting Flame, and was clearly on the brink of collapse. Tag had to come up with something...and quickly. Since normal methods were out of the question, he decided to go with something more absured.

"Bachi, use Double Kick to launch yourself into the air." Tag mentally cursed himself for using such a long command. He really felt like one of the kids he'd stomped on the way over to Arasam, who had been trying really hard to use Pokemon moves in ludicrous fashions.

Bachi leapt up and...well...Double Kicked the floor. It worked beautifully, sending the Poison Pin Pokemon hurtling through the air. The problem was that Tag had never utilized this tactic ever before. Ever. The drawback was simple: Bachi had no idea how to aim the attack, or even know how hard to kick to launch himelf. Bachi flew in an unceremonious arc over the Charizard and landed in a rather ungainly fashion on the other side of the arena. On the one hand, it got him out of the way of the immediate burst flame attacks...but he probably also hurt himself from flying through the air.

As more Flame Bursts welled up in a sort of strafing line towards Bachi, Tag found himself at an utter loss of ideas on how to counter this assault. He could only hope that the poison took over completely.

[Living Arrow]

Charizard let loose a terrifying roar as he circled the field one more time, his course faltering as poison sapped more of his energy. Otis could see that the great lizard was waning and that time was running out which meant only one thing. It was all or nothing. The challenger's face bore much the same expression as Otis' own - a mix of tension, excitement and above all else, panic. The battle was coming down to the wire because of the Gym Leader's foolish pride and cocky attitude towards an opponent like Taggarty Lee and didn't he know it. Through gritted teeth, Otis commanded the final attack.

"Charizard, go! Use Sky Drop and put that thing down for good!"

Swooping low, the Flame Pokemon sped across the arena towards Bachi who held firm despite the impending attack. In a flash, the Nidorino was on the move, charging straight for the incoming Charizard with his horn glowing a malevolent purple. Otis wondered how much damage the Poison Sting attack would actually do only for a brief moment before he knew he didnt need to worry.

With the horn snagged right out of the air, Charizard launched upwards with his spiny payload - the Nidorino flailing in vain within his grasp. Spines embedded themselves deep into the dragon's chest as he reached the crest of his climb before he turned back and threw the Nidorino down with all his might... and found himself tumbling straight after!
In an unfortunate turn of events, Bachi's spines had hooked into Charizard's shoulder as he had primed the over-arm throw towards the ground and the attack had only caused a mid-air somersault that led to both Pokemon tumbling toward the ground out of control.

"Charizard!"

"Bachi!"

In a swirling mass of orange and purple, the two Pokemon plummeted back to the arena but another move had to be made before they met the ground. Lee's Nidorino, finding footing on Charizard's flank kicked out hard with a Double Kick attack to perform his catapulting technique just in time. Soaring through the air and away from the falling dragon he landed clumsily near the challenger's feet in a cloud of dust. The fire-type, however, was not so fortunately.

BOOOM

Otis' Pokemon crashed headlong into the ground and after a few moments a flag was raised.

"Charizard is unable to battle! The round and the match go to Taggarty Lee of Blackthorn City!"

[Kamaitachi]

The battle was reaching its climax, easily. This was most likely the end of the match for Bachi and Tag, and the latter would return to Raven empty handed. He had fought well, and there was no humiliation in this defeat whatsoever. His pokemon, likewise, had performed admirably, even against the insurmountable foes they faced.

Bachi had other plans.

The Nidorino executed his plan in a way that screamed pure desperation. Bachi had adamantly gone ahead and continued to fight, even when his trainer had given up all hope. The Poison Pin-bag pulled off his next set of moves with utmost aplomb, sending the Charizard crashing to the ground, leaving it in a smoldering pile on the battlefield.

"Charizard is unable to battle. The round and the match go to Taggarty Lee of Blackthorn City."

Tag's eyes widened in disbelief as he heard the words, surveying the battlefield to make sure he hadn't heard wrong. Bachi limped slowly back to the trainer box, nuzzling Tag's thigh affectionately. Kneeling down, Tag placed his hand on his comrade's nose, a slow smile creeping across his face.

"My friend, you were magnificent." Gingerly, he pulled his pokemon into a hug, careful so as to avoid the spines. After a moment he stood, recalling Bachi into his pokeball to rest.

With long, slow strides, he moved to the middle of the field and waited for Otis.

"Sir, you're an exceptional trainer. Thank you for the match; it's one I will not soon forget."

[Living Arrow]

Otis was raging on the inside as his mighty Charizard fell to his own power - a complete travesty of a result caused only by a series of flukes and foolish complacency. If one was for sure after this match it would be that Otis would not back down or underestimate his opponent again. With great reluctance, he held aloft Charizard's Pokeball and recalled the magnificent dragon.

"Sir, you're an exceptional trainer. Thank you for the match; it's one I will not soon forget." Tag addressed Otis formally. Again, Otis was pleased. There was a certain level of decorum that was to be expected on the battlefield of a Gym and this challenger grasped the tone well.

"Likewise." Otis muttered. This match would certainly be etched into his mind for some time to come. "However, Master Lee, let me offer you a word of caution. Your battle style may seem clever at first but don't rest easy on those tactics during your next Gym matches - I assure you that the result we have today and how it was achieved shall be passed on to Chloe and Maxi. As Gym Leaders, they will be keeping an eye on upcoming trainers and finding new strategies to best combat your own style in order to defend the honour of their Gyms. Be sure to mix up your training and those Badges may be attainable yet."

Otis pushed his glasses to the top of the bridge of his nose one last time.

"It was a pleasure battling an experienceed trainer like yourself, Master Lee. Now, do not allow an unfavourable reputation to fall on me and ensure that you make it to the Pokemon League - winners at this Gym are certainly Champions in the making."

He shook hands smartly with the challenger before pulling a badgecase from the inside pocket of his jacket and opening it, revealing a glittering row of red and silver inside. Selecting an Emberwing Badge, Otis gave it to the trainer with a mix of regret and wistful resignation before nodding once in polite farewell and leaving the hall to send his defeated Pokemon to the Pokemon Centre.

[Kamaitachi]

Otis was right. Tag's strategies were easily countered, as he found out today. He had a few up his sleeve, but Otis had shut him off at every turn. Upon initial sight of the Charizard, Tag had been wanting to unleash a "encore/Disable" combo, from Suzu and Tobi, effectively reducing the enemy pokemon to the move "Struggle".

In any case, he knew he had much more training to do, and the badge Otis placed in his hand was proof of that. He had been haphazardly wandering Furoh in an attempt to hone his skills and earn gym badges, as he had done with every other region he'd visited. He neatly deposited the badge in his old cigarette case, watching as it took its place at the top of the heap. He blinked over the other badges, briefly remembering all his trials and tribulations. This made 34 badges and no Championships.

Since his 'rebirth' back in Johto, and arrival in Furoh, he really had been missing something. Now he figured that it was the title of Champion under, or perhaps on, his belt. He was at least halfway there in Furoh. The badges of Fidona and Gigarte remained. He'd have to do his research and redouble his training in the meantime.

But for now, Taggarty Lee accepted his victory. It was certainly hard fought, but it seemed like it was more on account of Otis' flukes and overconfidence than his own ability. He'd have to remedy this in his training. That could all start tomorrow though; he had to return to the Pokemon Center where hopefully, Raven was waiting for him.

* * *

Tag stepped in through the sliding doors, approaching the counter. He procured the pokeballs for Tobi, Suzu and Bachi, handing them to the Nurse Joy. Blinking, he looked around the Pokemon Center as she registered the patients in the computer.

"Uh...is a scary looking lady with brown hair and a leather jacket here?" Tag inquired softly "She said she'd be waiting here at the Pokemon Center for me."

Nurse Joy eyed him suspiciously for a moment, then seemed to realize that she had, in fact, seen the two of them together here all of yesterday and today. Sure, Tag looked a little thuggish, since he was still wearing nothing but a wife beater for a shirt.

"She's resting in the back. I gave her a few sedatives."

Sedatives. Fitting. Raven probably needed those after running from a crowd just wanting to meet her. Celebrity-status must really be annoying. Tag wondered for a moment just how his life would change if he were Champion of the region. Would that mean he'd be popular? Would it mean that he had to talk to people?

"I'll go out on the town for a bit." Tag shrugged "Will you let her know that I'll be back tonight? Please leave my pokemon with her for the time being." He trusted Raven that much.

Joy nodded slowly, retreating into the back room with Tag's tray of pokemon. Tag placed his hand on his belt, absently touching the soft surfaces of the pokeballs for Kyoko and Orin, whom he felt like he hadn't seen in some time. With a sigh, he turned to leave out the building. He'd see his tired battlers when he returned in a few hours, giving them plenty of time to rest. At the very least, they'd keep Raven company, and vice versa.

* * *

Tag returned several hours later, with his right arm wrapped in saran-wrap, underneath which shone a new sleeve tattoo, going from his right pectoral, right shoulder blade, and all along his arm down to his wrist with an intricate pattern in the tribal tattoo style, to match his tattooed face. He rather liked it, but damn, it stung like a bitch. Just over his shoulder was the insignia (in silhouette) of the Twilight Badge. On his bicep rested the shape of the Emberwing Badge, both of which were now in his possession, and now engraved forever into his skin. Tag didn't really have the words to explain it, but these two badges were now part of his life, part of the new destiny he'd chosen for himself in Furoh.

That and he had to show Raven just how cool it looked.

In his pocket, however, rested a new item he'd purchased while wandering Arasam. It was a small stone, circular with several protruding spikes, and at its epicenter another set of spikes. This stone radiated a warm glow, and shone even slightly through his pocket. He'd ask Kyoko once he was in the room with Raven, whether or not she was ready to evolve one more time into a Bellossom.

[Tymid]

Tag's return was not greeted with the pleasant face of Nurse Joy. Oh, no. Instead, just as Tag stepped inside the door, a very frazzled, tired looking Nurse Joy greeted him.

"You've got to get her out of here." was the first thing he heard, followed by an appropriate sounding crash from the back room. "She's better, make sure she changes her wrappings, but for the love of Arceus, get her out of here."

Crash.

Raven was paying no attention as Tag entered the room where she had been sleeping, aided by sedatives, the majority of the evening. Actually, at the moment, she couldn't see anything at all. Each and every one of his and her poke'mon were out of their poke'balls, skittering around the hard floor, each making calls that sounded like laughter or giggles. Raven's eyes were closed tight, her one good arm extended and the first word from her that would greet Tag would be:

"MARCO!"

Followed by a resounding chorus of:

"PIX!"
"Pix?"
"NAWWWWCROCACROCA!"
"Xio! Lux! LUXIO!"
"IIIINO!"
"Dian! Ledi!"
"LOOOOMGLOO!"
"...Runt?!"

Unfortunately for Raven's deaf Larvitar, Forte, the game of Marco Polo was just one where all the poke'mon ran around in a mad frenzy with no regard for the breaking of items, and was currently waddlesprinting around the room in a fashion that showed that he had no idea what he was doing. Raven's head twitched every whichaways, hearing all of the calls from different corners of the room. She narrowly missed finding Tobi, who had Capella's nose shoved into his fur so she could follow him around the room.

A bandaged Nidorino was the first to notice Tag.

"IIIIINOOOOO!" came the cry from a much healthier poison pin poke'mon, and he proceeded to charge rampantly across the room, barreling Raven over in the process, as well as a very bewildered Chansey, whose smile seemed to be more terrified than usual. As Raven fell flat on her ass, and Tag's poke'mon huddled around him, Raven's own poke'mon took this as an opportunity to assault the Marco Polo champion. Thus, just as Raven was opening her eyes, there was a large Croconaw, a giddy Luxio, a deaf, oblivious Larvitar and a Vulpix who were about to pounce on her.

"C'mon, guys! Same team! Same team!" she called amidst laughter, trying to avoid Requiem's spines and Aria's sandpapery tongue. Surprisingly enough, none of the poke'mon even ventured near her injured side, choosing to remain on her lap for the vicious snuggles that Raven was prone to administering.

As the black and white Vulpix leapt upon her tousled head, Raven's wide grin and sparkling green eyes turned over to Tag, who was receiving a lesser greeting from his comrades. She was panting from the assault, and rose to her feet (after shoving off the very loving Croconaw) and walked over to him, eyes darting to his new tattoo.

"You look like shit, man." were the first words that came out of her mouth, and she extended an arm for the Vulpix to climb down and safely leap to the floor. She recognized the Emberwing badge, and Tag didn't look as depressed as usual, so, she came to the assumption that he had won his Gym Battle.

"Congratulations. You deserve it." she said in a slightly softer tone, wrinkling her nose so as not to defy her brusque appearance. She extended her one arm reluctantly, and as she walked towards him, preparing to give him a one-armed, awkward hug of congratulations, she was stopped by a snarling Croconaw at her feet, one who was looking up at Tag with an expression that stated that he knew that he was responsible for breaking up their snuggle fest, and he was not happy about it.

Raven snorted with laughter, and instead extended the arm to shake his hand. What was she thinking? Tag wasn't huggable. He was a man. A manly man. He didn't do hugs. He did handshakes, and/or harsh slaps on the back. No hugs.

Even still...Raven found herself hesitantly wondering what it would feel like to be in his arms. Just once.

...He was an asshole, and she hated him.

[Kamaitachi]

Tag blinked as the very frazzled Nurse Joy approached him. It was true, she looked more haggard than usual, so that probably meant that some patient was being unruly. Naturally, the only patient he could possibly be a hassle was...

Crash.

Her.

Tag stepped into the backroom, watching as 9 pokemon scampered about, calling out happily as they crashed about the room. Something of a smirk crossed his face; the pokemon looked like unruly children. His entrance sparked their interest, and his five charged over towards him, sitting obediently at his feet (except for Suzu, who perched on his non-tattooed arm).

"You look like shit, man."

This was probably the best thing he could've heard. Slipping his hands into his pockets, he took a fairly lax stance.

"Likewise, lady." he chuckled softly.

"Congratulations, you deserve it." Tag glanced down at his right bicep, where he saw the insignia of Arasam's Gym engraved on his arm.

"Thanks"

She started to move in for the usual one-armed hug, but Requiem, filled with the strong dislike he reserved for Tag, stopped her from approaching. Raven instead offered him her hand. Behind him, Tag's pokemon peeked anxiously at the proceedings. This was probably the longest they'd been with another person, and it was obvious that for the most part, they'd grown fond of Raven.

Gingerly, he clasped her hand. After a moment of holding, he pulled her in, wrapping his arms around her in a hug. Not a one armed awkward hug, not a quick friendly hug. This was a full on grip, his arms wrapped fully around her holding her close.

"Thank you." He whispered.

After a moment, he pulled back, looking a little embarrassed. All of his usual awkwardness returned in a flash, and he turned back to his pokemon. "Back you go, everyone." The red return beams shot out, recalling his pokemon to their homes. "We should probably get going soon."