A Link to the Past [hold]

[Marchbaby]

The terrible weather was not just a problem for Tanya as a number of Pokemon on route 37 also found the thunderstorm and accompanying rain to be a real pain in the rear. One Pokemon in particular had her day ruined by the rain as her mate would not leave the den on such a terrible day and she could not stand the thought of being cooped up the whole day with nothing to do. The poison type Pokemon walked through the tall grass when she heard a single caw off in the distance and went to investigate. It sure beat wandering around aimlessly even if she was soaked by this point. Once she reached the area where the noise originated she could see Tanya, Nyx, and Yoshi and grew very excited by such a strong looking group of Pokemon.

A battle would be a great way to pass some time and it would be far more exciting than what she had been doing so far. She walked towards the group using the tall grass to cover her approach the best she could but her large size made a lot of noise. Both Nyx and Yoshi could hear her from quite a distance and as such her emergence from the grass was not surprising or unexpected in the least. The Nidorina may have been a disaster at stealth but she had at least gained the groups attention. " NIDA, NIDA." She said as she looked at the two Pokemon and Tanya before she started to scrape the ground in front of her with her front paws trying to ask the trainer for a battle. She wished she could speak a human language while doing so as it would have made her request a bit easier to understand but Yoshi and Nyx both seemed to get the message.

As the two Pokemon watched her Nidorina was looking forward to the looming battle with the young trainer. She did not have any experience fighting either species before her but all that did was encourage her to give it her all. Nidorina pointed her poison filled needle at Tanya ready to strike any Pokemon she sent forward as she got ready to strike. She was not going to give the human any time to think things over as she knew how smart some of the trainers in the area were and did not want to press her luck too far against such strange Pokemon.

A Nidorina (Level 24) challenges you to a battle. Please select a Pokemon.

[latani]

Despite the rumbling thunder growing louder, it took some time for the rain to finally begin falling, starting off as a heavy downpour that sent Tanya scrambling for cover. She was mindful of the trees as she tugged the hood of her jacket up, not wanting to be turned into an inadvertent lightning rod in her inclination to avoid a complete drenching. Nyx had no such reservations and was huddled as close to the trunk as she could get, grumbling as rain dripped off the brim of her hat-like feather crest and onto her beak. After a few minutes of nothing but the sound of rain drowning out the world, it lightened up to a steady patter that would be a constant until the storm decided to pass. Tanya sighed as she examined her sodden clothing, lifting one arm and watching a lake's worth of water run off to splash on the super muddy ground. "Gah. I better get used to this if I still want to be a Ranger after I get all my badges," she mused to herself. Rangers were very outdoors focused; a little bad weather had to be expected and tolerated while on the job.

Nyx let out a disgruntled noise. "What I wouldn't give for Ilex Forest right now. Some places had trees grown so close together that their canopies could block out even the worst rainstorms," the bird said fondly. Tanya couldn't repress a shudder at the memory of Ilex Forest. So much mindless wandering, only ever seeing trees, her entire world nothing but freaking trees. Finding her way out and into Goldenrod City had been such a gut-wrenching sense of relief. "No, thank you. The farther away I stay from that place, the better. Even if it was where we first met," the redhead muttered, shooting Nyx a smile to reassure the Honchkrow that she didn't harbor entirely negative feelings about her former home. Nyx still grumbled again, her expression the only indication she was secretly pleased. Any further reminiscing would have to wait, as a noise not far from where Tanya stood had both trainer and Pokemon turning to look.

"Oh! A Nidorina, huh? Reminds me of Tiberius, colour-wise," Tanya remarked as the Pokemon emerged, green eyes lighting up as the Poison-type made its desire to battle clear. She appreciated the straightforwardness and reached into her bag to comply, sending forth Astrid with a quick flick of the wrist. The Krokorok's face as she materialized in the rain was priceless, black eyes almost disappearing into the band across her face as she shot a venomous glare at Tanya, as if the conditions were her fault. "The faster you get this over with, all the faster to get back into your nice, dry ball right? Earthquake," Tanya said in response, linking her arms behind her back and giving Astrid her most winning smile. Hissing quietly, the sound lost to the rain, Astrid turned the brunt of her fury towards Nidorina, legs already drumming the ground in anticipation. Nidorina didn't deserve Astrid's fury, but she'd come asking for a battle, and a battle she'd get.

we're dancing in the flames tonight

MADE BY PISCES

[Marchbaby]

The Nidorina was about ready to lose her mind as the rain continued to pour down without mercy but even the terrible weather was not as intimidating as the Krokorok that Tanya had sent out to battle her. The angry reptilian was certainly not a fan of the horrible weather either and the type disadvantage Nidorina had against it worried the rabbit Pokemon quite considerably. Nidorina might have come looking for a fight but the way Astrid was acting she was going to get far worse as the crocodile looked over at her wanting to end the battle quickly to get out of the horrible rain. Just the mere glimpse of Astrid's face as she got ready to attack sent Nidorina into a panic.

The drumming of Astrid's legs grew more and more powerful as she put all of her energy into creating a powerful earthquake that Nidorina had little escape of escaping from. The very crust of the earth opened up leaving huge cracks in the ground until one such opening appeared right below the Nidorina as she tried to judge exactly where to stand to try and avoid the merciless attack. The poison type fell into the hole and landed several feet below suffering severe injuries to her legs leaving her unable to fight back in any capacity and very lucky to be alive. The rain was actually a blessing as the crevice slowly filled with water. In due time she would be able to escape but she would be in a lot of pain for some time.

Astrid on the other hand did not suffer a scratch and minus the rain being very annoying was quite proud to have defeated her foe. She even gained a level for her efforts and could feel herself grow a little stronger. She was still a ways from evolving but if she kept defeating foes with such ease it would not take too much longer.

Astrid gained 1200 experience for her victory. She is now level 30 with 1476/2791 exp needed to level up.She also gained +1 happiness and has +7 overall.

[latani]

Having foreknowledge of what was to come led Tanya to back away some distance from her Krokorok, bracing herself after a cautionary glance up at the trees. It'd be just her luck to be struck by lightning, or at least a huge branch knocked loose by Astrid's attack. Nyx, trapped as she was by the poor weather on her branch, could only dig her taloned feet in and look upon the battlers with a haughty glare. With each increasing tremor came a low, steady rumble not unlike the periodic claps of thunder, the noise growing enough to eventually overtake the hissing rain. Astrid eventually put an end to the Nidorina's worries with a powerful stomp that, to anyone seeing it from afar, appeared to split the very earth apart. But it had been her steady drumming and the ground being soaked that really did all the work - she'd just given it a final push. Tanya managed to keep her balance, throwing out one hand to steady herself against one of the trees, sparing a moment to check on Nyx.

She had to bite back a laugh, for Nyx was covered head to tail in leaves and twigs that had stuck fast to her wet feathers. As a result, Tanya missed seeing the Nidorina's predicament, further distracted when Astrid splashed her way over with a belligerent look and crossed arms. "Fine, fine. But don't get mad if I need to call you out again," Tanya responded, waiting until Astrid reluctantly nodded to recall the Ground-type. "You want to go back in your ball too?" the redhead called up to Nyx, struggling again not to laugh as she watched her partner vigorously shake herself free of the worst of the tree debris. "Please. I'm so very tired of this horrible weather and what it's doing to my beautiful plumage," Nyx said, mortally offended by what nature had been subjecting her to. Tanya put both balls back in her bag, pulling out Yoshi's in exchange - it was unlikely the Frogadier would have any complaints about a bit of rain.

Yoshi lifted her head to the sky as she emerged from her ball, drawing a smile from Tanya as her Pokemon's eyes closed in pure bliss. "Walk with me?" she asked, leading the way from the earthquake ravaged clearing to one that was a bit more open-spaced, perfect for conducting some more training. As they relaxed in companionable silence, Tanya studied Yoshi surreptitiously, wondering if she'd be better off holding her tongue on the reason why she was training her up. Morty was well-known for his proficiency with Ghost-types, and she was banking on Yoshi to help take him on. But part of her also knew that adding that kind of stress on Yoshi's shoulders, a Pokemon still struggling to gain more confidence, was a disaster in the making. Yoshi, unaware of her trainer's dilemma, paused in her enjoyment of the rain as a noise intruded - whether or not it was friendly remained to be seen.

(Waiting for encounter.)

we're dancing in the flames tonight

MADE BY PISCES

[Marchbaby]

As Tanya made her way to the new clearing she could hear the rustling of grass not too far way from her. The noise was louder than one would expect for most Pokemon on the route but not for a Stantler. The deer like Pokemon walked out of the tall grass at first completely oblivious to Tanya as it was too busy trying to gather berries to store in its den so it could wait out the rain. As the Stantler grabbed a berry lying on the ground nearby it lowered its neck to pick it up and hold it in its mouth until it could get back to the den. After getting the scent of another berry the deer turned to its side when it finally noticed Tanya and spit out the berry in pure fright.

The deer was not a very common sight in the area and it knew that once a human laid eyes on it the only hope it would have to get away was to defeat her. Of course it was also angry about putting a perfectly good berry to waste as well so it was not about to let her get away either as it walked towards her while lowering its horns ready to strike. Stantler was able to close the gap rather quickly even by walking taking just a few seconds to be within 5 feet of Tanya and Yoshi. The long tongue on the frog Pokemon did not help matters either as it was quite a creepy sight. Stantler had never seen a Frogadier before. The rain was the least of the deer Pokemons worries as it watched Tanya for the first sign of trouble.

Stantler was ready to strike at a moments notice the moment Tanya made a move and it was known for begin quite a tricky Pokemon despite its own weird appearance. One thing was for certain and that was the fact that Stantler was taking quite a risk in fighting a Pokemon it had no experience against.

A wild Stantler (Level 25) appeared. Please select a Pokemon.

[latani]

Yoshi kept watching the bushes like Arceus itself was about to emerge, if one took a good look at her expression. More aptly put would be 'a Deerling in the headlights'. It took very little time for Tanya to notice her Pokemon's preoccupied state, or the noise that had put Yoshi in said state, and the redhead proceeded to turn her head curiously. "Sweet! That didn't take long at all," Tanya said approvingly, oblivious to Yoshi's chagrin. Her Frogadier took one hesitant step back as a berry appeared to fall in front of her, letting out a wordless exclamation as a Pokemon mock-charged in her direction, antlers lowered in a threatening gesture. Tanya frowned at the Pokemon for a moment before a memory helpfully supplied the name of it - Stantler. They weren't the most common Pokemon out there, but it was hard to be unaware of the strange powers their antlers possessed. "Yoshi, whatever you do, don't stare at its antlers," she blurted, glancing quickly at her partner to check that she had not done just that.

Satisfied with Yoshi's nod, Tanya kept her eyes low as she assessed the Stantler once more, pondering if it was a good choice to send the Frogadier against. It looked rather tough, perhaps too much for Yoshi to safely handle - Murkrow had been an unpleasant reminder that she couldn't plan out everything to a T. "Maybe next time," Tanya said with a sigh as she reached for another Pokemon. Saphira stretched out her arms in a massive yawn, going stock still as she felt the rain before scrambling to ensure her tail flame was protected. 'Urgh! You know I'm not good with rain!' Saphira complained, blue eyes indignant. "Sorry, sweetie. But I promised Nyx a break, and Astrid might bite me if I bring her out again," Tanya replied in an apologetic tone. Yoshi, her attention having switched from Stantler to Saphira, almost seemed to be on the verge of snickering, earning her a scorching glare from the Charmeleon.

"Besides, you want to get stronger right? Maybe evolve soon?" Tanya continued, wincing when her tone wavered slightly. She still hadn't reconciled with what her beloved Charmeleon would evolve into, and thus still dreaded that moment. Saphira tilted her head, thoughtfully, and with a very faint hiss of displeasure assumed a battle ready stance. 'Fiiiiine. But don't you laugh at me!' This last statement was for Yoshi's sake, who had opted to look every which way but the battle about to start. "Give it a good ol' double Dragon Rage!" Tanya ordered. Stantler might have spooked her at first, but she wouldn't be deterred from good training experience for her oldest and most cherished friend.

(Edit to say use of Running Shoes!)

we're dancing in the flames tonight

MADE BY PISCES

[Fallen]

The big horn Pokemon kicked his hooves around in the dirt, getting ready for the attack to come from the Charmeleon. What Saphira hit the Stantler with, however, was something the Stantler quite possibly could not have prepared for. As it would seem, the Stantler had definitely taken off a bit more than he could chew with challenging this trainer and her Pokemon, a risk that was highly dangerous for the wild Stantler to take on its own. 

The Charmeleon was no longer spooked by the wild Stantler. Had it even been spooked by the Pokemon? Tanya's Pokemon showed no sign of such. The Stantler stomped it's hooves onto the ground and let a small cry and attempted to brace itself for the attack to come as Saphira decided to attack it. The Charmeleon dealt two attacks to the Stantler, one after the other. Both hit the Stantler with shockwaves of pure rage. Although perhaps the big horn Pokemon could have sustained the damage from the attack had it not been used twice, the move was enough to win the battle quickly for the Charmeleon and her trainer. Two hits of Dragon Rage from the strong fire-type Pokemon would be all it would take to send the Stantler onto the ground, fainted and defeated quite easily, before the Stantler could even pull off a move of its own.

Saphira used Dragon Rage x2! The wild Stantler was defeated.


Saphira gained 1250 EXP! Saphira levels up. Saphira is now at level 32.
Saphira gained +1 happiness! Total happiness is now +14.
Saphira is able to learn Flame Burst. Forget a move to make room for the new move?

[latani]

(OOC: This is gonna be a lengthy post, most likely, so to the next mod who replies here - you can skip to the last paragraph! The beef of this post is a small story with character development, and not necessary to be modded. However, I will need a few updates. Thank you very much!
- using x3 Rare Candies on Saphira
- feeding Birthday Cake to each Saphira, Nyx & Yoshi
- updated sprite for Saphira
- I believe she should learn Wing Attack upon evolution; if so, please drop Growl for it ^^)

Saphira, eager to clean up this fight to escape the dreadful rain, made short work of her foe, scarcely giving it any chance to attack back. Yoshi and Tanya sported identical looks of polite awe as the Fire-type turned their way, causing her to pause with a snort of confusion. Puffs of smoke drifted out both nostrils, curling upwards into the cooler air. 'What? I'm feeling a bit grumpy today, big deal,' Saphira huffed. Tanya praised her anyways, hoping this, and a few candies extracted from her bag, would alleviate the worst of Saphira's mood. Even a bit of cake saved from a prior event didn't appear to improve the scowl on Saphira's face as it disappeared into her mouth.

Yoshi wisely refrained from commenting thus far, instead peering at Tanya, wondering how the redhead would react. She was unceremoniously returned to her ball, leaving just Tanya and her starter alone in the gray drizzle punctuated by faint peals of thunder. Bending down, uncaring of the muddy ground, she caught Saphira's gaze and reached out a hand to gently touch the Charmeleon's shoulder. "Are you all right, sweetheart? If I did something wrong, or you're not feeling well... you don't have to put on a brave face for me," Tanya began, drawing a deep breath to continue. It was only due to her slight pause that she heard any other noise beyond the rain - a faint squelch of shoes in the mud.

Alarm bells started ringing, while another part of her brain insisted there was nothing weird about another person being out in this weather. But maybe, she'd later think, it was Saphira's response to the sound that stood out as strange; a low, angry rumble of a growl that didn't let up. Trusting her Pokemon to have picked up something her less superior senses couldn't detect, Tanya straightened up and urged Saphira towards a more sheltered part of the clearing, to better keep her tail flame out of the wet. Both trainer and Pokemon were still on alert, eyes locking on to a stranger approaching from deeper within the trees, a Pokemon at their side as well. They were dressed in a neat red hoodie, with the hood up, and pants of a dark gray made darker by the rain. But then the person looked up, directly at her, and she felt a moment's familiarity.

She knew this guy. Or, more likely, he was someone she'd seen growing up in Blackthorn, because she didn't immediately recognize him. "It really is you, Tanya. You haven't changed a bit," he said, sea green eyes fixed on her in a way that set her nerves on edge. "You'll have to jog my memory - I'm not the best at putting names to faces that aren't Pokemon," Tanya replied, aware of Saphira still rumbling behind her. He tugged his hoodie back a little more, enough to reveal an old bite-shaped scar on the side of his neck, and suddenly she was back in the ER with doctors urgently trying to coax an obstinate Ekans to let go of a wailing kid. "I'm not surprised you forgot. Just like you forgot how, in your quest to be funny, that there were very real consequences to letting your pet snake pretend eat me," he said, low, as he fixed the collar of his hoodie back into place. Joshua was his name, Tanya recalled. But he clearly hadn't tracked her down to reminisce about the old days.

"Someone back in Blackthorn mentioned you were in this area, after they'd heard about your defeat of Goldenrod City's gym. A Blackthorn kid trying to make it big, you're quite the topic of gossip, and I grew real sick of it. Because I know what you're really like, deep down, and I wanted to pay you a visit to remind you of it." He stepped aside, the Pokemon accompanying him revealed to be a fierce looking Weavile, sharp claws gleaming even in the muted light of the day. Joshua didn't sound, or even look, crazy, but Tanya knew this situation was about to get very, very bad. Desperate to keep things from getting that far, she stepped forwards with palms out in a placating gesture. "Look, I don't know what grudge you have against me, but it doesn't have to be like this. If you want me to make amends for what I did with Slither, fine. Just recall your Weavile and we can go back to Ecruteak and talk it out," she pleaded, heart sinking when Joshua vehemently shook his head.

If he'd said anything else, Tanya didn't hear it as blood roared in her ears upon seeing the Weavile charge in her direction with claws lifted. Time almost appeared slowed down as the Dark-type drew closer, but everything sped up in a terrible rush as a high pitched squeal of fury sounded out from behind her, and the redhead found herself sprawling sideways on the ground while Saphira took the hit for her. Weavile's claws struck Saphira across her left cheek, a savage injury, but the Charmeleon ignored what had to be incredible pain to grapple with her foe, blue eyes blazing. The flame atop her angrily lashing tail took on an incandescent glow, going blue-white in colour, before the glow spread over the rest of her body and intensified. Tanya shielded her eyes against the brilliance, blinking past the after-images to take in the draconic beast who now stood in Saphira's place.

Flames curled out of the side of the Charizard's mouth and spouted from her nostrils in clear indication of her rage, and she uttered a deep, powerful bellow that sent Joshua and his Weavile scrambling for safety. Loosing a thin stream of fire their way was enough to have Joshua fleeing for his life, his Pokemon a dark blur in front of him. Saphira, satisfied the threat to Tanya had been dealt with, swung her head round to inspect her trainer, the wound she'd sustained now a pair of slashing scar marks on her jaw. Evolution had partially healed them, and they'd remain for the rest of Saphira's life, but she did not regret them in the slightest. No, what mattered was Tanya, whose emerald eyes were wide as saucers and her breathing erratic as she beheld Saphira's transformation.

The clever part knew Charizard wasn't a true Dragon, but it was drowned out by old nightmares, loud enough to override rational sense. Saphira studied her face for a heartbeat, blue eyes dimming - Tanya was afraid of her. It was an emotional blow that had her head sinking low, wings already heavy with rain drooping even further. Tanya felt like she'd been punched in the solar plexus; how could she react so badly to her most cherished friend? Saphira, eyes closed, stirred as she felt tender hands on her snout. "Sweetheart. Saphy. I'm so sorry... and after you saved my life. I'm a rotten person to make you feel like you're not wanted," Tanya whispered, resting her forehead against Saphira's. "I'm not scared of you, Saphira. Not now, not ever. It might take some time to get used to how different you've become, but you're still the sweet Pokemon I met so long ago."

'I forgive you.'

It was a softly spoken remark, in Saphira's new deeper tone, and while Tanya couldn't understand it, she got the gist of what her partner meant. Drawing back, she smiled tremulously at her Charizard, whose expression mirrored her own after a moment. One wing extended out over Tanya suddenly, acting as a break against the rain. This hiccup would take more than a heartfelt sentiment to heal, but Tanya was confident enough to work on it, for Saphira's sake. How could she not, after what had just transpired? The duo stood in companionable silence, neither willing to move, leaving them open for approach. She still had Yoshi's training to consider, after all.

we're dancing in the flames tonight

MADE BY PISCES

[Fallen]

The trainer and her Pokemon seemed to have gotten a visitor after a little while of sitting around in the quietness, unmovingly. The Staravia seemed to be coming in at a good point in time however, as the silence had gone on for a while and maybe it was time for it to end. The Flying-type Pokemon landed in front of Tanya and her Pokemon, looking down at its own slightly ruffled feathers as it landed from the air.

After looking at its feathers for a moment, the bird Pokemon turned its attention back to the trainer and her Pokemon. "Sta-ravia!" The Pokemon let out a soft cry, showing the trainer that it was up for a battle against her Pokemon. More specifically, the wild Staravia wanted to have a battle with Tanya's newly evolved Charizard, Sahira. It looked like it would be a mighty challenge for the Flying-type Pokemon to face. The Staravia gave a determined look at the trainer, a look displaying that it was not going to let the trainer take it out easily, if she decided to accept the wild Pokemon's challenge to a battle. The Staravia was just excited for a chance to get to battle against a trainer's Pokemon.

---

A wild Staravia level 23 approaches!
What will Tanya and her Pokemon do?

(OOC: Requested for all of your updates to Saphira and the rest of your team. ^^)

[latani]

This was the kind of silence one either loved or hated, with only the sounds of nature and Saphira's gentle breathing for ambiance. The rain wasn't as heavy as earlier, softly drumming against the Charizard's outstretched wing as it shielded Tanya from the worst of the weather. But Tanya wasn't foolish enough to completely let down her guard, if Joshua proved dumb enough to make a return, or at least try a sneak attack should she or Saphira slack in attentiveness. She curled a bit of damp hair around one finger as the pair waited, for either an encounter of some kind or a change in conditions. As time stretched on, and her resolve to train began to weaken with each passing moment, Tanya finally shifted to address Saphira when the monotony broke on a Staravia's arrival. Saphira peered down at the noisy bird, blue eyes sparking with amusement at its courage for demanding a battle despite her presence.

"Just in time," Tanya sighed in relief. And at least she knew Yoshi could fight Staravia in relative safety, from her earlier excursion. The redhead reached into her bag and extracted Yoshi's ball, calling out her Frogadier. Yoshi took a small moment to stretch, blink, and look around - freezing in place as she craned her head and stared up at Saphira in stunned silence. She hadn't been in her ball for that long, had she? The reaction made Saphira laugh, and Tanya was hard pressed not to join her. "Easy Yoshi, it's just Saphira. She's not feeling as grumpy now, never fear," Tanya explained, putting a hand to her mouth to stifle any giggles that tried to escape. She had a feeling Yoshi wouldn't appreciate both of them laughing at her. Saphira winked, and Yoshi took this as a cue to tear her gaze away at last, focusing on Staravia instead.

Yoshi didn't glance at Tanya for reassurance this time, something the trainer noted and approved of. Baby steps that would one day be as big as a Groudon's. "Alright, you know the drill. Ice Beam!" Tanya ordered, urging Saphira back a step to give Yoshi and the wild Staravia some room. As they settled into watching the battle, she found herself wondering if, after the battle's conclusion, it would be a good time to make her gym attempt. Her team for Morty was finally shaping up, and she didn't want to spend all her time in Ecruteak on just training. As long as Yoshi fared well here; Tanya's decision to make the attempt hinging on whether or not her Frogadier was ready to handle a fight of that magnitude.

we're dancing in the flames tonight

MADE BY PISCES

[Noerd]

(A fun little aside: I was really tempted to start weaving attack names into this post once I wrote "brave bird". Just to see if anyone noticed. But that's a lot of work for what is essentially procrastination.)

Setting aside the surprise of seeing Tanya's newly evolved Charizard, Yoshi would quickly get to work on dispatching this feathered foe. Staravia acknowledged its opponent's challenge, though its beady eyes seemed rather taken by the Charizard in truth. Oh, how strong that dragon looked. Staravia's warrior spirit couldn't help but wonder how it would fare against that impressive beast. But the battle was to be with a Frogadier, and even this brave bird knew that it wasn't going to change the human's mind.

Beating its wings forcefully, the avian psyched itself up for the encounter ahead. Not that it would last long if Yoshi had anything to say about it, mind. Opening her mouth slightly, the amphibian took a deep breath as the temperature around her started to sink. Within moments, a chilling beam of blue light zigzagged across the summer air and pelted Staravia in the forehead. The bird fell to the floor as if it had been shot. The initial shock of the Ice Beam was enough to floor its target and, try as it might, that target did indeed stay 'floored'. Its wings twitched momentarily, but that was all it could muster before its consciousness faded.

---

Congratulations! The wild Staravia is KOd!



Yoshi gained 1725 EXP (extra due to Lucky Egg)! [1725/2017]
Also +1 Happiness (up to +1)!

[latani]

Yoshi resented the look in Staravia's eyes, knowing it had wanted to fight Saphira and gotten her instead. She might be half Saphira's size, but she was no slouch as an opponent, and now even more motivated to show away. Hyper focused on Staravia, her body shifted in reaction to her Protean ability kicking in, the drizzling rain cooling into tiny pellets as it landed upon the Frogadier. She paid this little mind and let loose the building Ice Beam, a silent demand for Staravia's attention. It lacked her usual finesse, given Yoshi's mounting annoyance, though it did the job fine in knocking out the bird. Yoshi let out a tiny huff upon satisfying herself that there would be no surprise survival and counterattack, facing Tanya and the looming Saphira with a carefully blank expression.

"That'll have to do," Tanya said, peering out from beneath Saphira's wing to scowl proper at the sky. She was tired of being soaked to the skin, and impatient besides - she knew, deep down, that she'd been ready for Morty for some time now. Nodding to Yoshi, Tanya recalled her and Saphira as well, before the Charizard could protest. Joshua hadn't returned, and if he did, well... she could always knock the daylight out of him herself. Excitement bubbled up as the redhead picked her way through the trees back to Ecruteak, a familiar sensation when she was about to challenge a gym. There was no telling what would happen in the gym, but she wouldn't find out until she stepped foot inside.

(Thread on hold.)

we're dancing in the flames tonight

MADE BY PISCES