On the Wings of Battle [F]

[Morrigan]

Sharada had been aimlessly wandering the streets of Violet City, pondering on whether it was the right time to test her luck at the Gym which resided there. She had walked past the Gym numerous times, usually shaking her head nervously and walking away again. The sky was beginning to darken, various shades of oranges and purples merging together behind the fluffy white clouds. The female trainer had once again found herself standing in front of the Gym, the automatic doors opening welcomely, beckoning her to enter. Glancing upward to the rather tall building which loomed over her, she suddenly lifted her hands and began gently patting her face, trying to break free from this nervous state of mind, "Get a grip." she growled lowly to herself.

Taking a brave few steps forward, she peered her head into the building, there was no turning back now. Shaking off her nervous expression, she tried to replace it with a more courageous one but couldnt help but jump as the doors slid to a close behind her. There really was no turning back. Lifting her head, she took in the fairly grim and wooden interior of the Gym, cautiously stepping forwards until she her toes tapped a bit of uneven ground. Looking down, she raised an eyebrow at the slightly lifted platform and subconsciously stepped on it. Well, she couldnt have made an even more unlucky move. Under her foot clicked a small switch, followed by Sharada's piercing scream as she was lifted up at a speedy rate on the wooden platform.

Shaking at the horror she just experienced, she began stiffly walking forward, only to see an array of wooden beams positioned in front of her. Staggering across the oldly shaped walkway, she tried her best not to look down. Heights werent a huge fear of hers but they werent exactly comfortable either, she was more of a sea girl. Fortunately, the beams led to a much larger platform, boasting the battle area of the gym. With further inspection, Sharada spotted a rather tall figure at the other side of the Gym. Indistinctly grabbing a ball, Sharada yelled out to him, "Hello?... If you're the leader here, then please accept my challenge!"

[latani]

Vs. Gym Leader Falkner
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Falkner had his back to the entrance of the Gym as Sharada entered and was too engrossed in watching various Flying types soar past the windows. The red-gold light that filtered in lent a majestic look to the interior of the spacious building, including himself and his partner. The small Pidgey was looking out the windows enviously as local trainers taken under his, ahem, wings bonded with their charges in the fading daylight.

The mechanism that launched challengers up to his level was tripped and attracted his attention away from the outdoors. The teal-haired man looked round as Sharada appeared on the platform across several wooden beams, looking a bit shaky on her feet but not frightened. He grinned to himself; a challenger with no fear of heights usually promised to be a good competitor. His Pidgey chirped lightly in response to her appearance and rustled its wings.

He laughed in reply to her question and stepped forwards to get a better look at her, head cocked to one side so that one navy blue eye gazed out. "I am indeed the leader here, trainer. My name is Falkner, the Violet City Gym Leader, and specialist of bird Pokémon. I formally welcome you to my gym and accept your challenge!" Falkner called back. One last battle before night fell and he closed the gym wouldn't hurt a bit.

The referee of their match appeared on a pillar with a round wooden platform attached around it, clutching a blue flag for Sharada and a yellow flag for Falkner. "The rules of this fight are as follows; the match will be conducted in a single battle format, with Leader Falkner using two Pokémon. The challenger is allowed to swap out at any point during the battles. Whoever defeats all the Pokémon on the opposing team shall be declared victor!" he spoke loudly into the ensuing silence that followed Falkner's proclamation.

Pidgey lifted off of Falkner's shoulder and fluttered mid-way across the beams, illuminated around the sides by the waxing light of the sun. It uttered a loud, chirping battle cry and flapped its wings several times, signaling it was ready to fight. Falkner gestured to Sharada and smiled. "Now your name and the partner you wish to fight with are all that's required," the Flying-type leader chuckled.




Gym Leader Falkner has accepted your challenge!


Falkner sent out his Pidgey (Level 10) to battle!

[Morrigan]

As she waited for a reply from the male across the Gym floor, Sharada took the opportunity to glance around the high platform. There was much more light now, flooding through the windows built into the upper walls of the building. The sunset creating a warm golden glow, it's rays hitting the Gym Leader as he stepped forward, becoming a little clearer in her line of vision. The traditional yukata wearing fellow introduced himself as Falkner, a bird specialist.

Now knowing a faint idea of what she was up against, she clutched onto a selected Pokeball tighter. She wasn't one to be cocky, keeping her head clear from the idea that her few type advantages would give her an instant win. It didn't always work that way. As a referee seemingly appeared out of nowhere, she listened carefully and calmly to the short introduction and rules of the battle. The usual smile she wore across her face not appearing, instead, being replaced with a deeply concentrated stare. This was her first ever Gym battle, she wanted it to be taken seriously.

The sound of chirping and powerful thrusts of wings indicated to her that Falkner was ready to battle. With a sharp nod, Sharada lifted her own Pokeball, flicking her wrist to release her choice. "My name is Sharada Sewell. And I choose...!" As the ball burst open to reveal to bright burst of light, a large number of glittery sparkles exploded in the air, floating softly down as the light dimmed to show her choice. A sheep like creature stood on the battle field, it's soft pink fluff looking like a scrumptious stick of candy floss. As it let out its bleat of a battle cry, Sharada decided to order her first move, "Alright Pinky, use ThunderShock on the Pidgey!" As the orders of her trainer reached her ears, the little fluffy Pokemon began twitching the cotton around it's body. As it rubbed together, intimidating sparks flickered from it's body before it created a rather large bolt which was sent zooming into the direction of the little bird.

[[Arzadon]]

Oh dear, Falkner thought to himself. This wasn't a good battle. He often wondered why so many trainers destroyed him. Was it because Mareep's were so common in the area, or did birds just suck. No! I am the elegant bird master! I must not let Father down! The young Gym Leader reassured himself. He desperately tried to think of a strategy to defeat the flamboyant pink Mareep, but he couldn't think of one aside from beating the ever living crud out of it. "Alright Pidgey, lets hit it hard with a tackle!" the inexperienced Gym Leader commanded. His sky blue eyes flickered back to the woman standing before him. "It's a pleasure to meet you Ms. Sewell," His tone was very formal, it was clear that the Gym Leader took his job very seriously. "I wish you the best of luck, for I am not easy prey! Even though you have the type advantage my glorious bird will achieve victory!" Falkner's Pidgey rolled his eyes. They never won.

With a skip and a hop Mareep entered the battle. Small sparks of electricity bounced around her brilliant pink wool. The sheep pokemon meekly swayed back and forth as she readied her attack. Before she could attack the little bird swooped in for his attack. The bird came from above, his wings tucked tightly against his body. Pinky had to time to dodge, and the sky diving bird's body collided with the Electric types face. The Mareep reeled back in pain, a small stream of blood running from her nose. The Pidget stood up and puffed his chest out. That'll show the stupid sheep! It gloated to itself. Then things got worse. The feeling in his limbs slowly dissipated, as small sparks bounced around his feathers. Falkner gritted his teeth, it looked like his pokemon was paralyzed. This was far worse then he could have imagined. Not only was there a good chance that Pidgey would be unable to move, but he also lost the speed advantage. Which was about the only advantage he had in this battle.

Pinky shook her head, sending a few drops of blood flying to the floor. That hurt a lot. She wanted to go take a nice nap somewhere in the sun, but this was a gym battle. And Pinky knew she couldn't let her new trainer down. The static on her body quickly gathered together, forming a small ball of electricity in the pokemon's open mouth. With a squeak the Sheep released the static stored within her body, causing it to lance forward towards the Pidgey. The bird type slowly flapped his wings, trying to take flight. However the pluralization kept him from moving his body too much, and soon he found the thunder shock slamming into his body. The bird flew backwards, landing into a nice heap of feathers in front of his trainer. His once pristine feathers were now signed black from the electricity. With a grimace Falkner took out the Pidgey's pokeball. As he was about to recall his pokemon, the Pidgey got back to his feet. He was clearly shaking, but Shadara couldn't tell if it was from the pluralization or the sheer amount of damage he just took.

Pidgey's beady black eyes stared up at his Master. After a short staring contest between the two, Falkner broke away with a puff of what seemed like anger. "Fine, have it your way." The Gym Leader said as he replaced the Pidgey's pokeball at his waist. He knew it was going to end badly, but this Pidgey had a tendency to be very stubborn. Once again Falkner turned to face Shadara. "Could you please go easy on my Pidgey? I don't want him to suffer for no reason." The man said, knowing that Shadara's next attack would take out the bird. Pidgey huffed and puffed in anger. How dare his trainer embarrassed him like this! The Pidgey devised an evil plan to get his revenge.

Gym Battle

[atrb=border,0px,true][atrb=width,235px,true][atrb=cellspacing,0px,true][bg=darkslategray]	[bg=darkslategray]
[bg=darkslategray] Pinky Level 13 HP: 31/41 [75%] Normal	[bg=darkslategray] Pidgey Level 10 HP: 7/31 [22%] Paralyzed
[bg=darkslategray][cs=2] Battle Results Pidgey used Tackle, and dealt 10 damage. Pidgey's attack trigged Pinky's Static, the foe is now paralyzed. Pinky used Thunder Shock, and dealt 24 damage. It was super effective!

[Morrigan]

The speed of the Pidgey caught Sharada off guard, watching as it charged itself forcibly into Mareep's face. The attack halting the sparks flickering from her body as she rolled to the floor, crimson red liquid oozing from her nose. As it perched itself back onto it's feet, it glared at the feathered creature before it, angrily. How dare it charge in like that and damage her beautifully formed face. "Mareep, you can do this!" a voice of confidence bellowed behind the fluffy sheep. Giving a look back to her trainer understandingly, she began charging herself back up, grinning in the back of her mind at the newly paralyzed Pidgey. Kicking about its back leg, her wool became immediately charged with electricity, sending a powerful yellow bolt dashing through the air towards the little bird.

As the Thundershock collided with the bird, it was pummeled to the ground, a large smoke cloud rising through the air slowly, blocking the view of the Pidgey. Both Sharada and Mareep paused, waiting for the dust to subside, she doubted she had won just yet but even then, sudden paralyze from Mareep had somewhat turned this round in her favour. As the air lightened, Sharada's eyes opened a little wider, almost in surprise. Not that the Pidgey had survived the attack but just the fact that he was trying so hard to carry on battling. Where as the blue haired trainer had already pulled out his Pokeball, ready to return it. With a roll of her eyes she pondered to herself, "Psch, guy should get out more and actually level the littler bugger up more."

After the staring contest between the two, Sharada let out a large, suggestive cough. She had respect for Gym Leaders and all, but she was starting to get into this now and staring to eachother wasnt on the agenda. She was here for her badge and she wasnt going to hold back, no matter what was said to her. "Do it again, Mareep." she ordered out, the woolly pink creature charging up yet another Thundershock. Sharada's eyes narrowed on the Pidgey, she did feel bad, but this was what being a trainer was about and at the end of the day she was preparing for Team Rocket... This will become a constant thing so it was time to get used to it.

[[Arzadon]]

The lightning lanced across the battlefield and slammed into the prideful Pidgey. The pokemon flew backwards, unable to do anything due to it's paralyzed status. As the dust settled the two trainers could see the Pidgey passed out on the ground. With a sigh Falkner returned the Pidgey to it's pokeball, muttering something about it being the worst bird ever.

"You may have defeated my Pidgey, but my next pokemon is even better! You won't win!" Falkner said, a nervous bead of sweat ran down his face. He really hoped hat Shadara didn't see through his obvious lie. People always beat him. He was probably one of the worst gym leaders in Johto.

The Gym Leader let out a sharp whistle. Seconds later his Pidgeotto flew down from the rafters. The thing looked rather intimidating, with it's puffed out chest, head held high, it's predatory eyes slowly roasting mareep over an open fire. Or it was just full of itself. "You may switch pokemon if you like," Falkner offered. Secretly praying to Ho-oh that she would. He really didn't want to face off against the Mareep again. It was too terrifying.

Gym Battle

[atrb=border,0px,true][atrb=width,275px,true][atrb=cellspacing,0px,true][bg=darkslategray]	[bg=darkslategray]
[bg=darkslategray] Pinky Level 13 HP: 31/41 [75%] Normal	[bg=darkslategray] Pidgey Level 10 HP: 0/31 [0%] Fainted
[bg=darkslategray][cs=2] Battle Results Pinky used Thunder Shock, and dealt 24 damage. It was super effective! The foe's Pidgey has fainted. Pinky has gained two levels for defeating Pidgey. Pinky is now level 15 Pinky has learned Thunderwave! Falkner has sent out a level 15 Pidgeotto! Would Shadara like to switch pokemon?

[Morrigan]

For a moment, it seemed like the previous scene just repeated itself. Mareep's strong electrical current sent Pidgey crashing into the ground, another dust cloud rising and shrouding the area. This time, however, as the dust settled it revealed the sight of a rather roasted and singed bird, laying flat out on the floor. She tried to keep her excitement held back, cheering in the back of her mind at the first round of success. As Falkner returned his Pidgey with a sigh, Sharada turned to her Mareep, smiling proudly in her direction, "Great job Pinky!" The woolly pink sheep bounced on the spot excitedly, happy to receive praise from her new trainer.

Their little happy moment together was soon interrupted by the sound of a sharp whistle. At first, all Sharada could make out was a dark shadow circling around the battlefield until it eventually reared up and landed to the ground. It's large talons hitting the ground where the fainted Pidgey had once lay. The larger bird had an intimidating air about it and even though Falkner's voice seemed to show a bit of nerves, her expression at seeing his next choice wasnt all that better. The way it stared so intently at her Mareep wasnt helping matters either.

"Pinky! Fall back for now." Sharada ordered, receiving a rather confused glance from the sheep. She won fairly easily against the Pidgey, so why would this overgrown turkey be any different? Well, regardless, she had to do what her trainer said and sulkily returned to Sharada's side, remaining out of it's ball to watch the fight. Having decided her next choice, a sly smile spread across her lips, "Snorunt, lets do this!" As the little shivering hooded Pokemon emerged from the burst of light, Sharada had no need to wait for him to make the first move, "Hit it with an Icy Wind!"

[[Arzadon]]

The feeling of the battle was different. The arrogance of the under-trained bird was now gone, and before Shadara a rather well trained Pidgeotto stood before her. It's eyes gazing upon her pokemon like a predator looks upon it's prey. This might actually be a challenge. Might.

The bird let out a sharp cry of furry as Pinky frolicked back to Shadara's side. The sheep looked like the tastiest of her pokemon, and this strange tent triangle thing looked more like a giant toothpick then anything else. "Alright Pidgeotto, start it off with mud-slap!" The Gym Leader said with a grin on his face. He was up to something, maybe he actually had a plan to win. Even though he was widely regarded as the worst gym leader in the region.

Snorunt sharply inhaled, her cheeks puffing outwards. She began to shake furiously as her body temperature rapidly dropped. Then she puckered her lips, and with a soft whistling sound blew outwards. It was like all the cold within her body escaped her with that one breath. Ice shards formed in the air, that started to bellow towards the enemies pokemon. The PIdgeotto had no chance to dodge, the icy wind over took a good portion of the battlefield. And it was clear that his bulkier body was better suited for defense then it was speed. The bird suppressed his cry of pain as the icy wind washed over him, leaving bruises and small clumps of ice stuck to his feathers.

Pidgeotto was quick to respond to his own attack. He slammed his wings into the ground and ran forward. Large clumps of dirt and mud gathered in the his wings. Then with a howl of fury he thrusted his wings forward, sending the mud flying towards Snorunt. The mud slammed into the Snorunt's face. She let of a cry of disgust. The attack barely did any damage, but she was now covered in thick disgusting mud. The worst part was that the mud obscured her vision, if the foe kept doing this she would be in for one rough battle.

Falkner let out a soft chuckle. "It's not my favorite tactic, but it works. Soon your pokemon will be unable to hit my Pidgeotto, and once that happens I will achieve victory! I will prove to my Father that I am worthy of this gym!" Falkner said, with a hint of confidence in his voice. A few months back his father left to see the world. He was a real ladies man, women from all over the world flocked to meet him. But he was an even better pokemon trainer, he mastered the elegant art of bird pokemon. A feat that few could. And now that he was gone Falkner was left alone in his shadow. One that people excepted him to fill.

Gym Battle

[atrb=border,0px,true][atrb=width,275px,true][atrb=cellspacing,0px,true][bg=darkslategray]	[bg=darkslategray]
[bg=darkslategray] Snorunt Level 15 HP: 39/44 [95%] -1 Accuracy	[bg=darkslategray] Pidgeotto Level 15 HP: 31/58 [46%] -1 Speed
[bg=darkslategray][cs=2] Battle Results Snorunt used Icy Wind, and dealt 27 damage. It was supper effective! Pidgeotto's speed was lowered by 1 stage. Pidgeotto used Mud-slap, and dealt 5 damage. It was super effective! Snorunt's accuracy was lowered by 1 stage.

HP255/Defense124/SpecialDefense124

[Morrigan]

A little surprised at Snorunt as she was able to out speed the Pidgeotto, she watched calmly as the icy breeze swirled around the gym before spinning into a strong gust, hitting the bird sharply. As it shook its wings from side to side to rid its feathers from the intruding clumps of ice, a slight frown appeared on the female trainers face after hearing Falkners voice. Snorunt hopped backwards to create a big of space between them as she awaited Sharada's next move, but the small distance was useless. The Pidgeotto dug its wings into the ground, tearing up mounds of mud before slinging them across the field.

Even Sharada jumped at the sight of the clumps of mud being viciously tossed in their direction, grimacing somewhat as she eventually realised what he was trying to do. The mounds of mud clung onto the little Snorunt and despite her best attempts as shaking clumps of it off, it didn't seem to work. With her pokemons vision obscured somewhat, she lifted a hand and began to nibble her nails nervously. Until Falkner said something what interested her somewhat. That being Snorunt being unble to hit soon, if she was able to give it another blow in this next round, the victory would surely end up being hers.

"Send it another Icy Wind, Snorunt!" turning in the calls direction, it was clear to see that Snorunt was having a little trouble pinpointing just where to aim. As it opened its mouth, Sharada squealed a little, noticing the hooded Pokemon was aiming in her direction, "N-no! Turn around!" she whimpered hurriedly. Having already built up the attack, the Snorunt merely nodded, holding in the Icy Wind before spinning on the spot, blowing it out in a circular motion. If it was able to hit.

[[Arzadon]]

"Mud-slap!" The handsome teen shouted out in response to Shadara's orders. He didn't have much time, and if he didn't get lucky then he was going to lose. Again. Today was not Falkner's lucky day. The Snorunt spun around on one foot, the icy wind easily covered the battlefield, giving the Pidgeotto no chance to escape. The bird let out a sharp howl of pain. The first attack hurt, and the second seemed somehow worse. As the wind subsided the bird violently shook his body, in an attempt to get rid of the ice and snow that caked his body. A few clumps of snow and ice fell to the ground with a splat, but it didn't seem to help the bird's speed all that much. His joints were both cold and sore from the wind.

But that didn't stop the Pidgeeotto from running forward. This toothpick thing was annoying, one of the worst challengers he has seen in a long time. It needed to go away, now. The bird's attack seemed to be a repeat of last rounds, but this time a few rocks seemed to gather in the mud. Snorunt let out a sharp cry of pain as she stumbled backwards, falling on her back. A few fresh bruises adorned her face. A new layer of mud was on her face, only making her vision even worse. The Snorunt rocked back and forth in an attempt to get up. She was like a turtle on her back.

It was clear that the gym leader was barely supressing his urge to laugh. It looked rather silly. After much effort the icy type managed to return to her feat. She angrily stomped her feat into the ground. She was pissed, and all of the battlers could tell. A wicked little smile spread on Falkner's face. "So how are you going to take of your pokemon?" Falkner asked, as Snorunt continued her tantrum.

Gym Battle

[atrb=border,0px,true][atrb=width,275px,true][atrb=cellspacing,0px,true][bg=darkslategray]	[bg=darkslategray]
[bg=darkslategray] Snorunt Level 15 HP: 29/44 [65%] -2 Accuracy	[bg=darkslategray] Pidgeotto Level 15 HP: 4/58 [o6%] -2 Speed
[bg=darkslategray][cs=2] Battle Results Snorunt used Icy Wind, and dealt 27 damage. It was supper effective! Pidgeotto's speed was lowered by 1 stage. Pidgeotto used Mud-slap, and dealt 10 damage. It was a critical hit! It was super effective! Snorunt's accuracy was lowered by 1 stage.

HP255/Defense124/SpecialDefense124

[Morrigan]

It was lucky enough for that terribly aimed Icy Wind to actually hit, but the fact that it wasnt enough to finish the bird off made Sharada lose a bit of her once lively spirit. Snorunt had been hit once or twice now and from what she could see in front of her, the battle was beginning to get a lot more serious. Sure, she had the rest of her team to back her up if Snorunt were to fail here and now but that was besides the point. The pink Mareep which sat by Sharada's ankles glared angrily towards the Snorunt, shaking its nose from side to side, thinking to itself at how it would've won by now if given a chance. Feeling tingling sparks by her ankles, Sharada momentarily looked downward, only to see angrily sparks of electricity snapping from it's wool, "C-Calm down..." the female trainer whimpered nervously. Losing due to Mareep intervening was the last thing she wanted.

After hushing the pink sheep, Sharada lifted her head to see a fairly embarrassing sight of her Snorunt flailing about on her back. She cringed at the sight of Falkner's scrunched up face, how dare he go and humiliate her team member like that. Wanting to rush out to aide her hooded friend would also be breaking the rules, instead, all she could do was offer her support. "My my, slinging about mud and rolling Pokemon onto their backs to make them utterly helpless... What a swell guy." As her incredibly agitated Snorunt made it back to her feet, another layer of thick mud was made apparent. As if the last move hitting was a gamble, this was going to be even worse. "Hey! Let's try a Powder Snow this time!"

[[Arzadon]]

"Well I'm just a swellow guy!" The Gym Leader replied to Shadara's sarcastic comment. Pidgeotto let out a groan of pain. There was nothing worse then Falkner's bird puns. Nothing. The Gym Leader chuckled to himself, clearly amused by his own pun. Oh but this was a battle, and he had to give those order things. "Pidgeotto take to the skys! And roost in the rafters!" The Elegant Bird Master commanded. He was pleased with himself. For once he was actually winning.

With a flap of his wings the Pidgeotto launched himself into the air. The bird snickered to itself as it circled over head, simply watching the Snorunt spray white powdered snow every where. Soon the gym floor was coated in a light layer of snow. And Snorunt stood in the center, angrily stomping her feet into the ground. It was clear that she missed. All Snorunt wanted to do was get the f outta here. She hated Falkner oh so much.

Meanwhile Pidgeotto found a rather comfortable place to roost in the rafters. It watched in amusement as Snorunt ran around in anger. The rose to it's feet once it felt like it. The bird felt refreshed, and ready to jump back into the fray again. With a flap of his wings he soared back down to the battlefield, which he hover over slightly. The bird seemed to have a wicked grin on it's face. It was going to enjoy noming on this toothpick.

Gym Battle

[atrb=border,0px,true][atrb=width,275px,true][atrb=cellspacing,0px,true][bg=darkslategray]	[bg=darkslategray]
[bg=darkslategray] Snorunt Level 15 HP: 29/44 [65%] -2 Accuracy	[bg=darkslategray] Pidgeotto Level 15 HP: 33/58 [56%] -2 Speed
[bg=darkslategray][cs=2] Battle Results Snorunt used Powder Snow, but missed! Pidgeotto used Roost, and recovered 29 hp.

HP255/Defense124/SpecialDefense124

[Morrigan]

Despite how horrendous Falkner's pun was, for whatever reason it tickled her slightly. Small bursts of giggles and laughs escaped her lips even though she tried her best to shield them away with her hands. Perhaps a part of her did find him funny or maybe she was laughing because of his stupidity. Either way, the battle she hoped would be a cat walk was starting to get out of hand. Little Snorunt was caked in thick layers of mud and could barely see. The odd time she was able to gain her vision back, she was hit with the sight of Falkner's laughter at how she was struggling. Pidgeotto didnt even matter, all she wanted to do was freeze Falkner in a block of ice and laugh at him.

Breathing her Powder Snow attack out heavily, Sharada could instantly tell that the attack was going to miss. Snorunts timing and aiming were far off from the bird and even as she began turning in the right direction, Pidgeotto had flew up above them, perching itself comfortably on the wooden beams above. Snarling under her breath at yet another obstacle what seemed to roll in Sharada's way, she grimaced in horror at the sight of the bird partly healed.

With Falkner using a tactic of healing and Snorunt practically being blinded with mud, Sharada felt like she had hit a dead end. Should she continue with Snorunt, hoping that she will perhaps hit next or maybe she could switch out to someone else? Pinky beginning to crackle her wool once more at this change in events. Shaking her head sternly, she decided to continue her assault, or atleast, give Snorunt one last chance. If this attack were to miss, it'd be more practical to withdraw the ice type. Afterall, why should she be needlessly hit at when something else could take over, "Snorunt! Let's go for another Icy Wind!"

[The REAL Joey]

The battle had been raging on for a good while now. Faulkner's tactic of lowering the opponent's accuracy so nothing could touch his beloved Flying type Pokemon was working perfectly. "I may not be the strongest but I will use my brains to turn this situation to my advantage!" Years of living in his father's shadows had taken its toll on the newly promoted gym leader. His father was renowned as an incredibly powerful and successful gym leader and for Faulkner, stepping into his shoes as Violet City's Gym Leader was proving to be not without its setbacks. As impossible as the situation seemed he was going to continue his accuracy lowering strategy and pray that the fact this female trainer who also had an air of inexperience about her would falter.

All he wanted was just one victory, just one. Unfortunately, not everything in the battlefield was to his favour. He had never really come across a Pokemon which was so able to conjure forth gusts of chilly winds and powdery snow. His Pokemon were certainly not trained for such a battle involving the extreme chills of the ice element. Having been blasted with such chilly breezes resulting in the avian Pokemon's body temperature being dropped significantly. The icy extremes had also made the Pokemon's wings a lot less agile and Faulkner was starting to realise the strain on his own Pokemon. He could go on forever commanding his Pokemon to roost over and over but in the end it would be stalling the outcome of the battle to no end. In a bid to break the stalemate he decided to try and make the Snorunt even more blinded. "Pidgeotto! Hear my cry! Mud-Slap again! We need to blind this Pokemon to the point it cannot tell the difference between empty space and yourself!" Pidgeotto cooed and tried to speedily muster the attack. Unfortunately due to being so chilled, it stuttered into action. Faulkner felt sweat drops on his forehead and gritted his teeth. "Come on Pidgeotto!!"

By this time, Sharada had commanded her side of the battle and the Snorunt was more than happy to oblige. It sprung forward and began shivering on the spot, somehow a freezing gush of wind blasted the gym battlefield and it wasn't long before it descended to even deeper temperatures as Pidgeotto struggled to stand after taking the brunt of the Arctic airs. It was slow before but now it seemed even a Slugma could out speed it in a race. Faulkner looked to his Pidgeotto desperately and focused on it directly as it followed through with a Mud-Slap. "I need to take action... Stalling like this isn't going to make any difference!!" It began charging forward with its wings stretched out fully. It was ungraceful in the way it charged forward and the wings it had unleashed seem incredibly stiff. A clump of mud was eventually dug up by the small charge and the Pidgeotto scrambled to a halt as it positioned its body to ram both of its wings forwards, aiming directly at the Snorunt's eyes. The attack was pathetic but Snorunt was unable to stop it from blinding its eyes further. It growled angrily at having more dirt and was now angrily stomping up and down on the spot. "I may not be a winner, but that doesn't mean I won't give it my all!" Called out Faulkner who was now having serious doubts about how this battle would turn out. At this point, it all hinged on whether or not Snorunt would be able to strike on the next round.



Gym Battle

---

Faulkner's Pidgeotto | Level 15 |
Health : 15% (9/58)
Status : Normal; Speed -3
B-B-Brrrrrr...!

Snorunt | Level 15 |
Health : 50% (22/44)
Status : Normal; Accuracy -3
Just you wait until I freeze you DEAD!

---

OOC: Don't worry Arz, I noticed the EV distribution you gave the Pidgeotto and have used it in my calculations.

[Morrigan]

The battle was definitely going on for a lot longer than Sharada had first thought it would. Right now, it was the matter of her Pokemon's health slowly whittling away while mud more was slapped against her face against Falkner being incredibly slow but still being able to dodge her attacks. Perhaps it would be best to switch out now, afterall, if she were to they would only be faced with a single mud slap but still have a better chance of hitting. Raising a hand to her head, Sharada began to ruffle her hair in confusion, several different ideas floating about in her mind but of course, she didn't have all the time in the world. Gym battles were supposed to be fast and on the ball, not lingering about because of the uncertainty of the opponent.

Sensing her trainer's confusion, Snorunt began to call out to her. She couldnt quite pin point her trainers location but as long as she were to give out confident chirps and cheers, she was sure Sharada would understand and allow her to keep on battling. Of course, it had gone on for a while, but Snorunt could tell she was almost there, she just needed a bit more time. These exact thoughts were also floating around in the back of Sharada's mind, after all, even if she were to miss and miss again, she could always recall Snorunt if it fell into it's last slither of health.

With a confused sigh, Sharada lifted her head back up again only to be hit with Falkner's words. I may not be a winner, but that doesn't mean I won't give it my all! In a sense, he was right, even Sharada wasn't the most strong trainer but she still had to give it her all. "Haha... thanks." She mumbled quietly under her breath. Despite thinking his use of tactics were a little off, some of his words were giving her a new burst of confidence. Falling back to her plan of using a slightly more accurate move, Sharada called out to her Snorunt confidently, "Let's try a Powder Snow, Snorunt! We'll keep tossing them out until one hits, then we can get outta here!"