In Her Image: a Pokémon RP

[Anayna]

"HOUNDOOM!"

"Let's make this a good battle Rupert!"

As Tom's Houndoom took the stage Rupert couldn't help but take a step back. The devilish dark pokemon scared him, perhaps even more so than Ryan's Mightyena. Cubone stood his ground though, still brandishing it's club. The sight of the small pokemon standing up to what made Rupert want to turn and flee inspired him just as much now as it had when he first got it.

Heh. Right you are, Cubone. We can do this. Besides, it's not like Houndoom is totally unknown to me. I did my research. I know it's weaknesses.

"Y-yeah! Just promise me that you will do your best, Tom!"

And with that the battle was on.

"Cubone! Show me your bonemerang!"

Cubone responded by hurling it's weapon straight at Houndoom, the bone club making whistling noises in the air.

"Cuuuuu... bone!"

 

[Shakomaru]

"Cubone! Show me your bonemerang!"

"Kalmia! I want you to make sure that doesn't hit you! Use smog as a smokescreen and jump out of the way!"

As the bone projectile flew closer The houndoom opened its mouth and started to release a dark purple fog.

"I hope this plan works..." Tom muttered under his breath as he watched what was happening.

 

[JdaS]

With Kalmia and Cubone out, the battle was finally underway.

Spoiler: Kalmia

Spoiler: Cubone

Rupert, somewhat uncharacteristically, started off the match by ordering Cubone to use Bonemerang. Within seconds the Lonely Pokémon had thrown its bone at the foe with amazing force.

Tom, however chose to counter by using Kalmia's Smog, a dark purple fog making its way to Rupert's Cubone, who was soon enveloped in the poisonous fumes. Being a Ground-type, Cubone didn't seem to take much damage from the attack. His throw accuracy did suffer, though and the bone whizzed past Kalmia's head.

Unfortunately, Kalmia left its guard down and as the bone began its return trip, it hit Kalmia in the side.

 

[Shakomaru]

Tom watched as Rupert's cubone struggled around in Kalmia's smog. However he cringed as his own Pokemon was hit on the bone's return.
"Kalmia, are you alright to keep going? We just need to poison his Pokemon, so it can take damage over time!"

Tom thought for a bit.
"I've got it! Alright Kalmia I want you to run up to the cubone, use bite and smog at the same time! You don't know poison fang, but we can improvise it!" now go! You're faster, you can get there before he can make a move!"

 

[Anayna]

As the bone smacked into the Houndoom's side it somehow still had enough momentum to spring back up in the air, zipping over the cloud of smoke that obscured Cubone. This is where Cubone jumped out of the fumes released by Kalmia, deftly caught his prized club and landed just outside the cloud. Cubone's eyes were reddish and watery due to the smog, and he did not look amused. His vision was definitely impaired and this meant that he couldn't land his all important hits.

"C-Cubone! Don't worry about it. Just take a minute to collect yourself. Focus. Use Focus Energy."

Rupert's voice was not quite as authoritative as he had intended, quivering just a bit too much. Cubone sent him a reddish glare in response. Clearly the Ground-type preferred a more direct approach in battle, not being overly fond of any move that didn't deal immediate damage. In response to his glare Rupert almost wanted to just back off, and let the Cubone do as it wished. Instead Rupert steeled himself and met his pokemon's stare.

Cubone conceded. He needed a few seconds to clear his eyes anyway. Under his skull mask he closed his eyes, concentrated and flexed his muscles, preparing for his next strike.

Rupert on the other hand was losing his new found confidence. He had not anticipated Smog. To have Cubone poisoned this early in the battle was certainly not part of the plan.

 

[JdaS]

While Cubone used Focus Energy, Kalmia was making a beeline for it. The Houndoom jumped, fangs at the ready and bit down on the Ground-type, who tried hard not to whimper in pain. Following its master's orders, Kalmia released the Smog while still attatched to its foe.

The toxic cloud hung in the air for a while as coughing and a bewildered howl could be heard inside. Slowly backing out of the cloud came Kalmia, with a pained look on its face. Due to a miscalculation on Tom's part, his Pokémon had fallen victim to it's own Smog.

The attack had worked, though only in part. Both Pokémon were now poisoned, with Cubone looking slightly worse for wear.

Spoiler: OOC

Beware kids! While I'm not saying that Ash Ketchum style combo moves are outright forbidden here, they'd better be damn well executed, or this could happen to you!

 

[Anayna]

The effect was unmistakeable. Cubone was poisoned and Rupert's plans were falling apart. Tom's improvised attack, although very clever, had backfired and poisoned Kalmia too but this seemed a small consolation right now. Rupert needed Cubone in the long haul for this match and the poison made this impossible. Rupert's mood soured. For a while he really though that he could win.

Rupert's dark thoughts were interrupted by Cubone stepping out of the dissipating smoke cloud. Cubone held it's head high despite the fresh bite mark adorning his small body and the venom coursing through his veins. The little fella almost looked downright majestic in it's stubbornness. Rupert felt ashamed.

That's right. This was never about winning. It was about doing right by your pokemon.

With a dapper tone and a strained smile the trainer said:
"Cubone... You know what to do."

"... Bone," came the answer.
Cubone then immediately launched another, hopefully empowered by Focus Energy, Bonemerang at Kalmia.

 

[Shakomaru]

"Sorry about that Kalmia, I didn't really know how that would turn out. Do you want to keep going for a bit, or rest for later?"

"Houndoom!"
Kalmia shook her head, but then winced from the poison.

"How about a quick rest then? Or just one final strike?"
At the mention of this reckless strategy Kalmia's eyes seemed to light up.

"Alright! Try your best to dodge that bonemerang and land one last bite!"
This time both the eyes of the trainer and the Pokemon flashed.

"Now GO!"
"HOUNDOOM!"

 

[Pappytech]

The one good thing about being the center of attention? You really, really learn to appreciate fading back into obscurity.

Matt made his way out of the tunnel, relieved that the crowd's attention was squarely focused on the current battle. From what he could see, it looked like Rupert and Tom were having a pretty intense fight; neither of them were giving up, and both were using some interesting move combos.

Making his way into the stands, Matt looked around for a place to sit. It didn't take long for the trainer to spot the cluster of his fellow hotel-mates (That's a term, right?), and he quickly began nudging his way through the bleachers.

"Wow, Remy, Daria, that was a good match! You guys looked great out there!"

 

[JdaS]

This was it. One of these Pokémon would be going down within the next few seconds. Kalmia raced towards Cubone with all of its might while trying not to pass out from the poison.

Cubone's bone left its owner's hand at what must've been record speeds. Mustering up all of its strength, Kalmia managed to again dodge the projectile, albeit only barely. Now, it was just a matter of taking down the prey and dodging the Bonemerang's return.

With a bone-chilling howl the Houndoom pounced on its prey.

DOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-OOOOOOOOMM!!!

OH MAN, CLOSE, BUT NO CIGAR! Houndoom's Bite missed its foe by mere inches!

That's right, Terry! Impressive dodge by that poisoned Cubone right there! That's what I call spirit! That Houndoom is no slouch either, lemme tell ya, amazing reflexes!

Cubone had dodged the attack and was at the ready to catch the bone on the return. Houndoom tried to brace itself to dodge the coming attack but, alas, it was weakened by the poison.

*SLAM*

AND HOUNDOOM IS DOWN! What's next for the boy from Pastoria?
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Meanwhile, in the podium, Remy and Darius were making sure Daria wouldn't go postal on the whole stadium.

"Hey, you okay? Don't let that stuff he said get to you. You and your Pokémon kick some serious ass. And they obviously respect you. Hell, he should see what I do with my guys..."

 

[CJ1145]

Lee then left and waited outside the building holding duskull's pokeball.

The other trainer, oblivious to the one he'd just left behind, slowly left the box.

Spiegel turned his eye, giving a chilling glare as it followed Lee's every step; his gaze followed the trainer until he was out of sight. Then, he turned back to look at Daria.

Daria slouched in her seat, eyes fixed on the ground. Spiegel poked her back a few times with his claw, but she didn't respond. "Char?"

Still not speaking, Daria stood, and took a step forward. Spiegel's eyes nearly bugged out of his skull as he dove forward, grabbing her hand with every claw he could reach with. That caught her attention; her head tilted upwards a bit, and then turned to look down at her right hand, now leaking a bit of blood. Spiegel looked mortified, and rapidly tried to blabber out an apology, but his yelps were mostly incomprehensible.

Then, Daria gave a low chuckle and put her uninjured hand on his head. "Relax, Spiegel. I just wanna get a closer look at the match, all right?"

Spiegel leaned back in seat, a guilty tear welling up in the corner of his eye as he obediently nodded his head. Daria grinned at him, and put on her shades as she went to the edge of the box and leaned over. She observed the match below, though it was difficult to tell to the others if she was actually paying any attention.

She was like that for nearly a minute, until...

AND HOUNDOOM IS DOWN! What's next for the boy from Pastoria?

She slammed her hand on the railing, and bit her lip. Remy didn't fail to notice this and spoke up.

"Hey, you okay? Don't let that stuff he said get to you. You and your Pokémon kick some serious ass. And they obviously respect you. Hell, he should see what I do with my guys..."

"Okay?" Daria asked, her voice warbling. She stood up straight, turned to face their "host" for the duration of the tournament... and immediately started ranting.

"OKAY?! You think I'm okay after that... that PITIFUL display out there?! The Houndoom HAD IT! Defeat, snatched from the jaws of victory, I mean, COME ON!" She threw her hands out in increasingly impossible motions to try and articulate her frustration. Spiegel shook his head slowly, turning his head away from his trainer. She'd be fine.

"Wow, Remy, Daria, that was a good match! You guys looked great out there!"

"Huh?" Daria asked, turning her head to see that Matt had appeared. "Oh, uh, hey. Thanks."

Before anyone present had a second to react, Daria had relaxed back into her normal self. She traipsed over to Matt's hand, shaking it vigorously before pulling him down into a seat beside her. "Sorry about your match!" she said. "Maybe you'll get a real fight next time."

 

[Shakomaru]

AND HOUNDOOM IS DOWN! What's next for the boy from Pastoria?

"You did great Kalmia. You did better than I could have ever hoped for. Now get a good rest and I'll have you back to a hundred percent in no time."

Tom smiled as the red flash faded as his Houndoom returned to its pokeball.
"Alright! It isn't my favorite strategy, but they say a good defense makes the best offense. So let's go Trapic!"

The pokeball burst open with the same double swirl engraved on it. Which exploded, leaving behind the shieldon.

SHIELDON!

Spoiler: Trapic

"Sorry about this everyone, but it's gonna get noisy in here! Trapic! Use metal sound!"

I wonder if that skull will make it echo..

 

[Anayna]

AND HOUNDOOM IS DOWN! What's next for the boy from Pastoria?

Rupert breathed a sigh of relief. That final confrontation had been far too close for his liking. Cubone looked a bit rattled too. Rupert could tell despite its mask. The Houndoom had been more than a worthy opponent. As Tom congratulated his Kalmia for its efforts Rupert wondered if he should use the opportunity to switch out Cubone. It was obvious that the little guy couldn't take much more. Despite this the stubborn Cubone made it perfectly obvious that it wanted more. Seeing this there was only one thing Rupert could do.

"Good job, Cubone! Just keep it up for a little while longer!"

"Cubone!"

Tom's next pokemon then materialized. The one he called Trapic. It let out a battle call unusually loud for a pokemon of its stature. Rupert's heart sank. In his mind this was the wild card of the match.

"Shiel... don?" Is that what it's called? I didn't manage to find any info on this one before the fight. Information on fossil pokemon is scarce. What type is that? Do I even have time to figure that out with Cubone poisoned?

"Cubone. Try a Headbutt."

 

[toobie]

After a quick but nitrious breakfast, Ryan headed to the arena. The day was packed with matches, which Ryan saw as a opportunity. Betting on the matches was a lucrative bussiness, and a great way of learning to anticipate someone's abilities based solely on their posture and their pokemon.

After winning a few and losing some bets, Ryan, with a now much higher disposible wealth, went on the see Rupert and Tom's match. It would be a hard match to watch, because he felt like cheering for solely one side would be unkind. He didn't want Rupert to lose, because the man had been nice to him and seemed like beneath the shyness and social anxiety he really did want to win, but neither did he want Tom to lose, because he was fun and pumped to do this. Losing this early on in the tournament wouldn't be fun for anybody.

Rupert had beat Tom's Houndoom, but it seemed he underestimated Tom's Shieldon. Shieldon were known to Ryan because he had seen them, as they were native to Sinnoh. They were hardy pokémon, and physical attack's would prove to be unusefull. At least, that's what Ryan thought. Maybe Cubone is strong enough? We'll see.

 

[JdaS]

As Trapic came on the field it immediately started doing an odd sound at its Trainer's behest.
The sound was causing discomfort not only to Cubone but to some of the more sensitive spectators in the stadium.

Cubone heard his master's orders and was off. As it sprinted towards the Fossil Pokémon it started lowering its head, skull helmet ready to take the impact. Trapic braced itself for impact...

*BAGONNNGGGGGG*

.......

The situation hung for a moment as neither Pokémon seemed to move, both head to head.

Then Cubone leaned back and tried to regain its bearings. It seemed a bit dizzy, in addition to the poison that was now pushing Cubone to its limits. Trapic, however, seemed unharmed.

Oohhh not the smartest move by Rupert Gravel there, eh Andy?

Hahahah! You can say that again, Terry. Being both Rock AND Steel-type, I doubt that Shieldon even felt an impact, hard-headed as Cubone might be.

Things were now looking grim for Rupert and Cubone. As the poison kept punishing Cubone, Rupert knew his partner could not take an other hit. It was fight or flight now...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"OKAY?! You think I'm okay after that... that PITIFUL display out there?! The Houndoom HAD IT! Defeat, snatched from the jaws of victory, I mean, COME ON!"

Remy looked at Daria for a second, dumbfounded. Then he let out a roaring laugh.

"PFFFT...HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHHAHAA! You really are something, you know that? Nothing gets you down does it? Haaa..." Remy sighed as he wiped tears from his eyes.

"That Rupert is really giving it his all down there. Taking down a Houndoom ain't all that easy. Those things are as vicious as they are loyal... But that Cubone ain't gonna last long."

"Wow, Remy, Daria, that was a good match! You guys looked great out there!"

"HEY! Thanks kid, you too... Even though, you know... You didn't actually get to fight. I'm sure you'll knock the next guy out!"

 

[Redryhno]

A piercing screech akin to strong nails on steel echoed throughout the stadium, reaching the stands and was a small annoyance to Darius and Knuckles. Daffy, however, was another matter.

"Pssyyyyyyyyyyy! Psy-psy-psy," he screamed as he grabbed his head and began rolling around in the stands, falling on Gemini and the popcorn,lashing out at the Staryu underneath it,"Psy-psy-psy-psy-psy-psyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!"

Darius dropped his pipe and rushed to pick up the pained Psyduck, who he then returned to his pokeball and sat back down beside his pipe and quickly finished the tobacco he had inside. He stuffed it once more before turning to Remy and Daria's conversation.

"Sorry about that, he's gotten his headaches under control most of the time, but one gets through every once in a while."

 

[Shakomaru]

*BAGONNNGGGGGG*

Tom cringed as the skull-faced Pokemon crashed into the shield-faced one.

I doubt that Shieldon even felt an impact, hard-headed as Cubone might be.

"They're right you know. Cubone might have that helmet, but it's nothing against solid metal. But anyway, I'm not going to go easy on you, so go get him Trapic! Use dig!"

Shieldon!

The shieldon quickly dove underground

"So Rupert, you're looking kinda frazzled. Where's your fighting spirit?"

 

[CJ1145]

Hahahah! You can say that again, Terry. Being both Rock AND Steel-type, I doubt that Shieldon even felt an impact, hard-headed as Cubone might be.

"Steel?" asked Daria, leaning out of her seat to get a closer look at the little Shieldon. From where she was, it was hardly even visible. She turned to Matt and asked, "You ever seen that kind of--never mind, I'll check it myself."

She stood up, and fished a strange device out of her back pocket. It snapped open, and its gleaming red case told the others that it was a Pokedex. Daria walked back to the railings, leaning over and reaching out with the Dex to try and get an inspection of the fossil Pokemon. Its screen lit up a bright white, and various little whirrs and blirps told that it was processing the information. Finally, an image of the beast came onto the screen, and an electronic voice described it.

SHIELDON - THE SHIELD POKEMON. THIS ROCK AND STEEL TYPE POKEMON LIVED IN JUNGLES AROUND 100 MILLION YEARS AGO. ITS FACIAL HIDE IS EXTREMELY HARD, AND IS HABITUALLY POLISHED BY RUBBING AGAINST TREE TRUNKS. IT IS WEAK TO ATTACKS FROM BEHIND.

"That so, huh?" Daria asked seemingly no one, pocketing the Pokedex as she slammed back down into her seat. "In that case, I can stop worrying!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms up into the air before letting them fall behind her seat. "Gemini can take it, no sweat."

She turned to Matt and gave a coy smile. "What about you, quiet kid? What kinda Pokemon have ya got?"

"Hya..."

"Huh?"

Daria looked over to see her Gemini lying beside her, its gem beeping from intense pain. Her face immediately went pale, and she dug into her bag to retrieve the Super Potion within. She began to spray the Staryu's injuries, practically cooing to the thing. "Aw, don't worry girl, mama's got it covered. How did this happen??"

Spiegel let out a growl of exasperation a few seats away.

 

[Anayna]

Hahahah! You can say that again, Terry. Being both Rock AND Steel-type, I doubt that Shieldon even felt an impact, hard-headed as Cubone might be.

Rock and Steel-type... Rock and Steel-type... A Shieldon is a ROCK AND STEEL-TYPE!?

As Cubone rubbed his skull that seemed to have gotten another crack, Rupert stood frozen in his corner with an expression dumber than the average Slowpoke's. He felt about as smart as one now too. The vapid look soon gave way to frustration as he pulled at his hair. The fact that he had just made a fool out of himself in front of so many people ate at him in the back of his mind, but his more immediate concern was that of Cubone. Cubone had been as bold as ever, perfectly willing to keep fighting even though it was on its last leg. And how had Rupert repaid it? By pulling a move as boneheaded as this.

Honestly!? What kind of amateur uses a Normal-type move against a Rock/Steel type? If you had just been a better trainer you would have known what type Shieldon is. Cubone wouldn't be in this mess. You should have used something like... like...

Realization slowly dawned in Rupert's eyes. Shieldon has a massive weakness against Ground-types.

"Cubone! Use your Boneme..."

It was too late. Trapic had already dug its way underground as per Tom's instruction. Tom was no fool. It was obvious that Cubone wasn't going to last much longer in its poisoned state. Using Dig had been a sound choice.

"So Rupert, you're looking kinda frazzled. Where's your fighting spirit?"

Rupert had an idea. "I... We'll show you fighting spirit. We have plenty to spare! Cubone! Use Dig yourself! Meet Trapic halfway there and make one final blow!"

Though visibly exhausted fire burned in Cubone's eyes at this notion. He used his bone to immediately smash open the earth and then dug his way in within seconds.

 

[Shakomaru]

"I... We'll show you fighting spirit. We have plenty to spare! Cubone! Use Dig yourself! Meet Trapic halfway there and make one final blow!"

"THERE YOU GO RUPERT! Keep it up! Trapic! Pop up, use protect, and once the cubone hits you, use take down! Do you hear me down there?"

Tom's smile seemed to grow larger and larger as the battle went on. He didn't want to lose, but he also didn't want to win quickly. Luckily Rupert still had his Haunter at full health, and Kusari was in top form as well. The battle was far from over.