the view from the top [mod]

[katya]

Last night, they'd all decided that this would be a good time for a gym battle. Atlas was fully recovered from facing the noctus pokemon, and the others had been back up on their feet long before him. They'd all figured it was about time.

Volta had spent the past few days lurking at Featherwing Gym in her spare time, watching challengers come in and out. She'd listed all of Adelaide's pokemon and tactics, although she didn't have any more information than Griff had gleaned from talking to the other aspiring trainers staying at the pokemon center. Adelaide Hunter used flying types. They liked to fly. Griff probably could've figured that much out on his own by reading the plaque on the gym's front door.

Still, her first-hand account was valuable enough. He knew that she fought two-vs-two in single battles, and he knew her battle line-up, which meant it would almost certainly be Volta and Atlas fighting. The emolga and weavile's types were advantageous for this battle, although Atlas couldn't fly.

In the end, Griff brought his old team with him, leaving Garnet to babysit Bess back at the pokemon center. Sprite whined that he'd rather have the day to spend reading on his own, but the solosis' strong defenses and ability to float might make him a better choice than the weavile in the end. Sprite didn't disagree; he just liked to complain.

At the ground floor of Featherwing Gym, Griff took the lift up to the top. Griff wasn't exactly too sure what to do at this point, besides enjoy the view. To a boy standing by the lift, he asked, "Sorry, but do you know if the gym leader in?"

notes fluid time chronology thing: can I get exp for this before this fight starts? I'll list Griff's party details for this fight as soon as that's done~
tag mod

[| odysseus]

The boy—Gregory—stood idle as he awaited the ascending trainer to arrive. He was one of Adelaide’s various assistants she was switched each day, but his name always seemed to her. Losing focus, he began to wonder why this was. It’s not that his name was that difficult, he would even accept just Greg, but no. Her most infamous blunder was when she called him Gryffindor. She must have just recently watched a horrible Harry Potter movie and had it stuck in her head. Which also came as a shock, because the woman rarely ever sat still to do anything normal, much less watch a long ass movie starring wizards. Gregory only came to when the new guest broke his concentration. He quickly unclenched his fist and stopped grinding teeth, sighing, “Yeah, she’s here today. One moment, sir.” With a surprisingly soft whistle from the boy’s mouth, a timid Yanma came to his side. A sudden smile on the boy’s face, he kneeled down and asked, “Nini? Could you get Miss Hunter for this man?” Nini did a quick flip of confirmation before buzzing toward the top of the gym. The smile melting from Gregory’s face, he turned toward the strange, pink-haired man once more and said, “You may enter. Oh, and remember: It’s a one on one match, with only two of your Pokémon. God luck, man.”

As if it’d been choreographed, a woman clad in a tight-fitting jumpsuit fell from the sky. A height that would appear to kill any normal human being instantly. But as she reached the floor, it was revealed that she’d been hanging on to the feet of her two baby flying type Pokémon: Ready and Steady. “Thanks, girls! What a rush!” Gregory rolled his eyes and had to force himself not to comment dryly. His Yanma, however, was completely absorbed by the performance. This was why he’d urged Gregory into assisting such an acrobatic woman! Shaking her tousled hair Adelaide approached her required position before yelling, “Hey there, trainer! I’m Adelaide Hunter and I’m the queen of the sky‘round these parts! I’m assuming Chimney told you my gym’s rules!” The boy flinched and glared at his boss, but did nothing. Instead, he broiled in his distaste for her and thought nothing but unkind words. Completely unaware of her mistake, Adelaide gave a challenging grin and hollered, “Come on, Steady. You can go first!” The Starly happily left Ready’s side and flapped in front of her trainer, her beak held high in defiance. This was her chance to prove herself to Shikari the Pidgeot. Hopefully he was floating about somewhere!

[katya]

"Let's hope I don't need it," Griff said with what would've been a cocky grin if this weren't a gym. He wasn't nervous so much as he was excited, but all the same, his usual charming confidence held a hint of wariness, of guarded attention. He didn't want to underestimate Adelaide, but he wouldn't be here if he weren't certain he stood at least a fair chance of winning a badge.

Adelaide appeared with the style and panache of a genuine performer, and while her talent for showmanship was impressive to Griff, the stage magic behind her entrance didn't impress him at all. Street performers did much of the same when they had a friend to run about picking pockets. Griff had long been numbed to such spectacles, but nevertheless, he grinned and greeted her with a low, astonished whistle. "Sorry to drag you back down to earth," he called out, partly in jest, but also sounding actually sorry for the trouble, "but a trainer's got to battle, you know?"

“Hey there, trainer! I’m Adelaide Hunter and I’m the queen of the sky‘round these parts! I’m assuming Chimney told you my gym’s rules!”

No one named their child Chimney, and this came from someone whose parents named him Sunshine. Griff glanced at the boy and at his name tag. Amused, he met Gregory's eyes with a brief grin, a little flirty but not at all mocking, and then turned back to the gym leader. "Yeah, Greg already gave me the down low," he called back as he took his place at the other end of the arena.

The starly? Well, that was fine then. Pokeball in hand, Griff released Volta onto the field. The emolga appeared already aware and alert, perched on the ground still, but ready to spring up into flight if that would prove necessary. "Let's start this off then, Volta." There wasn't any need for orders; there was only one logical opening move in Volta's repertoire against flying types like starly.

Electricity crackled at her cheeks as Volta charged up an attack. With her body sparking in gathered power, she leapt into motion, rising into flight on her wings and racing towards Steady, fully intent on bull-rushing her over with a lightning charged attack.

(( OOC: Griff's two pokemon for this battle:
Volta ~ emolga lv13 ~ thundershock / quick attack / tail whip / charge / spark / air slash
Atlas ~ weavile lv15 ~ faint attack / taunt / quick attack / revenge / assurance / screech / avalanche ))

Volta used Charge and Spark!
lv13 ~ Static ~ thundershock / quick attack / tail whip / charge / spark / air slash