Roleplay

[b]Cilan[/b] // Striaton City Gym “Welcome to the Striaton City Gym,” greeted the familiar green haired man, giving a polite bow to Carmen. “My name is Cilan. I like Grass type Pokémon.” Seeing as both his brothers were busy, Cilan tried hastily to compile their usual introductions so that the newcomer would understand what was going on. “Cress is my brother, and he’s the Water type specialist battling um, over there,” Cilan gestured to where Charlotte and his brother were having a gym battle. “Er... and the referee for that match is my brother too, his name is Chili, and he likes Fire type Pokémon.” “As for why the three of us, um, are all here, is... well, we are the Gym Leaders. Like I said earlier... you have to be prepared to face the type your Pokémon are weak to. Nothing personal... No hard feelings... Me and my Grass-type Pokémon will... um... we’re gonna battle, come what may.” As the platform was currently occupied, Cilan led Carmen over to the right side of the gym, where there was sufficient space to conduct another battle. Looking around the area, he called for any available person to help referee his battle. An old lady with graying hair on her temples stood up from where she had been enjoying a cup of coffee while looking at Cress' ongoing battle, and stepped up to the referee position. A Heatmor crawled out from uder her table and followed her closely, with powerful muscles shifting under lava-hot skin. "I am Veteran Tiffany and it will be my pleasure to referee this battle," she said politely. “Take your position on the red side here, on the left...” instructed Cilan, walking over to the blue side on the right. “And I’ll stand here, on the right.” The Gym Leader tried to steel himself for battle, taking out a Pokéball and giving a signal to Carmen that she should do the same. [quote]“So, um, if you’re OK with me, I’ll, um, put everything I’ve got into being, er, you know, your opponent.” Cilan was not great with his battle introduction; he was never as assertive as Chili nor as refined as Cress, but even if he was slightly shy, he did have an immense love for Grass-type Pokémon that carried him this far to be the Gym Leader he is today. The charm of these Grass types was exactly what Cilan would show his opponent. [center] [img] https://cdn.bulbagarden.net/upload/7/70/VSCilan.png[/img] [b]Carmen is challenged by Leader Cilan![/b] {Leader Cilan released Lillipup into the battlefield!}[/center][/quote] [center][b][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/rp/2887783]BATTLE THREAD[/url][/b][/center]

Darius Kollins
Location: Striaton City Gym

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Darius left the staff room with a brand-new Pokemon and a confidence in his step. He had a new Pokemon, one that could stand up to Fire-types.

{Darius obtained Litwick!
Species: Litwick
Nickname: ???
Gender: Female
Ability: Flash Fire
Nature: Calm
Item: /
Moves:
*Smog
*Ember
*Astonish
*Will-O-Wisp}

Darius ventured to the front of the gym, where he found a man waiting for him with a Fresh Water and instructions. Yup, basic type match-ups puzzle, a few gym trainers to beat, easy stuff. He's seen this all before.

The first curtain had the Fire-type symbol on it. Water-type panel. Easy-peasy, Darius thought.
The curtains opened, and Maxwell, the gym trainer with whom Darius had traded for the Litwick, stood on the other side. The waiter bore a grin on his face as he wordlessly sent out a Lillipup. Darius followed this up with the newly-acquired Litwick. Maxwell just shook his head and commanded the Lillipup to attack.

Unfortunately for the poor waiter, his Lillipup was no match for the ghost-type Litwick, and was quickly finished off with a couple of Embers. Even so, Darius felt a strand of tension between himself and the Candle Pokemon, which was natural, he supposed. Pokemon do not easily get used to new partners. Darius received Max's payoff and moved on to the second floor.
This waiter, who introduced himself as Sebastian, sent out a Purrloin. Darius eyed the feline Pokemon with slight distaste. Dark-types were strong, stronger than he had realized in the Dreamyard. He should probably start strong as well, he thought, sending out Thunder.

Purrloin was a little more difficult than the Lillipup, Darius noted. Thanks to Thunder's Compound Eyes, it was able to easily paralyze the Purrloin, but it was still agile nonetheless. Thunder managed to use Leech Life on it three consecutive times, however, and the Purrloin was unable to continue. Sebastian seemed impressed, Darius noticed.
The third trainer, a waitress, sent out another Purrloin. Darius considered using Thunder again, but instead opted to send in CV. The Grass Snake hmphed when she realized that she was out of her Pokeball, but when she turned to see her opponent, her expression turned from annoyance to one of contempt.

The Purrloin rushed the Grass-type, viciously clawing her. CV returned unprompted with a Wrap, followed by a well-timed Vine Whip. Tia raised an eyebrow at Darius. Either she was impressed with CV's willingness to jump into battle, or the exact opposite. Darius chose to think the former before jumping into commanding his partner Pokemon.

After a heated yet short-lived match, CV emerged victorious over the feline. She turned and looked at her trainer, her expression a mix of pride and anger. Darius sighed and recalled her into her Pokeball.

Before he could move on to the next level, the trainer quietly said, "There's some tension between you and your Servine. Your battling was powerful but unbalanced. I'd try to sort that out. I've seen similar conflicts blow up in a trainer's face, sometimes literally." Darius just nodded and moved on.
The final gym trainer Darius faced was a waitress that introduced herself as Lizzy before sending out a Pidove. When he saw the Flying-type Pokemon, Darius froze for a minute. Did he send out Thunder, who could paralyze it, or Litwick, which could probably take its attacks without blinking (most likely literally)?

Lizzy smirked. "You're stuck deciding which Pokemon to send out, aren't you?" Darius tried to pretend he didn't know what she was talking about, but she continued, "I told this to the first trainer that passed through today, but you've got to read a battle quickly. A moment spent considering your next move is a moment wasted. An experienced trainer knows to trust his gut feeling in the heat of the moment. There's a reason professional battles are so fast-paced."

Darius frowned and considered this a moment. Then, almost before he even realized, Thunder was on the field. "Thunder Wave!" he commanded.

The Pidove took the brunt of the attack and became paralyzed, sparks jumping across its wings. It barely managed to stay in the air, but stayed composed enough to launch a full-on aerial attack at it Bug-type opponent. Darius cringed as it struck the Joltik right on the head. As the Pidove backed off of its opponent for a moment, Darius could see that Thunder was unconscious. He called Thunder back, wondering if he had made the right choice in sending out Thunder.

Lizzy could obviously read Darius like a book, because she said, "The next rule of battling is that as long as it accomplished something, no choice you make is a mistake. Pidove was paralyzed, which will make it much easier for your next monster to take down."

Darius nodded and sent out Litwick. Lizzy raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything, instead commanding her Pidove to attack once more. This time, Darius was ready, commanding the Candle Pokemon to use Ember. Litwick responded sluggishly, but it was quick enough to hit the pigeon straight in the face. One more well-time attack, and the Flying-type was out of commission.

Lizzy congratulated Darius on his victory and directed him to the staff room, where Darius healed his Pokemon. From there, he headed into the final chamber, where the Striaton Trio awaited.

[b]Chili[/b] // [i]Striaton City Gym[/i] "Hey Challenger! Over here!" Chili waved Darius over and spied the last trainer of this group making her way through the gym trainers as well. "The Fire-type scorcher Chili --that's me-- will be your opponent!" While Darius took his spot on the other side of the field, Chili picked up his Xtransciever from his belt and hit the fast dial button for Clyde. "Hey man, I kinda p*ssed off Cress so could you come referee for a bit? I don't wanna have him passive agressive at me for two fights back to back. Thanks dude, you're awesome!" Not even a minute later, Clyde made his way to the referee position and waited for Chili's pokemon to be out. [quote]"Yeeeeooow! Time to play with FIRE!! I'm the strongest of us brothers!" Finally able to battle, Chili released his Lillipup into the field and grined brightly in delight. [center] [img] https://cdn.bulbagarden.net/upload/1/15/VSChili.png[/img] [b]Darius is challenged by Leader Chili![/b] {Leader Chili released Lillipup into the battlefield!}[/center][/quote] [center][b][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/rp/2887783]BATTLE THREAD[/url][/b][/center]

[size=4]Kyrin Solarflare[/size] Location: Striaton City Tagged: - [img]https://cdn.bulbagarden.net/upload/e/e5/627MS.png[/img][img]https://cdn.bulbagarden.net/upload/a/a5/531MS.png[/img][img]https://cdn.bulbagarden.net/upload/8/80/532MS.png[/img] ___________________________________________________________________________ Kyrin waved back to her teammates and wished them good luck before they went into the gym one by one. She didn't mind being the last, it gave her some time to get ready and let her Pokemon rest before the battles ahead. To be really honest, she didn't know what she was expecting, with it being her first official gym battle and in a foreign region no less. When her name was finally called, she found a man there waiting who gave her a bottle of [b]Fresh Water[/b] and briefed her on the process. That was greatly appreciated. Hearing his instructions and nodding along, she realised it wasn't that much different from Kanto - with multiple trainers to defeat before the gym leader themselves. "Okay buddies, here we go," she muttered to her Pokemon. Considering the Fire curtain for a second, she moved to stand on the blue panel and the curtain raised. She stepped through, not knowing what would be on the other side. [center][b]Waiter Maxwell[/b][/center] The first trainer, probably because he'd already fought her teammates, just sent out the Lillipup and waited for Kyrin to make a move. She panicked for a split second, not knowing which of her Pokemon to send out, but Ruffle lightly tapped her shoulder with his wing and flew out in front. Seeing her hesitation, Waiter Maxwell commanded Lillipup to attack. Ruffle used his flying to his advantage once again, zipping out of reach, and swooped down to deliver a Peck followed by a flurry of Fury Attacks while the Lillipup was getting ready for another attack. Eventually, Lillipup was defeated, and Kyrin let out a relieved breath as she got ready for the next room. She patted Ruffle on the head to thank him. [center][b]Waiter Sebastian[/b][/center] The second trainer sent out a Purrloin, and Kyrin nearly facepalmed. This Pokemon again! Ruffle was about to go, but Kyrin kept him back in his Pokeball and released Seraph instead. Even though she'd had Seraph for a while now, she felt that Seraph wasn't totally comfortable with her just yet, so she wanted Seraph to try battling. Purrloin was quick to attack, but Kyrin made use of Seraph's Baby Doll Eyes to decrease the damage and used Pound as many times as she could. Eventually, the battle ended, though lasting longer than Kyrin would've wanted. She patted Seraph's head apologetically, returning her to her Pokeball, trusting the Pokemon's Regenerator to heal her. [center][b]Waitress Tia[/b][/center] Kyrin was going to just walk into a wall when a Purrloin appeared yet again. She sent out Pines, a little apprehensively at first, but the Pokemon jumped into battle pretty enthusiastically. Even though the Purrloin was quick, it couldn't escape Pines' large whacky stick. A Focus Energy and a series of Pounds was enough to finish the Purrloin. She was glad for this battle with Pines, and he also seemed a little more friendly to her. [center][b]Waitress Lizzy[/b][/center] All her Pokemon had had a chance to go by now, and the last Pokemon - thank god - was not a Purrloin. Kyrin stood there for a few seconds, staring at the Pidove, and it stared back. The trainer gave an impatient noise, and Kyrin immediately jolted and started running her options through her mind. Being the owner of a winged Pokemon, she knew how they'd use their flying as an advantage. She swallowed, then released Ruffle. Both opponent trainer and her Pidove seemed stunned for a moment, maybe not expecting a rookie trainer to get a Victory Road Pokemon so early in her journey. Kyrin patted Ruffle to give him a boost of confidence, and then commanded him to Fury Attack the Pidove. The attack made contact, but Lizzy made Pidove use Gust, which knocked Ruffle off his flight path. Kyrin cursed inwardly. Pidove took this chance to attack, and Kyrin winced as Ruffle was disoriented. However, she realised that while struggling, Ruffle was trying to use Hone Claws, though not very effectively, but it was still something. Getting up, Ruffle used Leer to intimidate the Pidove, and Kyrin commanded him to use Peck then Fury Attack immediately. Though Ruffle didn't escape without injuries, they still managed to make it through. Kyrin was brought to the staff room, where she healed all three of her Pokemon and patted them to thank them for their hard work. She let them recuperate in their Pokeballs as she sat and waited for what was to come next.

Discord Chat Log Charlotte, Kyrin, Cress // @goblincat @starwindrider @dessy

---

Charlotte was feeling kind of light-headed as she was led to one of the tables in the battle room to sit down. Someone (probably noticing how pale she turned) gave her a glass of water.

She looked down at the badge in her (designer, brand-name) badge case. The badge case didn't mean anything to her with nothing in it, but now with one slot filled, the 7 empty silhouettes next to it gained more meaning.

Charlotte noticed Carmen was in the middle of her battle and Darius was being waved in on the battlefield next that she was just at. After him, Kyrin was being instructed to wait for her turn. It was very lucky that no one had been closely watching her battle, but she now has the chance to observe everyone else's

Kyrin saw Charlotte coming out of the battle area and brightened. Then she frowned, wondering why Charlotte looked so pale. She scooted over.
"Hello? Hello. Earth to Charlotte. How're you feeling?"

"Hurgk"
Charlotte choked on her water when Kryin sat down and tried to wipe her mouth.
"I'm fine," she paused, not knowing how to continue this small talk. But, she read in a book once that the best way to do small talk was to reflect questions back on the speaker. "And yourself?"

Kyrin awkwardly patted Charlotte on the back - at least she tried to, but then she wasn't sure if Charlotte was ok with that, so it became a shoulder pat instead. "Hmm, I just finished fighting the four trainers before. I think I just gotta wait here until one of the gym leaders agrees to battle with me." She glanced at Charlotte's newest badge. "Which one did you fight with?"

Physical contact. Hm. Is this what people normally do.

Charlotte ignored it and indicated towards Cress. "I fought the pretty one over there." She looked at Carmen and Darius preparing to fight the other two.

"He mentioned that this was a battle of type advantages, but none of the three gym leaders are electric or rock type. Did they tell you who you'd fight?"

Kyrin glanced in the direction of the person Charlotte pointed at. Hmm, rather interesting. "Type advantage? Oh, you're right, hmm." Kyrin scanned the battle area but didn't see a fourth trainer anywhere. "Nope. Maybe it's random." She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Or maybe not, because if it was, Cress might've come to let me battle him already." She glanced back and Charlotte with a grin. "How was battling Cress? I know you're doing mono type, and you still held up against water type!"

That was a good observation- the gym clearly had someone planned, because otherwise Kyrin would just fight Cress. This meant that it was safe to tell Kryin about Cress's fighting and not give her any advantage.

"He was a surprisingly offensive battler. I expected there to be more trickery, but Panpour especially went all out with Water Gun. It was definitely a weird switch to being forced on the defensive after being able to easily be on the offense for trainers who were out level on the road. Had to kind of...have a different mindset."

Cress approached the two girls at the table. "Bonjour mesdames, que voudriez-vous? Ah, you must be the last challenger," said Cress, regarding Kyrin. "Pleased to meet your acquaintance. My name is Cress, esteemed Water-type enthusiast."
"And congratulations on your victory," he spoke to Charlotte before continuing his initial request. "The restaurant offers refreshments for your viewing pleasure. We have Fresh Water, Soda pop, Lemonade. You may inquire about other options."

"Oh uh thank you," man it was so weird to have a gym leader also be a waiter. Was she supposed to have him serve her? "Uh it was a good fight. I'm honored to have your badge."

“That’s really cool,” Kyrin answered Charlotte. “I usually don’t have a strategy for battles, at least not yet, so it’s interesting that you do!”
Kyrin greeted Cress with a grin. “Hello, yep I am. My name is Kyrin!” She was a little confused when Cress talked about serving them drinks, and let Charlotte do the talking. Then Kyrin remembered a question. “By the way, Cress, will I be battling you? There doesn’t seem to be a fourth trainer...”

Charlotte looked down at her empty glass that she had been pretending to drink from this whole time to cover up awkward silences. "Can I please have more water?"

"Of course, it was my pleasure," Cress replied with a graceful bow. "And a very amazing strategy you had too, although the type disadvantage wasn't.. hmm.." he sniffed. "In good taste. But a very good battle nonetheless, to face someone as impressive as me."
Cress turned to Kyrin. "I hope today will be a special day for you, as your first gym challenge. As far as I know, you will not be battling me but my brother, Chili. He seems to be busy now, so you will have to wait."

"Fresh Water, your order is noted. That will be 200 Pokédollars. You will be billed later." The Gym Leader sent out his Panpour, already healed, and after instructing the Pokémon, Panpour skittered off to the corner, fetched a jug of water, and returned to the table. The Pokémon diligently refilled Charlotte's glass and waved at both trainers. "Anything else?" Cress asked.

Charlotte takes a real big sip

Kyrin glanced over Cress’s shoulder to see Chili battling Darius. “Well. Here’s to waiting for a while.”
At Cress’s question, she spouted out another question. “Do you guys- are you guys part time waiters? Or part time gym leaders? If you know what I mean.”

Cress looked at Kyrin. "We are both full-time Gym Leaders and waiters. Usually, we take care of challengers to the gym and provide the entertainment and refreshments necessary. There are other staff to backup as well, in case we are too busy. That happens far more often than we think..." Cress furrowed his brow. "It's a busy, but also a very fulfilling job. You could say it's a privilege to be served by one of the brothers."

"Yes," Charlotte agreed. "It's a huge privilege. Thank you Mr. Cress."

Internally, Charlotte was trying to jump through the mental gymnastics of reconciling that the gym leaders were in a really prestigious position but still worked a service job. Does that mean gym leaders didn't make as much money as she thought? How would she confirm that theory?

It definitely felt inappropriate to ask.

"You're very welcome," Cress replied. "I hope the glass of water was as refreshing as the battle we had."

Discord Chat Log Charlotte, Kyrin, Cress // @goblincat @starwindrider @dessy

---

“Ohh, thank you too Mr Cress,” she answered, mimicking Charlotte because she didn’t know what to say. “That’s very cool. Working as both a gym leader and a waiter, I mean.”
She glanced between Charlotte and Cress. Out of a sudden, Kyrin asked, “Cress, could we get your number? Like, the...” Kyrin tried to remember. “Xtranseiver thing. Yes. Unless it’s against the rules for Trainers to ask that from gym leaders?” She tapped her chin and glanced up at Cress with a grin.


"It's quite an impressive job," Cress smiled at Kyrin. "I very much enjoy it, especially when I get to battle with my brothers. There are times we conduct double and triple battles - the format we excel at, and it's rather spectacular."

The Gym Leader looked slightly confused at Kyrin's request, but continued smiling nonetheless. "Yes, you may have my number. Feel free to text me if you need advice, and only call, well... after morning hours."

{Kyrin and Charlotte received Cress' number!}

Asking for a gym leader's number.... How forward! Charlotte originally clocked Kyrin as a nice, normal girl but clearly that kind smile was hiding a shark underneath. She shouldn't have underestimated another trainer.

She looked back and forth from Kyrin to Cress. Her coy smile...it reminded her of how girls asked for her brother's number on the street.

Was that what it was? But the age difference! Charlotte covered her mouth. Kyrin was maybe a shark in a different way than expected.

“Thanks!” Kyrin thanked Cress, then sat back to watch the ongoing battle, completely unaware of Charlotte’s assessment of her. From her point of view, she just helped Charlotte get Cress’s number - and also got a gym leader’s number, so cool - so it was a win in her book.

This was her first time having another girl as a friend, but Charlotte knew friends had to be supportive of each other's questionable infatuations no matter what.

Charlotte leaned over to Kyrin when Cress was distracted, "you know.... Cress posts a lot of selfies on his public social media. I can, how do you say, 'hook you up' with some later."

Kyrin nodded slowly and thoughtfully. Personally, she didn't know the difference but she accepted it. After a while, she released Ruffle from his Pokeball and patted him absentmindedly. Ruffle chirped at Cress, interested to see this new person.

“That is correct!” Cress gushed, pleased that Charlotte started to speak about another topic he liked. “Fresh Water restores your Pokémon’s health as well. It is best served chilled, of course. We also serve water from the Abundant Shrine in northern mountains of Unova, said to be blessed by Landorus itself. It’s a popular menu choice here for nobles wishing to be endowed with good luck and prosperity.”

Cress was momentarily distracted as Cilan sent out his Pansage. He always found it fascinating to watch his brothers battle. That way, he would understand their styles better.

“Hello,” Cress greeted Ruffle. “A very fine Pokémon you have there, Kyrin.” He petted the bird for a bit. “Might you have any other considerations in your team? A water type would be a very elegant addition, in my opinion.”.

Ruffle seemed intrigued by Cress's hair, and flew circles around him. Kyrin tapped her chin thoughtfully and said, "Hmm. I'm thinking of getting a Cubchoo, I don't remember if that's Water though. I'll definitely consider getting Water, but I think the only one I've encountered is Carmen's Oshawott. Do you have any recommendations?"

“Amazing!” Cress exclaimed, playing along for a few rounds Ruffle flew around him. “Your Rufflet is a friendly one. Cilan’s Pansage is also very curious about other trainers.”

“But no-“ he shook his head. “Cubchoo is an Ice-type. I can see how you might be confused.”

He thought for a bit, taking out a Pokéball and sending out the Pokémon contained inside. A graceful bird with white, downy feathers and a long neck emerged from the light and crooned at Charlotte and Kyrin.

“This is a Swanna,” Cress introduced the bird. Immediately, Swanna took keen interest in Ruffle and flapped its wings at the smaller friend. “Skyla has one of these as well; a very remarkable bird, is it not? Although, since you already have a flying type, it might be a little hard to handle double weaknesses.”

“You could also consider a Tympole. Those are the easiest to find, or a Tirtouga, if you are lucky enough to uncover its fossil. Nacrene City would be your best option, and fortunately, it is also close to here!"

Oh asking about his interests. Letting him show off his knowledge. These were 1) all things Charlotte's etiquette book told her to do (Kyrin was clearly a natural) and 2) all things girls going after her brother did. Charlotte felt like she should be taking notes on the socially well-adjusted.
Kyrin's eyes went wide at the big Swanna. She thought Pidgeots were big, but this bird was quite the contender for size too. "Woah! Pretty Pokemon," she said, watching as Ruffle started investigating his new larger cousin.

She tapped her chin thoughtfully as Cress listed the other two. "Ohh, interesting!" She turned to Charlotte. "Nacrene is the next city, right? Maybe I'll try to find its fossil there. Do you think I should try?"

Huh? "Oh yeah, absolutely. Cause you love water pokemon, right?" Charlotte turned around and made eye contact with Cress when she said that.

Charlotte thought for a little bit, "A rock-type would also help Pines' flying-type weakness"

Cress blinked, not really understanding Charlotte’s logic in her question. “Well... It would of course make me happy if a trainer shared a similar appreciation for water types as I, Cress, does.”

“But that is a good point about Tirtouga’s rock type. Rufflet can also help Tirtouga by covering its grass type weakness.”

Kyrin thought for a while. Cress hadn't met Pines yet, but the advice was valuable regardless, and she thanked both of them for it.

"The only water type I'm familiar with is Lapras, but I bet you guys haven't heard of it." She addressed her words to both Cress and Charlotte. "It's from Kanto! Much bigger than Swanna. It's good for ferrying people across water, and the stronger ones can even tow small boats."

---

Upon hearing Chili's critique, Charlotte flipped open her Xtranceiver to rapidly type down notes. It made her nervous she couldn't fully follow his point, because why would be tell Darius that unless he was sure a low level trainer would be able to parse this level of strategy? Charlotte would just have to stay up tonight to look up what he meant so she could understand for next time.

[b]Cress[/b] // Striaton City Gym Cress looked very interested. “A Lapras! I heard of it, but I don’t have it myself. It is difficult to get foreign Pokémon into Unova, and I rarely get the chance to travel abroad with my duties as a Gym Leader.” He looked at Kyrin curiously and wanted to say more, but was interrupted by Cilan’s gasp and a temporary suspension of Chili’s battle. Moments later, Chili and Darius were heading off to the triplets’ house above the gym. Cress hadn’t paid attention to the battle once the topic changed to a Lapras, but he had a suspicion he knew what the dismissal was about. Catching the two Pokéballs thrown to him, he turned to Kyrin. “Alright,” All the interest vanished from his face, and Cress looked completely serious. Battling strong Pokémon way out of a trainer’s league was never something he endorsed. He thought the particular incident very fortunate for the trainers involved, if not extremely foolish. “There has been a change of plans. It looks like you will be battling me, Cress. Please come to this side of the field.” Recalling Swanna and Panpour, Cress led Kyrin past Cilan's fight and to the other unoccupied space of the gym. “A referee, please!” he called. One of the Gym Trainers responded to the call, walking quickly towards Cress and Kyrin. “I’m Waitress Tia!” she introduced herself, waving as she approached them. “Great work! You got to the Gym Leader.” Tia looked at Kyrin, smiling as she saw her previous opponent. She stopped near Kyrin before she passed, bringing an open hand to the side of her mouth. “Looks like you got on his good side too; he likes people who appreciate Water types.” Tia whispered and winked before running off, taking the usual referee spot between leader and challenger. [br] [quote]Cress was inspecting the two Pokéballs passed down to him by his brother. Upon deciding his lineup, Cress signalled to the waitress that he was ready. He turned his attention to Kyrin. “We had a very pleasant conversation earlier, but rest assured, my assessment of you as a Gym Leader shall be on fair grounds. So, Kyrin, demonstrate to me, Cress, the natural power of your Pokémon!” Cress tossed the ball into the air, the two halves splitting in shining light to reveal a Lillipup ready for battle. “Let us begin, then! En garde!” [br] [center][img]https://cdn.bulbagarden.net/upload/c/c6/VSCress.png[/img] [b]Kyrin is challenged by Leader Cress![/b] {Leader Cress released Lillipup into the battlefield!}[/quote][/center] [center][b][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/rp/2887783/4#post_44291614]BATTLE THREAD[/url][/b][/center]