The Entry

[LUKE DESTRO]

To those that would be seeing the Aniferna Region for the first time, Utoron City was definitely a grand place to start. The nearest 'airport' a landing bay on an island several miles out, tourists would be greeted above and below by a cerulean masterpiece. On a clear day, the soft, pale blue sky would shine brilliantly amidst an emerald ocean, made radiant by the texture of the common Tentacool just below the surface of the sea. Though the option for a speedboat existed for this trek, a new traveler to this land often took a slower vessel, a freight which also held the imports to the land.

Such was the case with the traveler from Orre: Luke Destro. From the journey, the researcher seemed a little 'unkempt' from his travels. At his young age of twenty-four, with brown eyes so light that they seemed 'red' in the sun, the white-haired man streched his arms as soon as he stepped out onto the dock. Wearing simple blue pants, tennis shoes with ratty laces, and a white button-down shirt with a screwed-up collar, this foreigner stuck out in more ways than one. Granted, this near the port, it wasn't uncommon to see a person without a soulmate, but...

Well, there was little time to dwell. Lugging a backpack in tow, Luke quickly walked inside a nearby building, to report to customs of his arrival. Thankfully, there wasn't much of a line, Luke collecting a clipboard from a receptionist, filling it out rather easily before handing it off to the customs officer, a Castform on the agent's shoulder.

"Let's see... passport, green card... no food to declare, one Skarmory... can we see your bag, sir?"

"Yeah, not a problem," Luke nodded, briefly passing the bag to the man, who briefly rifled through it.

"Well, you're good then... you know where you're going?"

"If not, I have more than enough maps from the airport. Take it easy, man."

With a nod towards the officer, Luke made his way out of the office, once more greeted with the fresh, salty air of the outside world. Thinking just how little of how he stuck out like a sore thumb in this city full of known Unifi members, he made his way down the boardwalk to the pavement, intending to take a small walk to get his land-legs.

[LILITH ALRAUNE]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,10,true][cs=2][atrb=style, background:#FFFFFF; width: 300px; height: 300px; border: 20px solid #000000; border-radius: 10px 10px 10px 300px, bTable; ] [atrb=style, width: 30px; vertical-align: top;][style= border: 8px solid #000000; width: 100px; opacity: 0.9; margin-left: -30px; margin-top: -55px; -moz-transform: rotate(-10deg); -webkit-transform: rotate(-10deg); float:left;][/style][tr][style=font-family: georgia; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -3; margin-top: -30px; line-height: 80%; text-transform: lowercase; color: #FFFFFF; text-align: right;]Daylight come and we don't wanna go home. Yeah so, we losin' control, Turn the lights low 'cause we about to get blown. [/style] [tr][atrb=style, background: #000000; padding: 8px; border-top: 3px solid #000000; width: 20px; border-bottom: 3px solid #000000; ][style=height: 400px; font: 10px Tahoma; padding-right: 10px; text-align: justify; width: 250px; color: FFFFFF; overflow: auto; margin-top:-10px;]Utoron always seemed to be so much more lively than anywhere else in Aniferna. She loved it--with so many people around, all who seemed to know just who she was? Lilith could have sworn that the attention was like a drug to her. She loved getting the questions, the looks of awe, and even the occasional challenge from some trainer who thought he was good enough. Silly little people, thinking they could stand up to her, the greatest in all of Aniferna? She wouldn't hesitate to flaunt that after a win, and even when her challenger tried to correct her, saying there were two that were better than her, she refused to hear any of it, saying she was, in fact, the best. She always was, and always would be. "Hey!" A voice calling behind her made Lilith turn around, having to gently brush her gigantic Soulmate out of the way to see the person calling out to her. Nero stepped aside easily enough, allowing Lilith to stand face-to-face with a man with a Bayleef at his side. "Lilith Alraune, of the Elite Four?" he questioned when he noticed that she had turned around. Upon hearing her name, Lilith smiled, holding up one hand. "That would be me~" she purred, "What do you want?" She clenched one fist, waiting for the words she knew were coming. He wanted to challenge her, just like all the others who called her out when she was traveling away from the League. "Battle me! I want to see just how strong I am!" /Why am I not surprised?/ she thought, glancing up at her Soulmate. /What is it with people wanting to challenge me outside of the League when no one seems to want to step foot in the league?/ /Probably because they're too lazy to actually gather all of the badges. Either that or they're so incompetent, they can't get all of them./ Nero's rough, baritone voice sounded in her head, followed by a taunting laugh from the massive Nidoking. /He's not worth my time./ "Very well! I accept your challenge!" the girl called, reaching for a Pokeball at her hip. "Are you okay with one Pokemon each? I want to get this battle over quickly~" Giving the man a derisive sneer, she watched the man scowled, his grip tightening on his ultra ball. Throwing it out, the man called the Pokemon's name, Rafflesia, and stepped back as said Pokemon, a huge Venusaur, was released. Looking around, Lilith noticed a crowd of people gathering, some of them being first-time visitors to Aniferna, without a doubt. Giving them a smile and a wave, she heard a cheer come from some of the people, making her grin. "Alright, Hadrian! Let's give all of these people a good show!" Lilith called, throwing her own Pokeball, releasing the large Scolipede. "Now, let's get this battle started!"[/style]

[style=width: 200px; margin-right: 30px; text-align: right; font-size: 9px; margin-top: -20px; color: #757575;]made by prism of ote and sgo~[/style]

[LUKE DESTRO]

Luke's peaceful seaside scene quickly turned into a fervor of excitement. As a teenage kid with a Wingull passed by, nearly brushing into Luke, the Researcher's stare broke off from the sea, looking up at a forming crowd in front of him. Well, this was interesting... what could be going on over there? Curious, and with some time to kill, Luke walked onward, pushing through the crowd to get a decent view of the scene. Breaking through the front, he saw two impressive-looking Pokemon, in front of their respective trainers.

Scolipede versus Venusaur... this already spells out a one-sided affair,[/color] Luke mused to himself. Really, how was this battle gathering a crowd-

"Man... the Elite Four's Pokemon are awesome..."

At the small voice, Luke glanced downward at a small child, no older than the age of five, at his left, a Riolu sitting on his shoulder. So enticed and impressed by the fight before him, the kid's eyes glowed with fascination... causing Luke to break out a small smile. Turning, he faced the fight once more, looking over at the Elite Four member.

Hell, now even Luke's blood was racing. The Colosseum and Sabrina were one thing, but to see an Elite Four actually battle? Not a participant of the league himself, this was something very rare to the medical Researcher. With keen red eyes, he began to focus on the scene before him...

Maybe he could learn something. Blocking out all cheers, all noise, everything irrelevant... briefly closing his eyes, Luke's vision opened, as if it was just himself observing the two Pokemon, and the two trainers. His face fell expressionless, his eyes darting to and from every detail, the terrain of the ground and the build of each Pokemon.

Now... how will they fight?

[LILITH ALRAUNE]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,10,true][cs=2][atrb=style, background:#FFFFFF; width: 300px; height: 300px; border: 20px solid #000000; border-radius: 10px 10px 10px 300px, bTable; ] [atrb=style, width: 30px; vertical-align: top;][style= border: 8px solid #000000; width: 100px; opacity: 0.9; margin-left: -30px; margin-top: -55px; -moz-transform: rotate(-10deg); -webkit-transform: rotate(-10deg); float:left;][/style][tr][style=font-family: georgia; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -3; margin-top: -30px; line-height: 80%; text-transform: lowercase; color: #FFFFFF; text-align: right;]Daylight come and we don't wanna go home. Yeah so, we losin' control, Turn the lights low 'cause we about to get blown. [/style] [tr][atrb=style, background: #000000; padding: 8px; border-top: 3px solid #000000; width: 20px; border-bottom: 3px solid #000000; ][style=height: 400px; font: 10px Tahoma; padding-right: 10px; text-align: justify; width: 250px; color: FFFFFF; overflow: auto; margin-top:-10px;]The sound of cheers for her and Hadrian were almost too much for Lilith. She loved the sound of support for her, and it wasn't doing much save for building her ego. "As the challenger, I'll give you the privilege of making the first move," Lilith called, the same sneer on her lips. She wanted this man to know he was out of his league, even with a Pokemon as big and menacing as Venusaur. Seeing how the man grit his teeth, she couldn't help but guess that her taunting worked. Now to see just how careless he was going to be... "Rafflesia! Sunny Day!" Lilith may not have seemed shocked, but she was definitely caught off-guard by the command. As she watched the sun brighten overhead and the temperature grow a couple degrees hotter, she knew very well what was coming. He was going to use the brighter sun to focus a Solarbeam in on Hadrian. Shame he didn't realize just how silly that would be. "Hadrian, Swords Dance!" Hearing the command, the Scolipede's bladelike antennae, tail, and legs began to glow white, growing slightly. He began swaying back and forth, each time making his glowing appendages grow that much more. She watched as the man smirked now, and that confirmed Lili's prediction. She prepared herself to give the command, right as the man opened his mouth to tell his Venusaur to attack. "Rafflesia, Solarbeam!" The Venusaur bent down slightly, the center of the large flower on its back glowing white. Lilith watched the center, counting silently, waiting for the right moment. As soon as she saw the beam about to fire, Lilith cried, "Hadrian, Steamroller!" The Scolipede curled itself up, charging the Venusaur right as the beam released. The large bug Pokemon rolled straight through the beam, scattering it as it did so, only taking a little damage as it slammed the Venusaur full-force. The large Pokemon reared back, stunned by the shock of the blow. "Now, Hadrian! Poison Jab!" The Scolipede wasted no time. Uncoiling itself, it aimed its tail at the Venusaur, the two blades glowing violet before being jabbed into the Pokemon's side. /Goodness, when will I get a suitable challenge?/ she thought, glancing over to Nero, who only shrugged his shoulders.[/style]

[style=width: 200px; margin-right: 30px; text-align: right; font-size: 9px; margin-top: -20px; color: #757575;]made by prism of ote and sgo~[/style]

[LUKE DESTRO]

The sight before Luke's eyes was definitely one to behold. Surely, he expected a grand performance from the Elite Four member in such a casual fight, even if the two Pokemon looked about evenly matched in level... but to see such a one-sided fight? Granted, opening a Solarbeam against a bug type wasn't the smartest move, but that Scolipede blasted through one of the strongest grass type moves with barely any effort, and with little deterrence, landed a bug and a poison move in quick succession.

Interesting... as the Venusaur fell, Luke glanced over at the Elite Four Member. Despite the cheering crowd, she almost seemed bored of the entire ordeal, as did her spirit. First observation... the emotion of the Soulmate generally matches that of the owner.[/color] Glancing down at the kid with the Riolu once more, his observation was confirmed, seeing both the Riolu and the child absolutely absorbed by the battle. Even the Bayleaf of the trainer who had lost was attempting to console the other trainer...

However, something different was boiling within the Researcher. Seeing such a power just wasn't enough information... no, he wanted to know more about the fighting style of this Elite Four member, just wanted to see what limits she had - oh, who was he kidding. Luke just wanted to test his own limits!

This 'trainer's soul' within Luke compelled him to step out of the crowd; standing nearer to the Elite Four member in the first place, it would be quite easy to get her attention. The unique red-eyed, white-haired foreigner decided to take his chance...

"Well, well well," Luke started with a grin, giving a nod towards the Elite Four member. "There just seems to be something about you that makes the crowd want more... what do you say to a round two?"

This was a common attitude between trainers, at least in Orre; and, at least by the evidence of the lack of an apparent Soulmate, it would be immediately clear that Luke wasn't an average local. Still, taking an old poke-ball to hand, he looked towards Lilith with a grin.

I didn't see much in that last fight... no, I need to push you more, so I can see your brilliance...[/color]

[LILITH ALRAUNE]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,10,true][cs=2][atrb=style, background:#FFFFFF; width: 300px; height: 300px; border: 20px solid #000000; border-radius: 10px 10px 10px 300px, bTable; ] [atrb=style, width: 30px; vertical-align: top;][style= border: 8px solid #000000; width: 100px; opacity: 0.9; margin-left: -30px; margin-top: -55px; -moz-transform: rotate(-10deg); -webkit-transform: rotate(-10deg); float:left;][/style][tr][style=font-family: georgia; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -3; margin-top: -30px; line-height: 80%; text-transform: lowercase; color: #FFFFFF; text-align: right;]Daylight come and we don't wanna go home. Yeah so, we losin' control, Turn the lights low 'cause we about to get blown. [/style] [tr][atrb=style, background: #000000; padding: 8px; border-top: 3px solid #000000; width: 20px; border-bottom: 3px solid #000000; ][style=height: 400px; font: 10px Tahoma; padding-right: 10px; text-align: justify; width: 250px; color: FFFFFF; overflow: auto; margin-top:-10px;]For some reason, the man seemed shocked that he had lost so easily. Returning his Venusaur, he stared, wide-eyed and open-mouthed, at Hadrian, who simply stood tall and basked in the crowd's cheers. Without allowing Lili to offer consolation to him, the man turned tail and ran off, his Bayleef struggling to keep up. Running her hand over her Scolipede's head as Hadrian skittered back over to her side, Lilith promptly returned the Pokemon, turning to the crowd. She was about to thank them for their support and take her leave when another man, a few years older than her, by the looks of it, stepped out of the crowd, approaching her. Nero immediately pushed his way between this strange man and his human, knowing very well that something was wrong. /I don't sense a Soulmate on him,/ he growled. /Unifi?/ /No, a Unifi wouldn't be so stupid as to parade around without a Pokemon./ Lilith replied coolly, gently brushing the large Nidoking aside to get a better look at this new person. /Are you sure you don't sense one? He might be a shifter.../ /I'm certain. He doesn't have one./ Nero replied, prepared to slam the silver-haired man with all his strength should he try something. /Then sit this one out, too. I don't want anything to happen to you should he actually be a Unifi./ Lilith said calmly, watching as Nero backed off, returning to his original spot behind the small girl. Reaching for another Pokeball at her hip, she flashed a devilish smirk at the man, winking. "For you, handsome, I'll go as many rounds as you like~" /...Really?/ Nero rolled his eyes, giving an audible groan. /Do you really have to flirt with everyone that catches your eye?/ Seeing Lili turn to him, about to answer, he held up one hand, shaking his head. /...Don't answer that./ Flashing a smirk at her Soulmate, she tossed her Pokeball into the air. "Drive the crowd wild, Julius!" she called, watching as the Pokeball opened to release the large black and red reptillian Pokemon. The Krookodile crossed his arms, looking rather bored at the whole scene, despite the crowd cheering and chanting his name. "Alright, cutie~" she spoke to her second challenger, motioning to the other side of the improvised battlefield. "You're up." However, despite her cool, obviously flirtatious exterior, she had her guard up. If he was Unifi, she wouldn't hesitate to make sure he was completely destroyed. And who better than Lilith of the Elite Four to deal the final blow to the scum of Aniferna?[/style]

[style=width: 200px; margin-right: 30px; text-align: right; font-size: 9px; margin-top: -20px; color: #757575;]made by prism of ote and sgo~[/style]

[LUKE DESTRO]

Nary a moment after Luke issued his challenge, the Elite Four's soulmate immediately stepped past the trainer, proceeding to give Luke a fierce look, a certain tense nature to this Nidoking as it eyed him up and down, as if looking for something. In these awkward moments of silence, even the Elite Four member seemed interested, brushing the Nidoking out of the way to get a 'better look' at Luke. The amount of silence was almost astounding... and yet no-one in his peripheral view seemed it odd.

Actually, several soulmates and more adept trainers of the crowd were giving him weird looks, some concerned but most defensive. Great... maybe this wasn't such a good idea... Luke gave a mental sigh, returning his attention to the situation. The name 'Unifi' meant only that: a name to Luke. He knew little else aside from the fact that they were a criminal organization in Aniferna; hell, ask any of these people about Team Snagem and they'd probably fall to the same fault.

Lilith, however, quickly regained Luke's attention, giving a smirk and a wink, accepting the man's challenge. The unkempt man returned with his own smirk... well, if she wanted to flirt...

"Don't get ahead of yourself; I only have one to go on," Luke winked back. Securing his Poke-ball, he made his way off to the other side of the battlefield. Turning, he saw the champion release a Krookodile... well, no going easy on this trainer, Luke figured. With a grin, Luke tossed his own Poke-ball into the air:

"Let's go, Blade!"

In a flash of red light, a brilliant Skarmory spread its wings... ah, it felt great to be out of that cramped little sphere! Glancing back at Luke, the bird bent down next to Luke, the human gently scratching at the scales at the back of its neck. "Alright, you up for a fight? Its a big one..."

With an affirming noise, the bird moved a few feet forward, briefly landing as it examined the Krookodile... well, as the Elite Four member had said, it was his turn... blocking out the scene once more, Luke's eyes focused solely on the battle at hand.

"Alright, Blade, start off with Autotomize!"

With a confident 'caw', the Skarmory beat its wings powerfully, pushing itself a few feet off the ground. As it did so, its wings glowed a faint white, the feathers changing shape, faint amounts of shrapnel falling against the ground as the bird entered its more agile form. Eying the Krookodile, the Skarmory kept its position, slowly gaining altitude as it waited for its opponent to act.

After all, if Blade had time to prepare, surely the Krookodile would want to close the gap somehow.

How will she respond to this... I wonder...[/color]

[LILITH ALRAUNE]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,10,true][cs=2][atrb=style, background:#FFFFFF; width: 300px; height: 300px; border: 20px solid #000000; border-radius: 10px 10px 10px 300px, bTable; ] [atrb=style, width: 30px; vertical-align: top;][style= border: 8px solid #000000; width: 100px; opacity: 0.9; margin-left: -30px; margin-top: -55px; -moz-transform: rotate(-10deg); -webkit-transform: rotate(-10deg); float:left;][/style][tr][style=font-family: georgia; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -3; margin-top: -30px; line-height: 80%; text-transform: lowercase; color: #FFFFFF; text-align: right;]Daylight come and we don't wanna go home. Yeah so, we losin' control, Turn the lights low 'cause we about to get blown. [/style] [tr][atrb=style, background: #000000; padding: 8px; border-top: 3px solid #000000; width: 20px; border-bottom: 3px solid #000000; ][style=height: 400px; font: 10px Tahoma; padding-right: 10px; text-align: justify; width: 250px; color: FFFFFF; overflow: auto; margin-top:-10px;]A Skarmory? Lilith gave a grin at the challenge she was presented. And this was why she loved Julius as much as she did. The Krookodile could handle Pokemon like that while her other Pokemon fell short. He was her trump card--the one she went to when she wasn't sure what to expect. And since he didn't have a Soulmate, Lilith couldn't make any predictions until she knew just what she was facing. Seeing the Skarmory begin rising up into the air as a result of the Autotomize, Lilith smirked, knowing she had the upper hand in this matchup, even if it didn't seem apparent. Giving a little giggle, she gave her Pokemon the command. "Alright, Julius!" she called, pointing up to the Skarmory. "Smack it down!" The Krookodile snorted, pressing its body down to the ground, watching the Skarmory rising up into the air, before he pushed up on the ground with all four legs, leaping up into the air, quickly catching up with the Skarmory. Swinging his massilve tail, he brought it down, ready to catch one of the Skarmory's wings and have the creature plummet to earth once more. Lilith, seeing Julius effortlessly executing the plan she had so meticulously practiced time and time again, couldn't help but shiver with delight. She was going to prove to this person, Unifi or not, that she was the best, and she was not one to be trifled with. /He walked right into that one, didn't he?/ Nero asked calmly, staring up at Julius and the Skarmory in the air. /Didn't he mention something about that being his only Pokemon, too?/ /Exactly. So once that flying hunk of scrap metal is groundbound, there's no turning back. Julius will have him,/ Lilith replied, a vicious grin on her lips. /You're merciless,/ Nero replied, a similar grin forming on his visage. /I would expect nothing less from my human./[/style]

[style=width: 200px; margin-right: 30px; text-align: right; font-size: 9px; margin-top: -20px; color: #757575;]made by prism of ote and sgo~[/style]

[LUKE DESTRO]

Luke's grin quickly contorted to a biting of the lip as Krookodile made its move. Speed enhanced or not, Skarmory would be far less effective while grounded... though the Elite Four member would be making a mistake if she just assumed that Blade was going to take this lying down! Just hang in there a little while... if we're going to do this, we're gonna have to deal damage back to it!

"Its in your turf! Brave Bird!"

Viciously eying the airborne ground type, the Skarmory immediately followed Luke's order, without thinking it weird or reckless... trusting the trainer completely in his decision. Charging forward directly towards the Krookodile, the bird gave off an intense blue aura, flying full force towards the Krookodile... directly at the base of its tail!

If all went as planned, as the two attacks would collide, the Skarmory would attempt to dig the horn of its head in as it would ram against the crocodile; in the next instant, as a hunk of metal, the bird would crash behind the Krookodile. Loudly squawking, the bird would roll itself back on its feet, grounded, quickly turning around to face its adversary. It was Luke's hope that Skarmory's sudden forward attack would cause the Krookodile to fall off balance; at the attack angle, maybe it would fall on its front side, facing away from the bird.

Right now, Blade is nearly twice as fast as Krookodile... grounded or not, powerful or not, if Krookodile can't get up to face him, Blade can win this![/color]

If the attacks from before connected... it would all come down to this moment. "Come on, Blade..."

[LILITH ALRAUNE]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,10,true][cs=2][atrb=style, background:#FFFFFF; width: 300px; height: 300px; border: 20px solid #000000; border-radius: 10px 10px 10px 300px, bTable; ] [atrb=style, width: 30px; vertical-align: top;][style= border: 8px solid #000000; width: 100px; opacity: 0.9; margin-left: -30px; margin-top: -55px; -moz-transform: rotate(-10deg); -webkit-transform: rotate(-10deg); float:left;][/style][tr][style=font-family: georgia; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -3; margin-top: -30px; line-height: 80%; text-transform: lowercase; color: #FFFFFF; text-align: right;]Daylight come and we don't wanna go home. Yeah so, we losin' control, Turn the lights low 'cause we about to get blown. [/style] [tr][atrb=style, background: #000000; padding: 8px; border-top: 3px solid #000000; width: 20px; border-bottom: 3px solid #000000; ][style=height: 400px; font: 10px Tahoma; padding-right: 10px; text-align: justify; width: 250px; color: FFFFFF; overflow: auto; margin-top:-10px;]Lilith had expected to have this battle won the moment Julius hopped into the air to smack the Skarmory down from the sky. She certainly didn't expect the Skarmory to charge him outright! Gritting her teeth, Lili's smirk faltered for a second, but the calm, confident facade was built up again, even though she was seething, grasping for a solution to the Skarmory's Brave Bird. She knew Julius was more powerful. She knew he could take a Brave Bird from a Skarmory, even at such a close range. It would hurt, that was for certain, but it wasn't a huge worry. She was more concerned about what the Skarmory's next move would be once it was grounded. As she watched the Skarmory collide with Julius, she saw the pair tumble in the air, both plummeting straight to the ground together. "Make sure you land on your feet, Julius!" Lilith shouted, hearing her Krookodile give a growl. As they got nearer and nearer to the ground, Julius attempted to wrestle free from the Skarmory, finally freeing himself right at the last moment. As the pair crashed, Julius landed, just as Lilith commanded, on his feet, his eyes locked on to the Skarmory. "Alright, Julius!" she shouted, "Finish it off! Fire Fang!" Red-hot flames formed at the back of the Krookodile's throat, seeping forth through cracks in hips half-open mouth. Lowering his head, he charged the Skarmory, opening his jaws, ready to clamp down on the Skarmory and finish the match. /He's clever,/ Nero commented, staring at the man on the other side of the battlefield, though his expression did not seem to change. /Clever or not, he will fall to me,/ Lilith replied harshly, her eyes narrowing at the grin on her face growing in the slightest. /Because then we can be friends instead of bitter enemies.../ /Even if he's a Unifi?/ /Of course not! No, if he's one of them, I'll let him live to see another day if he loses~/[/style]

[style=width: 200px; margin-right: 30px; text-align: right; font-size: 9px; margin-top: -20px; color: #757575;]made by prism of ote and sgo~[/style]

[LUKE DESTRO]

"Tch..."

It landed on its feet?! In one fell swoop, Luke's only sound strategy fell out, unable to follow through against the superior Pokemon. It seemed that the Elite Four didn't joke around... but, there was still one option left. To throw tactic to the wall, to use Skarmory's speed, and leave the entire battle down to roughly a one-percent chance.

But that's all it takes... one lucky move and I'll win...[/color]

As the Skarmory clambered to its feet, it briefly made eye contact with Luke, out of the corner of its eye. For this one moment, the two were in absolute sync in this desperate situation. Even Nero, so observing of the human, would see it: the absolute desire to not give up in this fight. With a grin on the edge of Luke's face... wait, a grin? What was the human up to?

"Its all or nothing! End it with a slash!"

With the Krookodile incoming, Skarmory followed Luke's order precisely: holding one wing back, Skarmory focused, the feathers realigning itself so that the wing formed a vicious blade. Unlike other 'normal' moves, slash had a rare power: to occasionally bring out the absolute power of the Pokemon to its fullest.

For all practical purposes, both Luke and Skarmory were putting the entire battle to chance: the chance of a critical hit. With the damage from the sped-up Brave Bird from before combined with this... there was a chance.

With Krookodile incoming, the speed-enhanced Skarmory wasted no time: immediately, it swept its broad, sharpened wing right against the Krookodile's torso, attempting to grab as much 'meat' as possible with the blade. If it hit, it would put the Skarmory right in immediate range of the Krookodile's teeth, directly in the range of the fire fang, unable to dodge as the crocodile would crunch down. However... should slash bring out its absolute fullest potential, there very well may not be a bite coming at all.

"..."

If it happened, the crowd would fall silent in that moment. Could this random person without a Soulmate actually pull it off?

[LILITH ALRAUNE]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,10,true][cs=2][atrb=style, background:#FFFFFF; width: 300px; height: 300px; border: 20px solid #000000; border-radius: 10px 10px 10px 300px, bTable; ] [atrb=style, width: 30px; vertical-align: top;][style= border: 8px solid #000000; width: 100px; opacity: 0.9; margin-left: -30px; margin-top: -55px; -moz-transform: rotate(-10deg); -webkit-transform: rotate(-10deg); float:left;][/style][tr][style=font-family: georgia; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -3; margin-top: -30px; line-height: 80%; text-transform: lowercase; color: #FFFFFF; text-align: right;]Daylight come and we don't wanna go home. Yeah so, we losin' control, Turn the lights low 'cause we about to get blown. [/style] [tr][atrb=style, background: #000000; padding: 8px; border-top: 3px solid #000000; width: 20px; border-bottom: 3px solid #000000; ][style=height: 400px; font: 10px Tahoma; padding-right: 10px; text-align: justify; width: 250px; color: FFFFFF; overflow: auto; margin-top:-10px;]He just didn't give up, did he? This newcomer was starting to get annoying. He really was. Lili frowned again, this time more annoyed than shocked, as she watched the man give his Skarmory another command. Even though the bird was grounded and no doubt seriously injured from the Smack Down and the crash into the ground, he was still able to carry out orders so easily? Huffing slightly, Lilith watched as the steel bird's blade-like wing whistled through the air, coming closer and closer to her Krookodile's torso with every passing second. An idea came to mind, one that would be risky, but if Julius could pull it off correctly, it would mean an easy win for her. "Julius! she called, Aim your Fire Fang for it's wing!" The Krookodile heard the command and, making a quick last-second adjustment in his charge, barely avoided having the blade slash straight through his belly, instead taking a cut on the side of his long snout before clamping his red-hot flaming jaws down upon the Skarmory's blade-like wing. /That Skarmory's done,/ Nero commented calmly, his visage expressionless. /There's no way he could survive that. He put up one hell of a fight, though. You can't deny that, Lili./ /I wasn't going to, Nero~/ Lili replied calmly, crossing her arms, a smirk returning to her lips. /But he should have known better than to challenge me. He put up a great fight, and he's definitely a worthy opponent, but you just can't defeat me~/ /Of course, Julius took some hits, too. You'll need to bring him by the Pokemon Center right after this. It probably wouldn't hurt to let the nurse look at Hadrian, too./ Stepping back a step, Nero crossed his arms as well, watching the battle draw to a close. Julius seemed to be tired, and it was obvious that he was suffering, but he seemed proud of himself. Being the newest addition to Lili's team, and thus, the weakest of her Pokemon, he held up very well. Clenching her fists, Lili watched with bated breath, ready to watch her opponent's Pokemon fall. He couldn't survive that attack. He just couldn't...[/style]

[style=width: 200px; margin-right: 30px; text-align: right; font-size: 9px; margin-top: -20px; color: #757575;]made by prism of ote and sgo~[/style]

[LUKE DESTRO]

Perhaps it was inevitable, but the attempt was worth a try, at least. Instead of feeling the wing slam into the Krookodile's gut as the Skarmory expected, Blade instead found his swing overextended, grazing the edge of the croc's snout near the end of the blade. In the next instant, it felt a searing pain as the Krookodile bit down on its wing, hot fire-element fangs piercing through it steel.

The moment the Krookodile would let go of the bird, the Skarmory collapsed in a heap, breathing heavily. Carefully-yet-quickly, Luke moved to the bird's side, the weak bird looking at Luke's expression with soft eyes. After a moment, the researcher gave a small smirk. "I'm proud of you, buddy. Go ahead and take a rest." Taking brief note of the injuries, Luke recalled the metal bird, giving a sigh as he re-attached the ball to his belt.

Taking a deep breath, Luke's 'battle focus' faded, the unkempt researcher opening his eyes to the crowd around him. Many were still giving him stares, some actively discussing how his 'soulmate' was in a Poke-ball despite that being an impossible case. Unlike the last one-sided battle, there was a moment of silence after this exchange; sure, their 'Elite Four' had beaten the 'outsider', but it didn't just come with a simple stomp as it had against the Venusaur.

Luke took advantage of this silence, giving him time to introduce himself to the worthy adversary: "Well, I have to admit, you pretty much outclassed me there," the silver-haired boy noted with a chuckle. Glancing towards Nero for a moment, Luke gave a small grin, before offering his hand to shake to the superior trainer. "The name's Luke Destro."

For the moment, Luke left it at that. No, he wasn't hiding anything, but he didn't want to pretend that the other trainer was interested in his life's story, where he came from or anything like that. Sure, if she wanted to ask, he would answer, but why be so off-putting at the start? And besides...

Dang, she's cute...[/color]

Oh, if only there wasn't a crowd of adoring fans... maybe they could have a moment of peaceful conversation at the Pokemon Center. After all, they were both going to be headed off in that direction anyway... speaking of which...

"So, um... which way is the Pokemon Center in this town?"

If that didn't explain why he didn't have a Soulmate...

[LILITH ALRAUNE]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,10,true][cs=2][atrb=style, background:#FFFFFF; width: 300px; height: 300px; border: 20px solid #000000; border-radius: 10px 10px 10px 300px, bTable; ] [atrb=style, width: 30px; vertical-align: top;][style= border: 8px solid #000000; width: 100px; opacity: 0.9; margin-left: -30px; margin-top: -55px; -moz-transform: rotate(-10deg); -webkit-transform: rotate(-10deg); float:left;][/style][tr][style=font-family: georgia; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -3; margin-top: -30px; line-height: 80%; text-transform: lowercase; color: #FFFFFF; text-align: right;]Daylight come and we don't wanna go home. Yeah so, we losin' control, Turn the lights low 'cause we about to get blown. [/style] [tr][atrb=style, background: #000000; padding: 8px; border-top: 3px solid #000000; width: 20px; border-bottom: 3px solid #000000; ][style=height: 400px; font: 10px Tahoma; padding-right: 10px; text-align: justify; width: 250px; color: FFFFFF; overflow: auto; margin-top:-10px;]And it was over. Lilith couldn't help but feel a wave of relief wash over her, knowing very well that the way the trainer had his Pokemon trained, it could have spelled the end with a couple lucky blows on his end. Stepping onto the field, she watched as Julius released the Skarmory's wing, dropping onto one knee, obviously suffering from the Brave Bird and the crash into the ground. Kneeling down, Lilith put her arms around the Krookodile, embracing it and planting a kiss on the top of the Pokemon's head. "You did amazing, Julius," she whispered softly, "Don't worry, I'll make sure you're back to your old self in no time~" With that, she returned the Pokemon, standing up to the sound of cheers from many of the onlookers. Despite it not being an overwhelming victory as her first battle had been, it was a victory nonetheless. Waving to the crowd, she then turned, seeing her opponent now standing nearer to her. As he mentioned how she outclassed him, she felt her ego blow up, and she couldn't help but agree. /Yes, I did outclass him, didn't I~?/ she asked, noticing Nero grinning, his arms still crossed. The Nidoking had to admit, he was impressed with the man's fighting style, and knew very well that, if Lili wasn't at the top of her game, the fight really could have gone either way. /Of course. Few can outclass you,/ the huge Pokemon replied, nodding. Watching the man extend his hand to Lili, he almost went to step in between the two, just in case he wanted to try something, when Lili shot him a glance, making him relax. "Oh, but you did such a good job, I must admit!" Lilith replied kindly, with what appeared to be a genuine smile on her face. Taking the man's hand in both of her own, she added, "Having your Skarmory charge Julius head-on like that while he was in the air? I would have never thought of such a thing! You are a very clever strategist~" When he introduced himself, Lili's smile grew, "Lilith Alraune, but you can call me Lili~ It is a pleasure to meet you, Luke." With that, she released the man's hand, listening to his question about where the Pokemon Center was. Turning around, she glanced down the Boardwalk, toward the center of Utoron City. "It's that way," she said simply, before turning on her heel, her eye still on the man behind her. "I can take you there, if you'd like~" With that, she and Nero began walking at a leisurely pace, watching as much of the crowd began to scatter, going back to doing whatever they had been doing before. "And then after we get our Pokemon healed up, how about I treat you to lunch? You deserve it, being the first worthy opponent I've had in a while~"[/style]

[style=width: 200px; margin-right: 30px; text-align: right; font-size: 9px; margin-top: -20px; color: #757575;]made by prism of ote and sgo~[/style]

[LUKE DESTRO]

As Luke moved to approach the Elite Four member, the Nidoking-soulmate once more shot the researcher a fierce look, acting defensively around his partner. To the researcher, this was something that struck him as both odd and interesting; to the trainer with a Bayleef soulmate, Nero gave no ill reaction, at least as far as he could tell in the fight. At the very least, Nero made no effort to defend Lilith from the rest of the crowd.

Does the lack of a Soulmate truly cause this reaction? I hardly believe this is a genetic behavior of Soulmates... no, I'm missing something obvious here.

With Nero held off for the moment, though, both sides allowed their moment of thought, Luke gave a small smile as Lilith took hold of his hand, giving him a compliment as she did so. "Well, whatever you say, but it was my face in the dirt at the end," Luke gave a chuckle and a nod, accepting the gist of the Elite Four's compliment. To be recognized by such an impressive trainer;that in itself was quite an honor!

With Lilith releasing Luke's hand, the researcher gave a nod as she introduced herself. "Well, its nice to meet you, Lili," Luke smiled, seeing himself on such good terms with the other trainer.

First name basis already... yup, she's definitely flirting with me.[/color]

Soon after, Lili pointed out the direction to the Pokemon center, asking for Luke to follow: "Ah, that would be a great help, thanks." Following Lilith, Luke quickly matched pace with the Elite Four member, walking beside her as she led onward... and... lunch?

"Ah, sure, why not? Heck, you beat me, why don't I treat you?" Luke gave a grin, quite serious about this offer.

Always offer to pick up a lady's bill, after all...