Contents:
Soki
Obvious exits:

A light rain falls from a grey sky. It's cool and there's a mild wind from the east. In the forest, raindrops patter against the fresh leaves, and glisten like silver beads on their bright green surfaces. The wet tree trunks have darkened from grey to brown. While at the coast, rain pitters lightly on the deep grey ocean, and the waves are small.

Rain! Can't live with it, can't live without it. ... Well, that's not precisely the mindset of the average fire pokemon, who doesn't drink much; the average fire pokemon thinks he or she'd do just fine living without it. Peppy is certain not 'average', but in this respect, he is; he follows that logic entirely. Huddling under the biggest tree in the area (and, thus, not in the clearing) is the fire pup, lying on his back and gazing up at the leaves. "Grrowlithe," he mutters to himself, cursing the rain for not the first time in the last five minutes. <If it's not snow, it's rain.> Bah!

Mandrake2 has connected.

It's a bright, happy, social occasion, and where is Ronin's mind? Elsewhere. There's no hope for this Sandshrew, is there? Perhaps, but not when there's a battle contest in the making. ...say, whatever happened to that? There doesn't seem to be as much hoopla being made about it as last time... perhaps because of the rain. Feh, wimps. A little rain and they refuse to fight? Some warriors... Ronin wouldn't mind fighting in the rain, just to have the advantage of tolerance.

Steve has arrived.
Tigerlilly has arrived.
Steve has left.

If Peppy at all remembers that today's supposed to be some kind of battle, he doesn't show it at all. Despite the little "Grrrowlithe"s than escape from his jaws every two minutes, he's almost completely silent, lying on his back (and looking rather goofy in the process!) and wishing that the rain would stop. <Maybe I should just take a nap,> mutters the dog to himself, completely ignorant to the fact that he went to sleep early last night and woke up about an hour ago. His tummy rumbles, and he glances at the clearing (though his vision is upside down). Are they going to have more food tonight? he wonders.

Ijou chooses a Arcanine!
Kinnouka has arrived.
Ijou has left.

Despite the somewhat damp atmosphere, the spirits of the pokemon in the valley are far from dampened. Indeed, anticipation of the first of several events to take place here is building, discussion centering on who's likely to win and what the prize will be. Interest only rises when the elder pokemon, who were absent on some errand of their own, begin to return to the clearing. An Ivysaur, a Butterfree, and a Raichu are present as yesterday, but this time they're accompanied by a Chansey and a Machamp.

One if by land, two if by sea, behind me I seem to be able to see! (Saving)

Soki, a.k.a. Ronin, is still sitting by himself, ignoring the rain. He's used to tolerating the rain, though. Hopefully it won't have that much of an effect on his performance in the upcoming contest. Ronin's worried that he'll need all the help he can get... he's just a Sandshrew, and his embarrassing defeat at the hands (figuratively speaking) of Naiad left a bitter taste still in his mouth.

Among the gathered pokemon is a large Arcanine, who lays beneath the cover of a leafy tree, body sprawled out on top of the damp ground. Other than grumbling about the horrible weather for such an event, the firedog remains silent for the most part, watching the new arrivals and the other pokemon in the vicinity. Kinnouka's fur coat is slightly covered with many small raindrops, but the canine doesn't complain about their residence on her fur for the moment. As the minutes continue to drag on, the dog opens her mouth widely and yawns, closing her eyes as she does so. "Arrrr..."

Another day, another rain. Springtime. Lying on his back, head relaxes on the ground, front paws tucked into his chest, Peppy is lying under the biggest, bushiest tree he could find, and is, as a result, not engaging in the hustle and bustle occurring in the valley. He's not sleeping, he's simply glancing up at the leaves and the sky. He's been sleeping for the past eighteen hours and doesn't need to take a nap. What he does need, however, is some food - battle nothing, where's the buffet? Glancing at the world upside down (and looking pretty silly in the process!), the puppy scans the area for any signs of something edible that isn't moving, apparently forgetting that his sense of smell is countless times better than his sense of sight.

Her overnight journey was long, but hopefully the fruits in the end will multiply above and beyond the seemingly dangerous trip she took away from her beloved trainer. The rain is welcome with open arms, the exausted Bulbasaur could use something refreshing right about now. After her conversation with the leader of Team Zenny last night, this Bulbasaur is on a mission. Of course for now, rest is more important. Due to being a bit shy she is back under the leaves of some shrub, watching with one eye opened.

The Ivysaur calls, <All right, everyone! We're going to be starting tonight's battle event pretty soon, so everyone who wants to take part, please come forward, all right?> The rest of the elder pokemon cluster around him.

Ronin hrmphs. Not part of his plan, but he'll have to go with it. Without a word, he puts down the small piece of quartz that he's been holding and draws a circle in the dirt around with with a claw. That thing had better be there when he gets back! After that, he heads over to the Ivysaur rapidly. Maybe they changed the rules...

Once the yawn is complete, Kinnouka returns to gazing about the area, but only to be interrupted by the Ivysaur's call. Immediately, the firedog's ears perk and she proceeds to look over in the direction of the announcer. Once the statement is complete, the Arcanine quickly rises to her feet, grunting slightly as she does so. Once she stands up, the canine leans forward a bit, stretches, and shakes her fur coat, ridding herself of many droplets of rain that are quickly replaced as soon as she leaves the protection of the tree. Kinnouka takes yet another glance about the clearing before quickly padding over to the Ivysaur.

The puppy's ear flickers as the Ivysaur makes an announcement, but Peppy initially rejects it. Battle? Peppy's a lover, not a fi... well... Okay. He's an eater, not a fighter. That having been established, the dog thinks for a moment, arriving at a conclusion. What if they serve food to the watchers? Or, even better, what if anybody who battles get a *big, huge* helping of food? Despite the fact that the puppy is lying on his own tail, it tries to wag a bit. The rain won't be fun to brave - but Peppy will do anything in the name of food. With a little "Gr... lithe!", the canine rolls onto his tummy and pushes up onto all four paws, and begins to make his way into the valley, flinching softly as the rain comes pourin' down. He doesn't seem completely unaware of Kinnouka and the Bulbasaur in the area - you can be sure he wouldn't be quite so inclined to waltz out into the open if he did.

Her ears perk at the Ivysaur's announcement. Her small mouth opens wide in a yawn, as she stands and stretches. Shaking out her limbs as she walks, Tigerlilly begins to make her way down towards the other elder Pokemon. Her eyes keep peeled, for that certain Sandshrew she saw so many months ago. Finally awake enough, the Bulbasaur pads quickly towards the center now. She is aware of the Arcanine, and the Growlithe. Battle? I hope I don't have to go up against those two. I'll loose for sure.

The pokemon look curiously over the four arrivals, then around at the other pokemon. <No one else?> the Machamp wonders, looking disappointed. <Well, I suppose this'll be enough. Lemme explain how this'll work. We'll pair you off and you'll battle until one of you takes three solid hits. The winners of each match will battle each other then, and the winner will get the prize. Do any of you have any questions?>

Ronin shakes his head. That actually sounds like the upper tier of the tournament back home. <No questions!> he says, trying to sound confident. Battles begin before they start, to put it oddly, and precombat intimidation is part of it. With some sidelong glances, Ronin starts sizing up the other arrivals. Two flame-types and a grass-type like Keeper used to be. Oh, boy.

At the explanation of how the battles are to work, Kinnouka practically gawks, her ears pressed back against her head. <Only three?> she inquires to nobody in particular, viewing the other challengers. <Pssh,> she explains, rolling her eyes to accompany her statement, <Remind me to never go out of my way to come here when all the little kids make it easier for them to win instead of the ones that are truely strong.> Once she finishes mumbling to herself, the firedog eyes the Machamp suspiciously.

Peppy is only paying about a third of his attention to the Machamp, and given the threshold of Peppy's attention, that's not very much at all. <Uh huh,> mutters the dog, peering back and forth, back and forth. <Where's the food at?> he asks himself softly. Those with good hearing or close proximity to the puppy might hear him, but probably not the Machamp - which is either a good thing or a bad thing. Peppy glances around even more. <Is it ov...> Blink. Peer. Stare. The puppy's eyes almost double in size, and his eyebrows almost levitate off of his face. He sputters, <That's... what... how..?> Yes, indeed; Peppy is now staring right at Kinnouka, mere feet separating one canine from the other. Suddenly, the tree seemed one heck of a lot safer.

Tigerlilly nods slowly as the instructions are given. That makes sense. When the Arcanine "Pssh"'s. Tigerlilly smirks. <What would be the point if only one of us was left standing. The rest having fainted?> While speaking, she looks the firedog over. Tough stuff. She then catches a glimpse of the Sandshrew. She looks him over closely. Could that be the one she is looking for. She slowly moves in its direction, not wanting to gain mutch attention.

The Machamp frowns. <If you're really as good as you think you are, a little handicap won't slow you down,> he tells Kinnouka. <Or do you need a magic stone to do your fighting for you?> The Ivysaur comments, <Okay, since we've got two firedogs, we'll split 'em up. Guess it doesn't matter who fights which... uhh, Ronin, you take the big one, and you,> he gestures at the Bulbasaur, <you take the big one. Be careful, okay?> he adds to the fellow grass type. He knows from experience how painful a burned bulb can be.

Ronin's wearing a circular medallion with a large Z symbol contained within it, on an elastic band that's around his neck. If Tigerlilly's been told about that, she ought to recognize the ornament easily. All physical description aside, Ronin nods to Kinnouka and starts to head for the appointed combat field. Oh @#$% is he ever in for it.

Tigerlilly's stats changes have been set to 0. She is ready to battle. Only a short glance is given in the Bulbasaur's direction as she speaks, and the firedog closes her eyes tightly, forcing herself to hold her anger. <Don't mess with me,> Kinnouka mumbles to the grass monster before glancing to Machamp as he comments on her situation. <What did you say?!> she demands of the other pokemon, turning around to face him straight on, ears flattened against her skull and her lips pulled back to reveal her teeth. <Watch it,> she snarls, <Unless you want to end up with zero arms, you better learn when to keep your mouth shut. At least I don't need fifty stupid limbs to help /me/.>

The attention Peppy gives the Machamp this time is virtually nonexistent. All of it is given to the giant Arcanine who gave Peppy about three weeks worth of nightmares and almost gave him a body of broken bones, to boot. Now would be a really, really, *really* good time to escape and hide in the crowd, because she seems preoccupied. Zip! Peppy spins right around and takes about two steps - before coming close to bumping into Tigerlilly in the process. <Whoops!> he woofs, barely avoiding crashing into the Bulbasaur as he comes to a halt. <Sorry about tha...t...> And his eyes widen once more. Oh, no. It's a Bulbasaur. It's a *Bulbasaur*! <Gaaah!> Peppy spins right back around - and sees Kinnouka once more. Glances over his shoulder. Sees Tigerlilly. Lets out a very, very loud whimper. He's been awake for an hour and a half, and it's already turning out to be a bad night.

Tigerlilly frowns at Kinnouka. <If you don't want to be here, leave. Your just a problem causer from the sounds of it.> She glances around for Peppy, who bumps into her. <Oh. Hi! I guess I'll be fighting you.> She blinks at his turning around back and forth. <Is something wrong, Growlithe?> Then she shudders at the wimper. <Something must be.> Deciding this Growlithe is going to need to calm down a moment or two before the battle, she runs over towards the Sandshrew. <Hey! You! I need to talk to you. Ronin!>

The Machamp frowns, stepping forward. <Threatening me is a good way to get ejected from this *Valley*, much less the tournament. You're the one who needs to learn respect.> Keeper the Ivysaur adds, <Hey, c'mon, this is supposed to be a *friendly* gathering. No picking fights, okay?> He notices Peppy's reaction to the Bulbasaur, but isn't sure what to make of it. <Uhhh, we'll have the first two battles at the same time. Two of you go over there,> he gestures to his left, <and two of you over there,> he gestures to his right.

Cue extreme take by Sandshrew in battle field. <Wha--?> he half-asks, half-exclaims. <How do you know my name?> He's positively certain that he doesn't know Tigerlilly. And at the moment, he's got a battle to fight. <We'll talk later!> he calls to the Bulbsaur, then heads for his designated field again.

One if by land, two if by sea, behind me I seem to be able to see! (Saving)

<And mocking me could easily get you to lose your head!> the Arcanine snaps back, her throaty growl becoming louder by the minute. At the interference by the Ivysaur, Kinnouka snort and turns around, head and tail held high. <Ooooh. Big, bad Machamp needs back-up!> she says in a sing-song voice, looking back to the fighting pokemon as she speaks. <And you should learn to defend the victim instead of the violator!> she calls out, looking straight at the Ivysaur, eyes narrowed slightly. With that said, the firedog snorts again and walks over to the area previously pointed out by the grass pokemon.

The Growlithe's right ear flickers. The slightest of smiles appears on the puppy's face as he notices at the Ivysaur out of the corner of his eye. Peppy listens to every single word. <Okay!> Yes! Someone must have heard his 'Where's the food?' question and they're letting him into the buffet! ... How does Peppy arrive at this conclusion? ... With Peppy, you never really can tell. Whatever the case, the puppy rushes over to the correct area as directed, spins around, and beams proudly. He's almost certain that Keeper is going to glare at Tigerlilly and say, '<Sorry, no Bulbasaurs allowed.>' Why is he so certain that this 'buffet' is going to be No-Bulbasaurs-or-Arcanines-Allowed? Doesn't seem to matter. The dog's tail wags enthusiastically. This is going to be great!

Soki's stats changes have been set to 0. He is ready to battle.
Peppy's stats changes have been set to 0. He is ready to battle.

Ayashii has arrived.

Tigerlilly sighs. <I bet if I told him he would stop what he was doing in a heartbeat. Oh well. I better get this battle with the odd firedog over with.> she doesn't want those evolved pokemon getting angry with me. Sighing she pads over to the battle grounds. Never having battled without command after command being given to her, this is an all new experience. <Growlithe. Are you ready to battle?>

Many pokemon are gathered in this clearing to watch a series of practice bouts between those few pokemon interested in competition-- but the angry words of an Arcanine threaten to make a fight break out for real. A Machamp, standing with an Ivysaur and a Chansey, sneers at the arrogant Arcanine as she trots off. <Right, you--> he says, starting to advance, only to be held back by the Chansey. <No! You need to set a good example,> she lectures him; the Machamp grits his teeth but doesn't further advance. Keeper, on the other hand, does walk up to the Arcanine, unconcerned by the type disadvantage. <If you don't apologize to the Machamp for being rude to him, you'll have to leave my forest,> the Ivysaur says. Ronin, it seems, will have to wait a moment for his battle. As there's nothing keeping Peppy and Tigerlilly from battling, though, the Chansey moves over to their area to play referee. <All right, battle hard, but stop when I say stop!> she pipes.

Ronin harumphs. More delays in the battle. The longer he stays out in this rain, the worse his condition gets. But if the Arcanine's ejected, he gets... something. He doesn't know what, but it spares him from fighting something more than twice his size. At the very least, the Arcanine has the same handicap as he does.

Dana has arrived.
Dana chooses a Hitmonlee!
Shiva has arrived.
Dana has left.

<What?!> the Arcanine exclaims once the Ivysaur approaches and practically commands her to apologize her for something she didn't even start. <You... you...! Ugh!> the firedog blurts out, left practically speechless by the several pokemon against her. Turning to glare at the Ivysaur, Kinnouka leans down to face the grass monster, speaking slowly and in a low voice. <Look. You're only defending him because he's your friend. If you were paying attention, you'd easily see that I said /nothing to/ that Machamp. I make an innocent remark to myself, he listens in on me, and then /insults/ me, I defend myself, and /I/ get punished. Sound fair? No,> she states, leaving no room for the other to talk until she's finished. <Now. I will apologize, but for a reason other than you pushing me around,> she mumbles, lifting her head up. <Sorry, Machamp!> she calls out in an emotionless tone of voice, not entirely apologetic, and not sarcastic.

Fwoomph. Everything just comes to a complete and total standstill. Time freezes. Sounds become completely mute. Peppy appears completely paralyzed, his only motion being his jaw slowly dropping. A few moments later, the Growlithe, part of him confused, part of him worried, part of him completely and horribly terrified, whimpers softly, <... Battle?> Terrible memories of past experiences with Bulbasaurs (all four of them with the exact same Bulbasaur, and all four of them resulting in extreme pain) come flowing back, and the dog's teeth clench. He backs up into a really, really poor looking defensive stance, shaking greatly. Oh, and the Chansey gets peered at like she's completely and totally crazy, too.

Tigerlilly rolls 1 die: <6>
Peppy rolls 1 die: <4>

Tigerlilly is lookg a bit perterbed by the scaredy Growlithe. This isn't going to be much of a battle. She sighs abit, this is going to be very very different. In her mind, she is listening for an attack. For her trainer to scream. "Alright Tigerlilly, VINE WHIP!". She doesn't hear a thing though. Knowing Steve would want her to do well, she goes into an offensive stance. <Alright, Tigerlilly!>, attempting to mock her trainer. <Vine Whip!> Her vines unravel, snapping into the air in a furry of cracks. One of them goes ripping through the air towards the Growlithe.

Grumbling unhappily to herself, a tiger-cat lays beneath a group of leafy foliage very near to Kinnouka's tree. Glaring at nothing in particular, save for the especially wet weather, Ayashii's attention is jerked to the present once her Arcanine companion begins speaking. <Wha?> Confused but intrigued, the Tigrynx rises to her feet, stretching, to pad closer to the arguing pokemon. <Kinn'? What's going on?> Ears pinned against her skull due to her disappointment with how the weather turned out for the event, Ayashii halts a few paces away, sitting with a curious flick of her tail.

At the moment, the pokemon in the clearing are gathered around three groups of pokemon, apparently getting ready for sparring sessions. To the left is a terrified Growlithe, a Bulbasaur who's talking to herself, and a Chansey watching the whole thing; to the right is a bored Sandshrew, an agitated Arcanine, and Keeper, the Ivysaur she's pestering. In the middle are a Butterfree and a Machamp, apparently just standing around.

Keeper sighs softly. <Just because he was rude-- and he *was* rude-- doesn't mean you get to be rude too. Anyway, you should know by now there's no such thing as fair. I figured you'd rather be kicked out than have him come over and fold you into a pretzel-- something I'd kick him out for, yes, but probably too late-- but as long as you don't cause any more trouble, I won't make you leave.> He turns to Ronin, comments <She's all yours,> and walks to the sidelines to observe their battle.

The Machamp scowls, folding his arms (twice). The Butterfree, on the other hand, notes Ayashii wandering closer. <Hey, do you want to fight somebody? There's a prize in it for you if you win.> He flutters over to the cat to hear her answer.

Ronin's ready to fight already! Come on! ...but he doesn't look it. He actually looks just a bit *too* relaxed. Kind've eerie, considering that he usually gets geared up before fights. Who knows what he's thinking?

Shiva makes a very late entrance, the environs of the Viridian forest something she's quite used to. The Hitmonlee is quiet as she pads between the trees, listening for the Pokemon Valley participants. Not as though they're trying to be quiet or anything...She arrives just in time for what looks like a fight, striding through the trees to reach her goal. Keeper gets a bow of respect, and the others get brief nods. They're generally too busy, anyhow.

Kinnouka's attention returns to the Ivysaur as he continues to speak and only once he's left does he reply to Ayashii. <Just several pokemon joining together to protect their friend who was putting his nose where it doesn't belong and getting me in trouble for it,> she answers with a snort, keeping her voice to a minimum so that only the nearby feline is likely to hear. With that said, the canine brushes past the Tigrynx and trots over to where the Sandshrew is. Once she has reached the field, she snorts and growls lowly. <Yah, sure -- get me in trouble for defending myself and then make me fight something that has an advantage,> she mumbles to herself, eyeing the Ivysaur suspiciously.

The only thing keeping Peppy from fainting is that his eyes are so wide, they're practically impossible to close. <Look!> cries the puppy, shivering greatly. <Maybe we can talk this out!> Pause, pause. <Over dinner, maybe?> His proposal is cut rather short, however, as the Bulbasaur launches her attack. A Vine Whip. "Lithe!" yelps the puppy, breaking out of his paralysis just in time to avoid getting smacked. Those things hurt. Peppy knows. The dog's ear's spring up from their previously drooped position, and the Growlithe glares at the Bulbasaur, growling as ferociously as he can out of the side of his mouth. "Grrrrrrrrr!" <You didn't have to do that!> he rumbles, his paws gripping into the soft, wet ground. "Grrrr!" Ah, and it becomes all too clear - he's using a Growl attack! ... Which doesn't help much in a battle lasting three turns, now does it? Dumb pup.

(At this point, Steve had to leave.)

Tigerlilly is recalled by Steve.
Tigerlilly has left.

Soki rolls 1 die: <2>
Kinnouka rolls 1 die: <6>

Ah, just in time for the fighting. Shiva looks at the participants already taken, approaching the nearest unattatched group of pokemon and bowing to them. <Does anyone care to match up? I've only just arrived, and I would not like to miss the battles. It's what I came for.>

Again, the Arcanine snorts and rolls her eyes before taking a step forward. <Hmph. 'course,> she mumbles, obviously not letting the fact go that she was paired up 'unfairly' in her eyes. She looks the Sandshrew over a few times. <Only three hits, huh? Phh.> She takes a glance over in the Ivysaur's direction, the Machamp, and then returns to look at Soki. <Even if I lose, which I won't, it won't matter, m'dear - unfair match up caused by being friends with the ring leader,> she notes, indicating the grass pokemon as she speaks. Once she finishes talking, the dog pulls her lips back to reveal her fangs, a low Growl rumbling in her throat.

Ronin "kuh"s. As he's said... intimidation relies on being tougher than your opponent, and right now Ronin's intimidated. But! He must keep his focus! He glares at the Arcanine menacingly. He needs all his focus in one place for this to work... suddenly, in one *Swift* motion, his arm makes a cutting motion across the air in front of him. Normally, this would look incredibly stupid at this range. But the danger is apparent when one considers the small spikes of energy now flying through the air at Kinnouka...

Raising an eyebrow, the Tigrynx listens with a grin to her team-mate's explanation. Giving an irked snort once Kinnouka makes her exit, the feline raises a forepaw to her muzzle to give it a number of casual licks, emerald gaze flicking over to watch the Arcanine square off with the Sandshrew. However, once she is addressed, Ayashii raises her eyes to the Butterfree. <Uh, yeah, I guess,> replies the cat as she stands, stretching once more. For a moment, the Tigrynx remains silent, mulling over in her mind several things; what the prize could be, for instance, and who she'd have to battle. "Ynx.."

The Butterfree brightens at Shiva, gesturing toward the waiting Ayashii. <Here's an opponent for you!> it suggests. <The two of you have fun, and stop when I say stop, okay?> With that, the Butterfree flutters upward a bit, so as to be out of the way of kicks and scratches. Shiva nods once, looking the Tigrynx over. Her trainer, Dana has been going on and on about these things. <Are you ready to fight, ma'am?> she asks respectfully, taking up a ready stance.

Ayashii has disconnected.

As the Bulbasaur and the Tigrynx abruptly bow out, the Chansey and the Butterfree look disappointed. Then they look at each other. A moment later, the Hitmonlee is being ushered over to the Growlithe. Problem solved.

Being busy Growling, Kinnouka is unable to pull back in time to avoid the oncoming attack. All of the stars hit her full on, and in an attempt to prevent any damage to her vision, the Arcanine dips her head down and closes her eyes tightly until the barrage of pain ceases. Once it ends, the firedog opens her eyes again and looks over to Soki. Grunting slightly, the canine straightens herself up before sprinting towards the Sandshrew, head dipped down slightly. If she manages to get close enough, Kinnouka will snap at the rodent in the Bite technique.

One if by land, two if by sea, behind me I seem to be able to see! (Saving)

And the clouds parted (though it's still raining). Lo, and behold, the Bulbasaur retreats from the match. Peppy can only blink. Before letting out a soft cry. A happy one. <It's gone!> howls the puppy, his tail taking off into action, wagging this way and that way, this way and that. The dog looks so cheerful that the Bulbasaur's gone - he looks sort of like he would if a truck carrying nothing but burgers crashed right in front of him and its contents spilled out. With this beam on his face, Peppy simply peers at the Chansey, asking rather happily, <Does this mean we get to have dinner n... ow... um.> Peppy blinks. And peers at the Hitmonlee, now being pushed and shoved into the arena. Peppy's lower chop quivers and his tail drops. <Not this again...>

Peppy rolls 1 die: <1> Shiva rolls 1 die: <3>

Ronin yipes as he's bitten in... the tail. He managed to get at least the majority of his body out of the way, but that's gonna smart for a while. He's in the perfect position, though... no time to delay! Press the attack, press the attack, press the attack! Ronin tries to focus all the rage he's felt in the past days into his claws. He doesn't care about charge... he's out of time! The Furious Swipes begin, unleashing the anger he's built up. It's an assault to the side at close range... that'll be hard to avoid, unless his timing's off.

Shiva bows low to her new partner. <Good evening.> The Hitmonlee bows to the judges as well, bracing herself in a ready stance. Her voice is surprisingly gentle. <We will start slow,> she says, pivoting on her heel and shooting one leg, then the other towards the puppy, aiming for the fluffy Growlithe's legs in a complicated looking Double Kick.

At the sudden clawed swipes at her side, Kinnouka quickly sidesteps, avoiding the paws that swipe at her. Thoroughly annoyed with the odd technique being performed by the Sandshrew, the Arcanine quickly takes a nimble jump away from Soki and lands not too far off. Once she's back on solid ground, the canine whirls around and lowers her head again, eyes narrowing as she glares at her opponent. "Arrrrrrr!" she snarls as she begins to charge at the rodent, intending to slam him down in a Take Down attack.

(And then Dana had to go. Arr, we're dropping like flies!)

Shiva is recalled by Dana. Shiva has left.

This is going poorly... Ronin's got to do something drastic. Before he can move, though, he's sent crashing to the ground. Okay, back to drasticism. It's time to... Attack by chucking some Sand at Kinnouka's eyes! Hopefully that'll blind her long enough for him to get away... and maybe stall her offense for a while.

After the attack connects, Kinnouka quickly moves away to prepare to evade any further attacks made against her. "Arrrrr..." she mumbles, glancing back towards her opponent and she quickly moves around to prepare for her next attack. At the sudden toss of sand, the firedog quickly pushes off from the ground with her hind legs and leaps over to safety, barely missing the Sand Attack. Once she has all four paws on the ground, the Arcanine turns about and charges at Soki, head lowered and maw open wide, trying to get another Bite attack in.

Keeper immediately steps forward, calling <Okay, stop!> Disappointed as he is that his friend Ronin didn't win, nonetheless he intends to treat Kinnouka fairly. <Good job,> he says. <Just take a seat and rest. Sorry about that, Ronin,> he adds.

Ronin could very well get his head taken off unless he makes one last, desperate move: <Stop!> he yells. Immediately he rolls away from the teeth, then concedes defeat. Cursing inaudibly, he goes back to his seat. <Some help you are.> he mutters at the piece of quartz, though without turning his head. Now why's he talking to a rock? Something to ponder another day.

Soki has disconnected.

A victim of circumstance. Or a victor of circumstance. Whatever the case, all Peppy's had to do was dodge two attacks and Growl angrily. This is all after putting up with extreme suffering through mental anguish of having to see not only the evil, evil Kinnouka, but face a (twitch) Bulbasaur, of course, but. The Hitmonlee's left the arena - and Peppy collapses to the ground, rubbing his forehead into his paws. Is this some kind of torturing they do to outsiders? Is he simply going to have to dodge one attack by every single pokemon in the valley until he's too exhausted to move, and then they gang up on him? This sort of makes him wish he had paid a little more attention to the Ivysaur. Glancing up at the Chansey, the puppy can only bark a fearful, <Am I done yet?> He's not even concerned with food anymore.

At the command to stop, Kinnouka slows down until she's no longer moving, ears pressing backwards in slight confusion. She peers at the Sandshrew as it rolls away from her attack and abruptly leaves, leaving her just staring at nothing in particular and blinking for a while. Once she's been informed of the outcome, the Arcanine's lips curl up into a wide grin and she lifts her head in order to howl loudly, seeming quite pleased with herself. "Arrrroooooooooooo!"

The Machamp doesn't look too thrilled with the result, but Keeper is, for the moment, in charge, and he's decided to treat Kinnouka as any other pokemon. <Well, congratulations. I guess we'll find out who won the other matches, and--> Hm. That could be a problem. It seems the rain has dampened the fighting spirit of many of the pokemon present, and they've taken off in ones and twos rather than continue to battle it. The only one left for Kinnouka to fight... is Peppy.

Peppy cringes visibly into his paws as he hears the howl, already certain that it's sealing his face. He's not going to walk out of this alive. He should have never left route 7! This a "Row grrrow!" of fright at the prospect, Peppy makes his way to all four paws, peering worriedly around. The rain is completely forgotten - it's been forgotten ever since Peppy saw Kinnouka here for the first time. <Fine!> the Growlithe barks angrily at nobody in particular. <You can torture me all you want... but I'm not going down without a fight!> ... He fails to add that there are exceptions, such as if a Jynx or Katerwaul is in the crowd. Then he really will just faint. Note that to the average listener, Peppy's little woofing fest makes absolutely no sense. Torture? And why does he sound so angry? Whatever the case, the little pup's trembling - fright? Anger? Adrenaline? You never can tell with Peppy.

Once her victory song is done, Kinnouka, still smiling broadly, shakes her coat out. She takes a glance over to the Machamp and smirks slightly before looking over to the Ivysaur, stretching out as he speaks. At the abrupt end to his statement, she looks away from him and over to the nearest tree with the most foliage for protection from the rain. <Yah, you do that,> she mumbles before walking over to the tree she chose with a little bounce in her step. "Ar, ar, arrrrooo!"

Keeper clears his throat. <Uh, you do have one more fight to go.> He gestures with a vine at the Growlithe. <Once you beat him--> presuming she does-- <you'll get your prize.>

Huff, puff. Huff, puff. The rain's humidity makes it difficult to breathe; of course, most wild pokemon know this, for what creature hasn't been caught out in the open when it begins to rain and has had to rush under a tree? Still, being out of breath isn't something Peppy's used to. It's such a bothersome feeling. The Growlithe, in the meantime, is basically ignored. His look of determination turns into the oh-too-common one of confusion. His erect tail loosens and wags softly. With the slightest of smiles, Peppy asks uncertainly, more to himself than anyone else, <... Is it over yet?>

As the Ivysaur speaks, Kinnouka comes to an abrupt halt with one paw in the air in preparation fro her next step. The Arcanine's ears flatten against her head and she closes her eyes. <Should've thought he'd make it harder for me,> she mumbles to herself. Opening her eyes again, the firedog turns around to face Keeper and looks in the direction that he points in. Once she sees her new opponent, she just gawks for a second, before pulling her lips back and snarling. <You!> she shouts out loudly, glaring at Peppy.

The various elder pokemon gather around to watch the confrontation between Growlithe and Arcanine, though the Chansey takes time out to tend to the Sandshrew's injuries. It looks like a real David versus Goliath matchup-- but the trouble is, David's remembered because he was the exception to the rule...

Peppy jumps. No, seriously, all four of his paws leave the ground for a second or two, and the nanosecond they touch the wet mud once again, Peppy is glancing in every single direction. Left, right, above him, underneath him, behind him - and, finally, right in front of him. Peppy just kind of blinks. And whimpers. And takes one step back - its initial intention is to cower, but once that paw hits the ground, the Growlithe assumes something more of a defensive position. It's not a very good one, granted, but it still... looks interesting. And if Peppy wants to stand any chance against his evolved cousin, he'd better do *something* interesting. <I...> He gulps here. <Said I'm not going down without a fight...> He doesn't sound nearly so strong and macho as he did before. The entire phrase is growled - the dog is clenching his teeth shut in an attempt to avoid chattering them.

As the other speaks, Kinnouka narrows her eyes even more and takes several steps forward, her glare on the young Growlithe puppy never ending. <How in the world did /you/ make it to this round?!> she asks, sounding about ready to ridicule Peppy. As she speaks, she continues to walk forward, her gaze not leaving the other firedog, and her attention focused only on him.

One if by land, two if by sea, behind me I seem to be able to see! (Saving)

Peppy has to mentally tell himself to breath. His paws grip the ground more fiercely, and he braces himself, even though there's still a small distance separating him from the Arcanine. <I don't... know!> the pup woofs (truthfully), trying to sound as tough as he can. He opens his mouth to bark something else, before realizing he really can't say much without it seeming like an insult or a cowardly submit. Of course, after standing there for a moment, jaw open, he also realizes that he can't just close it or he'll look like an idiot. So he asks the most innocent question his befuddled mind can make up: <What... are you doing here, anyway?>

Kinnouka snorts at the answer from the puppy. <Couldn't expect much more... And I'm here because I am. None of your concern. And I've made it this far, and you're my opponent, according to that Ivysaur over there,> she states, indicating Keeper with a nod of her head. <Now,> she says, still panting a bit from her previous match, <Let's begin, shall we?> Again, the Arcanine looks back to Keeper and then over in the Machamp's direction before turning to face Peppy once more.

Peppy rolls 1 die: <5> Kinnouka's stats changes have been set to 0. She is ready to battle. Peppy's stats changes have been set to 0. He is ready to battle. Kinnouka rolls 1 die: <2>

This can't turn out good! Either he gets knocked unconcious by the Arcanine, gets *killed* by the Arcanine, runs and looks like a coward, or, by some miracle of burger, beats up the Arcanine. Which would make the other fire type awfully angry and out to seek revenge. Peppy's about as lucky as he is intelligent; he's stuck in a lose-lose-lose-lose situation. That doesn't mean he's not going to just give up. Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out... and attack! Baring his teeth, Peppy springs off of his paws, moving as quickly as he can towards the Arcanine, hoping to pull off a Bite attack on the Arcanine when she doesn't expect such a sudden attack. Peppy can only hope he's fast enough!

As the attacking puppy springs towards he, Kinnouka quickly moves to the side, baring her teeth in a threatening manner to the Growlithe. "Arrrr..." Instead of going after her opponent and attacking right away, the Arcanine dips her head down slightly and narrows her eyes as she watches the other dog, a low Growl attack rumbling in her throat.

Peppy stumbles after missing his opponent with his Bite attack, and he comes darn close to tripping and falling on the ground. He rightens himself as the other pokemon starts her attack. Peppy's already frightened and intimidated enough - the Growl really doesn't do as much as Kinnouka might have expected. <Sure wish,> the puppy gets out between gasps, <I was sleeping.> Ahh, sleep. Fueled by anger of being deprived of sleep (what a strange place to get inspiration), the Growlithe scrunches his face up into a Leer attack, glaring as fiercely as he can at the Arcanine.

As the puppy begins his own attack, Kinnouka slowly ends hers, pulling her lips up into a smirk. <Don't look like that - your face might stay that way!> she shouts out loudly. <Here,> she says softly, and begins to run towards the Growlithe with her head dipped down, <Let me help you loosen up!> Her last word of her 'offer' is said sharply, and just as she does so, she leans forward and snaps at her opponent with the Bite technique.

Can Peppy help it if he's got a cute and fuzzy face? The Leer attack is cut off as Kinnouka makes a Bite attack, and the Growlithe yelps and jumps back, just barely escaping the clutches of the Arcanine's jaws. With a light little Growl, the puppy decides that his best shot would be to put some distance between himself and his opponent. With that in mind, Peppy unleashes an Ember attack, spitting up a medium-sized fireball directed right at the Arcanine.

Kinnouka is obviously taken by surprise as the ball of flames comes right at her, and is unable to move away and avoid the attack. "Arrrr!" she yelps as the Ember attack connects with her side, causing her to stumble backwards a few paces. "Arrr..." Once the Arcanine recovers from being hit, she turns her head to glare at the puppy, Growling lowly in anger.

>> Stats have been changed by Kinnouka.
The Growl affects Peppy's Growlithe.

This is it! This is not just Peppy vs. Kinnouka: it's wild vs. trained! Inexperienced vs. evolved! Testosterone vs. estrogen! ... And, in Peppy's case, it's life vs. death. Peppy exhales softly after his fire attack works, but the relief doesn't last for long. The Growlithe gulps insecurely, clenching his teeth at the Arcanine's Growl. She sounds angry - what if the fire attack got her angry? Okay. So she's got strength and aggression. What does Peppy have? An empty belly. What could he use? Speed! Using his nervousness as fuel, the puppy simply takes off like a light, attempting to make a wide circle around the Arcanine while moving as fast as he can - It's an Agility attack!

As the Growlithe begins to move around quickly, Kinnouka lifts her head up again and peers at the puppy with slight confusion. "Arrr..." After a moment of consideration, the Arcanine takes off after the running Growlithe, trying to get close to him so she can attack. As she tries to follow her opponent, she snaps at him in a Bite attack, snarling loudly as she does so. "Ar! Ar!"

This is like Indiana Jones. Peppy glances behind his shoulder... only to notice he's being chased. "Gro-o-owlithe!" <Aaaaaahh!> Suddenly fueled by fear, Peppy jolts ahead a step - just barely dodging the Bite attack. He can't run for long - too many burgers, too little exercise. Kinnouka could easily outrun him. So what does he do? Attempt to come to a halt (though the slippery ground might make that difficult), spin around, and dive straight at the Arcanine in a Take Down attack, attempting to use the evolved's own force against her! ... If this connects, he is going to wind up with one heck of a headache.

The sudden movement of the Growlithe surprises Kinnouka, and though she tries to prevent herself from continuing her run, the wet ground doesn't go along with her plans. Instead of moving out of the way to avoid the attack and fall to the ground nearby, the Arcanine manages to shift her weight to the side and attempts to take her opponent down with her as she begins her fall. Quite an odd version of the technique, but it's a Take Down attack nonetheless.

The Arcanine doesn't dodge! Yes! He's going to hit! He's going to - ... crash. Peppy's Take Down hits the Arcanine, yes, but it's like smashing into a brick wall. A brick wall that falls on you when you touch it. It hurts a *lot* - and a gasp and wheeze from Peppy help to show that. He can't even get enough air to yelp or howl in pain. It takes only two seconds for the Growlithe to pop out from under the Arcanine - but it's the most painful two seconds of his life. Dizzy, in pain, and completely out of breath, the puppy tries to get his wits about him and, trying to take advantage of the fallen Arcanine, he leaps forward and attempts to Bite her, now sort of angry. It hurts! A lot!

After the fall, Kinnouka struggles to get up and back on her feet, though she doesn't have much luck the first few tries. Luckily, she manages to gain her composure when the puppy snaps at her, and pulls away in time to just barely avoid the teeth of the Growlithe. Growling, the Arcanine manages to get her paws beneath her and counters her opponent's Bite with her own.

Peppy's Bite attack misses, but he's thankfully able to recover before Kinnouka's hits him. They've been doing a lot of dodging this match. However, Peppy keeps in mind that his fire attack seemed to work - it put a little distance between himself and his opponent, after all. Going on that, the puppy, still rather dizzy and not seeing completely straight, launches another fire-attack at Kinnouka, this time in the form of a Flamethrower.

After snapping at the Growlithe, Kinnouka pulls back and springs to her feet quickly. "Ar! Ar!" she barks sharply before turning about to face Peppy and beginning to run straight at him. As the flames flow towards her, she quickly pulls to the side, just barely avoiding the fire technique. She continues to run forward, trying to prepare herself for any more long-ranged attacks. If she manages to get close enough to the puppy, Kinnouka will try to slam into him in a Take Down attack.

The Flamethrower accomplishes almost nothing, and the puppy growls softly at its result. He doesn't have much time to grumble over it, however, as Kinnouka's moving into an attack - fast. Spitting out the rest of the fire attack in order to take a breath, the pup just barely gets his lungs full enough to dodge to the side - and he just barely avoids the evolved pokemon's Take Down. "Grrrrowlithe!" he growls loudly, his adrenaline pumping, everything else forgotten. He takes off, rushing at the Arcanine with her teeth bared - and, if he's fast enough, he'll attempt to catch up with her and chomp her as she's running! Bite attack!

One if by land, two if by sea, behind me I seem to be able to see! (Saving)

At the loud growl from her opponent, Kinnouka's ears perk and she takes a quick glance behind her, only to see the Growlithe hot on her tail. "Ar!" she barks sharply, swerving from side to side in an attempt to lose the puppy. After running for a little while longer, the Arcanine quickly whirls about to face the other firedog, and bares her teeth. She takes several steps forwards and Bites at the other canine, trying to either damage him or make him change his course.

Note to self: Don't give off your position by growling loudly before you attack. Peppy actually tries a couple of weak Bites, but none of them hit - the Arcanine is simply moving too fast. And then Kinnouka jumps into the same technique that Peppy tried earlier - being chased before stopping an attacking! Hey, it didn't work when Peppy tried it, so... With a small growl, Peppy jumps to the side at the critical moment, barely avoiding the Bite attack. He's in motion - Kinnouka's off balance from the Bite - it's time for a Take Down attack. Using his momentum, he leaps up at the Arcanine, paws extended, growling loudly, and attempts to simply use the fact that she's off balance to bowl her over.

Luck must be with her, for, involuntarily, the Arcanine stumbles backwards as her Bite attack fails, allowing her to avoid the Take Down attack by a hair. "Ar!" she barks out angrily, glaring at the Growlithe. "Ar! Arrrrr-arr!" she snarls, perhaps some sort of battle cry for it has no particular meaning. Once she regains her footing, the firedog tries to slam into the puppy again, retaliating with her own Take Down attack.

Peppy seems to have overestimated himself - he's completely forgotten that this is not an even match, and he's giving himself too much credit. And he pays for it - sent off balance from his missed Take Down attack, Peppy can only stumble once he hits the ground - and he doesn't come close to avoiding Kinnouka's own Take Down. Over nine hundred pounds of pressure smash into the puppy, and the dog can't help but scrape against the ground for about twenty yards before coming to a complete stop. His right cheek has started to bleed and he's dirty from muzzle to tail. But that doesn't stop him. Even though every bone in his body aches, he tries to get back up, keeping in mind that he is (or so he thinks he is) fighting for his life here. As she struggles to all four paws, he begins to Growl loudly, not only to try and intimidate (or, at the very least, impress and throw off) Kinnouka, but also because... dangit, it hurts to try and stand.

Kinnouka takes the window of opportunity to try and attack again as the Growlithe Growls, though she doesn't act the least bit intimidated by his efforts. The Arcanine turns to face Peppy again, panting from all of the moving around that has been occurring for a while now. After catching her breath, the firedog begins to run towards the puppy, though she stumbles at first, snapping at the air in front of her wildly. If she does manage to get close to the other canine, she'll try to Bite him.

All he has to do is stretch out his legs. But he's wobbling back and forth, and it looks like it's taking an incredible amount out of the puppy. Fortunately, he gets that exact bit of time he needed - Kinnouka stumbles. She recovers quickly and approaches, however, but that extra second of time was all the pup needed. He finally gets up on all four paws and takes a leap out of harm's way, avoiding the Bite attack by about an inch or two. Whirling right around, the canine growls rather loudly, uses a second to take in some oxygen, and rushes at Kinnouka. Assuming he can get close, his paws leave the ground at the critical moment, and he hurls himself through the air in an attempt to Take Down the larger dog.

Kinnouka sees no opportunity to escape and avoid the on-coming attack by fleet-footedness... especially since the puppy is coming straight at her. So she goes to her next idea in not running, but facing the attack head on and trying to retaliate with it. Snarling loudly, the Arcanine tries to move aside, but also try to hit Peppy with her side at the same.

His legs are too weak. His body's too tired. Peppy is simply in no condition to pull off a successful Take Down attack - and he doesn't. The pain comes in a complete, total, and unexpected rush as the Arcanine throws her body weight against the pup. Peppy hits the ground with a yelp, his head smashing pretty hard into the mud. A bit of the muck splashes up. Peppy doesn't even try to struggle up. His entire body aches. It hurts like nothing he's ever felt before - and he only has it in him to give the lightest little sigh before shutting his eyes and simply submitting to unconciousness.