The Spectacular Arrangement (Battle/Amanda)

[Tanya Christianson]

Once again, Tanya was stretching. It was more of a necessity now than it used to be before. It was routine and doing it made her feel comfortable and in the zone. Tanya didn't really care about what others thought of her practices. She continued to stretch, working out all the aching parts of her body as she mentally prepared herself for the battle.

"I look forward to our battle." Tanya called out, moving her hands to the pokemon she wanted to use and released them. Christopher, Nicholai and Derrick appeared on the field. Christopher crossed his arms and looked condesendingly over towards Amanda. Meanwhile, Derrick stood proudly on Tanya's right, occasionally glancing over towards Nicholai in order to make sure he didn't do anything rash. Nicholai in the meantime was content to leer at Amanda, trying to intimidate her.

"There are my pokemon. Choose yours and get ready to battle."

Pokemon Using: Christopher, Derrick, Nicholai

[Amanda Dupomme]

Amanda mimicked the other girl, stretching to get herself loose and limber for the practice battle. It was a new thing she did now, even her usual wardrobe had been replaced by a more physically friendly gym uniform. As she brought her hands down to her sides, she couldn't help but allow her fingers to trace her palms, feeling the rough scars that had formed on them.

She narrowed her eyes, remembering the last time she had battled before today. How she had practically fallen apart and left it all to her Pokemon. Amanda had hoped that was a feeling that would never have had to be felt again after her battle against the Pinsir. Yet things were now worse than ever.

Tanya had been nice enough to accept a challenge, though. So once again Amanda found herself facing her friend on the battle field, this time intent on getting far more out of it. The feeling didn't seem to be on her part alone, as Tanya had already release a group of three battle-hungry looking Pokemon. One of them trying to intimidate the blonde, no less!

A twist from her scarred palms released three Pokemon of their own, the lights from the Pokeball breaking into solid matter before her: revealing her team.

Team
--

''May you have a good battle!'' Amanda declared towards her opponent, making a motion for Muddy to take the field.

''If you do not mind, the first move shall be mine! Muddy, use Ice Beam!''

---

Marshtomp used Ice Beam! 90 Base Power! Special Ice Damage! Roll 1 for Freeze. 

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[Tanya Christianson]

She let Amanda take the first move, sending Christopher out onto the field. Tanya knew that he had the highest defenses on the team that she had made. Tanya always enjoyed watching Christopher battle. He had this air about him that seemed really cool. When he went onto the field, Christopher confidently strode, showing no fear as he looked across to the enemy team.

Tanya noticed the Duskull. While his mask was cracked, she looked away from the pokemon. She still didn't get over how that Duskull treated her after the incident with Amanda. She didn't know when she was going to forgive the pokemon, but right now she obviously voiced her discomfort by crossing her arms and glaring at the pokemon.

Tanya smiled when Amanda gave her first order though. She seemed to be learning and was glad to know that she was trying out movesets. Christopher looked rather displeased when the attack hit, frowning angrily as he stood his ground. By the time the attack subsided though, the Servine flourished his hand, looking only somewhat injured by the attack. He still stood strong though, looking at his opponent with an ice cold glare.

"Let's show them what we can do! Giga Drain!" Tanya commanded, uncrossing her arms and then slicing through the air with her right hand. Christopher turned his back to the opponent. Crossing his arms confidently, he let out a huff as green tendrils shot towards the Marshtomp, with the aim to ensnare him and suck his energy. On Christopher's end, he looked over his shoulder, smirking snidely at his opponent.

Action: Christopher used Giga Drain! No Rolls Necessary.

[Amanda Dupomme]

Grimacing, Amanda couldn't help but recall her previous battle against Tanya, and much how Muddy had struggled against Christopher. The Servine had been well trained, and unfortunately for Amanda, was quite defensively capable. Although she had taken the time to train her Pokemon in a wider variety of moves, it had seemed that evolving had shifted the favor entirely towards Servine. The Ice Beam hurt him, but the dual weakness Marshtomp had made him particularly susceptible to Grass Moves.

Amanda's Pokedex beeped, though she didn't have to look at it to know the situation. The Giga Drain had reduced Muddy to a fragment of health, healing all the damage his Icy blast had done to begin with. It was all she could do, however: as the Marshtomp struggled to stand, Amanda pointed to the Servine.

''Use Ice Beam again! Freeze him solid!''

It was a lucky shot, it would work, or Muddy would lose.

---

Muddy used Ice Beam! 90 Base Power! 2X Weakness Bonus! 180 Special Ice Damage!

Roll 1 for Freeze.

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1-10

[Tanya Christianson]

Tanya was surprised to see that the Marshtomp was still standing. She thought that the attack would've knocked out the opponent in a single strike. No matter though, Tanya would just have to improvise. Still, since the attack did so much damage, Christopher healed off nearly all the damage he took from that last attack. It seemed he didn't look too happy about having to be attacked again though.

"FInish off the opponent with another Giga Drain!" Tanya ordered, swishing her finger through the air. She reckoned that Servine's relatively high defenses for this battle could bring her closer to victory. If she could stall out the opponent, get off a Leech Seed and get off as much damage through that as possible, she'd consider it a victory.

Christopher stamped his foot, annoyed that the opponent didn't go down as he launched green tendrils at his opponent again. This time, he wouldn't stay up.

Action: Christopher used Giga Drain!

[Amanda Dupomme]

The green energy tendrils overwhelmed the Marshtomp, as he shivered, Muddy fell to the ground, fainting from the overwhelming attack.

Frowning, Amanda forced herself to stay composed as she recalled her Pokemon. It was fine, there was no problem. Muddy was a tough Pokemon, and even the rigors of fainting were something he could plow through.

And yet... Amanda shivered, memories fading to the Mavro attack. She didn't want her Pokemon to faint, or to be hurt. But it was inevitable, if she was to become a better trainer: she had to stay strong and composed for their sake. ''You did well...'' she smiled sadly at the encapsulated Marshtomp, pocketing the ball as she nodded towards her Blitzle.

''Krieg, it's your turn!''

The Zebra brayed cheerfully, clopping onto the field and observing the Servine, tilting her head cheerfully. Despite the curiosity, Krieg was ready to fight.

Amanda smirked, pleased at her Pokemon's eagerness. ''You might have beaten my starter, but I don't intend to let that slide! Krieg, avenge Muddy and use FLAME CHARGE!'' she commanded. Watching the Blitzle gallop towards the Servine, her hooves igniting from the friction as they slammed into the Grass-Type.

---

 Blitzle used Flame Charge! 50 Base Power! 2X Weakness Bonus! 100 Fire Physical Damage! 

[Tanya Christianson]

Though Tanya felt good about Christopher defeating Amanda's starter, she knew that it wasn't going to be the end of it. Looking at Amanda however, it seemed that she was nervous at first. Maybe the incident they just had played a part in her feelings. When she sent in her Blitzle however, Tanya was curious to see where it would go. Crossing her arms, Tanya smirked at how her opponent was reacting to the battle. She could tell that Amanda was getting into the battle. If Tanya could help shed away her fears in battling, that would make her feel more comfortable.

Christopher bent his knees, bracing himself for the hit. Though he skidded backwards by the intensity of the attack, he didn't seem to be too badly affected by the attack. If anything, he seemed to be more annoyed than anything else, grumpily huffing at his opponent. Brushing off his body, he waited for Tanya's orders.

"Use Leech Seed!" Tanya shouted, realizing that using Christopher against her opponent may not have been the best idea in the world. He seemed to be taking the attacks that she had to give too well and if this was the pace that she was going to have to keep up with, she had no doubts that this battle was not going to be a very good one for her friend.

Christopher, meanwhile, started to spit out seeds that were aimed at his opponent. His demeanor seemed to be somewhat lacking to what he was usually like, a bit slouched and a blank look on his face. Tanya could tell that he was getting a bit bored as well. Tanya started to think of how to proceed with the situation as the seeds started to fly towards the Blitzle.

Action: Christopher used Leech Seed!

Roll for Leech Seed: vSS9LJPg1-10 1-9 Hit 10 Miss1-10

[Amanda Dupomme]

A smile on her face, Amanda mentally cheered as the blow landed, harming the Servine further. Though her Pokemon were untrained, she knew that a good relentless onslaught would weaken the defenses of anything, she just needed to keep at it. The Blitzle shared her positive outlook, braying cheerfully as it bounced back from the attack: seemingly finding the whole experience more of a game than a true battle, unaware of the serious nature it all posed to his trainer.

The cheer kept it distracted, and as Krieg turned to smile at her trainer, she failed to notice the seed planted near her: small sprouts bursting from their shells, sapping her energy slightly. Amanda smirked at the movement, realizing her opponent was switching to a defensive approach, though it wasn't one she would allow!

''Use Flame Charge again!'' She ordered, thrusting her arm out. Happily, her Pokemon rushed towards the Servine once more, hooves igniting...

---

Blitzle used Flame Charge! 50 Base Power! 2X Weakness Bonus! 100 Fire Physical Damage!

[Tanya Christianson]

Now that the seeds had been sown, it was time for her to make this battle a little more interesting. Sure, she probably could just stall out her next two pokemon pretty easily, but that would be way too boring. In any case, she wanted to give Amanda a fighting chance. After all, if she did, Amanda would probably be happier. That would therefore lead to Seria being happier as well. Knowing all this, she had no regrets doing this next move.

"Christopher! Come back! Derrick, come to the field!" Tanya called out, getting out Christopher's and Derrick's pokeballs. Hearing the order, the Servine turned to look at his trainer and gave her a look that seemed to be a mixture of incredulousness and relief. When Tanya looked at Christopher, she knew that he was not going to be happy as he was returned to his pokeball and replaced with Derrick, the Rufflet.

Standing adamantly, Derrick looked down his opponent as she charged right at him. When the attack hit, he was launched slightly up into the air, barely taking damage from the attack as he started to rapidly flap his wings, trying to gain control before he felt comfortable in the sky. While neither pokemon were really that good for dealing with Blitlzle, at least Derrick could take some attacks.

Throughout this all, Tanya had to make sure that she didn't look like she was going easy on her friend. While in a normal battle she wouldn't have made this decision, she had to act like this was part of her plan. In fact, with the energy being drained from the Blitzle and coming towards Derrick, it seemed that it was going to make Derrick that much more durable for the next few attacks. To that effect, Tanya grinned at Amanda, looking serious about how the battle was going to come out. While she was going to give her an advantage, she wasn't going to let her win that easily.

Action: Swapped Christopher with Derrick to take the Flame Charge! 1/8th health drained from Blitlze and given to Derrick!

[Amanda Dupomme]

Amanda's mind raced as she considered the possibilities, while she was happy that the Servine was replaced, she couldn't help but feel like it was almost done for her own sake rather than any strategy. Frowning, she double-checked the Pokedex, reading the numbers: it almost felt like Tanya was making it easy for her. Amanda clenched the device hard, the discomfort from her injured hands overshadowed by the idea that someone might pity her. She would show Tanya...



The attack landed, despite not doing too much, it was a good start. Although Blitzle flinched in pain as the seeds around it drained health, healing the Rufflet, it wouldn't matter in the long run.



''Krieg, use Discharge!'' Amanda ordered.

---

Blitzle Used Discharge! 80 Base Power! STAB Bonus! 2X Weakness Bonus! 200 Damage Special Electric Damage! Roll 1 for PAR!
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[Tanya Christianson]

Tanya was almost getting used to how bad her luck was in pokemon battles. It was more becoming a formality than anything else. When her pokemon not only was hit by the discharge, but also showed signs of paralysis, Tanya looked visibly annoyed. Of course she shouldn't have gone easy on Amanda. She made her bed though, she now needed to lie in it.

"If you can, use Thrash!" Tanya called out, making an effort to hide her unhappiness. Now she was going to have to deal with obnoxious paralysis. She had a feeling that she was going to win though. The Marshtomp seemed to be the thing that posed the most danger to her Servine. Unless Amanda's Duskull had something up his sleeve, Tanya knew that Christopher would be able to keep his defenses up.

If the paralysis didn't kick in, Derrick would fly towards his enemy, rapidly attacking the pokemon randomly in a fit of talons and wings that aimed to inflict heavy damage on the pokemon. Hopefully, given the pokemon's high attack, the sheer power would be able to finish off the opponent in a single move. That was the best case scenario though.

Action: Derrick tried to use Thrash!

Roll for Paralysis: sJUba4OK1-4 1 Paralysis 2-4 Nothing.

Roll for Thrash turns: 2-31-4·2-3

[Amanda Dupomme]

Despite the paralysis, the Rufflet landed it's Thrash, sending the tiny Zebra flying with a cry of pain: knocking it out with a single blow. Amanda grimaced, recalling her Pokemon as she gestured for her Duskull to enter the fight. Despite all her hopes, things were not going well for the young girl. Somehow, even at a disadvantage Tanya kept on managing to hurt her team, single attacks having overwhelming power. Was it simply her fault as a trainer? Could she not command her Pokemon well, or did she choose upon a team that was intrinsically weaker than most?

She shook her head, tightening her fist. She couldn't think like that, if her Pokemon had any chance of survival, it was her duty to make it so! She ordered her Duskull.

''Use Dark Pulse!''

---

Duskull used Dark Pulse! 80 Base Power! 80 Dark Special Damage! Roll 1 for Flinch. 
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[Tanya Christianson]

When Derrick took out Amanda's Blitzle, she knew she had won. Even without the help of Christopher, Nicholai should have the capability of taking out the Duskull pretty easily, if not in one hit. She didn't expect the Duskull to have any way to damage Nicholai. If he did and Nicholai ended up being knocked out, she always had Christopher to fall back on. Smirking at Amanda, she didn't look particularly bothered about Derrick fainting in the battle.

"You did an awesome job Derrick." Tanya complimented, getting out Derrick's pokeball and putting him back inside. She leered at the Duskull. She was going to enjoy this. She was going to enjoy this a lot. There was a hint of satisfaction in her voice as she got out a different pokeball. "I hope you enjoyed the show, cause the curtain call is coming soon. Let's go Nicholai!"

Nicholai appeared on the field, instantly glaring at the Duskull. A menacing grin appeared on his face, watching the pokemon drift in the air. "Crush the Duskull with Crunch!" Tanya declared, a glint in her eyes as she pointed at the ghost pokemon. Springing into action, Nicholai darted towards the Duskull, opening his mouth wide before jumping at the pokemon, closing his jaws and crushing the Duskull with all his might. Tanya wanted payback for that time. She forgot that the Duskull belonged to Amanda, all she wanted to do was make sure it suffered for making her suffer.

Action: Derrick fainted! Sending in Nicholai and attacking with Crunch!

[Amanda Dupomme]

That was it, the finishing blow had been dealt. Despite all her efforts, Amanda simply could not win the fight. As Nicholai locked his teeth against the Duskull, a soft cry emanated through the room, signifying her loss: he fainted, in a single blow: the Duskull had fainted.

Amanda wordlessly recalled her Pokemon, tossing the ball carelessly into her purse. She had no particular desire to say anything, all that was on her mind was how she had been a failure to her Pokemon: again. This was supposed to be a lesson for her, in some way, she couldn't win every battle, she needed to keep herself composed and ready for when things turned sour, she needed to stay above it all.

Yet the girl could barely keep herself together. Sitting down on the closest bench, Amanda struggled to maintain her composure for the sake of all the others present.

''Good battle...'' was all that came out of her mouth, soft and tinged with the slightest hint of bitterness.

[Tanya Christianson]

For a moment, pure exhilaration washed through her body as the attack managed to knock out the Duskull in one turn. That would show him not to mess with her like that again. When she looked towards Amanda though, Tanya recognized that something was very wrong. The girl seemed on the edge of a breakdown, not taking the loss very well. It made her feel bad for beating her like that. It was like that other girl she battled before. The battle was a bit of a steamroll, so maybe she shouldn't have used Christopher.

"I'm sorry." Tanya said uncomfortably, rubbing the back of her neck as she didn't know how to react to the victory. Nicholai moved over to stand behind Tanya, looking unhappily at Amanda. Nicholai wanted his trainer to be happy and he picked up that Amanda seemed to be the reason why his trainer wasn't like that. He didn't know how to deal with the situation, so he just glowered at the other girl.