All is quiet on the empty surface of Mars, save for the distant humming of atmosphere generators set up in a wide, vaguely elliptical array. The sun and stars, blindingly brilliant with only a thin haze of atmosphere to diffuse their light, are screened by a faint, flickering field of energy that bounds an area where minimum requirements for life are maintained. For the moment, no life has actually arrived to take advantage of this enclave of habitability on the broad and hostile planet. Red rocks of various sizes stretch on as far as the eye can see, rising up into jagged, barren mountains in the distance. Here and there, the dust is marred by footprints, but of what creature might have made these footprints there is initially no sign.
The arena doesn't stay empty for long, though. A rumble in the distance grows steadily in volume, to the level of a droning thrum and, shortly, an outright roar. A slow-moving old hovervehicle, metallic exterior dulled by age and rusted by a fine coating of martian dust, chugs into the environment-controlled zone, spluttering afterburners kicking up great clouds of red dust as it settles to the ground. Even as the hulking machine powers down, a hatch on its underbelly opens and a ramp descends, allowing the three people to disembark: the trainers Keta and Minnow and the referee Negrek, all three of them brought to this place by mutual agreement. This empty expanse of martian ground is about to be transformed into a battleground.
Keta and Minnow split up and head off towards opposite ends of the arena, bouncing along as they enjoy the effects of reduced gravity, while the ref idles near the lander, leaning up against one of its bent struts and lazily awaiting the battle's start. Keta is the first to make a move, selecting a pokéball from her belt and flicking it to the ground in front of her. It bursts open to release a small ralts named Zherahil, who stares around at her surroundings with undisguised awe. Minnow is quick to counter with Nikolai the eevee, who sneezes upon release, the gritty red dust kicked up by his entrance irritating his sensitive nose. Pokémon and trainers stare each other down before, in a rush of shouted commands, the battle begins.
Round One
Keta (OO)
Zherahil (F)
Health: 100%
Energy: 100%
- In awe at the emptiness all around her.
Minnow (OO)
Nikolai (M)
Health: 100%
Energy: 100%
- Not sure he likes this place.
While Nikolai is still recovering from his sneezing fit, Zherahil crafts an illusion, raising her hands in front of her face as a glittering ball of light begins to collect between them. As Nikolai looks up, he finds his view of the ralts obscured by the pulsing ball of light, made blurry and flickering by the tears that fill his eyes. Despite himself, he is transfixed with wonder as the confuse ray attack splits off into several smaller parts, specks of flickering energy pulling away and circling around the main mass of the attack. Zherahil releases the attack and gives it a gentle shove towards its target. Nikolai watches, open-mouthed, as the glittering illusion bobs closer to him, wobbling and dancing through the air in an erratic fashion.
The eevee forces himself to get a grip, though. He's in the midst of a battle, after all, and getting distracted by pretty flashing lights isn't the best way to go about winning. He's supposed to be attracting Zherahil, right? So, putting all thoughts of confuse ray out of his mind, the eevee grooms as much of the dust out of his ruff as he can, puts on his most seductive expression, and sidles a little closer to Zherahil.
Doing his best display of animal magnetism, the eevee struts his stuff and professes his undying love for Zherahil as he goes, now and then flicking an annoyed ear back at the confuse ray, which has now taken to circling his head and dancing, just out of reach, in front of his nose. At first the ralts is merely annoyed, then amused by the eevee's display; as time wears on, she finds herself feeling genuinely sorry for the eevee. He seems like such a nice guy--and cute, too--and all she's done so far is cause him undue grief.
Orders are orders, though, and it is with minimal hesitation that Zherahil starts drawing up her next attack. This time her hands glow with a shifting rainbow of colors as a multitude of bright specks of light gather in the air around them. These grow in size and take on the shapes of leaves as they do so, pulsing every color of the spectrum. Casting them forward with a flick of her hands, Zherahil watches with some guilt as the flurry of pure-energy leaves swarm Nikolai from all directions and rip through his thick fur with brutal efficiency.
Dejected--did his attract attack not work?--the eevee winces beneath the stinging flurry of blows, then immediately starts generating his own attack. He starts to spin around, intending to sweep his tail through the air and send a cluster of energy stars at Zherahil. The confuse ray distracts him at an inopportune moment, however, and he ends up slipping and collapsing in the dust rather than pulling off his attack as planned.
As soon as she sees Nikolai go down, all thoughts of double team flee from Zherahil's mind. She rushes to Nikolai's side, apologizing for how she's hurt him and begging his forgiveness. Though still a bit dazed from the sudden fall and the ever-present confuse ray, the eevee hams it up, playing the victim and doing everything he can to engender Zherahil's sympathy. Flustered and totally absorbed in her concern for Nikolai, Zherahil's mind is unquiet and disorganized, far from the keen weapon that it usually is.
Keta (OO)
Zherahil (F)
Health: 100%
Energy: 91%
- Worried about Nikolai and wracked with guilt. Attracted to Nikolai (severe). -2 Special Attack
Minnow (OO)
Nikolai (M)
Health: 95%
Energy: 95%
- Not badly hurt but a little tipsy. Confused (moderate).
Final Notes
- Keta attacks first next round.