Magna City Shining Congress – Duelling Pitch

[Jackie Cat]

The Congress boasted wide grounds, being located on a private estate bequeathed long ago to the Covenant. Much of the grounds were left semi-wild, and wildren were abundant there. Other parts were maintained to various degrees, as gardens or as walking paths, for instance.

This particular part of the grounds was given over to a battlefield, meant primarily for the Knights of the Lantern to train. Modest stands at one side allowed for spectators, should the need arise, and a nearby annex held everything from training dummies, to medical supplies, to weaponry with which to practice. (An obstacle course was available not much further off, and an outdoor swimming pool beyond that.) Scorch marks and cratered earth were plentiful around the perimeter of the pitch, but the area of 'legal play' was filled-in and raked-over with sand and dirt to keep it level. There wasn't much in the way of terrain – this was meant for duels, not field training.

Those battle-marks which remained were impressive, though. Covenant knights really packed a punch...

<><><><><>​

 

[Jackie Cat]

Flygon Aster's idea of warmups was to fly in vertical loops, over and over, until any observer was dizzy.

Ser Zaffre, meanwhile, sharpened her rapier with a proper whetstone, examining the blade in the midday light.

"It's a fine day for battle practice," she mused, quietly.

That it was. There was a light breeze up, and plenty of sun. Pleasant and invigorating for a fight.

 

[Shadow Serenity]

The light breeze and warm sunlight did wonders for Kimiko's mood as she took in the battlegrounds. Signs of use were quite clear, but it seemed the knights at least made an effort to keep this portion of the area level.

She'd spent some time chatting with Angel over that library idea, and while she enjoyed the little bug's company, she was a bit restless. That last skirmish session at the Escarpa celebration had really gotten her back into a battling mindset, and a nice, easy, casual duel was more about the level of difficulty she needed right now. No high stakes, no pushing herself to her limits, just a some good action to get the blood flowing.

She'd spotted the knights who'd offered the invitation already prepping; or, well, one of them was. She eyed the rapier warily. They weren't going to fight with it, right? Then again, this form of hers had endured worse. Zaffre, meanwhile, circled the skies above. Stretching wings still counted as getting prepared, she supposed.

"Ser Zaffre, a pleasure," she said with a nod by way of greeting. "Thank you for the invite. Really looking forward to seeing what you knights are capable of!"

She looked around, wondering if she'd be the only one to turn up - or if she'd been the only one they'd invited. Surely not....

 

[Jackie Cat]

The Meowstic bowed lightly to Kimiko, and offered a demure smile.

"Miss Kimiko. Good day. I shall be glad to demonstrate our prowess in battle – will your sparring partner be joining us?"

Aster landed heavily on the battered turf to one side.

"Naw, our girl here's just confident she can one-v-two us, am I right?" joked the Flygon, ginning rakishly.

Zaffre sniffed in amusement, and sheathed her rapier. "None of that, Aster. Although, if you're restless to begin, perhaps the two of you would like to face off against each other while we wait for Kimiko's comrade?"

Aster shrugged, laughing easily. "It's all good. Just don't keep me waiting 'round all day." She nodded her head and slender neck to Kimiko. "Say, I don't think we've met. When Zaffre said she'd issued a friendly challenge, I assumed it'd be one of the ones we met the other day. So, what's your deal, then? Another human, right?"

 

[Cresselia92]

“Hmph! Planning to have a throwdown without me? How rude!”

Swift steps and taps of claws on floor accompanied the sarcastic explanation, and Silver barged into the battlefield, flashing an eager smirk. Nothing energized him more than the idea of kicking someone’s butt, and a good training session was helpful in both honing his skills and spending some of his excess weasel-y energy.

He eyed the Flygon and Meowstic intently and waved his paw. There was still that faint unease at the fact that he was dealing with ‘cops’, but he did his best to ignore those thoughts. “Hey. We meet again, huh?”

Then, he turned to Kimiko, and he was momentarily stunned by her increased height. Wow, she looked way more imposing and regal now, and he felt all the more tiny in comparison to the others. Gosh, why couldn’t he evolve yet?

“Oh! Kimiko! So you’re my battle partner?” he asked, and once he traded quick glances with the others, he added, “And it seems like I’ve interrupted something. What did I miss?”

 

[Shadow Serenity]

Naw, our girl here's just confident she can one-v-two us, am I right?" joked the Flygon, ginning rakishly.

Hmph! Planning to have a throwdown without me? How rude!”

Kimiko had a moment of hesitation as she internally debated whether or not she really was about to face them both alone; weighing the merits of it being training only and not really needing to win and all that.

Thankfully, Silver showed up only moments later, freeing her from having to commit.

The servine nodded in his direction by way of greeting, relieved that her battling partner was an ally she was quite familiar and comfortable with. “Now it’s a party,” she said with a grin. “You didn’t miss much, we were just getting introduced!”

Say, I don't think we've met. When Zaffre said she'd issued a friendly challenge, I assumed it'd be one of the ones we met the other day. So, what's your deal, then? Another human, right?"

With Silver here now and her feeling better about their ability to hold their own, she turned back to the flygon. “Indeed I am. Servine Kimiko, at your service.” She performed her own light bow. “I must have missed you during the party; I spent much of it talking with Angel. Charming, she is, and with some grand ideas!”

She shifted her weight in mild discomfort as the continued, keeping focused on the knights in front of her rather than Silver. “I’ve been doing less… battling and fieldwork as of late, and I’d like to get back into it. Figure a good spar will help keep me in shape, y’know?” Her inaction was still a sore point, but no one here needed her sob story.

She stood up straight, beginning to consider their battle options. “Looks like someone here knows their way around a battlefield, so I also hope to maybe pick up a trick or two.”

 

[Jackie Cat]

"Welcome and good day to you, Silver," said Zaffre, warmly.

"A'ight, at least I know one of you guys," chuckled Aster. "Sorta. Hey-o, Silver."

The Meowstic listened politely to Kimiko while her partner did some impromptu warm-up stretches, momentarily looking for all the world like a human girl in a Flygon body...

"Which Angel would that be?" asked Zaffre.

"The bee, obviously. Dumbass. As if she's gonna say it was that prick in logistics."

"Please excuse my partner," said Zaffre, mildly. "Anyway, we would be glad to give you the fight you wish for, Servine Kimiko!"

Aster grinned. "Let's rock!"

VS
Aster & Zaffre!

(I do not think you two really need me for this one. It is only a sparring match, after all!)

(Good luck, though!)​

Aster rose into the air on rapidly-beating wings, kicking up the dust around her. Zaffre drew her blade in an arc of light and held it forward.

"On your guard!"

"Eyes up, kiddos!"

Flygon Ser Aster and Meowstic Ser Zaffre want to battle!
A great power is within them...
Aster whipped up a Sandstorm!
Zaffre used Calm Mind!
It seems Zaffre's sword is a focus for her offensive moves...

 

[Cresselia92]

“Oh yeah! Let’s do this!”

Silver poised himself in his battle stance, holding out a clawed hand in front of his face and bending slightly his knees, like a pair of spring about to uncoil themself. A Ground-type and a Psychic-type… a disadvantageous type matchup for sure, but hey! Where was the fun in an easy battle?

“C’mon, Kimiko! Time to show ‘em what these ‘kiddos’ can do!”

Narrowing his eyes to not get sand into them, Silver rubbed his claws together with rapid motions. Their tips gleamed in the light reflected by the sand, and grains of sand clattered noiselessly against the flat surface.

Silver used Hone Claws! It’s ultra sharp!

 

[Shadow Serenity]

"Which Angel would that be?" asked Zaffre.

"The bee, obviously. Dumbass. As if she's gonna say it was that prick in logistics."

Kimiko cocked her head a fraction. "Oh, there's another one? My apologies. Yes, the... bee." Had she ever asked Angel's species? If she did, she didn't recall. Oops. She shook her head to re-focus; clearly not an important detail at the moment.

"On your guard!"

"Eyes up, kiddos!"

Kimiko offered a mental thank you for Betel, then looked over her opponents. She agreed, it probably wasn't necessary to have a detailed analysis fed to them in this fight, but it was still nice to know Bee was keeping watch regardless. Just in case.

"You got it," she replied sternly to Silver.

She'd been watching Alex battle long enough now for several things to register to her at once:

The knights opted for a setup opening rather than a quick volley. Beside her, Silver took advantage of the opening to do the same. Not an option for her, however.

She lamented the sandstorm blotting out the warm sunlight, which would make Aster difficult to spot, especially in the sky. On the other hand, her skills weren't terribly suited for combating a dragon anyway; maybe Silver could keep up with her. He'd been a trainer in his world too, and a good one, so he'd likely recognize the same things she was seeing. She was pretty sure Silver was... at least part poison-type, which meant both opponents held a type advantage there regardless; logically then, she should focus on the opponent she could more easily harm.

She charged forwards towards Zaffre, leaping and flipping forwards, tail aglow as she prepared her own blade of light.

Kimiko used Leaf Blade, targeting Ser Zaffre!

 

[Jackie Cat]

"Hhup!"

Zaffre immediately pivoted to a defensive stance, expertly deflecting Kimiko's slashes. Between parries, she stabbed forwards, psychic energy lancing forward from the tip.

"Good form!" she remarked, in a friendly tone. "Especially if you're out of practice. Were you a battler in your home world, Kimiko?"

The Meowstic's fighting style was an odd mish-mash, not at all what one might expect from a female of her species. There was the sword, for one thing, but when she drew apart to use a move at a distance, she would sometimes choose supporting moves typical of a male meowstic – Helping Hand, or Charm. She seemed to have quite a repertoire, in any case.

Meanwhile, Aster dived in the air towards Silver, vivid colours streaming off her in a headlong Dragon Rush. It seemed she was an aggressive fighter, unsurprisingly. Especially compared to the careful, methodical Zaffre.

"Let's tussle, kiddo! You look like you're used to it, aheheh!"

 

[Shadow Serenity]

Zaffre immediately pivoted to a defensive stance, expertly deflecting Kimiko's slashes. Between parries, she stabbed forwards, psychic energy lancing forward from the tip.

The first couple of parries had been expected; close quarters combat wasn't her usual preference, but then, that was the point of training. And she thought it might be fun to have a blade duel. It was definitely more frustrating having her blade be her tail, though. But Kimiko kept at it. If Zaffre was impressed, then the practice in the Escarpa arenas was paying off.

But then the psychic blasts started coming. The first several landed easily, as Kimiko hadn't expected that at all, sending her staggering back a short distance, but she'd only pulled back for a moment before re-engaging. Now, however, she was attempting to predict where and when they'd come from, in addition to trying to land a hit of her own.

That said, there was the occasional helping hand thrown towards Aster, as well. She'd shifted her position as well, forcing Zaffre to face away from Silver, lest any stray psychic blasts find a new mark, but she needed to do more to keep Zaffre's attention. It might be wise to reconsider her strategy... but not immediately. She wanted to see if she could find or create an opening first. That, and she wanted to keep on the offensive; the less time Zaffre had to power-up, the better.

The good news, then, was she didn't need to bother avoiding any charms sent her way; thanks to her Contary, they'd just make her own blade more powerful.

"Good form!" she remarked, in a friendly tone. "Especially if you're out of practice. Were you a battler in your home world, Kimiko?"

"In a manner of speaking," she replied in between the dance of slashing and parrying and dodging. "I'm what we call a trainer; I work with my pokemon team, but more as a coach; I didn't do the battling myself. Until I arrived here."

Another parry, and this time she danced backwards a few paces, spinning in place to throw a magical leaf forwards instead, and immediately charging back in behind them. "How about you? How long have you been a knight?"

 

[Cresselia92]

And the fight was on! Kimiko lunged ahead and began trading blows with the rapier-wielding cat in a contest between sharp grass and psychic blasts. But Silver had no time to think: Sir Aster charged at him, enveloped in an aura of draconic energy and cruising through the sandy gusts like a multi-colored comet.

Punching a giant meteor back at a giant Charizard, then punching a giant Hydreigon… what was yet another punch against yet another dragon?

"Let's tussle, kiddo! You look like you're used to it, aheheh!"

“Bring it on!” he goaded, darting toward the approaching Flygon. Silver ran in zigzag bursts, trying to disrupt her aim and not take the full brunt of the Dragon Rush, while relying on his Keen Eye to not lose sight of his opponent.

The Sneasel held back a pained hiss as the opposing attack connected (and the sand scratching his pelt didn’t help), but that was precisely what he was waiting for as he held onto the Flygon with all his might.

“Nggh… Guess what? When life hits you hard…”

Fighting energy poured into his claws, and Silver smirked as he curled a paw into a fist.

“…you gotta hit harder!”

Silver engaged Sir Aster in a Close Combat, clawing at and punching the dragon with a barrage of swipes.