[center][h1][color=007236] Ian Kendrickson[/color] [/h1][/center] [center][h2][color=007236] Dune City Pokemon Center [/color] [/h2][/center] [@Sho Minazuki][@EWillden][@Sketcher][@Tangletail] [center][hider=Team] [img]http://slothyshroom.weebly.com/uploads/4/1/9/0/4190056/2443217_orig.gif[/img] [/hider] [hider=inventory] Wallet:50 Pokedollars 2 Apples (1 after this post) 5 Potions 5 Pokeballs 4 bags of Pokemon food (2 specific to ice types) (3 after this post) 3 bottles of water 4 bags of assorted Potato Chips [/hider] [/center] [hr] Before Ian knew it, it was his turn. After watching the last few battles, he at least had an idea how this should play out. Sneasel being an ice type should give him a very feeble, yet still notable advantage. Even knowing that, he acknowledged that this would definitely be an uphill battle. Being a trainer that had only fought once facing a gym leader that had battled untold opponents meant that he was seriously outclassed as far as experience went. At least he knew that Sneasel and he worked together fairly well. Observing the last few battles led Ian to believe that his opponent would probably use Drilbur. Letting Sneasel out of her Pokeball, he patted her on the head. Homer sent out Drilbur as was expected. The little mole Pokemon seemed ready to go. [hider=Ian vs Homer] [color=0072bc]"Ready?"[/color] Ian asked both his own Pokemon and his opponent. Sneasel nodded without taking her eyes off the mole-like Pokemon in front of her. [color=0072bc]"Alright, scratch!"[/color] Ian said, deciding to start with the basics. [color=a36209]"Metal Claw",[/color] Drilbur clashed against Sneasel's claws with a Metal Claw, matching blow for blow before looking for an opening. [color=00aeef]"Alright, follow up with ice punch."[/color] Ian said calmly. That Metal Claw was a dangerous move to clash with, and it would definitely be best for Sneasel to force her opponent back. She swung the ice covered claw directly towards Drilbur's face. [color=a36209]"Back away! Then Fury Swipes!"[/color], the move Ice Punch was a dangerous move for Drilbur to take, though they were quite close, so the Drilbur would be grazed by it, taking some damage, but immediately afterwards would go back in with a flurry of claws. It was surprising to Homer that the Sneasel knew Ice Punch. "Get out of there, quick!" Ian shouted, Sneasel managed to evade the worst of the attack despite being struck a few times. "Now, leer!" He said, hoping to lower the Drilbur's defense enough to make the next Ice Punch a bit more effective. Sneasel's eyes narrowed at her opponent in an attempt to scare it slightly. [color=a36209]"Now Metal Claw!"[/color], the gym leader could see the Ice Punch coming, but it would not be a good sport to just avoid it entirely. Let's see what the Sneasel is made of. The Drilbur went in with full force on the Metal Claw. [color=0072bc]"Jump!" [/color]Ian shouted at his Sneasel. He knew that her defense was choppy at best, and a direct hit like that would be devastating. Her speed barely allowed her to maneuver above the attack. "Hit it with an Ice Punch from above!" Her claw glowing white and gaining a few icy particles around it, she used the downward momentum to attempt to land a direct hit. [color=a36209]"What?!"[/color], it seems the trainer was smart too. The order to jump allowed Sneasel to move out of the way of the Drilbur's Metal Claw. [color=a36209]"Raise it to your head!"[/color], there was no way Drilbur was going to have time to move away, so instead to brace for the Ice Punch, it would guard itself with its Metal Claw. The two Pokemon's attacks clashed with ice and sparks scattering around them. After the brief impact, Sneasel dropped to the ground and backed off slightly. [color=0072bc]"Okay Sneasel, use taunt. Get it to come to you!"[/color] Ian said. Hopefully the Ice Punch from before had still done at least a bit of damage, if he could lure the Drilbur in close, it might be possible to outmanuever it again and get a decisive blow. [color=a36209]"Metal Claw again",[/color], the Drilbur didn't really have any other types of moves, all damage dealing moves only as it went in with Metal Claw again. [color=0072bc]"Back off and counter it with an ice punch!"[/color] Ian said only moments before the Metal Claw would have hit. The blow still grazed Sneasel, but it was certainly more manageable than it would have been otherwise. Charging back into the fray with yet another Ice Punch at the ready, Sneasel attacked at full speed. After it's attack missed, the Drilbur was vulnerable to a rapid counter-attack, taking the full speed Ice Punch head on. It would not be able to withstand it as it was sent flying back, frost and chill surrounding it as it fainted. [color=a36209]"Not bad kid, good work Drilbur",[/color] he said, returning the Drilbur to it's Pokeball as he pulled out another. He sent out a Diglett. [color=a36209]"Well, let's see how you handle this little guy... Magnitude, keep it light",[/color], the Diglett immediately called forth a small tremor, before silently slipping away underground. That wasn't good, Sneasel was already a bit tired from the previous bout and it was showing, if only slightly. Thankfully, the light attack from Diglett wasn't out of her league as she managed to stand her ground. A smaller opponent like Diglett would be much harder to hit than the Drilbur from before. If Sneasel was to have any chance, Ian would have to be more strategic and she would have to outspeed it. [color=0072bc]"Taunt it! We can't let them get the upper hand."[/color] Ian said trying to stay calm. He still wasn't used to battling, especially not at this level. Sneasel let out a few shouts that sounded a bit like insults towards her underground opponent. For a moment it seemed as if the Diglett didn't hear it, it was an awkward silence, and then broken as Diglett erupted from the ground with a Mud Slap. [color=0072bc]"Move!"[/color] Ian shouted, if Sneasel was slowed down like that it could spell doom for this battle. Barely managing to evade the fairly predictable attack, Sneasel tried to get a lock on her opponent. [color=0072bc]"Leer it down!"[/color] Ian said as Sneasel's eyes locked with the Diglett. This way, hopefully, it would only take one good Ice Punch. [color=a36209]"Sand Attack, then submerge"[/color], as the Sneasel leered down the Diglett, it got a nice wad of sand coming it's way before the Diglett disappeared as soon as it lost track of it. It wasn't coming out with a new attack... Was it waiting for something? "No!" Ian shouted as the sand hit Sneasel in the eyes. While it wouldn't totally cripple her, the distraction removed one of the best chances she had to attack. Maybe he had been a bit too patient. As Sneasel rubbed her eyes furiously, she moved around erratically in order to evade any attacks made while she was indisposed. Now they would have to wait for another opportunity. After a few moments, Sneasel regained the ability to at least squint. [color=a36209]"Scratch",[/color] the Diglett appeared inches away from Sneasel from the front, and below, a silver flash could be seen as it's often-unseen claws swing up at Sneasel from below. [color=0072bc]"Match it with Ice Punch!"[/color] Ian shouted. Even with her vision obscured, at this range it wouldn't be too difficult to land a hit, even if Sneasel had to take a bit of one herself. Her claw glowing again, she swung back at the source of the scratch. [color=a36209]"Follow with Mud Slap!"[/color], with Sneasel's speed, there was no doubt Diglett was going to take that Ice Punch head on, the best bet is to see if the Mud Slap can take the Sneasel down with it. But an Ice Punch after Leer, with Diglett as fragile as it was, was taken down in that crucial moment. The decision for Sneasel to trade through was a well-made decision, paying off with Ian's victory, as the Diglett was returned to its Pokeball. [color=0072bc]"Yes."[/color] Ian said simply, approaching Sneasel to pet her. The battle had been hard fought, but with quite a bit of luck they had pulled through. Sneasel, despite her usual nature leaned into her trainer's hand and smiled. [/hider] [color=a36209]"You did great, I can see the Sneasal is still pretty new, but it has a lot of potential. Here, in honor of your first victory in a gym battle, I confer to you the Desert Badge",[/color] he said, taking out a small badge from a case he seems to carry around. The badge had the design of desert dunes as its name implies. [color=a36209]"Be as open as the desert, and your horizons will stretch ever-further... Or at least that's what I think it all means. Anyways, have this as well",[/color] he pulled out a disk drive, it was a TM. [color=a36209]"This is TM28, it contains Dig. Do with it as you like, might be helpful in a cave somewhere. Good luck in your next battles",[/color] and with that, Ian was free to do as he pleased. [color=0072bc]"Thanks."[/color] Ian said before returning to the others, smiling quietly to himself after the victory.