The instant the sun peeked over the horizon, Olivie belted it out.  [color=954535]”Go!”[/color]  Her shout, acting as the pistol shot to start the race, kicked her Pokemons' three-way royal rumble into gear.  Buck, full of energy and enthusiasm, cannoned toward Gespenst to deliver a heavy slam (4/6 EP).  However, the Cacnea was, either by virtue of the sun's invigorating rays or its natural ability, slightly faster.  The spikes on his limbs extended and he whirled in a helicopter motion with no small amount of force (2/6 EP).  His spinning onslaught succeeded in deflecting Buck's body blow and even scoring a sound hit on the Plump Mouse Pokemon's shoulder.  For a moment it seemed as though Buck would continue onward and charge off, but he stumbled almost immediately.  When he tried to turn around, a substantial limp and a haggard expression revealed him to be in far worse shape than first glance might imply (2/4 HP).

Meanwhile, Verrine took her time.  Olivie wondered why she didn't go after Gespenst when he was an closer and open target.  Perhaps the Karrablast didn't want to provoke the Pokemon that had been her boss back home in the fields near Central City...though out of respect, or fear?  In the end, she lowered her head and began to charge not at Gespenst, but at Buck.  The central prod of her horn extended slightly, a noxious red mist around the tip (3/6 EP).  Buck could not marshal himself to defend in time, and when Verrine's stinger made contact, she bucked her head to throw him back as well.  The Bidoof hit the ground and slumped, unconscious (0/4 HP).  A frown settled on Olivie's face to see the Pokemon she caught first laid low first as well, but she made no move to intervene.  Instead, she watched as a brief, barely-visible wave of red power washed through Verrine in a split-second.  With her Pokedex in hand, she diverted her attention from the two remaining Pokemon as they began to circle.  Dutifully, the Pokedex recited, “Fell Stinger.  When the user knocks out a target with this move, the user's Attack stat rises sharply.”  Olivie nodded, a newfound appreciation for her least-used companion welling in her mind.  The shy bug-type evidently hid a mind for strategy and an unforeseen aptitude for battle.

Abruptly the circling ended.  Verrine swung her head experimentally, detaching a single pin from her carapace that flew right at Gespenst (2/6 EP).  The Cacnea, feeling tired but healthy, opted to take the weak attack head-on.  Instead, he recoiled in pain as the Pin Missile pierced his body, for the bug-type move struck doubly as strong as its appearance suggested (2/4 HP).  Wrathful that his former underling would attack him directly, even as the command of her trainer, Gespenst put everything he had left into an attack.  A single, large spike burst from his flesh just above his eyes, and with this horn extended he rammed into Verrine (0/6 EP).  Its point broke through her carapace, and from the wound, orange liquid trickled down the horn and was absorbed (3/4 HP).  Gespenst grinned as he felt some vitality flow into him, though Olivie could tell by how he moved that he had no energy left.  Verrine knew it too (2/4 HP).  She suddenly began to thrash, and while resisting struck her opponent across the face with the full weight of her small body (0/6 EP).  Even as he rolled backward and fainted, Gespenst's mad grin remained frozen on his face (0/4 EP).  After disentangling herself, and removing the horn still stuck in her torso, Verrine sat down, exhausted.

Though only a few minutes had passed, the sun was now high enough for Olivie to cast a shadow on her Pokemon as she stood up.  [color=954535]”Well, that looked like a blast!  I'll go and get you fixed up.  Great work, Verrine.”[/color]  She gave the tired bug a pat on the back and scooped her up into her arms.  Olivie held her there as she returned her fainted Pokemon to their pokeballs.  Having never been held like this before, Verrine simply lay against her trainer's chest with wide eyes.  [color=954535]”Oof, you're heaver than you look.  Is that shell made of metal?”[/color]  She started back toward the Pokemon Center, wondering if anyone else was up.