onepassingnight

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[001]

[Tonight, instead of being greeted by the usual sort of scenery one would find in a dream, you will find yourself in a cave. Yes, a cave. It's not exactly the most rugged and untamed cave there is, however. In fact, it seems as if people come and go through this cave relatively often. The reason for that being that, well, people do traverse this cave often. For those familiar with the Unova region, you might recognize it as a part of Victory Road. It also happens to be far from empty at the moment. Disregarding the teenaged boy and his Pokemon (he was training them, since that was clearly the only reason to be in this cave), there were other Pokemon--Durant and Boldore, mostly, with the occasional Swoobat here and there--moving in and around the chamber. The boy is clearly wrapped up in training his Pokemon at the moment, but you know, if you make a noise, chances are he'll pay you some attention.]

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[She likes the cave. Ami hadn't taken much time to get used to the Dark Kingdom's environs; she'd enjoyed exploring the caverns and tunnels. The slight damp in most caves feels at-home to the Soldier of Water.

Pokemon. She's met Whitlea, and more recently Bianca, enough times to realize it, but Ami herself has only begun her journey - with water pokemon, of course. Among her belongings are a few pokeballs containing them.

She approaches Cheren with bold, even steps, giving a better look at her: late teens, Asian features, fashionably but modestly dressed. She watches until what seems like a natural pause in the training before making herself known. Her voice is clear and firm.]

You handle them well. I'm interested in that. I may be new to training pokemon, but I have every intention of becoming great.

[He turns when he hears her address him. Well, he assumed she was addressing him, at any rate. He wasn't entirely sure who she was, but that wasn't an issue. During his travels, he's met many trainers that were previously strangers to him. Her statement about being new to training Pokemon does strike Cheren as a bit odd, given that for all he knows, they are currently in Victory Road, but well. There were stranger things. And after all, relatively speaking, he, Bianca, and Whitlea really hadn't been training Pokemon for that long.]

How long have you been training Pokemon, then?

You could say it's been a couple months.

[... Of dabbling in it occasionally in dreams, but she's the first to realize how crazy that would sound. This is the easier and still-truthful explanation.

Ami herself doesn't seem concerned in the least with approaching a stranger as she steps closer. She does at least politely introduce herself, through a long habit of formality.]

I'm Mizuno Ami. I'm pleased to meet you.

My name is Cheren. It's nice to meet you, as well, I suppose. [but you know, since they're trainers, that means they are supposed to battle now. "You have to battle when your eyes meet" and all that nonsense.]

If you're a Trainer, though, I don't suppose you would be willing to battle now, would you?

Are you sure you want to do that when you've already been working them hard?

[Ami seems quite relaxed about the idea, however - and always up for a challenge. She won't back down, even knowing her team is less experienced and so is she.]

Battling wild Pokemon doesn't give anywhere near as much experience as battling another Trainer. Besides, they're all in a decent enough condition right now, anyway.

[She and Cheren are the same when it comes to that, then. If only Ami were as much of a sore loser as Cheren can be when he loses, then they would be exactly the same, which might actually be a bit weird, but hey.]

As you wish, then!

[Ami smiles boldly, as though perfectly confident of the outcome. Of course. She nods her head towards the pokemon.]

Go ahead.

[Serperior turns from its previous position (where ever they were training before) and situates itself between Cheren and Ami. Cheren, in return, steps back, allowing for more room for the Pokemon.]

Send out yours.

[Ami may not be experienced, but she's very well-read after Ash showed her a library with plenty of information about pokemon at one point.

Serperior. She'd have to be careful of that.

She chooses her oshawott. A toss of the pokeball, and her pokemon is ready to go.]

[Don't worry, Ami, if Cheren finds that out and that you're friends with Whitlea, he'll talk you to death about battle strategies and the like. He's a bit surprised that she has an Oshawott, though, since clearly everyone should evolve their Pokemon fully.]

Serperior, use Leaf Blade!

[up to you if it hits, clearly]

[She wouldn't mind the talk. And she quite agrees; but when have dreams given her a chance to truly train her pokemon yet?]

She has, however, trained it to be quick. It runs from the Leaf Blade, evading the area of its focus, turning back when Ami orders it to try a mid-level attack of its own.]

[the attack hits, Serperior clearly not pleased with such a thing.]

Serperior, counter that with Dragon Tail! [and just as Cheren ordered, Serperior swung its tail at Oshawott. For the sake of this battle, we can ignore Dragon Tail's secondary effect of switching out the Pokemon it hits.]

[The trouble with Ami is that she isn't taking her pokemon's personality into account, almost as if she hasn't bothered truly getting to know it. It may not be intentional coldness, but it does make her fight by the book - and thus, mistakes result.

Oshawott is knocked down pretty easily by the blow, leaving Ami to shout a quick, brusque order to get up even as it tries to.]

[She and Cheren have that in common, then. While Cheren is better about listening to his Pokemon and trying what they would rather do now, he still battles by the book, taking his own experience into account. Battling by the book is the proper way to battle, after all.

Serperior waits, watching to see if the Oshawott will get up. Cheren actually does the same, since attacking a Pokemon that can't fight back, if it can't, isn't something he would do.]

[It's Ami's oshawott; of course it gets up. It's a determined pokemon. But despite her seeming aloofness, even Ami takes a quick, sharp look to make sure it isn't truly badly injured.]

[Don't worry, Cheren will probably heal it later after the match, since he's not a total jerk sometimes. In the mean time, Serperior is once again waiting for orders, since the Oshawott is back on its feet.]

Try Leaf Blade again, Serperior.

[This time Oshawott retaliates quickly, lashing out at Serperior with a few quick slashes.]

Oshawott, don't meet its eyes.

[Getting in that close could be trouble when it comes to that. And come to think of it...] Get to a better range.

[Serperior looks likely to outmuscle the oshawott.]

[Serperior wasn't really too happy with the return slashes, and raised itself up to seem more intimidating. Serperior watches the Oshawott, standing still, waiting for it to attack.]

Don't let it move too far or too close, Serperior.

[Oshawott hangs back, nervous, but a quick command from Ami makes it move forward and keep going anyway.

She has to admit, it feels good to be the one giving the orders.]

Serperior, use Coil. [and so it does. Instead of rearing itself up after the attacks, Serperior ducks back down, curling its long body up to raise its defenses.]

[Ami orders another attack despite the increased defense; it's a good opportunity to start fighting back.]

Use Leaf Storm. [And that is exactly what it sounds like. A storm of leaves kicks up, aimed at the Oshawott.]

[Oshawott covers its eyes as the leaves whip around it and hit it. It makes a tiny pained sound for a second.

This isn't going well, really, and it makes Ami slightly irritated to have such a weak pokemon. Telling herself it's only natural after so short a time isn't reassuring or helpful, either.]

[Don't worry, Cheren thinks it's impressive, kind of, that an Oshawott has put up this much of a fight. Given type advantages and the general difference in strength between base forms and fully evolved Pokemon, it's very impressive. Serperior, on the other hand, is still watching the Oshawott, waiting to see what it will do next.]

[The Oshawott is almost spent, and there's no point in making it fight some useless battle when the outcome is now certain.

No point, except a pride that goes even deeper than reason, compelling her to keep going and to push her pokemon just as hard, just as hard as Ami's been pushed herself, an endless cycle of iron will.]

Oshawott, fight back harder!

[Its strongest attack, a last-ditch effort that will either turn the tide or end up in a quick loss.]

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