[FIN] Being Better

[caffeinecraving]

Solar smiled at the pokemon as he went away. He waited and then the bug came out. Super effective bug. Solar readied himself. But then the scene played out. Kailee watched her eyes softening a little. That was so sweet.

Kailee nodded when asked to wait. She wasnt going to do a low blow when he was taking the time to encourage a frightened pokemon. She smiled as he spoke to Solar and Solar nodded his head "Saur"

She looked to Solar and then nodded. Proud of her pokemon. "Dont worry Paul... Aul-Agent Aulus hasnt lost a round yet...No reason for him to start now." She grinned. "Though we are going to try and win... right solar?" Solar looked slightly confused... go easy on the bug or try to win. But he nodded.  

[TawnyAngel]

Paul said reluctantly, turning around and headed back towards Solar; he still didn't like this but he trusted Aulus and for now that was enough to overcome his nerves.

Giving a satisfied nod Aulus headed back to his own mark. "Okay then, ready when you are," he said to Kailee, still sounding a bit softer than he had before Paul's appearance.  

[caffeinecraving]

Kailee nodded. "Ok then we are ready too~" She glanced to Solar and the Bulbasaur nodded his head "Ok Solar! Use Sleep Powder!" She figured if the bug was asleep it was unable to battle... But if not it wasnt a big deal.

Solar nodded and trotted forward a bit before he hunkered down a bit to spray the shimmering sleep powder across the field at Paul. Kailee watched, waiting to see if she needed a different plan. The bug type was small and she would guess quick... that made a difficult target to hit.  

[TawnyAngel]

Paul managed to scuttle out of the way of the soporific spores by the chitin of his mandibles, brain spinning as he tried to work out what he should do. Working alone was hard! Reaching a decision Paul opened the way he nearly always did, with Disable. There might not be anyone else hurling attacks while he did so but he figured that locking out one of his opponent's moves was still a smart way to begin.

As Paul selected his move Aulus gave a small nod of satisfaction, he'd been worried that his little friend would just panic and start throwing out any old attack rather than planning sensibly... unless that was what had happened and he just happened to have struck lucky. Either way, it was what he would have told him to do were he giving out instructions.  

[caffeinecraving]

Solar took the hit enough and he stretched afterwards not liking his attack being disabled. He stomped his foot. Kailee had noticed something. Aulus never gave orders to his pokemon. They had to make decisions on their own. Which wasnt a bad thing... it just meant he had to have a deep trust for those pokemon.

"Its ok Solar! You can do this... Use Vine Whip!" Solar extended a whip and gave a glance to Kailee. They were trying to win... but he promised not to hurt Paul. He walked closer and looking back to Kailee once more he used his Vine to gently tickle the bug. Laughing could make a pokemon unable to battle too right?

Kailee just blinked not following what solar was thinking until it was just a moment too late. "Solar! No not-" She broke off and laughed. "Thats using your head! good thinking!"

 

[TawnyAngel]

Ahhh! He was!- Being tickled? Paul squeak-giggled and squirmed under the vines. he laughed, blasting back at Solar with a harmless but tangly String Shot.

Aulus' eyebrows rose as he watched the antics of the pair on the battlefield; they were supposed to be fighting, training, preparing!... But he had to admit it was pretty damn cute. "You don't have to go that easy on him Solar, Paul can take a few scuffs! Right Paul?" Maybe a bit of playing together would increase the spider's confidence in fighting the Bulbasaur? He wasn't honestly sure; long though he'd had Paul he still hadn't really figured out how to help the little guy overcome his lack of confidence, which left him trying new things left right and center. Maybe he'd get more confident once he evolved... if he ever did. Given how long it had been Aulus had started wondering if he could or if whatever had stunted his growth - the traumatic loss of his leg? - had also robbed him of the ability to evolve at all.  

[caffeinecraving]

Solar laughed and his vine kept moving. And then he was covered in sticky stringshot. He brought his other vine out as the first got stuck to his forehead. Kailee wasnt so calmly watching them play. She was laughing. They were training... and they were preparing. Team work was important. And liking the people you would be working with was just as important. She glanced to Aulus. He could learn a thing or two from their pokemon... then again so could she.

Solar looked up and nodded. Although he was in close out of respect for his new friend he pulled back to give the bug a moment to recover. Covered in sticky web he headed back to ready himself once more. Although... he was slower now. Kailee smiled looking over the pokemon. "You are going to need a bath tonight." Her icy blue eyes glittered. "Ok Solar... Try a Razor leaf." A true attack Solar sent off the leaves toward Paul.

 

[TawnyAngel]

As the sharp attack struck Paul squeaked and cringed a bit, it hurt! Not lots but it did, and what should he do? He wasn't used to having to attack things, especially not when they were focused on him! Solar seemed nice though and that helped him not to panic but it didn't help him work out what he ought to do.

For a few moments Aulus watched, waiting to see if Paul would act on his own. When it became clear that he wouldn't the Agent gave a quick double whistle, calling the spider to listen to direct commands. "Paul, number three!"

Paul glanced back and nodded, somewhat relieved to be given a cue, and then sprang forward with a Shadow Sneak attack.  

[caffeinecraving]

Solar waited for his next order and watched the bug to make sure he was ok. Number three? Kailee swapped a confused look but then it clicked. By using codes then the opponent wouldnt know whats coming. And then she saw the shadow Sneak. There was nothing she could tell Solar to do to avoid it. With the sticky web and being slow in general he wouldnt be able to get away. "Use Vine Whip to try and catch him when he gets close!" Solar did just that. His vines going out to try and catch the small target.

She wasnt to confident in that plan as the pokemon size would help here against her but it was worth a try.

Either way she gave another command. "Use Razor Leaf!"

 

[TawnyAngel]

Both of Solar's attacks struck but they were doubly ineffective on the bug and poison type and now that he wasn't in cringe-mode so much anymore he was able to shake them off. A single whistle from Aulus told him to take matters into his own claws again and so he lunged forward with another Shadow Sneak, it wasn't as though he had a huge range of options in the way of damaging moves.

Aulus folded his arms over his chest and shifted his weight slightly, giving a small satisfied nod as Paul unfroze and got on with things as ordered. Maybe he should consider reorganizing his moves... no, no what he had was good when he worked in a team and his final move - Dig - was as much utility as it was for attacking. Just have some confidence, the chances of him being stuck on the Galactic ship with only Paul to battle for him were so slim as to be not worth considering... right?  

[caffeinecraving]

Well its all that he could do so even if it was only a bit... Any damage was progress. Kailee called out seeing the bug do another Shadow Sneak. "Again! Like before!" Solar turned but coping strategies from before lead to predictability. And predictability was bad. Solar missed his attack and Kailee called it. There was no sense in having Solar be knocked out when she knew they had lost. "Solar! thats good come back!" She smiled softly as the bulbasaur looked up and blinked. "Its ok... Paul is just a little too strong for us! We will get better and try again." There was no shame in knowing when you were beaten.

Solar looked over Kailee and then nodded and looked back to Paul. He seemed to smile, feeling he had made a new friend and then trotted back over to Kailee. "Ok! Go ahead Sissy~" Sissy bounded forward, eyes locked on Tortie. She knew what she wanted and she was coning to win damnit all!

Kailee smiled thinking her Wigglytuff was being nice... not calling for Tortie's head on a platter.

 

[TawnyAngel]

"Good job Paul," Aulus called to the little bug, giving him a moment to 'eeeee!' at the praise before calling him back.... Now he hadn't been planning on sending Tortie to meet Sissy but his Absol was stalking forward to meet the Wigglytuff. Aulus shrugged. "Well, don't mind me please do carry on!"

Tortie glanced at him with a huff before turning her full attention to Sissy. It was big talk really, she wouldn't hurt the pudgy thing that much because she knew Aulus would be pissed but she did intend to put Sissy firmly in her place.  

[caffeinecraving]

Kailee smiled at the bug rejoicing a bit. He deserved it after all. Kailee smiled a bit as Aulus spoke to Tortie but hey. She figured Tortie must just have wanted to fight Sissy as bad as Sissy wanted Tortie.

Sissy Puffed up.

Kailee saw the puff up. Must mean she was ready! "Ok Sissy use Sing." Sissy completely ignored her and ran toward Tortie using, Play rough. She was gonna get her hits in while she had a chance. No stopping and singing for her... not right now...

Kailee stared. She had thought they had gotten past the not listening. She flushed looking to Aulus knowing he would be displeased. She bit her lip. "Stop! Now!" Before Sissy could get to Tortie she pulled up and looked to kailee all puffed up. "I said use sing! Either do that or get back in the pokeball! Now!" She wasnt going to be made a fool of... this was why they were here... to show Aulus that they were better. Sissy puffed bigger. She could take on Torite if Kailee would let her so she turned back around and started singing, not as an attack, more as a whistle while you work thing as she went back to trying her Play rough attack.

 

[TawnyAngel]

Aulus raised his eyebrows. "Do we have a grudge match here?" he wondered aloud. He then looked at Kailee for a moment before turning his attention onto the pokemon on the field, clearly not very impressed by their attitudes. "You two might have to work together on the raid so I suggest you settle your differences here and now." The scarred Agent's tone implied that the pair would deeply regret it if they did not.

Tortie snorted disdainfully at Sissy, not even bothering to fluff up her mane in a threat display. she sneered. this on for size?> Grinning viciously the dark type drew in power bringing a blue-white glow to her horn. The air crackled with electrical charge as Sissy's Play Rough struck Tortie; the Absol went with the momentum of the attack, springing backwards and focusing the power in her horn before launching a powerful Thunderbolt at her opponent.  

[caffeinecraving]

Kailee nodded along with what Aulus was saying. "Ill put you in your ball sissy... and take munchy on the raid instead!" Not that thats what she wanted to do but in the end if sissy was still giving her troubles she couldnt be hindered by that. It wasnt just her life she was gambling with now.

Sissy ignored all the talk. She had to work with tortie? Not until she took a piece out of the absol. She went with the absol continuing the fairy attack. And then she Was hit by the Thunderbolt. She was sent flying. She bounced though and stood up. She shook herself seeming to be ok. A little battered but she was going to deal with it. Pain be damned. She opened her mouth, fire gathered and she let off a fairly powerful Flamethrower.