Destiny Colosseum ~ Training Rooms

[Flyg0n]

Sombra's appearance startled him. She was so quiet, so... still, almost. As if she were barely there. Her words sent chills down his spine.

"Oh..." It was all he could think to say. He felt bad for her. What did it feel like to grapple with that-... Yet he admired her too. "You're here now... and you managed to control it so thats good, right?"

Yet he also felt an odd relief, glad he didn't have to deal with any inner darkness like that.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa smiled sadly at Sombra. The Shadow was just her, with all her suppressed pain and exhaustion on display.

"I'm figurin' out how to exist more peacefully than I did before. I'm gettin' somewhere with it."

Sombra looked Koa up and down, her expression hard to read. "What's the chip on yer shoulder about, partner?"

 

[Flyg0n]

His gaze took in Sombra more, and he couldn't really bring himself to look away. She looked so... tired. Sad, even. Was this how Brisa really felt? His heart panged.

"Chip on my shoulder?" he frowned. "I don't really have a chip on my shoulder. Not like that."

He shrugged. Brisa might've had her own inner struggles but he doubted his were like that. He was happy.

"I'm good."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

"Everyone has a Shadow, Koamaru of Canalave. You'll meet yers."

Sombra evaporated, and Brisa grimaced. It was never comfortable having her inner self on display, but she was learning to accept it.

"Today we'll be focusin' on the use of Blacklight in combat. It's one of Team Spectrum's greatest assets, but it's also a risk if mishandled. Let's start by tryin' to unlock yer Radiance. You'll have it just from gettin' yer aura exposed to Radiance, so it's a matter of findin' out what yer raw intent manifests as under combat conditions. Fer me..."

Brisa grinned, and lightly stung Koa with a low power Whiplash before he could react.

I wanna see you at yer best. I wanna be proud of you.

"This is my favourite technique," she said, voice lightly crackling with the energy. "I call it Shinin' Whiplash. I've always believed that battles are how y'can show yer true heart t'folks, an' this move does that exactly, besides helpin' me reach folks I can't hit physically. I used it fer th'first time when I desperately needed someone to trust me, even as I was attackin' her."

 

[Flyg0n]

He didn't get it. How could he have shadows. Shadows were like... some kind of inner darkness but he didn't really have that. Sure he knew he'd made mistakes but... well, he'd worry about that one later.

Her whiplash struck him across the shoulder, and for a fraction of a moment, he felt annoyance at the strike. His annoyance quickly faded, replaced by burning excitement, her words and intent clear as day to him, even if it remained unspoken.
Brisa understood what it meant to fight. She was like him, she knew battles weren't just about defeating someone, they were about dialogue, about understanding!

"Yeah! That's what a battle is about. It's like..." he paused, struggling to find the right words. "A dialogue! That's how you understand someone, with a battle!"

Those shining tendrils of light, the way her eyes glowed and electricity surrounded them and he'd felt her emotions so clear...

I wanna see you at yer best. I wanna be proud of you.

"So will I be able to do something like that?"

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa grinned. Okay. Not bad.

"Sure. Radiance comes outta folks in different ways. Icetales inspires the team, makes 'em hit harder. Dave protects people, gives 'em barriers against attacks. Starr pushes herself beyond her limits, optimisin' her aura fer speed an' power in no time. What d'you want most, especially in battle? If y'want a dialogue, maybe yer Radiant techniques'll let ya do that. Let's find out, huh?"

He just wants to be heard.

 

[Flyg0n]

So Radiance was about what you wanted? What did he want? What did he like? He loved winning. Fighting and battling, getting stronger. Helping people.

"Sick! So what do I do?" He danced lightly on his paws as he spoke, already picturing fantastical techniques, his expression serious. "I'm ready for anything."

He would show Brisa, he prove how strong he could be.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

"Most times, folks use their Radiance intuitively. When it counts. Might take a real fight fer you t'see it happen fer yerself."

Not necessarily, though...

Brisa grinned darkly. "So I'll give you a real fight."

Her fur sparked off and she felt the rush of Arcflash giving her a supercharge. Koa had proven he could take a hit or two in that throwdown with Red, even if he'd been fighting in an auxiliary role. Time to see how far she could push him.

"Let's see th'best ya got!" cried Brisa, charging towards Koa with lightning kissing her jaws.

 

[Flyg0n]

Narrowing his eyes, he gathered his strength. No matter what, he'd give this training session his all, everything he had.

Her attack connected with his shoulders, but he managed to pull himself free. Time to try out something he'd been working on. Baring his fangs, he let out a fierce Snarl, a wave of sound rippling towards Brisa.

Moments after launching the attack, he took off running. Instinct flowed through him, and he drew on his time practicing with Brisa before. Energy flooded his muscles and light crackled over his form. His speed increased and he ran a loop around Brisa before he leapt at her from behind.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa took the snarl, and was delighted when it made her head ring. Koa must've drilled that move hard to get that good. Good lad.

When he threw himself at her, she moved faster, getting him in the flank with a Quick Attack. Come on, kid, don't you know I'm a melée specialist? Play to your strengths! The attack didn't seem to wind him, just yet. He was putting up a reasonable fight! Had he gotten an ultra stone, like she'd told him to? That'd make one hell of a difference, for sure.

"Come on, kid!" she roared. "What can you do that I can't, huh? Let's see it!"

 

[Flyg0n]

Brisa was right. This whole time he'd been thinking like a human. Jump in, jump out. Attack, defend, dodge. But he was a Pokemon. He had so much at his disposal.

Still running, still moving, he Snarled again, more to disorient and weaken than damage. That alone wouldn't be enough though. He needed more, more... Brisa didn't come from a human world. But he did. Hadn't Kitto trained him? He was a Pokemon with all the knowledge of a human. Why not fight with the experience of both? Manectric naturally excelled in distanced combat. Altering his course, he nimbly moved farther away, several tail-lengths away from Brisa. Focusing inward, he concentrated on all he'd learned as a human.

A luminous orb of blue energy gathered in front of his jaws. With a roar, he fired the Aura Sphere at her. "Hows that?" he retorted.

Yes. Something told him this was just the beginning. He was only warming up. After seeing that fight against Red, traveling to the Reverse World... he was ready.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa couldn't dodge that one—she put up a Protect shield at the last second, and felt the rush of aura-blasted dust over her paws.

"Fuckin' fantastic! Keep it up!"

He was learning so fast. It was a delight to see. And his strength would catch up to the rest of the party in no time. Good. Excellent. Brisa threw out the shining tethers of her Whiplash and seized Koa, Radiant energy surging from her body to his as she opened her heart.

What do you want Koa? Show me who you are when yer full of light!

 

[Flyg0n]

Pride rushed through Koa. He'd gotten a pretty good hit, even if Brisa managed to protect. He was improving and it felt so right.

With Brisa's whiplash, he felt his confidence surge. Finally, finally he was proving himself. Showing everyone how strong he could be. That energy, the same energy that gave him his unnatural speed, lingered there, at the tips of paws. All he had to do was to use it.

No more being behind. He'd been working to show Brisa what he could do, who he was. "I'll show you who I am!" As he cried out, radiance flooded him, then surged outwards, forming a shimmering barrier of sorts around him. At nearly the same moment, he opened his jaws and let out a powerful Hyper Voice attack.

Koa used Shining Echochamber!
Koa used Hyper Voice

A defeaning sound filled the room, the attack ringing with radiance.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

That move—! Yes, that was a proper Radiant move! Whatever it was, it was empowering his attack enormously!

It hit Brisa with more force than she'd even expected, the air rippling around her with the sheer volume of the sound. She couldn't hear her wild laughter in her own skull, nor take a full breath as it actually winded her.

"Yes! Yes, that's it! Whatever the fuck that was, it was Radiance! Koa, you did it!"

 

[Flyg0n]

Yes, yes finally. He'd done it! No, he was doing it. Was this how it felt, to actually be strong?

A smirk played across his jaws. Oh, he was just getting started. He had much, much more to give. The radiant barrier around him that had amplified his cry still remained. Time to see how far he could go.

"If you thought that was good, try this!" Throwing his head back, he howled. Electricity surrounded him, building up around him, charging him with even more power. His eyes glowed slightly as Charge took effect.

Koa used Radiant Battlecry!

A part of him rationalized that in a proper battle, it might not be so easy to keep fighting, since enemies would actually try to fight back more. But he didn't care he just wanted to show everyone what he could do. That he could do something. Opening his jaws, he let loose with another Hyper Voice, electrified waves of sound surging toward Brisa.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa braced herself, but an electric magic attack was easy enough to dissipate. It still hit like a train, though. Yeah, this kid would do well in the thick of the fighting, once he had a little discipline.

"Fuckin' outstandin'," she called, her voice sounding faint in her ears after the sheer volume of the attack. "I'm impressed. Now take a breather. I need you to learn to ground yerself from Radiance."

 

[Flyg0n]

His mind was already off and running, trying to plan another strategy, when he caught her words. Take a breather? Why? he was finally doing well, making progress training, and she wanted him to stop?

"I don't need a breather," he replied, his voice full of confidence, or perhaps arrogance.

Was something wrong? Perhaps... she must think he was too weak to handle this. I'm not weak! He would show her that he wasn't, he just needed to push himself, keep drawing on that power. Then he could make her see.


An idea popped into his mind. The effects of whatever radiance he'd tapped into were beginning to fade. First, weaken her. Baring his fangs, he snarled, the Echochamber powering the attack up.

Koa used Snarl!

Then he howled again, preparing to charge another attack. He wanted to see just how far he could push himself.

|Koa used Radiant Battlecry!|

Yes there it was. That energy that felt so right. Light danced in his eyes and he tensed, ready to attack again. Even if electricity didn't work it would still strengthen him He'd distract Brisa then go in for another attack after this. It would be perfect. She'd see what he could do, that he could handle anything.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa frowned. She'd wanted to get him to unlock his Radiance fully, then break the news about the risks. It had probably helped him actually feel enthusiastic training, but this was the drawback. Hubris. And the boy was still hampering her magical control as if she hadn't just reminded him that she was a melée specialist.

She growled, and raised a paw to summon bands of light to hinder the silly fucker. She didn't really fancy beating this out of him if she could help it.

"Hey!" she shouted. "Y'got it right already! Slow yer roll!"

 

[Flyg0n]

"Hey!" she shouted. "Y'got it right already! Slow yer roll!"

For a long second, Koa stared at Brisa, electricity still crackling and his body tensed for a fight. Her words turned over and over in his mind. He'd done it already. Her words were true, he could sense it, feel the sincerity behind it. He got it already.

Slowly, he started to relax. The light faded from his eyes. The hunger he'd felt only moments before, to prove himself and show her what he could do, faded. It still remained, but now it felt distant, like lingering memory, not something consuming him.

Hot shame replaced it, and he lowered his head. "I'm sorry," he mumbled. "I don't know what came over me. I just..." he paused, letting the sentence linger. He couldn't quite bring himself to look her in the eyes. First time properly training and what had he done? Attacked his mentor. "I... I didn't mean for that to happen."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

"Radiance came over ya. Y'got a bit excited there, started usin' it again. Remember what I told ya about it?"

"If y'get carried along by it... You'll act without thinkin' at all. Eventually, yer energy bursts out of ya, yer body unable to hold it in any longer. It's sore painful."

Brisa sighed, and offered Koa a tired smile. "Pal, Radiance will carry you away with it until y'fuckin' detonate, if you ain't well-grounded. Focus on something to keep in control. The dust beneath yer feet; the sound of a friend's voice; the memory of holdin' back. Don't lose it."