Destiny Colosseum ~ Training Rooms

[IFBench]

So little sunlight, and so much blacklight. It was like poison to Saltriv. It hurt to be outside while it was like this. They hurried into the training center, for shelter from the poisonous light.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

The endless training and sparring sessions were blending into each other. Had she booked a session with Saltriv? She genuinely didn't remember.

"Mm? Saltriv? Howdy, there. You here to train, or somethin'?"

Damn, the kid looked absolutely beat. Were grass types suffering from the atmospheric conditions in the bubble...?

 

[IFBench]

Seeing Brisa, Saltriv tried to wave their leaf, but it was only able to flop back and forth.

"It hurts to be outside," they said. "The blacklight... I can feel myself wilting every time it shines on my leaf."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa looked her teammate up and down. This was the first she'd seen of this kind of effect. Maybe Saltriv had such poor emotional regulation that mere exposure to exotic energy on Cibus was painful for them? She had no idea. Still, they ought to be able to at least wield it.

"Y'know . . . y'could try usin' some blacklight yerself. Might make ya less vulnerable to the effects. There's nothin' the blacklight hurts more'n someone without any of that energy runnin' through 'em."

 

[IFBench]

Maybe that would work! What blacklight moves did they have again? Radiant Rejuvenation, Shining Sunbeams, and...Shadow Panic.
Two moves that they could use.

"I'll try that!" Saltriv said. Immediately, a cone of light encased their body. Their leaf became less wilted, and then the light disappeared.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa nodded with approval. "Jus' like that, yeah. Say, I've been trainin' with folks of late t'see what new powers they've developed now Diyem's on Cibus with us. Reckon you could give it a shot?"

She was pretty sure she hadn't planned on training Saltriv this session, but there was no time like the present. One more thing crossed off her list. She gestured to the training room she'd just been heading to by way of inviting Saltriv to join her.

 

[IFBench]

"Sure!" Saltriv said. It might help to take their mind off of the state of the outside right now.

They'd make it through it, though.

The team could defeat Joule. The team would defeat Joule.

They kept telling thenselves that as they walked towards a training room.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

The chikorita sure had some anxious energy! Brisa could sense it coming off them even with the radiance giving them a bit of pep. Maybe that was a good thing. Shadows had to come from somewhere, and the team would make good use of them.

"I've found that folks generally get their 'umbral' moves from some dark fuckin' feelings. Not necessarily unwelcome ones, just . . . tough. Mine're about how I gotta work harder than anyone to do my absolute best, even when I'm tired outta my damn skull. Fer you... Well, I don't know what kinda power to expect from ya."

Brisa considered what Saltriv's battle performance had been like to date. How they'd behaved when off the field. The way they'd been so quick to offer their encouragement and support, even to a relative stranger like her, during their first real conversation.

"You got a lotta faith in the team fer someone pretty new to it, Saltriv. There a painful side to that belief?"

 

[IFBench]

Saltriv flinched. They thought back to when they used Shadow Panic during the rematch against Rayquaza,

"...I'm afraid of hurting the team," Saltriv said.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

"Yeah, y'got that shadow move, don'tcha?" replied Brisa. "Luz figured out it's got some kinda splash effect makin' it unsafe in a crowd."

Luz had been hit by that splash effect. Lucky for Luz, she'd been in good health and able to brush it off.

"Your umbral move could come from a similar kinda place. You got any other fears?"

 

[IFBench]

"...I'm afraid of the team not pulling through," Saltriv admitted.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

It was hard to believe they'd actually beat Joule, if Brisa was honest. Harder still to continually reassure people of something she didn't know for certain. All the same, she'd keep doing it. She only had to do it until they actually defeated the fucker, after all.

"We'll pull through," she said, her voice full of grim confidence. "We always do. Hmph. Say, Saltriv . . . how about you 'n' I spar t'gether, an' you think about that fear of yers. Maybe somethin' will happen, though I can't guess what."

Brisa got in position on the battlefield, and stretched out for a moment while she waited for Saltriv.

 

[IFBench]

"Sure!" Saltriv said. They'd pull through. There was no way they would fail.

They kept telling themselves that as they got into position.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa cracked her neck and forepaw digits, then called for the match to start—"Come an' get me, Saltriv!"

She began with an easy flurry of quick attacks to test the chikorita's mettle in single combat. She'd seen them fight against Giovanni to their credit, but this was a duel, and that was a very different environment.

Do your worst, partner. I can take it.

 

[IFBench]

"Here goes!"

Saltriv leaped away from the attacks, although they weren't able to dodge them all. A few blows grazed against them, and one made direct contact.

As they landed, they began spinning their leaf around. From the ground in the training center, life sprouted, as columns of plant life erupted around Brisa, a Grass Pledge taking form.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa threw herself into battle like other mon might throw themselves at a feast. She couldn't help but enjoy herself, and the satisfaction of dodging moves and harrying Saltriv with her own. They could take a hit, at least!

"Alright! Now to put ya to th'test!" she cried, as her eyes lit up with brilliant light.

The tethers of Shining Whiplash rushed from her body to meet Saltriv's, there to surge with radiant power.

"Show me yer belief! Are we gonna pull through or not, huh? Are we?"

 

[IFBench]

Saltriv flinched as they were hit by the Whiplash, but when they opened their eyes again, there was a determined glint within them.

A ball of light formed above Saltriv, shining down upon them. As it did so, leaves manifested from the air, swirling around Saltriv, protecting them.

A second ball of light split off from the first one, flying to directly above Brisa. As the light shined down upon Brisa, Saltriv's voice came with it.

"We'll pull through! Nothing can stop us!"

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa basked in the light a moment. This kind of sparring was its own kind of fun!

"C'mon, Saltriv. Let's see yer shadows, now. Reach fer those hard feelings! What if I let you down, huh?"

She gave them a moment before charging in again, this time with shadow energy surging across her pelt.

 

[IFBench]

That couldn't happen, though, right? Brisa was one of the strongest members on the team!

As Brisa charged for them, they tried to keep out of the way again, though sustained a grazing blow.

But what if, somehow, she failed?

Razor-sharp leaves manifested from the air, flying towards Brisa.

That was impossible, though...

As the attack was launched, Saltriv leapt to the side, before abruptly slowing down.

...right?

Shadowy wisps began to form around them.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

What if she failed?

The thought wasn't her own; it came as an intrusion. She stumbled as she made the realisation. At first she rejected it the same as any other such thought, automatically—dwelling on the possibility of failure was useless. She focused on solutions, not failure.

But what if she failed?

The thought itself was painful. Physically painful. Her muscles cramped up in response to the terrifying urge to not fail, don't fail, don't let them down—! She cried out from the fear and pain and struck, hitting Saltriv twice as hard as before.

"Fuckin' thunder, Saltriv, are you alright there?" she gasped, her muscles still aching as if bruised from the power in them.