Destiny Colosseum

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa loped into the arena, and tried to pretend that the crowds of mon weren't there, that this was just a duel on a quiet plain.

Her fur sparked off as she got into the headspace for a tussle.

 

[Namohysip]

It happened like before, with the Incineroar announcer calling for the crowd's attention.

"We've got a good one for you today, folks! An encore round from Surf and Turf, daughters of Team Spice, battling against another of Team Spectrum, Shinx Brisket!"

The vitality readers shined on either side of the upper stands, showing Brisa, Surf, and Turf's status.

"Is everybody ready for a great battle?!"

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa stretched out her body and cracked her joints in readiness for battle. She didn't have much in the way of taunts and flexes, but she did have one way to make an impression...

She lit up her entire coat in a ripple of electricity and Radiance alike, glowing even in the stadium's harsh lightning.

"Let's have at it!" she cried.

 

[Namohysip]

"Like we'll lose to you!" Surf said. "It's two on one! Just because you guys have crazy powers doesn't mean you can beat two half-humans!"

"And the battle begins with a resounding wave of water!" Incineroar announced. ""It looks like this is a No Item match, so these fighters will be battling with their wits alone!"

Turf's Water Pledge bounced off of Brisa's opening Protect!
Surf's Water Pledge did a grazing 12 damage to Brisa!

"Gah! Talk about a strong start!" Surf said. "We should have settled in for something to set up, but we couldn't have guessed...!"

Brisa: 150

Surf: 120
Turf: 70

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

"You want a strong start?" cried Brisa, the crowds forgotten. "I ain't holdin' back—time to make this fight a one-on-one!"

She launched forward into a Wild Charge, the move she'd been practicising earlier against Zane, electrifying her entire body for an unrestrained tackle. Yes, yes, this was a sparring match! Her opponents were here for fun, this was a fight the way pokémon were meant to have!

 

[Namohysip]

Brisa's Wild Charge dealt 234 damage to Turf, knocking her out! Brisa took 7 damage in recoil!

Turf went flying and skidding across the sands, electricity rocketing around her system and bouncing across the soft dirt. She flumped over, unmoving.

Surf gasped, then snarled at Brisa. "H-how... how dare you! She was just trying to have a good match and you... you...!"

Surf is enraged! She gained an extra action!
Surf Water Pledge twice, dealing a grazing and then full hit for a total of 35 damage!

"Wh-what...?" Surf stumbled back. "But... but we're supposed to be strong! Unless... H-how strong have you guys become?!"

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

"Aw, hell," sighed Brisa. She'd become used to not one-shotting her opponents over the last month. There was nothing like knocking out a kid on the first hit to recontextualise one's strength.

"I'm real sorry, Surf!" she called. "Guess I shoulda held back, huh?"

That ought to play well enough.

"Come on, give me your best shot!" she cried, as she built up energy through a Charge, hoping that Surf would firgive bein humiliated if she got another good hit or two in. Come on, kid. Hit me as hard as you can.

 

[Namohysip]

"Hold BACK?!" Surf said, fuming even more, now. "How DARE you! You... you holding back on me like that? I'm not gonna let you try to think you need to hold back, I'm gonna FORCE you to go all out! For Turf!"

Surf rushed forward when Brisa was charging up, frosty power dancing around her fangs. She lunged for Brisa several times; no matter how many times she tried to sidestep, over the chase, Surf kept it up and landed a few bites on her. Icy chills ran through Brisa's electrified fur.

Surf's double Ice Fang dealt a grazing, then full hit for a total of 39 damage!

"Nngh... Surf... I'm... I'm not done," Turf grunted.

"Turf...?" Surf spun around in awe, her eyes alight with relief. But Turf's were filled with determination.

"What's this?!" Incineroar called. "Why... Turf is getting back up! It's not over! It's not over, folks! Surf and Turf, their Sisterly Bond, brought them together to fight on! Could this be it?!"

Brisa: 69

Surf: 120
Turf: 1

It seems Surf has calmed down...

Take the sisters out in two successive turns, or they'll revive each other!

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

"You want all-out? Here, you asked for it! Brisa cried.

She ran headlong at Surf this time, her fur crackling twice as much as it had been, ready to deliver a crushing blow.

Yes. Yes. Fight me, goddamnit.

 

[Namohysip]

The crowd was roaring. Electricity loudly snapped along the residual water on the ground, turning the patches of dirt into bubbling scorch marks. Surf braced for impact, but she could tell a few split-seconds too late that there was no way she was going to be able to stop a Charged attack.

"Uh oh--"

Brisa's Wild Charge dealt 179 damage to Surf, and Brisa took 12 damage in recoil!

"S-Surf!" Turf said, eyes watering with panic. "No... I won't... I'll finish it for you, then! Because you... there's one thing that you couldn't do, right? One thing that..."

Water churned around Turf. It didn't look like a Water Pledge this time. In fact... the way the dirt on the ground was starting to twist and turn like quicksand, spring water rapidly conjured from Turf's hidden strength...

Turf is enraged! Turf used Surf twice, dealing a grazing and then full strike against Brisa for 15 damage!

Brisa: 42

Surf: 0
Turf: 1

Turf panted heavily, legs trembling. With a final cry, Turf rushed toward Brisa and balled up her fist. "AaaaAAAAAAAHHHH!"

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Come on. Come on, hit me!

The successive water-type attacks drenched Brisa even further, and while she was starting to feel the ache of a good fight, it was already time for this to end. So soon, too... Brisa braced, and when Turf came in for a last desperate punch, she lunged forward with a non-elemental headbutt, to take her out without unnecessary injury.

Ah, y'did well, kid.

 

[Namohysip]

The battle had lasted only a few minutes of rapidly exchanged blows, dodges, and quick and straightforward plays. There wasn't much strategy behind the way Surf and Turf moved, which made for good practice even if it wasn't very mentally stimulating. At least it worked for getting the blood pumping.

Incineroar excitedly called the match over and the crowd roared again, even as Surf and Turf stumbled to their feet.

"She... beat us... two on one?" Surf said as Thyme and Pepper hopped into the arena to congratulate them.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa bounded over to the sisters and looked up at them with an anxious grin. She'd knocked the wind out of a couple of girls and she was being cheered for it. This... well. She wasn't in Frontier Town anymore.

Pity she couldn't stay.

"That was great!" she told them, sincerely. "I'm surprised you could get up after that hit, Turf! Let alone attack me like that. I'd be more than pleased to fight the two of ya any time you have a hankerin'."

She offered a paw up to shake.

 

[Namohysip]

"Takes more than a little hit like that to take me out," Turf said, coughing outa bit of spittle before collapsing to the ground again.

"Whoa-kay, you need a rest," Surf said, scooping the Totodile off the ground.

"That was a good fight, Brisa," Pepper said, grinning. "Gave my kids a real run for their money there. They don't usually get to have a good challenge like that! Though, I guess they aren't big on exploring."

Surf and Turf both grinned. "Yeah, it was fun! And we don't get to fight in arenas like this, either! It's because of the Team Spectrum stuff." Surf started hobbling out before Pepper picked both Surf and Turf from the ground, plopping them onto Thyme's back.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

"Be seein' ya, you two," called Brisa. They were sweet kids.

She smiled at Pepper, feeling unaccountably happy. It made a nice change to get approval from a parent, huh. Even if they were someone else's.

"Thank you, Ma'am. It was a pleasure to have a fight for the sake of fun, for once. I'm accustomed to fightin' only for reasons of duty, y'see."

She took a long, low breath and looked up at the cheering crowds.

"And I ain't never seen anythin' like this," she said.

 

[Namohysip]

They headed out of the arena as the cleaners came in to restore the terrain. Pepper grinned, showing her teeth. "Yeah, it's sort of an up-and-coming thing, not very many of these in other towns but boy, it's a real celebration of strength, isn't it? Not all Pokemon are interested in getting into big fights like these, but that inner battleheart is always there..."

"I don't have it as much as you guys," Thyme admitted, shaking his head. "But you know, I feel it. I feel it." He nodded, as if conceding.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa nodded. "In my world, folks know that pokémon are meant to battle, but... it's not so simple."

She walked with Team Spice off the arena, and decided to voice an explanation.

"The townsfolk where I live have innumerable rules about battle conduct, and they don't look so fondly on my strength. ...and back home, I'm strong like you wouldn't believe. Fer- I mean, roughlanders like my Ma are the opposite. They care about strength so much, fights are never for fun. And my Pa... he just hates fightin'. So... I guess I like it better here."

 

[Namohysip]

Pepper frowned, pondering this. "So you have one person who fights to survive, one who is afraid to fight, and a whole society that's scared of your strength. I mean, to be fair, we get a little bit of that here. Not a lot of people want to spar with us back in Treasure Town because, you know. Human spirit and all that. Pretty formidable. I mean, after seeing four of them in recent history..."

"And two kids!" Surf said.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

"Yeah, that's about the size of it," said Brisa, with a dry chuckle.

"Say, I doubt I'd prove a match for you yet on my own, but it'd be my pleasure to challenge you when I'm a tad stronger."

 

[Namohysip]

"Maybe when you're evolved or something," Pepper said, poking her own chest proudly. "After all, I don't think you're at true world-saving levels just yet! If it wasn't for that energy nullification gimmick, we'd probably be saving the world instead!"