Friction in the Mist

ooc:

Sun's up. But it's kinda dark. I don't get it-- this place is a little creepy. Pricklemist Hill was a very foreboding place. Thick mist swirled in the air and the sun seemed to give off very little light, despite the clear lack of trees or buildings to block the sunlight. A single, tall hill stood on the edge of Rainfront Town, perhaps a ten-minute walk, and Goro felt curious despite himself. He wasn't much of an adventurer, and he was definitely not one of those sunny Explorers than ran about the world chasing thrills. But he wanted to feel a sense of kinship, here-- this place was sullen, dour and dark, and a curious scan of the horizon behind him showed no Pokemon willing to follow him to the desolate hill. Isolation would not be the distant dream it was in Cattail Marsh, and the mist gave off a pleasant tingle when it brushed against his skin. Perhaps, if not for the fearful apprehension in the air, Goro could see himself settle down someplace nearby.

But something in him knew not to. Something was inherently wrong about this place. It was as if something went terribly awry and the land would not let itself forget, and while he had to tolerate many a nosy traveler in the well-populated swamplands in his Marsh, here he had to remind himself to relax.

I should at least get ta know the place. He was on edge. Goro huddled in on himself nervously, hunching his soldiers and crossing his arms as he climbed the hill. In his years of travelling and working, he'd never found a place as darkly mysterious as the Hill on the edge of the Rainfront Town. I'm hunkered down practically down the road, anyhow. Nuthin' here's gonna hurt me.

{Energy: 16 - 10 (Entry) = 6}

Apollo wandered through the misty hill, on his own for the first time in a long time. 'What is it with this place?' the Riolu thought to himself, gazing around him nervously. 'This whole place gives me a weird feeling...it almost feels like the mist has some lingering aura mixed into it or something....' He then quickly shook his head. "Gah...what a stupid thought," he grumbled to himself. "Get ahold of yourself, Apollo." 'That goes against everything I know about aura, which is something living things give off. Some ridiculous mist can't possibly have any aura to it. It's just your imagination....' Despite his own words and thoughts, Apollo still could not shake this feeling of unease. For a brief moment, he even caved to a somewhat paranoid feeling of being watched or followed by closing his eyes and focusing his senses, trying to identify any nearby aura sources. As expected, there was nothing to be found. 'Tch...of course not. Just look at me. No wonder I-'

He paused, quickly realizing something; there was an aura signature nearby. However, it wasn't behind him, nor did it seem to be stalking him. Rather, it was farther in front of him. But what was it...? A feral Pokémon that would attack him as soon as they discovered he was here? Or was it someone else entirely? He needed to find out. The last thing he needed was to be jumped while he was worrying about the atmosphere and distracted from whatever aura signatures were around him.

Nodding to himself, Apollo ducked to the side, off of the beaten path. He moved quickly and silently up the side of the path, trying his best to stay low and remain unseen by anything in the thick mist. He used his aura sensing capabilities to zone in on his target's location...and it wasn't long before he was close enough to get a visual. The signature appeared to belong to a blue frog-like Pokémon. He quickly and silently moved forward, trying to climb the hill farther ahead of the Croagunk. He spotted the perfect place to wait; there was a tree just slightly further up the hill.

He quickly pulled himself into the tree, though he couldn't stop the slight rustling that came as a result. Whether or not his target would notice, however, he wasn't sure. At this point, Goro wasn't far from him, so it was possible. And if he did, there would definitely not be anywhere else for him to hide, so he could rather easily be found out.

Goro was pulled from his inner musings when his ears picked up the soft sound of grass rustling-- not the kind of sound from grass rustled from the wind, but from someone else stepping on it-- and quickly his gaze snapped up in front of him, scanning the horizon for enemies. Something was here with him. He turned from side to side, trying to track the fading sound, his heartbeat speeding up and his arms finding themselves loosely at his sides reflexively. The Croagunk's lip curled anxiously when he failed to see anything out of order; it was the same view he had when he was trudging up the hill.

A-- a wild Pokemon? This close to Rainfront Town... no. No. It's just this place. Creepy. Messin' with me. Visibly, Goro shook his head and shuddered, but kept his arms at his side and his eyes alert and scanning the horizon. If something was here with him, surely he'd have noticed it. It was just this stupid hill and its dreadful atmosphere. Goro himself was quite dour, but the closer he got to this house at the top of the hill the more unsettled he became. His gaze gravitated towards the tree he noticed when he was startled, and decided to take refuge in the shade for a moment. Gettin' here took somethin' outta me. I'll settle down, scope out the rest o' my backyard and head on back home.

The Croagunk rolled his shoulders and leaned up against the tree for a moment, breathing the misty air in deeply. Unthinkingly, Goro fell into a stance and his hands raised in front of his face. Wistfully, he let himself run through the old training movements his parents taught him. Trained fists blurred in front of him, lefts and rights, hooks, jabs, straights and uppercuts flying with abandon. Occasionally he'd sway in place, dodging imaginary blows and shuffling around a phantom opponent. Shadow boxing, his Ma called it. Said she learned it from a Hitmonchan she fought with once. I wish she was here, instead of wherever she was. I wish things worked out.

Apollo silenced himself as much as possible, controlling his breathing to any more noise he was making. Thankfully, remaining completely still and silent was a skill his mother had taught him, though originally it was for the sake of meditation and, on rare occasions, hiding from Pokémon more powerful than himself. He hadn't taken the lessons too seriously, but he had still managed to master the skill regardless. After all, why would he want to run and hide like a coward? A real Pokémon stood his ground and fought, for better or for worse. Finally, the skill was coming in handy for him. He couldn't help but smirk to himself. The Croagunk below him was looking around, clearly unable to find the source of the rustling leaves. He had managed to keep his presence hidden...and now he just needed to strike.

And luckily for him, the Croagunk had decided to even step up to the tree. 'Heh. What an idiot.' Apollo thought to himself. All he had to do now was drop down and knock this guy flat before moving on again. He stretched himself out, lifting himself onto his two feet again, being careful not to rustle any more leaves. He braced himself, envisioning the attack to come. He had his opponent right where he wanted him. The poor sap wouldn't know what hit him.

But then, the Croagunk suddenly did something that he hadn't expected. The Croagunk had begun throwing punches, hurling his fists around at the air and dodging invisible strikes. His eyes widened and he had to avoid putting himself off-balance in his surprise. His target was...shadow boxing? That wasn't something that your average Pokémon would think to do. It was something a Pokémon with a trainer was taught. If Apollo hadn't been taught about it, he would have thought it as nothing more than playing pretend, as he suspected most Pokémon would probably see it. This guy was definitely no run of the mill Pokémon. His foe was clearly trained...and well at that. His form and stance were reminiscent of what he had been taught back home by his father. One thing was made very clear; his opponent was going to be tougher to take down than he first thought.

An unintentional grin spread across his face as he anticipated the fight to come. Surely a Pokémon like this would be able to give him a challenging match. If, of course...he was good enough to respond to this first attack.

With that, he finally allowed himself to drop from the tree, the leaves above the Croagunk suddenly rustling again with his movement. As he dropped, he extended his leg, aiming a swinging kick, trying to slam his right foot into the side of Goro's face, intending to land his blow and land on the ground, using his other leg and his arms to keep himself from falling over.

His mind was in the past, but his body was on autopilot. Goro reacted to the telltale sound of shifting leaves before he'd consciously recognized it, well-formed and maintained instincts taking over before the thickheaded Croagunk had any chance to look up and catch a shin to the mouth. His fists were raised in front of him, but he'd been swinging and dodging phantom enemy movements before his ambusher had dropped down on him. Goro swayed to the side reflexively, Apollo's foot squarely grazing his the underside of his face, not quite a clean hit but still damaging, while the poison-fighting hybrid stepped backward. The weight of the kick had forced Goro's head to jerk hard to the side.

Pain blossomed in his jaw, and then he realized what had just happened. Goro cocked his head back and looked on stupidly at the strange, furry blue growlithe-lookalike that had just landed in front of him. Short and looking somewhat like a dog, it had muscular legs and lean arms, and a sinewy physique telling of a disciplined, if still young, strength.

What is that Pokemon? Goro's faced still paraded his shock while his mind desperately searched for answers as to what the hell this thing was. It's... blue. So a water-type. Maybe. No, it kicked me in the mouth, its a fighter. Could be both.

Whatever it was, it damn near just took his jaw off. Goro felt a wave of both anger and shame come wash over him, furious at the Riolu for sneaking up on him, and himself for misreading the signs of his approach. It wasn't the darn Hill, the sounds were this little mutt stalking him. Righteous anger replaced shock, and without even thinking to talk to the Riolu in front of him or ask a question, Goro silently raised his fists again.

Apollo's foot more or less missed its mark, merely grazing his opponent's body instead of the direct strike he had intended to land. Regardless, he landed just as he had planned, keeping his leg extended and planting his paws on the ground to maintain his balance. This bought himself enough time to retract his leg and rise back to his own two feet once more. He quickly focused his gaze on the Croagunk in front of him, taking his opponent's body and physique in from the front for the first time. He looked sternly at the other blue Pokémon's body and studied him up and down. He seemed rather lean. It seemed like he would be difficult to land solid blows against, but if training with his brother had taught him anything, it was not to judge somebody based on their looks. This guy may not look all that physically strong, but that didn't mean that he didn't have some serious muscle hidden away from him.

As Apollo studied his opponent, Goro had wordlessly raised his arms, clenched fists poised and ready to fight. 'So, ready to go, are we? Good.' he thought to himself, allowing another smirk to appear on his face. He raised his own fists into the air as well, watching Goro's movements carefully. There was no need for words between them, it seemed. Well, he was more than happy to oblige. He wasn't really the type to talk unless it was mid-fight trash-talking. After all, that always made a brawl more enjoyable in his mind.

Without waiting for his opponent to show any signs of acknowledgement, he stepped forward, trying to quickly move in and cross the distance between them. He clenched his right fist and pulled it back, slightly telegraphing his hook before throwing it, trying to slam it into Goro's left cheek. He was going to start this match with simple movements, see if he can't get a feel for his opponent's level of strength and skill before starting to take it seriously.

'Let's see what you've got.' he murmured in his mind.

Goro began swaying from side to side as the Riolu seemed to pause and study him. Body movement here was key. This thing was quick, and even his considerable reflexes hadn't saved him from the crazy mid-air roundhouse kick this thing tried. If he was already in movement when it attacked, there was a chance that he could dodge, depending on whether or not his opponent accounted for his movement. It'd help reduce risk a messy hit like just suffered. The temptation to check for blood on his lip was there, but Goro didn't dare distract himself with this one. With any luck, this thing would be just as ignorant of Goro as he was of it.

Get a good look, pup. Look real good at my poison sacs and my fingers. I'da warned you about my poison touch if ya just asked for a fight and hadn't tried to ambush me.

Goro's focus paid off quickly-- the smaller fighter suddenly surged forward, actually pulling back a fist to strike him with. Frowning internally, Goro swayed his head to the side in time with his opponent's surprisingly predictable punch, avoiding the fist cleanly. Yer kicks are better. Instead of stepping backward or to the side, to gain distance, Goro stepped forward as well, closing the distance between him and his smaller opponent. His right arm grasped for Apollo's smaller forearm, intending to grasp it harshly while Goro's left fist tore a path towards Apollo's side. A few good shots to the ribs oughta slow you down.

Apollo felt his paw meet nothing but air. The Croagunk had managed to move just out of his path, avoiding his punch altogether this time. He supposed that he shouldn't be surprised; he was already aware that it was going to be difficult to land direct hits against this Pokémon. He couldn't help but allow another slight smirk to appear on his face. This was what he had been hoping for. If his opponent hadn't been able to dodge that punch, or at least block of deflect it somehow, then this fight wouldn't be all that interesting. However, it seemed his opponent was sufficiently quick on his feet. However, how long could his opponent keep it up? Other evasive Pokémon like this kept their distance and waited for an opening before striking. If he piled on the pressure, his opponent was more likely to make a mistake.

With that on his mind, he moved to press his expected advantage. He pulled his arm back, preparing to swing his left fist forward this time, stepping to keep pace with his adversary when he inevitably moved to escape him.

Instead of what he expected to happen, however, something caught him by surprise. Before he could pull away, he felt his opponent's arm grip his own tightly. Apollo's eyes widened with surprise as his opponent didn't move away as he expected. Instead, Goro had actually closed the distance further, causing their bodies to be mere inches from each other. Before he could voice his shock, however, he felt a sudden, sharp pain in his side. His opponent had driven a strong punch straight into his ribs, causing him to let out an involuntary, pained grunt.

Apollo growled lowly, mentally berating himself for leaving such a large, obvious hole in his guard. He was at an immediate disadvantage in this position, thanks to his opponent's size and weight advantage. His dominant arm was currently in his opponent's control, thus giving him control of a good portion of his upper body's movements. He needed to get away, and fast. He pulled his captive arm backward, attempting to yank his arm out of his opponent's grip. If he could manage that, he would quickly leap away, being forced on the defensive. If he couldn't, however, he'd find himself with a more difficult fight than he had anticipated....

Good feedback. The Croagunk grunted appreciatively when his fist collided with Apollo's side, a little surprised that he'd try something so simple. The ambush tactic was done pretty much silently, quickly, and efficiently; even if it wasn't a clean hit, it still hurt. Then, moments later, he tried to rush him down with a foreseeable, if admittedly quick, punch. Maybe he was expecting Goro to just take the hit, or not react as quickly. Either way, he was fortunate that his opponent went for such a straightforward tactic. The grip he had on Apollo's arm detected more than a fair share of tension left in the arm. If his arms hit anything like his legs, then he's got some real firepower in 'em.

Goro himself wasn't quite done yet, however. With the Riolu's arm still clutched with his right hand, Goro drew his left back again, a suggestive white energy pooling beneath his knuckles, giving the fist a dull glow. Drain Punch. He still felt perfectly healthy, except that ache in his jaw, but still, Drain Punch was his most damaging attack move. If it happened to alleviate some of his own damage while it dealt injury, well, all the better. Goro twisted his shoulders and turned his hips along with his arm, throwing all his weight behind this punch, unlike the hook he threw a moment before. Let's see how you deal with somethin' more intense!

But it was not to be. One sudden, forceful pull later and Goro's flaring fist swung through naught but air, the Riolu in his hand a moment ago having yanked his arm, along with the rest of himself, right out of Goro's grasp. Goro stumbled for a moment, the full-body weight behind his left hook keeping him rooted, unable to hold the wily fighting-type down. The Croagunk looked up dumbly as Apollo successfully leaped away from him, and the telltale glow and feeling of power faded away in his left fist.

A swing and a miss. And he saw. A flicker of irritation rippled across Goro's face, as he once again put up his fists, ready for any assault Apollo might give. He's stronger than he looks, to get away from me like that.

As soon as Apollo's arm was successfully pulled out of Goro's grasp, he leaped away to safety. He landed lightly on his feet out of the Croagunk's range, just in time to see the aftermath of his opponent's move. He watched as the soft glow surrounding his opponent's fist wore off. Wait...that attack... He clenched his fists, raising them quickly. He recognized that move. That attack was the same one his brother would always employ on him back home. He could never mistake the glow of that annoying move. The attack would always strike, rendering any progress he had made in the battle up to that point moot. He absolutely cannot allow himself to get struck by that. He has to be careful.

Apollo grunted and readied himself again. This time, however, he didn't move in for an attack right away. Instead, he decided to start slowly shuffling toward the Croagunk, keeping an eye on his movements. He watched Goro for any signs of movement. He wanted to make sure that he wasn't going to suddenly close the distance again. And if he saw any motion, he would stop his own advance and brace himself for whatever attack may be coming. However, in the event that Goro didn't make any movement, he would continue shuffling until he had crossed roughly half of the distance between them.

At that point, he would suddenly kick off from the ground and rush forward once again. But this time, he wasn't simply moving at a normal pace. He focused his energy as much as he could into loosening his body and making himself a bit lighter on his feet. His speed was increased momentarily as he made a beeline for Goro's body, quickly attempting to drive his elbow as hard as he could into the Toxic Mouth Pokémon's chest utilizing his Quick Attack. As he attacked, he had just one thought on his mind: 'Now let's see how good your reaction time is!'

He ain't scared, but he's careful. He knows enough to be afraid of what I'm packin'. Goro's fists clenched and unclenched periodically, emotion making itself known on the poison-type fighter. He bared his flat teeth in a show of aggression, and his poison sacs inflated quickly, a blubbering croak resonating throughout the hill and misty air. The Croagunk studied his opponent carefully, crouched low to the ground, ready to stand against or dodge sudden approaches or long-distance attacks. Either he's seen the same before or he's seen somthin' like what I got.

When Apollo started circling forward, and studied him in return, Goro felt a sense of gleeful apprehension. It was clear, now; the clumsy punch from earlier was an amateurish attempt at gauging Goro's own skill level. He was better than that, faster than what he showed, as strong as he was a moment ago. Now the fight would start in earnest; they'd brawl skillfully, and use their trump cards accordingly. Yes. Yes. This'll be real good.

Goro approached carefully, wary of his opponent's considerable speed. Goro himself wasn't slow by any means, but he doubted he could reach the speed Apollo showed when he attacked that first time. It was clear; Goro had to fight defensively, here. He was heavier, slower, stronger. Repel, and strike decisively. So when Apollo shuffled forwards a certain length, Goro thought nothing of it. He's out of my reach, still, he thought.

No, Goro's eyes widened as Apollo shot forward with speed that put what he'd shown earlier to shame, and Goro saw the distinct shape of an elbow at the forefront of the Riolu's figure. He's not.

He couldn't even try and intercept the attack, let alone dodge it. Instead, he braced himself and stood watching as Apollo's elbow crashed into his chest with all the subtlety of a Loudred, and Goro wheezed roughly, the air being driven from his lungs. The blow propelled him backward quickly, his figure falling off balance visibly. But, instead of immediately falling, Goro steadied himself just long enough for his arms to rise from his sides and seize at the Riolu in front of him again.

If he could get a hold of the smaller fighter, he could slip a foot between his and ground him, drag the Riolu down with him. And then he'd see how fast the little mutt was when Goro was physically on top of him.

'Weren't expecting that, were you, tough guy!?' Apollo thought to himself as he drove his elbow as harshly as he could into the Croagunk's chest, attempting to throw him back and down onto the ground. From there, he could continue his attack, should he not give up then and there. He mentally prepared himself, and thrust his body forward, giving his elbow the extra strength it would need to knock his opponent down. But once again, Goro surprised him. Overconfident that he had this Croagunk right where he wanted him this time, he was unable to react quickly enough as his opponent somehow managed to miraculously, albeit momentarily, steady himself.

"What-!?" he audibly shouted, but it was too late to do anything. He felt Goro's arms wrap around his body, and then a foot get stuck between his, destroying his maneuverability. He had no solid footing to fall back on, and was powerless against his opponent's superior physical might. "Grngh...!" he grunted as he felt himself get helplessly pulled down to the ground, slamming hard into the dirt along with his foe. But that wasn't all; unfortunately for him, he was still in the grips of his stronger opponent. This wasn't good. If he didn't do something, he'd find himself helpless in no time...! But what could he do...?

His mind raced as he tried to think of possibilities; but he was already being grappled. First thing was first, he needed to get free. He struggled with all of his might, attempting to once more pull himself free from the Croagunk's grip and roll away from him before it was too late....

Goro was surprised despite himself when his fists caught hold of the faster, smaller fighter. But he was by no means slow this time, instantly and expertly taking him down and slamming him as hard as he could given the circumstances-- the Riolu didn't seem to weigh much, so maybe it hurt more than Goro figured-- but then it immediately started trying to wrestle out of his grasp. Goro tried as he could to keep a hold of him, tried to crawl on top of the smaller fighter, but he was particularly wily, a considerable strength in his deceptively small physique. Goro found himself hoisted off time and again, frustration and adrenaline pumping through his veins something fierce. He didn't think this through-- his own skin was leathery and smooth, making his fists about the only part that could grip onto his opponent effectively; but the Toxic Mouth Pokemon didn't dare bite him. He was a fighter by nature, but not a killer by choice. Only when I gotta. And I got other ways o' dealin' wit' you!

He knew he couldn't keep the Riolu down for too long. Instead of only holding him down, Goro half-abandoned the strategy, trying to pin only one of Apollo's arms with one of his own, rearing the other fist back, white energy illuminating his right hand briskly. Drain Punch. His fist curled viciously, the radiant light from it lighting up the dark, misty air around them. They'd only been down for a few seconds-- Goro was still dazed from the elbow a moment earlier, chest still tight and vision full of muddy grass and bristling blue fur-- he wasn't sure what part of Apollo he had a hold of, and he had even less of an idea of where he was about to chop his fist.

Hope this is your face, you little runt! It had arm strength behind it, like the first one, but definitely no body weight. It might cause some damage, if Apollo couldn't wriggle out of the way in time, but either Goro knew this was far from over.

Apollo growled in frustration as he grappled with the larger Pokémon on the ground. The struggle truly only lasted a handful of seconds. But to Apollo, it seemed like an eternity. His opponent was stronger and heavier than him, so that made it even harder for him. But still, he fought back, and endured the struggle. But every time he thought he was finally ready to pull free, Goro was quick to pull him back into the fray and throw him back to the ground again in another pin attempt. Thankfully, his opponent's body did not seem to be well-built for pinning a still-active foe to the ground. However, that also came with a downside for him. Because of the smoothness of the Croagunk's skin, he was finding it very difficult to keep a firm grip on any part of his body that he could wrap around completely. Thankfully, his aim was merely trying to wrest his opponent's grip from him, so he was more focused on strikes than actual grapple techniques.

However, it wasn't long before the name of the game changed. A few seconds after their grapples had begun, Apollo was forced down once again. This time, however, the Croagunk did not seem interested in keeping his entire body down. Rather, he was trying to focus on keeping all of his weight down onto his right arm, pinning it firmly into place. He cursed under his breath as he realized that he was going to be stuck there. With so much of the Croagunk's physical superiority holding him down, he had to think of something else. But at that moment, something else caught his attention. His crimson eyes shifted to the side, finally spotting the familiar white energy. After all of this struggle...his opponent was going to regain lost strength with such a strong move? No...there had to be something else he could do. But...what? He was sufficiently pinned by the arm. What else could he...?

He then glanced to the side, toward his own arm. And then, an idea struck him. His left fist clenched tightly, and he swung it upward, fully intending to meet the Croagunk's Drain Punch with a punch of his own. But this wasn't an ordinary punch. No, his paw had suddenly adapted a metallic sheen. He clenched the fist tightly, throwing his speedy Bullet Punch upward, hoping to fend off the Croagunk's attack. But it by itself was not going to be enough. Not only was Goro already physically superior, putting him at a disadvantage in a power struggle, but his attack was built for speed rather than strength. On top of that, his opponent's attack had the advantage over it in terms of type, Fighting versus Steel. Finally, he was using his left fist, which was his non-dominant hand. Despite these disadvantages however, he hoped that the move would serve its purpose.

Apollo did not intend to win that power struggle. Rather, he used his Bullet Punch not for offense, but in defense. He attempted to slam Goro's attack with his own and knock it slightly off-course. From there, he would be able to crane his nimble, flexible body...and just barely get out of the way of the fist, narrowly avoiding the blow.

Goro's vision cleared momentarily, granting him a good glance at the ground fight he was in. He had the Riolu pinned down with his left arm, only the Riolu's left arm currently free, as was his own right hand. To his credit, the other Pokemon was struggling valiantly, not willing to concede defeat on any front. Despite the Croagunk's clear advantage in size, weight, and strength, Apollo was still fighting on, trying to prove that he had the advantage here, as well. Or, at least no clear disadvantage. But yer a sittin' duck, here, pup. Goro grinned victoriously, satisfied that he was finally to pin his faster opponent down solidly.

Goro chopped his right hand down, the Drain Punch blurring brightly, with all the arm strength he possibly had to spare. If he could score a good hit to his opponent's face, he would alleviate some of his own damage, and that would go a long way in keeping him in the fight. But it was not to be. Before Goro could react, Apollo's left hand shot out like a bullet, colliding into the side of his own-- not a clash of fists, but a strategic defensive punch, knocking his right hand just slightly off course. Dumbly, the Croagunk watching his right fist chop down hard into the ground, just off to the side of Apollo's head. Dirt parted viciously as he grounded his fist into the grass, a frustrated snarl forming on his lips. Why you little... you little mutt!

Dodge this, then! Instead of drawing his right hand back to try again, or going for different body blows that the Riolu certainly couldn't wriggle out of, Goro leaned his head back just a fraction, his weight alleviating on the Riolu for just an instant, before crudely swinging his head down at Apollo's own in a savage headbutt attempt. There was a chance for the Riolu to kick Goro off, or throw his weight off just before his headbutt came down on him, but Goro was entirely too frustrated to consider the possibility, his heart rate out of control and enough adrenaline in his veins to fight a Primeape.