Struggles for Sovereignty

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Perched in the branches of a particularly shady tree, a lone Sableye scanned the premises of the Small Pond, amethyst eyes taking in the dozens of small, young, impressionable Pokémon and how they frolicked both in and outside of the waters. His brow furrowed in distaste, he watched as other Pokémon played games and had mock battles under the watchful eyes of their parents and friends.

Normally, the Darkness Pokémon would not be seen anywhere near a place infested with such joy and playful happiness, but he was new in town, and thus, he was looking to gain influence. Particularly, young followers obtained through manipulation and debts. Younger, baby-like Pokémon were prime targets, as the majority of them were easily trusting and naïve, allowing the silver-tongued Dark-type to weasel himself into their good graces.

However, to his disappointment, there were no pleasing prospects to be found. All young, frail, and weak species. None of them present would grow to be strong or relatively useful; and thus, Dismas was not interested. He fingered the rim of his top-hat irritably, searching desperately for something useful. "Vulnerable... weak, filthy little vermin. None worthy to serve." Heaving a dramatic sigh and further cloaking himself in the shadows of the tree's branches, the ghost-type allowed himself to sit back on his haunches. He leaned back, taking note of the proceedings lazily, and with no small amount of disdain.

Jet's Aqua Tail had managed to strike a direct hit, just as planned. Now, if only things could continue going according to plan, he could continue to press his advantage until his adversary surrendered his Explorer's Badge to him. He felt a strange surge of satisfaction, however, as his attack finished and he spun completely back around so that he was facing in the direction he had thrown the Sableye in win his attack. He managed to see his adversary get thrown to the ground, rolling to not only put distance between them but to also lessen the jarring impact of the solid ground beneath him.

Battle training and advice from other Pokémon told him to attack now, while he still had the advantage...but no. Try as he might, he couldn't help but hesitate. He simply did not want to attack a Pokémon that was on the ground like that. He would rather wait until he stood up again before making another attack. If he could land that one, then surely he could land more of those, right...?

"I-if you don't want this battle to continue down this path," Jet said as Dismas began pushing himself back to his feet slowly. "A-all you have to do...i-is give up my Explorer's Badge a-and I-" But he stopped there. It was at that point that he saw the look on the Sableye's face. This was not somebody he really wanted to be messing with. He knew instantly that this was going to take a much harsher turn. He needed to maintain his offensive. Now.

Without another word, Jet rushed forward. Despite every instinct in his body telling him to deliver another strong Aqua Tail...he still did not want to use such an attack against somebody who was just now getting to his feet. Instead, he decided to raise a fist and swing it forward, trying to throw a simple punch with his left paw, aimed at the right side of Dismas' face. While Normal and Fighting-type moves may pass right through his opponent, basic attacks like this could still connect with a Ghost-type Pokémon. They simply wouldn't be nearly as powerful as an actual move would have been. Especially when Jet's meager physical strength was taken into consideration. But hopefully, it would be enough given the Sableye's apparent lack of experience or physical training himself.

In the back of his mind, Dismas reflected... there were two types of anger. There was rage- wild, unstoppable and uncontrollable- it could not be harnessed. It was useful in its own situations, but it was easy to take advantage of a foe who was lost in his emotions... And then there was fury. Fury could be wielded with precision, it could be an emotion used as a weapon, to add strength to your blows and motivation to your cause.

"Wretched little maggot!"

Dismas thought that this might be rage. He charged forward, aware of Jet's left hook coming, but he found that he honestly did not care. Both claws were splayed, sharpened and poised for Scratches, weapons ready to be swung. But he wouldn't, not yet. In this state of anger, Dismas thought, he could certainly take a punch to the jaw and remain standing. He had to remain acutely aware of Jet's positioning- if the Buizel started to turn, flip, or if his center of gravity at all shifted, it was cause to fall back.

And on that note- Aqua Tail was only one of his moves. The Buizel could very well have more up his sleeves that could damage a ghost type such as himself, and Dismas did not intend to give Jet an opportunity to do so. The ghostly imp leaned towards Jet's swing, ready and able to take the swing. And when he did... Well.

If the Buizel was paying close attention, he might have noticed a dim, pink thrum of energy behind Dismas' amethyst eyes, not unlike a pulse of psychic energy. The Sableye was far from a psychic-type, but he did have prowess with Zen Headbutt.

Jet threw his fist forward, aiming to slam his hook right into the right side of the Sableye's face. If he could do that and knock him back, perhaps he could continue the combination into another punch, perhaps a kick...and then finish it off with another Aqua Tail in an attempt to throw him to the ground again. However, he was getting somewhat ahead of himself. He first needed to make sure that this first attack went off as it was supposed to.

Thankfully, that did not seem to be a problem. He watched the Ghost and Dark-type hybrid lean into his punch slightly, and it scored a direct hit. He managed to force the Darkness Pokémon's head back. This would be the perfect opportunity to press his attack. Or at least, that's what he originally thought. But while his punch was being thrown, he realized that Dismas' claws had been outstretched and ready to slash. He had to be careful with those and watch them carefully. He didn't need any nasty Scratches coming his way.

Thanks to that, however, Jet failed to notice one thing: the Sableye's slightly energized head coming straight for him. At least, not until he was already keeping an eye on his opponent's arms while swinging his next fist forward. And that was enough. The Zen Headbutt scored a direct hit on Jet's face. The Buizel let out a cry of shock and pain as the skull slammed into his face and he backpedaled away, instinctively reaching his paws up to grasp at his face, instinctively trying to shield it from further harm. Unfortunately, that would lead to him leaving his lower body, midsection and below, relatively unguarded. This time, however...it was genuine. But whether Dismas would realize or care about that was another matter entirely.

"You call that an attack!?" As angry as the Sableye was, he honestly did not notice that Jet's lower guard vanished in almost exactly the same manner as it did before. All he knew is that it was gone- there was an opening, and that was all he cared about- his ploy worked, and it was time to repay the favor. His Zen Headbutt struck well- Dismas felt some of his embrassment and anger ebb away when Jet's shocked cry reached his ears, and his mug adopted an eager, bloodthirsy grin almost as soon as he had the advantage. His open claws shot forward, both arms skewering towards Jet's torso in an upwards 'X'-like fashion, and the Darkness Pokémon tensed gleefully- if this blow was struck, Dismas had no intentions of stopping his assault until Jet was thoroughly convinced of the Sableye's superiority.

Dismas' words struck harder through his guard than even his Zen Headbutt had. He should have known from the beginning. A mere punch like that from a weakling like him? He had hardly flinched, let alone become open to a combination attack. He should have known better than to try something so simple. It had been such a pathetic attempt, demonstrating his clear lack of battle prowess for the world to see. And unfortunately for him, his guard had been completely removed this time. This allowed the Sableye to punish him for such a stupid mistake. Two powerful claws slammed their way into Jet's gut.

The double claw strike caused Jet's eyes to widen in shock and for him to mouth a somewhat silent cry of pain from a winded body...but it was just enough for Dismas to hear. He gasped in pain, quickly and desperately trying to regain his breath before the Darkness Pokémon could keep the attack going. His body doubled over, thus lowering his head to be beneath Dismas' and just in front of his chest. He was also forced further backward and he continued trying to desperately backpedal. He needed to get away from the Sableye as quickly as he could...but by this point it was likely far too late.

"Hehehe... here I thought you were strong." Surprisingly, the ghostly imp halted his assault on the sea weasel in favor of observing his fleeing opponent, chucking menacingly at his wounded visage. Backpedaling shakily, hands clutched at his gut, winded and desperately trying to regain control over himself. Perhaps... yes, the dark imp was confident he had Jet's psychological profile on lock. Dismas smirked.

Being strong and being powerful were two different things entirely. Being strong was when you had power, and the will to exercise and hone it as needed. Power could be defined as the tools one had at his disposal that makes you the fighter you are- in Jet's case, he had experience, a strong foundation, and a solid move-set. However, he had a questionable mindset, little history with lethal combat, and a penchant for mercy. Jet, Dismas concluded, was weak. He would rather wait for his opponent to get up and re-engage, rather than strike them down when they were weak. He hesitated. He didn't want to harm anyone. He had power, yes, but not the mindset to use it as he should. Only Dismas had both.

He was merciful. It would be his undoing in this bout.

The Darkness Pokémon lowered his claws, adopting a haughty expression and directing his piercing gaze onto the sea weasel. Dismas was aware that this was a perfect opportunity to strike, but this wasn't a truly dire situation for him, and Jet was no real danger. As it was, the situation had escalated a bit out of control, but the dark-ghost hybrid was confident he could still keep it under control and get what he wanted out of the water-type. That is, a follower and minion to help himself get grounded in the city, and perhaps the guild.

Jet heard Dismas' words and shook his head. No...he wasn't strong. If that's what the Sableye had thought, then there was no doubt about how mistaken he had been. Was that the reason he had picked this fight? To fight somebody strong? Well, whether or not that was the case, Jet already knew that he wasn't strong. He was weak...and that was the whole reason he had joined the Guild in the first place. Though he knew that his training was slow, it was progressing. He had seen many improvements about himself throughout the weeks since his initial arrival and formation of his team. Perhaps...perhaps he even had what it took to win this fight and get his Explorer's Badge back.

No. There was no 'perhaps' or 'maybe.' He had to get it back. He couldn't let himself lose.

After he finally recovered from the double clawed strike, Jet continued to feign injury, remaining doubled over for a brief moment longer. Finally, however...he made his move. As he feigned, he prepared a new move. A small, blue orb formed in his mouth, which he suddenly lifted upward and shot into the air like he were aiming at an invisible target. The ball would fly high into the air...before exploding and resulting in a sudden rainfall. His Rain Dance move was one that he used sparingly. But now he felt it was the most necessary to use it. An increase in speed from his Swift Swim ability and damage output was just what he could use to hopefully turn things back into his favor.

Dismas tensed when Jet suddenly erupted a water orb from his mouth, expecting a ranged water attack. However, the ghostly imp stood perplexed as Jet instead fired it into the air, and  twinge of uncertainty thrummed through Dismas when it burst into rainfall. A displeased frown played about the dark-type's mug when his adversary quickly demonstrated the ability to manipulate the weather. This was unlike any special attack Dismas had ever seen- and, holding his arm out and inspecting the rainfall that was suddenly pelting the both of them- it didn't seem harmful. It didn't sting or hurt and all... it was just soaking him. Dismas tensed further and crouched low, ready to spring into action depending on Jet's next move.

"This won't help matters much, you know. A little rainfall won't run me off, friend," Inwardly, Dismas was suddenly worried about his chances in this bout. He was still relatively young and experienced, and had no idea what Jet was prepared to do. But if there was thing he was good at, it was reading and manipulating people. A sly smile and dangerous glint in his amethyst eyes, Dismas decided to start testing the waters. If he could shake the Buizel up, then maybe it would show in the next skirmish. A stab as his Rain Dance technique, to make him unsure of whether or not Dismas had a plan to counter it, and perhaps... a casual remark regarding his next move, judging from the last two engagements. "Especially when your next move is so glaringly obvious. Your deficiency is starting to show, little weasel."

Jet paused for a moment, to make sure that Dismas was not up to or planning to attack him as soon as his Rain Dance move was completed. But what he got instead was...interesting. For a moment, he could have sworn that he saw the Sableye's countenance change slightly...but then again, it was hard to tell anything with this Sableye's dark coloration and the now-dimmer lighting. But what he really found interesting was the Sableye's words. By the way he spoke, it almost seemed like he wasn't aware of the rain's advantage. Perhaps it was merely him being too hopeful, but he couldn't help but feel that the way he seemed to talk about the rain as though that were what his problem would be, rather than the Buizel himself was a hint that perhaps he wasn't as well-informed as he claimed to be. Wishful thinking or not, it was a hope that Jet would have to cling to if he wanted to win this.

Jet bit his lip slightly at Dismas' jabs. He already knew that his battle skills were deficient. But still. He had to make the best of it. He tried his best to ignore the words...but with the various onlookers listening in, he couldn't help but blush slightly in embarrassment. He wasn't making a good impression of himself. But still...for now, he was able to ignore it. For now...he could focus on proving him wrong. So he shook his head and rushed forward. This time, however, he moved twice as fast as before, closing the distance in almost the blink of an eye. As he approached, he allowed the water to accumulate like a vortex along his tail yet again...and this time, he whipped his Aqua Tail around even faster than ever before...and it would strike with quite a bit of extra power behind it. He just hoped that it would be enough.

Regardless of the weather move, whatever it was supposed to do, Dismas had expected Jet to charge forward with another Aqua Tail, as his first one surprised and struck well against him, and the earlier jab had proved spectacularly ineffective. And when he noticed the Buizel visibly bite his lip, blush, and shake his head, Dismas allowed his sly smile to widen, confident in his ministrations and eager to push the boundaries of Jet's psyche- he... seemed to react badly to the reactions of the gathering crowd. Embarrassing him was a viable option, and it seemed more effective than simply taunting him. His opponent had a flawed strategy and his mental fortitude was fleeting, at best. On the other hand, Dismas felt strong enough, despite the lingering ache in his side, and the adrenaline kept him confident. He was cunning, his silver tongue a predator in its own right, and doubts about this battle began to flee. For a moment, Dismas relaxed.

And then Jet was in suddenly front of him, water pooling, dancing, and swirling behind him, focused at the center of his tail, and the sea weasel was quickly whirling with a purpose- alarms were ringing in Dismas' head louder than ever before. The dark imp seemed to be caught completely flat flooted, yet still stubbornly dug his clawed heels into the soil beneath him, instinctively bracing for a jarring hit. Whatever Dismas had expected, the force of this Aqua Tail was significantly stronger, and the dark-ghost hybrid found himself barreling to the side again, his grunt of pain lost as he rolled through the now filthy mud.

Dimly, in the back of his mind, the dark-type intuited Jet's trick- the rain somehow amplified both his launching speed and striking power significantly enough that Dismas, while before was able to read and even react to Jet's jab and prepared for the next Aqua Tail, was swatted aside like a gnat. He reached for a dark place within himself, cold and unfeeling, with no fear of Jet or rage against being struck aside. The Buizel would likely press the assault- and this time, it would probably be another Aqua Tail, or some other powerful technique. That would be his chance to retaliate.

The ghostly imp did not have to fake pain as he quickly heaved himself up, psywaves pooling behind Amethyst eyes as he prepared his ace move, Zen Headbutt. It had a slight chance to cause his enemies to flinch- if Dismas was able to somehow strike Jet with it, his chance of respite lay there.

Jet's Aqua Tail had been a great success. At least, it worked out a lot better than he had even dared to hope. Not only did it seem to catch the Sableye completely off-guard, but it also drove him to the ground. And this time, he could follow it up better than the last. He could waste no time. He rushed forward again, speed once more doubling thanks to the rain influenced from his Rain Dance move. He was glad that he had kept it until this opportune moment. If he could keep up his attack for long enough without giving him any time to react, he could end this battle and retrieve his Explorer's Badge. Then he would be able to get away from this Sableye.

So, he rushed forward as quickly as he could and prepared himself. This time, however, he was alert to what his opponent's movements were. This time, he could see that familiar glow coming from his opponent's head...and he knew what was coming. His adversary was planning a Zen Headbutt attack, just like what that first attack had been. But this time, he had just what he needed to turn this situation around.

Just as Dismas expected, Jet's tail began to accumulate water once again, preparing for another Aqua Tail. He crouched down low as he approached...and instead of striking head-on like Dismas might have been expecting, he leaped into the air as well as he could, which would allow him to narrowly sail over the Sableye's own skull. He then spun himself in the air, trying to flip around vertically and slam his Aqua tail into the back of Dismas' head. However, he was not able to leap high enough to avoid the Zen Headbutt completely. If the Sableye had left the attack striking forward, it would strike his leg and cause him some slight pain. But if he redirected the attack to try to hit him again, then it would likely meet the Buizel's midsection and he would end up on his back on the ground for a moment, unable to land properly.

Smug satisfaction washed over the ghostly imp when Dismas - barely, how fast was this weasel? - noticed Jet charging forward again. It was almost enough for the dark-type to ignore the throbbing ache in his side, or the mud that now caked his dark violet fur. And even during the most heated moment of this battle yet, Dismas' mind was still courting the possibilities of having Jet as a follower. He wasn't afraid to strike unconventionally, judging by how he was now sailing through the air and bringing the Aqua Tail around at an oblique angle, on course to strike the back of his head. And, approvingly, Dismas noted, he was innovative- the Rain Dance trick was creative and very effective. However complex the situation maybe, Dismas' genius mind reached for a very simple solution.

He ducked.

Dismas crouched low, content to watch Aqua Tail swipe where his head would have been, and proceeded to turn on his heel and bodily launch himself forward at Jet, aiming to crash headlong into the Buizel's back with a fully charged Zen Headbutt.

Jet's attack sailed through nothing but air. His eyes widened slightly when Dismas had merely ducked out of harm's way. He supposed he only had himself to blame, though, for not counting such an obvious solution in his strategizing process. And even worse, he would have a much harder time evading the attack since he was in the middle of the air. And sure enough, almost immediately after his feet touched solid ground, he felt a solid pain get delivered into his back.

"Agh...!" Jet cried out in pain as the Zen Headbutt scored a direct hit between the two cream-colored ovals on his back. He was thrown forward and slid on the now-wet ground for a few moments before finally tumbling and coming to a stop on his back. But he did not stay there for long. His back now ached from the strong impact, but he was starting to rise back to his feet already. He had to bounce back...and quickly. While the rain was still going. Otherwise, he would have to take time to set up another Rain Dance to prolong the rain.

With that thought on his mind, the Buizel did not even bother getting all the way back onto his feet. The moment he could get a solid footing with his hind legs, he kicked off, dashing on all fours with his still-boosted speed. He had taken a little bit of time climbing back up again and trying to shake off the Zen Headbutt, so Dismas had quite a bit of time to himself before the charge. But once the charge began, the distance was closed in no time and Jet would swing his tail, once more spinning with a vortex of water, around from his left side. However, he did not stop there this time. Instead, he spun himself around again and attempted to deliver a second swing of his Aqua Tail, this time from the front. He would use his momentum from his last swing to step to Dismas' left side and try to slam it directly into the Sableye's stomach as though he were swinging a baseball bat.

Absently, as Dismas watched the Buizel slide forward before flexibly and impressively rebounding back towards the imp, the dark-ghost hybrid noted Jet had reached a speed where Dismas was forced to react instinctively. There was little to no time to think about his course of evasiveness, and that was a very bad thing to happen to someone in their first battle. Right now, both of their relative inexperience was showing through, and Dismas had gotten quite lucky when Jet failed to throw him off with an aerial attack. Something had to be done about this Rain Dance, but Dismas was lost as to what. As it stood, his only hope was to ride it out, but eventually Jet would be able to punish an inexperienced slip-up.

Nevertheless, the Sableye had realized his situation was not quite as dire as he thought- his original battle plan of avoid and counterattack still applied here. The only difference was that Jet had boosted his speed and power significantly, so his windows of opportunity were not as common, and it was that much more important to not get hit. His wet and aching ribs could attest to that. However, Dismas found himself with a precious few seconds of preparation as Jet shakily brought himself up after the successful Zen Headbutt. He relaxed his crouch and his stance became limber and lithe, ready to react at an instant's notice. As Jet rapidly closed the distance between them with an all-fours assault, Dismas sprung into action.

Riding out the Rain Dance was his only option, and the dark-type was confident the weather manipulation wouldn't last forever. The imp stepped forward, close, but not close enough that he couldn't sway backwards from a surprise Aqua Tail- and, surprise, surprise- when Jet twisted to the side and brought his tail from around his side again, Dismas leaned backwards, wincing as it marginally clipped his side but did not break his stance.

The next one, however, threatened to end the fight all together. The Buizel kept up his assault, using his augmented speed to step to Dismas' side and bring his tail around again for a follow-up strike. The muscled tail and water swirling around it in a vortex-like manner pained a daunting and threatening visage as the Sableye raised his claws in perhaps what would be a feeble attempt at blocking. Predictably, Jet's tail crashed into Dismas' claws and smashed them away, along with the Sableye, flinging Dismas bodily backwards. The Rain Dance had only added friction to the battlefield, and the dark imp growled in digust and rage, as he slid across the mud on his back, claws splayed to his sides and radiating anger.

Jet's barrage of Aqua Tail attacks had not worked quite as well as he had hoped it would, but apparently, he still managed to land one direct hit. When his first attack had nearly completely missed, the Buizel had felt slightly less confident in his second blow. Then again, his second attack was the one that he had the most faith in. And thankfully, it turned out to not be misplaced. He was not one to enjoy inflicting pain or for winning a battle as much as the next person...but he still felt an immense feeling of satisfaction in finally being able to deliver one more solid blow to his opponent, likely drawing a lot more of the wind out of the Sableye's sails. A smile spread across his face, whether he wanted it there or not. He knew that this fight was probably not over yet...unless the Sableye surrendered. But still. He was glad he had done it as much as he had.

Jet shook his head, though. This fight was still not over yet, and he needed to make sure that he ended it before Dismas could turn things around again. And so, he rushed forward, trying to close the distance once again before the Sableye would get back up. As he charged, he instinctively prepared for his next attack. A move that would surely bring an end to this fight and knock his opponent unconscious. He dashed forward, tail beginning to create yet another Aqua Tail. But as he prepared to swing it down at his foe when he drew near...he hesitated...and finally, stopped the attack altogether.

When it came to the moment of truth, he could not bring himself to slam his tail down on a prone opponent like this. He didn't want to attack unless his opponent was in a position to strike back, even if the same courtesy would not likely be extended to him. So, at the last moment, he allowed the water surrounding his tail to dissipate. Instead, he chose to try to rise onto his hind legs and lift one of his feet up and stomp it down on top of the Sableye's chest instead. He hoped to keep the Sableye pinned down for now. Perhaps he could even convince him to surrender...? That would sure be an easy way to end this whole match. So, whether he had been able to successfully stomp down on top of him or not...

"I-I'll say it again," Jet said, confidence just as shaky as it had been at the beginning of the fight. "I-if you don't want m-more of the same, I-I suggest you s-surrender. It's...it's only a logical choice to make. I-it's obvious that I have you o-overwhelmed with my speed. A-and I can only keep the rain going as much as I want to. S-so...please, j-just, erm...g-give it up."

Little did Jet realize, however, that his rain was about to wear off as it was. He failed to notice that the rain was, even now, starting to lessen. The downpour slowly turning to a mere drizzle. Just a short while longer, and the rain would be gone. He had lost track of time...and he thought he had more time than he actually did...