Friction in the Mist

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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: 6 + 1 (New Page) = 7}

Apollo was forced to shut his right eye as a small burst of earth and grass came flying from his right side, so he could avoid getting something thrown into it. However, as far as he was concerned, that was a good thing. After all, it was better that he get dirt and grass flung at his face than get his face smashed by that Drain Punch. He felt a sense of relief wash over him for the briefest of moments; his last-ditch attempt at defending himself had worked in the end after all. However, the feeling soon passed. He knew that he couldn't dwell on something like that for too long, or else he'd be off-guard when another attack came his way. And if he got hit by even one of his opponent's attacks while being pinned here, the Croagunk would immediately be put in a favorable position.

Sure enough, Goro was not content with his missed blow. Keeping his arm pinned firmly to the ground, the Croagunk reared himself back. All of the signs of the attack were there: an imminent, powerful headbutt. If he took such a blow, he would, at the very least, become dazed and easily at his opponent's mercy. But how could he avoid it? This wasn't like the Drain Punch. This was a full-power attack. There was no way he could deflect this one. And with his arm practically glued to the ground, there was no escaping it either. He was right where the Croagunk wanted him....

But then he felt it. For a moment, he felt less pressure on his body, most notably his arm. His opponent's grip had loosened. This was his chance! At that moment, the Riolu pulled his legs up, trying to slip them underneath Goro as the Toxic Mouth Pokémon pulled back all the way. He then swung them upward, attempting to plant the soles of his feet firmly against his opponent's midsection before finally thrusting them forward as hard as he could. His intention was to kick against his opponent's midsection and throw his opponent off during that moment where the pressure he had felt lifted itself. It was his only chance to break free before he got locked into certain defeat; he absolutely could not let this headbutt connect!

Oh, yer kiddin' me! Goro had swung his head down hard but came just short of the Riolu's face below him, feeling a telltale pressure on his stomach. Somehow, Apollo had managed to bring his feet up under his midsection, whenever he had the time to do that, and Goro croaked alarmingly just before his opponent kicked off hard. His torso flew back, and before he knew it he'd landed hard on his behind, in front of the Riolu in front of him.

He definitely ain't wild, that's fer sure. He was decent on the ground, too. Fast, surprisingly strong, with a good mind for tactics, able to think on the fly. The ambush was near-perfect, his speed was incredible, and he was clever with the fast punch he'd used a moment ago, evading a strong hit using his head. Goro had fought speedsters before, but none of them were as combat-minded and clearly trained as well as this one.

Irritated, Goro rose from the ground, fists raised again. He decided not to jump back on the Riolu-- he had the advantage in a ground fight, but his opponent was so squirrelly and stubborn that it was more effort than what it was worth. I'll just knock 'em out instead.

Apollo grunted as he threw his opponent off of him with as much strength as he could muster. He felt a rush of satisfaction at ruining the Croagunk's attack twice in a row. And now with his right arm freed once more, he was able to move. He quickly lifted both of his paws up, curving them back and placing them on the ground on opposite sides of his head. He then lifted his lower body into the air and kicked himself back up from the ground, landing squarely on his feet in one swift movement.

He looked down at the Croagunk seated before him, a smirk clear on his face. It was clear that he was enjoying their fight...even more that he seemed to be able to foil every attempt the Croagunk had made to try to land a solid blow. He folded his arms against his chest as he waited for his opponent to rise again. He considered actually speaking to him for the first time since their bout had started, but he quickly shook the thought out of his mind. There wasn't any need until after their brawl was settled.

Finally, Goro was back on his feet, fists raised. The fight could resume. And Apollo didn't waste any time getting back into the match. He unfolded his arms and raised his fists once more. He quickly lunged forward, but decided to take the fight up a notch. Instead of throwing a single blow and judging his opponent's response, he decided to throw a barrage of punches, with no gaps between the attacks. He was aiming for a few different spots, ranging from the sides of the head to his gut. Would the Croagunk try to dodge them all, block, try to catch his arm like before...? Or would his defense falter altogether?

If it wasn't for the infuriating little smirk this Riolu seemed looked down on him with, Goro might have been impressed. Despite barely just evading a fist in the mouth, and experiencing the Croagunk's superior weight and physical power, his opponent still had every intention of continuing. He ignored the swell of excitement that rose up within him and observed his opponent coolly, noting his unruffled appearance and cool composure. There was no mistaking it, now; his opponent was a trained fighter. And what's more than that, he seemed to thrive as one, his young form headstrong and sure of himself, aware of his strengths and limitations. He was a born warrior.

He ain't just trained, either-- he's experienced. Even now, as Goro's fists were raised and his body swaying back and forth, clearly ready to continue, his opponent said nothing. An unspoken agreement lingered in the dark, misty air between the two trained fighters, a challenge unspoken. To fighters as these two, Pokemon who were born, lived and breathed and died to fight, battles like these were the reason they walked the earth, a rare opportunity to test one's experience and weapons against someone equally skilled.

Who's stronger? they asked with their fists. Me, or you?

Clearly, the Riolu was eager to find out. Goro watched as he bounded forward again, a much quicker, compact fist shooting towards him in contrast to the amateurish one before. Instead of intercepting the blow or enduring it, as Goro did last time around, he decided to play by Apollo's rules. I showed ya I was bigger n' tougher. Now I'll beat ya at yer own game. Smoothly, Goro swayed to the side, Apollo's punch extending harmlessly past him. He tracked the fist warily, eyes glued to the Riolu's more serious countenance, and was surprised to see another fist tearing at him.

Surprised, but not unprepared. He swayed right this time, Apollo's fist missing its mark again. A third punch swung at him from a different angle, Goro swayed left again, displaying a speed and agility and belied his bullheaded strategy so far. But then the Riolu moved into a complicated barrage of fists, the speed of his hands shifting a gear up. Try as he might, however, Goro couldn't evade all of them, his larger body proving a hair too slow, and he was forced to raise his arms to guard his face and upper torso, blocking a number Apollo's punches. Goro's face was calm, behind his fists. Be patient. I kin' take these hits-- but I gotta wait for the kid ta get impatient. Soon as he swings too wide or goes for a different attack, I'll have my chance ta clobber 'em.

It wasn't difficult for Apollo to tell exactly what the Croagunk was thinking. And if he was willing to accept his challenge, then he was going to give him everything he had. All of a sudden, the stakes for the match had risen considerably. If this guy was actually just as trained as he'd been, as he thought he was, then he was putting a part of his pride as a warrior on the line. He might not have actually completed his training in his haste to leave that shrine that he had, but he did still have pride in the strength and skill he had acquired there, even if he wasn't particularly fond of the people who gave it to him. He wasn't going to let this guy get the best of him. He was going to overwhelm him and knock him flat!

With that thought on his mind, his punches became more confident as he continued his barrage, apparently overwhelming the Croagunk's defenses after a short while. The blue frog just couldn't seem to keep up with the speed of his punches, just as he had hoped. But still, something about this seemed off. At first, he couldn't place his paw on it, but it came to him rather quickly; his opponent did not appear to be worried. He was still calm and composed, almost as if his punches were having virtually no effect whatsoever. What was going on? Were his punches really that soft against him? Or was he simply putting on a brave face to try to get him to lure him into making some kind of mistake? The very thought that his opponent was able to take his punches with such ease bothered him...and he was going to change that.

He threw one more punch with his right paw, making this one aim specifically for the left side of Goro's face, with the hope that it might be able to stun Goro just long enough for him to make his next move. Whether his punch successfully struck, was dodged or blocked, however, he would fluidly leap backwards, performing a backflip to give himself a couple extra feet of space. He landed lightly on his feet...and then leaped forward, shifting his body in mid-air, and extending his leg. He was aiming a flying kick attack straight for Goro's face, intending to use his momentum to increase the impact from this so that it would hurt a lot more than his punches only moments before. Hopefully, it would drive the Croagunk onto the ground.

However, if his attack missed, he would be left extremely vulnerable to a counterattack. This was a gamble for him. Hopefully, it would pay off.

A bubbling sort of elation filled Goro's heart when he caught a good glimpse of the Riolu's face, from behind his fists. Resolute determination shone brightly, and Goro knew he'd found a kindred spirit; someone who fought for the sake of fighting. This wasn't an ambush to rob Goro of any items or supplies he might have. The Croagunk could have been anyone else, any sort of Pokemon wandering the Pricklemist Hill, but as long as he was recognizable as a fighter, he was a target for a Riolu. A chance for him to test his strength against someone else.

Goro watched his adversary silently, tracking his body movement and the blurring fists sent at him. His hand speed was astonishing-- just as good as Goro's own, very likely better, and while Goro knew that he had a longer reach, an good assortment of punches, and harder hits with his larger size, he was nevertheless appreciative of Apollo's technique. And as Apollo's fists struck repeatedly against Goro's guard, he found himself grunting approvingly. Kid's got real good power for his size, too. Not that he was surprised-- Apollo's opening kick wasn't even a clean hit, but he still felt a suggestive ache in his jaw.

Focused as he was, Goro saw the right hand soaring toward his face and shifted his weight flawlessly, a fluid sway to the right bringing him just out of the way. Air whistled sharply by his ear as the fist extended past him, and was brought back just as quickly. Goro was tempted to step in with it, but he reminded himself to be patient, wait for his opportunity. Sooner or later, the younger fighter would change it up, impatient against a solid guard.

And sooner it was. Apollo abandoned his rush-down barrage of punches, backflipping into the air expertly. Goro was wary of another burst of speed, like the elbow strike before, but instead of using an attack move, his adversary landed smoothly just before springing forward again. He took into the air, bringing his lower body forward, a flying kick suddenly shooting into the air aimed right for Goro's head.

Now's my chance! Had he been overwhelmed by Apollo's punches, then the Riolu's next attack would have been a perfect finisher, sailing right over a tight guard into Goro's unsuspecting face. But rather than let himself be buried under the punches, he'd kept his defense taut, waiting for a wide swing or side-kick, looking for the perfect opportunity to counter-punch. His counterattack likely would have been a jab or two, maybe a one-two combination or straight right hand; all decently powerful counter assaults, sure, but not exactly a golden opportunity. But this-- this was even better. The Croagunk sidestepped to the right, moving seamlessly out of the way of the incoming kick.

As he landed, his body immediately started spinning in preparation for a counter, rotating and turning quickly, body weight shifting to his right hand. He hadn't the foresight to prepare an attack move, not thinking, letting his instincts do the work-- Drain Punch would have been optimal, maybe Astonish-- but there was nothing to be done. Goro whirled like a top, his right hand tearing out into a potent swing zeroed in directly on Apollo's landing, aiming a powerful right hook for the smaller fighter's unsuspecting jaw.

Apollo soared as quickly as he could through the air, extending his foot forward, hoping to make this blow a decisive one. He put all of his weight and strength behind the kick; a risky gamble, sure, but one well worth taking if it floored this guy right then and there. His earlier, final punch had missed its mark, but he still had confidence in his move. His attack was out of nowhere and likely to be an impossible to predict move. That should be all that he needed. Catching his opponent by surprise, and thus off-guard, was all he needed to do. It was extremely difficult to do against another Riolu who had mastered the art of incorporating their aura reading capability into their battle style, as they could feel out your movements the moment you begin to make them. A fighter's intentions were often telegraphed a split-second ahead of time. Against his brother, this move would never work. But this wasn't his brother; this was an ordinary Pokémon, without access to aura.

He had confidence that this was all he needed to secure his win.

However, his confidence seeped away all at once and in the blink of an eye. Time almost seemed to slow down as his opponent stepped to the right, timing an evasive maneuver almost perfectly. His foot, and the rest of his body, began to sail harmlessly past the Croagunk's body. His eyes widened again in shock, gaze shifting to the side as he realized what his opponent was doing next. The Croagunk spun around on the spot, and he could see his opponent's fist being brought around. Time seemed to slow to a crawl, and he saw the punch heading straight for his jaw. He landed on his feet and spun around, quickly trying to raise his arms upward to protect his face from the attack. But even his speed wasn't enough to save him.

Time resumed its normal course for him as soon as the Croagunk's fist met its intended target. Goro's hook slammed mightily into his jaw, causing him to let out an involuntary cry of pain. His jaw was forced upward by the force of the blow and his head thrown back. However, he refused to go down so quickly. He couldn't let himself fall from a single blow! He stumbled backward, desperately trying to make amends for his sudden loss of balance. He soon slid to a stop, head still held back by the force of the harsh blow...but he was still on his feet, possibly due to his willpower and refusal to go down. However, he may soon regret his stubbornness, should Goro decide to capitalize on his condition. After all, he may still be on his feet, but he was still just as dazed from the blow to his head, and his guard had been completely broken, essentially leaving his entire torso an inviting target.

Sometimes, it was difficult for Goro to justify why he fought. If a stranger had asked him why he did what he did, why he lived this way, he likely wouldn't be abe to produce an answer. But to himself-- he'd asked himself this question many times before. It's one thing to be a fighter when you're fighting as a means to an end. Fighting to make coin, fighting just to make it to the end of the day-- that was a dull, almost dreadful pursuit of material gain.

It's another thing when you're fighting for the sake of the fight-- that's a different feeling entirely. It's a form of validation, an act of chasing a fleeting, familiar feeling. This kind of fight was a desperate pursuit of that profound, inbred satisfaction that's deeper than what could be put into words. When his right hook crashed into Apollo's jaw, Goro felt the stirrings of that gratification. A cruel, smug pleasure curled up in Goro as he marveled at the feedback from his punch-- the feedback was remarkable, the product of a clean hit brought by a skillful maneuver. His opponent stumbled back dangerously, the force of the blow actually forcing him back a pace or so, head snapped backward. Goro surged forward after him, expecting Apollo to topple backward as he by all rights should have, ready to pounce on the Riolu and lay into him again with gusto. To his credit, the Riolu had just barely managed to hold onto his balance, his stubbornness and willpower absolutely not willing to let him fall.

Good on ya, for stayin' on yer feet. Goro watched the other fighter stagger precariously, the damage clearly getting to him. He was dazed. Impressively, a clean power hit packed with the body weight of a larger, naturally stronger fighter wasn't enough to lay the fighting-type down. He kept on his feet, even if it was for naught. But I ain't about ta go easy on ya.

Goro stepped in hard, showing absolutely no mercy to his stumbling opponent, left hand shooting out from his hip. The unspoken, unthought, instinctive goal here was to stun Apollo even more-- a stunning combination of blows meant to open him up for a strong finisher. Goro's left tightened into a fist aimed in an upwards curling motion, seeking to bury his punch in the Riolu's gut.

Apollo was helpless; his opponent did not give him the room nor the time to take a breather and recover from the sharp blow, though that was only to be expected. Had he been in his opponent's position, he would have done the very same. It was a sign of his own mistake, and he had no choice but to accept the consequences. A moment later, the Riolu was met with his punishment; a crushing blow to his abdomen. He felt Goro's fist embed itself firmly and deeply into the pit of his stomach, a fresh surge of pain emanating from the impact. His mouth opened, as though to unleash another loud grunt of pain from the blow, yet nothing escaped his maw save for a few droplets of spittle that went flying. His body doubled over slightly against his will, folding ever so slightly over the Croagunk's clenched fist.

The wind had clearly been knocked out of his sails, and his system. Goro had clearly accomplished what he wanted to do. His legs shook slightly, showing how close he was to falling. But, again, he managed to keep himself on his feet. Though it also took everything that he had to keep himself from sinking to his knees at his opponent's feet. But he didn't want to give his foe the satisfaction of watching him kneeling at his feet, something he always hated doing in the middle of a fight. After all, it was a clear sign of submission, demonstrating the dominance of the standing combatant. He refused to let his opponent be so dominant.

'Still...' he thought to himself. 'This guy's really good. I can't believe he was able to jump on me so quickly....'

Again, Goro delighted in the feeling in his fist colliding cleanly against his opponent, tension bouncing around his fist and down his arm, feeling Apollo's stomach react and take the forceful punch. Unbeknownst to the Croagunk, a childish, cruel smile parted his lips at the feeling, revealing flat teeth. It was a sensation unlike anything else in the world, and truthfully, it was half the reason Goro himself wasn't fond of fighting with his legs too much, preferring to base his fighting style around striking with hard fists. Of course, the other reason was his legs were just a tad too short in comparison to his body and arms to be flying about in front of him, not while he had safer reach (admittedly less significant) and movement using his arms. Still, his counterattack was going well. And just getting started, if he had anything to say about it.

He'd bent his opponent over, striking a hard blow in his stomach. As nice as it would be to step back and take in the sight of his opponent bent over slightly, legs trembling just barely and spittle sent out of his mouth, looking up at his better, Goro was much more disciplined than that. This was his chance to lay some real pain and injury to his opponent.

The next step of his plan of counterattack was to open up Apollo's body up again, free it for another assault, and place his finisher right there for compounding damage. But first, I gotta open ya up again! Goro's right hand came around a second time, in a different fashion to his last right hook. Instead of sailing around as a wide swing, with the benefit of adding body weight to generate more power, this was an angled, compact right uppercut aimed at the bottom of the Riolu's jaw, intended to send his face back upwards, to create an opening for Goro's finishing blow.

Apollo was too busy trying to regain lost breath and being forced to look downward toward the Croagunk's feet to notice the smile that had instinctively found its way onto his opponent's countenance. He gritted his teeth tightly, trying to fight through the pain...but his body wasn't responding. In fact, instead of his arms moving to defend himself from the attack that was going to inevitably come next, they moved to his gut. Instinct had taken over for him completely. That instinct had him try to fold his arms over his gut in a protective manner, trying to clutch at it in a vain attempt to cover it up again and protect it from another harsh blow.

He was unable to fight his natural reflex to clutch his stomach. As a result, his instincts had failed him. While his arms moved to cover his stomach, he saw the next blow coming straight for him...but there was nothing he could do if his arms didn't respond to his desire. Before he could even flinch or brace himself, Goro's fist struck him hard. His doubled over body made the jaw an easy, unguarded target. The uppercut drove itself powerfully into the jaw, once again causing his head to get thrown backward. He was still winded, and thus couldn't let out another pained grunt, though it was very clear that he would have if he were able. Once more, the Riolu had found that his guard had been completely crashed; even his arms were flung away from his gut as he slid backward slightly from the impact. Once more, his legs wobbled slightly...but he still remained on his feet, albeit rather unsteadily.

And just like before, his entire torso was revealed; he was fully exposed for whatever the Croagunk had in mind.

Goro's smiled widened as he felt the Riolu's paws brush against his own arm, seeking to hold his stomach instinctively. His opponent was helpless, able to do nothing but take what was given to him. Always unthought and unspoken, Goro still knew deep down that this was his favorite part of being a fighter, the feeling of power and superiority surging through him as he wailed on his opponents. The tension bouncing through his fists and arms and feet and he hurt others, their pained whimpers and cries music to his ears. They way their bodies react, flesh reacting and bouncing backward, flesh parting and blood flowing through freely.

Still-- he was disciplined. Instead of attacking mindlessly, chasing that feeling of dominance, Goro knew the best thing to do here place his attacks intelligently and focus his damage where it made the most sense. The Riolu was entirely at his mercy, and this was the best opportunity he had so far. His right upper connected cleanly and solidly as well, Apollo's head snapping backward a second time, his arms askew and torso entirely open, barely on his feet. The Croagunk wondered if he'd be able to hold onto his balance if he was let be, or if he'd topple over like it looked like.

Let's see ya git up from this! Goro brought one foot up decisively, bending it and bringing it up to nearly chest level, leaning forward just so, a textbook example of a front push kick. He thrust it forward quickly, the sole of his foot sailing directly for the Riolu's chest, just above where Goro had landed his body blow before. It wasn't an optimal conclusion to a combination, as had Goro any foresight he might use his Drain Punch attack to alleviate some damage or try Mud-Slap to blind the Riolu, but it was still a hefty attack and a decisive combo finisher.

Apollo didn't have to look at his opponent or feel his aura to understand the emotions that were currently running through Goro's body. He knew it very well...but he had no time to dwell on it. He was still helpless, the blow to his midsection had been too strong for him to recover so soon, let alone the deft uppercut that had followed suit that had absolutely destroyed whatever ability to guard that he may have still possessed. Goro's foot raised into the air and then, a moment later, the sole slammed powerfully against his chest. There was nowhere he could go and nothing he could do to defend himself. This time, however, he had recovered enough from the initial blow that he actually let out a loud grunt of pain as the foot connected, solidly and completely.

Apollo's body was flung from the force of the kick, getting thrown backward, finally off of his feet for the first time since their brawl on ground. His body quickly fell to the ground with a loud, satisfying thud. He had been laid out on his back, arms spread out on the ground beside him. His left leg was flat on the ground, but his other had his knee pointed toward the air. He groaned in pain as he lay there, still trying to recover from the series of harsh blows that he had just been dealt. And this was the perfect opportunity to recover; downed from his enemy's attack. With any luck, Goro wouldn't press the attack after such a devastating combination attack.

Goro watched with a smile of cruel amusement as Apollo was flung backward, the sole of his foot crashing hard enough against the Riolu's chest hard enough to propel him back through the air, before slamming into the ground with a gratifying crash. He had a chance here, of course, to smother his assailant even further. Kick him while he was down, or wail on him from above. But, perhaps the Riolu had simply bitten off more than he could chew. If he wanted to call it quits, Goro would give him this chance.

The Croagunk inhaled a deep breath of air greedily, steadying his pounding blood and active nerves. As much as he wanted to go over and sit on that little mutt's chest and pound his face in, there was still a chance that he wasn't in it for just a fight. He was trained, certainly, but most fighters wouldn't approach another one with an ambush, or go on to have a fight as savage as this one without a verbal agreement. Goro felt the unspoken challenge, of course, but he didn't want to take the chance that this was more than the smaller Pokemon had bargained for.

Instead, Goro walked off to the side in a wide circling motion to his opponent, giving the downed Riolu a wide berth. He stopped when he was off to the side of Apollo, so that if the smaller fighter rolled over and looked to the side, Goro would be in front of him, maybe ten, fifteen feet away. The Croagunk crouched low to the ground, resting his forearms on his knees and cocked his head sideways.

He took a few long moments to drink in the sight of the other Pokemon again, and his poison sacs expanded as he croaked softly in the suddenly silent, misty air. The childish, sinister smile that he'd unknowingly formed was still present, widening slowly as he took in the results of his work. Goro was silent, even now, not saying a word, letting the Riolu catch his breath and take some time to recover from the shock of what just happened. If Apollo wanted to get up and call it quits, well, Goro would be content to walk off right then and there. The fight had helped immensely to clear his head and he felt like he could explore the rest of Pricklemist Hill with a sense of calm he didn't have before. But he knew that a larger part of him would be perhaps even more pleased if Apollo rose to his feet and wanted to continue.

Apollo remained laid out on the ground, resting upon his back. That last barrage of attacks had really done a number on him. He could still feel the dull ache emanating from the spots in which he had been struck. In fact, it was almost like he could still feel the fists being driven into his body right at that moment...especially that crushing blow to his gut and that last kick to the chest. There was even a very small part of him that considered surrendering the fight here and now. After experiencing that kind of overwhelming combination of technique, skill and power, he had gotten flashbacks of his struggles against his older brother back at the shrine he had been raised in. His brother had always taken it easy on him, but quickly silencing him with a short series of well-placed, perfectly-timed blows. This guy didn't hit nearly as hard or as well as his brother could, but there seemed to be a little bit more of a gap than he had anticipated.

But the thought was minor; a mere possibility that had crept up in the back of his mind. And just as quickly as it had come up, it was just as quickly disappeared. That combination had only come about because he'd taken a risk with that last attack. His gamble had failed, since he'd overestimated his ability to catch his opponent by surprise. It wasn't going to happen again. After all, now he knew first-hand what this Croagunk was capable of. This Croagunk had been trained especially well. Suddenly, the Riolu found himself wishing that he had perhaps stuck around the shrine to actually complete his combat lessons with his father. If Goro had completed whatever lessons he had been taught by his teacher, whoever they may be, then that gave him an edge.

But no matter what the case, Apollo had no intention of giving his opponent the satisfaction of his surrender. No, if the Croagunk wanted to win, he was going to have to earn it. And there was only one sure-fire way to send that message across right here and right now.

The sound of Goro's croaking snapped his attention back to the real world and solidified his thoughts. He looked to the side, toward the source of the sound, and rolled over onto his stomach. He placed his paws on the ground beside his chest and began to push, soon managing to push himself back onto his knees. And from there, it was a simple matter to push himself back onto his two feet again. His eyes narrowed as he gazed at his opponent. If his foe had time to admire his work from afar, then he wasn't putting up the fight he should be. He was going to teach this Croagunk not to let up on him. He didn't appreciate being treated like some kid who got in over his head. He was going to see this fight to its true conclusion, one way or another.

He wordlessly raised his fists again, glaring at his opponent, waiting for him to rise back to a proper stance once again. However, this time, something was different. His eyes burned with intensity and prideful determination. The Croagunk's attacks had not snuffed out any will to fight. In fact, that pounding had actually had the opposite effect: he was now more determined to win. He clenched his paws tightly, readying himself in a defensive position, eyes seeming to dare the Croagunk to come to him this time. After all, they had already demonstrated their skills one way. It would make for a more interesting match if they mixed it up for this round. Of course, should Goro refuse his invitation, he would have no choice but to go back on the offensive....

His gaze was not only limited to this challenge, however. It was also to tell his opponent one very important thing: he absolutely won't stand for being treated like a weakling. He didn't want Goro taking it easy on him. 'Give me everything you've got,' he thought to himself. 'You can be sure I won't be missing an opportunity to pound on you when I get you on the floor.'

As that thought crossed his mind, something even he didn't expect came to pass. A new surge of excitement spread through him. It quickly manifested itself in a smirk; one that betrayed the elation he was feeling at this very moment. Finally...a worthy opponent to battle against that wasn't out of his league. Those punches and that kick had hit hard...and he couldn't wait for those to come flying toward him again. This was going to be a challenge...and he loved to be challenged.