"Grrrrrr..."
Despite taking a hit that looked like it had dealt critical damage, Ren flipped over just as she was about to crash into a tree, allowing her to catch herself in a deep, crouching posture. Then, with her eyes blazing like cerulean blue flames, she raced forward with determination.
"Great job, Ren! This time—"
Seeing Ren abruptly accelerate midway through her charge, Jason's words cut off, his eyes widening as she landed a glowing punch to the center of Stufful's face. He was aware that she had learned how to use Metal Claw over the past two weeks, but while they looked similar, what she had just done was clearly something else.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Status]
Name: [Rennae]
Title: [None]
Age: 0(15 Days)
Height: 52.4cm Weight: 44.4kg B/W/H: ??/??/??
Rank: 1-Star
[Physique: 134]
Strength: 52[+]
Vitality: 50[+]
Dexterity: 32[+]
[Cognition: 108]
Intelligence: 14[+]
Perception: 64[+]
Guts: 30[+]
[Spirituality: 113]
Spirit: 41[+]
Mind: 55[+]
Faith: 17[+]
[Skills]
[Healthy Body(F)], [Strong Bones(F)], [Steadfast(F)], [Aura Reading(F)], [Aura Conversion(F)], [Martial Arts(F)]
[Special Abilities]
[Endure(E)], [Quick Attack(F)], [Bite(F)], [Detect(F)], [Howl(F)], [Feint(F)], [Metal Claw(E)], [Bullet Punch(F)]
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Though it probably wasn't the best time to do so, Jason felt compelled to open Ren's Status to see what, if anything, had changed. Her parameters hadn't changed since he checked them around lunch time, but as he had suspected, she could now use Bullet Punch.
'She's growing so quickly...' thought Jason, unable to prevent a gratified smile from adorning his face as he watched Ren use Detect to read and evade Stufful's counterattack without the need for additional commands. Unfortunately, Bullet Punch's speed and power weren't much greater than Quick Attack's. Its Steel typing also wasn't particularly effective against a Normal/Fighting-type like Stufful, so while it caused the latter to stumble, she didn't fall over or appear to take substantial damage.
'She seriously needs a Fighting-type move...' thought Jason, alternating his gaze between the battle and Korrina posing confidently on the other side of the battlefield, her hands on her hips and a broad smile adorning her face.
'What could she have planned...?' wondered Jason, his brow immediately beading with sweat as his eyes caught a faint glimmer on Korrina's left wrist. He somehow hadn't noticed it before, but she was wearing what he had mistaken for a white and red-trimmed watch.
Confirming Jason's fears, the smile on Korrina's face broadened as she shouted, "Alright, Stufful! It's time for us to show them what we can really do!" before her Stufful leaped back and the two abruptly began posing in concert.
'Shit...!' Jason exclaimed internally, his eyes widening to their limits. At the same time, he outwardly shouted, "Ren! Use Detect! You absolutely must dodge this next attack!" while Korrina and Stufful first crossed their arms in front of their bodies, causing the bracelet on her wrist to radiate golden light. Then, as they extended their arms outward and then spread them in a cutting gesture, fiery blue light erupted from Korrina's body and flowed into Stufful as she drew her fists toward her forehead and chest, shouting, "Maximum power! Breakneck Blitz, go...!"
Though Ren did as Jason had instructed, her already glowing blue eyes blazing more intensely than they ever had, she didn't have time to even think about moving before Stufful's fist obstructed her vision. Behind her, Jason's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as, one moment, Stufful was mirroring Korrina's movements. The very next, the ground where she had been standing erupted, an explosion and the sound of a thunderclap producing tempestuous winds that forced Jason to shrink and protect his face as Ren's body sailed past him like a cannonball.
"S-Stufful, return...!" shouted Korrina, hastily returning Stufful to its Love Ball as the stuffed bear-like Pokémon stared at where Jason was standing with blank, unblinking eyes. She had noticed that Stufful had deliberately sent Ren flying in his direction, and while the impact might not have killed him, it definitely would have caused injury.
'So this is the power of a Z-Move...' noted Jason, his expression grim and his eyes full of concern as he searched the devastated battlefield for Ren, unaware that she had been sent flying past him.
"Looking for someone...?" asked Ellaine, causing Jason to startle slightly and turn back to see her approaching with Wicke, Audino, his Rotom, and, most pressingly, Ren, unconscious in her arms.
Preempting Jason's confused questions, Ellaine smiled, gestured with her head at the center of the battlefield, and explained, "That attack sent her flying clear out of the battlefield. But don't worry. I gave her a quick once-over, and she doesn't appear to be seriously injured. With some Moo-Moo Milk and a good rest, she'll be back to training and causing mischief in no time."
"My goodness! Jason! Are you and Ren okay...!?" exclaimed Lillie, arriving just as Ellaine finished speaking. She had never seen a move as powerful as the one Korrina had used—not in person, at least—so she couldn't help being more concerned than usual.
"Ellaine says she'll be okay..." answered Jason, accepting the unconscious Ren from Ellaine's arms, her limp body feeling heavier than usual as a kind of pain he had never experienced before permeated his chest. Ren trained so hard, day in and day out, but against the absurd power of a Z-Move, all of her efforts had been rendered useless.
'It's not fair...' thought Jason, associating the pain he was experiencing with indignation. He didn't resent Korrina or her Stufful, but he couldn't help feeling that her using a Z-Move against them when they lacked the means to employ one of their own wasn't fair.
[The Great Sage Who Peeks Under Skirts concurs with the Aspirant's thoughts.]
[The Great Sage Who Peeks Under Skirts sponsors you 3,800 AP, along with the message: But this is the burden imposed upon the weak by fate itself. If you don't wish to feel this way in the future, you need to become stronger.]
"Jason! I'm so, so sorry...!" shouted Korrina, running over with a genuinely apologetic expression as she explained, "I told Stufful before the battle to hold back, but she went all-out! Are you and Ren okay!?"
"They're fine," stated Ellaine, crossing her arms, shifting her weight, and adopting a slight frown as she chided, "But you and Stufful definitely went too far. I understand the urge to want to show off a new and cool move to the person you like, but you have to remember that Jason and Ren aren't yet a fully fledged Trainer and their Pokémon. Experiences like this could put them off battling entirely."
"Right...this was a complete failure on my part..." admitted Korrina, closing her eyes, hanging her head, and visibly slumping. As Ellaine had inferred, she had just wanted to show off her newly acquired power to Jason, Ren, and everyone else present. Had Stufful obeyed her, she believed that Ren would have been able to continue the battle. And with a better idea of the kind of power they would be expected to overcome, she believed that the experience would aid both Jason and Lillie when they set out to complete the Island Challenge themselves.
"I won't gloss over the situation and say that everything's okay, but I know that you would never do anything to harm me or Ren deliberately..." stated Jason, forcing a smile. Part of him wanted to reassure Korrina and affirm she had done nothing wrong, but it was clear to everyone present that she had erred—including Korrina herself.
"Jason..." muttered Korrina, raising her gaze and meeting his with glossy, borderline teary eyes.
"Well said. It's important to be able to forgive people, particularly when they weren't attempting to cause you harm," appended Ellaine, nodding approvingly. Lillie's brows creased slightly at this statement, but instead of speaking out, she stared thoughtfully at Ren's seemingly unconscious body in Jason's arms. Others might not have noticed, but she had caught the mischievous Riolu opening her eye to peek at the situation. Knowing Ren was awake was a relief, but as her pretending to be unconscious was causing Jason unnecessary stress, Lillie felt a slight urge to bend her over and spank her bottom...
"For now, why don't the three of you head back to my place with Audino?" suggested Ellaine, her smile broadening as she assured, "Wicke and I will take care of things here."
"I'm not particularly fond of being volunteered, but I suppose it can't be helped..." responded Wicke, adjusting her glasses and adopting a playful smile as she rather abruptly asked, "I suppose you'll be spending tonight with Korrina and Lillie?"
Before Jason could respond, his cheeks warming slightly, Korrina visibly deflated and sighed, "I don't know...after what I did, it almost doesn't feel right for me to receive Jason's care..."
"I wouldn't worry about it too much," countered Ellaine, shifting her gaze to Jason and smiling as she teased, "Rather, if you keep beating yourself up, it's Jason here who's going to start feeling guilty. You've already given him your apology. If you feel that isn't enough, I'm certain he can think of a few ways to help you show your sincerity."
"Is that okay...?" asked Korrina, directing the question and a glossy-eyed, hope-filled gaze at Jason. It was the kind of look that cut straight through a person, so while he still felt she had crossed the line, Jason didn't have the heart to answer with anything but an awkward smile and an affirming, "Sure..." before directing his gaze to Lillie.
Seeing Jason look to her, ostensibly for her approval, Lillie's slight frown transformed into a broad smile as she affirmed, "It's been a while since it was the three of us. I'm looking forward to it."
"Then I guess this is the end of today's broadcast," said Jason, directing his gaze to the chat window to his right. Things ending so quickly left him feeling somewhat guilty, but when he read the mostly affirming messages sent by his most dedicated viewers, the feeling mostly abated. There was a Constellation he didn't recognize advising him to punish Korrina for what she had done, emphasized by some rather colorful language. Fortunately, while he wasn't able to ban Constellations from his chat outright, he could mute their standard messages and require them to pay a premium to send him chat donations...
...
..
.
With Ren revealing that she was pretending to be unconscious shortly after they reached Ellaine's place, Jason felt a similar urge to the one Lillie had experienced. Instead of scolding her, however, he sat with her on the living room sofa, cradling her with his left arm and bottle-feeding her with a chilled bottle of Moo-Moo Milk. Her body temperature was elevated due to her exertion and her body healing itself, so the chilled Miltank milk was just what she needed.
Interrupting Ren's contented suckling, Jason, his expression and tone equal parts soft and serious, asked, "That attack was pretty terrifying, wasn't it...?"
Opening her eyes to meet Jason's gaze, Ren stared at him for several seconds while continuing to suck on the bottle's nipple as if she were afraid she wouldn't be able to finish its contents if she responded. She didn't seem even remotely bothered by the fact that she had been sent flying, leaving Jason feeling at a slight loss and reinforcing that Fighting-types truly were built for combat. He had thought she might require a bit of consoling, but she just stared at him with clear, attentive eyes, waiting for him to continue.
Exhaling faintly from his nose, Jason suppressed the trepidation he was feeling in his heart, adopted a smile, and expressed, "I almost forgot to praise you for learning how to use Bullet Punch. Great job, Ren. You really are my little Fighting-type prodigy..."
Hearing Jason's praise, Ren closed her eyes happily and began wagging her tail, curled between her legs. She was tempted to release her hold on the bottle and answer him directly, but since she always felt super hungry after a battle, her top priority at that moment was filling her belly so she could resume her training, become stronger, and exact vengeance against Stufful as soon as possible...
...
..
.