bravenewworld | LEVEL 0002: [Video / Action: Union]

[Video]

[There's a lot of shrill squawking in the background, one obviously from a bird... but one that has way too good a set of lungs to be a Torchic anymore. Adell appears in the feed a second after activating his band.]

...Hey, everyone. So, did anyone else get out to Citadel for the sports events? They were pretty fun, and there was a ton of great competition. I...

[Yep, there's still plenty of squawking going on, and Adell's eyebrow twitches.]

Andy! Knock it off!

[Suffice it to say, that didn't do much, with his Combusken companion still throwing a fit.]

...Never mind. I'm going to take Andy out for a spar. [He sighs.] ...Did anyone else's Pokemon get a major attitude problem when they evolved?

[Action]

[In an open field right by Union, there are loud cries from a Pokemon and grunts of effort from a human. A Combusken leapt into the air and delivered a flurry of kicks at the human, who deftly blocked many of its attacks. The Pokemon followed up with a burst of flame from its mouth, but the human behind it looked largely unfazed by it.]

That all you got, Andy?! You can do better than that! I know you're stronger than that! Don't hold back this time!

[The Combusken screeched again, and repeated the same barrage, though with more ferocity. This time, though, the barrage of kicks managed to knock Adell off balance and forced him to stumble back a bit before being blasted with another Ember attack.

Still, through all of it, Adell didn't even look much hurt by it. No, in fact, he smiled.]

Good! Man, you really have improved. But are you happy now that you got some exercise? [The Combusken replied with a shorter chirp, quieter this time than the hellish shrieking it had been using during the fight.] I'm glad. You keep this up. It's good to have a partner like you.

[Wrapping up the training, Adell sat down in the field and sighed, looking up to the late afternoon sky. He looks approachable now, though perhaps a little tired.]

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[Mami has been... down lately. Yosuke had to return to Citadel -- and the limited time they had for each other became final. It bothers her; it bothers her more than she wants to admit to. She is handling it the way she knows best: burying all of those feelings and looking for something to hit.]

[On patrol outside of the city, she swings around -- using the towers on the wall for an anchor for her ribbons -- and comes across Adell and the Combusken practicing. She blinks; then she drops down, landing in short order in front of Adell and Andy.]

[She looks between them, before she smiles.]

Ah! Practicing hard, I see?

[Suddenly a girl from nowhere landing near them both? That definitely catches the attention of both Adell and Andy alike, both looking at her inquisitively at first, before Adell speaks up.]

Yeah, just getting sparring in. Andy here really wanted a good battle, so I gave him a training partner. Helped me too. Turns out he can kick both fast and hard. Can't wait to see what he can do when he gets even stronger.

...Ah, I don't believe we've met. I'm Adell.

Mami Tomoe, of the Valkyries.

[She extends a hand to him, before she gives them both a good once-over. Then, Mami smiles; she nods once at him.] Training is very important. I do it quite a bit with my bondmates.

[He easily takes her hand and gives it a firm shake. His grip was solid, but in just the right way to show confidence.]

Nice to meet you. And a Valkyrie, huh? That's pretty cool. I saw a few of them up in Citadel during the sports events. They put on quite a show.

And Gwendolyn suggested the Valkyrie training regimen was very rigorous. Obviously you spar, but what else do you do?

Ah, you met Gwendolyn, then. Good.

[She considers, as she pulls her hand back.] Much of it is training in flight. We all have different methods, of course--I have my ribbons, but many have wings. There's sparring -- and archery and marksmanship.

[She makes a rifle appear long enough to spin it in one hand, before it vanishes again.]

And how to survive. The lands around Citadel can be harsh.

Over the band, anyway. Haven't had much chance to meet her face to face yet.

[He watched her produce and spin her weapon effortlessly. He actually looked quite impressed.]

So I've heard. Cold. Unforgiving. Not a place well suited for a lot of farming. And being up there... even in Spring, it's much cooler than Calderan winters.

Ah, yes. She is a friend. [Something of a protege but Mami doesn't want to claim that. It feels gauche.]

That they are--ah, I feel I'll melt in the Calderan summer! Have you traveled there before, then? Or only heard the stories, for now?

From Caldera? Hah, that's my home. I've spent a lot of time out in the fields working crops in the dead heat of summer. Even as a native, I'll admit it can get uncomfortable on the hottest days.

But as for Citadel, I recently went up there for their sporting events. I took part in a good number of the visitor brackets for fighting and other games. I had a very good time... and learned a lot from the whole thing.

Ah, I can imagine. I think the same of Citadel's coldest days.

[And she suspects Glacier is even colder.]

Oh, good. I'm glad you could see our city! I participated in the marksmanship and target practice, myself. You did well, then...?

I won most of the matches I was in, but I didn't win the brackets in the battle or wrestling tournaments. Some of the participants were stronger or more skilled than me.

It wasn't a surprise to lose, though. I'd only just left Caldera around two months ago. Still, I think I surprised more than a few people, and there was a lot of experience to be had from it. Gonna keep training, and I'm definitely going back next year.

Marksmanship, huh? I didn't get a chance to watch that tournament, unfortunately. How'd you do yourself?

Ah, good! I'm glad to hear you made a good show. We need some fresh blood, too. Sometimes our tournaments risk getting stale, if it's the same people every year.

[Then she brightens. There's more than a little cockiness there.]

I was a finalist, of course.

[Cocky maybe, but he can only smile in return. Seeing what he saw in the competitions, getting that far means it's confidence well earned.]

Ha, you must be a real ace with that rifle if you got that far! Congratulations! That couldn't have been easy. Now I wish I'd have caught it.

[Because who'd have thought he'd just randomly meet one of the finalists? Small world.]

Mm-hmm! I'm an excellent shot. I certainly won't pretend otherwise.

[Mami nods, proudly, at that.]

You'll get another chance, I'm sure. Besides, I imagine there will be an opportunity to see you practice.

[He immediately wondered just how good of a shot she was... wondering if she could bullseye a diving Pidgeot, or something even faster than that.

Either way, he looked a little surprised.]

...You'd want to see me practice? I mean, Andy and I can go another round if you'd like. Though that's more his training than mine.

I am curious! Though--

[hm]

If you like, we can spar. I can fire paint rounds. Or blanks. It might give Andy a rest.

[Well now... that sounds like it could be fun. And an opportunity to see what a Valkyrie could really do. He knew they were supposed to be great fighters, so this sounded like a good opportunity.]

Sure! Sounds fun. Use paint rounds, though. Blanks won't do me any good if they don't show me where I get hit.

[And though he's confident in his own abilities, a marksman that's as good as she claims to be will be hard to beat without taking a hit, particularly if they start at any range.]

Ah, yes. Certainly. The paint washes out fine, besides.

[She got the idea from Caldera's festival. She didn't really understand that festival... but it made sense just the same. Mami nods once to Adell, before she makes her rifle appear again. She looks him over for a moment.]

[Then, she nods.]

Shall we?

LEVEL 0002: [Video / Action: Union]

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