Brave New World

[Action; Verdant Forest]

[Anyone who's been out into the forest lately has probably seen Chie doing some intensive training with her Pokemon recently.  She's been working hard polishing her moves and following Morgiana's lessons in preparation to join the Swords of the Savior.  After a brisk jog with some weights around her ankles, she decides to push herself a little and try to kick rocks apart with her bare feet.  She started with wood and has gotten pretty good at it, but something inside her is telling her that it's time.]

Haaaaaaaaaah...!

[The first kick collides with the large boulder she's set up in front of her.  A small crack appears, and Chie reels back from the recoil, the bottom of her foot bleeding just slightly.  Not enough.  Gotta try again.  Refocusing, she lashes out with the other foot this time.]

Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah...!

[The crack deepens as Chie opens another gash in her foot.  Gritting her teeth and falling to her knees, she rests for a moment before giving it one more try.  Her Pokemon have all stopped their own training, a hush falling over them as they watch their friend.]

Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

[And with a loud cry, Chie spins powerfully in place, delivering a roundhouse kick directly down the center of the crack she'd formed with her previous two attacks.  There's a rush of energy that feels more like all the heat leaving the clearing at once as her foot impacts the boulder - a thin layer of frost forms on the plant life for a moment, and the boulder freezes solid beneath the pressure of her kick before shattering into a thousand tiny ice crystals, breaking apart in the air and drifting to the ground like a fine sparkly mist.  For her own part, Chie flops backward onto the forest floor, breathing heavily.  Little puffs of air can be seen from her mouth, as if it were the middle of winter, and she just lays there smiling and laughing.]

...I did it!  I really did it!

[Video]

[Later on, Chie takes to the airwaves to celebrate her victory.  Oddly, she's bundled up in a coat and a scarf, despite the fact that it's the middle of spring.  And once again, her breath is visible on the feed as she's talking.]

Hey!  I think I evolved!  I was training in the forest, and I felt this... sudden rush right before I let loose with a kick.  Everything got really cold, and then the rock I was training on turned to solid ice and shattered!  It was awesome!

[She gesticulates wildly with her arms to punctuate her story as she excitedly recounts what happened.]

Good timing, too!  School's out now, so at the end of this week I'm joining the Swords of the Savior.  If I make it through the next three weeks of training, I'll be a full member!  Wish me luck, everyone!