2024-04-17: Finally Fighting
- Log: Finally Fighting
- Cast: Claude C. Kenny, Dias Flac
- Where: Fighting Dojo, Saffron City, Energy Nede
- Date: April 17, 2024 (506 PC)
- Summary: Dias and Claude finally make their way to the fighting dojo an ace trainer mentioned on the road to Saffron. It's not parfaits, but it's a good time all the same. They also get to better understand Nede's martial culture...
<Pose Tracker> Claude C. Kenny has posed.
Saffron City is bustling, full of highways and skyscrapers and cutting-edge developments. It's not uncomfortable for Claude, reminded of Earth's cities, even if these are still more advanced. But he's not here to see all the sights, or marvel at technology, or look at the 'future' of Energy Nede.
He's here with Dias because, "I'm glad that Trainer mentioned the dojo," he explains. "I'd heard of it myself, and I was curious. I've met a few scattered practitioners around Nede--like Chisato--and I know some of them practice with their Pokemon too..."
"But I'd like to get a real look at the Nedian styles, you know? There might be something we can use. ...And if not, it's just kind of cool anyway."
It's an average afternoon; the 'sun' is high in the sky. It's nice!
<Pose Tracker> Dias Flac has posed.
"That so?" Dias replies of the dojo. They've parted ways with Elly and Ethius, them having their own business; Dias had come along with Claude at his invitation, having basically nothing better to do at the time. If he'd known that it was to visit the very dojo that Ace Trainer had mentioned... he would have been a little more enthusiastic. Still, a walk through the Nedian countryside isn't terrible. And knowing there's a fighting dojo around full of "guys like him" makes the bigness of the city more tolerble.
"That reporter woman *does* have an interesting style. I'd had the impression that almost no one fought without Pokemon." That almost everyone relied on their strength rather than honing their own. "Hearing about that dojo's a good surprise, whether we can use anything they've got or not."
Ah, that's a 'we.' It's you and Dias, Claude! A date! (It's not really a date. But it's probably as close to a date as one would get with Dias, shy of getting parfaits at a cafe. But what's the odds of *that*?)
<Pose Tracker> Claude C. Kenny has posed.
It could be. It's close to it, for Dias!! Though there is a cafe along the path towards it...
The dojo, that is. "Yeah!" Claude reiterates. "But I had that impression, too. Which, I mean--sure, they're strong and all. But I'm not going to stop training myself just because Barry's tough too, you know?"
The dojo is still a little walk away from here, not in a very prominent place in the city.
"They've gotta have something interesting, anyway. ...Hmm. Supposedly it's next to a big Pokemon Gym..."
He turns the corner. Almost!
"It's just like we never seem to see their battle magic, either, even though-They obviously had it, or the Ten Wise Men wouldn't."
<Pose Tracker> Dias Flac has posed.
If Claude *did* take Dias out for parfaits, he'd learn something new about him, too--if Dias ever stopped grumbling, anyway...
But that's not what's happening now. Dias nods once when Claude agrees with his impression. "One of those members of Team Rockets complained about the people of Nede not relying on their own strength to fight. That they all sit back and wait for someone else to do something. Of course, that doesn't stop her from being a Pokemon trainer, but her fighting style does more to integrate her strength with her Pokemon's," he remarks. "Knowing about this now makes me suspect even more that she's being deceived by her 'Boss.'"
Left, right, approaching a Pokemon Gym from behind several tall buildings... Dias can't see the dojo itself just yet, but he's pretty sure he can see the roof of the Gym by now. He nods Claude in that direction.
"Mm. I've seen some of the locals use Symbology. Again, one of those Rockets," Dias replies. No prizes for guessing why his experience with Nedian magic is with a member of Team Rocket. "But it's true I haven't seen much of it overall." A beat. "I don't really understand Nede culture."
It's not phrased like a criticism. It's just a statement of fact. But there is a touch of frustration in his (admittedly typical) frown.
<Pose Tracker> Claude C. Kenny has posed.
"I think I remember her," Claude says of that girl. "You're probably right. That guy... He said 'Pokemon are tools'. He said people are tools too, though. I can't stand people like that."
"I guess for me it's just a matter of which to use where. I guess the Pokemon want to fight for their world, too... But I'm not going to stand behind them when it comes to the Ten Wise Men."
The Gym is a big, impressive building. The dojo may not be as much.
"Yeah. That ninja lady you guys were fighting seemed to have some. I had my hands full with her Pokemon. He was a big guy..." And didn't seem interested in letting Claude summon his own, either.
"Well, that's fair," he says to Dias of not understanding. "We're seeing bits and pieces, but they kind of... hide a lot, too."
The Gym comes into proper view, there's another building beside it in similar style but rather less opulent.
<Pose Tracker> Dias Flac has posed.
"Those Rockets have a lot of respect for a man who openly calls them tools," Dias remarks. This time, his tone *is* critical, and very clearly so. When Claude comments that Pokemon must want to fight for their world too, Dias utters a low 'hm.' That's a perspective he hadn't really considered before. It makes the concept of training Pokemon somewhat less appalling to him.
"That's a good attitude to have. In the end, you need to have and rely on your own strength. Otherwise, you're just waiting to get killed," he replies. The mention of Anne gets a nod. "It seemed unusual. But it's hard to tell what's unusual and what's normal here sometimes."
They hide a lot... Dias gives Claude a searching look. "Hmm. Like you?" He looks back forward. "Makes me wonder what else we've got to find out."
The Gym comes and goes; next to it is a rather smaller, older-looking building. An antique, perhaps. But there's strength in its age--and especially in its simplicity. This is a building that people come to get stronger at, not to show off. Dias's gaze sharpens as they approach, and his pace picks up a bit. Claude can probably tell he's been craving a good fight, and this just might be the place to finally get one.
<Pose Tracker> Claude C. Kenny has posed.
"Yeah..." Claude shakes his head. He doesn't get that, either. But at least that perspective about Pokemon seems to say something worth saying; Claude notices the 'hm'.
Claude turns to look at Dias's face, as he replies. He watches him for a moment. "I'm willing to fight so other people don't have to. ...But I can't do that if I can't rely on my own strength. And to do that, I have to keep it up." A pause. "...Heh."
Hiding things like him, hm?
"...That's true," he admits. "I wonder if they're doing it for similar reasons? I don't think they care about the UP3, for sure." WHich means.. more emotional reasons. Like his.
Claude notices that sharpened gaze and that picked-up pace. It might indeed be the place. "Let's go," he says, and leads the way inside--
Where they find what one would expect of a dojo's appearance. The floors are clean and clear, the tapestries on the wall speaking of fighting axioms. And there are, of course, Pokemon inside.
...But the people aren't just training the Pokemon. There's two men doing katas next to Pokemon doing the same. There's a couple of guys grappling with one another. There's a man sparring with his Pokemon.
They're not all men, but they're all fighters, being overseen by a man in the back. "...Haaaa," he says, seeing them enter.
"Men with weapons of their own..."
<Pose Tracker> Dias Flac has posed.
"You do," Dias replies. Coming from someone else, that might sound like an insult. Coming from Dias, it... still might sound like an insult. But Dias and Claude have gotten used enough to each other by now that it isn't. Or at least it isn't meant to. Strength isn't something you gain once and then rest on your laurels for the rest of your life over. Strength is something you have to continually hone and maintain. Claude might beat Dias in a fight someday--but it won't be because Dias made it easy for him.
"To hear you talk about it, I doubt the Federation even knows Energy Nede exists," he points out. "No point in fearing the UP3 if there's no one to enforce it." In other words, Dias agrees that the reasons might be more emotional. Maybe shame over their collective past as a society. The Ten Wise Men seem like a sore topic no matter who they talk to.
But they enter the dojo, and it's both expected and surprising. Dias takes in the fighters sparring against one another, training--both as humans (Nedians) and as, or even with, Pokemon. He takes in that one man sparring with his Pokemon with a thoughtful look.
His red gaze settles on the man in the back. "That's right. We're here for a good fight. One that doesn't rely on Pokemon," he states, settling one hand on his sheath, just under the hilt of his sword. "Who here can deliver?"
<Pose Tracker> Claude C. Kenny has posed.
No, Claude is that used to Dias. And he's much more secure in who he is, now, than he was when he first met Dias. Claude just nods. "Yeah."
Anyone would have to. Dias doesn't stay strong by resting, either.
Instead, he says, "If the Federation knows anything about Energy Nede, it's way above my pay grade."
The Nedians all look with interest. The one man is too busy sparring to notice Dias's look. But the man in the back eyes both of them. "I see... We train with our Pokemon. But we can't train them in these skills unless we understand them first ourselves!"
"Hitoshi!" He calls, and a man from the sidelines stpes out, and bows to Dias.
"Mike!" The next man comes out, and bows to Claude.
"First to three hits wins." The others clear the dojo floor, so that Claude, Dias, and the two can fight. "Two one versus ones. Acceptable?" If so...
"Go!"
<Pose Tracker> Dias Flac has posed.
"Hm." The corner of Dias's mouth quirks up a bit as Claude admits that if the Federation *does* know about Energy Nede, he sure wouldn't get told about it. "I suppose a hot-headed kid like you were wouldn't have been told."
...Is that teasing??
It might be.
The man in the back calls up a couple of students--Hitoshi and Mike. Dias gives Claude a shallow nod, then steps over to face off against Hitoshi. He doesn't bow back, but he does give him an acknowledging nod of his own.
"Fine by me," Dias replies. He's honestly most interested in fighting the man overseeing everyone--but he understands well that you don't just barge into a dojo and demand to fight the strongest guy there. You have to show you're worth fighting first. He takes one more weather look around the dojo, the various fighters and the onlookers now gathering, the man overlooking them all, Mike, and then finally Hitoshi and his stance and what weapons he opts to use or not use...
'Go!'
In a blinding lunge, Dias draws his sword. His grip is angled such that he'll hit Hitoshi with the flat rather than the sharp edges, but it'll still hurt like hell on impact. It's a testing strike, but he's not messing around, either.
Mike, meanwhile, lets loose a loud 'HRRAAAAAUGGGHH!!' kiai yell, partly to pump himself up, partly to intimidate Claude. It's not unlike a Pokemon's Screech... After that, he'll raise his arms in a judo stance and step in close to bait Claude into an attack, intending to take advantage of that moment when he attacks to do a judo toss! Will Claude be able to see through it?!
<Pose Tracker> Claude C. Kenny has posed.
"Dias, was that a joke?" Claude is laughing either way. At himself, sure, but it is funny. He was a pretty hot-headed kid...
Claude bows back, more inclined to follow the local conventions. ...Maybe the man in question will fight Dias after. Maybe not. But first--
Dias lunges forward, blindingly fast, and he's faster than Hitoshi. Not by as much as he might have expected, though--Hitoshi grunts in pain as he finds himself unable to evade, and then presses into the strike, moving up across Dias's sword to try to get within its reach with a powerful set of punches!
That's one hit for Dias.
Meanwhile CLaude hears the yell--but his own battle experience means it doesn't intimidate him. He doesn't draw his sword, instead adopting a ready stance of his own. When Mike baits him in close, he does move closer--and then swiftly shifts to the side, moving to sweep Mike's leg while he's unbalanced striking.
It's just a match, but no fight is 'just' a fight anymore.
Rena Lanford (Rena) pages Claude C. Kenny and Dias Flac: Hey hey, mind an observer?
<Pose Tracker> Dias Flac has posed.
Was that a joke?
"I'll let you decide," Dias replies. Which, at this point in their relationship, is basically a 'yes.'
Hitoshi meets that testing strike without getting intimidated himself, which is a point in his favor in Dias's eyes even if he does get that first hit in. The basics of the basics in combat is not letting your opponent get a mental edge on you. Claude's doing that well himself by not getting intimidated by Mike, something Dias does pay some attention to even if the lion's share of his focus is on his own opponent.
Hitoshi takes that hit from the flat of Dias's sword and moves in, aiming a series of punches for him as he tries to get within reach. That's the key for this fight: Hitoshi and Dias have different ranges. Dias's is longer, which gives him an advantage, but if Hitoshi gets inside his range, he'll have a hard time either countering or defending. Dias thus doesn't let him get close, using his sword to keep Hitoshi at range and ensure those powerful punches only scrape him at best. The last blow, Dias quickly side-steps, letting Hitoshi's momentum take him forward while he swiftly moves to his back for another strike. But this is carries a bit of risky too--Hitoshi might not be as fast as Dias, but he's not slow either, and he might be able to use his momentum to carry him out of Dias's range and avoid that second blow.
Mike meanwhile misjudges Claude--he'd thought that this Visitor would use his sword for sure, so he's actually surprised when he moves in, then feints out of Mike's way with a leg sweep. Down he goes--but Mike turns it into a forward roll, comes back up, and turns back on Claude. If baiting him won't work, then he'll come right at him with a flurry of punches and overwhelm him!
<Pose Tracker> Claude C. Kenny has posed.
Claude'll take it. It's definitely good enough.
They don't have the edge of all the real experience that Dias and Claude have, but they've fought Pokemon before, which is its own way of training. So Hitoshi take that hit. THey do have different ranges, but Dias is good at protecting his own; Hitoshi can't get a strong enough hit in against him to 'count' yet. That puts him behind in the fight. Hitoshi is forward, and it is risky--this time, while Hitoshi can't see a way to strike from here, he doesn't take the unsafe bet. Instead, he rolls forward with his momentum. From there, he springs up with a swift kick to try to close the distance again!
Claude, later, will tell Mike how he learned his martial arts. Right now, Mike is rolling back up, and Claude quickly turns to face him. He probably should've shrugged out of his jacket for an unarmed bout like this, and it does make him a little slower than Mike.
But Claude is cool under pressure, and keeps blocking and dodging each strike. If he can find a moment to counterattack...
<Pose Tracker> Dias Flac has posed.
Hitoshi is a smart fighter; Dias can tell that already. But he probably doesn't have a lot of experience in fighting a swordsman. Dias meanwhile tends to fight as though his life depends on it, because usually it does, so it's hard for him to hold back. When he leaps up in a flying kick, Dias lets him close the distance so he can slap Hitoshi's foot with the flat of his blade.
That may leave behind a long, shallow cut--not bad enough to be debilitating long-term, especially with Nedian healing Symbology, but certainly bad enough to potentially be debilitating for this fight. If Hitoshi *doesn't* go down, though, he might at least be able to get a good punch in on him.
As for Claude, Mike does note how he hasn't unshouldered his jacket and how that's interfering with his movements. However, Claude keeps not actually letting these things interfere with him! Mike starts to lose his temper a little and goes in for a powerful palm heel strike. If it hits, it'll hurt like hell--but if it misses, that'll be the opportunity to counter that Claude needs.
<Pose Tracker> Claude C. Kenny has posed.
The cut against his bare foot is sharp; it's shallow, but he sucks in a breath anyway, and hits the mat. To his credit, he springs up again, but he's obviously unsettled.
At the same time, Claude, despite being limited in range of motion, doesn't need a lot of range to block and weave. When Mike loses his temper, Claude sees his opportunity. That powerful palm strike very nearly strikes his shoulder, passing through the puffy fabric of Claude's jacket as he counterattacks with a palm strike of his own.
As Hitoshi starts to shift forward, the man in the back holds up his hand. "That's good," he says. "Enough for now."
"...Your skills as a swordsman are plain. I'd be honored if you'd fight more of us. Including myself, ha ha! I an Koichi, master of the fighting dojo of Saffron City!"
"And you, young man, you too have skill. I'm surprised you used your bare hands instead of your sword. ...But I see you have Pokeballs at your belt, too."
He looks between the both of them. "Aaron," he instructs. "Please heal Hitoshi. We will need to prepare our shielding for the next bout!"
<Pose Tracker> Dias Flac has posed.
The man in back puts a stop to the matches, introducing himself as Koichi and expressing a desire to have Dias fight yet more, including himself. The corner of Dias's mouth edges up a little higher. "That's what I came here to do," he replies.
He nods to Hitoshi as he retrieves a rag from within his cloak and cleans his sword. "It was a good match. You kept your cool well. But your lack of experience in fighting armed enemies shows."
As Koichi bids someone heal Hitoshi's wounds, Dias sheathes Swallowblade. "I'm Dias," he says, finally getting around to introducing himself. But to *his* credit, he jerks his head towards his companion and adds, "That's Claude. I can't speak for him, but I'll take on whoever you've got--including your Pokemon."
It's not the same as fighting someone directly, but the way they train here is clearly different from other places. Dias wants to see just how different... and the easiest way is through fighting.
Of course, they need to prep their shielding first. Dias will keep a weather eye out for that, whateve it ends up being.
<Pose Tracker> Claude C. Kenny has posed.
Claude can tell Dias is interested, but he's pretty sure that anybody could tell Dias is having a good reaction to getting to do what he came here for. It's obvious!
He grins, and Hitoshi nods back, bowing his head. "That is true! We do have have such opponents on Nede outside the dojo. And most of the styles we use are unarmed, to accomodate our Pokemon."
Claude waves. "Hey," he greets. "Me too. If you want to send Pokemon at me, I'll have my Pokemon fight yours. But I'm interested in seeing what I can do with my own hands, too."
"Hmmm," the master says. "Very well. We shall do both." He gestures to a powerfully-muscled Machoke, then to Aaron, then to Leona, a Coach Trainer in a green coat.
"We can do both. We'll set up the shielding, so that you can fight without worrying about your blade harming our unarmed fighters. It's just a bit of Symbology that hardens the body."
Claude nods. "So, basically safety equipment, but magic. Right?"
<Pose Tracker> Dias Flac has posed.
Dias is a reserved man, but he's also honest. He might be understated, but what reactions he does show are always real.
"Hmmm. Pokemon don't ever use weapons of their own?" Dias wonders to Hitoshi. It's clear the Pokemon *here* don't, just by looking at them, and he wouldn't have assumed they would before--but what Claude said about them wanting to fight for their world too has stuck with him. Even if he can only get a little information on that, he can do some research later. That's what his involvement with Pokemon has ended up being, anyway.
Koichi clarifies that the shielding is specifically Symbology to harden the body so neither of them have to worry about cutting anyone. Dias nods once. "Convenient. Holding back is annoying," he replies. But he did anyway, since he's not here to kill anyone. Safety equipment, but magic... "Sounds about right. Rena has that Guard spell too."
Once that Symbology is cast, Dias shifts his stance, one hand on the hilt of his sword. "Whenever you're ready."
With no more need to hold back, it'll be a much more aggressive fight. But that's how Dias prefers it--he and his opponent will both be able to show each other what they can really do that way. Claude's sure to get a good work-out, too--and that's good for their journey together.
Dias always did hate having other people drag him down.
<Pose Tracker> Claude C. Kenny has posed.
"Sometimes!" Hitoshi chimes in, and then Leona says, "Miliza is a common Pokemon that uses polearms made of wood. There are a number of others; some, like Blastoise, even have guns inbuilt in their bodies. Some other pokemon use hammers. Others have inbuilt blades, like Bisharp and Pawniard."
"Yes," the Master agrees about holding back. "We use it when training with stronger Pokemon, or with weapons."
Once it's cast--Claude and Dias have a chance to really show what they can do. There are many of them who want to fight, and Dias is a strong combatant... But they have some interesting techniques he hasn't seen before, too. When it's all over for now--many bruises and cuts later--
"...An honor," Koichi says again with a smile. "I would like to offer you some of our prized Pokemon, to commemorate this event. Ah, but... You are not a Trainer."
"I offer you this belt instead, a symbol of your skill and the Visitors we will remember at our dojo."
<Pose Tracker> Dias Flac has posed.
Dias is familiar with Miliza; Ethius has one, after all. But when he said weapons, he'd been thinking specifically bladed weapons. His own fault for not being more specific. Still, the information is important and intriguing... and when Leona mentions Bisharp and Pawniard's inbuilt blades, that especially piques Dias's interest. If he runs into Joy anytime soon, he might have to ask her what if anything she knows about them. And if he doesn't... well, Dias never was one to rely overly much on others anyway. He'll do his own research at Princebridge.
For now, they all fight their hearts out. Dias is content by the end, or at least satisfied. That Ace Trainer was right; the Karate Kings here *are* like him. This was a place worth visiting.
"I'm not," Dias agrees. "You can give some to him, if he wants them." A tilt of his head towards Claude. But Koichi still has *something* to offer Dias, and he steps forward to accept it. A Black Belt... He holds it in one hand to look it over, then gives it and Koichi a slight, approving nod. "I'll take good care of it," he says, affixing it around his waist. He has a belt on already, but Dias is not the type to concern himself with fashion. He'll fix it later if need be. Then--he offers Koichi a hand to shake.
"Good fights," he says, faintly smiling once more. "We'll be back."
And it says a lot about how far Dias has come that he *does* say "we." Right in front of Claude, even.
<Pose Tracker> Claude C. Kenny has posed.
Bisharp and Pawniard... Pokemon from the long-lost Unova region. There'll be information about them! Including places to find them.
For now though, Claude feels a lot better too. He actually got to test his own skills, instead of only his Pokemon's... though he did that too.
First, Koichi offers the belt. He smiles with pride as Dias chooses to wear it on the spot right now. He extnds his hand, and shakes Dias's. "Good fights," he agrees. "We'll welcome both of you!"
"And as for you," he says to Claude, "Choose! We have two Pokemon of which we are proudest..."
"Heh," Claude says, looking to Dias. He did say we. "We'll definitely be back." He nods firmly to Dias, feeling he's gotten to better understand the man in this. "And... Hmmm. I'm a hand arts guy, so..."
*Claude has acquired Hitmonchan!
DC: Rena Lanford switches forms to Flying High On Wings of Resolution Come Out - LADY BRIGHTWING!!