Tango’s eyes lit up. This was what he lived for. His trainer’s fire had died, his anger had cooled, and fights - real fights - were less common. Before the Shadow process and long after, it was still all Tango cared to occupy his time with. The fight came easily to him. Naturally. There was purpose in it, even in matches that were mere boasting contests. One day the fight would be real, and every bit of experience mattered.
His eyes narrowed, and he glanced around the ring. No support. No teammates. He’d started to like Hotel. Reaching his fullest strength was easier with a partner that reliable. But today he was fighting alone. That was fine. That meant there wouldn’t be time to dance. He’d have to focus on his opponent instead of on his own strength.
Tango paced, strafing around the Garchomp slowly, eyes locked. Waiting to see who was going to move first. He couldn’t find time to amp his body up, but his trainer could amp up his mind.
Leo’s eyes were closed. Tango didn’t need his direction yet. He wasn’t flinching or hiding; he was remembering. The thunder of a crowd, the pulse of his heart at the stamping of feet. The roar that banished fear. Just remembering it shook the anxiety from his heart and set him free.
His eyes opened again, sharp, focused. Hungry. Back into the world he used to live in. Now he and Tango were properly in-sync. Now there would be a fight worth a Champion’s time. “Cut them off!” Leo commanded, carving through the air with the edge of his hand.
Tango agreed, and knew the command. Locking his legs to the floor, he roared; a white orb forming in his mouth, before firing straight up into the air. Energy exploded from the orb, and it revealed itself as a massive boulder that splintered and slammed forward, cutting the air while rocketing towards Garchomp. Any that missed would slam into the ground, cutting Garchomp’s mobility if they weren’t dealt with, which would still buy valuable time.
The opening move was Rock Tomb. Very safe, very useful. Not seen often on the repertoire of rookies that only cared about raw power.
As her opponent paced, Garchomp rooted herself in place. She was a proud Pokemon, aware of her own strengths and abilities, so she kept her head held high in the presence of the other. There was a clicking in her throat, as she growled in anticipation of their incoming battle; upon entering the ring, Garchomp had sensed her trainer's intentions, and plan for this match. No imminent danger, this man wasn't a threat- for she knew him- but there were no boundaries. It was Garchomp's favorite type of match. She was finding it harder, and harder these days, learning to hold back.
Garchomp waited for her opponent to strike first, sedated by her own trainer's patience, as the two watched to see what Leo would do first. His eyes were closed, and he was focusing. It brought a smile to Cynthia's lips: she'd need to ask him about it after. Though, there wasn't much time at the current to wonder just what he was meditating on, for he called out his command, and she knew she had to respond to it. Rock Tomb was a nice opening.
Her words were soft, but just enough for Garchomp to pick up on. While Leo was dramatic, swinging his hand out to give his direction, Cynthia's were in the pockets of her long coat. She was relaxed, which gave a nice resonating aura to her partner. They could think.
With a rumble in her throat, Garchomp's eyes lit up in a blue glow, as matching rings flared out around her body. As Tango fired his beam, Garchomp raised her arms, allowing those rings to surround her arms. And as the splintering boulder came firing down towards her, she slammed her claws into the ground, and boulders errupted from the point of contact. Her own tomb was created, large monuments shooting upward to encase the Dragon in a stone hut, to protect her from the incoming enemy attack. And with her own protection up, Stone Edge continued on. Pillars of stone shot up from the ground, in a staggered line headed straight for Tyranitar's position in a flurry. A double whammy, as expected from her.
A covered terrain was of no concern to these two.