Other people took over the city patrol routes since after the ten scheduled battles Creig had, it was estimate to multiply the day after, so it was time to take post on Route 12. Once people got to secluded shore they would have to play a game similar to red light/green light, "failure" meant getting dragged to the beginning by ghost types. Creig would be posted midway to the beach, around the boulders area, which meant he was also on rescue duty, since the area was slightly dangerous. But today he was stuck in a battle arena, and the organizers were throwing those who had advantage over him at him first, which meant first fight of the day was Jenny, and Rosa was one of the last, since she was disadvantaged.
While Jenny inevitably still won, she made two mistakes that made it more of a fair fight for Creig. The first was sending out her rockruff first, allowing Creig to take advantage of setting the field as he wished, while not fancy, having the temperature drop doused the power of fire a bit. The second was letting him have the first command and waiting for clear confirmation on target, a hold over from police training where they wait for blatant hostility, she missed Shrift using buffs. Unfortunately for Creig, Jennys' growlith had been training for several years, not especially in a competitive way, but enough for it to be a tier stronger than most, allowing litten to finish things off. While getting their pokemon healed, Creig tried to console his sometimes student by putting out there that learning you had a habit that was only good in the correct circumstances in a controlled battle was better than in the field where it could do real harm, he even got backed up by one of Jennys' older cousins, but teens and frustration just go hand in hand.
Creig lost two more times before getting to Rosas' turn, his mind was also getting tired at this point. Unfortunately for Rosa, even with Foongi sparring with Creigs' they didn't have a way to deal with the cold. While her popplio, being a seal had a certain amount of resistance, she hadn't figured out movement yet. Between Creigs' next match he encouraged Rosa to look over what her pokemon could do, then as the trainer, come up with alternate or unusual ways to use them. Rosa wanted a rematch to beat him later, and he let her know that he would be out on the trail, and she would have to find him. She remained pumped up despite this, saying she would definitely find and overcome him.
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Being without a space bag just yet, Creig had to bring supplies in a hiking backpack and a couple of duffels, he had checked around for hand/toy wagons, but the region didn't have any yet nor wheelbarrows, limiting how much could be taken. Luckily for Creigs' wallet, potions, ether, and revives were considered an expense for the trials. The number of battles he was going to have was going to be inconsistent as well it seemed, with multiple paths in the area, though less than what was usual compared to the league routes that Creig had researched. Sleigh found a boulder and cut out a hideaway that the pokemon could take breaks in, and they could protect the supplies. Evgryt helped by freezing the cave and Fursry was scouting, and would help with healing.
Shrift and Sleigh took turns helping Will and Wisp to find wild pokemon to battle at their level, while Crieg did mostly two on two battles. Nate reached Creig midway through Saturday, which ended up being a three on three dewott, gligar, popplio vs Toboggan, Shrift, Sleigh. The difference between Nates' new pokemon, popplio, and his long term pokemon was stark in their technical skills, Creig had neat tricks for his pokemon, making up for some of their weaknesses, but the experience to turn these into true skills was lacking. Only sleigh who learned a bit of martial arts from Creig (the only one who could physically without experimentation and research to adapt for their body) managed a hit on dewott.
Kiawe was the next to find him, running in hot, with only torracat. While Creig had meant to do a two on one, since having two pokemon was normal at this point, Kiawe was too brash and failed to deal with Shrifts' hail. Torracat exhausted itself launching attacks randomly into the snow, making an easy target for Shrift. Shrift was really getting used to weather, Creig worried a bit that she would get reliant, and made a note about talking about it and maybe some adverse field training.
When Rosa found him for the rematch she wanted, she complained she has to search for multiple days, which internally amused Creig. Rosa had used her apprenticeship wages to buy Sunny Day, evening out field advantage, which Creig had just been thinking about. Shrift had been surprised, but handled it OK, so it wasn't the worst scenario. What determined it in the end was that Rosas' team had a growth advantage, the trials designed to make the takers become strong, type advantage couldn't keep up. Creig almost got a lucky win when Foongi got frozen, but Foongi unfroze too quickly.
Kahili had bad timing, when she went looking for Creig she found him quickly with her flyers, but he had to make a trip to town to restock and rest. They got their battle a couple hours later, Kahili had almost as strong an analytical mind as Creig. Her pokemon rode the winds, unfortunately for them, Powder Snow was a move that made the winds, and was super effective. She did better than Kiawe though, and she took note of what she needed to train to overcome Creig. Apparently all the students were determined to battle and overcome him.
Ilima showed how normal he was, which lost him the match, Creig thought that archetypes were scary in how they affected behavior. Kiawe came back for a rematch, only having gotten stronger, didn't find a second partner, he also got unlucky and got frozen. Sleigh helped keep him from just running off again so Creig could give him advice, like find a second partner so he can switch out. Kahili came back and won, having trained in wind control more, Creig looked forward to having more ranged moves.
Stolen story; please report.
Ulu made his way following Plumeria, who was looking for help with math. Creig made him wait a bit while he got through a few initial aid to Plumeria. Unlike Kiawe, Ulu made proper use of his fire type advantage, keeping the area warm, He also couched everything by talking about cooking. Despite being more aware he still almost lost, partly because of how job focused he was. Creig noticed that the traffic back and forth was really picking up and wondered how many were passing Crazy Joys' trial at this point, actually, what about those who backed down?
Ilima and Kiawe managed to overcome him by the end of the third week, one of which was trying to run all out to get "back in the running". Hala did let Creig know that only the Grand Trials were to measure power, the rest tested character and harmony in different ways, failure was really lack of harmony with the island inhabitants. About a third of the participants had yet to encounter Crazy Joy, but for the trail trainers like Creig, a review of how strong they were was needed. Other than Toboggan, Creigs pokemon were still in keeping for his current position, Will and Wisp had gotten strong enough to be the secondaries.
At the end of the fourth week the trial takers had at least made it to Crazy Joy, while technically Creig could be moved to between second trial and Nanu with his current strength, there was no need. Since some participants would be making it to Akala soon, he was paired for double checking the pokemon habitats, without needing to go to the volcano this time. It took about three days to organize, which were separated into a rest day, a day helping Guzma put lesson plans and notes together for the kids he watched over, with the advise that he would mostly give advise while the kids practiced, and the final day was going over the growth of his pokemon.
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Toboggan had learned Metal Claw, which would probably become his main slash attack since it also had the possibility of buffing attack. Toboggan now had moves to buff all his physical stats, other than health, which wasn't buffable in the first place. Toboggan could attempt to buff everything, then mist to keep the buffs and attack from hiding, with the downsides being that they had to set-up fast enough and draw out the battle. Sleigh also just learned one move, but it was quick attack, enhancing her assassin combat style. Shrift still had trouble with moving and casting, usually either focusing on evasiveness or attacking. Shrift learned three moves, Nasty Plot which enhanced her casting, Spite, and Draining Kiss, which enabled a new strategy for her, exhausting their foes. Will and Wisp didn't get much learning Lear and Double Team, which rather than enhancements, were more like covering their weaknesses.
Will and Wisps' situation made Creig think of the various Items on his list of needs?, conveniences, at the very least they were conveniences, being a competitive trainer was optional, ergo, things necessary for such a goal were also optional, Creig wanted to be moderately competitive at the least. A space bag to carry everything was first on said list, to carry all the things, multiple Ice Stones for evolution and a dawn stone, multiple TMs such as Ice Beam so Toboggan could slide instead of roll and increase the number of "spells" his casters knew. Helping with the trials was giving him a secondary revenue stream, though a good portion was going to pay the kids their winnings. Any regrets if he died now, nothing that could be changed (separation from people and pokemon he had gotten to know), or that was major in another capacity.
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Tabby Joy was taking a dinner break and reflecting on the trial takers, and a few other things. They were inconsiderately so normal... normal, normal she almost sing-sung in her head, made Ilima come to mind, he was exceptional at being especially normal. Exceptional students went to Oaks school, there were even acceptable exceptions who were exceptional, the boy was cautious like law people were wont to be. Jenny had appeared first, and passed first, there was no big battle for this trial, it was harmony and survival based. The helper girl was very harmonious, not through intention this time, but because every time she stopped she made funny poses by some sort of instinct, there was much guffawing then. The girl had been saved from Plasma, plasma, burning and zappy, Kiawe tried sprinting the length of the beach before the ghosts could catch him, he was currently being dragged back to start. Such burning passion, Ulu joked and questioned that if he burned his cooking to death if it would be tasty to the ghosts or join them. He may enjoy shooting the breeze, but Kahili had breezed through, running like Kiawe, but with the sense to have her pokemon run interference.
Someone being loud distracted her from her thoughts. A young trainer in their naivete was yelling at their pokemon because the world didn't meet their expectation. Informative lecture was needed, when explaining things nurses put on a smile. She put on a very big grin indeed. Her comfey jumped on her head like a blindfold, causing her to stagger, luckily she had a stick in hand, Banette went off to handle the kid. When had she picked up a stick? Actually it wasn't a stick, but a shovel, shovels were for digging. Digging, digging, that's what they didn't do after THAT day, she collapsed to her knees. There was a lot of clean up after THAT day, but not burying. Her wailing was, as Creig would have put it, like a banshee (Folklore, not D&D). After a while someone made it to her and said something she didn't hear. Work time, Nurses smiled for customers while serving them, even as the tears continued she put on her professionals smile and handed over the Ghost Z-crystal. After this what would she do with her time?
