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Skarmory took to the midnight sky, leaving the trainer to turn her attention toward the phone resting in the gloved grip of her hand. Her thumb drew lazily across the screen, pulling up her pokédex and amping the bar at the top of the screen with a press of her finger, pumping up the device's scan range. The image of a radar flashed against its surface, indicating that the device was searching for nearby pokémon.[break][break]

With its choice view from overhead, it took the Skarmory far less time to find an opponent than if he had waited for the woman's direction. His eyes set toward the Burmy dangling from the bough of one of the trees lining the quiet path, sharp-feathered wings angling to dip under the breeze, guiding him low and fast toward the bug pokémon. Ten's eyes rose to trace after his movements, her hand lowering her phone a short was as her gaze followed his smooth descent.[break][break]

The beat of his metal wings was not a silent one, his steady approach startling the bug from its rest. Burmy's eyes opened wide, its body shrinking back as Skarmory met its gaze. The steeled bird had slowed his pace, metal wings giving a sharp flap to keep him airborne as he opened his beak to give a soft, grating cry toward insect, eyes narrowing sharply to a ʟᴇᴇʀ. Burmy's leaf-cloaked body shivered, its coat of foliage trembling over its body as its eyes drew tightly shut, preparing to ᴘʀᴏᴛᴇᴄᴛ itself.[break][break]

With a softly echoed crow the bird dropped a short ways back in the air, his body lowering near the ground as his wings spread themselves wide, preparing to sweep the dust up from the ground in an effort to reduce Burmy's accuracy. When the bug opened its eyes to find the bird had retreated back, it swung itself back, working to pick up some momentum, only to swing forward and find its face buffeted with sand, the bird's wings skating lightly across the ground to draw up the dirt in a sᴀɴᴅ ᴀᴛᴛᴀᴄᴋ before meeting his talons to the ground and skirting swiftly to the side to avoid the oncoming attack.[break][break]

Burmy's eyes found themselves glued shut again as it flew in a short lob through the air, the blinding spray of sand to its eyes causing its intended ᴛᴀᴄᴋʟᴇ to send it plummeting fruitlessly to the grass below. Wings still drawn out wide, the bird continued the quick turn on his heel, circling around to aim his beak for a ᴘᴇᴄᴋ to Burmy's back. The bug had no time at all to respond, already tumbling forward with a face full of sand before being struck by the sharp metal tip of Skarmory's beak. Its body flinched suddenly, muscles pulling tight before releasing to lay limp in defeat.[break][break]

Skarmory took a step back, shaking out his neck before lifting his eyes toward Ten to find the woman's full attention directed toward him.[break][break]

''Very good,'' praised a gentle voice from behind the helmet, the faint smile concealed by the protective gear audible in her tone.[break][break]

''Do you have any other techniques?''[break][break]

Skarmory bowed his head slightly, his eyes pulling carefully to one side as the wings resting against his body spread wide, giving a soft beat before pushing him up from the ground again. His eyes turned up toward the sky as he rose higher against the night, leveling his body over the route to search through the grass for another opponent.

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As seconds ticked on to minutes it became clear how the Skarmory hadn't crumbled from Sirius' assault. Ten's eyes traveled after the bird as it circled carefully through the sky, the late hour effectively hampering the pokémon's long range vision. Between the bird's surprising survivability and difficulty locating its prey it was easy to see the bird wasn't possessed of the keen sight shared by some others of its genus, its breeding having instead strengthened its tough metal plating rather than hone its sight.[break][break]

The face of her helmet turned after as Skarmory swept in from the sky, his careful descent bringing him to land just at the face of the Skorupi with its head buried in the dirt, mandibles working at the ground to dig up the earth in a hunt of its own. The subtle grate of metal as Skarmory set a foot to the ground brought the arachnid's head popping up from its efforts, eyes narrow and mandibles twitching a threat at the sides of its mouth.[break][break]

Skarmory only stepped forward, wings drawn out wide for balance as he stomped his talons to grip against the soil, leaning in a swift, sudden motion to stab at the segmented bug with a ᴘᴇᴄᴋ. The sharp bite of the attack against the arachnid's armored body only fueled its fiery temper, its legs ambling quickly forward as it reached its pincers to grip tight at the bird's foot, its twin-pronged tail crashing down to deliver a ᴘᴏɪsᴏɴ sᴛɪɴɢ. The poison barbs failed to pierce the Skarmory's metal coat, chiming with a gentle tap against the surface of the pokémon's armor.[break][break]

The bird lift its foot as Skorupi took hold, shaking it quickly and hopping to one side in hopes of shaking it off, but Skorupi held on tight, angered by the lack of effect his attack seemed to have on the bird. Pincers gripping fast to Skarmory's leg, it took the bird's effort to fling it away as a chance to attack, its mouth opening wide to deliver a ʙɪᴛᴇ.[break][break]

Skarmory, immediately taking note that the pokémon wouldn't be so easily removed, darted in to ᴘᴇᴄᴋ at the arachnid before it could get its hit in. The quick jab of its beak seemed to be all that was needed, Skorupi's pincers turning loose of the bird as it fell to land against the ground on its back, unconscious.[break][break]

The armored bird lifted his offended foot from the ground, craning his neck to inspect himself for damage before remembering the presence of the woman nearby, his head lifting to meet his eyes with her helmet.[break][break]

''One more.''

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The bird's line of sight dropped as the round, stiff-haired body of Venonat came into view, cautious steps guiding it out from its hiding place behind the grunt's moped. Its large red eyes fixed to the glow of the phone in Ten's hand, antennae wiggling as the light lured it further out of its hiding place in the shadows.[break][break]

The sudden attention to her heel brought Ten's eyes downward, gaze scanning over the unwary insect as it tiptoed closer, hardly noticing the woman holding the object of its intense focus. Her boot rose from the ground to nudge it aside, its spherical body tipping back before its short arms flailed wildly, trying to regain its balance. The Venonat tumbled back, rolling a few inches away before kicking its feet wildly in a frantic attempt to stand, struggling with its awkward shape.[break][break]

''Venonat would be a good challenge,'' Ten spoke in a thoughtful tone.[break][break]

The pokémon froze at her words, sweat beading up from its forehead to drop down alongside its massive tinted eyes as it struggled harder to get itself up from the ground.[break][break]

''You should fight cautiously. You have one peck. Make it count.''[break][break]

Skarmory was dumbfounded by the trainer's instruction, the predatory lean of his posture righting as his gaze flicked back to her. His eyes shot back to Venonat quickly as it finally managed to its feet, stumbling back and forth a moment as it tried to find its footing. With its balance regained the bird was quick to start forward, his body leaning toward the ground as his wings drew themselves open at his sides, serving to stabilize him as his talons cut a path through the grass toward his designated opponent. Venonat responded with a flash of its eyes, its antennae standing straight up as it clicked its mandibles with precision, a sᴜᴘᴇʀsᴏɴɪᴄ wave echoing through the air to throw the Skarmory off track.[break][break]

The bird slowed a step as the vibration rattled against his metal skull, ducking his head and shaking it quickly as he powered through the attack, managing to stave off the confusion. Venonat waved its hands wildly as it saw its attack fail, the fast approaching Skarmory readying his beak for a blow against the insect.[break][break]

''Do you think that's wise?'' asked the innocent voice of the woman nearby.[break][break]

Skarmoy immediately second guessed himself, rearing back to beat his wings harshly, kicking up dust to blind the insect with a sᴀɴᴅ ᴀᴛᴛᴀᴄᴋ.[break][break]

''Venonat have an ability known as 'disable.'''[break][break]

The armored bird hopped a short ways back as the trainer explained, Venonat shaking its face quickly to try and rid its eyes of the grains of dirt sullying its vision.[break][break]

''If you lose peck, Venonat will eventually whittle you down.''[break][break]

With a metal cry Skarmory hopped further back, eyes narrowing in a ʟᴇᴇʀ as the bug hurried to restore its clear sight. Venonat flinched under his gaze, large eyes wide as they locked with the bird to ᴅɪsᴀʙʟᴇ the attack. Wings giving a single flap, Skarmory skipped to one side, its gaze narrowing before opening fully in surprise, the memory of the attack suddenly lost.[break][break]

''Some Venonat have incredible accuracy, normally, a sand attack would not be effective.''[break][break]

Skarmory darted to one side as the pokémon stumbled forward, assuming a physical attack.[break][break]

''But this one. It has darker lenses. That means its attacks will hit harder than you would expect.''[break][break]

For all Ten's assistance, it was only serving to confuse the Skarmory, his mind racing to keep up as he hopped fearfully away from the insect that had successfully put holes in his memory.[break][break]

''Now is the time to use peck. But it has to count.''[break][break]

Before he could make his move Venonat locked eyes with him, the world around him wavering and pulsing vibrantly before his eyes as his psyche was attacked with ᴄᴏɴғᴜsɪᴏɴ. With the sharp pain stabbing through his temples, the bird gathered himself to rush forward, a single sprinting step being all the ground he needed to cover to strike the Venonat between its eyes with ᴘᴇᴄᴋ.[break][break]

Venonat fell back easily, antennae waving against the wind as it dropped to lie on its back, eyes going dim as it lost consciousness. Skarmory was breathing heavily, eyes still centered toward the pokemon he had yet to encounter any like before, amazed.[break][break]

''Skarmory?''[break][break]

The metal bird lift its head at the woman's voice, slowly relaxing as she set her phone to its holster at its hip.[break][break]

''I'm going to teach you something new. It's called 'air slash.'''[break][break]

For all the pokémon's struggle he took instruction well. Tired as she was, she could at least spare a couple of hours to broaden the bird's repertoire.[break][break]

''Do you think you can handle it?''