islandshore | 24th - video/action for Olivine;

[When the feed starts up, it's upside-down, but there's a clear shot of a very angry Riku standing next to a large pile of exhausted Pokémon including a very large Charizard, Feraligatr, Nidoking, Scizor, Lucario, and a Rotom, which manages to float over to the Gear and slowly lift it up.

Riku, however, looks less than impressed.]

Get back up! You can't just sit there.

[The Pokémon groan and shift a little, but alas, they're just too exhausted to keep going.]

C'mon. You're going to keep fighting, you got that? I don't care how tired you are.

[There's a sad sounding vrrrrrm from Surge, who hovers over to Riku.]

See? If Surge can do it, so can--

[Aaaand then the Gear falls. Looks like even Surge didn't have the energy to keep going.]

Can't believe this...

[After a moment, he scoops up the Gear and shuts it off. Those in Olivine are free to see this unpleasant display. A little while after his defeat, Riku's going to be working his team incredibly hard, putting them up against each other.

Someone's a sore loser, to say the least.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I guess.

[But that doesn't mean he's happy about it. Maybe it is something to learn from, but he was content thinking that nothing could stop him.

What's he supposed to think about all this? Even with his lack of words, it's clear that Riku's still pretty bothered by this.]

[] If it helps at all -

this's gonna sound funny, but - if y'want to be "unbeatable", y'gotta start by accepting that there's always a risk t'lose; one of th'greatest swordsmen where I'm from was said to've never lost a duel in last half of his life, an' wrote that as th'start.

I think y'can probably get there, or as close as's humanly possible.

Wait, so accepting defeat will help me win? How does that work?

[It just seems so backwards, really.]

Well, y'can't prepare for something if you tell yourself it's not possible, right? []

So if you refuse to believe it's possible, then you're gonna miss things that an opponent will use against you - there's always openings, weaknesses, times there's a chance t'strike an'make it hurt; coverin' them is all about knowing they're there and tryin' to do what you can to make'em harder to hit while gettin' your enemy's attention on somethin' else or gettin' them psyched out so they're forgetting those exist. Y'don't look out for those an' accept that you COULD lose, an' you can't start working on adapting to cover'em. Y'remind yourself that anything can be beaten, an'you're prepared to look out for where your opponent's gonna be doing th'same thing to you.

Nevermind it's a mental strength thing; in th'long run, who's the stronger person - th'one who breaks down an' gets frustrated or discouraged when they take a good hit, or th'one that puts things back together an' adapts to it?

Hmm.

[Right, right. Adaptation... And losses do show him where he screwed up.]

Guess you've got a point, but I still don't want to easy on them.

You can push'em to get stronger without abusin'em; it'll make'em stronger in the long run - no injuries or health problems from gettin' pushed past their limits, an' they'll be more loyal to you an'more willing to actually put th'effort in. []

Would you want t'put everythin' you've got into fightin' for someone that treats you like dirt?

[Oh, great. Another pause.]

... No. But they still do it. [Which is what's baffling him, with all this in mind.]

They might be able t'do better. How much direct commands do y'have to do to get'em to do things or get through a fight? []

Edited 2011-09-05 08:36 (UTC)

I usually give them the orders, and they follow through. At least in trainer battles.

When they're just fighting wild Pokémon, I leave them alone and just force them to gun down all the wild ones they can find. They're strong enough to handle it on their own.

[]

Y'know, workin' with them a bit more with th'wild ones an'that side of training helps'em know what you expect of'em in situations that aren't as easy - mine aren't ridiculously overleveled or anythin', but last gym battle most of my directions were warnin' mine about surprises. I didn't get caught by th'Shedinja because Yuki would jump'em before they even got near me, whether I was payin' attention or not, an' Sojobo or Bas got th'ones she didn't.

An' it's good tactics to make sure they want to cooperate with you; th'more loyal they are an'in tune with what you want, with th'same goals, th'quicker an' stronger they'll respond. Same as you'd get on a military field on any other world.

I know how to strategize. My team knows moves that work against their weaknesses, and I don't focus on the heavy-hitting moves alone.

I just don't see why I need to hang around when they're going against level 20's. My weakest Pokémon is at level 90. I stuck around when they were at lower levels, but now they can plow through whole groups of wild ones even with their weak moves.

[]

If you were in somethin' that put you in danger where you couldn't give good directions to'em, would you feel comfortable relyin' on them to cover you?

They're strong enough. I'm sure they could handle it.

[Riku doesn't really 'trust' his team... because he avoids attachment. Silly Riku.]

I'm sure they're strong enough, but are y'sure they'd actually do it?

[]

Well, why wouldn't they? I'm their trainer.

[] Well, it does seem like that means y'can get away with a lot more'n I would've expected here in Johto, but...

[] Y'see these? One of th'first ones I caught was one someone'd really abused, an' Victor STILL hated people! Took me months t'get him t'take food without tryin' t'kill me, much less follow directions or do somethin' t'help of his own accord. They might follow directions pretty well just because you're th'trainer, but are y'sure it'll guarantee they all want t'look out for you?

Edited 2011-09-05 19:35 (UTC)

[Briefly, Riku looks down at one of his arms, which... has some nasty bite marks in it, courtesy of Terror. There's one Pokémon who wouldn't help him at all. And Quake's too violent to consider standing up for anybody...

Slash seems so apathetic. Would he step in or mind his own business? Phantom would probably laugh, Surge would... do whatever Phantom wanted it to do. Highwind probably would've helped last year, but now he's too angry.]

Some of them still would. Blade's practically obsessed with me, and Jaws is so loyal he'll fight even though he hates it. Flare and Ace always keep an eye on me, and Slacker's my starter.

[A beat.]

But I know some of them wouldn't. Either they don't care, or they barely stand me.

[] It's th'respect thing. Worst I'd worry about if somethin' bad happened is maybe one of mine gettin' in over their heads gettin' in the way. Even Victor'd gotten to where he'd help. That quote earlier, about gettin' people to "Share life and share death" with th'leadership?

It's from a book on tactics where I'm from. Means that if you've got a command, or some position of authority, and th'ones who you lead respect you enough t'share the same goals? Y'don't NEED to force'em to do things or be loyal. They'll listen an'even do things t'help you an'the group without bein' told sometimes because they want to. It's been called one of the things that'll make a difference between victory an'defeat.

Edited 2011-09-05 21:27 (UTC)

Nice as that sounds, there's still a few problems. For one, my Pokémon don't all get along. Plus, if I didn't give Jaws commands, he wouldn't know what to do in a battle.

And it's not like I can read their minds; how am I supposed to know what their goals are?

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