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.]

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For now, but do you really want to take the chance that they stop listening to you when it really matters? Or that they'll have enough and turn on you someday?

[Stern look is stern. Lecture time is go.]

They're counting on you to know what's best for them, and running them into the ground because you lost one battle isn't winning you many points with them.

[Sigh, lectures. The bane of his existence.]

Then what do you think I should do?

[Well, if he wouldn't earn them so many times...]

Take the loss and let it go. Work on your tactics with them, not their strength. You can have the strongest team on this world, but if your opponent outwits you, it won't matter at all.

["Brains over brawn" and all that. Or something.]

I know about tactics. Not like I powered through that battle without thinking things through.

[He shakes his head, placing one hand on his hip.]

But then he had to go and use those trapping moves. Spikes I can handle, but stealth rocks?

That's what I mean by tactics. You can't win everything with brute force.

[She gestures out to his team, more than likely still at it despite the conversation between trainers.]

All you're doing now is wearing them out. You're not thinking of ways to handle Stealth Rock, or training them to deal with it. That's what you need to be doing, not this.

[Among multiple other things...]

[Yep, they're still going... even if there's no real direction to the mayhem now. Some are just dodging at this point.]

... Okay, guys. You can stop that.

[Finally! All but his Scizor look relieved to hear this. She was working really hard! She wants to keep fighting! Shriiiek, shriiiek!

Sigh. She's so loud.]

Just have to figure out where to start. Entry hazards are a pain.

[Scizor, you are getting the sternest look possible from this woman here; she's heard louder screeches, thank you. You might want to work on those.]

Find something that isn't affected by them. A flying type might be able to avoid them before landing, or something with a hard enough shell wouldn't feel them at all. It depends on what you can get access to.

Already got a few flyers and some Pokémon with armor, but that won't get rid of the traps.

[And that's what he wants to do.

... Also, Blade is still snapping her pincers and is going to punch Jaws in the gut. C'mon! Traaaain!]

Then what do you think will? A strong enough wind to blow them away or something to crush them into dust?

[Just offering ideas...she's never run into that kind of problem herself, really.

And a glance over at his team, before she rolls her eyes. Honestly...]

Wind, maybe. Something to blow them away-- or just knock them away.

[Someone needs to figure out Rapid Spin, clearly.

Meanwhile... Jaws is just kinda moaning. Stop being a meanie, Blade!]

Then finding something that can do that should be your top priority, not this.

[Hopefully he finds out quickly, then. Because those moans...don't sound pleasant.]

[Siiigh.]

Fine, but I'm still not gonna go easy on them.

[stern look.]

I never said go easy on them. I said pushing them like this won't solve anything. It'll just make things worse.

Right. Just gotta reevaluate my strategy...

[Guh. He sends Blade a nasty look... and she finally stops poking Jaws. Boo.]

Yeah. Besides...

[A glance out at his team and the shoreline beyond. They still have a lot to learn.]

We all lose fights at one point. Even the best generals have lost battles before we were around. There's no shame in losing a fight here.

[He's quiet for a moment. It helps that it isn't Leon telling him this. Had he said something along these lines, Riku would've brushed it off.

But he sighs. Maybe she's right.]

Still don't want to make a habit of it.

[Maybe she is, maybe she isn't. Hard to say for sure, but at least he's listening to her. That's a start.]

So don't. You need to learn from this. Take what you can from the loss so you know what not to do the next time you fight that same person. It may not keep you from losing again, but knowing is half the battle. You'd be surprised what it can do.

[~~G.I. Jooooooe~~~~

More good points. Why must people have all these useful tidbits?

But fine. He'll nod and just roll with it.]

Right. Just gotta cover my losses and not get ahead of myself.

24th - video/action for Olivine;

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