A hiss of carbonation escaped the can as it was cracked open, the Staraptor taking a hearty swig of the fruity beverage from the vending machine to start her recovery. Sat alongside her on the same bench, the Infernape did the same. Both of them were certainly feeling the effects of their workouts this evening, especially so given the direction their respective sessions had taken.
After the debacle of Verity Lakefront, and her enforced meeting with the Sandgem Town law enforcement, Roisin needed more than anything to blow off some steam and just hit things for a while. And so, with that in mind, once she had gotten back to the hostel in Jubilife City, she had - as always - made a beeline straight for the nearest gym, one of many smaller establishments dotted all across the region, where various Pokémon could practice certain attacks, get some exercise, or train with one another in a more controlled environment.
Given how late it had been when she arrived, she hadn't expected many others to be using the gym at that time, and she certainly hadn't expected to meet someone she had seen squaring off against the best fighters from around Sinnoh in the previous year's Battle Championship, and the last thing she expected was for them to approach her as she finished pummeling one of the punching bags with an offer.
"You know, you're pretty good, do you wanna spar?"
Jet Furness was a relative newcomer to the battling scene, qualifying for the championship in only her third year of competing. She may not have made it beyond the group stages, but getting to that level at all, and quicker than the average among those who did, was an achievement in and of itself for the flame-headed monkey lass.
Her fighting style had been a hit with audiences to boot, ducking and weaving around her foes, peppering them with dozens of rapid-fire jabs, but as it turned out, missing a little of the raw power to lead to a knockout on stronger foes. It certainly didn't feel that way to Roisin, however, even with those Lucky Punch boxing gloves cushioning the blows a little, as she received shot after shot from the Infernape, while only a handful of her own wild punches had struck anything other than air, or the occasional fistful of green flame.
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By the end of their sparring, the pair were both similarly drained, allowing the berry-packed drinks to start working their reinvigorating magic. In an hour or two, they would be most of the way back to 100 percent.
It was Jet who chose to break the silence between them. "I've gotta give it to you," she told the taller one, gloves slung around her neck with a hand to her own ribs. "Your technique needs some work, but man, you hit hard."
Roisin gave a sidelong glance toward her at that semi-compliment. "Thanks," she muttered, taking another sip from her can.
"No, I mean it," Jet added, "the punches that you landed were harder than some of the folks I fought at the Battle Championship. Just tidy your swings up, and you'd be set to make one hell of a run in the League this year."
"I'd hope so," Roisin replied curtly, "if I can get registered in time."
Jet recoiled a little in shock at the revelation. "Wait, you're not registered?!"
The Staraptor gave a broad-shouldered shrug. "Nope, my dad was always dead against me going into battling. Shut down every one of my applications to the gyms back in Canalave for years. Just wouldn't budge on it, and I couldn't find anyone else to give me corroboration for it."
"Jeez..." A pause fell between them as Jet mulled over the situation, leaving Roisin to focus on keeping the resentment at bay. She had been merely upset at first, but over time, every rejection from every gym in her home city, almost solely as a result of her father's refusal to be moved on the matter, had only resulted in her getting more and more frustrated at the situation, eventually leaving the two barely on speaking terms when the Staraptor moved out almost a year ago. Her mother was left as the liaison between them, and thank goodness Roisin still had a somewhat decent relationship with her.
After a couple of moments, the Infernape spoke up once again. "Tell you what," she began, "you show up here tomorrow at, let's say 8:30, and I'll see if I can put in a word with the owner for you, 'cause trust me, they would absolutely love to have a fighter like you on their books."
That definitely caught Roisin's attention. "Really?" she asked in surprise. "You'd do that?"
"Sure," Jet replied with a nod. "The guy who runs this place actually took care of all the transfer admin himself when I signed up here after my first gym closed down," she continued, pushing herself back to her feet. "So I kinda owe him a favour anyhow. What your name?"
"Roisin," the Staraptor told her, eyes still a little wide as she extended a hand. "Hayward."
The Infernape readily accepted the handshake with a firm grip. "Roisin Hayward," she confirmed, before looking off into the middle distance for a second. "Sounds familiar, but I can't remember where from."
As quick as her pondering had started, Jet snapped herself out of it. "Anyway, I'll see you back here tomorrow, then!" She began to head for the exit, before stopping herself partway and briefly turning back toward her impromptu sparring partner. "Oh, and don't hang around too late, this place is locking up in a few minutes."
Roisin replied with a quick thumbs up, and took another gulp of her Berry drink as Jet made her exit, leaving her to come to terms with how the day had gone. The time wasted at the lake, the fracas with the police, then not only getting the chance to spar with a proper fighter, but holding her own, and now finally getting the chance to register herself for the league and put her whole self into battling. This was what she had been waiting for since before she had hit her final evolutionary stage, and all of a sudden it was right on the cusp of happening. What a crazy day it had been for the Staraptor.
She couldn't help but wonder what tomorrow would have in store for her.
