|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 5:33 pm
Daemyn's eyes glowed a dull red in the dark, for this was the night was his natural habitat and nowhere did he feel more comfortable. He could see as well in the night as he did in day. Elekid's stunning contrast with the night hurt his eyes a little, though; the battle had barely begun and he hadn't known the Pokemon for over a minute, but already the Houndour had a sour distaste towards him. Disrupting such a lovely night! Then again, this was Daemyn, and he didn't like others in general.
"Dig in and turn 'im with a Bite!" M.A. said, squinting just a bit from the bright little plug in front of them. He reminded her of the fireworks her parents used to buy from the vendors that passed by. Daemyn nodded with a snort -- he would have preferred to use that nifty dodging he had practiced the other day, but he'd follow M.A.'s plan and see where it went. She trusted him, and he trusted her, so things would hopefully pull through. So the canine waited for the impact, sinking his feet into the sand as a brace.
And wham! It took a considerable chunk of Daemyn's strength to resist bowling over, and as it was, Elekid sent him sliding backwards in the sand, although having his feet slightly dug did help. Fast fella with some good momentum, there. But not as strong or fast as Spade, at least not yet. He didn't like this contact, though; it made his fur frizz from the static, though fortunately the sand conducted a good part of this too.
In that brief moment that Elekid's momentum began to slow and contact was still there, Daemyn bit hard onto his yellow plug-head and clamped down before twisting his neck violently and releasing him to the side like a rabid dog would a rag-doll. He could feel the electricity in his mouth and shivered a little, dragging his muzzle on the sand to get rid of the feeling. Didn't like having sand up his nose, but didn't like that staticy stuff either.
Looks like you wouldn't want to touch that Elekid much, M.A. thought to herself, making that mental note. Ulani sat quietly on her head, simply watching her teammate go. He was so into this battle; if it had been her, she'd spend more time playing around. He'd beat her in a heart-beat, though, she realized, with all his blood-thirst. She ought to take a look at his tricks, maybe to thwart him some time for the kicks.
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 5:35 pm
"Thanks Mike, that means a lot," Keegan said, smiling genuinely. And it did mean a lot, coming from Mike. He always preferred to battle smart rather than to just hit his opponents with an all-out offense, although sometimes hitting them hard was playing smart as well. He was glad to see Themis' attack land and he knew it probably wouldn't take too much more to bring down Felsic (that and the thought of being wiped out by a single Pokemon of Mike's would definitely be a kick to his confidence). Themis eyed Felsic for a moment, watching the Typhlosion snap back to his senses before rearing back and firing a Flamethrower at him. Being healthy and full of energy after having not battled for a day or so Themis danced nimbly to the right, never breaking eye contact with Felsic as the flames rippled past him harmlessly. He could feel the heat given off by the wayward attack, which gave him more incentive to avoid Felsic's Flamethrowers in the future.
"Stay defensive for now," Keegan told the Manectric firmly. "Felsic is tough but he's gotta run out of steam some time. If you have to, use Quick Attack to avoid being hit." Themis glanced over his shoulder at his trainer and snorted. Instead he glared at Felsic and began to dash towards him, at first looking as though he had planned to strike with Quick Attack. Instead, his body became wreathed in electricity as he homed in on the Typhlosion, preparing to strike with Spark.
"Themis..." Keegan grumbled, refraining from falling over and face-planting the dirt. Themis doing his own thing would make him look really good and in control now. But then again, Themis never, ever was the obedient one on the team. Keegan sighed and hung his head. If anything, he could hope for Felsic to be struck with paralysis.
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 5:48 pm
Kilik winced as he watched his Elekid got tossed about like some chew toy. He smiled and slipped his hands into the pockets of his robe. Talk about an already intense battle. He looked over at Flareon and discussed quietly about what he could do. The pair pondered for a moment - at least, Kilik did. Let's see. Houndour's a Dark-type, but he's also a Fire-type. Elekid's got nothing that could hit for big damage on the Fire side, but... He snapped his fingers. "Elekid, use Brick Break!"
Man, that smarts! He stood up, the Bite attack having done a lot of damage - could it have been a critical hit? He shook a bit then pumped his little fists. A spark of lightning shot between the two prongs on his head. Brick Break? That was the new move that he taught him, right? He closed his eyes and thought really hard. He'd never used the move before so it was completely foreign to him. "Kid! Ele!!" Elekid's fist began to glow with a reddish light as he broke into a run and aimed his fist straight for Daemyn. Maybe fighting at night was a bad idea - the only part of the Houndour he could see was the white skeletal...thingies. With each step, a small dust cloud shot up into the air.
Flareon's tail wagged excitedly. If one didn't know better, they'd think he was a cuddly pooch himself. He watched the little Elekid go straight for the Fire-type. He hoped Kilik had a lot in store for the little guy. And he did. Kilik was certain that with enough training, Elekid would become one of the most powerful Pokemon he owned. "That's the way!" he laughed, punching the air.
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 6:06 pm
"Try to get out of there, Daemyn!" It was a touch too late, however. Even with the night as his cover, the attack connected with his hind leg hard; the Houndour yelped, for two reasons - 1) that hurt like hell! and 2) there was that detestable static again. God he did not like fighting this Elekid! How cheap, to have electricity in you all the time. /He/ didn't have fire spurting out 24/7, now, did he? Wasn't a frickin' volcano.
M.A. frowned a little, seeing the electricity fuzzing over him. Could that potentially paralyze him? Not good, he needed to get rid of that. "Roll and get some distance!" she commanded, hoping to reduce that electricity before it halted his nerves. She didn't know much about Elekid, but his last two attacks had been physical, so she figured that maybe Daemyn would be better off far-range. The excitement of a battle pumped adrenaline into her blood, and she found that it was a bit fun like this.
Ulani watched as Daemyn hit the sand and rolled a ways, not envying his position. Electricity was /so/ bad for the fur. The Swablu shuddered to think how her lovely white wings would look with some static -- she'd look like an afro'd dumbell!
About then, a cloud passed over the moon, and human eyes could hardly discern their Pokemon from their surroundings.
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 7:04 pm
Haruka frowned upon seeing the Raichu fight back with Brick Break and she knew now that it meant having to rework her strategy. Having Umbreon keep its distance from the Raichu meant it would be easy prey for those pesky long-range Electric-type attacks and keeping close meant the mouse could lash out with Brick Break and any other physical moves the girl might have taught it.
Kasiya watched Haruka carefully, wondering what was going through the older girl's head. She didn't like waiting like this because it made her feel antsy and anxious. Shocker mirrored these feelings, practically bouncing up and down in anticipation. Kasiya sighed and decided not to wait any longer. "Okay Shocker, hit it with your Thunderbolt!" she shouted, grinding her heel into the ground. Shocker grinned happily - this was what it was all about! Her body crackled with electricity and she raised her paws high in the air as the bolt was generated from the electrical pouches in her cheeks. With a fierce cry she launched it forward before watching with satisfaction as it hit its mark. The Umbreon cried out as the electricity coursed through it, bringing it down to its belly. Stray static fizzled through its short fur as it got back to its feet, glaring at the Raichu with angry eyes.
"Umbreon, Confuse Ray!" Haruka shouted then. Umbreon growled quietly before the gold, glowing circle on its forehead began to shine brightly, creating a disorienting, golden ray that the curious Raichu found herself unable to look away from. Almost instantly a fit of dizziness swept over her and suddenly the ground felt very unsteady beneath her feet. It was as though she'd just spent the last five minutes spinning round and round and round in circles and then rolled down a grassy hill. Kasiya groaned and closed her eyes - she hated dealing with her Pokemon when they were confused!
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 7:59 pm
"Now Umbreon, hit it with Quick Attack again!" Haruka commanded sharply, without missing a beat. Kasiya wasn't surprised by the order though; it was quite smart to attack so soon after inflicting confusion on Shocker. The dark-coloured Pokemon's four paws made next to no noise as it dashed across the ground, ramming a shoulder into Shocker and sending her spiraling to the ground. Kasiya had an idea that Shocker had a bit of experience on the Umbreon, and found it to be rather annoying that a lot of folks seemed to underestimate the tawny mouse.
Being smacked around like a punching bag did little to help Shocker regain her senses - if anything it felt as though her brains had been knocked even more loose. She stood up and shook her head, trying to shake the cobwebs out but that turned out to be a bad idea as another wave of dizziness overcame her. She heard Kasiya calling out to her and she did her best to focus on the girl's voice. "Iron Tail!" her trainer was shouting. Shocker's ears perked up (or at least she thought they did) and she spun around trying to catch a glimpse of her opponent. This also proved to be a bad idea as her vision blurred and she staggered before taking a moment or so to try and find a hint of clarity.
Shocker then lashed her tail around like a whip, unable to see it glowing with a silvery, metallic hue as she swung it at what looked like her opponent but actually turned out to be nothing, just a hallucination caused by her confusion. Her tail became tangled in her own legs and the next thing she knew she'd tripped herself, falling face-first to the ground and leaving herself wide-open for attack. Kasiya cringed at the sight of her normally-agile Raichu injuring herself and she shouted loudly, hoping for her voice to reach the confused mouse's ears and help pull her out of confusion.
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 8:01 pm
"Hm," Mike scratched his chin once again, but this time at Keegan's mention of a Quick Attack as a means of evading an attack. He'd never thought of that. "You know, I think that's an excellent idea! Felsic, do that." He grinned, placing his hands on his hips. Never hurt to take a lead from your enemy's plans. He wasn't too sure about Manectric, but he knew Typhlosion's speed could match almost any Electric type.
Felsic scowled at the dog evading his attack with almost taunting ease. You'll get yours, he thought. Lowering himself to all fours, the Fire Pokemon waited until just seconds before the attack would connect and took off, his scarf glowing white once more. Felsic stuck out his tongue as he circled around, hoping to strike the Manectric in the side.
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 10:08 pm
Shocker pulled herself to her feet again, vaguely aware of her trainer calling out to her. It was then a sixth-sense like feeling overcame her and the Raichu had the sudden instinct to sidestep. As she did, she felt the rush of wind race past her as the Umbreon had tried to hit her with a Tackle attack this time, which she somehow managed to avoid even in her confused state. At that point her befuddled mind blocked out all sound but a fuzzy, static-like buzzing noise, and Shocker realized with mild amusement that she could hear the electricity within her own body! She giggled in excitement, although she was unable to hear even her own voice, and she'd been just about to dance around happily when suddenly she felt a throbbing pain in her back.
This was because the Umbreon had circled around and came at Shocker again, this time hitting her from behind with another Tackle attack. The hit shook a little bit of sense back into the Raichu and with bleary eyes she glared daggers at the offending Umbreon. Electricity flared from her cheeks as she directed a wild Thunderbolt at seemingly random, so much so that Kasiya had to duck yet again to avoid being struck by lightning. "Shocker, focus!" she shouted, more fearful for the egg than herself. "Try again!"
Nearly tipping over from the exertion, Shocker glanced around and glared at the Umbreon, slowly regaining her sense of equilibrium with each passing second. At that particular moment she felt a great deal of hatred towards the Moonlight Pokemon, and she closed her eyes, feeling the electricity in her body build up to almost a breaking point. She practically jammed her tail into the ground to protect herself as she stood up on her toes and summoned the most powerful bolt of electricity she could muster. A second or so later, a bright flash lit up the area as Shocker called down a Thunder attack onto the Umbreon, quickly followed by the resonating chorus of rumbling thunder. Shocker shook her head again, now seeing almost clearly. The Umbreon, however, was in no condition to continue battling as it lay in a heap on the ground, five feet back from where it stood when it had been struck.
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Melphaligal the Challama Crew
|
Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 9:23 am
Shoving Brook back out Robin adopted a 'stern' look on her face. "Brook you need to battle in order to get stronger." She scolded pointing a finger forward.
The small Hoppip just looked up at her for a second before turning to look at the claw snapping Corphish in front of him. It was to scary! His pretty trainer wanted him to fight this scary beast of a pokemon? He turned to look up at her again in order to convince her to change her mind but stopped when he saw the determined look on her face. Gulping he turned around again to face his opponent.
"Haha! Seems like your puny pokemon is scared of my mighty Corphish! Thats good it should be scared!" The swimmer let out a booming laugh. "Let's give it something to be scared of Corphish! Use your Vicegrip on that puny thing!" Liking the sound of using his claws the lobster like pokemon foamed at the mouth some as he charged forward waving his, small to Robin but huge to Brook, claws.
Having read up on Brook on one of her many train rides this day Robin knew exactly what to do. "Ok Brook when he gets close to you give him a good dose of Poison Powder!"
As the scary pokemon charged at him Brook could only watch in fear as he got closer. Poison Powder!? He had no idea what that attack was! Giving out a cry he curled into himself as the Corphish grabbed one of his leaf feelers in a claw and started to shake him. Brook didn't seem to know what exactly was going on, he just let out a cry as he was shook. Unbeknownst to him that turned out to be a bad move for the Corphish as the lobster like pokemon shook the Poison Powder onto himself. The Corphish gave out a cry as some of the purple powder got into his eye. Letting go of Brook it scampered back to his trainers side trying to get the stinging powder off of him.
"Haha good job Brook!" Robin cheered him on. The small Hoppip though seemed a bit shaken up though. Frowning somewhat Robin tried to remember what that healing move was. "Umm Syn, psythesis? No thats not it, Synthesis? Yeah! Brook time to heal your injury and use Synthesis!"
Brook looked up at her from where he was inspecting his damaged feeler and gave her a sad look. He knew that move but he didn't quite know what it would do here. He had to use it in order to grow never in a situation like this. concentrating he gathered all the sunlight he could into his body. Suddenly he felt a lot better, ok there wasn't a lot of sunlight it was mostly moonlight but that was just reflected sunlight. Curious as to what happened he opened his eyes to see his wounds closing up. He was healed! His trainer did know what she was doing! Feeling more confident now Brook turned to face his opponant with renewed strength.
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 12:08 pm
Haruka frowned and recalled her Umbreon, looking at the Pokeball with a lopsided smile. "Hmm. I guess I underestimated your Raichu," she said, tucking a lock of blonde hair behind her ear. She slipped the Umbreon's Pokeball into her pocket and pulled out a different ball, one Kasiya hadn't seen before. It was a bluish colour and had black x-shaped patterns decorating it. Seeing Kasiya's puzzled look Haruka smiled. "This is a Net Ball," she told the younger girl knowledgeably. "It works best on Water and Bug-type Pokemon."
Kasiya tilted her head to the side as Shocker tottered over to her side, still reeling a bit from the confusion. The Raichu was vaguely aware of her win over the Umbreon but for now she just didn't feel like fighting. Thinking about it now, Shocker found herself wondering if that's what it would be like inside Beacon's brain and she shivered at the thought. No wonder the Ampharos was so nutty. Kasiya, meanwhile, had managed to deduct that Haruka would be sending out a Bug or Water-type Pokemon next (yes, sometimes she was a bit slow on the uptake). Her eyes widened a bit as Haruka threw the Net Ball to reveal a winged insect, striped yellow and black with two deadly stingers on its forearms and an equally deadly stinger protruding from its bottom - a Beedrill. It glared at Kasiya and Shocker through red eyes, eagerly awaiting for its opponent. Shocker gulped and looked around before ducking behind Kasiya and practically climbing up her backside before poking the fourth Pokeball in line.
"Hey, you wanted to battle," Kasiya said, reaching around and grabbing the Raichu. "What, you scared of an overgrown bumblebee?" The Raichu nodded and frowned, obviously not wanting to fight with the Beedrill. "Fine," Kasiya sighed, reaching for the same Pokeball Shocker had been patting. She flung it forward, still looking at Shocker. "If Adamantine gets into trouble you're taking over!" The Raichu nodded before retreating to her perch as the Larvitar appeared in her place, really only wanting to rid herself of the pounding headache she now suffered. She, a proud and strong Raichu, scared of a Beedrill? As if.
Ada yawned loudly before looking around, a little surprised to find herself in a battle again so soon. She sized up the large bee in front of her before grinning. If that thing thought its stingers could do anything against her rocky body it had another thing coming! Sensing both of her Pokemons' overconfident attitudes Kasiya sighed and shook her head. It wouldn'y hurt either of them to show a little modesty now and then. On Haruka's command the Beedrill began to jab the air fiercely, psyching itself up with Focus Energy. Kasiya frowned and nodded to Ada. "Okay baby, blast 'em with your Sandstorm!" Ada smiled and clapped her hands together, her eyes flashing for a moment before an out of place, chill wind blew, sending up sand and dust in all directions and helping to obscure the view. The Beedrill cried out as the glass-like shards whipped across its body, but Ada stood strong. The swirling sands wouldn't harm her.
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 12:35 pm
Themis let out a slight growl as Felsic raced out of his path but he didn't slow down at all. Looking over his shoulder he could see the Typhlosion circling around and coming up on his side. The electricity he'd built up was still crackling over his limber body and he braced for impact, feeling Felsic's muscular body ram into his. Keegan watched carefully, a finger resting on his chin and a slight smile tugging at his lips as Themis snarled at Felsic and bared his fangs. The electric type was hoping to use the Typhlosion's momentum against him in order to launch his counterattack. At first Keegan was certain Themis had countered with a Bite attack but soon he realized that somehow the Manectric had transferred the charge of electricity from his whole body to simply his jaws and fangs - an electrified bite.
Keegan nodded in approval, not saying a word as he watched the two Pokemon duking it out. Themis wasn't fond of taking orders but it wasn't without good reason - the Manectric was able to think for himself quite well and was quite capable of taking care of himself.
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 4:14 pm
Kilik groaned. With the cloud over the moon, he and Elekid were definitely out of their element. Kilik didn't work well in the dark and his Pokemon could barely see an inch in front of his nose. The trainer could barely tell where Daemyn ran off to. "He's too far away," Kilik spoke rather audibly, "and I don't want you coming into close contact."
Flareon tilted his head. So sure, Elekid was strong and pretty feisty for a Pokemon his size. But every single attack so far required the plug to get in close. Maybe it had been too long since he'd seen him in battle? After all, what did Flareon know about him? They hardly worked together. That's when it happened. "Okay, Elekid!" the boy clenched his fist and smirked. "Turn the lights on with a Shock Wave!"
"Ele!!" he spun his arms around, generating a large amount of electricity that began storing up above his prongs. A large ball of yellow lightning formed above his head. "Kikikikikikikikikikiiiiiii..." He clenched his fists and slammed his eyes shut. "KIIIIIIDDD!!" The ball above his head practically exploded with lightning, the Shock Wave shooting out in an arrow shaped bolt. Kilik let out a low whistle. He'd never seen Elekid use it that way before. Admittedly, he was impressed.
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 4:56 pm
Must be one of those unavoidable attacks, M.A. breathed, watching as it the electricity snaked out and struck Daemyn head-on. He grunted audibly but withstood the attack -- this was not his kind of battle, jeebus. The Houndour loved getting physical, primarily, but it didn't seem like it'd work here so well, what with that nasty static stuff. He didn't particularly feel like being paralyzed today, and M.A. really didn't want to have anything that needed a visit to the PokeCenter and a sleepy Nurse Joy. "Keep moving!" his trainer commanded, and once the attack ended M.A. lost sight of him for good. Her eyes couldn't adapt to the light/dark change so fast. But hopefully, with the wind and the ocean ambiance, Elekid would continue to not be able to see him. "Fire at will," she said, grinning at her pun just the slightest bit.
A fireball came blasting not far from M.A.'s right; she could feel the heat from there. She also felt a light breeze as the canine rounded her and continued stalking around, his hunting instincts from his pack days kickin' in. Although back then, he was still a baby and didn't really do too much besides yelp at their quarry.
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 5:32 pm
Haruka raised an arm to cover her mouth and nose from the blustery sand and she peered over her white shirt sleeve at Kasiya, her hazel eyes grinning. "Don't let it slow you down, Beedrill! Get in there and hit it with Pursuit!"
Its wings buzzed loudly even over the rushing sounds of the Sandstorm and it dove forward, rearing back its left arm high as it closed in on Ada. When it was close it brought it down for a fairly solid hit and it forced the small Larvitar to stumble back a bit. "Quickly Ada! Counter it with a Bite attack!" Kasiya shouted, hoping her her words would reach Adamantine through the storm. Sure enough though, Ada heard her (her body and senses were used to this kind of weather and terrain, after all!) and before the Beedrill could recover from its attack and buzz away, Ada lunged forward and chomped down with all her might on the Beedrill's attacking arm, giving her head a vicious shake before she was satisfied enough to let go. Giving a pained shriek the giant bee zipped backwards, its wings beating hard and fast to keep it under control within the sandy area. Between the Larvitar's sharp fangs tearing into it and the sand whipping at its body, this was shaping up to be a painful battle.
Flannery had wanted to make a remark when Themis started acting on his own accord but her comments caught in her throat as she watched the Electric-type execute his strategy. Most Pokemon were content to obey the commands of their trainers but she knew that in some instances, the Pokemon was clever enough fend for themselves. Themis seemed to be one of those clever types and she continued to keep her mouth shut, looking around curiously and wondering where Kasiya went to. I hope she's not mad at me, she thought at first, but then dismissed the thought. It wasn't going to kill her to wait for Mike and Keegan to resolve their battle before going to the Pokemon Center. After all, it seemed smarter to wait and have them all go as a group, as the boys' Pokemon would be needing treatment after the battle anyways. She's such a little brat, they gym leader thought, a bit irked by the younger girl.
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 5:46 pm
"This is no good..." Haruka muttered, barely able to see her Beedrill or the Larvitar to boot. Also, she knew it was a Rock-type so her Pokemon's attacks weren't going to be overly effective. Haruka smirked beneath her hand, admiring the girl's spunk. She didn't seem to be much of a threat, at least, that was, until she got into battle mode. "Well Beedrill, we'll just have to hit 'em hard and hit 'em often! Get in there with Fury Attack!" she commanded, authority ringing in her voice even through the Sandstorm. Grimacing, the Poison Bee buzzed forward, deciding it wouldn't let the stinging sands bring it down as it reared back and jabbed forward repeatedly with its stingers. Two, three, four... four strikes in all, and four fairly solid hits despite the disadvantage. The Beedrill could feel the pressure in its arms from the hits and its arms felt a little tired from the sudden exertion, and it backed off after landing its attack, a little fearful of what the Larvitar might do in response.
Ada took the Fury Attack like a champ. That is, until she heard Kasiya calling out to her. Her pride hurting more than her body Ada let out a high-pitched Screech, the sound mixing with the howling winds for a terrible, resonating sound. The Beedrill hadn't been expecting such a retaliation and tried to cover its head with its forearms, but the screeching noise pierced its ears and caused its head to feel like someone had wailed on it with a Crabhammer.
"Don't take that, Beedrill! Get angry! Use Rage!" Haruka shouted, lowering her arms and deciding that she wouldn't hide from the Sandstorm any longer. If her Pokemon was going to be subjected to the damaging effects of the Sandstorm than so would she. Beedrill shook itself before buzzing up into the air, its eyes glowing red with anger as it glared down at the tiny yet painfully annoying Larvitar below it.
"Keep it up Ada!" Kasiya was shouting from the other end of the storm, oblivious as to what her opponent was doing. "Now hit it with your Rock Slide!" Very glad to oblige, Ada sent a barrage of rocks flying up at the yellow and black striped Pokemon, unaware that the damage she'd inflict now would cause her opponent to grow stronger with each attack.
((Slightly edited a tad.))
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|