Lynda's battle technique is worth my investigation. Should we fight, I do believe I need to analyze her as much as I can before that happens. I will strive to update this with whatever findings I'm able to witness so that this may be up to date. I hope it proves useful for more than just me... First off, one thing that should be avoided at all costs is contact with her right hand, no matter the attack. The feel of it is coarse and rocky, and for good reason: she is able to...ignite it. It changes to a state where it glows like a lightbulb, and is incredibly hot. Burns are guaranteed if any contact is made with her hand like this. Notwithstanding, however, her hand remains in generally the same shape, so even if one were to resist its heat, she could still punch or hit with it. I can't tell if it's stronger in its cooled state or in its heated state. Addendum: Her knuckle shield. Any and all punches that are defended against run the risk of getting smacked by this thing. It's harder than steel, hasn't dented yet as of this writing, and the sound it makes when it connects is...quite powerful. That says nothing of how much it stings when it does hit, or the added firepower behind it - literally. Expect heavy damage and burns. The only thing is, Lynda doesn't use her knuckler unless she feels she's at a disadvantage. If you don't see it in a fight against her, you're not worth her time, she thinks. At least, that's what I believe the Lynda on the outside is thinking... Second, her maw. Horns. Whatever you want to call them. They're large, imposing, and she uses it for several physical and ranged attacks. She's sharpened its fangs so that they face inwards, meaning anything she catches in it will have a hard time getting out, if she doesn't already use their position to her advantage. Severe cuts can be expected with biting attacks. If caught, try to move towards the mouth. While she can launch several elemental attacks from it, it can't actually swallow, so finding footing by moving in towards it can be risky, but it will avoid the deep cuts of the teeth. In addition, the maw seems to have a mind of its own sometimes...but it listens to Lynda no matter what. Third, her attitude. Lynda is ruthless. She doesn't wait for openings. She MAKES openings. When she's not firing off projectiles or beams from afar, she's closing the distance and unleashing a flurry of physical attacks that's bound to catch anybody off guard with her speed and power. She seems to have a rhythm to it, though - she will always try to first go for a disorienting blow, be it to the head or gut. Then she'll try for a flurry of quick punches and kicks. If she needs breathing room, she'll try to duck away after a punch, try to send her foe flying if she can, or try for a close-range maw attack. This makes for a good segue into the moves I've seen her use and my notes on them: Fire Fang - Close-range physical attack. The teeth ignite and stay aflame for the duration of this attack. Those caught are burned severely in addition to the cuts inflicted. Counter: stay away from her maw. Dousing the flames may be viable, but will need to avoid the bite afterwards. Incinerate - Ranged fireball, also as a short-range spread attack. The fireball itself can be fizzled out by water or ice, but comes out fast with very little prep time on Lynda's part. Its power comes from the impact, not the heat, so having good defenses will negate the fireball. The spread attack is when Lynda releases its power all at once without forming it into a ball, causing her maw to recoil harshly. She uses this to propel herself in a direction, or to stand her ground and use the force from it to push others away. Again, the impact is the most damaging, not the heat, so any opposite force that can take advantage of covering or pushing against the area in front of the foe's body can negate any damage or push force inflicted. As she uses this attack quickly, it may be difficult to defend against at all... Strength - Her various regular punches and kicks can be sorted into this attack. Any one attack can be crippling, but she throws out so many of them in quick succession that it's hard to tell if she's using her 'martial arts' techniques or this attack. Possibly the least damaging and worrisome of her arsenal... Rock Smash - Often used outside of battle for crushing boulders, inside battle it's less than spectacular. Her hands glow slightly with an orange-brownish aura, with the power transferred to whatever she's hitting. Used to push back opponents. Standing ground when trying to defend against this attack may lead to defenses being compromised by the force. Crunch - Similar to Fire Fang, except with dark energy instead of flames. The only other difference I can notice is that the cuts tend to be deeper with this attack, and often leave her foes staggering enough for a finishing blow, instead of being pulled or pushed away. Psych Up - Fighting against foes that have an advantage against her in some way, Lynda uses this move to copy those advantages for herself. Any defensive options must be calculated so Lynda does not copy them, or cannot easily be copied. Being able to work around your own advantages may be difficult with her style of fighting, but she does not know how to use every single copied mechanism to her advantage. She learns fast, however. Sunny Day - Lynda roars with her maw to clear the clouds and force the sun's rays down. The area instantly heats up, only adding to her fire-based attacks. It does not matter if the area is open to the outside or closed and indoors for the heating effect. Being able to change the weather is the only way I know to counter this move. Flamethrower - A pillar of flame is shot from Lynda's maw. Countering with ice or water or another form of energy can be possible, but the heat is intense and can melt solid projectiles. Has a limited range, and extended usage can drain her energy fast. Forcing her to use this move is a bit of a struggle, but requires one to be more ruthless than she in a ranged fight. Power-Up Punch - Similar to Rock Smash in execution, but doesn't launch. Lynda is powered up for a short while, and she becomes physically aggressive during this time. Getting away from her can be hard, but she will pursue a foe no matter what, so baiting can be possible. Solar Beam - Beam attack, needs charging unless Sunny Day is used. Lynda gathers heat from the environment into her maw for a long-ranged energy beam. She can angle the beam during the move, but because of the energy gathered, it has a limited duration. Astonishingly powerful. Best to dodge. Endure - On her last ropes, Lynda will use this move to ensure she's the last one standing. Sacrificial moves are useless. Iron Head - Lynda uses her maw to batter and knock away foes. She uses this move to counter physical attacks and when fighting multiple enemies. It also makes for a good defensive move, hiding behind a lump of iron. The maw is large and heavy, so she swings slow. Good dodging can prevent damage, but Lynda will often charge up a move inside her maw to unleash when she's either done with you or she feels like she can't reach you. Flash Cannon - Depending on charge, can be short-ranged or an energy ball projectile. The attack is charged using the maw. The short-ranged attack is a bright flash of light that can stun and disorient, while the energy ball is a fast homing shot. Explodes into flashing lights on contact, and has a large pushing force at the center. Stone Edge - Several attacks of Lynda's involves this move, all of which involve stones flying up and striking her foe. One is an uppercut that she has to charge for a brief moment to do, and another is where she slams the ground with her fists to cause stones to fly up from underneath the opponent at a distance. Sometimes she'll cause a rock pillar to rise up, but I'm not sure what is different about the move either way. Take caution with her actions, as this move has a big tell for it. Focus Blast - Ball projectile, fired from maw. Small in size, but very fast with a lot of force behind it. Even at a distance it can send foes flying for tens of feet. Often fires multiple times in a row. The balls themselves have no homing capabilities, so simply moving out of the way is enough to escape damage. Used at a distance, or as a last ditch effort up-close to push foes away. False Swipe - Lynda swipes with her hands. A vicious series of strikes that will leave the foe beaten battered and bruised, but still conscious...this is a move Lynda only uses when she feels she must make her opponent suffer. It is not enough that one must challenge Lynda, they must have a history, a rivalry. Previous conflict. If she unleashes this move, the fight's already over, and she's just toying with you like a Persian toying with a Pichu... Ice Beam - I admit, I helped her learn this move. Beam, fired from maw. Very brief attack. Lynda exerts no fire energy when using this move. The area of this attack is conical, so one must be quick to move out of the way. The beam is rather fast, but because she needs to get fired up for any fire moves afterwards, if she decides to use this move for whatever reason, go for whatever damage you can inflict. Countering with ranged attacks works well. Sucker Punch - Lynda dashes forward with her hand cloaked in a dark energy. Only usable if the foe is going to attack, and she is fast enough by the empowerment gained with this move that she always strikes before her foe, and it's often enough to knock them out of using their move altogether while letting her have a free ticket to beat you up. If she tries to use this move, hold off on your attacks - the dark energy will backfire and paralyze her for a short time. The move must affect her muscles in some way... Earth Power - By far her most uniquely-developed move. Lynda can call up pillars of flame from the ground, at any distance, at any size. She uses these pillars to disorient, to create a battlefield for her liking. Anything in the environment or immediate surroundings can and likely will be destroyed by this move alone. The flames themselves are damaging enough, but Lynda uses them to launch sneak strikes, and can even duck inside them to move about inside the ground before popping out of another hole. When angered, she often uses this move without thinking. Spitting fire into the ground with her maw, stomping, slamming the ground with her fists...even roaring. I don't know how to really counter this move...there's just too many ways she can use it. The only thing I can think of is freezing the pillars as she makes them, but that's only a diversion she can use to her advantage... Giga Impact - Her most powerful technique by far. Lynda surrounds herself with crackling, arcing energy waves before launching a devastating tackle and punch that, so far, nobody has come out of without being fainted on the spot. Lynda will do everything in her power to make this attack hit, and while it comes at a cost of a lot of energy, she really only seems to feel the downsides once it connects. Running and tiring her out doesn't seem like a viable option. Surviving is nearly impossible, but if one happens to still be able to stand, they may just be able to beat Lynda after this move... Extra notes: - There is a gigantic scar on Lynda's body that she hides with her clothing. It acts like armor, and anything that can pierce it is likely already able to pierce her skin. It seems to be connected with her second consciousness, as when the scar grows, so does her lust for battle and chaos. She's pained by it, though, but I'm not sure just how to use that to one's advantage in battle. - My worst fears have been realized. Lynda's Plate has...become one with her. She was pushed too far, an unconventional solution to a problem that she can't go back from. Her body is now tainted with more than just her curse...fire courses through her veins. I can only assume that this makes her easier to freeze and douse with water, but I have not tested this. Her hand's become more red, more visually etched with lines of magma waiting to be used. Either way, her right hand has become significantly more powerful... And it's not just gotten stronger. She's been able to craft weapons from her hand by igniting it into its molten state, then using her maw to somehow shift its appearance. The one I see most often is a long blade, which I've not really seen in battle all that often, but...in practice, she's terrifying. One slice can cut through boulders. Beware when she has a bladed hand. In conclusion, Lynda's fighting style is varied. She's trained herself to be able to win in any situation, with as many options as possible for both ranged and close combat. If there's anything that I can glean from my days and years watching her fight, it's that she tires quickly, but often that just makes her more powerful and desperate. There's no one thing that a person can specialize in to win against her. Only someone as varied, as battle-worn, as tactical, as ruthless as Lynda, can beat Lynda. I have not witnessed her lose a fight she couldn't have gone further to ensure her victory in, one where she couldn't push out an extra burst of strength before going down. She's always had energy to spare, or had willingly forfeit a match. When the time comes where our final fight is at hand, when we stand above all the other Plate bearers as the only two left standing, each one of us standing in the way of the other for the grace of Arceus, my only hope is that I am powerful enough to take her down. Even as she and I constantly evolve and grow, I must find it in myself to persevere...I must not let her evil win.