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Post by Parugi on Oct 18, 2023 21:46:42 GMT -8
IC - Kyle Eston/Levi Alaric - Heahea City, Akala Island:
There was always something so exhilarating about flying. No matter how often he took to the skies on Jaeda's back, Kyle never grew used to the feeling of wind rushing past, the sensation of near-weightlessness as the Charizard below soared through the sky. As they darted through the air, he heard Levi's frightened yet excited laughter carry back to him. There was no real danger of falling, particularly with Kyle's arms on either side providing a barrier, but he couldn't blame the kid for being scared. At least he seemed to be handling it well.
"Wow, look!"
Levi was pointing off to the side. Turning his head, Kyle saw the rapidly approaching form of Orihime carrying Ray and Lucia on her back. As if propelled by a great wind, she soon closed the distance between herself and Jaeda before overtaking the Charizard completely, leading the way forward. Kyle smiled, shaking his head. He was halfway tempted to call the other team cheaters, but then again, he'd taken a head-start on them. They earned the win this round.
As the large clearing appeared beneath them to mark their destination, Kyle whistled. Jaeda dipped down, circling toward the ground as Orihime did the same. The ground grew closer and closer, until finally Jaeda righted herself, wings flapping and sending clouds of dust out and away from them. Her feet touched down, and a moment later Kyle slid off of her back, helping Levi down after him. A decorated cave entrance had been carved into the side of the nearby hills, adorned with pink paint and etchings of numerous flowers.
"I think this is it," Kyle said, looking around. "Looks about as special as the other ruins did, anyway."
IC - Sonja Baron/Madison Hayes - Reflection Cave, Poni Island:
They proceeded down the water tunnel. Much like before, this tunnel continued even deeper into the mountain, curving and flowing through it much in the way a river might. Eventually they came upon yet another intersection of tunnels. Rather than three, however, this room contained five potential options--a mask, a skull and crossbones, a fist, a sword, and a spider. Another plaque resided here, reading as follows:
'Remembered are the days when I was used, bloodied and beaten... I was abused. Death surrounded me, and it mattered not, as no matter the pain I inflicted, I'd never rot. What am I?'
"Okay, that's straightforwardish," Sonja said. "A sword. 'Days when I was used,' ancient history; 'bloodied and beaten' from battle; surrounded by death and inflicting pain, and steel doesn't rot. So sword. Right?" She looked between Hayes and Corey.
"Yeah, I think that tracks," Hayes said. "Let's go."
And so again they went, further and further in. It was some time before they came to the end of this tunnel, which once more came to an intersection.
Seven tunnels branched off from this room.
Sonja pinched the bridge of her nose, taking a deep breath. "Is now an appropriate time for me to throw something, or should I wait until we find these Mystic people?"
"Save it," Hayes said. She moved around, noting the symbols over these tunnels--a ghost; a shovel; a snowflake; a magnet; a dragon; a star; and what could only be described as a crude drawing of a cat face. She scoffed. "So if these have all represented Pokémon Types so far, it seems someone couldn't come up with a better design for Normal-Types."
"You sure that's Normal and not Fairy?" Sonja asked.
"I would think the star is for Fairy-Types."
"Why couldn't the cat be for Fairy? Cats are magical."
Hayes gave her a look, before moving to the riddle in the center of the room. "How about we argue about something worthwhile?" She stooped down, reading aloud.
'What can be a cap, a bed, a bank and a bird at the same time?'
The question hung on the air for some time. Finally Sonja broke the silence. "You know what? I'm throwing something."
IC - Ethan Worth/? - Ula'ula Island:
With a roar of victory, the strange chimeric Pokémon in their midst threw the final Fraygrins against the wall, before pouncing on it and shredding it with an X-Scissor attack. The Pokémon huffed, turning to its trainer and wading its way through the battlefield back toward him. The blond trainer held up a device, reading some sort of scan on it, and nodded before patting the Pokémon's thick helmet.
"Seems like the old lady'll be pretty pleased with these numbers, Null," he said. "Might even get you some new family members at this rate."
As he turned to proceed further into the temple, Ethan popped up in front of him. Evan and Jenny appeared in the tunnel behind him, followed by their Pokémon. "You telling me there are more of these guys?" Ethan asked, grinning. He held a hand up to the large Pokémon. "Wouldn't mind picking me up one, myself--this guy's pretty effective, aren't cha?" The Pokémon looked as flattered as it could with its head encased in a helmet, allowing Ethan to pet it.
The trainer glared at Ethan, and then looked at the Pokémon. "Seriously? You make me earn your trust over weeks and you just decide to let this moron pet you?" The Pokémon shrugged as best as it could. "Whatever. Get out of the way, guy."
"Ethan," Ethan corrected. "You know, we'd work a lot better as a team." He patted the Pokémon again. "Tell ya what, why don't you announce your allegiance to this little group we've got here and I'll let you lead?"
"Not in your lifetime."
"Tough sell. How about you introduce yourself and I'll consider not talking as much?"
"Oh my god." The trainer slapped a hand to his face and then dragged it down, slowly and forcefully. "Fine. Gladion. This is Type: Null. And no, you can't get one because only three exist right now. Now move."
"Wow, you really are a second Gavin--you've even got a 'G' name!" Ethan moved to the side, theatrically gesturing down the hall. "After you, Gladion." He had hardly finished the sentence before Gladion moved past him, leading the way deeper into the temple. "So how'd you get a Typo if there are only three of them?"
"Type: Null," Gladion snapped. "Aether made them, they called them a failure, I took one, they gave the others away. Now we're testing their effective rate against these Instances. And if you don't stop talking, I'm going to test my right hand against the side of your head."
IC - Landon Hall/Skye Hall/Gavin Braner - Prosthetics Lab, Hau'oli City:
"You have a base?" Landon asked.
"Long story," Skye said. "I don't think that's a bad idea, but I'm also pretty antsy to get looking if someone else is trying to find them." She looked at Landon with almost a pleading expression. "You haven't heard anything about where these three might be?"
Landon rubbed his chin. "No, not really. Except, well . . . hm . . ." He looked up at the ceiling. "Actually, come to think of it, you might check out the Hau'oli Cemetary to the north. It's a bit of a trek, but there has been some weird stuff happenin' around there lately from what I've heard."
"Weird in what way?" Gavin asked, his tone completely failing to hide his skepticism. "If it's a cemetery it's probably Ghost Pokémon. That's not weird."
"No, weird like somethin' big livin' in that area," Landon said. "Like a big ol' bat or somethin'. I don't know, go see for yourself."
"That's actually helpful. That's actually really helpful!" Skye gave Landon a hug. "Thanks, Landon! For everything. Arm included."
Landon waved her off. "Eh, no biggy," he said. "Go save the world or whatever."
IC - Kane/Esen Windred - Heahea City, Akala Island:
The ground beneath the stage shook violently. Kane's extended neck turned slightly, just in time for the stage to explode in an eruption of lava and earth that blasted apart wood and metal alike. The Nobuddy on stage were sent scattering about, some worse for wear than others. As the dust and debris cleared, it appeared for a moment that Preech had possibly been destroyed in the attack, for he was nowhere to be seen. After a moment, however, it became clear that the Instance had taken refuge up against the wall of the building behind him. The fingers of one hand dug into the concrete, providing purchase; the other hung loose before him, though it was difficult to tell whether it was damaged. The bleeding from his eyes and throughout his robes made it an incredibly difficult endeavor to determine just how injured he was. In any case, he stared at the field before him, silently sizing up the opposition.
"Well," he said at length, his voice echoing through the field. "I believe this is all the work that needs be done today." Shadows flooded out from his fingertips, creating a portal in the side of the wall on which he clung. Before their eyes, Kane began to sink into the darkness. "Let the record show, 'twas the degenerates of Teams Liberty and Rocket that killed these innocents today. May my remaining followers punish your sins and bring you to justice."
As he vanished into the shadow, the portal closing behind him, the remaining Nobuddy pushed themselves up like awful mannequins. Their forms flickered with illusionary disguises as they broke off to face their targets, intending to use the image of a loved one against each of their opponents as they had become known to do.
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alku
Technician
Posts: 62
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Post by alku on Oct 21, 2023 9:13:53 GMT -8
IC: Evan Tierra
After the final Fraygrins had fallen, Evan and Landorus followed Gladion and Ethan. The man was shivering with anticipation. He know that M0 was intent on taking out all opposition, but Gladion's statement of who or what was leading them was a woman with Electric powers. Regardless, they had to hurry up and prevent the worst from happening. "C'mon, Jen-Jen. Evan said, smiling. "We've got more asses to kick!"
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Post by Konuju on Oct 21, 2023 9:19:09 GMT -8
IC: Yamamoto Aori – Park, Ecruteak CityAori grinned back at Marie. "That sounds good. I would very much like that. Arigatou, Homura-san." Aori attempted to bow, as her father had done many times before. But since they were both sitting, down, it ended up looking more like she was just rocking back and forth. IC: Ryan Sanders – Prosthetics Lab, Hau'oli CityRyan turned back to Landon. "Thanks for the info. If my Mismagius comes back, can you tell her we went to the cemetery?" "Sure thing." As the group headed out the door and back onto the streets, Ryan glanced at the others. "So, did I miss anything exciting on the behind-the-scenes tour?" He honestly didn't expect much, but the boring details of a tour would at least pass the time on the way to the cemetery. IC: Beast – Hau'oli Outskirts?"Call failed." That was the message that showed up on his phone's screen. Beast tried to call Snake again. "Call failed." That was strange, their base usually had better signal than this. Already in a bad mood after his argument with Double, Beast grumbled to himself and wandered out the door in search of better phone signal. Surely the closer he got to the city, the better his reception would get. Of course, the closer he got to the city, the more careful he had to be. It hadn't been that long since their latest shoplifting adventure, and it was probably best to lay low for a few days longer. And so Beast crept through the trees, trying to avoid notice. "Hey, man. Long time no see." The voice caught Beast completely by surprise, causing him to nearly stumble. He caught himself and regained his composure, then nearly stumbled again at the sight of the speaker. Standing there in the woods was the last person he'd expected to see: his father. "Hey, old man," Beast said, warily glancing around to see if this was one of Double's tricks. Their parents had been some of the original members of Team Skull and had raised Beast and Double within the walls of Po Town, where they were cared for and doted on by the entire Team Skull organization. But while the twins had grown up and decided to move out with Snake and the others, their parents had chosen to remain behind in Po Town. It was their home, their father had claimed, and he wasn't just about to abandon it. Which begged Beast's next question: "What're you doing here?" "Hey now, who're you calling old?" his father scoffed, reaching out to pat him on the back. "Anyway, how've things been here in the big city?" Beast looked at his father incredulously. Yes, they were technically within the city limits of Hau'oli, but these woods hardly counted as the 'big city.' Maybe in comparison to the slums of Po Town, but still. He shook it off as his dad just being weird. "Honestly, it's kinda sucked lately," he admitted, reflecting on the past few days. "The gang's all split up . . . my moron of a brother actually had the balls to quit on us. And everyone else just got scattered by unfortunate circumstances." Beast let out a long sigh before looking over at his father. "Anyway, how've you been? Guess you made it out of Po Town before it got overrun by monsters." His father cocked his head to the side in surprise. "You heard about that?" Beast laughed. "Yo, everyone's heard about that! You'd have to be living under a rock to not know about Po Town." His father raised an eyebrow but shrugged it off. "Well yeah. Me and my buddies got out of Po Town before everything hit the fan. We actually tried to launch a rescue mission, but got sidetracked. Somehow I ended up back here, along with my gran, who just about lost it and walked out on me. I've been trying to find her ever since. These streets aren’t exactly the safest part of town." Beast looked his father up and down. Things had felt off before, but now his father was making less and less sense. "Gran? As in your grandmother? What are you on, old man? Your grandmother's been dead for years. At least, that's what you always told me." His father seemed to take offense to that. "What? That's ridiculous. She's clearly not all there in the head, but she's still kicking. I think I'd know if my own gran was dead." "I thought you lost touch with her when you moved to Po Town," Beast pointed out. He had heard the stories too many times, both from his parents and from other Skull members. How his mother and father had been forced to leave their hometown after their families had kicked them both out for some public disgrace or humiliation. They had cut all ties with their former families and started a new life together in Po Town. Now his father was saying he'd kept in touch with his long-dead grandmother? His father looked surprised. "Well, yes, but it hasn't been that long," he stammered. "How would you know about that, anyway?" Now Beast was convinced his father was high on something. He wasn't making any sense at all. Beast reached out to put his hands on his father's shoulders, staring into his eyes with deep concern. "Dad. It's been eighteen years." That only added to his father's confusion. He stumbled backward. "Are you tripping? I’m not your dad." Beast froze. The man who raised him wasn't his father? At this point he didn't know what to believe. The man before him was spouting nonsense, and there was no way of knowing how much of it was actually true. Were they not actually blood related? Had he secretly been in touch with his original family this whole time? When Beast spoke, it was in a low, shaking voice. "You'd better explain what the hell you're talking about right now. Just who the hell are you?" IC: Drifter – Ruins of Conflict?Drifter let her feet carry her. It didn't matter where, as long as it was away from home. Away from her horrible parents who acted like Haeata, even in death, was the perfect daughter. Something Drifter could never live up to. She tried to push the memories away, as she had done so many times before. She broke into a run. But she couldn't outrun this. Finally her legs gave out from under her and she collapsed. Tears sprung to her face faster than she could wipe them away. "Stupid Haeata," she muttered. "Why'd you have to go and die?" After taking a moment to collect herself, she looked around. Somehow she had ended up on Mahalo Trail, at the entrance to the Ruins of Conflict. It was a sacred place to the people of Iki Town, and the island kahuna warned the townsfolk not to approach idly, lest they incur the wrath of Tapu Koko. But Drifter had never been one for following the rules. Besides, what better place to get some family drama off her chest than the Ruins of Conflict? And so, with a complete lack of reverence, Drifter stormed into the Ruins. She was met with a totem-like statue of the island's Guardian Deity. The bird-like statue almost seemed to peer into her soul. Pushing that unsettling thought aside, Drifter began to speak. "My whole family's insane. Mom? I can't believe she'd just act like everything was fine and dandy with me, like she didn't give me years of trauma. Dad? His fuse is shorter than an Electrode's. I could never do anything right in his eyes. Or in Mom's eyes, but at least she didn't get physical. And to top it all off, there's Haeata. Where do I even begin?" A rustle of movement caught her attention. Drifter turned around and found herself face-to-face with her dead sister. She froze. Haeata just stood there, looking just as surprised to see Drifter as Drifter herself was. "What the hell are you doing here?" Drifter asked suspiciously, wiping her tears on her sleeve. Was this the work of the Tapu? She vaguely recalled legends about one of the Guardian Deities holding power over life and death, but she didn't think it was Tapu Koko. Haeata narrowed her eyes. "I could ask you the same thing," she said in a voice as cold as ice. "This is all your fault, you know!" "What are you talking about?" Drifter demanded. "You tried to stop me," Haeata said simply. "You don't think I'm strong enough." Her words cut like a dagger to Drifter's heart. Was Haeata really blaming her for her death? Thinking back, it was true. Drifter had begged her sister to stay home. Instead she had ascended Mount Lanakila on her path to the Pokémon League. That stupid mountain. Drifter turned away. "Well, you clearly weren't as strong as everyone thought," she muttered. Guess I should've tried harder." "What was that?!" Haeata yelled, closing the distance between them. "If you have something to say to me, sister, you can say it to my face!" A thousand emotions rushed through Drifter. Countless years of pain, guilt, and anger reached their boiling point. "You know what?" she snapped. "I do have something to say, sister. Where the hell were you when I needed you? Off on your grand adventures, exploring the islands, becoming a Pokémon Master or whatever. Well while you were off having a grand old time, you ignored the real problems going on at home! Do you have any idea what I had to put up with? Face it, sis. You were just running away from all your problems because you were too much of a coward to face them yourself." Much to her surprise, Haeata seemed to echo her anger. "What do you know about my problems? Oh right, nothing, because you never bothered to check in with me! You know, I'm really sick of putting up with all your crap. Stop acting like I'm the one with the problem when you're the one that's so full of yourself!" That was the final straw. Clenching up her fist, Drifter lashed out and punched her sister square in the jaw. Haeata stumbled backward, bleeding from her lip. "So this isn't just all in my head," Drifter observed. "You really are a jerk." "What the hell was that for?!" Haeata lunged forward. Drifter caught her and the two sisters grabbled for a moment before Drifter forced them to the ground. The stone floor of the Ruins of Conflict felt unusually cold, but Drifter didn't have time to process that. She was too busy stopping her manic sister from biting her arm and ripping her hair out. "What happened to the sister I used to love?" Drifter grunted as she struggled to regain the upper hand. "We used to be best friends." Haeata laughed. It was a terrifying sound. "The sweet, innocent sister you thought you knew is gone. You're looking at the new and improved me. And if you've got a problem with it, well you can just shove your opinion right up your—" "Oh, like you were ever innocent!" Drifter shot back, slapping Haeata across the face. "You and I both know that's a steaming load of crap. Miss Goody Two-Shoes, huh? Got tired of putting up that front? Truth is you were just scared of disobeying Mom and Dad. Like I said before, you're nothing but a coward!" "You take that back!" Haeata began kicking and digging her nails into Drifter's arms, forcing her to let go and retreat for a second. Before Drifter could tackle her sister again, a rush of wind blew through the Ruins, accompanied by an oddly familiar "Pew!" That was when she noticed the creature floating next to Haeata. A chill ran down Drifter's spine. "Hey!" she yelled, pointing an accusatory finger. "Where'd that Cosmog come from?!" Haeata looked from the small Pokémon back to Drifter. "Stitch is my friend!" she said defensively. "Some friend," Drifter spat. "That stupid space cloud is the reason I'm stuck in this mess!" She launched towards Stitch, only for Haeata to grab him and hug him close to her chest. "No! Don't hurt him!" With her free hand, Haeata pulled a Pokéball off her belt. In a flash of light, her Alolan Ninetales appeared, taking up a defensive stance in front of Haeata. Drifter curled her lip into a grin. "Oh, if it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get. I've got to get back to Ula'ula, and that Pokémon's the only one who can get me there! Time to finally settle which one of us is the stronger Trainer!" Drifter sent out her Alolan Sandslash, who reacted in shock at seeing her old friend once again. "We don't need to beat them, Tuahine," Drifter muttered. "We just need to get that Cosmog." Tuahine nodded and pounced forward. One of the Ninetales's tails flared to life. Only instead of the icy energy one would expect from the Alolan variant, Haeata's Pokémon glowed with the warm, orange flames of her Kantonian brethren. Except what the flames illuminated wasn't a Ninetales at all. In the moment before the flames struck Tuahine, Drifter saw what looked like a Braixen standing in a snowy landscape, wielding a kapu stick. "What the hell?" Tuahine took the hit, taking massive damage from the fire attack. Drifter's eyes narrowed. She nodded to her Pokémon, who launched another attack. The Ninetales – if it truly was a Ninetales – responded with another flame attack. But this time, Drifter was ready. "Deflect it!" She cried. "Now!" A shield of ice and steel formed in front of Tuahine, protecting the Sandslash from what would have been a devastating attack. But as the flames were redirected upward, Drifter felt her heart drop and her blood run cold. Towering behind her sister, illuminated by the flame, a large, fox-like creature stood on two legs. Its snow white fur had been stained red with blood. The creature's eye, a pale yellow orb covered in scars, glared down at its quarry with disdain. It raised a bony arm, wielding deadly sharp claws, and prepared to strike. Drifter's eyes grew wide in horror. "Haeata, watch out!" IC: Ellen Burks (Mega Symbio)/Bully (Kino)/Trigger (Tokahiko)/Snake (Riiona – Schooling) – Streets, Heahea City"Way to go, little rat!" Bully cried as Lohe's Rattata began tearing at the Walkorpse's face. Every time Zombie-Dweller struggled up, Mu would rip off another segment of its feeble body. It was horrifying to watch, and yet neither Bully nor Trigger could look away. That is, until their leader showed up. "Yo, we gotta get outta here," Snake said, cautiously glancing around. "Way too many things trying to kill us." "Alright, but what about Lohe?" Trigger asked. "Shouldn't we wait for him?" "Screw Lohe," Snake said, leading the way into a dark alley. "Only thing that matters is getting out of here alive. If Mr. Fed Man wants to stay back and get killed, that's his problem, not ours." "Fair enough," Bully said. "But didn't we need him to help us find the others?" "Can't find the others if we're dead, now, can we?" Snake argued. He motioned back toward the battles at the center of the square. "Besides, it looks like he's doing just fine on his own." "So is Riiona," Trigger said, observing the massive form of Snake's Wishiwashi and thousands of her brethren. The Schooling Wishiwashi was kind of hard to miss. "We can't just leave her, can we?" Snake swore. "Let's just get to the alley. Riiona will meet us there in a second." Bully shrugged. "Whatever you say, boss." *** Ellen and Symbio watched as the attack struck the stage. They watched as Kane retreated to the wall of a nearby building. They watched as a portal of darkness swallowed the dark preacher whole. They watched, and did not act. They could not act, for they were too busy processing what the illusory McKinley had said. How the consequences of her choice to save the world affected those closest to her. The true price of being a hero. And so when they saw their father running towards them, it only added to their confusion. " Dad? What are you doing here?" "I-I don't know," their father said, looking around. "Where exactly are we? Last thing I knew I was with your mom in the kitchen. Now I'm here with you . . . is this the Johto Region? Where's Evan and Jenny?" Ellen immediately threw her arms around her father and wept. "Dad, I'm so sorry!" she cried. "I never knew how much I hurt you and Mom by leaving. If I'd known, I never would have left!" I'm sorry, too! Symbio added. As his and Ellen's minds split apart, their Mega Evolution faded, sending Symbio back into the form of a normal Reuniclus. I've done my best to look out for Ellen, but I should have been looking out for you and Mom, too. And the baby. We've hardly done anything to help out with the baby coming."Oh, Ellen . . ." Their father wrapped his arms tightly around Ellen, holding her in his powerful embrace. "Please don't ever leave me." His arms squeezed her even tighter. "Don't leave me ever again." With its face concealed over Ellen's shoulder, the Nobuddy allowed itself a devilish grin and began to constrict its arms around its victim with inhuman strength. *** "Alright, Riiona, one more Water Pulse to finish it off!" Snake cried. The collective Wishiwashi fired one last blast of water at the tank-like Instance, causing several small explosions within the machine. The robot riding atop the tank crumpled like a marionette whose strings had been cut. "Yeah! Team Skull one, creepy monsters zero!" It was only as the smoke cleared that Snake noticed someone crawling out from behind the wreckage of the dead Instance. Snake couldn't believe his eyes. "Z-Warrior?! Yo, how the flipping hell did you get here? We've been looking all over for ya!" Immediately, he saw that something was wrong. The girl was limping, one leg twisted badly. She hobbled toward Snake before collapsing on the ground. "S-Snake . . ." she said weakly. "Why did you . . . attack me . . . ?" Snake's eyes grew wide. "No. No, no, no. No way. You were in the robot this whole time? How? Why didn't you say something sooner? Where are Beast and the others?" Z clutched her leg, holding back tears. "They . . . didn't make it . . ." Snake rushed to her side and knelt down. "It's okay, Z. I'm so sorry we dragged you into this. We never should have let a kid join us. This is all my fault." Z's eyes flashed for a moment. "That's right, Snake. You have only yourself to blame." Quick as lightning, Z's arm was at his throat. As Snake gasped for air and struggled against her impossibly powerful grip, Z forced him to the ground. "You humans are too trusting," she said in a droning voice. "That is why you will be eliminated." IC: Tracer – Castelia City?Tracer wandered the streets of Castelia, lost in his own thoughts. His grandmother was out here somewhere, but after the way she'd treated him, he wasn't even sure if he wanted to find her. Still, he knew he needed to get himself and Gran back to Alola somehow. How exactly they would do that, he had no clue. Flights to one of the world's top tourist destinations weren't exactly cheap. He had ducked into a narrow alley to take a break from the busy streets when he saw an old friend crouching next to a dumpster, trying unsuccessfully to stay hidden. Tyrone had been one of his best friends back before he'd moved to Tapu Village to live with Gran. They'd been on countless exploits, partners in crime. As the happy memories flooded back, Tracer raised a hand in greeting. "Hey, man. Long time, no see." Tyrone stumbled for a moment, then looked him up and down, not even attempting to hide his surprise and suspicion. "Hey, old man," he said. "What're you doing here?" "Hey, now, who're you calling old?" Tracer shot back. He and Tyrone were practically the same age. Brushing the insult aside, he reached out to pat his friend on the back. "Anyway, how've things been here in the big city?" Tyrone sighed. "Honestly, it's kinda sucked lately. The gang's all split up . . . my moron of a brother actually had the balls to quit on us. And everyone else just got scattered by unfortunate circumstances." Tracer could see the bitterness in Tyrone's eyes. He didn't remember him having a brother, but again, it had been years. Tyrone looked up at him. "Anyway, how've you been? Guess you made it out of Po Town before it got overrun by monsters." That took Tracer by surprise. Last time he'd seen his friends in Castelia, he'd been heading to Tapu Village. How would they know he'd been living in Po Town? Let alone, that it had been overrun by monsters? Had news really traveled that fast? "You heard about that?" he asked incredulously. Tyrone laughed. "Yo, everyone's heard about that! You'd have to be living under a rock to not know about Po Town." Tracer raised an eyebrow, but shrugged it off. Tyrone already knowing about the situation in Po Town meant there was just one less thing to explain. "Well yeah. Me and my buddies got out of Po Town before everything hit the fan. We actually tried to launch a rescue mission, but got sidetracked. Somehow I ended up back here, along with my gran, who just about lost it and walked out on me." He looked up and down the alley. "I've been trying to find her ever since. These streets aren't exactly the safest part of town." Tyrone looked at him like he had lost his mind. "Gran? As in your grandmother? What are you on, old man? Your grandmother's been dead for years. At least that's what you always told me." "What?" Tracer felt his anger rising. Gran was the only blood family he had left, and he was not about to let someone joke about her supposed death. "That's ridiculous. She's clearly not all there in the head, but she's still kicking. I think I'd know if my own gran was dead." "I thought you lost touch with her when you moved to Po Town," Tyrone pointed out. There it was again. The guilt of abandoning his old and frail grandmother to join Team Skull. "Well, yes, but it hasn't been that long," Tracer stammered. Then he paused and cast a suspicious eye on Tyrone. "How would you know about that, anyway?" He half expected Tyrone to laugh and perhaps spout some other knowledge he shouldn't have had. Instead, his old friend reached out and put his hands on his shoulders, staring into his eyes with what looked like genuine concern. "Dad. It's been eighteen years." A chill ran down Tracer's spine. Something definitely wasn't right here. "Are you tripping?" he asked Tyrone, taking a wary step back. "I’m not your dad." Tyrone fell quiet for a moment, digesting this information. He leveled his eyes on Tracer and spoke in a low, shaking voice. "You'd better explain what the hell you're talking about right now. Just who the hell are you?" IC: Zoe Llyan – Vier Village?Zoe stormed out of her house and instinctively headed for the woods. It had long been her safe place, a spot she could go to think and not be bothered. And that was what she needed right now. Her mother had just disowned her. What did that mean? Where was she to go? "I've got to get back to Alola," she muttered. "Looks like Team Skull is my only family now." She paused near the creek she'd often played at. Pulling Stitch's Pokéball off her belt, she sent out the Cosmog. "I don't suppose you could get us back there, huh?" "Pew." Stitch frowned and shook his head. "It's okay," Zoe said, patting him on the head. "I'm sure there's another way we can get there. For now though, I just need time to think. Collect my thoughts. Everything happened so fast . . ." A rustle of leaves caught her attention, accompanied by an all-too familiar voice. "What the hell are you doing here?" Zoe looked over to see her sister, Collie, looking like she had just seen a ghost. Collie. The one who had kept her off the front lines on her first official Liberty mission. Zoe felt her anger well up inside of her. "I could ask you the same thing," she said coldly. "This is all your fault, you know!" Collie looked genuinely confused. "What are you talking about?" Zoe let out an exasperated sigh. Did she really have to spell it all out for her? "You tried to stop me. You don't think I’m strong enough." Collie turned away and muttered something under her breath. Zoe couldn't hear everything, but the words "should've tried harder" hit her ears. If Collie's previous actions were like a dagger to the heart, she was now twisting that dagger. "What was that?!" Zoe took several large strides forward, closing the distance between them. "If you have something to say to me, sister, you can say it to my face!" Much to her shock, Collie snapped back at her. "You know what? I do have something to say, sister. Where the hell were you when I needed you? Off on your grand adventures, exploring the islands, becoming a Pokémon Master or whatever. Always playing your stupid games, lost in your silly fantasies. Well while you were off having a grand old time, you ignored the real problems going on at home! Do you have any idea what I had to put up with? Face it, sis. You were just running away from your problems because you were too much of a coward to face them yourself." That was the last straw. Zoe didn't know why Collie was so uncharacteristically angry, but she wasn't having any of it. "What do you know about my problems?" she yelled back. "Oh right, nothing, because you never bothered to check in with me! You know, I'm really sick of putting up with all your crap. Stop acting like I'm the one with the problem when you're the one that's so full of yourself!" Next thing Zoe knew, she was lying in the cold dirt. Collie had punched her square in the jaw and was now looming over her with the same disdain one might have for an unwanted Durant hill. "So this isn't just all in my head," she spat. "You really are a jerk." "What the hell was that for?!" Zoe cried, wiping blood from her face. Fueled by anger and pain, she launched herself at her sister, locking arms with her. Collie, being older and stronger, managed to force her to the ground, leaving Zoe to resort to yanking on her hair and biting whatever she could reach. "What happened to the sister I used to love?" Collie asked between labored breaths. "We used to be best friends." Zoe couldn't help but laugh. Whereas her mom had called her out on her new choice of clothing right away, it had taken Collie a considerable amount of time to notice it. "The sweet, innocent sister you thought you knew is gone," she said proudly. "You're looking at the new and improved me. And if you've got a problem with it, well you can just shove your opinion right up your—" "Oh, like you were ever innocent!" Collie emphasized her point with a slap across the face. Zoe reached a hand up to her stinging cheek as her sister continued to rant. "You and I both know that's a steaming load of crap. Miss Goody Two-Shoes, huh? Got tired of putting on that front? Truth is you were just scared of disobeying Mom and Dad. Like I said before, you're nothing but a coward!" Zoe had never considered herself a Goody Two-Shoes, so that was a bit of an odd accusation. But being called a coward was something she quickly offense to. She considered herself to be anything but. "You take that back!" she cried, kicking as hard as she could and scratching with her newly painted nails. Collie scrambled away for an instant, offering Zoe a brief reprieve. As she braced herself for the next round of fighting, a gust of wind suddenly blew through the forest, chilling Zoe to her core. "Pew!" Stitch cried out, moving swiftly through the air as if he had just dodged some unseen attack. That caught her sister's attention. "Hey!" she yelled, pointing at the otherworldly Pokémon. "Where'd that Cosmog come from?!" "Stitch is my friend!" Zoe said defensively, looking from her Pokémon to her sister. "Some friend," Collie muttered. "That stupid space cloud is the reason I'm stuck in this mess!" Zoe could tell Stitch was worried at this point, so as Collie lunged forward, Zoe grabbed the Cosmog out of the air and hugged him close to her chest. "No! Don't hurt him!" With her free hand, she sent out Esmeralda, who immediately took up a defensive position in front of her. Collie curled her lip into a sly grin. "Oh, if it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get. I've got to get back to Ula'ula, and that Pokémon's the only one who can get me there! Time to finally settle which one of us is the stronger Trainer!" Collie sent out Kammy, who seemed shocked at the prospect of fighting Zoe. Collie muttered some command to her Blastoise, which seemed to clear any confusion, for the giant turtle immediately leapt into action. Esmeralda responded with a blast of fire, which hit Kammy a lot harder than one would expect for a Water-Type. Except upon striking their target, Kammy's form appeared to shimmer. Instead of a Blastoise, Zoe thought she saw the white-and-blue spiked form of an Alolan Sandslash, landing in a snow bank. But the flames dissipated against their target and she saw a Blastoise once more. Collie seemed equally confused. "What the hell?" she muttered. Regaining her composure, she silently commanded another attack. Zoe pulled Stitch closer to her chest. Esmeralda responded much the same way, but this time Collie was ready. "Deflect it! Now!" A shield of ice and steel formed in front of Kammy, protecting the Blastoise from the attack and redirecting the flames into the sky. Zoe heard something moving behind her. She saw her sister's eyes grow wide in horror. The color drained from Collie's face as she screamed, "Haeata, watch out!" And then Zoe felt nothing but intense pain.
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Post by Magical Girl Mimi on Oct 21, 2023 13:16:42 GMT -8
-==IC: Marie Homura - Park, Ecruteak City==-
Marie smiled at the girl, then stood up. "Right then; your pick, should we head there and then go surprise Yanagi-chan? Or something else?" Marie asked with a hint of a mischievous look for using Aori's nickname for Shannon.
-==IC: Ray Hakuda/Lucia Zyther - Ruins Outskirts==-
Ray's face was amused at the fact that the plan worked, but once the group touched down, he grew more serious and nodded at what Kyle said. "Definitely looks like the place - plus it's pretty much the rough spot where we were informed it'd be," Ray spoke as he glanced around at the other two. "Everyone ready?"
"I think I am." Lucia said as she clenched her fist in determination. "That item from Tapu Fini is supposed to help out right? Well, I'm ready either way, so... let's go."
Ray glanced over with a small frown, but nodded. "Kyle? Levi?"
-==IC: Corey Bouchard - Reflection Cave, Poni Island==-
Corey quickly covered their mouth so that there wasn't any hint of laughter from Sonja's shenanigans. "It's okay, it's not even normal or fairy anyway, so whether it's star or the cat fairy doesn't actually matter." They allowed a slightly smug grin to be seen as they walked toward the snowflake doorway. "Snowcap, snow bed, snow bank, and snow birds; the people who flee to nicer weather from northern Unova and probably areas like Sinnoh and the like. You can thank my friends for me knowing about that one."
They glanced back to the other two with the return of their frown however. "This has to be the last set of puzzles unless they double up on elements. We should probably be prepared for whatever we find at the end of this tunnel."
-==IC: Jenny Hakuda - Ula'ula Island==-
Jenny nodded with a small blink, then grinned as they caught up to where Ethan and Not-Gavin were - 'Gladion', she believed she caught of his name as the two approached? The Pokemon they were talking about certainly seemed interesting, but she had to agree with Gladion in this moment - wouldn't it be better to just leave this conversation until after everything was settled? She moved as quickly as was possible down the hall, hoping that they would be able to catch up before anything happened to Tapu Bulu.
-==IC: Colleen Llyan - Hau'oli City==-
"Sure did; long story short we have an inactive l..." Colleen looked around and scanned her surroundings to make sure no-one could hear, then dropped her voice anyway so only the four could hear. "An inactive legend, or mythical Pokemon, or whatever they're called nowadays. Apparently artificial, to boot, though I can detect a small trace of aura dormant in it."
-==IC: Zeraora/Chloe Hikari/Olivia Seaton - Heahea City==-
The Earth Power had scattered the big threats and caused the one that seemed to be leading the rest to run away... or strategically retreat? Zeraora didn't care either way. A win was a win as far as they were concerned - now the only thing to do was to finish up cleaning up the rest of the threats. They realized, however, that the explosion had in fact given the shapeshifters good cover to spread out without being noticed well. Zeraora scanned out with their aura powers, and discovered one aura was... laying down? Ah. A wrong aura. Zeraora slid to a stop as they watched Snake being forced to the ground in a chokehold. The empty eyes of the Nobuddy was one sign, but the aura was the biggest sign they had to go off. With a growl, Zeraora rushed toward the combatant with their fists charged with lightning, and aimed to strike out with their Plasma Fists and strike true before the person was killed.
----
Chloe watched in awe as the explosion of earthly power scattered their opponents and seemed like it had ended the fight. The reappearance (and escape) of Kane/Preech troubled Chloe, but Olivia seemed proud of herself and Jhen as she proudly placed her hands on her hips.
"That's right, ye run away, we'll getcha soon enough!" Olivia called out after the preacher as Jhen floated in the air nearby. "Good work Jhen, ye sure showed them all. Now, what say we clean up the rest of the trash?"
Chloe saved her commentary until after the Nobuddy returned to their standing positions. "Liv, cameras out, we can't take any chances here. Nobuddy can trick us, but not cameras." She said as the Nobuddy flickered and split up; she remembered the discussion about what her brother had gone through during the fight against that Nobuddy - if these did anything similar, it could be dangerous for everyone involved. Chloe glanced around as she tried to anticipate where one might be as she swapped her Pokedex for her Pokegear for easier camera usage. Olivia seemed confused about what Chloe said, but got the drift quickly, so Chloe turned her attention back to the battlefield, only for her blood to chill as she heard Ellen cry out.
"Dad, I'm so sorry!"
Chloe's head whipped over to where Ellen had been left as she swung her Pokegear over in the direction of the two figures standing there - her camera confirming that the person she was looking at was one of their foes instead of the ex-Deoza blacksmith. She tried to call out to Ellen, but her voice faltered as she saw the Nobuddy begin to constrict around the young girl. Her eyes narrowed as she snarled and took steps forward, hand outstretched.
"I said." Chloe started as she slowly approached, eyes glowing with psychic energy, strain on her face. The Nobuddy struggled, but the grip began to loosen as she approached. "No-one. Hurts. Ellen." Each word was punctuated by her shoving out with her left hand to push out and weaken the grip on Ellen; on the last word, the imposter flew backward through the air. A cold look flashed in her tired eyes as the Nobuddy's shadow grew to include a pissed off Mega Evolved Gallade. "No mercy. Shadow Sneak." Two swords glinted in the midday light as the long-haired woman stepped in front of Ellen to shield her from the sight of what was to come; even if it was a fake, it was still likely to be a bad sight to see what looks like her father. The following moment, Allie struck her target.
----
Olivia scanned around with her own Pokegear as Chloe... dealt with the imposter Mr. Burks. The sight sent a shiver down her own spine - they could mimic that well that not even Ellen could tell? And how Chloe reacted... it was like... Olivia's hand unconsciously reached up to rub the shoulder where she had been shot only months prior. How long has she been carrying these burdens...? Olivia's thoughts were interrupted as she spotted a teen with long hair and a shit-eating grin approach. She clenched her hands as she glanced down at her camera. "What did ya expect would happen from this?" Olivia asked as her face turned to a mix of darkness and some kind of amusement. Amethyst appeared behind her in a flash as the girl continued to approach. "Do you think I'd stop by seeing this?"
"Whatever do you mean, bestie?" The girl asked with a tilted head. "It's me, Patricia!" The grin faltered as a Magical Leaf nearly pierced her head - a warning shot as showed by the Shadow Ball that was being charged afterward.
"'Bestie'?" Olivia repeated as she let out a long loud laugh. When she next looked at 'Patricia', her eyes were filled with hate. Images flashed through her mind of different things that had happened. "The transfer student from hell, who kicked off why my life was a living hell FOR YEARS." Calm words turned to shouting as she signaled for Amethyst to let loose a barrage of Shadow Balls onto the shapeshifter. As the dust was settling, Olivia breathed hard in an attempt to regain her composure. "If ye hadn't given her that drink. Then none of this woulda ever happened. Then I'd still've had Chloe for the past few years. Never woulda gotten this pent up hate. She woulda had confidence still."
"But Liv, I saved her from that; why attack and blame me for it?"
The voice that echoed from the dust cloud caught Olivia off guard as an injured Corey limped out with a distressed look on their face.
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Post by Parugi on Oct 23, 2023 19:38:12 GMT -8
IC - Kyle Eston/Levi Alaric - Ruins of Life, Akala Island:
Pulling his eyes away from the temple entrance, Kyle looked to Levi. "Close by, right?" Levi nodded. Kyle smiled, offering Ray the same gesture. "Let's go."
The structure was old, but well-kept. Compared to the stone that composed the Ruins of Hope, this temple appeared to have been constructed out of wood and rope, providing a feel much more like that of a home with walls more right and squared. Floorboards creaked under their feet as they walked, filling the strange silence of the place around them. It was unsettling in its own way, though Kyle figured it could have been worse--a lot worse.
"When we went to look for Tapu Fini," Kyle said, more to get the thought out of his own head than anything. "We experienced some sort of fog that sort of . . . I guess represented the dead. Think we'll run into anything like that in here?"
Levi looked at him, wide-eyed. "D-Do you mean like . . . ghosts?"
"No, not quite that," Kyle said. "It was . . . I don't know. It was strange. Like visions of people we'd known." He frowned, remembering what he had personally experienced. "Or, I guess, people we might have known but didn't get the chance to."
IC - Sonja Baron/Madison Hayes - Reflection Cave, Poni Island:
"I'm glad you have the patience for this stuff, because I really don't these days," Sonja said. Normally she wouldn't have minded puzzles--in fact she would have enjoyed solving the riddles Team Mystic had created--but now was not the time for them. Not when this island was a ticking time bomb waiting to be completely overrun by Missing Zero.
"I can't imagine they would double up at this point," Hayes said. "They haven't repeated any so far. And . . ." She closed her eyes, holding two of her fingers up to her temple. "I'm beginning to sense mental activity. They must not be much further down from here." Her hand dropped down to her belt, unclasping a Poké Ball and releasing the creature within. Chan, the Sudowoodo that had once belonged to Adams, materialized with a broad grin, raising an arm in a salute.
"Loki, come out," Sonja called, releasing the Conkeldurr. "It's time we kick these Mystic people into gear."
The cavern they arrived in was large, with a plethora of crystals jutting out from the walls, ceiling and floor that reflected the light from the lanterns that had been set up within. Makeshift tents made from thick blue and white cloth formed a sprawling camp occupied by a number of boys and girls all wearing armbands made of the same material, designating their allegiance to the gang that resided here. The crowds watched as Sonja, Hayes, and Corey arrived, stepping into the camp alongside their Pokémon and pausing just past the entryway, looking around and taking in their surroundings.
A girl with a blue bandana cutting diagonally across her face stepped toward them from a nearby group, holding a hand up in front of her. "Yo," she said. "Did you intend to intrude on Team Mystic's domain or are you here by mistake?"
"No, we're definitely here looking specifically for you guys," Sonja said. "No thanks to your riddles."
"Hey, don't knock the theme," the girl said. "Congratulations on solving our puzzle, though. I'm Frost. What do you want?"
"We would like a word with your leader," Hayes said. "We have a . . . partnership that we would like to negotiate."
Frost snorted. "Right; 'negotiate.' Haven't heard that one before. Should I tell Blanche to put on their best suit? Or should I tell them to come out quietly with their hands up?"
"How about you tell this Blanche person--" Sonja started, and then caught herself before she could go further. She took a deep breath, steadying herself. "We're here to ask about getting help fighting against Missing Zero--the thing that's currently spreading at the coast of the island. You can also tell them that we've already secured assistance from the Guardian Deity of this island, Tapu Fini."
At this, Frost raised an eyebrow. She stared at the three trainers in front of her for a moment, and then turned, beginning to walk toward the center of camp. "Follow me."
With a glance at the others, Sonja started to follow, as did Hayes.
IC - ?/Ethan Worth/Gladion - Ula'ula Island:
The stone chamber was large. Garden beds of bountiful fruit trees lined the walls all the way around, right up to the point where the back wall gave way to a raised platform on which stood a totem pole. A visage not unlike that of a bull occupied the top of the pole, raised just enough that the bell hanging from its bottom fell free. A robed figure stood upon this platform as Ethan, Evan, Jenny, and Gladion entered, her hands crossed in front of her as she stared up at the bull figure.
"Tapu Bulu," she said, her voice low. "Abundance in living form. Take you away, and what would we find left behind, I wonder? Would the gardens wither without their keeper?"
The figure did not move.
She turned her head slightly, finally responding to the footsteps sounding behind her, though her face remained shrouded in shadows. "Tenacious ones, aren't you? Come to save the Guardian Spirit?"
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Post by Konuju on Oct 24, 2023 6:01:05 GMT -8
IC: Yamamoto Aori – Park, Ecruteak CityAori pondered this for a moment. "We should surprise Yanagi-san," she decided. "We should also buy something for her. I do not think she has had time to shop for herself either, and I think she left a lot of clothes in Celadon City." A smile spread across her face. "Yes, I think Yanagi-san would like that." IC: Ryan Sanders – Alola Route 2"An artificial Pokémon?" Ryan raised an eyebrow. "You mean like a Porygon?" While the idea was not unheard of, he still found it hard to wrap his mind around the concept of a completely manmade Pokémon. He tried to imagine what a Legendary Porygon might look like. He had to admit, he'd never heard of such a thing. IC: Ellen Burks (Symbio)/Bully (Kino)/Trigger (Tokahiko)/Snake (Riiona – Schooling) – Streets, Heahea CityIt was getting more and more difficult to breathe. Ellen's father had constricted his arms around her, squeezing the air out of Ellen's lungs. She started to panic even as lightheadedness set in. Then all of a sudden her father flew back, driven by some unseen force. She saw Chloe's Gallade rush forward with two swords, even as Chloe herself stepped into Ellen's line of sight. But Chloe couldn't block the sound of Ellen's father screaming. It was a sound that haunted Ellen's ears. Symbio, floating further above, turned away with a shudder. And just before Ellen buried her face in her hands, she thought she saw something that looked like a cross between blood and the Missing Zero's red goop splatter across the pavement. "Wh-what just happened?" Ellen stammered, her eyes swimming with confused tears. Nobuddy, Symbio said, floating down to embrace Ellen in a much gentler hug. We should have paid more attention during the briefing on the different Instances. Nobuddy can disguise themselves as just about anyone.*** Snake kicked as hard as he could, but Z continued to hold him in a death grip. Stars were starting to pop in and out of his vision. "What . . . the . . . hell . . . ?" he choked. He didn't know what was going on, but one thing was painfully clear. This was not Z-Warrior. His eyes darted toward the schooling Wishiwashi nearby. He couldn't call out an attack, but Riiona was smart enough to control the school. Before they could conjure up an attack, though, an electric cat-like Pokémon charged forward, punching Z with fists of thunder. As she flew backwards, she lost her grip on Snake, who collapsed to the ground, rubbing his neck. When he managed to push himself to his feet, he saw Z's form start to shimmer. Long, blonde hair grew dark, white skin grew tanned. Suddenly Snake found himself staring at a woman who seemed quite the opposite of Z in every way. He did not recognize her, but the thundercat seemed to. "Zera, what are you doing?" the woman asked, painfully getting to her feet. "It's me!" *** Even as Snake was dealing with one of the many shapeshifters, another Snake was leading Bully and Trigger away from the fighting. "I gotta say, boss," Trigger panted as they ran. "Don't you think we might be in a little over our heads? Ever since we tried to get to Po Town, it's been one crazy battle after another." "Yeah," Bully added. "Whatever happened to our life of small-time crime? A little graffiti here, a little petty theft there, life was good. Now we got zombies and Ultra Beasts and death cults we're dealing with." Snake paused partway through the alley, glancing first to Trigger on his left, then to Bully on his right. "You know, I think you two have a point," he said. "You are in over your heads." Before either had a chance to respond, Snake extended his arms, pinning his fellow Skull members against either wall of the alley. A maniacal laugh escaped his lips. "You really should know when to quit, my friends."
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alku
Technician
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Post by alku on Oct 30, 2023 14:42:39 GMT -8
IC: Evan Tierra
"I'll have you know that the T in Tierra stands for Tenacious." Evan said, a fierce look on his face. "We have come to save Tapu Bulu. They kinda owe Jen-Jen and I a favor, and it's kinda hard to be dead and pay a debt." Landorus flew beside Evan, eyeing the woman with the contempt befitting of one of his status.
"So, before we get to the bad part of this, mind giving us a name we can address you by?" Evan asked, a fire in his eyes. "So I can etch it into the earth when I bury you?"
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Post by minun4 on Oct 30, 2023 15:15:50 GMT -8
IC: Lohe Mahina - Heahea City
As Nosferatu drained life from the Nobuddy, it searched Lohe’s mind for someone to throw him off. But Lohe wasn’t hardly paying any attention to it. He knew of its tricks. Whatever images the Nobuddy saw in his head, none provided a strong enough emotional link to latch onto.
“Chow down and don’t let go. No matter what,” was Lohe’s only response to the Nobuddy attempting to change its appearance.
It turned towards Nosferatu, glitching between several images of people in Lohe and Nosferatu’s shared past. None of the images, that of a sad child, that of Lionel despairing at his new condition, and certainly not of Lohe’s fellow vampires were enough to dissuade Nosferatu from his assault, draining more and more life from the Nobuddy. It seemed to finally lose its patience and fired a Shadow Ball at Nosferatu, briefly causing Nosferatu to break his link while he evaded the attack.
”Ruthven, Dragon Pulse on the last one,” Lohe said to Ruthven while Nosferatu battled it out.
Ruthven flew over the stage coming to a sudden stop above the Nobuddy. As Ruthven fired the Dragon Pulse at the Nobuddy, it held up a hand from which a flash of blinding light emerged. Ruthven heard a sharp crack as the Dragon Pulse broke a hole into the platform. He could hear the monster fall into it. He landed in front of the hole. But what climbed out didn’t have the appearance of a monster.
A girl, who couldn't have been older than twelve climbed out of the hole. The moment she climbed out, a chill went down Ruthven’s spine. Why here? Why now? She looked around scared and confused at her situation, but her face lit up the moment she saw Ruthven. But she didn’t make a sound. That was what drew Ruthven to her to begin with. Humans who’d always made such loud noises always bothered Ruthven. Until one day, when he found a human who didn’t make such noises. Perhaps it was because she couldn’t make the same noises other humans did, but regardless she’d been his first human friend. The sight of her brought memories back, and raised questions in Ruthven’s mind that the logical part of his brain was shouting the answers too. But he couldn’t act on them. Maybe it was Ruthven’s shock at seeing her after all this time, or maybe it was the look that she gave him that paralyzed him. But Ruthven couldn’t move as she slowly approached him.
Lohe had never seen her before. But given his family’s shady methods and Ruthven’s reaction, he could make a guess. Medusa was stuck fighting a Glowerplant and Mu was gone. Lohe ran towards the stage.
IC: Mu - Heahea City
Mu spat out a chunk of the zombie. It was perhaps the worst tasting meat he’d ever had, but more importantly the job was about done. The zombie’s body still twitched, but it no longer had the motor capability to stand, let alone attack anyone.
Mu didn’t notice at first that the others ran. He saw the three of them running and had to make a choice. He had orders to protect them. But the biggest enemy just left, making the overall threat of the fight go down. Should he let them go or take the opportunity to go with the three of them?
Wait. The three of them? When did the third one get there?
Mu’s nose twitched. He saw the school of fish whose center was the fish with Snake’s scent on it. He traced the school’s line of sight, which led him to Snake.
Mu dropped to all fours and dashed off as quick as his small legs could take him. He turned the alley just in time to watch ‘Snake’ pin the other two to the walls of the alley. Mu charged towards it with dark energy surrounding him. Mu slammed his body into the leg of the fake Snake, his Pursuit strengthened by the chase.
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Post by Parugi on Dec 3, 2023 0:00:40 GMT -8
IC - Skye Hall/Gavin Braner - Streets, Hau'oli City:
"Yeah, I'm sure the broken Legendary Pokémon in the basement is a super Porygon," Gavin said with a roll of his eyes.
Skye slapped the back of her hand against his shoulder, possibly harder than intended given Gavin's quiet "ow" in response. "Don't be rude," she said. "It's not a Porygon. It's called Magearna--it's closer to a robot than anything. Landon thinks we'll have a better chance of activating it than he did."
"Why would he think that?" Gavin asked, rubbing his shoulder. "Doesn't he have a bunch of professor friends who could help?"
"Obviously he tried getting help, Gavin," Skye said in mock exasperation. "Somehow I don't think any of them have Aura like Colleen does. The fact she could confirm there's even a spark in there is a bigger step than Landon got, so I think it's a reasonable assumption."
"Right." Gavin placed his hands behind his head, smirking a bit to himself at finally having another hand to work with. He nodded at a nearby sign. "Looks like the cemetery's that way. Hope none of you are scared of ghosts."
Skye hit him in the shoulder again.
IC - ?/Ethan Worth/Gladion - Ula'ula Island:
The woman turned. Slowly, she raised a hand, prompting a threatening move from Gladion at the assumed attack. Instead her hand went to her hood, pulling it down from her head and revealing the long brown hair hidden within, framing her young and unusually beautiful face. Light blue eyes as bright as lightning stared out at them, distracting from the smile on her lips.
"Lust," she said. "A pleasure, I'm sure."
"A girl?" Gladion scoffed. "You're telling me you're the one leading this attack?"
"You don't mean to tell me you haven't heard of me, do you?" Lust asked, a playful pout falling across her face. Her eyes swept across the group. "Let's change that."
She flicked a finger up, summoning a ball of bright blue electricity that flickered erratically around the edges. With a lazy swipe of her hand, she loosed the ball against the ground, sending out a thin field of electric power that swept across the entire room. To the surprise of the group, the attack did not appear to do any damage to them, instead passing through and around them before dissipating against the stone walls around them.
Gladion lowered his arms from his face, giving Lust an unimpressed look as Ethan released a Pokémon off to his side. "Was that supposed to hurt us?"
Lust smiled. "Not directly."
"What is that--?" Gladion's words were cut off as a kick landed flat against his stomach, knocking the air out of him and sending him falling back. At the same time Ethan's Victreebel swept a massive Power Whip across the rest of the group, hitting all in its path. As the dust from the sudden attack cleared, a dull blue light was visible shimmering in both Ethan and his Pokémon's eyes. With a blank face, Ethan clicked some of the other Poké Balls on his belt, releasing his Scizor, Beedrill, Torterra, and Crustle, all bearing the same look in their eyes.
"Pleasure Penance." Lust snapped her fingers. In a moment, Ethan's team lashed out--the Torterra summoned a Leaf Storm that enshrouded the field; Beedrill launched a web of String Shots to try and slow them all; the Scizor fell back, relaxing its muscles with Agility; and the Crustle joined jagged stone sharks with the spinning razor-like leaves. "Seems only natural that these numbers even out."
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Post by Parugi on Dec 7, 2023 20:34:26 GMT -8
IC - Sonja Baron/Madison Hayes - Team Mystic Leader Blanche/Instinct Trainer Frost - Reflection Cave, Poni Island:There was a crowd gathering in their wake, following their trek up to the tent overlooking Team Mystic's camp. Sonja didn't like it, but they weren't exactly in a position to tell anyone to leave. Maybe the crowd would help pressure Team Mystic's leader into helping them, or at least provide a few more ears to inspire to their cause even without Blanche's official approval. Either way, there was a small comfort in their lack of menace--if anything it seemed like they were more curious than anything, wanting to see what these strangers would want with their leader. It must have been a while since anyone had come to find them without intending to fight. They were led up a makeshift stairwell of rock and crystal that led to an outcrop a few stories taller than the base of the camp. Here a large tent had been set up, arranged in an angular "U" shape. Between the limbs of the tent stood a firepit surrounded by several benches, where a small number of Mystic members were gathered, set against the smoky blue flames from within the pit. One laid down a slow, methodical beat as a tall individual strode amongst the open space. They held a small book in their hand, swaying in an almost meditative way as they moved about. Well-kempt white hair pulled back into a ponytail swept across their back, and their tanned skin glistened in an odd way in the flame. Their white and blue uniform trailed into long coat ends that danced about the nearby flames, threatening to sweep across them but never quite touching the fire. As the group neared, they could hear this individual reciting something with a deep passion and exact countenance that landed on every beat, emphasizing each word. It was almost hypnotizing, and for a moment Sonja found herself relieved of the ongoing frustrations that had been plaguing her. "I am Mystic I am that witness to the signs of conflict I am that to which the future does call Bringing my guidance to those who fall I am spirit, I am mind I am brought to trial at the edge of time I am body, I am live I am that which binds the hive Depended on by those wishing to survive." Their eyes opened and swept across the group, their gray eyes seeming to pierce each of Hayes, Corey, and Sonja within a second each. For a moment it seemed they had paused or lost their place, but then they continued as if nothing had happened. "Am I witnessing the end or is it just a dream? Am I lying here awake or is there something to be gleaned? Is the dead sun rising or is reality sunsetting? Am I fearing something real or is there salvation I'm forgetting?" Eyes locked on the three newcomers, they snapped the book shut in their hand, ending on a pointed beat: "Am I?" There was a moment of silence before the surrounding Team Mystic members started to cheer and applaud. After a moment the individual raised a hand, bringing the applause to a sudden and complete halt and plunging the cavern into a dead silence broken only by the crackling of flames. They stared at Sonja's group for a moment before their eyes shifted to Frost. "Who are they? "Outsiders, Blanche," Frost said. "I, uh . . . didn't actually get their names. They wanted to talk to you and they solved all of the riddles." "Impressive." Blanche tucked the book into their pocket. "Let's get to it, then. Who are you?"
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alku
Technician
Posts: 62
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Post by alku on Dec 8, 2023 12:15:14 GMT -8
IC: Evan Tierra
Just fuckin' great. Not only is he turned against us, but a good deal of his team'll counter mine. Evan thought, as he got up from his prone position. Nevertheless, it's do or die!
"Gladion, was it?" Evan said as he sent out Gnip and Behemoth. "Looks like you get a chance to take some of that angst out on Ethan now. Whaddaya say? As for Jenny and I, it looks like Tapu Bulu's gonna owe us a little more now!"
As Evan spoke to Gladion, Landorus was using his Therian forme's agility to dodge most of what was being thrown at him, only being hampered by the String Shots. As a fellow spirit of the Land, he could not afford to let Tapu Bulu fall.
"Behemoth, Icicle Crash on Torterra!" Evan commanded fiercely as he struck an equally fierce pose. "Gnip, Mega Evolve, then Draco Meteor the lot of them!" At Evan's command, Behemoth rushed at Ethan's Torterra and growled, focusing Ice-Type energy to his tusks as he slammed into Torterra. As that happened, rainbow light heralding Mega Evolution shone as the Shooting Star Dragon bellowed out a fierce, but beautiful roar, summoning many meteors from on high to strike Ethan's team, as well as Lust.
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Post by Konuju on Dec 12, 2023 9:04:37 GMT -8
IC: Ryan Sanders - Approaching Hau’oli Cemetery, Alolan Route 2 Ryan couldn’t help but roll his eyes. “Come on, Gavin. Everyone knows the only ghosts around are Ghost-Type Pokémon. Throw out a few Dark-Type attacks and we’ll be fine.”
Nevertheless, Ryan found himself wishing he hadn’t sent Missy to tail those strange people. Having a Ghost-Type of his own on hand would have added an extra measure of comfort. Shaking off his regret, he let his thoughts drift back to the Legendary Pokémon Skye had described. Magearna. He’d never heard of such a thing. This Alola Region was just full of surprises.
Thoughts of an artificial Pokémon were driven from his mind as they reached the cemetery. Ryan had been to Hoenn’s Mount Pyre (in fact, that was where he first met Missy), and his first Liberty Mission had taken him to Kanto’s resting place, Lavender Town (to recruit Ho-Oh of all things). But no matter how many graveyards he visited, he couldn’t get used to the solemn air around them. Slabs of engraved stone, occasionally adorned with flowers, were all that was left to mark the deceased. A few gravesites were marked off by a pair of wooden sticks placed in an X, which Ryan assumed was some Alolan tradition.
“Alright,” he said, glancing around. “Let’s keep an eye out for . . . what is it we’re looking for exactly? Skye’s cousin said something about a giant bat, right?”
IC: Bully (Kino)/Trigger (Tokahiko) - Alley, Heahea City Bully and Trigger gasped for air as their leader pressed them into opposite walls with surprisingly ruthless strength.
Both started seeing stars when Lohe’s Rattata slammed into Fake-Snake’s leg, knocking him off balance. That was enough to prompt Kino and Tokahiko into action. With an angry roar, Kino pivoted around and shot a series of fiery spikes into the doppelganger’s back. Without giving him a chance to recover, Tokahiko slammed into Fake-Snake with the force of a bullet train, sending him sprawling across the pavement.
“You’ll regret that,” Snake’s voice said as the Instance rose to his feet, wiping some gelatinous blood-like substance from his lip. He seemed to size up his opponents and, settling on the smallest one, lunged at Mu.
IC: Yamamoto Aori Marie led Aori to Ecruteak’s train station. The two boarded a train bound for Goldenrod City. It was a short trip, yet for the entire ride Aori held onto Hana’s vine.
She silently watched the scenery flash by through the window. At one point she saw a wide expanse of greenery which Marie identified as the National Park. Aori stared in amazement. The park was almost like a city itself, much larger than any park in Ecruteak or on One Island.
“Can we visit the park, Homura-san?” she asked shyly.
Marie smiled warmly. “If we have time. If not today, I’ll take you some other time. I promise.”
Aori’s grip on Hana’s vine tightened as they stepped into Goldenrod’s train station. Like the National Park, it was much bigger and far more crowded than Ecruteak’s. Electronic signs denoted trains heading to or coming from Olivine, Blackthorn, and even as far as Saffron City in Kanto. Before she could get lost, Marie grabbed Aori’s other hand and carefully led her through the dense crowds.
The city itself was no less crowded. Aori couldn’t believe so many people could be in one place. Her eyes darted back and forth as she tried to recognize a street or building from her last visit to Goldenrod. But to her dismay, the towering buildings and bustling streets were unfamiliar to her.
“Alright, here we are,” Marie said as they stepped through a revolving glass door. “Welcome to the Goldenrod Department Store!”
Again Aori was reminded of the National Park, for the Department Store might as well have been a city of its own. Shop after shop lined the dense hallways while brightly colored signs or people in foam suits beckoned shoppers to enter a particular store. Aori closed her eyes and took a deep whiff of Hana’s Sweet Scent. Slowly, the raucous noise died down to a more manageable level. Aori focused on Marie leading her into a clothing shop, doing her best to ignore the overwhelming crowds around her.
The store itself was much less crowded than the outside. Breathing in relief, Aori turned her attention to the rows upon rows of coats, jackets, hats, and other accessories. She looked up at Marie. “Homura-san, can we afford these clothes?”
“Don’t worry about it, Aori-chan.” Marie smiled. “I’ve got you covered. Now, why don’t you go pick something out?”
Humming to herself, Aori did just that. It was nothing like the traditional clothes she was used to, but there was some excitement in dressing more like Homura-san or Yanagi-san. Her excitement only grew as they visited store after store, each one offering something new and unique.
Eventually, Marie led them to a wide, open area. Tables and chairs dotted this portion of the Department Store, but the first thing Aori noticed was a mixture of tasty smells coming from food stands lining the wall.
“I figured we’d take a break at the food court and grab some dinner,” Marie said, checking the time on her phone. “After that, we’d better hurry back home. We wouldn’t want Yanagi-san to worry about you.”
Aori thought for a moment. “I am not done shopping for Yanagi-san.”
Marie smiled again, but Aori could tell she was getting nervous. “Alright, let’s eat quickly, then.”
Knowing that they did not have much time, Aori finished her food and found a store that specialized in more traditional clothing. She smiled as she showed Marie a hairpin she had picked out. “Papa always liked it when Mama wore things like this.”
“I think Yanagi-san will really like this,” Marie said cheerfully. “Let’s check out and then we can start heading home.”
It was as they were leaving the Department Store that Aori paused and wrapped her arms around Marie. “Arigato, Homura-san. This was a good day. The best I have had in . . . a long time.”
Marie echoed the embrace. After a moment of stunned silence she said, “You’re welcome, Aori-chan. I had a lot of fun, too.”
Aori hummed happily to herself the entire train ride back to Ecruteak. In fact, she was in an incredibly good mood all the way home.
The mood quickly shifted as soon as they walked through the door of Lauren’s apartment. Shannon was waiting in the kitchen, still in her work clothes. At the sound of the door opening she stood up, a tired and frustrated look on her face.
“Yanagi-san!” Aori cried, eagerly digging through the shopping bags. “Look what I—“
“It’s late, Aori,” Shannon said calmly. “You should get ready for bed. Marie and I need to have a talk.”
Off in the corner, Lauren looked up from the TV. “Come here, Aori,” she said quickly, setting down a bowl of what smelled like instant ramen. “I’ll help you get ready for bed.”
Aori dutifully followed Lauren, although she glanced over her shoulder at Shannon, wondering why she was suddenly so upset.
As Aori closed the door to her room she heard Shannon’s voice dripping with frustration. “Seriously, Marie? You took her to Goldenrod? I appreciate your texts, but you should have talked to me first. What if something had happened?”
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Post by minun4 on Dec 27, 2023 15:06:59 GMT -8
IC: Mu - Heahea City
Mu’s short stature meant the False-Snake had to bend low to get at him. He dropped to all fours, to bring himself even lower. Mu clenched the fingers of his right forepaw. He planned to Sucker Punch the monster right in its eye as it brought its face close to him. As its arm reached to him, Mu pushed off his hindlegs leaping at False-Snake’s face. But in his hurry to strike first, he misjudged the trajectory of his attack. Rather than hitting the eyes, his fist grazed False-Snake’s face. It flinched slightly, but grabbed the rat still in its face. Mu hastily began to gnaw at False-Snake’s hand.
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Post by Parugi on Dec 31, 2023 22:21:50 GMT -8
IC - Esen Windred - Heahea City, Akala Island:
The sounds of emergency vehicles closing in had begun to grow louder; Esen supposed that was good, as long as they were able to take care of the remaining enemies before they arrived. The thought of those workers having to clear up the mess not only from the destroyed Instances, but also the numerous civilians that had died in the crossfire . . . Esen couldn't suppress a wince at the thought, not wanting to look at the undead she had personally had to put down.
None of that mattered for the moment, though. There were not many Instances left to take care of, but what remained left Esen uncertain of what to target or where to focus. It seemed most of what were left were Instances taking the form of humans. Aside from the ones clearly attacking, it was difficult for her to tell which ones were fakes and which were real, which ones were people that might have actually stumbled into the situation versus those who were merely being impersonated.
As luck would have it, she didn't need to pick one thing to focus on, as an unexpected "cavalry" arrived from above. With an eruption of air horns and some shrill whistles, a group of trainers descended from the surrounding buildings, floating down on a number of Flying-Type Pokémon. At their helm was a woman balancing arms-crossed on the back of a Salamence, her eyes shining with a fierce determination as her red and white jacket fluttered in the wind. Beside them another individual rode a Braviary, their voice booming through the megaphone in their hand.
"Yo, one and all, have no fear--Team Valor's here!" The other trainers all cheered and blew their air horns, creating a cacophony of noise. "Now make way for the Raging Fire of Akala Island herself, Can-delaaaa!"
With the flick of a switch a boombox attached to the megaphone started playing, laying down a base track as the woman pulled a microphone from her pocket. As the tempo built she counted the time, before finally dropping in with a rapid-fire rap.
"There's last man's stand No man lookin' to die Invincible strands are Against you just now If you're gonna win this Brace against strange then You'll need strength 'cuz It's last man's stand
The battle's unending plain It's unrelenting strain Realize this ain't no game Making baddies pain Calling down our power, our Team Valor But you've gotta give it all against beasts of pallor
Comes with our protection, no - insurrection You've got to, to let us move first Let us out, let us shout Let us beside, let's go Leader's getting damn impressed -
Let's get it up Then what'cha gotta do is - Bring the fire down Bring time, bring fire Burning up a favor
You'll get burnt all over, Ash all over, Bring it out, punk, game's over!"
Candela threw her hand forward. "Team Valor, let's turn up the heat!" she yelled. "Let's show our valiant defenders what we can do!"
More airhorns sounded as the team dispersed, raining down attacks on the numerous Instances still remaining. The barrage of attacks proved extremely effective, as surviving Instances fell left and right in rapid succession while Candela looked on, face beaming with pride.
All the while, Esen couldn't help stare in disbelief. Sure, their help now was appreciated . . . but if those lyrics had meant anything--and she wasn't entirely sure if they did--just how long had this Team Valor been watching from the sidelines?
IC - Kyle Eston/Levi Alaric - Ruins of Life, Akala Island:
The Temple of Life was much different from the Temple of Hope. Where the latter had been constructed of the surrounding stone, the temple in front of them incorporated a much larger amount of wood and plant material. Not only that but the place was brimming with plant life and nests of Pokémon that had taken to the various nooks and crannies. Altogether the vibe could not have been more contrasting.
That was why, as they entered the main chamber and laid eyes on the unmoving totem pole ahead, Kyle could not shake the feeling that something was wrong, in a different way than what he had witnessed with Tapu Fini. He put a hand on Levi's shoulder, stopping the group in their tracks. He wasn't sure why, but he could feel his heart rate picking up, and he became aware that his breaths were coming in shorter, quicker bursts.
"Mr. Kyle?" Levi said. "Is something wrong?"
With a minute shake of his head, Kyle listened, glancing around. Why did he feel like they were being watched? Carefully, he moved a hand down to the line of Poké Balls on his belt.
Just then, acting on instinct, he pushed Ray and Lucia to one side and pulled Levi to the other. A dart of darkness whizzed past where they had been standing, launched from a darkened area near the ceiling of the ruins. Kyle wasted no time sending out Kovian as a trio of figures began to emerge from the darkness, three individuals wearing Power Suits like those that had attacked on Four Island. One was purple in color, another green, and the last was red.
Suddenly he understood where his uneasiness had come from.
"Levi, stay behind me," he said, his tone more stern than ever before. Kyle pushed himself to his feet, keeping Levi behind him as he pointed at the purple aggressor. "Kovian, Aqua Jet!"
The Samurott launched forward, carried by a current of water that rushed faster than the Shadow Suit must have anticipated. Kovian slammed into it in a cloud of dust and steam. As he watched their struggle, Kyle hesitated. If the Shadow Suit operators weren't attacking willingly, what was the right option--try to subdue, or go for the kill?
IC - Sonja Baron/Madison Hayes - Team Mystic Leader Blanche/Instinct Trainer Frost - Reflection Cave, Poni Island:
Most of the crowd had dispersed by the time that Sonja, Corey, and Hayes finished explaining why they were and why they had come to speak with Blanche; evidently the average Mystic trainer wasn't interested in the negotiation process. To their credit, Blanche listened intently, letting them speak without interrupting and stopping Frost from doing the same when it seemed that she might speak up.
Finally Blanche closed their eyes, considering the story they had just heard. "So you want Mystic's help defending Alola."
"Yes, we do," Sonja said. "We need all the help we can get against Missing Zero."
"Missing Zero . . ." The words hung heavy in the air when Blanche spoke them. "'The Great Eater,' they say. Endlessly hungry." They looked at Sonja. "We can't help you."
Sonja sputtered at this. "Wha--why!?"
"Team Liberty is much stronger than Team Mystic could ever hope to be," Blanche said. "We didn't come together for fighting, we formed so that we could have a community and a place to help one another grow and learn. If Team Liberty and Team Rocket aren't enough to stop Missing Zero, then adding us to the equation solves nothing."
"The problem is resources," Hayes said. "Adding you means more resources to use against Missing Zero. And less individual pressure on the few that are capable of standing against it."
"Besides that, isn't this your home!?" Sonja demanded. "You'd just sit by and let Alola get destroyed?"
They opened their eyes, looking squarely at Sonja. "Our home is with each other. It doesn't matter where we are. As long as we can move everyone to the next location, then we'll remain without our zone of comfort. I won't sacrifice my friends and family against something that can't be beaten."
Sonja clenched her fist and ground her teeth. If she had met anyone with this attitude about Unova . . . "Yeah? And what about--?"
"What about," Hayes interrupted, placing a hand on Sonja's shoulder. The subtle message was enough to lower the temperature of her temper, though she found it difficult not to speak. "When Missing Zero is done with Alola and the rest of world, and you've got nowhere left to run to?"
Blanche shrugged. "I suppose we'll have to accept it then," they said. "Assuming someone else doesn't find a way to stop Missing Zero before then. Either way, it's out of our control."
IC - Skye Hall/Gavin Braner - Streets, Hau'oli City:
"Lunala," Skye said. "It's a giant bat-like Pokémon. Pretty hard to miss." She rubbed the back of her head. "Although, now that I think about it, if they're all traveling together it's odd that Lunala would be sighted here without Solgaleo or any of their trainers."
"Weird that it'd be sighted at all if they're supposed to be hiding," Gavin said. "So why would it be out and about?"
"Maybe scouting the area?" Skye said. "Or . . . Well . . ."
"'Well' what?"
"Well, I remember hearing about Ultra Beasts targeting certain people and Pokémon," Skye said. "Maybe they got into trouble and Lunala was trying to lure the attackers away from the others?"
As they discussed this, coming to a stop amidst the many gravestones, Gavin couldn't help but look around and observe the area. Across the way, he noted something dark dried on the ground. He approached, stooping down. The surrounding area didn't look particularly disturbed, but there were a lot of footprints and they seemed to all be going in a similar direction. The trail was dotted by more of the dripping substance, which he realized was--
"Blood," he said. "I think you're right, Skye; I think someone got injured."
IC - Lust/Ethan Worth/Gladion - Ula'ula Island:
As the Draco Meteor attack crashed around them, exploding just above his head against a Protect summoned by Type: Null, Gladion flipped open his bag, casually sorting through a series of devices. "Oh, gladly." He pushed himself up and held a disk up to Null. "Let's give this another try real fast--see if it won't kick into gear." After a moment, it became apparent that whatever Gladion was trying to do wasn't working. He frowned. "Damn. Guess it's still not time yet. Fine--we'll do this the way we've been doing it."
Gladion swept a hand forward. "Let's let loose some Air Slashes, Null!"
With a roar Null leaped forward, and the battle began in earnest. Ethan's team appeared injured to various degrees from the Draco Meteor, and his Torterra currently struggled against Behemoth. Null swung his head around twice, loosing a blade of wind once at the Beedrill and once at the Victreebel. Tox seemed more than agile enough to dodge, dipping out of the way and returning fire with a Poison Jab that glanced off of Null's helmet. Suya meanwhile was sent flying back by the attack, though managed to right itself with its vines before sending a Power Whip toward Gnip.
As the Torterra pushed back against Behemoth, the Continent Pokémon's eyes began to glow. He opened his mouth and began to draw energy into himself with a Mega Drain. Meanwhile, Ethan's Scizor suddenly pushed forward, his increased speed granting him an impressive amount of mobility. He materialized beside Landorus, slamming two quick hits into the Legendary Pokémon's side.
Victreebel: Power Whip > Gnip Torterra: Mega Drain > Behemoth Scizor: Double Hit > Landorus
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Post by minun4 on Jan 9, 2024 13:51:58 GMT -8
IC: Lohe Mahina - Heahea city
A very pissed off Ruthven tackled the Nobuddy. The two of them dropped to the ground, the Nobuddy’s fist ripped out of Lohe’s abdomen. Lohe dropped to a knee. He didn’t have time to watch Ruthven tear the Nobuddy to shreds. Not because the wound was fatal, but because it wasn’t. In the chaos of battle, hopefully nobody was looking at him too closely.
The sudden blaring of air horns and the subsequent rap that followed were an earsore. But it meant, at that moment, people probably weren’t looking at him too closely. He dropped his backpack from his shoulders. He pulled out first aid equipment that was normally only used on his victims. As he applied a cloth to the rapidly closing hole, the Nobuddy tried to leap at him, only to be dragged back by Ruthven. Without missing a beat, he used the cloth to absorb as much blood as he could before the hole closed up. He tied up bandages around his body to cover up the missing wound, praying that he’d been subtle enough.
Lohe leaned against his backpack. He could stand up, but that wouldn’t be playing the role of an injured man. With his back supported, he had a front row seat to watch Ruthven use Dragon Pulse to finish the Nobuddy, leaving a nasty hole where its head had been. Ruthven stood above its opponent, growling and shaking. Lohe pulled out Ruthven’s Poke Ball. Even without the noise damaging Ruthven’s sensitive hearing, Lohe could tell that Ruthven was in no mood to deal with anything right now.
Nosferatu returned to Lohe’s side, his target evidently having been taken from him by one of the new reinforcements. Lohe turned to Medusa, and pulled out the Beast Ball. Activating its mechanism, Lohe recalled Medusa to its ball. It might not like the Instances, but there was no guarantee it wouldn’t attack one of the others if left to its own devices. His place in the fight was done. Not that he was looking forward to what was gonna happen after the fight. He closed his eyes for a moment. Maybe if he took a nap, they’d all be gone when he woke. That Zeraora could protect Snake anyway.
Lohe’s eyes shot open. He wasn’t sure if it was the Skull grunt or the extremely rare Zeraora that snapped him back to reality. But the other Skull grunts and Mu were still not accounted for.
“Go look for Mu,” Lohe said to Nosferatu. Noseferatu shot off to search for Mu. Lohe sat himself up a bit, and pulled Medusa’s Beast Ball back out. He wouldn’t throw Medusa back out unless absolutely necessary, but he’d keep an eye on the remaining fights just in case. He took a deep breath. Staying still for a moment, he felt the pricking of the sun’s light on him. He really hated daytime.
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Post by Magical Girl Mimi on Jan 12, 2024 19:22:02 GMT -8
-==IC: Yuki Hikari/Ryan Hikari/Olivia Seaton/Patricia Walker - Goldenrod City, Johto - October 2012 3:30 PM==-
"Yuki, how much longer are you gonna be?" A voice called from the other side of the bedroom door with a knock, as the girl in question adjusted her hair for the tenth time.
"I don't know! Five minutes?" Yuki replied with a slightly stressed tone to her voice. She looked in the mirror and could pick out about ten different flaws that she wanted to fix up; most would take way longer to fix, but Yuki couldn't help but notice them each time. With a frustrated sigh, she looked away and glanced down at her dress - it may have been a simple grey mid-sleeve dress, but she liked how it felt; plus, she had a pink cardigan for if it got too cold out since it was autumn already. Another knock snapped her out of her thoughts, as she stood up and stretched. If nothing else, at least Olivia would be at the party too.
"About time. Were you planning on keeping everyone waiting?" Yuki's brother, Ryan, was waiting for her just outside of the door with crossed arms and a passive expression. He was wearing the same clothes as always, which was typical of him.
"Obviously not, but these things take time you know," Yuki said with a pout and flushed cheeks. "Besides, you didn't have to wait for me. Or even go at all. I'm almost 15 after all, I can look after myself."
"I was invited too you know," Ryan pointed out with a hint of annoyance in his voice. "Besides," Ryan repeated in a mocking tone as he gave a hint of a smile. "15 or not, I wouldn't just leave my little sister to fend for herself."
----
The trip would not take long from their house, so the two decided to just walk. The class - and Ryan clearly - had been invited to a party being thrown by one of their classmates, Patricia Walker, a transfer student who had joined the class back in September. Yuki had felt from time to time as if Patricia was considered a "replacement" for her good friend Madeleine, but she was slowly growing more used to Patricia on her own merits. As they walked through the streets of Goldenrod, they saw a faded and torn poster.
"MISSING - Madeleine Bouchard If you have any information, contact 23-XXX-XXXX"
I'd never give that kinda information to the likes of you. Yuki thought with a hardened look on her face as she picked up the pace. Ryan looked surprised for a moment, then looked back to the lamppost and frowned.
"It's okay, they'll find her eventually," Ryan offered with a smile, only to receive a hollow laugh and a rueful smile as his sister stopped in her tracks.
"Ryan, you're a dumbass sometimes, you know that?" Yuki retorted as she looked up at the sky that was slowly turning orange. "If she's never found by them, it'll be best for her. She's doing fine, I know it," Yuki said as she began to walk faster again. She could feel his confused gaze on her back, but he didn't know the things she did; what Maddy had told her the last time she'd shown up. That she had just barely escaped a bad situation. The two siblings remained quiet the rest of the way to the party.
----
"Ah, Yuki, over here!" Yuki's face lit up as she saw her best friend, Olivia Seaton, waving at her. Her bright red hair waved with the excited motions; everything was entrancing in its own rights, and Yuki was only brought back to reality when Ryan elbowed her. She grimaced and shot Ryan a dirty look briefly, but smiled and walked over to Olivia, the thought that were troubling her earlier pushed out of her mind for the moment.
"Hiya Liv, how was the trip over here?" Yuki asked as she shyly brushed her auburn hair behind her ear.
"Oh, it weren't too bad, though ya shoulda seen some'a the crowds once we got to the city proper," Olivia sighed, but grinned. "Was worth it though, ya look great!" She glanced around as if looking for someone. "Any sign'a Patty though? You'd'a thought the host'd be here by now..."
"I'm right here." The suddenness of the voice that replied made the two yelp and turn to look to their side - sure enough, a girl with long brown hair smiled sweetly at the two of them. "Heya besties, I know I'm a bit late greeting everyone, but I just had to make sure that everything was set up properly, or my dad would have killed me, you know? But everything should be all perfect and just go smoothly! It's just a shame that Kazuma wasn't able to make it tonight, I know how close the two of you are with him."
"Yeah, it sucks, but at least it's important," Yuki laughed awkwardly since she knew the reason was an excuse; Kazuma had always felt off around Patricia... not that she was gonna mention that out loud. "Did the rest of the class show up though?"
"Mhm! They sure did," Patricia grinned at that, but put a hand to her chin in deep thought. "Some people must've invited their friends from outside the school though. There were a couple people I didn't recognize... Oh well, maybe by the end of the party we'll all become even better friends, even with these newcomers! There's this blonde with cute short hair and a cap who looks mysterious; I'd love to get to know her especially, learn more about her style!"
Huh? Yuki froze as she heard that. No-one else would have made the connection, but that description... It couldn't be her, right? That'd be too much of a risk... right? She tried to maintain her composure as Olivia and Patty chatted for a bit longer, though when Olivia caught her eye, the redhead shot her a concerned look. "I'm gonna like, head to the toilet if that's okay."
"Ah! Yeah, you can't miss it, it's right on the other side of the bar."
----
Yuki went directly to the washroom and rinsed off her hands so her cover was true, then began to scan the bar - she knew her father owned the place, but wasn't entirely certain how she had managed to get permission to have a party here, and the workers seemed just as uncertain from the looks on their faces. But that wasn't what she was looking for. Hat, hat, hat... Her eyes glanced over at a particular booth with a person sitting with their back to her, who had on a newsy cap that she swore she had seen before. Her breath caught in her chest as she quickly made her way over to the table. And when they turned, she froze.
"Long time no see, Yuki," The blonde grinned - she was older than the last time Yuki had seen her, but sitting there was indeed her other best friend, Madeleine. As if realizing what was shocking Yuki, Maddy pulled her cap down a bit and raised a finger to her lips.
"Wh-what are you--"
"Kazuma wanted me to keep an eye on things," Maddy cut her off as she glanced around. "Yes, I know this is a risk, but it's been so long... maybe I'll get to catch up with everyone before I go back to hiding away. How've you all been?"
"I-I've been okay," Yuki replied automatically as she sat down in a daze. "Hang on, you're really here, right?"
"No, this is just a random stress-induced dream..." Maddy said dryly and sarcastically as she looked at her friend blankly. "Of course I'm really here-- Oof!" For the hundredth time in her life, Madeleine Bouchard was caught off guard at the speed at which an excited Yuki could move, as she found herself in a bear hug. "Missed you too, bud," Maddy gasped out as she felt like her ribs were being cracked. With a pat on Yuki's shoulder, the excited girl let her "missing" friend go.
"How have you been?" Yuki started before she began to rapidly ask more and more questions that prompted the blonde to pull her cap down in an attempt to ward off the overwhelming talk. "Ah, sorry, I just..."
Maddy snickered with a grin as she looked up. "All good. I get it, it's just a lot of questions at once. I've been fine, and..." The two friends talked for a while, unaware of a presence watching them from the entrance with a scowl.
-==IC: Corey Bouchard - Reflection Cave, Poni Island - Present==-
Corey crossed their arms as they listened to Sonja, Hayes, and Blanche debate everything. There was reason in what was said, but something didn't sit right with them about it.
"You say that you'd add nothing, but is that truly logical? You say you're not as strong, but what if that's not the only way forward? You have knowledge, you know the lay of the land, you have smarts. That's why you set up the maze that you did, isn't it? You could analyze things in a way that others who are more focused on actually defending could. You could tell when the time is to escape - perhaps even moreso than the people who are more invested in making sure that there's quick and decisive victories for their own political profit."
Corey stopped to take a deep breath as they glanced to the side for a moment. It looked obvious that they were talking more the past couple days than they had in a while. "I tend to be one of those people who just use brute force - because that's how I've had to live in order to survive and help my found family and community survive. But I also use the logic I do have to support and guide people, and study up on what is needed. And so could you; Team Mystic, the people who prioritize logic and knowledge over a lot of things... could you not use that knowledge to help locate things that people would consider myths? Or point out chokepoints that may turn the tides against the 'Great Eater' as you call it?"
-==IC: Yuki Hikari/Ryan Hikari/Olivia Seaton/Patricia Walker/Madeleine Bouchard - Goldenrod City, Johto - October 2012, 5:00 PM==-
Time passed quickly as Yuki and Maddy traded stories of what they had been up to in the three years since they had last been able to talk freely like this. So engrossed were the two friends that they had not noticed Olivia approaching until she was right next to them.
"Um, Yuki, ya never came back, so I got worried something might have happened... who's this? She looks familiar for some reason..." Olivia looked over at Madeleine, who had looked away for a moment. Yuki grinned at Olivia for a moment, then looked over to the runaway with a look that read "seriously?".
"An old friend!" Yuki said happily, which made Olivia raise an eyebrow. "Hey, aren't you even gonna say hi? You know we can trust her," There was no response, though Maddy's face looked conflicted, so Yuki reached out and poked it. "Hey. Heeeey. I'm not gonna stop until you at least give a reason."
"... too long..."
"Huh?" Yuki said as she looked confused at what was being mumbled. Olivia tilted her head as well as she strained to hear the blonde, looking back and forth to try and understand what was up.
"I-I said, it's been too long, and I'm worried!" Maddy turned her head as she raised her voice, which allowed Olivia to finally catch a glimpse of her face. "I feel like... a bad friend for not-- Oof!" For the second time that day, Madeleine was caught off guard by a sudden bear hug, this time from the tall redhead.
"Y-you're alive..." Olivia managed to pull herself away after a few moments, tears in her eyes. Maddy sat there stunned for a moment, then looked down at the table with a small nod. "W-who else knows? I-I'm glad that..." She trailed off with a sniff as she wiped at her eyes and tried to regain her composure.
"Just Yuki and Kazuma currently - and now you. I... I really wanted to tell you too, but there was never a chance because you live in the opposite direction, and people were always around..." Maddy sighed, as she picked at her fingernails. "I'm sorry for not telling you sooner. I should have just made the trip up to Olivine myself, and told you three years ago."
"It's fine!" Olivia said with a happy smile on her face. "I-it kept ya safe, and if you've been hidin' this whole time... then it woulda been better to just lay low, right? I'm glad ya came here tonight." Olivia paused for a moment. "Ya aren't gonna see us after this are ya?"
"I can try." Maddy rubbed the back of her neck, deep in thought as she bit her lip. "I'd love to hang out with everyone again, and things seem to have died down in the search, so I might be able to visit more often. Though in disguise again probably." She laughed a bit, then froze as she looked directly at Ryan, who had come over to see what the commotion was. The two locked eyes for a bit as Ryan stood there with a thoughtful look on his face. "You..."
"I won't say anything," Ryan said as he held his hands up to head off anxiety and conflict. "I'm sure you have your reasons for all this, especially with something Yuki said earlier. Anyway, mind if I take Yuki's spot? Patricia wanted to talk with her."
Relief washed over Madeleine's face, though Olivia seemed uneasy about the second part. "But we don't get to talk as a group..." She mumbled as she looked between Yuki and Madeleine. After a moment, she sighed and nodded. "Okay, but be quick and maybe we can all hang out until we have to go!"
With a grin and a thumbs up, Yuki stood up. "Yeah! I'll be right back!"
----
The bar was starting to feel more crowded, as Yuki made her way over to where Patricia was sitting. With a side glance, Patricia pushed herself up from leaning against the bar, and grinned. "Hey, you decided to come visit after all! I see you found that blonde I was talking about; you two seemed in deep conversation. What's the deal, you know them or something?"
"Ah," Yuki hadn't expected so many questions, but now that she thought about it, Patricia had been the one to bring Maddy up in the first place. "Ah, she's just an old friend I hadn't seen in a long time."
"Mmmm..." Patricia nodded, though it felt like there was something odd about her look. Whatever it was vanished quickly as she glanced over at Yuki with a smile. "You know, Olivia must be so jealous of her. I mean, you just vanish for hours, then you're talking to another woman?"
"Huh?" Yuki tilted her head in confusion. "I don't know what any of that has to do with each other; plus, Olivia knows her too! So it was a nice reunion of sorts!"
Patricia stared blankly for about a minute, prompting Yuki to tilt her head again. "Anyway," Patricia shook her head as she looked down at her drink. "You should introduce me to your mysterious friend! After all, I was the one who told you she was here, so fair is fair right?"
Is that how that works? Yuki seemed skeptical, but thought about it. "Well, I can ask, but--"
"Great!" Patricia clapped her hands together with a beaming smile as she cut Yuki off. "Well, you can just run back on over to your little group; talk later, and hopefully all goes well!" With a grin, she began to shoo at the very confused-looking girl. Once out of earshot, Patricia scowled. "You really don't know a thing, huh? Well, let tonight be a lesson in the real world..."
-==IC: Ray Hakuda/Lucia Zyther - Ruins of Life, Akala Island - Present==-
Lucia hit the ground after being pushed to the side, while Ray let himself fall but tossed out the Poke Ball that contained his Bisharp at the same time. Byakuya began to prepare a Sucker Punch for the green coloured suit, while Lucia threw out the Poke Ball that contained her Meganium as she scrambled to her feet alongside a pissed-off Ray.
"Megana, use Reflect and Light Screen!" Lucia called out as she glared at the suits. This wouldn't be like the fight in the cafeteria; she was going to help out more this time - she just needed to plan out what to do.
OOC:
Byakuya/Bisharp: Sucker Punch > Green Suit Megana/Meganium: Reflect > Party, Light Screen > Party
-==IC: Colleen Llyan - Hau'oli City, Melemele Island==-
Colleen knelt down with a grim look on her face as she looked at the footprints. "We need to follow these; this isn't fresh, but if there's people in trouble..." She bit her lip as she left that hanging in the air. "Either way, even if those two aren't in the group or among the injured, it's possible the people who went this way will have seen the Lunala's trainer."
-==IC: Jenny Hakuda - Ula'Ula Island==-
Jenny clenched her fist and pushed herself back to her feet as she watched the chaos unfold from Ethan being... mind controlled? She wasn't sure exactly what was the cause of what was going on, but she was able to fight too. "Tenlite, Lurelite, you two are up!" Jenny shouted as she threw forward the two spheres that held her Pokemon, having recalled them earlier. "Lurelite, use Heat Wave on Tox and the Scizor, and Tenlite, use Fire Fang on the Crustle!" The two Pokemon set forth quickly, as flames surrounded both of them. The Litten leapt forward in the direction of the rock bug, while Lurelite positioned herself in a way that would hopefully only hit her two targets with the flames that she spewed forth from herself. As this happened, Jenny looked around for some way that might break Ethan from Lust's spell.
OOC:
Lurelite/Chandelure: Heat Wave > Tox and Scizor Tenlite/Litten: Fire Fang > Crustle
-==IC: Yuki Hikari/Ryan Hikari/Olivia Seaton/Madeleine Bouchard/Patricia Walker - Goldenrod City, Johto - October 2012 6:30 PM==-
"Absolutely not, I won't do it," Madeleine glanced over to where Patricia was still sitting. The group had been casually chatting for a while, until Yuki mentioned Patricia's request. "I don't know her, and something gives me a weird vibe. For all I know, she'd out me for reward money."
The group stayed quiet - while Olivia and Yuki had grown closer to Patricia over the past month, they couldn't guarantee that wasn't a possibility. In fact, the two thought about it more, and realized it really was a strong possibility for multiple reasons. "Yeah... I had tried to mention it wasn't likely, but she cut me off..." Yuki said, as she sighed and rested her head on her right hand. "Maybe if we knew her better, but you have a good point there. Should I go break the news?"
"Probably - I feel like ignoring things wouldn't really make anything better," Maddy sighed. "This sucks, I was looking forward to us hanging out, but it keeps getting interrupted by her."
"Well... what if you come to my birthday party next month? I'm sure the three of us could vanish off somewhere to hang out like old times!" Yuki said with a grin, and Ryan cleared his throat.
"What am I, chopped liver?" Ryan asked with a hint of a pout. In response, Olivia smirked and looked over at him.
"It's 'k, if I remember right, most of it will be Maddy trying and failing to play a game she knows nothin' about. Ya would just feel embarrassed for her."
"Hey!" Maddy crossed her arms with a scowl. "I'll have you know that... I uh..." There was a brief pause. "... That I haven't played anything in 3 years. Yeah, okay, Liv has a point."
Yuki giggled at the shenanigans her friends were getting up to, then stood up. "Alright, I'll be right back, might as well get this over with - if I'm not back, I guess I'm entertaining our host?"
----
As Yuki approached, she realized something that seemed weird; it hadn't looked like Patricia had moved from the same spot the entire party. She could understand her group; it was an unexpected surprise for Maddy to be hanging out since she had gone into hiding and all. But Patricia was the host - why wasn't she going around interacting with the others? She glanced over at the people Patty usually hung out with. They were all interacting with each other like normal... had there been a falling out? "Hiya, everything okay?"
"Huh?" Patricia looked up in surprise as Yuki spoke. "Oh, yeah, I just find that all my friends brought people that I don't really know or gel with," At that, she shifted in her seat with a grin. "On that note, blondie say anything?"
"Oh, yeah, she's not quite comfortable meeting someone new right now; she's been through a lot recently and doesn't want to add stress to a night of fun since she's not good with people to begin with."
"Shame," Patricia sighed and closed her eyes for a moment. "Oh well, I'm sure there'll be another chance! Plus, Olivia seems to be getting along with her pretty nicely anyway, which is a surprise; you know how she can be. Anyway," The brown-haired girl grinned as she tilted her head mischievously. "Ever had Durin Berry juice?"
"Durin Berry juice?" Yuki frowned and shook her head. "No; isn't that supposed to be really bitter? Why would people have it as a juice?"
"Well, there's some people that mask it with sweet flavours... but I bet that you can't drink, say, two glasses of it purely as it is," Patricia said, then shrugged. "Of course, if you don't think you're up to it, I'm sure that no-one would think you a loser for backing out."
"No, I wanna give it a try!" Yuki wasn't certain what this would be like, but it was worth a shot, right?
"Perfect! Now then, just wait there, I'll be right back with them." Patricia turned away and stood up, leaving Yuki to sit alone for a couple minutes. Just when she was starting to wonder if Patricia was coming back, the girl returned with two medium sized glasses. "Right! Now then, give it a shot."
Yuki sniffed the drink and wrinkled her nose - it certainly smelled bitter, along with something she couldn't really tell. It almost seemed like it had expired at some point. Nervously, Yuki took a drink and made a face. "Patty, are you sure this hasn't gone off or something?"
"Nope, that's just how it tastes. Giving up?"
"N-no!" Yuki closed her eyes with a grimace, and took a deep breath before she began to gulp the drink before she could taste it. The plan failed, but she finished the first glass and shivered from the taste. Unhappy with the taste, she looked at the second glass. "One more and I win the bet?"
"Absolutely..." Patty replied. Yuki thought a dark smile crossed Patty's face, but it vanished back into the sweet smile she usually wore before she could actually register it. Disregarding it, Yuki took another deep breath and downed the second glass before the taste could become an issue.
"There..." Yuki said as she gasped, having finished the drink. Something didn't feel right though. "I, uh... should like... check on the others." She tried to stand up, but felt off balance and a little dizzy. With a gasp, Patricia grabbed Yuki's arm.
"Oh no, are you okay? You should get some fresh air! Come on, I'll help you outside, the atmosphere in here must be getting to you."
Huh? But I was fine... I just feel off balance and like the world's spinning... Yuki thought, but nodded in case that would help. She glanced over to the table, and it looked like everyone was busy talking. She giggled with a happy smile. I'm glad that they're all having fun~ I just wish I didn't feel so weird...
----
Once outside, the brisk air hit Yuki in the face and made her grimace and shiver a bit - she must have left her cardigan with the others. "Thanks for helpin'..." Yuki said as she stumbled forward a bit. Her heels were getting really hard to walk in, so she stepped out of them for the moment, wondering if that would help steady her. Patty was being oddly quiet, though, so Yuki turned slightly.
"Hey, Yuki, you think Olivia would mind if I stole you?" Patty asked with a weird look on her face. Yuki was confused; she wasn't making any sense, but something felt off all of a sudden. Patty stepped closer to Yuki, and Yuki instinctively took a step back. "Or Blondie? I mean, those two seem to be getting along pretty well, after all."
"I don't-- what are you--"
"Kiss me. Not like you'll remember with how drunk you should be by now." Patty grinned, but set her pokegear down on the ground. "The school will after this, though..." She whispered, though Yuki took another step back.
What did she mean 'drunk'...? Yuki thought, but her thoughts were on the situation in front of her. Yuki tried to turn away, but Patty grabbed her forearms as she stumbled against the wall of the alley they were in. When had they gotten here? "I don't..."
"Relax, it'll all be perfectly fine..." Patty cooed as she leaned closer.
"Croconaw." A flash of red light lit up the alleyway as Patty turned in shock, only to be tackled away by a Croconaw and Larvitar that suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Yuki gasped as Patricia fell to the ground in shock and pain, then followed her gaze to see Madeleine, Olivia, and Ryan standing there in various states of shock and anger. "How long has this been your plan?" Ryan asked with steely eyes as he took a step forward.
"I don't know whatever you could be talking about." Patricia said with an innocent smile. "Yuki wanted to get some fresh air, then wanted to kiss me--"
"Yea, and that's why she was trying to get away, and why she left her cardigan behind?" Olivia demanded as she held up the jacket. She took a step forward, and Patricia laughed.
"What, can't accept that you might not be anyone's choice?" Patricia asked as she stood up and grabbed a couple Pokeballs from her belt. "If it's a fight you want..."
"Ryan! Blondie!" Olivia said loudly as she pulled a Pokeball out of her satchel and stood between Patricia and Yuki. She emphasized the nickname for Maddy in an attempt to keep her cover. "Get her out of here, I'll cover ya!" For a moment, it looked like Patricia was about to comment again, but Olivia threw the Pokeball that contained her Sneasel, prompting her to defend herself with her Timburr instead. Ryan and Madeleine took the initiative to take one of Yuki's arms to support her.
"You can't just leave!" Patricia yelled out with a face contorted in rage. "This is my party!"
"Then maybe ya shoulda thought'a that before ya ruined it yerself." Olivia stated coldly as she held her hand forward.
----
"Hehehehe, that was scary..." Yuki giggled as she leaned against Maddy's shoulder the most. "Thankssss, you really saved me."
"Arceus, how did you get this drunk?" Maddy grimaced as she both felt a little uncomfortable given what had just happened, and also was bearing most of Yuki's weight because of how much she was leaning on her. "What did you even have?"
"Berry juice!" Yuki exclaimed drunkenly. "Dar... dir... duran juice?"
"Probably was just some strong alcohol our good ol' Patty claimed was that instead. Not like Yuki would be able to tell the difference," Ryan said, and shook his head. "This one's on me, I told mom I'd keep an eye on her, and yet."
"Heeeeyyy, I can look after myself!"
"Honestly, given everything that happened, I almost feel like the only way something wouldn't've happened is if you just hadn't come to the party," Maddy said with a sigh, only to be met with a loud indignant gasp.
"HOW COULD YOU SAY THAT! Then I wouldn't have been able to see you again!"
"Yeah, maybe the party being held in a bar wasn't a good idea," Ryan said with a grimace as he ignored the drunken commentary of his sister. As they approached the way to the Hikari siblings' neighbourhood, Madeleine stopped.
"I should probably head off here. I shouldn't be seen around after all; carrying her this far was a risk on its own."
"Awwww, but I wanna stay with you longer. Dummy Patty."
"Yuki, you're drunk." Madeleine said with a sigh, only to get a peck on the cheek in response, as if to confirm that. She leaned Yuki against Ryan more and ignored Yuki's pouting. "Well, I should head off now..."
"Wait!" Maddy turned in surprise as Olivia ran up toward them panting, Larvitar riding on her shoulder and Croconaw running behind her, and held out Maddy's cap, which had fallen off at some point in the confusion. "I... wanted to say goodbye to ya this time. And it ain't gonna be as long this time! Please don't let it be as long this time..."
Madeleine was surprised, but chuckled with a nod. "Of course not. See you next month if Yuki's still in the mood for parties." With a wave, the blonde trainer headed off.
Olivia sighed and then looked over at Yuki. She pulled out the girl's cardigan and wrapped it around her. "Next time, ya shouldn't blindly drink things. I promise never to do that."
"Aye-aye~" Yuki giggled and quickly gave Olivia a kiss on the cheek. Olivia looked at Yuki for a moment with a face that matched her hair, briefly stunned, then looked at Ryan, who shrugged in response.
"R-right! Well! Um! I should catch the bus back, ya know how those can be. Uh, see ya tomorrow!" With that, Olivia headed off as well. Ryan sighed, being left as the last person there, then repositioned himself to lift Yuki onto his back as he headed back toward his house.
Mom is absolutely gonna kill me.
-==IC: Olivia Seaton/Chloe Hikari/Zeraora - Heahea City, Akala Island - (slightly earlier than) Present==-
"C-Corey?" Olivia asked with a shaky voice. When had they shown up, and how did she not notice? She momentarily forgot about the shapeshifting powers of the Nobuddy as she saw her friend standing there injured. Her Pokegear fell to the ground - had the thing masquerading as the bitch who ruined everything swapped places with Corey? Had... had she hurt them?
"Yeah, Liv, it's me... augh..." Corey grabbed their shoulder, a hurt expression on their face. "I guess now I know how my Feraligatr felt last time... but why did you attack me?"
"I-- it-- there was---" Olivia stammered; how would she begin to explain it - would they even know about Nobuddy? She only did because Chloe had warned her after Ryan's encounter with one of them... what if she hadn't warned Corey? "I'm sorry, I didn't know..."
"Didn't know?" Corey repeated, a frustrated look on their face. "If I'd been killed..."
"I..." Every word was like a knife through her heart - the only thing that would have been worse is if Chloe had said these things.
"Then maybe you'd still be alive." Corey whispered as they got close.
"Huh?"
----
Chloe sighed in relief as she gently wrapped her arms around Ellen as well. "It's okay; I think that was the last one." Chloe said with a reassuring smile as the sound of fighting died down.
"... why my life was a living hell FOR YEARS."
Chloe's head turned to look to where Olivia was standing. She looked like she was about to cry - had something upset her? Wait... The gears began to turn - she glanced over at Allie, who was still in her Mega state. There's at least one still here... Her eyes widened as Corey limped toward Olivia. Even if they had come to Alola together, that was not what Corey looked like now. Chloe's breath caught in her throat - she double checked on her Pokegear, definitely a Nobuddy. And it was right in front of Olivia.
----
"SHADOW SNEAK!" Olivia watched blankly as a Mega Gallade appeared behind Corey suddenly, two swords sticking out of their chest. Any of the logic left Olivia's mind when she saw the scene, and she whirled around briefly to yell out and question why Chloe had done that. However, there was such a look of relief on her face that it made Olivia look back, back to the being that had fallen to the ground. When she saw the Nobuddy's corpse, she instinctively backed away from it, back toward where Chloe and Ellen were standing.
"Thanks..." Olivia mumbled, face red for briefly thinking Chloe had murdered Corey for no reason. "Those things don't play fair..."
----
Despite Zeraora's initial surprise at seeing their trainer appear in front of them, they growled and charged up another Plasma Fists, aiming to use them to rapidly punch the imposter in the face again and again for daring to mimic their most precious person. Snake was safe - now it was time for simply revenge.
----
"How are you doing?" Chloe asked Ellen and Olivia after some time had passed. Olivia was about to open her mouth to answer, when the airhorns started to blare out. With a grimace from the sudden loud sounds, Chloe and Olivia both covered their ears until they were positive that it had stopped in favour of the remaining instances getting wiped out. Tentatively, and to get a better look at what was going on, Chloe stood up and looked around at the attacks that were being rained down by people on flying Pokemon. However, she froze as her eyes tracked one woman in particular. Why here?
-==IC: Y-- Ch-- u-- l-- ki-- oe-- Hikari - Go-ldenr-od Ci-ty - October 2012==-
Yuki giggled as Ryan tried to shush her into staying quiet. She squinted with a grimace as a light suddenly turned on.
"What's going on?" The father of the two teens suddenly appeared, a concerned look on his face about the scene that he was looking at. "Did something happen at the party?"
"I don't liiiike Durin juice!"
"Someone spiked her drink. Me, Liv, and another friend kicked her ass and got Yuki away. Can you look after her while I go get mom?" Ryan asked, acting as if the random statements from Yuki were just a normal part of life now.
"Ah," Gerald frowned as he bit his lip - he wasn't great about these kinds of things, and never expected to have to deal with his daughter being drunk at this age, but nodded. "I will prepare your arrangements."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence..." Ryan mumbled, then let Yuki off his back and walked off, leaving the two by themselves. Gerald thought for a moment, then led his daughter to the couch. It took only a moment for her to flop down onto the couch with a sigh of relief.
"My feet hurt... My head hurts..." Yuki groaned, but squinted up as Gerald turned the light down. "Thank you daddy! Hehehe... I'm so glad I have such a nice family. You, mommy, kinda other mommy though she was a bit mean to Maddy..."
"What?" Gerald paused as he looked over at Yuki in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"You know! Other mommy! C... c.... Cassie I think? But shhhhhhh, we can't tell daddy."
"Then who is mommy?" Gerald asked slowly, as he sat down next to Yuki warily.
"Ummmmm.... Chrisssina? Chris... Chri, Christia? Christea, hehehehe, I want some Chris tea..." Yuki's eyes drooped as she reduced herself to mumbling, unaware of her father sitting silently by her.
Why is Christina "Mommy" when she only stops in for a visit every so often? It's just that she's drunk... right? Gerald wondered - soon after, Ryan and his mother appeared - Ryan in particular being dragged by his ear. He didn't pay attention to what was being spoken as Cassie (Or... Christina?) told Ryan off for letting this happen, and as she checked on Yuki. Instead, he just watched Cassie - or Christina - and how she acted. And he found that she seemed awfully active. He looked from Christina to Yuki with a frown, then stood up.
"Huh? Where are you going?" Christina asked in confusion as Gerald began to leave the room.
"I just," Gerald paused. Whatever was going on, was she ever going to tell him? Were either of them? "I just need to think and be alone so that I do not go to have a talk with the parents of who did this to Yuki." With no further explanation, Gerald left the room with a clenched fist.
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Post by Konuju on Feb 9, 2024 20:21:26 GMT -8
IC: Ryan Sanders – Hau'oli Cemetery, Alolan Route 2"Let's go," Ryan said, pulling out a Pokéball. His Togekiss materialized before the group. "Togie, search the skies and let us know if you find anything; someone who's hurt, a giant bat Pokémon, or . . ." he glanced at Skye, remembering what she had said about Ultra Beasts. "Or whoever drew this blood in the first place." As Togie took to the air above the cemetery, Ryan led the others in following the blood trail on foot. IC: Ellen Burks (Symbio)/Bully (Kino)/Trigger (Tokahiko)/Snake (Riiona – Schooling) – Streets, Heahea CityThe blast of an air horn knocked Ellen out of her daze. She couldn't help but feel relief at the sight of backup. Kane's mental attack, followed by the Nobuddy's disguises, left Ellen feeling as helpless as she had in Unova. She was supposed to be stronger now. If she'd been able to hold her own, maybe Chloe would have noticed the Nobuddy attacking Olivia sooner. But she had been completely useless in this fight, it seemed. Not only that, but Kane's illusion had dredged up emotions she thought she had buried. How was she supposed to help save the world when a single targeted attack had taken her completely out of the fight? She looked up at Chloe to apologize, but found a strange look on the older girl's face. It was as if she had seen a ghost. Following her gaze, Ellen saw one of the air horn-blasting newcomers. And instead of an apology, Ellen found a question on her lips. "Chloe . . . do you know her or something?" *** Snake pushed himself to his feet. The electric cat Pokémon was busy pummeling away at the shape-shifting monster. That was no concern of his. Trigger and Bully had somehow disappeared from the midst of the battlefield. As he looked around for his friends, a sharp horn pierced the air. "Oh, great," Snake muttered, rolling his eyes at the sight of Team Valor dropping from above like some grand heroes. Stepping back up to the fountain ledge from which he'd performed his previous rap, Snake eyed the nearest Valor member and shot them a look. "Yo, yo, Valor! So much power! But your rapping's kinda sour! You just waiting for an hour? Watched us struggle like Houndour? We don't need your pompous help! Crawl back home, you little whelp! You talk real big, and you're so brash, Until your fire's reduced to ash!" As Snake rapped, Riiona and her school moved around him. The mass of Wishiwashi began to dance to his beat, thousands of tiny mouths cheering him on. Snake paused and glanced around. He had hoped that Trigger and Bully would hear his sick beats and come to his aid. But they were nowhere to be found. *** Trigger and Bully were in fact watching another Snake's sick beat down of a tiny rat. Or at least his attempt at a beat down. Lohe's Rattata was putting up a surprisingly good fight against their Snake-like enemy. That is, until a flaming bone exploded out of Fake-Snake's chest. The doppelganger let out a gurgling cry as his body flickered through several half-formed images before crumpling into a faceless heap on the ground. Behind the monster stood the owner of the flaming bone: an Alolan Marowak. "No need to thank us," the Marowak's Trainer said with a smirk. "Helping out a couple of numbskulls like you is child's play." If his flame-inspired outfit didn't give his allegiance away, his snarky attitude certainly did. "Team Valor," Bully spat. "We don't need help from a smoldering ash-hole like you." Trigger nodded at his Alolan Golem, who immediately leveled his rock cannon at the Marowak. "Outta our way, firespitter!" The Valor member just laughed. "Team Skull doesn't need help? Tell me, how's Po Town these days? Has the Great Eater leveled it to the ground yet?" A large bang echoed through the alleyway as Tokahiko shot an electrified rock. The Marowak backflipped away and simultaneously hurled its bone at the boulder with enough strength to knock it off course. "You really should be more grateful," the Valor man chided. "Next time I might not feel like saving your sorry skulls."
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Post by minun4 on Feb 25, 2024 14:01:43 GMT -8
IC: Nosferatu - Heahea City
Nosferatu circled Heahea City, periodically releasing waves of high-pitch sound from his mouth. He listened to the echoes of the waves that came back to him. Nosferatu wasn’t as good at this as Ruthven, but a childhood of having no eyes meant you got good with your ears. There were more humans now, he hadn’t learned their shapes well enough to tell the individual ones he was looking for apart. Unfortunately, Rattata were a common choice of partner for new trainers in Alola. The first rat shaped object he’d found was on the shoulder of one of the new humans who’d shown up. It took Nosferatu three tries until he found the Rattata he was looking for. When he found Mu with the Skull Grunts and the Valor member, he let out an audible squeak of joy. He beat all his wings, to rush over as fast as he could. Nosferatu landed on the Valor member’s head, a great big ole smile on his face. The Valor member swatted at Nosferatu, until the Crobat hopped up dove toward Mu. Nosferatu began to look over Mu’s body. In response, Mu’s face grew annoyed at Nosferatu’s staring. His pride looked more wounded than his body. Satisfied that Mu was not about to die, Nosferatu bit his ear, to drag him back to Lohe. Mu responded to this unwanted bit by tossing the bat at the wall. Nosferatu, still smiling, flew up to each of the Skull Grunts and tried tugging at their clothes to bring them back to their friend.
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alku
Technician
Posts: 62
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Post by alku on Feb 28, 2024 15:03:31 GMT -8
IC: Evan Tierra
Upon being struck by Ethan's Scizor, Landorus glared fiercely at his foe, activating his Intimidate Ability. "I haven't the time to deal with you!" The Abundance Pokemon roared as he slammed into the Scizor with a Superpower.
Evan saw that Landorus had things under control, and decided to give Gnip and Behemoth orders. "Behemoth, Icicle Crash on that Torterra and make it hurt!" The Hero said, grinning. "Gnip, LET THE EARTH SHAKE!"
At his command, both Pokemon proceeded to carry out his order. Gnip let out a resounding roar at the Victreebel, causing the earth to rumble and shake. Meanwhile, despite feeling weak from Mega Drain, Behemoth once more slamming his tusks into Ethan's Torterra, but this time added the force of a Double Edge. Upon impact and striking true, Behemoth's icy tusks shattered...
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Post by Konuju on Mar 12, 2024 12:17:00 GMT -8
IC: Bully/Trigger – Alley, Heahea City The two Skull grunts were debating how best to get back at this jerk of a Valor grunt when Lohe's Crobat took care of the problem for them, landing on his pompous hair and sending the cocky dude into a panic.
Just as the not-so-valorous grunt seemed about to smash his head into a wall, Nosferatu left his head in favor of Lohe's Rattata, who tossed him aside with an impressive amount of strength. Next the crazed bat turned his attention to Bully and Trigger, tugging at their clothes.
"Yo, what the hell, man?!" the Valor grunt cried in dismay. "Something's seriously wrong with that Crobat!"
"I think he wants us to follow him," Trigger said, turning back toward the city square. "I'd say anywhere's better than hanging out with this loser."
"Yeah, see ya, chump!" Bully flashed a gang sign before ordering Tokahiko to unleash a Smokescreen, covering their grand exit. The humiliated Valor grunt coughed and wheezed, but by the time the smoke cleared the two Skull grunts were gone.
IC: Shannon Willows/Marie Homura – Lauren's Apartment, Ecruteak City "Seriously, Marie? You took her to Goldenrod? I appreciate your texts, but you should have talked to me first. What if something had happened?"
Marie was taken aback by Shannon's apparent lack of trust. She raised her voice defensively. "I mean, if something had happened, I can handle it, right? I'm an adult too, you know—"
"Being an adult doesn't mean you can handle whatever comes your way!" Shannon cut in.
"Yeah, but it also doesn't mean that explaining what was supposed to be a surprise would have made it any better," Marie shot back. She was trying really hard not to lose her cool, but Shannon was making that extremely difficult at the moment. She looked up at her friend in exasperation. "What should I have done instead? Just giving a vague 'Oh, we're going to Goldenrod!'? I feel like I can make good enough decisions that I could have handled anything outside of weird ass shit that no one can expect. And even then, I've experienced a lot of weird ass shit no one ever expected . . ."
Shannon scoffed and took a querulous step toward Marie. "You don't get it, do you? Sure, you can handle yourself, but have you ever been responsible for keeping a child safe? Aori can't handle herself, and life looks a whole lot different when you're responsible for someone else!"
"Have you aside from this?" Marie was feeling at a loss here. "I made sure she stuck by me and stayed in sight the whole time; it may be different, but I had a lot of influences in my life to help me have an idea . . ."
"That's all I had, too. An idea. And let me tell you, it's a heck of a lot harder than it looks. I take it you didn't have to deal with one of her meltdowns. Or chase after long-haired men who remind her of her father. Or wonder how you're going to feed her on your measly salary . . ."
Marie bit her tongue. Behind all of the anger and rage on Shannon's face, her hazel eyes were brimming with barely held-back tears. For the first time Marie noticed the dark circles under her friend's eyes and the complete exhaustion on her face that came from more than just staying up late for Aori to get home. When Marie spoke, it was in a quiet, empathetic voice. "Is this only about the trip? Or is there something else?"
It was as if Shannon had expended all her energy. She backed off and plopped down on the couch, staring at Marie's feet like a deflated Drifloon. "I should have been the one to take her," she said. "I've been working my butt off trying to make ends meet and feeling guilty about not spending enough time with Aori. And then you just swoop in and take her off to Goldenrod and now she's the happiest I've seen her in a while." With the voice of a spoiled child she mumbled, "It's not fair."
Marie moved to sit on the couch next to Shannon, gingerly placing a hand on her shoulder. "I agree – I won't even try and say that you shouldn't have been able to take her, because you absolutely should have. But everyone needs help in some way or another, and sometimes things don't go the way we want them to." Marie paused and glanced over at the door behind which Lauren and Aori had retreated. "After I found Aori at the park this morning, I just thought to myself that I needed to do something – especially with how she looked and how the weather's changing."
Shannon's face was full of pain, exhaustion and defeat. "I just don't know how I'm supposed to do it. I know I can't just leave Aori on her own all day. At this rate she's practically raising herself." She reached into her purse and pulled out a tattered notebook. Marie spotted a few of the girl's amateur sketches on the first few pages, but the rest were filled with notes, numbers, and calculations.
"I've been trying to find a good school to enroll Aori in," Shannon explained, flipping to the most recent page. "But they're all so expensive. I feel like I'm failing her . . ." At this point the dam broke. All of Shannon's pent up tears from the past several weeks – maybe even months – poured out like a flood.
Marie took a deep breath. She wasn't very good in these kinds of situations, especially when Shannon had been so bitter and angry moments before. But still, she had to at least try. She reached over for a tissue and offered it to Shannon. "I could say something, but first, do you want any kinda help with this?" Marie forced herself to keep eye contact with Shannon. "Like, no matter the type of help, whether it be direct, indirect, advice, whatever. If you do, there are different things we could talk about, but if you don't . . . well, isn't it better that I ask that now? Since my head keeps screaming at me to offer it regardless, and then . . . yeah." She thought back to how angry Shannon had been at her and silently prayed she hadn't just inadvertently triggered her again. "So, yeah, question stands."
Shannon blew her nose loudly, then looked down at her feet. "I don't want to be a burden . . ."
"I know that feeling well," Marie said with a rueful smile. "But, no matter my thoughts on that, it's okay to feel that way sometimes. But it's also okay to not be able to do everything on your own, too – something I've had to learn many a time with help from my mom and my sister and . . ." Her voice trailed off as she stared out the window for a moment and bit her lip.
"I know, I just . . ." Shannon reached for another tissue, wiping at her reddened eyes. "I wish Ryan was here," she said in a breaking voice. "He always knew what to do and always knew how to comfort us."
Marie bit her lip again, a curious look on her face before she abruptly cleared her throat. "Got any favourite drinks or anything like that? It might not hold the answers or anything, but even a nice hot drink can offer a distraction. Then we can think of ways to help make this work better; deal? I don't want to get in the way of you or anything, but I also don't want to see either of you in such a tough spot, after all." Marie offered Shannon a kind smile. "Also, for what it's worth? I'm sorry for not giving more heads up about things. Next time we should either go together, or you two can head shopping on a day off or so."
Shannon nodded, wiping the rest of her tears away. "That sounds good. And for what it' worth, I'm sorry for blowing up at you like that. How about I make us some tea?" Shannon got up and walked across Lauren's tiny apartment to the kitchen. As she started boiling some water, she glanced over her shoulder at Marie. "Ever since my family moved to Celadon, I feel like I've been on my own. Maybe I’m just . . . too used to being on my own. To doing it all myself."
"I get what you mean," Marie admitted. "I was the same way for the longest time – it was just me and my mum, and even then . . . it was hard sometimes and felt like I was just on my own, especially once I got here and my mum lost her memory."
Shannon looked at Marie in surprise. For as much as she had gotten to know the girl over the past few months, she had to admit she knew very little about her past. Then again, Shannon hadn't exactly been an open book herself. The uncomfortable silence was broken by the whine of the tea kettle, signaling their drinks were ready.
A few moments later, Shannon returned to the living room with two steaming mugs of piping hot tea. Offering one to Marie, Shannon cupped her hands around the other and sat back down on the couch, pulling her feet up and resting her chin on her knees. "You know, you don't really talk much about your mom or your sister. I mean, I get it's a sensitive topic; my mom's a real piece of work herself. But, if you don't mind sharing, I'd love to hear a bit more about your story." Shannon quickly distracted herself by taking a gulp of her tea, burning her mouth in the process.
Marie chuckled, taking a small sip of her own tea. "I don't mind at all. I forget if I've told you before, but I actually came from an alternate timeline . . ."
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Post by minun4 on Mar 30, 2024 12:59:13 GMT -8
IC: Lancelot - Mt. Silver
The forest was quiet. Much too quiet for any of the Rockets trudging through the woods. With each footstep, the group expected to be ambushed by an army of monsters. But the monsters didn’t come. They were closing in on their target, and still in good enough condition to fight. Considering how things had gone with their first obstacle, things now seemed to be going much too well.
Lancelot watched Lilinoe as they walked beside the column of trainers. He glanced towards his master as they all trudged through mist and freshly laid snow. She was responsible for concealing them from the Instances, Lancelot knew that much. What he didn’t know was whether she was using her illusions to hide them from the Instances, or if the path before them was an illusion as well. He started to watch his feet as they walked through the snow. He didn’t seem to find himself instinctively changing direction. He grabbed the trunk of a tree as they passed, his pincers digging into the trunk. Seemed real enough.
Satisfied that he was still walking in the direction he thought he was moving, he turned his eyes back towards Lilinoe. He traced her gaze towards the Nosepass at the front of the group. The Nosepass kept adjusting its arms as it continued to trudge through the snow, its face constantly pointing north. It looked foolish, waddling to its left, to keep its nose facing north. And yet that absolute dedication to north was probably keeping Lilinoe from diverting their course.
A sign came from the front of the line, causing the Rockets to stop. They hid behind various trees, as their leader pulled out a small scope to see beyond the treeline to the North. Lancelot positioned himself near Jamie, but kept his eyes on Lilinoe. Lilinoe kept facing west. The Rocket’s target was close, but theirs was still further west. Only when Lilinoe turned to face the direction the Rockets were facing, did Lancelot turn as well.
Snow poured through the gaps in the treeline. Lancelot tried to peer through the snow and fog, but the dense weather blocked his views. When a bright light pierced the fog and the mist gave way. In the clearing rose one of the Mt. Silver’s foot hills. An instance shaped like a fox stood alone atop a rocky formation that formed a small peak on the mountainside. A sigil stretched the body of the formation it stood on. Surrounding it were four Mediant, sentinels standing in silent watch. If there were more Instances guarding the guardians, he couldn’t yet see them. Blinding light poured from the sigil itself, and it took Lancelot intense focus to see anything through it. But Lancelot could just make out shapes emerging from the light. Instances that immediately began marching along the edge of the treeline towards the base the Rockets came from. Lancelot didn’t know whether these Instances were being created here and teleported from somewhere far away, but he understood why the Rockets had to destroy this place. Seemingly endless numbers came from the sigil. If they rushed in now, they would be overwhelmed by sheer numbers. But eventually there would be a break when they could strike. At least, Lancelot assumed that from the fact the Rocket’s were sent here at all.
But the fox Instance at the top was the one that made the strongest impression on him. It reminded him of someone quite close by. He unconsciously turned back towards Lilinoe. Her snout was turned into an angry grimace, just barely holding back a snarl. Lancelot immediately turned to look another way before Lilinoe noticed.
His gaze landed on Jamie. She was smiling. Among the faces of soldiers worn down from constant war, she was the only one smiling among them. Jamie’s face looked the way it did the first time James let her battle with Pelleas and Tristan. Standing across from her in the arena that day, Lancelot had thought that child looked oddly capable. She’d been so eager in the days leading up to it, he thought she’d be a nervous wreck when it arrived. When that child arrived on the battlefield looking so confident and prepared, it took Lancelot aback. He'd seen new trainers before. He'd seen nervousness, exuberance, arrogance, brashness and fear many times. But only a few times had he seen someone look genuinely ready when they took that first step into being a trainer.
The Scyther he’d been chalked it up to a child’s naivety. James wasn’t the type to throw a battle, even to build up a child’s confidence. But Lancelot, looking at her now and seeing that same expression in a warzone, just thought she looked… comfortable. Lancelot wasn’t sure quite how to process the expression. Life and death warfare was always better suited to bloodthirsty monsters like him. When did she find home on the battlefield?
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Post by Parugi on Apr 13, 2024 13:00:45 GMT -8
IC - Esen Windred - Team Valor Leader Candela/Valor Trainer Flame - Heahea City, Akala Island:
With the way that Team Valor were acting, one might've thought that they had just come first in a rap battle competition. They seemed wholly unbothered by the carnage around them, high-fiving and laughing and cheering each other on. Their leader touched down in the center of the field, arms crossed and looking proudly at her team's work. Right now she was scanning around; Esen assumed she was looking for her own group of trainers. An assumption that was all but confirmed as the two of them made eye contact and Esen began to approach. Candela straightened up, smiling confidently and placing her hands on her hips.
"Why, hello," Candela said. "Hopefully you don't mind us swooping in like that--seemed like you guys had it handled but we had to get in on the fun at some point, you know?"
Esen's eyes widened. A fire spread through her chest like none other, and it was all she could do to stop herself from slapping the Team Valor leader. "Are . . . Are you joking?"
Candela's smile flickered. "Huh?"
"Do you think this is a game or something?" Esen asked, her voice dripping in disbelief. "You were watching us the whole time and didn't step in to help until the very end. After . . ." She gestured to the dead civilians around them. "After all these people . . .?"
"Well, uh . . ." Candela rubbed her head uncomfortably. "I--We had to make sure--"
"What?" Esen interrupted. "Make sure . . . that we weren't bad guys or something . . .? As opposed to the things that have been destroying parts of your region?"
"Uh . . ."
Esen slapped her.
IC - Kyle Eston (Kovian)/Levi Alaric - S2-PHANTOM, S3-GHOUL, S4-SLAVE - Ruins of Life, Akala Island:
As protective barriers materialized around the team, the Shadow Suits split off into separate attacks. The SLAVE Unit moved to intercept another attack from Kovian, the sickening dizzying effect of its suit activating, but was interrupted by the Sucker Punch from Byakuya. It skidded to a stop some feet away, its ability interrupted, and responded with a ball of shadowy flames that erupted into an explosion of fire as it neared the Bisharp.
With their battle unimpeded, Kovian focused on the S2-PHANTOM. As he stood atop it, he moved to Slash into it with his shell blade, however the Shadow Suit vanished into the floor. A moment later it materialized beside him, slamming into him with a shadow-imbued tackle. With a growl of pain, Kovian stumbled back, using the momentum to spin into a Razor Shell attack that caught the PHANTOM Unit in its midsection.
Meanwhile, the red-hued GHOUL Unit slammed into the ground in front of the group of trainers. Spikes of earth erupted forward, a cascading wave hurtling toward them with clear intent to impale.
S4-SLAVE: Shadow Fire > Byakuya S2-PHANTOM: Shadow Blitz > Kovian Kovian: Razor Shell > PHANTOM S3-GHOUL: Shadow Rave > Trainers/Megana
IC - Lust/Ethan Worth (Torterra, Beedrill, Scizor, Crustle, Victreebel)/Gladion (Type: Null) - Ula'ula Island:
The battle was a total whirlwind of action that encompassed all of Ethan's team in short order. When the dust cleared, half of his team had already been knocked prone, and Ethan himself was in a chokehold by Gladion. Lust stared, her eyes expressing the full depth of her lack of amusement.
"Grass and Bugs . . . Guess I picked the wrong one," she muttered. She threw her hands up. "Oh well. It's not really a 'me' loss, is it? Have fun explaining your bloodlust to your friend." Shadows rose and enshrouded her, and a moment later Lust was gone.
Ethan coughed, pulling futilely at Gladion's arm. "Uncle! Uncle!"
"Are you done attacking us?" Gladion asked.
"Who was attacking you?" Ethan gasped. "Me? Yes, I'm done, I think!"
IC - Skye Hall/Gavin Braner - Streets, Hau'oli City:
It was a large cemetery--basically an entire park's worth of space--so the trail took a while to follow. The longer it went, the more concerning the loss of blood became, though it seemed that the trail thinned as time went on. Hopefully that meant that the wound had begun to heal or some minor first aid had been applied. The alternative wasn't pleasant to think about.
Still, it took a while before Togie reappeared. As the Togekiss circled back, ready to bring news, the whistle of air sounded as an arrow suddenly shot toward the airborne Pokémon. It was soon followed by another and another, keeping the Togekiss occupied as the attacker kept up an unrelenting assault. As the group turned their attention to the nearby woods, where these attacks seemed to be originating, a trainer with greenish hair and tanned skin stepped out, holding out several Poké Balls.
"Alola!" he said, somehow sounding like he was reading off of a script yet also trying to pretend that he very much was not reading off of a script. "I am a normal Pokémon trainer who has made eye contact with you! That means you must battle me, out here, in this part cemetery and not in the part of the cemetery that you are going to, where there is nothing hiding!" He paused. "Please ignore that last part, because it sounds misleading! I am the only one here! Me, in the woods over here! A normal trainer!"
IC - Sonja Baron/Madison Hayes - Team Mystic Leader Blanche/Mystic Trainer Frost - Reflection Cave, Poni Island:
A look of unease spread across Blanche's face, but they did not respond. It was hard to tell whether they were truly taking in Corey's words or if they were biding time to build a retort, but in either case they did not seem keen to answer quickly. As more and more time passed, Sonja felt herself growing more impatient.
"Are you going to say anything?" she asked. "If you're not going to help then just say it--we have better uses for our time."
"Sonja--" Hayes started.
"No, don't tell me to calm down or whatever it is you're going to say," Sonja snapped. It had been a long time building, and she wasn't even sure when it had started, but somewhere along the way her kindness and understanding had reached its limit. "I'm tired of us having to be the ones to get everyone else on their feet. I'm tired of having to jump through hoops to get anything done. And I'm sick and tired of people with power being too self-absorbed to do anything useful with it. Either you help us or you don't, there's nothing else to debate."
"Hey, where do you get off talking to Blanche like that?" Frost yelled. "You don't know us or what we've been through!"
"So what?" Sonja said. "You think I haven't been through anything like you have? Even if that were true, that doesn't change what's happening now. And it doesn't excuse you all from being cowards, either."
Frost grabbed a Poké Ball from her belt. "You little bi--"
She found her hand stayed by Blanche, who had blocked her way with their arm. "Stop; she's right," Blanche said at last. "All of you, you're right. We've been making excuses not to fight." They hesitated. "The truth is, when that thing appeared, it destroyed Team Skull with hardly any resistance. It's done something to a lot of their members, not even mutating them but instead brainwashing them into following it. All of us . . . We were scared of that happening to us, too. Most of all, I was afraid. I made the decision to hide away instead of trying to help. Not even with the excuse of studying its abilities or biding our time or anything--I just didn't want to have to face that thing's power. I have . . . truly acted cowardly."
A sudden chill ran through the space, coalescing into a pool of shadow nearby. As the group watched, a small figure materialized, its black body standing stark against the light blue tents beside it. Two orange eyes appeared, and then vaguely-humanoid shape stepped forward. It glanced cautiously at Sonja, Hayes, and Corey for a moment, but then looked to Blanche, meeting their eye.
"No way," Frost said. "Is that . . .?"
"Marshadow," Blanche said. "You've returned to us." Their expression turned to one of shame. "I get it . . . I made a mockery of your ways. You were waiting for me to realize that, weren't you?" Marshadow nodded. "I'm sorry." Blanche looked at the others. "Marshadow is a calculative Pokémon. In a lot of ways, it does what we would normally do--what we should have been doing from the start. But while we were hiding from the conflict, Marshadow has been building its strength to fight. I think, with them by our side, we may be ready to help."
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alku
Technician
Posts: 62
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Post by alku on Apr 13, 2024 18:22:52 GMT -8
IC: Evan Tierra
"If y'all are done, then let's get down to business." Evan said, trying not to be bothered by what Lust had said. "But first, I need to take care of my brave Mamoswine." Evan approached Behemoth, who looked at the ruined remains of his once proud tusks. It was enough to make the Twin Tusk Pokémon cry. "I know it hurts, Behemoth. Evan said, petting his poor friend. "But now's not the time for tears. Behemoth, Icicle Crash, but focus inside yourself." Looking at Evan as if he had just asked him to swim in tar, Behemoth paused, and then focused freezing energy inside himself.
"Now focus on your once proud tusks, and let the cold loose."
At his friend's command, Behemoth loosed the energy, and then something truly remarkable (and painful) happened. Ice began to form where the Twin Tusk Pokémon's tusks were, and then it expanded outward, becoming more curled and jagged as it formed two rather fearsomely largh and thick tusks. Their shape was jagged and sharp, more resembling antlers than tusks.
"Would you look at that." Evan said, happily petting Behemoth. "I'd heard that a trainer did this for a Contest Trick, but that was with Ice Shard. It would seem Icicle Crash was more than enough to fix those up." As Evan spoke, Beheomth looked at what his tusks had become, and gave a happy cry. "I do hpe you'll forgive me, Behemoth." Evan said, smiling sheepishly. "But given your reaction. it would seem all is well."
The Hero of Space cast a glance at the sealed shell of Tapu Bulu. "Onto business...."
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Post by Magical Girl Mimi on Apr 17, 2024 10:23:50 GMT -8
-==IC: Chloe Hikari/Olivia Seaton/??? - Heahea City, Akala Island==-
Chloe barely acknowledged what Ellen had said, despite hearing the words that she spoke. It was then that Olivia looked up at the brown-haired woman in the sky - her shock at the sight was quickly replaced by clenched fists and a low growl.
"... Chlo, no chance tha' she's another Nobuddy right?" Olivia asked as she grabbed a Poké Ball off her belt instinctively and clenched it tight. Wordlessly, Chloe held out her hand to stop Olivia, and shook her head with a pained expression. "Okay, okay." Olivia grumbled, then looked over at Ellen. "If that's who I think it is, that creep ruined Chloe and I's lives. Not intentionally - not in the way it ended up happening." The Rocket seemed to have a more personal grudge as well, but she didn't have time to react before a wing flap sent a gust of wind past the three of them. The three grimaced and blocked themselves as a Noctowl landed in front of them.
"Are all of you lovely people okay? That fight looked super intense!" The newcomer said with a bright smile as she leaped down off of the Noctowl. Chloe looked her up and down quietly - outside the natural flow of time and the new getup, Patricia still looked like she did in high school. Somehow, that did not help her case at all. That said, it didn't appear that the woman recognized any of the group at the moment; this did not stop Olivia from trying to shield Ellen from her. After the lack of response, Patricia frowned uneasily. "... You are people, right?"
"Yea', not that you see any of us as that. Just objects to use and abuse." Olivia retorted, still guarding Ellen from the perceived threat. There was a long audible pause after this as Patricia looked between Chloe, Olivia, and Ellen in an attempt to piece together where all of the animosity was coming from. The look of confusion only grew until her gaze fell upon Chloe one last time.
"Wait..." Patricia walked up to Chloe, though Chloe flinched and took an instinctive step back. At that, Patricia stepped back with a shocked look on her face, which slowly faded into one of realization. "Wait, are you Yuki? Then you must be Liv...? And... little sister of one of you?" Patricia frowned as she looked at Ellen and tilted her head. "No, doesn't look anything like either of you..."
"None o' yer business." Olivia snapped as she held herself back from launching herself at her former classmate. "'Specially if you're gonna try to--"
"Liv... Let's just finish our mission." Chloe finally spoke, a pained look on her face as she looked around the crowd for where the others had gone off to - both the others who had been part of the fight, Zeraora who Chloe saw slinking back toward them with an unnerved look on their face, and Esen. Chloe caught a glimpse of Esen talking to someone else - was she important? Chloe began to take a step toward the two of them.
"Hey..." Patricia looked really uneasy suddenly. "This is about... that, isn't it?" Patricia asked as she saw Olivia's fists tighten again. "Can we just--" A loud slapping sound rang out, as silence filled the air, as Patricia and Olivia both turned their attention to Esen and the recently slapped Candela. Patricia gulped as Olivia began to wickedly grin at the sight.
-==IC: Ray Hakuda(Byakuya)/Lucia Zyther(Megan) - Ruins of Life, Akala Island==-
Ray winced as he watched Byakuya take a heavy attack from the attack - the Bisharp looked unsteady on his feet after the flames landed, but his fists and arm blades began to glow with Dark energy as he prepared a Night Slash for his foe. Weaving around in an attempt to keep the suit preoccupied, Byakuya feinted a couple attempts at slashing out, before he swung out fully at the suit's left shoulder in an attempt to immobilize it - though he knew that he could only take one or two more hits like that before he fell.
Lucia grit her teeth as the spikes of earth hurtled toward them. She quickly thought through her different Pokemon for something that might be able to stop the attack, but nothing came to mind exactly. Nothing would be able to prevent them from getting hurt, only lessen the impact like what Megan had already done. To both her and Ray's surprise, however, one of Ray's Poké Balls opened up to reveal a Crabrawler who leaped out in front of the attack. A glow appeared around his arms as a wide barrier began to extend around the party and their young comrade - the earth spikes clashed against the barrier and threatened to break it, but to the Crabrawler's credit, the barrier held up against the assault. However, it appeared as if Chad had taken damage from the initial impact, as once the attack passed, he fell over.
"Whoa." Ray commented with a stunned look on his face as he recalled the brave Crabrawler. However, he recognized that they wouldn't be able to repeat that trick if the red suit tried that a second time. However, as he was about to comment, he saw a beam of blue light pass by his head and hit the Meganium.
"I'm tired of just watching my friends get hurt. Of just reacting." Lucia mumbled as she looked at Megan's Pokeball. With a look of renewed resolve, Lucia threw forward the Poké Ball that contained her Gothorita. When the Pokeball opened, Gothara used her momentum to spin toward the red suit, a steely look in her eyes as bright white light surrounded her. When it faded, a Gothitelle was able to be seen - Shadow Ball in hand as she aimed toward the red suit's head and released the attack. "Telleana!" Lucia thrust her hand forward, eyes filled with the will to fight. "Make sure that bastard pays for what happened in the cafeteria!"
OOC: Byakuya(Bisharp): Night Slash > S4-SLAVE Chad(Crabrawler): Wide Guard > Party, KO'd(Shadow Rave)
Megan(Meganium): Recalled Gothara: EVOLUTION, Shadow Ball > S3-GHOUL
-==IC: Jenny Hakuda(Lurelite/Tenlite) - Ula'Ula Island==-
And just like that, the fight was over - Lust had vanished, and Ethan was protesting the manhandling that he had received from Gladion. On one hand, she was relieved that things were over. But there was also a little bit of frustration that their real enemy had run off too. Pushing that thought out of her mind, Jenny called her Pokemon closer, uncertain if the conflict was truly over, with what Lust had said. Something felt off to her still, and she hoped it was just her imagination.
-==IC: Colleen Llyan - Hau'oli Cemetery, Melemele Island==-
Colleen raised an eyebrow at the trainer's antics - he looked younger than the rest of them, but she could sense the prowess of the trainer even without her aura powers. With a glance of skepticism to the others, she took a single step forward and raised her hands to show that she meant no harm. "We're not here to hurt anyone. If you really want us to battle, then we can, but we're part of the resistance against the giant blob that's in the ocean; any time we can avoid wasting would be great, and..." Colleen bit her lip as she motioned toward the thinning trail of blood. "I think that avoiding wasting time might be good for you too?"
-==IC: Corey Bouchard - Reflection Cave, Poni Island==-
As the Marshadow showed up and the tensions began to diffuse, Corey let out a breath they didn't realize that they had been holding. They looked over at Sonja to see what she thought about the turn of events (and the fact that people actually listened for once), though they were personally relieved that things seemed to have been settled. They did wonder about Sonja, however - but without any point of reference, they simply made a note to talk to Chloe and Ray about it when everyone got back to Vertrag.
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Post by minun4 on Apr 19, 2024 12:19:37 GMT -8
IC: Lohe Mahina - Heahea City
Lohe watched as Esen slapped Candela, his face wrapping into a satisfied grin. He shot Esen a thumbs-up. Everything he’d wanted to say was so eloquently put in that simple gesture. He didn’t want to ruin the moment by something so petty as ‘doing his job’. But reality, in the form of a Crobat, came flying in followed by obligation in the form of several Skull Grunts. Lohe stood up as Nosferatu flew straight to him. Nosferatu perched on Lohe’s still outstretched arm immediately hung upside down on it. Dooming Lohe to hold out his arm forever, or until he got tired. Whichever came first. With Nosferatu on arm, he walked over to Candela and Esen. “If the point has been made,” Lohe said to Candela. “I’ve got some questions about some missing Team Skull members. Four of them; they got teleported by a powerful psychic type. And that cult, I want to know what you know about them.” With his free hand, he gestured towards Esen. “And if she didn’t make it clear, we are all out of patience for your games.”
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Post by Parugi on Apr 23, 2024 18:59:34 GMT -8
IC - Sonja Baron/Madison Hayes - Team Mystic Leader Blanche/Mystic Trainer Frost - Reflection Cave, Poni Island:
They gave Blanche and the other Team Mystic members a moment to reconnect with Marshadow, waiting for the Mystic leader to step back and approach them again. When they did, Frost came with them, arms crossed and maintaining a wary stare on the coalition group.
"Right, well," Blanche said at last. "We're committed. What would you have us do?"
"To start with?" Sonja said. "This island is currently an active battle ground with Missing Zero. The more we can keep it engaged here, the slower it'll spread elsewhere. So that would be where we need you right now."
Blanche nodded. "Frost, get a preliminary group together to scout out the situation--once they report back, we'll figure out rotations." She nodded and headed off.
"Any supplemental information you can give us would be appreciated as well," Hayes said. "Anything you know, rumors or gossip or anything from around the region, that you think might be helpful."
"Hm . . ." Blanche ran a hand through their hair, thinking. "Anything relevant, that might depend. What is your ultimate goal in Alola?"
"Right now, just getting defenses going," Sonja said. "The list is running pretty short at this point. If we can find a way to hit Missing Zero more directly, then we'll go after that next."
"In that case, I would recommend taking a look at Po Town," Blanche said. "Not long before our region came under attack, there was some sort of meteor that crashlanded there; all of the conflict with Missing Zero started shortly after that."
IC - Esen Windred - Team Valor Leader Candela/Valor Trainer Flame - Heahea City, Akala Island:
Candela's face burned with equal parts anger and embarrassment as she stumbled back to her feet, assisted with a hand from Flame. With her entire team gathered around her, she had half a mind to retaliate, challenge this other girl to a street fight then and there, but couldn't. Both her attacker and the new guy questioning her gave Candela weird vibes, and for now, at least, she wasn't keen on getting mixed up with them. Still, she had to save face somehow.
She grinned, giving Esen a nod. "You pack quite a punch; I respect that," she said. "You've got that dog in you, huh?"
Esen squinted her eyes, giving a slight shake of her head. "What does that even mean?"
"Don't worry about it, dawg," Flame said. "You got the fire! That's all that counts!"
Loud cheers erupted around them.
With a deep breath, Esen closed her eyes. "Five."
"Five?" Flame repeated.
"Four."
"Oh, she's counting down."
"Three--"
"Okay, stop, stop," Candela said, throwing her hands up. "I don't wanna know what happens at zero." She pointed to Lohe. "Look, I don't know anything about your specific missing Skulls. But Team Skull?" She glanced back at the stage, eyes sweeping over the surrounding carnage. "Well, that cult's all you need to know, to be real, cuz that cult is Team Skull. Mostly. From what I've seen, anyway. They've been coming here every couple of days doing their weird shit to try and get more people. Sometimes it works. Those ones never come back though."
"They get taken somewhere else?"
"I mean, yeah, I think so. Skull used to operate out of Po Town, so I'd guess that's where they go."
"How is Team Skull not operating out of Po Town anymore if this cult is Team Skull?"
"Well, it's not all of Team Skull," Candela said. "Just a big chunk of 'em. The rest of them have been scouting out places on other islands to relocate." She gave Lohe a look. "Hey, I bet if you find them, you'll find the ones you're looking for. Last I heard Guzma and his holdouts are hiding out at the abandoned Thrifty Megamart on the south side of Ula'ula."
IC - Skye Hall/Gavin Braner/? - Streets, Hau'oli City:
The trainer gave a surprised look, as though he hadn't expected this turn of events. They could hear him muttering to himself as he scrambled to think of a response. As Colleen stepped forward, he threw a hand up.
"Uh, wait a minute--man they picked the worst job for me," he muttered, before putting on that faux-normal manner of speech. "Let's see, uh--oh, uh, trail of blood? I have no idea what you are referring to! It would be foolish of you to think that such a thing is a thing around here!"
Skye squinted. "Isn't that . . . That's that Hau guy, isn't it?" She glanced at Colleen. "Any idea what he's up to?"
IC - Kyle Eston (Kovian)/Levi Alaric - S2-PHANTOM, S3-GHOUL, S4-SLAVE - Ruins of Life, Akala Island:
Byakuya's blade cut through shadow and air and found purchase in the SLAVE Unit's shoulder. Such close proximity was a double-edged sword however, as the Shadow Suit reared back with its free arm and slammed it forward with a Shadow Break attack, aiming to destroy the Bisharp's defenses.
The Shadow Ball sent the GHOUL Unit reeling, caught off-guard by the force of the counterattack against it. As it came to a skidding halt, smoke rolling off of its form, it took aim at the Gothitelle and unleashed a shadowy bolt of electricity toward her.
The PHANTOM Unit proved a challenging foe. As quickly as Kovian could strike, it could just as quickly move out of the way. Kyle watched from his position near the entrance, conscious of Levi hiding beside him and unable to leave him to help directly. In a flash of strikes, he saw Kovian force the PHANTOM Unit backwards, before it sidestepped and managed to grapple the Samurott, wrapping shadowy chains around him.
"Kovian!" Kyle thrust his hand forward, returning his Pokémon to his Poké Ball. With the sudden disappearance of its opponent, the Shadow Suit fell off-balance, allowing Kyle to throw another ball forward. His Onix appeared, crashing on the field from above, and caught the PHANTOM Unit underneath his heavy body.
S4-SLAVE: Shadow Break > Byakuya S3-GHOUL: Shadow Bolt > Gothitelle
IC - Ethan Worth/Gladion - Ula'ula Island:
The temple stood quiet as the group approached the totem pole. As the familiar presence of Jenny and Evan neared, the bell suddenly rang, and the bull-like figure shifted. It floated forward, the wooden shell opening up to reveal a burly, black figure with hoofed arms and two large horns supporting the shell above it. The figure floated there, greenish eyes flitting over the faces of the group before it.
Evan Tierra and Jenny Hakuda--you have returned, the Guardian Spirit of Ula'ula Island said. And you have driven away the corrupted one from this sacred--
A deep rumbling interrupted Tapu Bulu, a force so rooted throughout the temple that it shook the entire structure around them. A moment later thick tangles of dark vines erupted from the walls and ceiling. They whipped outward, enshrouding the Guardian Spirit like hundreds of snakes that coiled over every inch of its body and forced it still. Thicker vines caught both Landorus and Type: Null as well, overpowering them and immobilizing them. Then all three Pokémon were pulled back, lifted toward the ceiling and dragged through earth and rock out of sight. A rumbling sounded from within the stone above, growing fainter.
"Null! Damn it!" Gladion shouted, all thought of restraining Ethan gone. "Whatever that is, it's above the temple!" Without waiting for the others, he charged toward the exit and vanished, intent only on getting line of sight on their assailant.
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Post by Konuju on Apr 24, 2024 13:26:02 GMT -8
IC: Ellen Burks/Bully/Trigger/Snake – Streets, Heahea City "Chloe? Olivia? What's going on?" Ellen looked between the three girls in growing confusion. Based on Chloe and Olivia's tones, one would expect this Valor member to be the scum of the earth, worse than Kane and McKinley combined.
And yet, the Valor woman seemed both remorseful and scared. Not at all like the villain she was being made out to be. At that moment, Esen slapped the Valor leader, and Olivia looked like she was about to do the same.
"Wait, stop!" Ellen pulled back on Olivia's arm before she could do anything she might regret. "I don't know what your history is, but surely you all can talk it out? There—" she desperately motioned at the dead Nobuddy and Walkorpse that littered the town square, tears welling up in her eyes. "There's been enough violence today."
Meanwhile, Snake, Bully and Trigger's tearful reunion was interrupted by Candela's response to Lohe's question. "The Abandoned Megamart?" Snake raised an eyebrow. "Not a bad place to hide. Don't know if our crew is there with them, but I suppose anything's possible." He had to admit, with a Cosmog's teleportation abilities, their friends could be literally anywhere in the world right now. The largest gathering of Skull members seemed about as likely a place as any, and unfortunately they didn't have any other leads at the moment.
"Well, thanks for the help, Yer Snarkiness," Bully said, turning on his heels and trying to drag Lohe away from the Valor members. "Guess we'll be on our way, then. Big things to do."
IC: Ryan Sanders – Hau'oli Cemetery, Alolan Route 2 "We don't have time for this," Ryan grumbled, his attention split between the odd Trainer who was quickly growing on his nerves and the assault of arrows targeting his Togekiss. "Togie, Extrasensory!"
Togie glowed with psychic power as he mentally caught the barrage of arrows. The projectiles halted in midair before falling harmlessly to the ground. However, with a mental shove Togie sent one arrow floating toward Ryan, who caught it with an outstretched arm.
Ryan had to admit he didn't know much about arrows. This one was long and thin, and surprisingly lightweight, with a pointed tip and decorative feathers. He looked up at the green-haired Trainer, whom he recognized from multiple pictures. "Hau," he said as calmly as he could, with an underlying tone of urgency. "We're part of the resistance fighting back against the Missing Zero. Some people in weird suits are looking for you. Selene and Elio, too. I tried to lead them astray as best I could, but there's no guarantee they won't find you. We're here to help, but you have to trust us." He looked into the Trainer's eyes, hoping to convey that they truly meant no harm. He held out the arrow toward Hau. "You can start by calling off the attack on my Togekiss."
IC: Shannon Willows/Yamamoto Aori – Streets, Ecruteak City "How much further?"
"We're almost there." As Shannon tread the familiar streets her mind was warped back to a simpler time, one where the war that waged between the government and rebels seemed far away. Her breath caught in her throat as she stopped walking. Aori nearly ran into her, but Shannon barely noticed.
"Ouch! Yanagi-san, why did you--?"
"This is it." Tears began to well up in her eyes as Shannon choked out her next words. "This is my home – the house I grew up in."
As far as homes went, it was nothing extraordinary. To Aori and Marie it would have looked nearly identical to the dozens of houses around it. But to Shannon, it was more than that. A place of memories; of a childhood lost all too soon, one that could never be regained. She could still make out the scratches in the large elm tree where she and Selena had spent countless hours training. And around the side of the house, obscured by a rundown fence, she could see the tip of her old swing set, now covered in rust.
But as familiar as it was, it was also unfamiliar. The strange car parked in the driveway served as the biggest reminder that she no longer lived here. And while she easily located her old bedroom window, the walls had been repainted an ugly green.
Ryan's Tyranitar placed a comforting hand on Shannon's shoulder, which served as a reminder of Shannon's other regret. Though Ryan had expressed interest in revisiting Shannon's old home, they had been so caught up in the festival that she'd never had a chance to show him. Perhaps if they'd taken the time, Ryan's killer might never have found them . . .
"Yanagi-san?" Aori spoke in a soft voice and hugged her leg. "Why are you crying?"
Shannon couldn't help but chuckle as she wiped at her eyes. "I'm just sad for the two of you," she lied. "You and Marie can't exactly show me where you grew up." The sentiment was certainly true: Aori's home had been destroyed by Missing Zero, and Marie's was in an entirely different dimension. But Shannon hoped that Aori and Marie didn't pick up on the fact that this was a cop-out answer. She didn't want to think about the truthful answer. She looked away. "We should go, before the new owners catch us staring . . ."
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Post by Konuju on Apr 27, 2024 5:26:29 GMT -8
OOC: Happy Anniversary, Rise of the Rockets! 14 Years!
IC: Zoe Llyan/C̸̙̔ö̸͉́l̶̺͋l̴͇̈́é̴̬è̸̟n̶̻͑ ̴̻̕L̴̾͜l̶̳͝ÿ̸͖́a̸͎̔n̶͎̚?̵̡̓ - V̷̳̈́i̶͈͒e̸̛̮r̶͚̀ ̸̈́ͅV̵̙͐ĩ̴̳l̵̥͗l̷̳̿a̴̟̕g̶̞̈́e̵͎̅ ? ? ? Zoe hit the ground hard. Her vision blurred. Kammy had rushed up with incredible speed and knocked her aside. The Blastoise now stood frozen in place, one arm outstretched. Only when Zoe blinked, she didn't see a Blastoise, but an Alolan Sandslash whose claw was buried in the fur of a large white fox – the Grim Reaper that had attacked her earlier on the mountain. The Reaper's own claw was also buried in the Sandslash, and blood splattered across the grass . . . or was it a blanket of red snow?
Esmeralda wasted no time in retaliating. Whirling her stick, she sent a blast of fire at the Bastoise/Sandslash, which struck both it and the Reaper. Both creatures cried out in pain, and Zoe's vision blurred again.
Suddenly she felt warm arms embrace her. "Haeata," a voice whispered in her ear. It sounded like Collie, and yet it didn't. "I can't lose you again!"
Zoe felt cold. She looked at the snow falling around her. Snow, in Vier Village? Suddenly, reality shifted and the image of a lush forest was gone, replaced by a harsh, snowcapped mountain. Collie's features shifted into those of Drifter.
"Z?" Drifter said, pulling back slightly. "What the hell is going on?" As Drifter's Sandslash collapsed in a bloody heap on the snow, the Reaper took a step back before transforming into the image of a girl Zoe did not recognize.
"Lilinoe," the girl said in a strange voice, as if speech was unfamiliar to her. Her attention was directed toward Esmeralda. "Why? Why keep me from . . . vengeance?" She stretched out an arm toward Stitch, who quickly moved to cower behind Esmeralda's legs.
"You're not Haeata." Drifter recalled her Sandslash in a flash of light, leaving behind a mound of blood-stained snow. Zoe could tell she was trying hard not to break into tears. "So why do you look like her? Why do you torture me with these illusions?"
"Yo, Drifter! Z! What the hell is going on here?" Beast ran up to them, followed shortly by Tracer. Both were spouting some nonsense about having been transported to Melemele or Unova before returning to the mountain.
"You can ask that thing," Drifter said, pointing at the image of Haeata, her voice shaking.
Zoe looked between Drifter and the mysterious girl, trying to piece everything together. "Is that your sister?" she asked in a small voice, scooping up Stitch and hugging him close to her chest.
"My sister died years ago." Although her voice was as cold as steel, Zoe could hear the underlying pain as Drifter looked into Haeata's eyes. "This thing disgraces her memory by posing as her."
Haeata – or the monster posing as her – silently observed these interactions with something akin to curiosity.
Beast took a step forward, hand on his Pokéball. "Yo, what do you want with us?"
Haeata pointed at Zoe and Stitch. "Vengeance," she said simply, hatred in her voice.
"Why does everyone want Stitch?" Zoe asked, turning to shield the cowering Cosmog. "He never did anything to anybody!"
Haeata raised her arms, her entire body seeming to stretch to an unnatural height. Her form shimmered in the snow, and suddenly Zoe found herself looking at the Grim Reaper – a bipedal white fox, whose fur was stained red with blood. One eye was little more than pale yellow, the area around it covered in scars. The monster reminded Zoe of pictures she'd seen before of a Zoroark, but this was unlike any she'd ever seen before. Haeata's voice – or the monster's – echoed in their minds. It was a single word, wrought with emotion and pain from a past they knew nothing of. "Mahina!"
With unimaginable speed, the Zoroark leapt toward Zoe and Stitch. Esmeralda stepped in front, blocking the monster with her kapu stick. The Zoroark snarled bitterly, even as the stick erupted into flames and forced her back.
"Stitch, I know you're scared," Zoe said desperately. "But we need to get off this mountain! Do you think you can bring us home?"
"Our hideout on Melemele Island!" Drifter clarified. "Everyone focus on that!"
Stitch waved his arms menacingly at the Zoroark, his entire body beginning to glow. The bright light enveloped Zoe, Esmeralda, Drifter, Beast, and Tracer. The next instant, Zoe felt the cold snow replaced by soft dirt, as the smell of many trees filled her nostrils.
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Post by minun4 on May 3, 2024 12:40:48 GMT -8
IC: Lohe Mahina - Heahea City
Lohe felt the tug on his shoulder, but he was still mulling the situation over. What Candela had just told him wasn’t much he didn’t already know. He doubted that their missing Skull Grunts were with the others. Wouldn’t they have found a way to contact their friends if they had joined up with the other Skull survivors? Still, maybe it was worth checking in with them anyway.
At least, Lohe let out a sigh. “Figures, we just came from Ula’ula island.” He began to pet Nosferatu to alleviate his feelings of disappointment. Nosferatu chirped happily as Lohe scratched his ears. “Guess I was wondering if the cult had any bases off of Ula’ula. But if it’s just the ones in Po Town, then you’re not telling me anything I haven’t seen with my own eyes.”
Lohe finally let Bully start dragging him away. “Anyway, we’d better be going. Have some Skull Grunts to find. Can’t let civilians stay MIA. Especially that little girl with the Braixen. Z-Whatever.”
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Post by Magical Girl Mimi on May 5, 2024 14:25:55 GMT -8
-==IC: Corey Bouchard - Reflection Cave, Poni Island==-
Corey nodded as they thought things over. "A meteor, huh..." There was a small frown on their face as they wondered what the implications of that could mean. That said, Corey smiled and gave a bow. "Thank you for the information, and thank you in advance for the assistance."
-==IC: Chloe Hikari/Olivia Seaton/Zeraora - Patricia Walker - Heahea City, Akala Island==-
Olivia paused and looked down as Ellen grabbed onto her arm. Her eyes scanned the fallen bodies of all kinds briefly, before she looked away and closed her eyes with a scowl. "Fine, Ellen has a point," Olivia reluctantly said after a couple moments, but opened her eyes to glare at Patricia. "But that ain't gonna mean I'm gonna be all buddy-buddy with you - and Chloe is probably gonna ignore you after what you did to her. Fair warnin'."
Patricia let out a sigh of relief at being saved from the fate Candela had suffered, then grinned. "It's okay bestie, I'll make it up to all of you. Think of it as a way to get to know each other again! You're gonna love it."
"Fat chance..." Olivia mumbled under her breath - but as Olivia had predicted, Chloe simply didn't pay attention to what Patricia was trying to say, as she tried to listen to what Candela and Esen were talking about.
"We'll talk later, and I'll fill you in, okay?" Chloe took the moment to give Ellen a telepathic message, and tuned back in as they were talking about the cult being mainly comprised of Skulls and holdouts on Ula'ula Island. Most of it didn't seem super connected to their mission, but then Lohe mentioned about a little girl with a Braixen with a name that began with Z. Olivia stood up without thinking, as memories of the kid that always was around Colleen sprung to mind. The kid that secretly followed along to Kalos. A kid with a Fennekin, the form before Braixen. Olivia looked to Chloe in shock, who was also processing this fact along with the fact that Colleen had been trying to reach Zoe for a while to no avail.
"Hey, where is Zoe?" Olivia asked Chloe, but the psychic seemed just as much at a loss about that. Chloe stepped forward with a frown.
"Excuse me, who are you talking about?"
-==IC: Colleen Llyan - Hau'oli Cemetery, Melemele Island==-
"That's Hau?" Colleen seemed surprised at the mention of who it was, but lowered her voice further with an incredulous look on her face. "He's covering for someone, but doing a pretty terrible job at it..." The wind rustled the trees as Colleen listened to what Ryan said. She quietly thought about what was going on, and took a deep breath as she held up a hand to Ryan.
"Look, I think we got off on the wrong foot, and I can understand why. Something happened to some of your friends right? And you were told to be lookout and to try to guide people away? I understand completely not wanting to trust people randomly at their first words based on that," Colleen held her hands up to show that she meant no harm, as she stayed right where she was. "My name is Colleen Llyan - I am from the Sevii Islands, across the sea near Kanto. I can use and read Aura, and right now we're trying to find some ways to protect the world from the monster that showed up a few months ago."
A golden glow filled her eyes briefly as she tried to scan for traces of aura past Hau. However, she yelped and covered her eye with a wince as a powerful radiance emanated from the forest past Hau - though one side seemed less overwhelming. Colleen stopped searching as she realized that all she'd see would overwhelm her senses. "There's a very bad trail of blood leading here... if those people my friend here Ryan is talking about did this, then it won't take long for them to find you... and as it is, someone is very hurt aren't they? If that's the case, then every second we waste could lead to a bad outcome," Colleen took another couple steps forward, hands still raised. "If you still don't trust me, then take me as prisoner for now until we can prove ourselves. But we can't waste time debating this - both for the world's sake, and for the sake of your friends and one of those powerful auras I can sense growing weaker as we talk."
-==IC: Ray Hakuda(Byakuya)/Lucia Zyther(Telleana) - Ruins of Life, Akala Island==-
Byakuya's eyes widened as he saw the powerful attack coming. Unfortunately, as expected, the proximity meant that there was no time to react before the Shadow Break struck and knocked the Bisharp clear across the room. With quick reflexes, Ray switched out his faithful partner for Zangetsu, then held his left hand forward.
"Alright then, Zangetsu! Looks like it's time for a little more power... let's go," Ray started to say as he placed his right hand on his left to brace it. "Zangetsu, Crush Claw, but do it MEGA!" As the orange haired trainer yelled out his command, a burst of wind emanated from the Zangoose as a shell of rainbow light enveloped him. Shortly after, the shell burst open to reveal the Mega Zangoose that was dashing toward the SLAVE unit with claw pulled back. Once in range, Zangetsu aimed to slash upwards with a powerful uppercut aimed to break the helmet off and daze whoever was piloting it.
Lucia concentrated as Telleana continued to move forward despite the lightning that was being thrown toward her. On one hand, Telleana taking unnecessary damage early on was a bad idea - but the alternative was the possibility of her and the others getting hit by one of these attacks instead. So she didn't give a command to dodge. The attack seemed to hit hard, but nothing to worry about just yet. "Strike back now; Psybeam! Then circle around to their side and strike there!"
Telleana grit her teeth as the Shadow Bolt struck her hard, but focused and sent off a Psybeam with the hope of her opponent getting confused by the attack. Once the attack was done, the Gothitelle strafed to the right in an attempt to either lure the GHOUL to follow her movements, or to take advantage of its attention being taken off of her.
OOC:
Species: Gothitelle Nickname: Telleana Gender: Female Trainer: Lucia Zyther Appearance: The white parts of her body are coloured red instead. Personality: Evolving has balanced her out once again - instead of being angry at the world, she has placed her energy into becoming strong enough to protect those who can be dear to her and Lucia, and is intent to keep that up. Ability: Competitive Specialty: Special Attack +++, Attack -, Speed ++, Healing move effectiveness increased, (Placeholder) Known Moves: Heal Pulse (EGG), Dark Pulse (EGG), Psybeam, Feint Attack, Shadow Ball (TM), Energy Ball (TM), Thunderbolt (TM) EXP: 16
-==IC: Jenny Hakuda - Ula'ula Island==-
"Great!" Jenny grumbled as she began to run after Gladion, frustrated at herself. "I just had to even think about how it was easy! Shouldn't we have learned about this by now? "Don't count your torchics before they hatch", it's a pre-school saying for crying out loud!" She fumbled for her Scizor's Poké Ball, then sent her out. "Scizlite, scout on ahead, we'll catch up soon!" With a nod, the Scizor flew off ahead, using the speed from Bullet Punch to move faster through the tunnels.
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