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 Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2015 4:06 pm
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Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2015 4:12 pm
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Route 10 - The Crater
Living to die is a waste.
'You don't get it do you?'
"If you can't risk your life, then your life is worthless!" Haxorus' blade was stronger with the Sword Dance, and he stepped into the sideways swing, turning his whole body into the motion so that only his side would be parallel to Ratio, the rest of him distanced enough to, in Goldberg's opinion, avoid any deep wounds.
The blood that drained from each motion of effort was a weight. One that Goldberg had long gotten over. There were fighters that quit with pain, fighters that quit when it got hard to move, fighters that could ignore pain, fighters that could ignore a shot to the genitals, or fighting just as ferocious while winded, and then there was Goldberg.
But even the giant had limits. The foggy haze of blood loss wasn't a detriment to him, just his life. It only focused him, sharpened him, as his brain shut down non-essential areas. Even if he collapsed within the next few seconds, it would be a fatal mistake for anyone to just ignore Goldberg's assault.
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Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2015 4:14 pm
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Route 10 - The Crater
"STOP IT!"
After being Hurled across Route 10 for about a page or so, Matheson was lucky not to land on anymore traps. Instead of exploring further for the source of the explosion, he stayed in one place, waiting for his Vespiquen and Klefki to find him. There was much more going on here than he would've imagined, none of it good. His impulses usually threw him into the midst of trouble. This time his impulse told him to be cautious.
Now, with his Pokémon by his side, he finally made it to where the scent of smoke was thickest, where Ferox had reduced a dozen people to ash. Several Combee Grubs had joined together, side by side, to create a honeycomb shaped platform for Matheson to travel on. Their tiny wings buzzed underneath him, guiding him safely over whatever traps may have been below.
He had very little context for what was going on, but he knew two things almost for certain. The first was that the big orange haired man was going to bleed out shortly if the Creature didn't get to him first. "Rhea," he said, pointing to Goldberg. "He needs your help."
His Vespiquen, who hovered next to him, nodded. She summoned more grubs from underneath his hive dress. They circled over Goldberg, each one shooting a String Shot to cling onto his huge body from many angles. If they made their mark, the grubs would gently lift Goldberg away to a nearby flat rock so Rhea could treat him, though it would be a slow movement considering his weight.
The second thing Matheson thought he knew was something about the Creature. Jullien Nostrad had sent warning to the four Court House heads that there was a man on the loose who was killing nobles. The same man who allegedly killed his uncle days ago. Matheson stood tall on his platform, tightly clutching a silver key between his fingers. Metis hovered next to him, apprehensive.
"Are you," he asked Ratio with conviction, "The one who killed Gabriel Leroux?"
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Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2015 4:37 pm
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Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2015 4:47 pm
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Route 10 - The Crater
Goldberg's foot planted to regain his balance after the swing, as Ratio jumped backwards. The Blade was flung at him, and he brought Haxorus over his shoulder, meeting the blade head on. The shockwave of their combined power split the earth between them, leaving a gash across the land.
Goldberg couldn't break the force of it, but he could redirected it. Moving his arm in a diagonol fashion, he turned Aegislash's attack into a wound instead of impalement, letting the blade eat through his side. Goldberg twisted with the force of it, but his his balance on the ball of his good foot.
He turned his head toward Ratio, aware of Aegislash's autonomy. Goldberg made to move but his knee bent instead, and he dropped to it. There was too much blood flow that went through ones legs, and Goldberg didn't have the blood to sustain the effort of moving them anymore. He caught himself with his remaining hand as his body began to slump.
's**t. Couldn't even scratch him.'
But he wasn't dead yet. If he could just move one more time. Goldberg strained his muscles to rise. However, his body gave out again, and Goldberg collapsed again, barely suppling the strength to keep himself from lying flat in the dirt.
'Coming back again?'
It says here you've died seven times. Each time you were lucky enough to be brought back before sustaining permanent injury to your brain, or body. How far are you willing to push youself?
'Take me if you can, death, you old b*****d.'
Goldberg grinned at Ratio, even as the light in his eyes died, and he fell to the ground. Still, there was a subtle rise and fall of his chest - the giant man still alive. Ratio could finish him if he wanted to.
However that was when Math arrived to save the day.
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Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2015 4:59 pm
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Route 10 - The Crater
Aegislash span through the air from the force of Goldberg's deflection, arcing around before being caught by its master. Ratio held the sword pokémon at his side, deliberating over Goldberg. He barely spared the Haxorus a glance, though he was prepared to end it if the pokémon sought more battle. Then Goldberg was shot with string, each String Shot distributing the admin's weight and lifting him into the air.
'Matheson Leroux,' Ratio said, ignoring the question. He hadn't recognised the noble personally, as the trainer was far too young for that. Instead, he had seen his picture in a frame. Behind his mask, Ratio's eyes glowed red around the irises. 'You're afraid, Matheson, yet you think it brave that you stand before me, seeking answers. It isn't bravery that drives you, but recklessness. This isn't your world. Run along home.'
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Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2015 8:52 pm
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Route 10 - The Crater
Scared? Matheson was scared, but not of Ratio himself, even though the man exuded nothing but darkness. He was scared of what would happen if Ratio wasn't stopped. That fear drove him to where he was now. "If you know my name, you know this is my world as much as anyone else's."
The grubs delicately lowered Goldberg onto the flat rock, disconnecting their lines when each parts of his body was placed down. Rhea buzzed to the giant man's side and gave a Heal Order to the grubs. They started by working on the impalement wound, repairing his vitals so they could stitch up the gaping hole. It was slow work, as Heal Order wasn't meant to be used on someone other than Rhea. The grubs knew her anatomy intimately, and though Rhea had done much repair on humans in her training the speed would never be the same.
She summoned another trio of grubs to search for Goldberg's missing toes, which could be stitched on. Unfortunately, reattaching his arm was out of the question. Rhea started to do what she could with the arm that was left.
Stray ash blew across Matheson's face. As he swatted it away, he looked down near the crater and saw dark splotches of earth on the ground. Splotches shaped like human beings. He gave Ratio a charged, pleading look.
"I don't want to fight you," Math called over to Ratio, "But I can't let you go either! What do you want?" His hand swept desperately to the charred remains of Jeff and his Squad. "Do you have to kill all these people to get it?"
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Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2015 9:20 pm
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Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2015 9:48 pm
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Route 10 - The Crater
Matheson balked at Ratio's words. They weren't an answer to his question. He doubted very much he'd accept any answer that tried to justify killing in the first place. Even if he didn't know what was going on, he knew that Ratio couldn't be right. "I don't know what you just said but it didn't sound like an answer! Wait!"
He eyed Rhea. She was too busy to help stop Ratio. Involving her further could make her a target, which would make Goldberg a target too. That life was in his hands now. Math grit his teeth and took a Pokéball off of his belt. "Damnit, I can't let you hurt anyone else! Metis!"
A key jangling in the Klefki's grasp shined, and at Prankster speed, lines of pink caution tape would spread forth from its tip. The tape would spread outwards, wrapping itself in a dome that covered the crater and just beyond its lip. The seal was impenetrable, even solid between the gaps in the tape. Nothing inside would leave. Metis had locked down the battlefield with her, Math, Ratio and Ferox inside. Rhea and Goldberg were outside the dome looking in from the safer distance of the flat rock.
At the same time, Matheson released his Milotic to the ground below him and his bug platform. The Tender Pokémon coiled and slithered up until she too was hovering, albeit just a few inches off the ground. It was a trait common to most Milotics science had yet to explain. Another ability it had was to bring soothing calm to restless spirits, and wash away feelings of hostility or anger to quell a fight.
Titania's body would glow a vivid pink, and then release a pulse of energy shortly after that would spread outwards throughout the Fairy Lock dome. Matheson hoped that it would be enough to keep Ratio and Ferox in place so he could talk them down into some answers before the Fairy Lock went down.
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Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2015 10:42 pm
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Route 10 - The Crater
Ratio barely broke his stride when the pink dome manifested before him, barring exit. Almost as soon as Metis completed the Fairy Lock, and before any of Titania's attempts to prevent battle worked, Ferox turned and unleashed a wild Roar. The air shook horribly, but the worst of it gathered in a single point; the Klefki. Roar would force the pokémon back into its ball and shatter Fairy Lock, then drag another of Matheson's pokémon into battle. But at that point it didn't matter.
'Ferox,' Ratio said over his shoulder as he crested the crater's edge. 'Entertain our young noble.'
At this command, Ferox growled, as if disgruntled over such a trifling task. Regardless, she prowled the rise between Matheson's team and her master. Though small for an Arcanine, each shift of her body displayed bundles of tight muscle rippling beneath her short fur. Each deadly fang seemed unnaturally long and sharp as blades. And she seemed eager to use them.
Once out of the crater, Ratio would step onto thin air, suspended by his Aegislash and its renewed Magnet Rise. This way he would be free of any traps as he launched himself towards Bryony's lab, cloak blowing behind him like a thousand bat wings.
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Posted: Wed Sep 09, 2015 8:36 am
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Route 10 - The Crater
Fairy Lock shattered as Metis was forced back into her ball, but it wasn't what Matheson was focused on. He knew the dome was finite. The effects of Titania's Soothe Pulse, or the lack thereof, gave him more answers about Ratio than the man had given himself. The pulse would only dispel anger or hostility, which would give Matheson a chance to make the peace permanent through his words. If what Ratio was doing was born out of active malice, he would've stopped in his tracks and reconsidered his actions as his heart came to rest.
But it had no effect. That man was not killing these people out of rage or hatred. That man was killing these people with a heart of stone. Perhaps he was angry once, and he reforged that anger into straight conviction. Perhaps he had never been angry at all. No matter what, this man treated his slaughter as a job, one that he did with no compunctions. An emotional murderer was untamed, wild. This man was cold, and he was thinking with a rationale, and that was far more dangerous.
Ferox, however, seemed eager to fight. Matheson assumed that if it wasn't for the Soothe Pulse, the Arcanine would've already attacked him. Her bloodthirst was extreme, barely at bay. This was a different breed of monster, and a monster all the same. Regardless, Math still wished not to fight them.
"Rhea, go! Take that guy somewhere else!" he ordered his Vespiquen as his Hippowdown was dragged out to battle. Rhea was hesitant to leave her trainer's side, but the loyal servant knew not to disobey his commands in times of peril. Her grubs reattached their String Shot lines to Goldberg, this time in a more uniform and safer fashion, and carried the giant man off the rock. The grubs looking for Goldberg's toes rose up and followed, successful in their search. Rhea looked over her shoulder as she and her patient flew away from the crater towards the south.
Matheson returned Titania to her ball. She could launch another Soothe Pulse given time, but the move had no effect on Ratio, who was out of range by now anyway. And it wouldn't work twice on Ferox in such a short gap. Nobody liked being told to calm down when they were riled up, after all. It'd work once, but not again. It was best not to involve too many Pokémon in this altercation, or they could get hurt.
At the same time, Sandstorm blew out from the pores on the Hippowdon's back, engulfing the crater in a thick swirl of dust. Matheson opened the Magic Closet portal with the key in his hand, rummaged through it and pulled out a pair of Go-Goggles. "Atlas, Sand Tomb!" Math roared over the sand as he snapped the goggles on.
Atlas complied, and stomped his foot into the ground. The crater would soften and spin as the ground it was comprised of twisted like a whirlpool of sand. If she still stood in the crater Ferox would find her feet trapped by the quicksand like properties, and she'd be taken along for the ride round and round. It wasn't quite the miniature sandstorm that the normal Sand Tomb was. It was all trap and no attack, as Atlas concentrated his efforts on making the Sand Tomb thick rather than damaging.
The platform of grubs Matheson stood on rocked unsteady in the sandstorm. Without Rhea around, these were all he had. Knowing the risks of falling to the ground, Matheson tapped his foot on the honeycomb shape, and the platform moved to circle around the outside of the sandstorm and follow Ratio. "Wait, please! Don't go!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Route 10 - Pillar Field South End
Ratio and Matheson were not the only ones who chose to go airborne and avoid the traps. Salieri had opted for the easy way as well, sitting crosslegged atop Banksy who puffed on slowly a few feet over the earth. Dune and Reynard sat behind her, silent as they took in the ride. The quiet all around them was more foreboding than pleasant. [I never liked this place,] growled the Vaporeon, licking her paw with her eyes on the skyscraper pillars towering over them. [What's the point of all this, anyway?]
Dune shrugged. Reynard had gathered by now he wasn't the type to hold a conversation. But that was fine; Reynard didn't like the sound of other voices anyway. She spoke for her own sake. [Avant garde piece, maybe. Whatever, who cares.]
Unable to participate in her Pokémon's one sided conversation, Salieri was deep into a text conversation with Mia.
Mia They keep trying to chew through all the power cords. When I get off work I’m getting an exterminator.
Sal leveled a sharp glare to the back of Durendal’s head. She had wondered how her Pokémon managed to use so many of her Pokéballs trying to catch Reynard. Now she knew where most of them went. There were still ways to make this situation work for Gotengo.
Sal Use my benched Pokés to keep em in line. They need the training anyway. Veil’s in charge.
Sal You have a job? The world must be ending.
Mia Temp job. Hotel Richissime.
Mia followed up with a selfie of herself in the French maid outfit, causing Sal to burst into giggles. At least it’s tasteful. Before she could respond, Mia sent her a text that wasn’t quite so funny.
Mia I talked to Zack. He’ll work with you if you stop being a b***h.
Sal I’ll take my chances. Army of one yolo
Mia Remember in history class when we learned about that one man army that owned everyone else?
Mia Exactly. Quit being a scrub. Yolo only counts if you’re alive.
Salieri groaned as Mia sent her Zack’s Holocaster number. This conversation was officially over on her end. It would’ve ended anyway, as Salieri reached the clearing in the middle of the Pillar Field.
Immediately she saw Matheson standing atop a platform of grubs, attempting to back out of a Sandstorm. From this distance she could barely make out what else was inside the weather phenomenon. She knew Matheson had a Hippowdon, which she thought was the big hippo looking shape. The other one, the silhouette shaped like a wolf, was unfamiliar. And definitely the thing that caused the explosion, if her peace loving date was engaging it.
‘MATHESON!” she yelled to him, but she was too far and the Sandstorm was too loud. She stood up, ready to go faster. “Banksy-“
And then out of the corner of her eye she saw him. The man with an Aegislash on his back, flying through the air with a shadow of a fabric cascading off his back. He was a Grim Reaper in the light of day, standing out like nothing else. His face wasn’t a face. It was a white mask befitting a monster.
”The guy got thrown out of a window by something in a white mask wearing all black. Never seen anything like it. Couldn't even tell if it was human.”
If there was anything Sal had ever retained in her conversations with Zack, it was that. “This is him,” she whispered. For a few seconds, the Sandstorm and the ones fighting near it became irrelevant as Salieri did what every conspiracy theorist would’ve done if they got near their target.
She took out her Pokégear and took a video.
Sal zoomed in on Ratio flying away, taking the video for about fifteen seconds before he was out of sight. There was no way she could go after that man and have Matheson’s back at the same time. She needed that man. She needed to know what he knew, on the chance that it would bring her closer to the nobles she sought after. On the chance that he could help her find her vengeance.
Mentally she berated herself as she furiously worked the keys on her phone, sending it the one person who cared that would actually be able to do something, and the one person she didn’t want to send it to.
She sent it to Zack, and followed up with a quick text:
Sal Your boy’s on Route 10. Right now, get here, I need your help.
“Sonofabitch,” she grumbled as she put away her Pokégear, and directed Banksy to Matheson’s direction. Durendal stood up, clicking his knife hands together. Reynard arched her back and wagged her tail, excited to be back in the fray so soon. “MATHESON!”
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Posted: Wed Sep 09, 2015 7:50 pm
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Route 10 - The Crater
Matheson's shouts fell on deaf ears, but he had bigger problems to contend with. The sandstorm didn't last long. Almost as soon as it started, Ferox launched a ball of fire into the sky above the battlefield. The Sunny Day shone bright, amplifying the sun's effect over the crater and burning the Sandstorm away. As excess sand settled on the breeze, the crater span into a whirlpool and for a moment, Ferox was trapped.
If the Arcanine had a reputation, it would be for her speed. Most Arcanine were capable of running over 6200 miles in day, around 260 miles per hour at a steady pace. Ferox surpassed this; her limbs, then her body, turned into a blur of motion. She hit the Sand Tomb's epicentre, and ran along with it. Working off the same theory of Rapid Spin's diffusion, the force of her hitting against Sand Tomb at its point of origin would cease its motion. Within seconds of running around its core in a red and white circle, Ferox would break free of Atlas's attack, the crater settling into a soft bed of sand.
Wind would send sand flying as Ferox streaked out, arcing behind Atlas. Unless either Matheson or the hippo pokémon had a way of countering the situation's sudden reversal, Ferox would launch a Fire Blast at the Hippowdon's back, and send it flying in a powerful explosion. Then, without stopping, she would make to tackle Matheson to the ground, snarling fire-hot breath into his face until he passed out.
Lumiose City - Moreau Library
Zack stretched as he wandered around the library, patrolling between rows of bookshelves. Excepting his first day in Lumiose City, where he'd wanted to research the Creature, he hadn't taken the time to see what the Moreau Library had on offer. The books on the ground floor were a mix of Kalosian and National, while the second offered books exclusively in Kalosian, and the third had the exact same layout but in National. It was an odd feeling going between floors two and three, looking at identical displays where only the words were different, but Zack liked it.
As he descended the stairs to ground level, a shatter and a bang echoed from the kitchen behind the shop counter, followed by a barrage of angry Kalosian shouting. Zack jumped the last few steps and hurried over as something small and furry bolted from the counter, its arms loaded with stolen food. One of the Aunts stopped in the kitchen doorway, yelling rapid Kalosian and shaking her fist. The Espurr didn't look back, its wide-eyes fixed on nothing as it darted away in a straight line.
It didn't stop. Not until Zack grabbed it by the fur between its shoulders and lifted it off the ground. The snacks crumbled from its grasp, and scattered on the carpet. Sweets in wrappers, little pies and cakes, even a couple of baguettes fell at the trainer's feet as he turned the Espurr around and caught its eye.
'Busted,' Zack grinned. The Espurr struggled and kicked, but it wasn't going anywhere.
'Ah, Zack, yet again you are my 'ero! Thank you!' the Aunt from the kitchen hurried over, clutching a bookshelf for support as she doddered to a stop. Zack still had no idea how to tell the two twins apart.
'Hey, no problem,' said Zack, holding the Espurr in both hands. It had stopped trying to get away, but now drooled a little as it stared at the food on the floor.
'This rascal, this little rodent...' the Aunt took the Espurr away from Zack and turned it over in her palm. The pokémon began to panic, its little nub limbs flailing about, its mouth open in silent protest, as the old lady slapped it repeatedly on the backside with surprising speed. 'This pest knows it is not allowed in our kitchen!'
Zack winced until the patting sounds died down, and the Aunt passed the defeated Espurr back into his grasp.
'Tell my niece, tell 'er she knows what 'appens when she forgets to feed 'er pokémon!'
'It's not very responsible, is it?' Zack said, shaking his head and suppressing another grin.
'No, it is not. Ah, not like you at all, my Zack.' The Aunt placed her thin and wrinkly hands on Zack's cheeks, patting one affectionately. He sort of froze in place, while Espurr shied away from the sound.
After extracting himself from the situation, which involved promising to come back for dinner sometime, Zack made his way back up to the third floor and spotted Esme by one of the bay windows. The sky was cloudless and a deep blue, while light filtered between the crosshatched lead lining the old window panes. Esme sat on the windowsill, staring off into space. For a second, Zack's heart pounded hard in his chest, and both he and Espurr shared the same blank expression.
'Your aunt said you need to feed this thing more,' Zack said, plonking Espurr on the ledge in front of its owner. Esme looked down at it and sighed.
'Oh, Chatite, what have we said?' she spoke like a mother talking to a toddler, and sure enough the pokémon stared at the floor, shuffling its feet and looking ashamed. 'You silly thing, come here. If you want something to eat, you come to me. Kleptomania is unbecoming of a pokémon.'
Esme winked at Zack, then turned Chatite around, sat it on her leg, and started tickling its tummy. For the first time, Zack saw what looked like an emotion spread across the pokémon's face, its eyes closed in enjoyment. He never really had a relationship like that with any of his pokémon. Not for a long time, anyway. He suddenly had an idea. Zack went back to the table they'd been sitting at earlier and retrieved half a dozen untouched sandwiches. They were a little dry by now, but they'd do.
'What about these?' he said, stacking them between his hands. The Espurr's nose caught their scent, and its eyes shot open. Then it looked between the food on offer, and its trainer, a bead of saliva working its way down the pokémon's chin.
'Ah, go on then,' Esme said, placing Chatite onto the windowsill where it scurried over and grabbed the sandwiches from Zack's hands. It sat down and munched away happily.
'Waste not, want not, right?' Zack shrugged. Esme spared him a smile, but it quickly dropped, turning to shock.
The glass in front of her face exploded in a thin stream that cascaded along the carpet. A stone no bigger than a marble came to rest near one of the bookshelves. Before either Zack or Esme could figure out what had happened, another window popped open, and another, both with rocks sliding across the carpet, glass flying everywhere. Furious, Esme grabbed the nearest handle, threw the window open and stuck her head outside.
'Look, there she is! I knew this had to be the place!' Gremlin said from his perch on Wayne's shoulder, just as Wayne lobbed another rock and smashed another window.
'I guess it had to be one of these places,' Wayne said, glancing down the street as he threw a rock up and down. They stood beside one of the street's decorative trees, and had evidently been fetching stones from the gravel at its base.
'Hey lady!' Gremlin shouted, 'is Zack Redgrave up there with you? It's really important!'
'You're paying for those windows, connard!' Esme yelled back. Her voice carried down Estival Avenue, and anyone who hadn't been watching Wayne throw rocks at a library was watching now.
'What'd she say?' Gremlin asked Wayne, who shrugged.
'I think she said her name is Connor, but she's a pretty feminine looking dude if that's the case.'
'Why would anyone open a window just to say their name? That's stupid, Wayne. You're stupid!'
'Am not!'
'Yes you are!'
'Hey, knock it off,' Zack called down, leaning out of another window frame with a frown on his face. Wayne and Gremlin, who had been pulling at each other's faces, relaxed and looked up at him. 'You don't need to throw rocks to get my attention. What's the matter, is a phone call too complex?'
'I had to take the battery out, we're being tracked,' Wayne shouted. 'I've no idea what happened, but someone's trying to beat us up!'
'No s**t,' Esme muttered. She pulled her head back and spoke only to Zack. 'Whoever it is'll have to wait in line.'
Zack grinned, and leant out of the window again. 'Just get lost, guys. This place is for smart people only. You'll die if you get any closer.'
'Whaaat?'
'Shut up, Wayne. Zack, this is important.' Gremlin glared at Zack, a pleading look in his eye. 'If you don't help us beat the Hariyama Brothers, I won't ever get bacon waffle fries again! If you ever truly valued our friendship, you'll help me now.'
Sighing, the trainer shook his head. His Holo Caster started to beep, and for a moment, Zack disappeared from view. A few seconds later, he threw the window wide open and jumped out, falling from the third floor with nothing but street below. Light blazed all around him like a second sun. Wayne and Gremlin cowered beneath the rush of air as Antiq materialised overhead, her great wings blasting down on them. Then she took off, flying over rooftops and into the distance, her screeches echoing through the city.
'Huh, for a second I thought he was gonna help,' Wayne said, rubbing his cheeks.
'I can't believe he'd do this to me,' Gremlin held his head in his hands, devastated. Then he perked up. 'Hey, Connor! Maybe you'll--!'
Gremlin didn't get a chance to finish, for he had to duck under a finely-thrown rock that went whizzing overhead. Esme had another one ready in her hand.
'Maybe what? You little d**k!' Esme launched another stone, and this one missed only because Wayne had bolted.
'Run for it!' Gremlin shrieked as a third stone went flying past their heads. People parted as the duo ran through, some of them ducking behind trees and cars in case any stones came their way.
Wayne ran and ran, and didn't realise until too late that he'd run straight into the festival.
Lumiose City - South Pokémon Center
[Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in...]
The soft, gentle pokémonese voice spoke from a speaker in the wall, set into white tiles and disguised by bushy potted plants. Zack's pokémon lay in bath tanks filled with mud, their eyes closed. Peaceful. At rest. Malis's tail stuck in the air as he lay on his back, nearly all of his body hidden by a layer of black mud. His flame flickered contentedly, like a candle in a pleasant breeze.
[Let go of all your impurities. Put your mind at ease. Breathe in. Breathe out...]
Malis released a long sigh, his hot breath combusting into little flicks of ember. On his right, there was a great slomping sound as Fatass turned over in his swimming pool-sized bath, his back slick with black. Lethal bubbled away in his basin, glancing around like he wasn't sure what he was meant to be doing. Hazard and Serene sat on a bench nearby, Serene reading a picture book. Mud baths didn't do much for ghosts, who had no muscles, and Serene's injury prevented her from trying it.
But none of that mattered to Malis. He slid further into the bath. All he had to do was breathe in. Breathe out.
[Breathe in...] The door almost exploded off its hinges, hitting the wall with a gunshot bang. Malis sat bolt-upright, a jackhammer attacking inside his chest. Zack stood in the doorway, out of breath, and with a pair of pokémon center orderlies hanging off his shoulders. The whole team, except for Fatass, who snored loudly, looked at him at once.
'Sir, you're really not supposed to be back here!' one of the orderlies cried, on the verge of tears.
'They've not finished their treatment!'
But Zack ignored them, his mouth hanging open indignantly. 'You guys have spas?' He looked around and shook his head. 'Nevermind. We got a job to do, let's go!'
Lethal jumped out of his bath, squirting mud to propel himself across the room. It sprayed across the walls and belted the plants, and some caught Malis in the face. The Charmander grumbled, wiping filth from his eyes and climbing to his feet. Hazard tried lifting Fatass up to wake him, but the Snorlax was far too heavy. All she accomplished was getting mud all over her hands. Serene quietly closed her book and put it back on the shelf, then teleported across the room. Mud streaked across the floor tiles, dripping from the pokémon, who lined up before their trainer. Zack fetched his pokéballs from a tray near the door. They'd been kept pleasantly warm by a hot towel, which struck Zack as one step too far.
He recalled his team and set off down the corridor, leaping over the orderlies, who had given up and now lay in a pile. One comforted the other, who continued to sob.
'Sir? Sir! You're supposed to sign out your pokémon at the front desk!'
'You can't leave the spa in this condition!' shrieked the other through angry tears.
'I'll pay you back when I'm rich!' Zack called over his shoulder, sprinting back the way he came.
He banged through the final set of doors into the pokémon center lobby. It was far busier, and the atmosphere was completely different, reminding Zack of an airport. The trainer found the stairs, replaying the short video clip Salieri had sent him in his mind. The Creature. And right after Elizabeth Leroux promised him a reward if he caught it. What perfect timing. Zack pushed to the front of the line for the Teleport Zone, and entered one of the booths, ignoring the protests of a nearby Bugcatcher.
An Abra's face appeared on a computer display, asking where Zack wanted to go. He tapped his way into selecting Cyllage City, which he hoped would be closer to the Creature than Geosenge Town. As soon as Zack scanned his trainer card, an Abra teleported into the booth, grabbed him by the chest, and they vanished into thin air.
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Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2015 9:30 pm
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Route 10 – Noisy vs Skarada (Intermission)
Bryony’s second transmission commanding Skarada to assist her reached his earpiece. He grit his teeth as his eyes went to the sky, seeing the smokestack near the lab for the first time. “Tch. Looks like I have moves to make. Don’t wanna miss my chance to get what I came here for.”
He pointed lazily to Noisy. “Listen up, kid. Daddy has a business meeting he needs to get to. The babysitter’s here to watch you till I get back.” Ska wrapped his arm around Sergio’s shoulder. The Mega Lopunny’s pout was replaced with glee and she clapped at the prospect of being allowed to kick a**. “If you’re still conscious by the time I get back, I’ll know what you’re made of. Keasbey!”
The Murkrow dove down to meet his trainer. At the same time, Ska released another Pokémon. It was a Gardevoir, wearing armor reminiscent to that of a Quillon’s. Slender, long gauntlets and greaves crafted from dark steel adorned her, as did a matching breastplate and masked helmet. Her eyes glowed a hazy purple behind the dark visor. Unlike his other two Pokémon, Ska regarded the Armored Psychic with no affection. “241, take me north of the lab.”
The Gardevoir nodded. Ska took a moment to lean to one of Sergio’s big fluffy ears and whisper, “You have three minutes.” It was difficult to maintain a Mega Evolution if the trainer wasn’t close to their Pokémon. If Ska left Route 10 now, Sergio would revert. The edge of Route 10 was the farthest he could get, and even then, Sergio would only have three minutes to stay Mega.
[Heehee, no problem!] Sergio said with an aggressive thumbs up. [I’ll rip them apart!]
Ska gave Noisy a salute with two fingers as he returned his Murkrow. 241 grabbed Ska’s hand, and in a flash of light, they Teleported away.
Sergio cracked her knuckles as she stomped towards Noisy. [I've waited long enough, let's get it on already!]
Route 10 – Pillar Field North End
“Keep moving,” Bryony told her grunts. They had stopped some pillar rows past the clearing where the empty tent was. It had been blown away by the combat further south, and from here they saw smoke and sand fill the sky. Bryony turned to grab them by their shoulders. “I said move.”
The four of them, two holding the Mega Stone tray and one escorting Bryony, continued north, taking a very roundabout path to avoid the plethora of traps. The green haired Scientist wiped a bead of nervous sweat from her forehead. They had bought time, not security. Until they met with Skarada, they weren’t safe. Being forced to rely on such an irresponsible scoundrel only compounded her anxiety. When he finally transmitted back to her, she was a raw nerve.
“Where are you!?”
“So testy. To think you’d be grateful I’m bothering with you for once.”
Bryony could hear him grinning over the call. It made her very testy. “He’s killed a whole squad already. Goldberg could be dead. This isn’t the time to joke.”
“Oi, Goldberg’s fightin’ the cape? He’s got balls, I’ll give him that. I, however, decided not to Teleport into a field of death and I’m feeling pretty good about it. You’re headin’ north, yeah?
She heaved a sigh. “Yes.”
“Keep headin’ there. I’m coming down to meet you now.”
Route 10 – Crater
The few seconds Ferox took to unwind the Sand Tomb were the few seconds Matheson needed to reach the far side of the crater, his grub platform unburdened when the Sandstorm subsided. A shadow grew from behind him, and Math stopped calling for Ratio to stop in order to see what was happening.
The shadow came from his Hippowdon. Atlas had been launched into the air, half scorched and black out from Ferox’s Fire Blast. Being a six badge sponsored trainer, Matheson wasn’t used to his Pokémon getting knocked out in a single hit. If he wasn’t frightened of the power Ratio possessed before, the fear started to seep in now. As he returned his falling Hippowdon to his ball, Ferox appeared from behind the red recall beam mid pounce.
The grubs Matheson stood on re-converged in front of him to be a shield against the Arcanine’s tackle. Their Defense Order was not enough and they disintegrated as Matheson was tackled anyway, breaking two ribs and letting out a howl in pain. As it started to get really hot being pinned under Ferox’s paw, Matheson craned his head back and saw Ratio from an upside down perspective, the man becoming a blur in the distance.
“You don’t…have to…do this…” He passed out.
The gust of wind blew through the field as Durendal’s Pressure snapped on. Banksy was now charging full speed towards the Arcanine. She swore to Salieri she’d protect her on this journey, and she would do so even though Ferox had an aura of high power about her. But she still did not fight on Salieri’s orders; this noble boy was someone who remained steadfast to upholding a noble ideal, naïve as he may have been. It reminded her of Moze, before he decided to change. Matheson was someone she could respect. She would fight to save his life as well as the bandanna brat’s.
Salieri took a three point pose on Banksy’s back, clinging onto a shell groove with one hand with her Pawniard and Vaporeon flanking her. Lively at the chance for a real fight, Reynard transformed into a wriggling trail of water that encircled Salieri’s outstretched arm. Sal’s amber eyes lit up, and she scowled with her sharp canines gleaming like her opponent’s.
“Get your PAWS OFF MY DATE!” she bellowed as Reynard leapt from her arm directly towards Ferox with wicked intensity…only to divert sharply downwards at the end of her jump into the ground, blowing up a wave of Sand Attack towards Ferox’s face. Coming in right afterwards, Banksy tucked into her shell and became a projectile trying to ram into the wolf’s side with the power of an Earthquake.
Salieri leapt off of Banksy’s back as the Torkoal tucked, landing on Durendal’s. The Pawniard flew horizontal to the ground with his arms outspread, becoming her hoverboard-like ride. It didn’t come as natural to Salieri as riding Banksy, but it would work. If Reynard and Banksy’s combined tactic could get Ferox’s off of Math, Salieri would try to grab the noble and fly past with him.
If Ferox remained, Dune would keep going and they’d turn around to try again. And again, and again, as long as it took to get Matheson back.
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Posted: Fri Sep 11, 2015 6:33 pm
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((I'll edit it in the profile after this, but all of Ferox's advanced moves have 8PP. With Dune in the fight, they'll be depleting twice as fast ninja Also I've changed how Ignition works slightly so I can't spam it))
Route 10 - The Crater
Ferox pinned Matheson's unconscious body with her paw. As she pressed on his chest, his ribs would bend to their limit, and threaten to shatter. As Reynard and Banksy's attacks came at Ferox, her body heat skyrocketed and she used Ignition; the fiery tornado technique that turned the Fashion Patrol Squad into ash. Issuing outwards with Ferox and Matheson safe in the eye of the storm, it would first crash into and diffuse Reynard's Sand Attack, then rush to meet Banksy head on.
Unless the Vaporeon and Torkoal could turn themselves away from the Arcanine's attack in time, they'd be engulfed by powerful flame. Thanks to their type resistances against fire, they wouldn't be turned to cinder, but they would lose consciousness. If Banksy allowed herself to be hit, the force of the Ignition should be enough to divert her course away from Ferox and into the side of the crater. If she hit her target, however, Ferox would brace herself against the attack to stay grounded, and the shockwaves wouldn't just damage her, but ripple into Matheson as well.
Dune and Salieri would have to give up on their attack if they didn't want to plunge into such intense flames. Neither of them resisted fire, and would fare no better than the members of Team Flare.
Cyllage City
Zack ran out of the pokémon center into an unfamiliar place. Normally his first act of business would be to take in the city's atmosphere while heading to the center, but there wasn't any time for that today. He looked around, trying to get his bearings. He caught sight of some flag poles that sectioned off what looked like a race track from the main roads, and judged which way was north from the position of their shadows. Zack ran around the pokémon center, heading towards Route 10. It stretched before him, a jungle of grass and trees with dozens of enormous stone pillars stretching into the sky. Zack had seen a lot of the world, but even he had to admit it was impressive. He doubted something like that could've been built by humans.
An enormous blast of fire ripped into the sky, jolting Zack's attention back to earth. The creature was just ahead of him, and with it money, as well as the answer to a question that had nagged at him since he first saw the window break: why did it kill Gabriel Leroux? It was then he noticed the crowd.
'Stand back, stand back, nothing to see here!'
The flustered cops shouted the same and similar while struggling to keep a teeming line of trainers from breaking through. Some of their uniforms looked half-done and dirty, like they'd been retrieved from the floor, and nearer the route Zack spotted a pair of police helping someone who had been stripped down to their underwear to their feet.
He didn't want to know.
'There clearly is something to see! Look, it's a load of fire!'
'We want to see what's causing it!'
'Like I said, there's nothing to see.' The police officer was going red in the face. 'It's just a gas explosion!'
'A gas explosion? In the middle of Route 10? Twice?'
'I don't have time for this,' Zack said to himself, checking he had enough space. A second later, Antiq flew high over the line of trainers as Zack pulled himself onto her back. He slid into place on her hump, gripping either side of the giant Aerodactyl's neck with his legs and hands. Wind flapped his hair and clothes, but not even wind's chill could quell the excitement bubbling in Zack's gut. Ignoring the protests below, the trainer flew for Route 10.
Route 10 - Bryony's Lab
The lab camp was dead. The essentials were packed and gone, leaving behind only a carcass stripped of meat. Ratio didn't touch down, too cautious to risk falling into any of Ska's traps, and instead hung in the air by the power of Aegislash's Magnet Rise. Behind his white mask, his cold eyes darted about, picking out detail, sensing disturbances. But something was wrong. He should've noticed it sooner.
'Ah, of course,' the assassin mused to himself, looking at the nearest pillar. It stretched magnificently into the sky, its point daring to meet the clouds. Few were as tall as this, yet once upon a time they all must have been. Ratio could feel it now, once he reached for it. Strange energy radiated from the pillars, causing a subtle disturbance in his Aura abilities. The false memory gleaned from Jeff, and now his attempts to track Bryony's aura...
They couldn't have gotten far. Ratio refocused, taking the pillars into account as he read the area for signs of life. The grass seemed with aura that distinctly belonged to pokémon. He needed to find humans. Some to the south where he'd been... further north, near the end of the field. He had them. Magnet Rise intensified, and Ratio flew higher over the camp, a blackened angel, a silhouette in the sun.
Then, fixing on Bryony's group, he shot towards them like a bullet.
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Posted: Fri Sep 11, 2015 8:41 pm
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Route 10 Crater – Team Salieri vs Ferox
In Seine form, Reynard didn’t have eyes, but she could still see. As she witnessed Ferox’s power up close, her mind became one part fear for her life, one part exhilaration for the fight of her life. It was now that a living being’s instinct kicked in. Fight or flight time. Fight, every damn time!
The puddle that she had become twisted like a drill and burrowed underground with a Dive. Ignition passed right over her as she sank into the soil, the heat chasing her down. A closer call didn’t exist. Reynard arced back up to where Ferox’s stomach was, burst out from the earth underneath the Arcanine, and turned into a swirling ball of Scalding water aimed to jettison Ferox in her gut and propel the dog into the air off of Matheson.
Banksy, still inside her shell, diverted her forward momentum, abandoning her attack in favor of a Rapid Spin. The Torkoal’s spun through the fire, parting as to swerve away. The rush of the attack filled the gaps of air around her spin, and though she avoided most of the damage with this tactic, The Fire type still felt the burn. It was like being tapped by the sun. Such power…
Gritting her teeth in pain, Banksy pulled a tight turn to come back around and regroup with Salieri. The brat would still need a ride if she was going to avoid the traps. <******** didn’t have time to say that out loud. Out loud, she gasped and hugged Durendal tight as they jerked away, barrel rolling onto the ground. The moment her shoulder hit dirt, they both heard the familiar CLICK. The Hurl Trap boosted Salieri, who held onto Dune’s waist, backwards towards the closest pillar. Their landing hadn’t been far enough to survive the Ignition. The Hurl Trap was a blessing in disguise.
I can’t believe Skarada just saved my life. Again. The thought momentarily distracted from Sal’s anxious fury, replacing it with disgust as she grabbed her other two Pokéballs from her belt. I’ll take one punch to his face off the tally for that.
Salieri released Lupin, and the Kecleon immediately clung to her shoulder with a nervous jitter. From inside his ball, he’d seen the whole thing. He didn’t thinking twice about turning full invisible. [Why’dyouletmeoutputmeback!]
She pointed at a patch of grass behind them. If they didn’t stop soon they’d crash into the mysterious obelisk. “Charge Beam!”
The Kecleon did as he was told, pointing to the same patch and discharging a clustered beam of electricity at it. On contact with the ground, a Smoke Trap was sprung, flooding a small area. Salieri released her Quilladin into the center of it. “Biz!”
[Hey wassup guys!?] Biz flexed like a bodybuilder to Bulk Up before catching all three of them, his sturdy legs holding out without a problem and placing them down.
Her heart beat like a drum as survival instinct came into play. We can’t beat her. This Arcanine was the strongest Pokémon she had seen in a long time, with no limits to its violence. Suddenly, Salieri felt like she was up against a monster. She’s going to kill Matheson. She’ll kill all of us. The smoke was a two way cover, a double edged sword. Her experience took over, knowing she couldn’t waste time panicking anymore. Doubt was buried away. Fight or flight time.
Salieri let go of Durendal, who hovered next to her. “Scale me up.” As Salieri became covered in Lupin’s scales, becoming invisible starting on one side, she passed on her orders to the other two Pokémon. “Get in, get Math, get out. Then we run. Get my back Biz. Dune, get theirs.” And then as if she had been erased, she disappeared from sight. Durendal arrowed out the top of the smoke, flying high over Ferox and waiting for his time to make a move.
“I said GET OFF!” yelled Salieri’s disembodied voice, and instantly Lupin came to despair, knowing they were bait. The smoke was starting to fade, and Biz gulped knowing he’d be the only one Ferox would see. “What do you want with that wimp? I’m right here!”
In seconds the smoke would clear and there’d be nothing but space between Salieri’s guard force and the beast that wanted to kill them. A space full of dangerous traps. When all the smoke was gone, Biz would wave nervously at Ferox. [Hi.]
Route 10 – Pillar Field North End
“Arceus,” gasped Bryony’s Guard Grunt. “He’s here!”
Bryony fumbled backwards, barely remembering to watch her step. It was one thing to hear about that man. It was a different beast entirely to see him in the dark flesh. Terror kept her frozen.
Two of the three grunts wasted no time in sending out their Houndours for protection. Bryony had chosen them to specifically have their Flash Fire ability on hand, but it appeared that the Arcanine wasn’t with him. Why not?
The Houndour fired Flame Bursts up towards the incoming Ratio, which blew up like fireworks.
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