2023-03-29: Suteki da Nawwww
- Log: Suteki da Nawwww
- Cast: Giovanni, Damian Tamaoka, Chartreuse Spinosa, Timu Guado, Chase, Elaine, Eleanor Klein, Josephine Lovelace, Dirk Swordsman, White Knight Leo, Nina Chiyome, Chisato Madison
- Where: Vermillion City - Harbor
- Date: March 29, 2024
- Summary: In Vermillion City, there is an annual spring festival to commemorate the arrival of DAIHAKU, the enormous white Wailord that comes to delight the children of Nede. Biggs and Wedge come to catch it. Uh, they don't know what a Wailord is and are about to find out. Shenanigans ensue.
<Pose Tracker> Giovanni has posed.
Vermillion City has a festival on!
The harbor area -- specifically, the side of the harbor for cruise ships -- has been decorated with a spring theme. Cherry blossom motifs are mixed with a beach motif, with a consistent piece of decor: a cartoonish white Wailord (or, for those from Lunar or Filgaia, a whale).
Earlier in the day, there was a market to wander about -- with festival games and street food aplenty -- but now, everyone is gathering by the harbor. A stage is there.
The Mayor of Vermillion City, a Nedian woman with dark green hair, stands on it. "Thank you, everyone, for coming to the 7,658th Annual DAIHAKU Festival! DAIHAKU is expected to show up shortly, and--"
That prompts a series of cheers and a round of clapping from the crowd.
"Yes!" the Mayor says. "I'm excited too! This promises to be--"
"HOLD IT!"
Two voices cry those words in unison. Then, two figures leap on the stage. Both aren't Nedian -- or human, for that matter -- with high tech armor and black coats, with the red R emblazoned on them. One is larger and broader, with a shield out; the other is wiry and fast.
"This 'Daihaku' is coming with us!" Biggs Guado yells.
"Team Rocket is on the scene!" Wedge Guado adds. "Now--SCRAM!"
DC: Giovanni switches forms to Team Rocket Grunts Biggs and Wedge Guado!
<Pose Tracker> Giovanni has posed.
Just after the two Guado cry out, two Pokemon jump up with them.
On one side is a mass of violet goop with a mouth -- a Grimer. And on the other side, a blue and black cat, whose golden eyes glimmer. The Shinx has electricity leap across its frame.
"Grawr!" both shout as one.
<Pose Tracker> Damian Tamaoka has posed.
Damian would have really looked forward to seeing this festival! Just... not like this.
But he had to at least try to pull his own weight... it's only fair, given that Team Rocket is protecting him, after all...
Just think about Alice and Nami. You're doing it for them.
That doesn't help nearly as much as he wanted it to.
He chases after Biggs and Wedge after they burst onto the stage, a skinny, short little boy dressed in all black, but with a clear bright red R on his chest. He's pulled his black baker cap down as low as it will go, and he has a Purrloin perched on his shoulder.
Purri leaps down from his shoulder to stand tall in front of him, and Damian throws out another pokeball, summoning a Vulpix--Pixi.
"Purr!"
"Vul."
Damian doesn't say anything to the crowd, but... he's clearly with those two.
<Pose Tracker> Chartreuse Spinosa has posed.
The DAIHAKU festival...! Chartreuse has had to miss it for the past few years because she's been so busy with college work, but now that she's taking her studies on the road she has a bit more freedom to enjoy herself. Which means that this year, she's made a promise to herself not to miss it!
And now, Chartreuse joins everyone at the harbor stage. Joining the Archaeology Club pin on her hat, now, are two additional pins - an older-looking DAIHAKU pin from one of the previous years festival, as well as this year's newest pin. Her usual hairband has been swapped out for a cherry blossom pin securing her ponytail... and, perched on her back is Sentret, nibbling steadily at a festival treat in his tiny hands.
DAIHAKU!" Chartreuse cheers, joining in the applause. She jumps up and down in place. In response, Sentrets wraps his tail around her upper arm to stabilize herself. But just as things are getting good...
'HOLD IT!'
Disaster strikes Team Rocket is here... and Chartreuse grimaces.
"...I should've known they'd show up." She mutters, then glances over her shoulder back at Sentret. "Hold on tight, okay?"
With that, she holds onto the straps of her backpack and breaks out into a run, leaping onto the stage.
"Miss Mayor! Get everyone to safety!" Chartreuse calls out, before turning her attention towards Biggs, Wedge, and their partner. Is it just her, or does he look a little familiar...? That's a coincidence, right? "No one's touching Daihaku."
With that Chartreuse reaches into her coat, drawing out one of her Pokeballs and hurling it onto the stage in front of her. Farfetch'd emerges, readying his leek and glancing back over at his shoulder at Chartreuse.
"You know what to do - Focus Energy!" Chartreuse calls out. Farfetch'd nods, eyes flashing with determination. He holds his leek out in a fighting stance, energy surging off of him as he hones his blade... and turns those eyes upon Purri and Pixi.
Chartreuse's team is getting pumped!
Meanwhile, perched on Chartreuse's backpack - Sentret pops open the bag and dives into the safety of its interior, little feet wiggling as he briefly gets stuck before disappearing inside.
His tail's still sticking out. That's fine, just ignore it.
<Pose Tracker> Timu Guado has posed.
Timu's in Vermillion City with some of the friends she's made over here. They were excited for 'DAIHAKU,' going into detail about them. On the outside, Timu was doing her best to get swept up in the excitement. On the inside...
As a Guado and a native of Spira, anything resembling Sin is kind of an uncomfortable subject. She's holding the Pokeball to her Hestrol friend in contemplation while everyone calls to her to hurry up, come on, the festival's starting!
The 7,658th Annual DAIHAKU Festival. Energy Nede has celebrated this creature for many, many, many more years than Sin laid siege to Spira. (This is true of most things about Energy Nede, a society that has been stagnant and perpetuating its isolated world and culture for tens of thousands of years.)
She can't bring herself to give applause, when--
'HOLD IT!'
Timu looks up, and there's two distinct figures. Since she's tall, she can't really hide behind the crowd like some can - not that she's inclined to.
"Biggs... Wedge..." The teenaged Guado exhales as she brings that ball to her chest, lowers her head, and places Hestrol back on her belt as she takes off running along - and around - the crowd in a way that might impress her actual Nedian ninja friends.
Long leg strides carry into athletic leaps up and around decor and the tops of stalls, before leaping dramatically to the stage - another one with the same general features as the two Rocket-aligned Guado.
"Biggs! Wedge!" She calls, harshly, with a tone of voice absolutely inherited from her old man's manner of speaking when his daughters misbehaved.
She hesitates for a moment when she sees that Vulpix and that Purrloin near that other Rocket grunt. They remind her of someone, but... in the moment...
Timu rights up, looking to that Shinx and Grimer with narrowed eyes as she produces two of her own in unison. A flying little stingray and a large, green-skinned brute leap out in unison.
"Mote~" Moteray starts drifting off.
"HOOLIGRE!!" Hooligre shouts and sneers, leaning forward as he bellows.
"...I can't believe you're still doing this," Timu's voice softens, but her facial expression says otherwise as she gestures broadly ahead.
"Moteray!" She calls, and just in time, because five seconds later and he'd be well over the crowd away from the battle instead. "Give that Grimer a Quick Attack!"
"Mooote~" Moteray... complies? They seem to drift further out...
Before doing a sharp u-turn like motion (not the actual U-Turn move) before descending upon Grimer like a blur.
GS: Chartreuse Spinosa has attacked Chartreuse Spinosa with Focus Energy! GS: Chartreuse Spinosa has gained 1 Combo! GS: Chartreuse Spinosa's stances have changed to Hero! GS: Chartreuse Spinosa has completed her action. GS: Chartreuse Spinosa accepts Chartreuse Spinosa's Focus Energy for 0 hit points! GS: Hyper and Lock state applied to Chartreuse Spinosa! GS: Timu Guado has attacked Giovanni with Quick Attack! GS: Timu Guado has gained 1 Combo! GS: Timu Guado has completed her action. GS: Giovanni fails to guard Timu Guado's Quick Attack for 99 hit points! GS: Delay applied to Giovanni!
<Pose Tracker> Chase has posed.
Chase has, despite the noises and the crowds, been enjoying the festival. Most of that is thanks to his Pikachu and Nidoran as they weave through the crowd, pointing and perching and gaping at every new sight and sound. Occasionally, Pikachu tugs on Chase's sleeve and leads him to a game, hopeful for one of its prizes as she and Nidoran cheer Chase on. But now he gathers at the harbor with everyone else, awaiting the arrival of Daihaku.
Or that was the plan until... the interruption.
Without Chase's prompting, the last Poke Ball on Chase's belt explodes into flame. Ponyta appears with a vicious stomp to the earth, nearly roaring out in Rocket's direction -- in Damian's direction. It looks back at Chase with fiery eyes, while Chase's own go wide.
That's... it can't be. It doesn't make any sense.
He rushes forward through the crowd, pushing his way to the stage against others who might be trying to flee it. Pikachu scrambles onto his shoulder while Nidoran keeps to his heels, stopping only when Chase comes to his stunned halt. He looks up at his trainer in concern with Pikachu.
"Chachu?"
Chase holds his phone, thumb trembling above the screen. But even if he could figure out what message he's supposed to type, the precipice of battle has no room for such communications. He stares at Damian, rooted in place.
GS: Chase has attacked Damian Tamaoka with Chase couldn't move because he's paralyzed!! GS: Chase has completed his action.
<Pose Tracker> Elaine has posed.
Ontop of the crowd it almost looks floats one brown, large Eevee wearing a Wailord hat! And she's not floating, but standing on the head of one Elaine who wears a Daihaku shirt and is carrying a large Daihaku doll almost as big as her. Clearly the Market and Games within were a worthwhile experience leading up to what should've been a fun time watching the Daihaku!
"Go away!" Elaine shouts up at the stage, glaring at the members of Team Rocket there. Even as she does this through she'd not just stnading around. Veevee lets out a cry of her own as Elaine raises a hand with a bracelet focus and clenches her fist for a moment as she invokes a barrier around herself in preparation for what is likely to become a brawl.
GS: Elaine has attacked Elaine with Self-defense Barrier! GS: Elaine has gained 1 Combo! GS: Elaine's stances have changed to Sage! GS: Elaine has completed her action. GS: Elaine accepts Elaine's Self-defense Barrier for 0 hit points! GS: Quick and Shield applied to Elaine!
<Pose Tracker> Eleanor Klein has posed.
A festival! Isn't that nice? Eleanor Klein does enjoy festivals. And she does enjoy Vermillion City, whose springs are nice even if they have a bit of a Rocket problem sometimes. She of course did go about the market, and try the street food, and pick up souvenirs for her wife, and--
DAIHAKU sounds like a lot of fun.
Until, of course, Biggs and Wedge show up. Eleanor in the crowd blinks sharply. She's in a nice sunny dress at the moment, with sturdy boots and a lovely Bag.
And she reaches into that Bag, with a frown. "We absolutely will NOT 'scram'," Eleanor shouts back at Wedge Guado. "We'll do nothing of the sort!" With the Mayor getting everyone to safety--
"Pyri!" Eleanor calls, and throws a pokeball forward, letting loose--a Vulpix! Pyri roars cutely as she appears, and Eleanor says, "Use Snarl, Pyri! W'lll show them what we think of this!"
Grimer is...
Grimer is grimy. Eleanor recoils a little. On the other hand, it's kind of cute...
She has not yet identified Damian. Instead she calls, "This kind of criminal activity won't be tolerated!"
GS: Eleanor Klein has attacked Giovanni with Snarl! GS: Eleanor Klein has gained 1 Combo! GS: Eleanor Klein has completed her action. GS: Giovanni perfectly evades Eleanor Klein's Snarl for 0 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Giovanni gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Blind and Mute blocked! GS: Shield applied to Eleanor Klein! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus!
<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.
If there's one thing that Josie loves -- well, after the hard liquor and after cigarettes... and after shooting things -- it's festival food. You can always count on a festival to have the good stuff, and by good stuff Josie specifically means something that's been in a deepfrier.
The Daihaku festival, up to this point, hasn't disappointed. Josie has some bits of fried sugary dough in a bit of waxed paper (churros -- they're basically just curros) as she ambles about the fairgrounds with the other festival-goers, absently regretting not having anything nicer to wear for the circumstances.
She is currently Penelope-less, for Penelope is currently thieving popped corn from the popcorn stall with the help of some local Starlys. It begins.
But such thievery may be forgiven or forgetten when the day is through, for as the ceremony proper seems to be getting underway near the harbor--
It's Team Rocket!
"Oh, come off it, you can't up and steal the main event!" Josie calls out, before her gaze slides over to the third member of this apparent trio of Rockets. Yes, he's dressed differently, and yes, the hat is confusing matters considerably, but ain't that...
Sidelong, she glances at Chase.
Bingo.
"Hey, kid!" she calls out to Damian, shifting gears into a particularly comfortable nonchalance as she stuffs her that's-definitely-just-churros into her jacket pocket and instead palms one of her Pokeballs. "Think fast! Go, Diomedes!"
Diomedes, a Fletchling, bursts forth from his ball and hops towards Damian's Pokemon experimentally. He narrows his beady birdy eyes. And a low, fierce and possibly demoralizing growl emits from the tiny bird's throat!
GS: Josephine Lovelace has attacked Damian Tamaoka with Growl! GS: Josephine Lovelace has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Dirk Swordsman has posed.
Dirk Swordsman, HERO OF THE NEDE, had also wanted to witness this festival. It's kind of a cool thing to engage with these local traditions. The sort of thing where you can start a little personal ritual, a milestone, mark your own year, build your own life. That's the kind of thing you do to find meaning in this world, right?
(Pop philosophy has to adapt to the realities of Energy Nede, even the diluted forms that trickle down to such individuals as Dirk Swordsman.)
Dirk and his guys have been out and about here. Chespin and Farfetch'd have been riding on the back of the Cufant who recently joined Dirk's team. They have festival headbands. They all got festival headbands! Even the special fireproof one for Charcadet! (Charcadet ate too much fried dough and he's gotta sleep it off!)
They are in the festival crowd, with Cufant happily waving her trunk in the air in anticipation of the excitement when:
"Faaaant!" Cufant fants in shock, eyes going wide at the manifestation of -- something! Cufant has no context. Cufant is a pretty recent acquisition for the School. Cufant can tell that it isn't good.
"Yo, what," says Dirk. "Gimme ups here girl, what's going on." DIRK IS NOT SUPER TALL. Cufant obligingly hoists him upwards, but before he reaches the back of the Pokemon --
Farfetch'd's eyes narrow at the sight of Damien. Damien and THAT VULPIX. The Vulpix seems to be getting the lion's share of the profoundly shocked glower, but Damien too. And when Dirk looks that way, he blanches for a moment, lips pulling back in a grimace of shock and dismay.
Farfetch'd's eyes close. The duck shakes his head.
Dirk reaches the top of his mightiest, or at least most massive, school member.
"Naw," he says. His hand rests on his sword's hilt. "Not again."
SHHHHHING!!!
The sword is pointed towards Damian. "We're doin this. Get me over there, Cufant!" Farfetched hops forwards to stand on Cufant's head, leek at the ready! Cufant trumpets, with force!
... It will take a moment for Dirk to get in range. Cufant is polite.
GS: Dirk Swordsman has attacked Damian Tamaoka with SWORDSMAN wants to battle!! GS: Dirk Swordsman has gained 1 Combo! GS: Dirk Swordsman's stances have changed to Avenger! GS: Dirk Swordsman has completed his action.
<Pose Tracker> White Knight Leo has posed.
Leo has been spending time on Energy Nede, of late. On a purely practical level, it helps him learn more about this strange new world and all its lifeforms--and all the ways it might endanger the Blue and Silver Stars. He's deployed some of his most trusted remaining Guards to help with this task, and he checks in on them regularly. (Trust is increasingly hard to come by, in Althena's Guard. That's not just Leo's increasing paranoia talking.)
On an wholly unrelated note, a certain masked vigilante has been undergoing training to become a Certified Pokemon Move Tutor. That's hard work!
But today it's Leo who stands in the crowd, looking that much stranger to those who'd know him thanks to his Nedian outfit. In one hand, he holds a skewer of fried dough balls coated with spicy mayonnaise. The vender called them 'takoyaki', and they are delicious. He finishes the last of them as the mayor takes the stage, and gives her his full attention.
Leo smiles, applauds, and glances through the crowd. There's a lot of children here--families out on an exciting and perfectly safe day trip. It's like the little harvest festivals at Raculi, but...
'HOLD IT!'
Leo snaps upright. His gaze fixes straight ahead, on the figures mounting the stage. One of them is just a child--for shame, Team Rocket, to drag an innocent youth into this--but the other two...
The crowd starts to surge around him.
"Sweetie, it's time to go!" says a father, taking his daughter's hand.
"I'm calling the police!" someone else shouts. "I'm calling the police right now!"
The 'pop' of a Pokeball opening of its own accord is lost in the noise. Leo takes a deep breath, trying to calm himself--
"Dun! Dunsparce!" comes a determined voice from ground-level, as something nudges his ankle. Ser Dunsparce gestures at Biggs and Wedge with his tail, then gestures at the entrance to a nearby public restroom.
Leo steels himself. He knows what he must do. He slips off in the chaos, making for somewhere quiet.
A few minutes later...
"HALT, THIEVES!" roars a voice, from atop a carved wooden statue of the venerable Wailord himself. There's a sudden PUFF of blue smoke, followed by the focus of a nearby spotlight as it swivels to point at the person emerging from said smoke.
"First, innocent bathers--and now, this great and venerable wonder of nature? And dragging that innocent young man into a life of crime--have you no shame?!" Mystere steps forward, and points an accusatory finger at Biggs and Wedge. Clearly they are currently standing in for the entirety of Team Rocket in Mystere's mind, or at least his rhetoric. Mystere turns to the mayor--and, by extension, the crowd, and strikes a heroic pose, ivory-headed cane held out.
"Fear not, good people of Energy Nede! I, Mystere of the Silver Star, am here to CLEAN THESE STREETS!" And he meant that a bit more literally than usual. Mystere takes a deep breath in, focusing on the essence of Water as it builds in his lungs. When he lets that breath out, it becomes a surging torrent of water, aimed directly at Grimer's center of mass!
GS: White Knight Leo has attacked Giovanni with Aqua Breath! GS: White Knight Leo has gained 1 Combo! GS: White Knight Leo has completed his action.
<Pose Tracker> Nina Chiyome has posed.
Nina's out in traditional clothing! Sort of. She's at least found herself a yukata in white. With a splash of colors up one sleeve and across the shoulders. It's made that way, but it wouldn't be surprising to anyone if it had been an accident. She's here alone. Her sisters had been around, but they'd left to handle something so the third got stuck on camera duty. Which is why she's snapping photos of the trees, pretty angles, some of the people and outfits and in general just enjoying herself. Even if there's some wry commentary on Nami being better suited for it and that she's hungry and.. she's mostly just griping to her quilava Poppy who's dozing nearby.
Poppy's the first one to notice something's up. Nina's entirely engrossed watching some offworlders rubber necking and finding it amusing. She pauses though, "Lava" the pokemon barks. Then bites her ankle when she's still looking anywhere, but where she should. Hopping up she spins and looks around. This might... be a common thing.
She gets a new picture at least. There's people on the stage. Takes her a moment to recognize them. Particularly one of them. Then she scowls. "That better be a really bad joke." She mutters, nudging Poppy, "Let's go check it out." she continues, already turning and jogging towards the situation at hand.
She slides to a stop, having abandoned her sandals just before doing so. Easier to move if you're not worried about losing them anyway. Before she gets too into it. Like say trying to bounce a spray can off of his head, (A tempting thought for the somewhat impulsive girl.) She ignores that impulse and calls out, "That's a really stupid joke." Clearly thinking it's something other than what she's clearly seeing.
The others are engaging though and.. Damian's clearly ready for it. There's a scowl. Then she looks down, "Up front Poppy, we're not playing nice today." Before she begins chanting a spell. Quick, quiet and completed with a clap of her hand before her. Mist begins to billow out around Damian, almost cold and clinging. Poppy's already on the move before the spell completes, darting left and moving wide. she also pulls the pokeballs for her Froslass (A low blow in a way. And a knowing one.) and Mari, her Mawile who bounds off to the right. Also silent.
GS: Nina Chiyome has attacked Damian Tamaoka with Mist Veil Art! GS: Nina Chiyome has gained 1 Combo! GS: Nina Chiyome has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Chisato Madison has posed.
Of course, one of the many jobs of an ACE REPORTER is to cover stories of human interest! Even if it's not as sexy as a glamor shot of a Rocket Koffing spraying noxious fumes everywhere, something as important as the DAIHAKU festival needs to be reported! Chisato Madison, ACE REPORTER, is there with her trusty camera set up on a tripod, filming the event. Of course, she would never dare to intrude over the Mayor's speech! But...!
"Ladies and Gentlemen," Chisato hisses urgently into her hand mic, "Team Rocket has arrived to disrupt the DAIHAKU festival! Two men from afar have beligerently entered the scene! Do they intend to capture Vermillion City's beloved DAIHAKU? There's only one way to find out!" she says, and then bops the side of the camera, causing it to collapse its own tripod and take to the air as a drone.
She gives a peace sign. "Stay tuned for an exclusive interview!" she says brightly, then turns and jogs toward the stage.
"Gentlemen! Sirs! Misters Rocket and Also Rocket!" Chisato calls up, pulling a harmless card case from her sport jacket pocket and popping it open. She holds it up, smiling brightly. "I was wondering if you'd answer a few questions! Like!"
Then she flings them at Shinx and they burst into flames. "What the heck's your deal, man!!"
GS: Chisato Madison has attacked Giovanni with Burning Cards! GS: Chisato Madison has completed her action. GS: Giovanni fails to guard White Knight Leo's Aqua Breath for 68 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Giovanni gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Delay and Disrupt applied to Giovanni! GS: CRITICAL! Giovanni mostly evades Chisato Madison's Burning Cards for 56 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Giovanni gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Giovanni's Poison Ward may block the effect! GS: Poison blocked!
<Pose Tracker> Giovanni has posed.
"Look alive, kid! We're gonna get attention," Biggs says.
Wedge nods his head. "Soon as DAIHAKU appears, I'll throw the Pokeball," he says. "Should be easy, right?"
Biggs turns to look at Timu. There's a brief, distant look in his eyes -- then he shakes his ehad once. "A talk wasn't gonna change our minds!"
"What's done is done," Wedge says. "And we are who we are. Nothing we can do changes what we did."
The Grimer turns -- just as the Moteray comes sweeping down -- and rakes across him. The Grimer bounces backward,before Wedge calls out: "Get 'im!"
Grimer opens his mouth and bellows -- and a thick, purple mist billows out towards Moteray. Then, his eyes turn towards Eleanor's Vulpix.
Who snarls at her -- and that is when the Grimer's eyes and ears plop inside his body, to not hear or see the snarl for a moment. Then, they plop back out. Grimer opens his mouth again, then breathes out the same vile violet mist for Pyri, too.
"Bad call, then!" Wedge calls back to Eleanor. Before he turns his head at a Dunsparce's cry. His eyes widen -- then narrow at Mystere. "What the f--"
"Doesn't he look familiar?" Biggs asks.
Grimer yelps, as the Aqua Breath blasts over him and knocks him backward. Shinx, though, is ready -- looking at Mystere, then his face screws up--
And his eyes blaze red and his mouth seems to be filled with huge fangs.
"RAWR!"
Biggs looks down at Elaine, and then he grunts out a laugh.
"Not happening!" he says. "Whatever this DAIHAKU is... he's Team Rocket's now!"
He points at her. "Shinx! Go get her!"
"Shweeeeee!"
Shinx hops to the left, then the right. Lightning sparks across him -- and then a bolt of lightning crashes down right for Veevee.
Then, Shinx hops to the left -- and all but one of Chisato's fiery cards slam into the ground instead of the Shinx, though one clips it. It looks at her, growls, and shakes -- before lightning comes crashing down for her.
"We're special consultants for the Boss," Wedge Guado tells Biggs.
The Mayor looks at Chartreuse, her eyes going wide for a moment -- then she nods, quickly, in her direction. "Yes, of course! Everyone--over here!" She waves with a hand, hopping off the stage, and the crowd begins to follow her to get clear as the Pokemon take the field.
And this is when there is a sudden spray of water in the distance. A swell of water rises, and then DAIHAKU emerges in the distance: cresting through the water, the great white Wailord surges into the air, and then slams down.
Wedge and Guado turn, and stare. The re-submerged Wailord is rushing right for the docks. The piers rumble; water splashes down across them.
They look at each other.
They look back at the water.
Then, as one: "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA"
GS: Giovanni spends 1 Combo on Poison! GS: Giovanni has attacked Timu Guado with Grimer - Toxic! GS: Delay expired! GS: Giovanni spends 1 Combo on Poison! GS: Giovanni has attacked Eleanor Klein with Grimer - Toxic! GS: Giovanni has attacked White Knight Leo with Shinx - Scary Face! GS: Giovanni has gained 1 Combo! GS: Giovanni has attacked Elaine with Shinx - Thunder Shock! GS: Giovanni has attacked Chisato Madison with Shinx - Thunder Shock! GS: Giovanni has gained 1 Combo! GS: Giovanni gains 5 FP from Sufferer! GS: Giovanni has completed his action. GS: Damian Tamaoka accepts Chase's Chase couldn't move because he's paralyzed! for 0 hit points! GS: Quick applied to Chase! GS: CRITICAL! Timu Guado critically fails to evade Giovanni's Grimer - Toxic for 137 hit points! GS: Disease and Poison applied to Timu Guado! GS: Hyper applied to Giovanni! GS: CRITICAL! Eleanor Klein fails to guard Giovanni's Grimer - Toxic for 108 hit points! GS: Disease and Poison applied to Eleanor Klein! GS: FP up! Arcane Font! GS: Damian Tamaoka mostly guards Josephine Lovelace's Growl for 10 hit points! GS: Weaken blocked! GS: FP up! Power Burst! GS: Damian Tamaoka critically fails to guard Dirk Swordsman's SWORDSMAN wants to battle! for 64 hit points! GS: FP up! Power Burst! GS: Damian Tamaoka mostly evades Nina Chiyome's Mist Veil Art for 0 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Damian Tamaoka gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Interrupt applied to Damian Tamaoka! GS: Blind, Cripple, and Poison blocked! GS: FP up! Power Burst! GS: Chisato Madison mostly guards Giovanni's Shinx - Thunder Shock for 61 hit points! GS: White Knight Leo marginally guards Giovanni's Shinx - Scary Face for 33 hit points! GS: Break and Slow applied to White Knight Leo! GS: FP up! Power Burst! GS: CRITICAL! Elaine mostly guards Giovanni's Shinx - Thunder Shock for 90 hit points! GS: Elaine's Poison Ward may block the effect! GS: Poison blocked! GS: FP up! Arcane Font and Reaction bonus!
<Pose Tracker> Damian Tamaoka has posed.
There is a visible wince as Chartreuse leaps boldly onto the stage and then spots him. It is a coincidence of sorts, that Damian would run into someone he knows... but then again, it's a big event. It draws a lot of people, and the population of Nede, though large, is not infinite.
Another wince, when Timu rushes to the stage--but she seems preoccupied by Biggs and Wedge, and Damian is in no rush to draw her attention.
The angry roar of Chase's Ponyta Fuu is certainly attention-getting,and Damian can't help but look to confirm--and his face falls, visible, even as he looks down. He can see Chase getting the phone out, and no message comes. He opens his own mouth to say something, but then thinks better of it.
Like Chase, Damian has no idea what to say, in the moment.
Josie has words, though, and she's ready to start the fighting with a a Growl from Diomedes. Purri and Pixi seem to weather the threatening gesture just fine--Damian is another matter though. He's had fights before, but this is only his second mission in Team Rocket, and faced now with a group of people he knows... he's floundering.
And so he flinches backwards when Dirk points a sword at him, reflexively bringing a hand up to guard himself. (Dirk's all the way over there, Damian, and he's not going to just throw the thing. Hopefully.)
But this flinch and recoil make him forget bout keeping his face down, and even though he is currently the most unconfident Team Rocket member anyone's likely to see... there is no mistaking that it's him.
Damian does not look like he's ready for this, Nina. He looks ashamed as Nina says this had better be a joke, and summons mists, pokemon, and--a ghost. Damian cringes, when he can feel that ghostly presence here, but still doesn't say anything.
Until Purri prompts him. "Purr! Purrloin!"
"R-right..."
He looks at Vulpix and Purri, who are looking back at him, and then at those he knows. "S-s-sorry... I..." He looks down again.
"Purri, Fake Out. Pixi, Ember."
Purri charges right for Chartreuse's Farfetch'd in a tricky zigzaggy move, before reboudning from there and diving right for Fuu--she's a bold one, it seems. (No, she's Sassy, but sssh.)
Meanwhile, Pixi summons a swarm of blue flames, using them to attempt to burn away the cold blue mist, and then launching them at Dirk's Cufant, Nina's Frosslass, and Josie's Diomedes.
GS: Damian Tamaoka has activated a Boss Action! GS: Damian Tamaoka has attacked Chartreuse Spinosa with Fake Out! GS: Damian Tamaoka enters a Counter stance! GS: Damian Tamaoka has attacked Chase with Fake Out! GS: Damian Tamaoka enters a Counter stance! GS: Damian Tamaoka has gained 2 Combo! GS: Interrupt expired! GS: Damian Tamaoka spends 1 Combo on Poison! GS: Damian Tamaoka has attacked Dirk Swordsman with Ember! GS: Damian Tamaoka has attacked Josephine Lovelace with Ember! GS: Damian Tamaoka has attacked Nina Chiyome with Ember! GS: Damian Tamaoka has gained 2 Combo! GS: Damian Tamaoka has completed his action. GS: Nina Chiyome marginally evades Damian Tamaoka's Ember for 81 hit points! GS: Nina Chiyome's Poison Ward may block the effect! GS: Poison blocked! GS: Interrupt! Attack weakened! GS: Chartreuse Spinosa fails to guard Damian Tamaoka's Fake Out for 59 hit points! GS: COUNTER! Chase counterattacks Damian Tamaoka with Ponyta's Judgment! GS: Interrupt! Attack weakened! GS: Chase mostly charges Damian Tamaoka's Fake Out for 42 hit points! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus! GS: Damian Tamaoka mostly evades Chase's Ponyta's Judgment for 28 hit points! GS: FP up! Power Burst and Reaction bonus! GS: Josephine Lovelace marginally guards Damian Tamaoka's Ember for 80 hit points! GS: Poison applied to Josephine Lovelace! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus! GS: Dirk Swordsman mostly guards Damian Tamaoka's Ember for 56 hit points! GS: Poison applied to Dirk Swordsman! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus!
<Pose Tracker> Timu Guado has posed.
"Good job, Moteray!" Timu calls as Moteray bouncess off the Grimer. She looks to either side to see who else has come. She sees Eleanor and her friends right there, and that's Elaine not far off over there with Veevee. Then there's a woman throwing cards that seem to catch on fire and... things deteriorate quickly.
(not because of the burning cards)
Grimer belches a purple mist, and unfortunately Moteray's pyrefly-like flitting around crosses it. They cough, sputter, and rapidly lose altitude. Right then and there...
"No...!" Timu's eyes widen as Moteray starts to faint, and with his Pokeball held out, he returns to it in a flash of light.
"...Will nothing change you?" She asks, but there's a sudden, sharp turn of her head watching Mystere show up. Doesn't he look familiar?
A LONG TIME AGO - BEVELLE
Mauri sets the place ablaze. It was a thing! Timu was there. She doesn't want to flashback about it.
NOW - ON THE STAGE
"...He kind of does," she concurs with Biggs, as her Hooligre leans in from out of the frame with his jaw clenched like he could spontaneously create a question mark over his face as to what's going on between the Guado there.
"D-Don't... worry about it," she assures him. "Fuecoco!"
With this call, Fuecoco hops out of his ball, that little round croc-shaped friend looking up with an open mouth... and then a closed one, narrowed eyes, and tiny little balled fists (what he can manage, anyway). "Fue...!"
Before anything can happen... as promised, there is DAIHAKU.
The enormous white Wailord makes their dramatic appearance. She staggers as the piers rumble, and the great festival-worthy Pokemon makes their presence known.
Timu lets out a frightful shriek, taking the appearance with no grander grace than Biggs nor Wedge alike, leaving Fuecoco to waddle up to hug her leg.
"Fue! Fue! Cocooooo!" Fuecoco tries to call to her.
"Hoo?" Hooligre points one big hand over at the lot of them, snarling, as if to say 'well what're we doing about them?'
"Fuueeeeeeecocooooooo!!" Fuecoco yells to his friend and Trainer, Timu, who sinks to her knees.
"...It shouldn't scare us anymore," she says, "and yet..."
"HOOLIGRE!!!" Hooligre gnashes teeth at DAIHAKU, as if deciding the best way to parse Timu's distress is to yell Pokemon-language obscenities at them, pound their fists, and look about ready to throw down. (that's his secret, he's always ready to throw down, but... isn't that every Pokemon? Then it's not a secret).
...
"No, don't," Timu says, looking up. "Daihaku hasn't done anything wrong," she reasons, voice sullen. "I..."
Fuecoco keeps shaking her a bit, as she struggles to rally.
GS: Timu Guado takes 34 damage from Poison! GS: Timu Guado has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Chartreuse Spinosa has posed.
People are gathering, and Chartreuse sends them all a grateful nod of greeting. Some of them are even familiar to her! This... is going a lot better than she thought it might.
"Thank you!" She nods back to the Mayor. With her leading the crowd away, that's one less concern off her mind. The last thing she wants is anyone getting hurt in the crossfire.
And then...! A spray in the distance! The star of the show appears - DAIHAKU crests through the water and leaps through the air! So majestic...
"DAIHAKU!" Chartreuse cheers again. There's a situation right now - but she's still going to follow her instincts. It looks like DAIHAKU is rushing for the docks... did the Wailord sense their intent? Something about the sight seems to terrify the two Rocket grunts...
...Still, there's something else she has to worry about right now. Her expression shifts, as she looks to Damian. ...There's no mistaking him. They'd only met the once, but the encounter stuck out in her mind. She said their paths would probably cross again...
...But she never expected it like this.
Damian gives the order, and Purri attacks. Farfetch'd braces himself, but she's a tricky one - she Purri slips through his defenses and strikes cleanly before moving onto her next target.
"...Farfetch'd! Close in with a Slash!" Chartreuse calls out. Farfetch'd glances her way, studying her expression - and then nods. He leaps into the air, flying toward Purri and sweeping his leek in her diection!
...With that, Chartreuse looks toward Damian.
"...Hey. Is this what you want to be doing?" She asks.
GS: Chartreuse Spinosa has attacked Damian Tamaoka with Close in!! GS: Chartreuse Spinosa has gained 1 Combo! GS: Chartreuse Spinosa gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: Chartreuse Spinosa has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> White Knight Leo has posed.
'Doesn't he look familiar?'
"Why would I be familiar?" says Mystere, stepping forward as his tone turns a touch defensive. "You must have me mistaken." Or do they? That's clearly another Guado stepping up to challenge them, addressing them with some familiarity, even.
Mystere's gaze flicks out to sea for a moment, and his heart tightens in his chest. Is that the wake of something approaching, in the distance? The wake of DAIHAKU approaching, Mystere reminds himself--
"Dunsparce!" cheers Ser Dunsparce, hoping to rally his Trainer's spirits. Mystere shakes his head, and offers his partner a reassuring smile.
Then Shinx looks up at Mystere. "So be it," Mystere says, looking back at Shinx. "Though I'm loath to lay a hand on such an ador--"
Shinx looks back with the visage of a FEROCIOUS HELLBEAST, all blood-red eyes and flesh-rending fangs. Mystere takes a full step back, his heel right at the very edge of the sculpture. "Goddess," Mystere croaks. "What the--"
A great, white shape crests through the water, and breaches with a thunderous crash. The statue shakes beneath Mystere's feet. He leaps from it, landing on the stage in a three-point crouch. He's breathing quickly as he rises, reminding himself that this is DAIHAKU, and he's not on the beach at Mi'ihen, buying time for the Black Wizard and the Al Bhed team. This will not end in a massacre.
And perhaps just as importantly, he sees a young woman from Spira struggling with her own memories. "Young lady!" Mystere shouts. "You're here, now! Your friends are with you! We're alive!" Mystere makes a wide, sweeping gesture with his cane, and sparks of light rise from his form. The scents of lavender and jasmine and more Nede-localized blooms fill the air, momentarily drowning out the frightening scent of sea-water.
GS: White Knight Leo spends 1 Combo on Inspire! GS: White Knight Leo has attacked Timu Guado with Aromatherapy! GS: White Knight Leo has completed his action. GS: Timu Guado accepts White Knight Leo's Aromatherapy for 0 hit points! GS: Timu Guado gains 2 Combo from Inspire!
<Pose Tracker> Elaine has posed.
Fortunately no sooner is Elaine's barrier up than its put to the test as it deflects a portion of the power behind the strong Shinx's thunder attacks. Veevee growls angrily at this, jumping down in front of Elaine ready to fight! "The only thing getting anything is you all a beating." she starts grumble and then trails off staring up into the air as the massive Wailord known as Daihaku appears. Only to crash down into the water sending water everywhere. Once again, the barrier proves it value affording Elaine time to secure herself as Veevee also jumps and runs for a safe place waggin her tail as she treats it like a game.
"Veevee! If you have that much energy and fun, then give everyone fighting Team Rocket a helping hand!" Elaine calls out to Veevee. "Eevee! Ee!" is the immediate response as the fluffy brown Eevee begins to dart around the battlefield looking for allies.
First she finds Timu, Hooligre, and Fuecoco. She runs right up to them to cheer them on!
Then she's dashing off again leaving faint white light behind her as she next runs towards Eleanor and Pyri, dancing around them with cheers too!
This is followed by her racing off to the mysterious Mystere to cheer on his Dunsparce cheering on him!
Next up is one ACE REPORTER as she cheers on Chisato's reporting of the festival.
Last but not least, Veevee runs through the area ending up on Chase's shoulder! She rubs up against him while calling out to Pikachu and Ponyta also as her tail wags cheerfully before she bounds back to Elaine.
GS: Elaine has attacked Chase with Helping Hand! GS: Elaine has attacked White Knight Leo with Helping Hand! GS: Elaine has attacked Timu Guado with Helping Hand! GS: Elaine has attacked Chisato Madison with Helping Hand! GS: Elaine has attacked Eleanor Klein with Helping Hand! GS: Elaine gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: Elaine has completed her action. GS: CRITICAL! Eleanor Klein accepts Elaine's Helping Hand for 0 hit points! GS: Amplify, Burst, and Surge applied to Eleanor Klein! GS: CRITICAL! Timu Guado accepts Elaine's Helping Hand for 0 hit points! GS: Amplify, Burst, and Surge applied to Timu Guado!
<Pose Tracker> Dirk Swordsman has posed.
The ember of flame washes towards Cufant, who trumpets in irritation -- the pachydermous Pokemon seems to be hurt but not badly. Getting near the stage, Dirk vaults onto the stage as well, landing in a crouch as others get in the mixx. Chase's Ponyta; Josie stepping in.
He straightens up.
Dirk turns...
And he sees Daihaku rise.
Farfetch'd, for all his ducky misanthropy, does not take his eye off the ball. Farfetch'd is in some ways a weak creature, but as his brother may show, strength comes in many forms. Farfetch'd does not get struck by wonder, as Dirk is, a little bit; he is not possessed by greed, here.
Instead he is faced with a malefactor before him, and standing between him and that malefactor (tyrannous and bipedal though Damien may be) there is a burning creature. Whether truly possessed of a dark will or in the thrall of a wicked trainer, Farfetch'd can't tell.
A true duck chooses fight.
Farfetch'd dives in, feinting with his leek as he aims to get round Vulpix. His real strike is a diving dart with the powerful muscles of his neck and -- center... mass, thingy, torso -- to strike against the fiery kit with his bug-slaying bill.
"You know, homes," says Dirk, who - perhaps to Damien's relief - sheathes his sword, "I'm kind of wondering that myself. I seen you doing regular stuff. You ain't tried to steal any of MY Pokemon. So lemme ask you..."
"Why are you doing this?" His voice is tight, but not yet shouting.
GS: Dirk Swordsman has attacked Damian Tamaoka with Farfetch'd - Peck! GS: Dirk Swordsman has gained 2 Combo! GS: Dirk Swordsman takes 38 damage from Poison! GS: Dirk Swordsman has completed his action.
<Pose Tracker> Eleanor Klein has posed.
As it happens, Eleanor, like Josie, enjoys shooting things and festival food. But she's enjoying neither of those things now.
She worries, about Timu. But she gapes, at Grimer. "What the--" Grimer's eyes and ears just. Plop inside it. She stares. "That's--" Eleanor is vaguely incensed for a moment. Bad call, apparently.
"Oh, Pyri, look out--"
Pyri calls, "Vuuuul!" in dismay as she's badly poisoned by the Toxic sludge. She slumps a little, already feeling the impact.
"You--"
Mystere and Dunsparce happen. "What in the--" At least hers wasn't going to end the same way as Wedge's.
But suddenly... the great Wailord comes into view. "Oh, dear," says the Sage. "Did you not research what a Daihaku was?" Eleanor asks them. "Oh, well..." Pause. Pyri at least feels a little better at Veevee's cheers. "Vul..."
"Pyri, come back!" She extends the Pokeball hand again and Pyri returns, only to be replaced by--
"Pika!" Phaosia appears, and looks to the Wailord pproaching curiously. "Chu?" she wonders, and then looks at Biggs and Wedge, and then at Grimer and Shinx. "Pi... ka..."
Her expression in the next moment can only be described as 'devious', as she hops up, gets on Chisato's shoulder, and whispers into her ear. "Pikachachu!"
"Timu!" Eleanor calls, as Pikachu does her own thing, and suddenly--
LEAPS at Shinx! There's a giant cartoon dustcloud!
"Timu, it's all right! Being afraid is perfectly normal--it's what you do when you're afraid that matters!"
Pikachu continues to dustcloud with Shinx, if she can.
"Thank you!" Eleanor calls to Elaine, and starts to sprint across the dock to reach Timu. "Timu!"
GS: Eleanor Klein has attacked Giovanni with Play Rough! GS: Eleanor Klein has gained 1 Combo! GS: Eleanor Klein takes 32 damage from Poison! GS: Eleanor Klein has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Chase has posed.
People are beginning to engage Damian's Pokemon in battle. Team Rocket is here, and people are battling and initiating their challenges to Damian. That's not -- no! It doesn't make sense! That 'R' on Damian's chest doesn't make sense! Chase looks up in alarm, gesturing helplessly, grip on his phone tight, breathing getting difficult --
Chase looks up at Damian, expecting Damian to call for help, to give some kind of sign something's wrong, that there's a misunderstanding, and instead watches Purri and Pixi receive their commands. Without a command of its own, Ponyta slams its hoof down in another rattling neigh, mane ablaze in fury as it charges Purri, meeting the attack with its flame body. What once helped an egg hatch now burns.
Ponyta beseeches Chase with another call as Chase balls his hands into fists. He looks to the sea. Daihaku is coming. Pikachu runs to the edge of the peer to leap up and wave wildly in greeting to the distant whale. "Piii Pikachu!!" Nidoran gets hit with sea spray and hides behind Pikachu.
It isn't until Veevee is on Chase's shoulder, nuzzling him, that Chase blinks to awareness. He gives her a quick head pat, almost absently at first, watching her return to Elaine as they continue fighting. There are many things Chase does not understand -- clearly. But Damian makes a choice, so Chase has to make his own.
That's always going to be protecting Pokemon.
Chase brings his fingers to his mouth and whistles deep and low.
His Ponyta charges Purri in retaliation. That tale made of flame brightens to a blinding white as Ponyta pivots a sharp turn, whirling its body not to aim for a kick, but to slam Purri with that tail that's gone from being made of fire to feeling hard as iron...!
Instead of watching the battle, Chase watches Damian, his sad gaze unrelenting and unblinking.
GS: CRITICAL! Chase accepts Elaine's Helping Hand for 0 hit points! GS: Amplify, Burst, and Surge applied to Chase! GS: Hyper added to Chase! GS: Chase has activated Force Action: Boost! GS: Shield added to Chase! GS: Chase has activated Force Action: Boost! GS: Chase spends 3 Combo on Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: Chase has attacked Damian Tamaoka with Iron Tail! GS: Chase gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: Chase has completed his action. GS: Giovanni critically fails to guard Eleanor Klein's Play Rough for 63 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Giovanni gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Infect! Debuff durations extended!! GS: Giovanni's Weaken Ward may block the effect! GS: Blind applied to Giovanni! GS: Weaken blocked!
<Pose Tracker> Chisato Madison has posed.
"You haven't even done your research! Rookie stuff! At least do the people you're terrorizing the good courtesy to know why you're stealing their beloved town patrons!" Chisato chides Biggs and Wedge, and then is punished with lightning bolts. "Yikes!" she yelps, and throws up her guard. With her training, it isn't so difficult to ground herself against such techniques!
And thus...DAIHAKU rises. "Oh...it's so majestic..." Chisato says brightly. "Also, incredibly dangerous! Ha ha!"
Then she experiences every young child's absolute fantasy, and a charming little pikachu sneaks up to her shoulder to whisper a conspiratorial plan upon her. Chisato, who is a normal ace reporter who definitely hasn't trained extensively in secret government Pokemon techniques, nods firmly. "Good idea!" she says, and then charges in!! She jukes left and right, her sporty sneakers squeeking against the asphalt as she charges up and--!
"GALE SOMERSAULT!"
Flips forward into a three-kick down, up combo that culminates in a heel drop, crushing and forceful!
This is possibly not what Phaosia wanted.
GS: Chisato Madison accepts Elaine's Helping Hand for 0 hit points! GS: Amplify, Burst, and Surge applied to Chisato Madison! GS: Chisato Madison has attacked Giovanni with Gale Somersault! GS: Chisato Madison has gained 2 Combo! GS: Chisato Madison's stances have changed to Stoic! GS: Chisato Madison gains 22 THP from her Cautious! GS: Chisato Madison has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.
Neither is Chase the only one who seems to have recognized Damian. The jig appears to be up, as it were. Josie's lip curls into something approaching a thin and tight lopsided smile -- it's hardly a proper grin, in any regard.
"Rough business. Having second thoughts, kid?" she muses aloud.
He's probably got a reason. Almost everyone's got a reason, whatever form it might take. But whatever misgivings Damian might be having, his Pokemon seem to be more than willing to trust in him and lead the way with their own attacks.
Flames lash out, but there's no way for Diomedes to evade them: instead he opts to lean in, trusting in his own nature to see himself through the elemental fury.
...Those flames look like they'd hurt, and even if fire's basically second nature to the bird Pokemon, Josie pats down her pockets for the Burn Heal that she finds she never actually picked up in the first place. "Well, don't that beat all," she murmurs, frowning as her gaze shifts towards the far distance. Speaking of Daihaku, doesn't that form on the horizon look like it might be...
Yup.
There's a wave inbound now, too, and even if it might not necessarily hit them, well. That's still another problem piling up to join the rest of 'em.
Josie makes an executive decision regarding the matter and calls out, "Diomedes! Get back here!" as she calls the Fletchling back. In its place, she sends out--
"Antigone! It's your turn!"
A single, smallish (well, two feet long isn't nothing for a piscine Pokemon) Remoraid floats in the air, her gaze sweeping the scene before her. Then, with an almost impish swish, a bubble of water manifests in the air near Antigone, before striking outwards in a single streaking beam.
GS: Josephine Lovelace has attacked Damian Tamaoka with Water Gun! GS: Josephine Lovelace takes 37 damage from Poison! GS: Josephine Lovelace has completed her action. GS: White Knight Leo accepts Elaine's Helping Hand for 0 hit points! GS: Amplify, Burst, and Surge applied to White Knight Leo!
<Pose Tracker> Nina Chiyome has posed.
The Froslass is lucky that it wasn't a proper flamethrower, but she's still not looking super happy. She zips away, ducking behind Nina, who, returns her to the pokeball without looking back, "Hold on, we'll have a better plan in a minute." She murmurs, sparing a glance back as she does so.
Indicative as always, that she's flying by the seat of her pants.
"You realy doing this?" she calls out, "After everything you've seen and done?" There's a few thoughts back to how uncomfortable he'd looked when she'd been joking at fighting the Rockets prior. The scowl disappears. Looking determined now.
"You really wanting to do this?" Like she's mostly convincing herself that the meek kid had it in him to do this. "And you gave me funny looks for what I got up to." There's a flat stare for a moment.
"Yeah I got you." She finally says, sounding flat. There's an undercurrent of anger there. She hadn't known him as well as some of the others, but like them she'd at least made the effort.
This isn't a fair fight. This isn't a sanctioned fight and she's feeling some unhappy things at this point. She doesn't have typing advantages here almost across the board. The Mawile is recalled as well. Throwing her Noibat out instead.
Despite the rather serious look on her face, there's almost levity in her voice. Pushed up from somewhere, "Don't dwell on it when your team's counting on you." Taking a stance next to him, her noibat floating nearby, ready for something..
Thinking on the fly and coming to a simple conclusion. "Go Poppy." Pointing to Purri. The fire type immediately darting forward, purplish-red flames forming around it as it rolls, then speeds up, trailing that strange fire behind for moments.
It's probably no surprise that Nina's fine fighting a little dirty after.. her other antics.
She bounds forward, fine putting herself at risk when she sees Chase's state. She looks to Josie, giving her a nod, working to try and coordinate. Same with Dirk and Chartreuse, it's been a while!
GS: Nina Chiyome has attacked Damian Tamaoka with Flame Wheel! GS: Nina Chiyome has completed her action. GS: COUNTER! Damian Tamaoka counterattacks Chartreuse Spinosa with Payback! GS: CRITICAL! Damian Tamaoka critically fails to charge Chartreuse Spinosa's Close in! for 183 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Damian Tamaoka gains 1 additional Combo! GS: FP up! Power Burst! GS: Interrupt! Attack weakened! GS: Chartreuse Spinosa mostly guards Damian Tamaoka's Payback for 28 hit points! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus!
<Pose Tracker> Giovanni has posed.
"It's not that we didn't change," Biggs tells Timu. "It's that we changed too late."
Then, eyebrow twitching, Biggs looks back at Eleanor. "N-No comment!"
DAIHAKU is still a distance away -- and mostly underneath the water, save for the occasional great spout of water bursting up. Biggs and Wedge look at each other, then shake their heads.
"Head in the game, partner," Biggs tells Wedge.
"Right," Wedge says. "Too far to get from here. We..." There's a nervous edge to his voice. "...We can do this."
Biggs nods, then he glowers towards Mystere. "Who knows," he says. "But last thing we're gonna do... is let some masked fool get in our way!"
Then, Eleanor's Pikachu leaps for Shinx. The two Pokemon vanish into a dust cloud; a few stars and puffs of dust fly out. Then, Shinx also goes flying out.
"Sh-shiiiii...!"
And right into the three-kick combo of Chisato. That knocks him upward -- and then the heel drops slams him down. The Shinx hits the ground, kicks off it, and electricity shoots up his whole body. He shoots out, a blur of electricity, striking for Chisato's midsection--
--then, bounces back into a Pokeball held by Wedge. "Hop in there!" he calls out, underhand tossing another Pokeball. This one isn't the usual red-and-white; it has a patterned, glass-like blue on the top. It opens, and there's a burst of Pyreflies...
...and a Bomb emerges, red and fiery, with a huge mouth. He goes hurtling forward, trying to bowl over Eleanor's Pikachu.
Grimer opens his mouth. His entire massively goopy body shakes -- and there is a deep, low rumble. Like the churning of the sea's depths: some primordial and ancient. Something very powerful.
Then he BELCHES.
Green and violent smog spew forth across the battlefield; there a shockwave blast for Veevee, Fuecoco, and Mystere.
GS: Giovanni gains 5 FP from Sufferer! GS: Giovanni has completed his action. GS: Giovanni mostly guards Chisato Madison's Gale Somersault for 31 hit points! GS: Break blocked! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus! GS: Giovanni has attacked Chisato Madison with Shinx - Volt Switch! GS: Giovanni has gained 2 Combo! GS: Giovanni has attacked Eleanor Klein with Bomb - Rush! GS: Giovanni spends 3 Combo on Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: Giovanni has attacked Elaine with Grimer - Belch! GS: Giovanni has attacked Timu Guado with Grimer - Belch! GS: Giovanni has attacked White Knight Leo with Grimer - Belch! GS: Giovanni gains 5 FP from Sufferer! GS: Giovanni has completed his action. GS: Gamble: ??? Elaine fails to guard Giovanni's Grimer - Belch for 209 hit points! GS: FP up! Arcane Font and Reaction bonus! GS: Eleanor Klein mostly evades Giovanni's Bomb - Rush for 40 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Eleanor Klein gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Delay, Disrupt, and Poison applied to Eleanor Klein! GS: Hyper applied to Giovanni! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus! GS: Timu Guado has activated Force Action: Guard! GS: CRITICAL! Gamble: ??? Timu Guado critically fails to guard Giovanni's Grimer - Belch for 303 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Timu Guado gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Gamble: ??? White Knight Leo mostly evades Giovanni's Grimer - Belch for 92 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! White Knight Leo gains 1 additional Combo! GS: CRITICAL! Damian Tamaoka fails to guard Dirk Swordsman's Farfetch'd - Peck for 178 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Damian Tamaoka gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Cripple applied to Damian Tamaoka! GS: Hyper applied to Dirk Swordsman! GS: FP up! Power Burst! GS: CRITICAL! Damian Tamaoka mostly evades Chase's Iron Tail for 30 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Damian Tamaoka gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Hex and Shieldbreak applied to Damian Tamaoka! GS: FP up! Power Burst! GS: CRITICAL! Damian Tamaoka fails to evade Josephine Lovelace's Water Gun for 107 hit points! GS: Hyper applied to Josephine Lovelace! GS: Chisato Madison mostly evades Giovanni's Shinx - Volt Switch for 32 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Chisato Madison gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Cover and Riposte applied to Giovanni! GS: CRITICAL! Damian Tamaoka mostly guards Nina Chiyome's Flame Wheel for 69 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Damian Tamaoka gains 1 additional Combo! GS: FP up! Power Burst! GS: Healthy! For entering Condition Green, Damian Tamaoka receives 100 temporary hit points. GS: Damian Tamaoka enters CONDITION GREEN!!
<Pose Tracker> Timu Guado has posed.
'Young lady!'
Timu looks up as she's being reached out to, speaking to her in encouragement and that sudden wide sweep of their arm to wonderful floral scents.
Fuecoco breathes deep. A few motes burst into flames, sort of ruining the tranquil moment but he seems to like both aspects of this. Even Hooligre, over there, has to admit it smells pretty nice (even if it makes him sneeze).
'Timu, it's all right! Being afraid is perfectly normal--it's what you do when you're afraid that matters!'
"Fueco..." Fuecoco murmurs.
Then, there comes Veevee, here to give a Helping Hand! Fuecoco cheers and waves. (Hooligre raises a hand and just kind of goes 'yeah, hi.') Timu's eyes start to track Veevee, and a little smile starts to grow on her face.
Biggs and Wedge come to their morale sooner than Timu does. They changed too late, Biggs says, and from there.. a great, terrible belch from Grimer spews all that fog. Fuecoco flails, as Timu rears up.
"HOOLIGRE!" Hooligre snarls, planting himself in the way of Fuecoco. He cannot, in any way, shape, or form, bellow as hard as Grimer belches. But he can bodily intervene, and so he does.
"Hooligre, no--"
"Hoo," Hooligre coughs, kneeling over and slapping his hand on the docks a few times while he sputters. Now he misses the Aromatherapy. Even if lavender and jasmine ain't his style, there's nothing refreshing about whatever leaves a Grimer's... anything!
Timu stands up, holds Hooligre's ball forward. "Come back."
Hooligre does so, leaving Timu with just Fuecoco standing by her. Just Fuecoco, except... to the keen-eyed, there's a fourth ball there. She's made at least one other new friend in the time that passed.
"...Biggs... Wedge..." She starts. "I don't think any of us will ever not be afraid of what something like Sin could do... but... DAIHAKU isn't Sin."
Everyone was so excited for this day, and they wanted their tall, strange-looking Visitor friend to come enjoy it. Besides... there was another, who beseeched her for help one fateful day, despite her reactions and her fears.
She takes out that fourth ball. "Hestrol..."
Fuecoco looks up, eyes shining.
"I choose you!" She throws the ball, and outside of that ball pops a large, whale-like figure themselves - not as large as the majestic Wailord (who is?), but the take to the air.
"Stroooooooo----" The whale-like song fills the air as they descend gently to the top of the pier, Timu's eyes opening slowly as she visibly tenses, while Fuecoco faces forward, nods, and hops forward.
"...I don't want to take the happiness DAIHAKU brings everyone here away for my sake... and definitely not you!" She narrows her eyes and again gestures forward.
"Hestrol! Give them your Brine attack!"
"Hestrooooool---" The whale-like creature calls, as a great cascade of salty water starts descending down upon that Grimer, because Grimer could use some saline mouthwash.
GS: Timu Guado spends 3 Combo on Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: Timu Guado has attacked Giovanni with Brine! GS: Timu Guado takes 35 damage from Poison! GS: Timu Guado has completed her action. GS: Giovanni critically fails to guard Timu Guado's Brine for 162 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Damian Tamaoka has posed.
Damian wishes he could take in the majesty of Daihaku. But he can't bring himself to look, in this moment.
Damian, intellectually, knows he probably shouldn't be having a conversation with the people he knows. Not while doing... this. But Damian looks to Joy, pained, and then looks away. There is an infinitesimally shake of his head.
"I-It's... it's n-n-not..." It's not what, 'not what it looks like?' That sounds weak, even to him. But he's clearly not happy with the situation.
Between darting between attackers and taking Fuu's retaliation, Purri is unable to get out of the way of Chartreuse's Farfetch'd's Slash, especially not one so empowered by Focus Energy. She lets out a loud hiss, but can give as good as she gets, retaliating with Payback in the next instant.
Dirk asks that question, and Damian looks down. He looks like he's trying to speak, but he's having some difficulty. Vulpix, meanwhile, may be possessed of an unsettling supernatural aura, but she is evil, or vindictive, or under Damian's sway--she is, like Purri, simply defending a trainer she loves. She charges forward to meet the peck but her concern to block Dirk's Farfetch'd from reaching Damian puts her at risk, and she lets out a pained squeal as she takes the brunt of the blow.
He can barely bring himself to look at Chartreuse and Dirk, but he is, in the moment, perhaps most ashamed to look at Chase, someone he has so much in common. There is a lot to explain, though Chase may not realize he already knows a good deal of what that explanation will eventually entail.
Purri, meanwhile, has mostly recovered, taking a hit from Ponyta's tail but mostly rolling with it, sent flying towards the stage and then landing nimbly on her feet with a growl.
None of Damian's pokemon ever looked mistreated in the slightest.
Damian is looking more and more miserable by the moment, and the look he gives Josie, in answer to her question, might indicate not just second, but third and fourth and fifteenth thoughts. But he's here anyway.
But Josie has the foresight to bring out a water type,a and beset upon as she is by Dirk's Farfetch'd, Pixi can't dodge out of the way in time. She takes a direct hit, reeling back with a cry, but quickly shifts herself to be in front of Damian again.
Damian looks at Nina, briefly. Yeah, she's gotten into some illegal things too, 'paint crimes', he'd been told... but he's plainly aware that what he's doing pales in comparison to that. Purri, meanwhile, rises to meet the challenge, weathering the Flame Wheel attack with only a few singles on her always immaculately groomed coat of fur.
But the mission continues. He's getting swarmed, and--well, this isn't a sanctioned match. He tosses out two more pokeballs, and Silci the Silcoon and Rishi the Whelpwisher come out, both looking ready for battle. "R-r-r--" Damian squeezes his eyes shut, takes a deep breath. "Rishi".
The little teddy bear pokemon lets out a loud, "Whelp!" and brings her paws together in a praying motion. A glimmer of light appears, and then rises up, falling onto the Bomb, Muk, Purri, and Pixi to help restore them.
Silci uses Harden, to ready herself for the battle and to help shield her other party members.
Meanwhile, Pixi takes her own cue and inhales sharply, before spewing a torrent of flames at Dirk's Farfetch'd.
Purri may be surrounded, but she is, perhaps, the fiercest of Damian's pokemon, and certainly the most committed to protecting him--no matter the threat. Dark energy rises from her as she focuses, and then she lashes out at Charteuse's Farfetch'd, Fuu, Nina's Noibat, and Antigone, to draw attention away from Pixi.
GS: Damian Tamaoka has activated a Boss Action! GS: Damian Tamaoka enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Damian Tamaoka has attacked Giovanni with Wish! GS: Damian Tamaoka has attacked Damian Tamaoka with Wish! GS: Damian Tamaoka has gained 1 Combo! GS: CRITICAL! Damian Tamaoka heals Damian Tamaoka! He gains 106 temporary hit points! GS: Restore! Hex removed! GS: Damian Tamaoka spends 3 Combo on Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: Damian Tamaoka has attacked Dirk Swordsman with Go All Out!! GS: Damian Tamaoka has gained 1 Combo! GS: Damian Tamaoka enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Damian Tamaoka has attacked Josephine Lovelace with Torment! GS: Damian Tamaoka has attacked Chase with Torment! GS: Damian Tamaoka has attacked Chartreuse Spinosa with Torment! GS: Damian Tamaoka has attacked Nina Chiyome with Torment! GS: Damian Tamaoka has gained 1 Combo! GS: Damian Tamaoka gains 5 FP from Sufferer! GS: Damian Tamaoka has completed his action. GS: Chartreuse Spinosa fails to evade Damian Tamaoka's Torment for 89 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Chartreuse Spinosa gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Misery adds Slow and Disrupt! GS: Cripple, Disrupt, Mute, and Slow applied to Chartreuse Spinosa! GS: Chartreuse Spinosa enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Chase mostly evades Damian Tamaoka's Torment for 24 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Chase gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Misery adds Entangle and Disease! GS: Cripple and Entangle applied to Chase! GS: Disease and Mute blocked! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus! GS: Dirk Swordsman mostly charges Damian Tamaoka's Go All Out! for 162 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Dirk Swordsman gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Dirk Swordsman enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: CRITICAL! Josephine Lovelace mostly evades Damian Tamaoka's Torment for 39 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Josephine Lovelace gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Josephine Lovelace's Cripple Ward may block the effect! GS: Misery adds Entangle and Drowsy! GS: Cripple, Drowsy, Entangle, and Mute applied to Josephine Lovelace! GS: Nina Chiyome fails to evade Damian Tamaoka's Torment for 75 hit points! GS: Nina Chiyome's Cripple Ward may block the effect! GS: Misery adds Disrupt and Interrupt! GS: Disrupt, Interrupt, and Mute applied to Nina Chiyome! GS: Cripple blocked!
<Pose Tracker> Elaine has posed.
As Veevee returns from her mission still full of cheer, Elaine smiles and nods at her Eevee happy with how she did. During that, she was mostly watching the DAIHAKU through. It is afterall not a common sight! This means the sudden belch by grimer catches her offguard and the barrier she setup begins to crumble. "Errk." she groans, falling to a knee which dislodges a chaotically moving pokeball from her pack. It hits the ground, bounces, lands on its button, bounces again, and opens! A loud screech resounds as one small, feisty, rage filled, anger drive, martial artist Pig Pokemon appears from the red light emitted.
"Kukyu..." Elaine groans, not having meant to release the raging fighting type. "Ugh, but if you're here... Veevee, use quick attack on that Grimer! Kukyu, hit the Grimer with fury swipes!" she calls out her double strike attack to her Pokemon as she pushes herself back to her feet to survey the ongoing brawl. First she checks on those Veevee helped, making sure they're still doing okay and offering a smile to any of them looking for where Veevee scampered off to. Chase also gets a fond smile as she watches her brother for a second to make sure he's okay before her attention turns back to focus on the dual strikes Kukyu and Veevee.
GS: Elaine has activated Force Action: Lock On! GS: Elaine has attacked Giovanni with Doubles Strike! GS: Elaine has gained 1 Combo! GS: Elaine gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: Elaine has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> White Knight Leo has posed.
Ser Dunsparce, to his credit, stays at his post at the spotlight, even as he flits up on tiny putto wings to escape the sea spray. "Dunsparce!" he says to Veevee, saluting back with a wing. "Dun! Dunsparce!" Mystere glances over his shoulder and watches as his partner twirls in mid-air.
"That's right," says the masked vigilante, with a nod to Eleanor. He slips into a fighting stance, cane raised in one hand, and the fingers of the other twitching. He glances sidelong at the advancing DAIHAKU, and wonders--could a normal Pokeball even contain him? Do Biggs and Wedge have a more potent Pokeball up their sleeve?
Then, Bomb happens.
"A Fiend?!" Mystere squawks, looking genuinely shocked. "You--you'd bring those here, of all places?" But Bomb isn't what Mystere has to worry about. That's Grimer. Mystere clamps both hands over his mouth and nose, and rushes forward to reposition himself upwind. The stench is enough to make him gag anyway.
"Sparce," grunts Ser Dunsparce, fanning a tiny wing to try and dissipate the stink.
Timu makes her stand. Mystere coughs violently, but there's still a smile on his face as he spreads his arms again. A gust of wind picks up, more potent than the wafting mist of Aromatherapy. It surges forth, carrying the worst of Grimer's mist with it as it washes over Timu, Hestrol, and Fuecoco, and continues on to Elaine's team, then Eleanor's. It's laced through with ribbons of pearly-white power, and breathing it is healing, and soothing.
GS: White Knight Leo has attacked Timu Guado with White Wind! GS: White Knight Leo has attacked Eleanor Klein with White Wind! GS: White Knight Leo has attacked Elaine with White Wind! GS: White Knight Leo has gained 1 Combo! GS: White Knight Leo gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: White Knight Leo has completed his action. GS: White Knight Leo heals Elaine! She gains 178 temporary hit points! GS: White Knight Leo heals Eleanor Klein! She gains 36 temporary hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Chartreuse Spinosa has posed.
'It's not'- what? It feels like there should be more. She can't take it as an answer to her question.
"Are they forcing you? What's going on? Come on... talk to us." Chartreuse urges.
The battle continues, though, despite the conflict amongst the trainers themselves. Farfetch'd's Slash connects - but Purri immediately delivers Payback, forcing him out of range.
Chartreuse, meanwhile, glances toward Nina searchingly - she had been with him before, and they seemed to be friends... But, it doesn't seem like she knows anything more than she does.
Meanwhile, Purri Torments those attacking her.
"Be careful!" Chartreuse worns - but it's too late. Farfetch'd is struck, and the darkness clings to him. Chartreuse frowns.
"Pull back for now, alright?" She says. With a nod, Farfetch'd flies up, landing to perch on one of the stagelights as Chartreuse draws out another Pokeball. "Sandshrew, you're up!"
The small creature, her body patterned as if made of sandy bricks with a soft, white belly, swishes her tail back and forth as she assesses the situation.
"...Bulldoze 'em!" Chartreuse calls out. In response -
Sandshrew curls up into a perfect ball. She spins in place - with a sound not unlike a motor revving - then bounces up once, twice... then bounces up high into the air and slamming down toward Purri, sending shockwaves through the stage!
GS: Chartreuse Spinosa enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Chartreuse Spinosa has attacked Damian Tamaoka with Break through!! GS: Chartreuse Spinosa has gained 2 Combo! GS: Chartreuse Spinosa enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Chartreuse Spinosa gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: Chartreuse Spinosa has completed her action. GS: White Knight Leo heals Timu Guado! She gains 47 temporary hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Eleanor Klein has posed.
No comment. That answers that! Daihaku, still a distance away, is--well. Is there, and large. And Eleanor and Phaosia are here, ad much smaller. Eleanor claps for her POkemon as her Pikachu stands victorious for a moment. But there is--
"Pikaaa!"
"A Bomb!? I'm SURE that's not--"
"Pika!"
"...You want to fight?" Eleanor wonders, and Phaosia cries, "Pika! Pika pika!"
"Well, all right..."
Timu recover herself. Mystere is hanging in. And Elaine and her Veevee are doing well. Eleanor looks to Daihaku and--
"Okeanos!" she calls, pulling out another Pokemon, who lazily lounges around for the moment. "Just--stay there, i have a plan!"
"Slooow..."
Her Pikachu, Phaosia, instead looks to the Bomb--and then leaps upward, surging with electricity that crashes towards the Bomb!
Bzzzzt.
...Mystere's White Wind washes over Okeanos the Slowpoke. "Poke..."
"Get ready, okeanos! You're up next!"
GS: Eleanor Klein has attacked Giovanni with Spark! GS: Eleanor Klein has gained 1 Combo! GS: Delay expired! GS: Eleanor Klein takes 36 damage from Poison! GS: Eleanor Klein has completed her action. GS: Damian Tamaoka heals Giovanni! He gains 91 temporary hit points! GS: Restore! Blind and Disrupt removed! GS: Giovanni critically fails to guard Elaine's Doubles Strike for 70 hit points! GS: Giovanni fails to evade Eleanor Klein's Spark for 165 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Giovanni gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Break applied to Giovanni! GS: Slow blocked! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus!
<Pose Tracker> Chase has posed.
While Damian stammers through explanations, Chase strains to listen, as if through sheer effort and will alone he could hear how those sentences are meant to finish. What is it not? Chase doesn't know what it's not. He only knows what it is. Right now, it's Damian working with Team Rocket, in uniform, and holding the line in spite of uncertainty and fear.
But why? ARE they forcing him? Chase looks to Chartreuse with a glimmer of hope.
All of Damian's Pokemon come to his aid, even Rishi. Chase's eyes widen again, expression with alarm at Damian. Rishi, only newly hatched, and now battling, being trained... for use in Team Rocket?
Chase's eyes narrow now. Another whistle sounds out, this one higher and sharper. His Pikachu, who is still endeavoring to enjoy the great white Wailord's arrival in spite of everything, suddenly perks up. "Pika?" Her ears shoot high, and without hesitation, she starts sprinting toward Chase --
"Pikapikapikapika~"
-- sprinting past Chase --
"Pikapikapikapikapikapikapika~"
Faster and faster and faster faster faster faster --
Until a blur of lightning is rockets into Damian's Pokemon with thunderous joy.
His Pikachu skids to a halt on the other side of the battlefield, raising both paws in the air in delighted triumph for having done her favorite move. "Piiika!" She whirls around to face Damian's party, then stops, mouth dropping open as she points directly at the 'R' on Damian's shirt.
"PIKA?!"
GS: Chase spends 2 Combo on Headshot! GS: Chase has attacked Damian Tamaoka with Zippy Zap! GS: Chase has gained 1 Combo! GS: Chase gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: Chase has completed his action.
<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.
"In your own time, kid," Josie says easily enough, apparently willing to let it be this and nothing more. "I ain't in the business of makin' anyone do anything, right," she continues, glancing at the others who have rounded up along with her to face down Damian's Pokemon. "But it also ain't like I'm gonna let you do as you please."
There's a pause, and she looks at Nina as if for the first time. "Say, you ain't got some sisters, do ya?"
As it happens, Josie's ended up close to Eleanor and casts a look at her from over a shoulder. "Fancy seein' you here, Nora! Hell of a moment for it." She jerks her head off at the still-distant form of DAIHAKU and its threatening tidal surge. "Somehow, I'm figurin' these lot're gonna find they've bitten more than they can chew... but that don't mean I love the idea of lettin' 'em try." They might just have something that'll even the odds, after all -- she doubts they'd have gotten this far without an ace up their sleeve.
She rolls her shoulders in a shrug as if to thereby jot a line underneath all of this, then offers her wax-wrapped fair food in Eleanor's direction. "Speakin' of chewing," she says, her apparently throughline between the current goings-on being... this.
TBut Damian's not about to make this easy for them, and his Purri is more than able to try to even the odds.
"Antigone! Look out!"
Though Antigone does her best to try an escape the wave of darkness that comes for her, there's no evading the inevitable: when the shadows fade, the sureshot piscine Pokemon is left dazed and shuddering in the wake of the terrors that had been. Josie pulls her mouth in a frown and, stuffing her i-can't-believe-it's-not-churro into her coat pocket again, calls Antigone back: "Take a breather! You're good," she calls, knitting her brow as she considers her options.
"Kirke! Show 'em what for!"
Compared to what she's fielded previously, the Bombirdier is massive, standing nearly five feet high. "Bomb," Kirke promises nastily, scraping her talons on the stonework underfoot. Sizing up the Pokemon that Damian has fielded, she takes to the air shortly after only to fall in a screaming dive for the Whelpwisher, her sharpened talons reaching to seize whatever she might grasp.
GS: Josephine Lovelace spends 1 Combo on Link! GS: Josephine Lovelace has attacked Josephine Lovelace with Hone Claws! GS: Josephine Lovelace has gained 1 Combo! GS: Josephine Lovelace has launched an attack Link! GS: You cannot act while you still have attacks in queue. GS: CRITICAL! Josephine Lovelace accepts Josephine Lovelace's Hone Claws for 0 hit points! GS: Restore! Cripple, Drowsy, Mute, and Poison removed! GS: Hyper applied to Josephine Lovelace! GS: Hyper applied to Josephine Lovelace! GS: Josephine Lovelace enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Josephine Lovelace spends 1 Combo on Interrupt! GS: Josephine Lovelace has attacked Damian Tamaoka with Thief! GS: You have finished a Link/Follow chain! GS: Josephine Lovelace has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Dirk Swordsman has posed.
Something about Damian makes Dirk feel a vague sense of guilt. He's suffering. Stammering. Maybe something worse is going on. He's struggling, that's for sure. Something about it takes the edge off of Dirk.
But Farfetch'd is less forgiving -- or, perhaps, less flexible. The stout little duck raises his leek with narrowed eyes as the Vulpix puts it all out. Then as Damian regroups in the face of this threat, Pixi takes her cue and unleashes a torrent of flames --
"Farfetch'd!!" Dirk calls out. There is a smell of scorched onions in the air. Farfetch'd, smouldering, staggers -- twists his leek around and strives to rise -- and instead flops down, dazed.
"You did good, buddy," Dirk says then. A ball comes up; Farfetch'd returns.
"I guess I can't leave it on the bench if it's gonna be like this, huh," Dirk then says quietly. He takes a deep breath in through his nose -- and then calls towards Cufant, "Go cannonball. Return!" And the cuprous pachyderm returns into a Pokeball -- even as Dirk pops out two others.
Charcadet, who leaps upwards despite his full gullet, and HONEDGE -- who's eye swivels around, then comes to focus on Damian.
"Gentlemen, Oshawott ain't up for it and we're down a bird," Dirk says to the student of the sword and the, well, sword itself. Chespin leaps up to stand next to Dirk, attentive. "We're doin one-four. Get ready..."
He raises a hand.
"Go."
Charcadet moves first. A single monumental slash from the diminuitive pokemon balances out to a huge fiery slash aimed towards, of all people, Rishi -- rather than any of the 'frontliners', even as Dirk, who has the liberty of a second's freedom, glances towards the erupting Bomb. (Dang, he may be thinking, that's a weird kind of Electorb.) Back in the game:
Chespin pours out a sudden quill barrage, aimed towards Damian's entire team. He might be centering it on Silci - hard to tell. At the last burst, he slashes the air with the ironwood stick that serves him with the swords.
Honedge, for his part, raises upwards and does an inverse flip -- which is when Dirk hops up into the air and lands, arms spreading wide suddenly, ATOP the blade. The impact of foot upon blade's flat produces a metallic 'tnnngg' which amplifies as the soul-sword surges forwards, bearing fellow-student aloft --
And while crossing over, Dirk raises the Pokeball he'd retrieved Cufant into above his head and pops it open.
Cufant, who is over two hundred pounds of ALL ELEPHUN COPPER TONED ELEPHANT-BEEF, appears about seven feet in the air, letting out a triumphant tootle as she descends, legs tucked up slightly in preparation...
For impact.
GS: Dirk Swordsman has activated Force Action: Snipe! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Dirk Swordsman has attacked Damian Tamaoka with Tsurugi Ultimate Emergence ~Unite: Synchronization~! GS: Dirk Swordsman has gained 2 Combo! GS: Dirk Swordsman takes 34 damage from Poison! GS: Poison expired! GS: Dirk Swordsman has completed his action.
<Pose Tracker> Chisato Madison has posed.
Chisato's not afraid to punch a pokemon! Her master would be ashamed of her if she had such a weakness!!
Which means she's ready when the Shinx braces itself to charge. "Hey! Ho! C'mon!" she says, and then swerves to the side, lightning fraying the ends of her hair as the Shinx narrowly misses, a grin on Chisato's face. "Well, your mons are having fun, at least!" Chisato goads at Biggs and Wedge. She plants a foot and pivots, hands on her hips to watch them. "But I'm pretty sure you two look scared! Never seen a Wailord before? They're pretty cool, right? Little impractical, but when's that ever stopped a trainer with a dream?"
She squints. "Which I am beginning to think is not a description for you two!"
She fishes around in her jacket, and pulls out...a a PILLAR??
She turns to Shinx, because you don't leave the deployed fighter alone! "Now then! Flamethrower!!"
She yanks a lever on the 'pillar', which fires a ball of fire into the air, which arcs over toward Shinx and then rains fire down on the electromon!
GS: Chisato Madison spends 3 Combo on Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: Chisato Madison has attacked Giovanni with Flamethrower! GS: Chisato Madison gains 28 THP from her Cautious! GS: Chisato Madison has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Giovanni has posed.
The Shinx turns towards Chisato -- growls -- and then sees what she pulls up. And then a blast of flame slams into. "SHWII--"
The Shinx is then sent flying back, where he is caught in a Pokeball.
Light washes over the Bomb and he Grimer. Wedge glances in Damian's direction, nodding. "Good work!"
"Yeah--we know that," Biggs says to Timu. But his voice wavers; he knows that, but he doesn't know that, the way that Timu does.
"Gh!" Wedge exclaims through his teeth, as Hestrol comes out. A blast of salt water slams into Grimer, blowing the Pokemon backward. Which is when Kukyu charges in, claws slashing across Grimer.
"Gwuuuuhh...!"
Grimer goes flying back -- and into Biggs's Pokeball, with a snap.
"Even got a special-made Pokeball for him!" Wedge tells Mystere. "You think we'd give up where we're from completely?"
After all, Fiend summoning is a Guado tradition -- if a questionable one.
The Bomb rebounds backward from Phaosia -- and then electricity from the Pikachu slams into the Bomb. It yelps, zipping into the air and zig-zagging back and forth. Smoke trails after it.
The Bomb looks around. His eyes go to where the Grimer was. Nothing. His eyes dart back towards the Pokeball, holding the Shinx. Then, over the group. His mouth closes. It's like he is holding his breath--
--because he swells up in size.
"Wait, no, don't--"
"CRAP!"
--and swells again.
And then, there is a massive BOOM. Fire and force slam into the super-advanced structure of the pier and stage, gently singing it; the blast rolls outward, hurtling across them all. The Bomb, though, does not perish.
For the Symbols built on the Sphere Ball flash, and Bomb deflates like a balloon -- 'gweeeehhhh...' -- and then wafts into the Sphere Ball.
Which clicks.
Just before Biggs and Wedge are tossed, by the fireball, into the ocean, with a splash.
GS: Giovanni accepts Chisato Madison's Flamethrower for 210 hit points! GS: Giovanni spends 1 Combo on Link! GS: Giovanni has attacked Giovanni with Bomb - Grow! GS: Giovanni has gained 1 Combo! GS: Giovanni has launched an attack Link! GS: Giovanni accepts Giovanni's Bomb - Grow for 0 hit points! GS: Hyper applied to Giovanni! GS: Giovanni has activated Force Action: Lock On! GS: Giovanni has activated Force Action: Full Clip! GS: Giovanni has activated Force Action: Snipe! GS: Giovanni has attacked Giovanni with Bomb - - Self-Destruct! GS: Giovanni has attacked Eleanor Klein with Bomb - - Self-Destruct! GS: Giovanni has attacked Elaine with Bomb - - Self-Destruct! GS: Giovanni has attacked Timu Guado with Bomb - - Self-Destruct! GS: Giovanni has attacked Chisato Madison with Bomb - - Self-Destruct! GS: Giovanni has attacked White Knight Leo with Bomb - - Self-Destruct! GS: Damian Tamaoka critically fails to charge Chartreuse Spinosa's Break through! for 191 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Damian Tamaoka gains 1 additional Combo! GS: FP up! Power Burst! GS: Elaine has activated Force Action: Guard! GS: Elaine fails to guard Giovanni's Bomb - - Self-Destruct for 221 hit points! GS: FP up! Arcane Font! GS: Strain! Giovanni takes 150 damage! GS: CRITICAL! Eleanor Klein mostly guards Giovanni's Bomb - - Self-Destruct for 185 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Eleanor Klein gains 1 additional Combo! GS: FP up! Arcane Font and Reaction bonus! GS: Eleanor Klein enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Disease expired! GS: Strain! Giovanni takes 150 damage! GS: CRITICAL! White Knight Leo mostly guards Giovanni's Bomb - - Self-Destruct for 160 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! White Knight Leo gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Strain! Giovanni takes 150 damage! GS: Giovanni accepts Giovanni's Bomb - - Self-Destruct for 291 hit points! GS: Strain! Giovanni takes 50 damage! GS: Giovanni has Fallen! He is no longer able to fight! GS: Giovanni has Fallen! He is no longer able to fight!
<Pose Tracker> Nina Chiyome has posed.
BB's doesn't quite get out of the way of the dark energy in time. Nina reaches back, catching him for a moment while he orients himself. Tucked away in her arm. She uses her free hand to slip her sneasel out, throwing the ball to the side. Met with a confident chirp from Mavs who stands up, glances from Nina to the situation at hand, then back to Damian and his pokemon. Rishi being out gets a particularly dirty scowl from Nina, she's not as good at keeping a poker face as she'd like to admit.
There's something there that's really gotten under her skin about all of this. For all her impulsive behavior, habits towards brazen attitudes and flaunting the law, she can't put her finger on it quite yet.
She adjusts Noibat to her shoulder, keeping him there for a moment while she sends out her Sneasel and drops the Froslass back behind herself. Protecting her from the flames for the time being. The ghostly pokemon lets out a low noise, not happy to be covered this way, but Nina's aware of the risks. Glancing back briefly, "I'll be fine." Trying to reassure the ghost.
Maybe it's the problem of being opposites in a lot of ways?
She's not going to let those thoughts roam too much. Clamping down on them for the situation at hand.
"Poppy, Korukiri, you're up. You know what to do." The Quilava chirps a response and inhales, her Froslass raises her (Are they arms?) arms, Nina's mind briefly getting caught up in the question as she checks back. Conjuring an icy wind at the same time Poppy's preparing a flamethrower.
At some point she'll get proper synergy. Or does it kind of work with her attitude towards things in general?
She doesn't have a good.. answer for what she's seeing. And it'll bother her for some time. Maybe this is why she always just acts first and worries later.
GS: Nina Chiyome spends 1 Combo on Poison! GS: Nina Chiyome has attacked Damian Tamaoka with Antipodal Arts! GS: Nina Chiyome has gained 2 Combo! GS: Interrupt expired! GS: Nina Chiyome has completed her action. GS: Timu Guado has activated Force Action: Guard! GS: CRITICAL! Timu Guado marginally guards Giovanni's Bomb - - Self-Destruct for 228 hit points! GS: Strain! Giovanni takes 50 damage! GS: Giovanni has Fallen! He is no longer able to fight! GS: Chisato Madison has activated Force Action: Accelerate! GS: CRITICAL! Chisato Madison mostly evades Giovanni's Bomb - - Self-Destruct for 140 hit points! GS: Strain! Giovanni takes 50 damage! GS: Giovanni has Fallen! He is no longer able to fight! GS: Damian Tamaoka has activated Force Action: Guard! GS: CRITICAL! Damian Tamaoka mostly guards Chase's Zippy Zap for 71 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Damian Tamaoka gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Infect! Debuff durations extended!! GS: Blind blocked! GS: Quick applied to Chase! GS: FP up! Power Burst! GS: CRITICAL! Damian Tamaoka fails to guard Josephine Lovelace's Thief for 26 hit points! GS: Interrupt applied to Damian Tamaoka! GS: FP up! Power Burst and Reaction bonus! GS: Damian Tamaoka has lost 2 Combo from Interrupt! GS: Damian Tamaoka has activated Force Action: Accelerate! GS: Damian Tamaoka mostly evades Dirk Swordsman's Tsurugi Ultimate Emergence ~Unite: Synchronization~ for 71 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Damian Tamaoka gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Shieldbreak blocked! GS: FP up! Power Burst! GS: Damian Tamaoka mostly evades Nina Chiyome's Antipodal Arts for 35 hit points! GS: Poison and Weaken blocked! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus!
<Pose Tracker> Damian Tamaoka has posed.
Talking might be the one thing Damian wants to do most in the moment, and the one thing that is, physically, the hardest for him to do in this moment. (It was easier, last time, with him only taking on two people, and one of them he only knew a little bit, in passing. But now he spent a whole trip with Dirk, and it's much, much harder.)
But Chartreuse calls out Sandshrew, who revs up, rolling into a ball and then launching itself at Purri with a massive bounce. Purri swishes her tail, lowering herself into a crouch and trying to launch herself at the incoming pokemon--but she misses the timing, and is slammed back into the ground instead, taking the full brunt of the attack. "Purr!"
Chase missed it, but Rishi got to fight when it was Damian's turn for the dig Ida took them on. She was eager for it, even, and seems fearless. Yes, she's young, but she is Bold, and she is ready to protect Damian, too.
Damian hadn't seen Chase fight, but he heard the first whistle, heard the second, and his eyes widened as he realized--he quickly knelt and tapped Rishi on the shoulder, who'd reverted to a defensive stance while waiting for next orders. Damian points, and Rishi nods, sprinting into action. She extends one paw, as if sensing or waiting for an attack...
* Rish used Detect!
And when it comes she takes it in, blocking the move for the rest of her pokemon with hardly a singe of fur (though there are a few), and she gently pushes Phwee to the side to let her continue on.
All Damian can do is hang in head as Phwee sees him.
Josie declares that she won't let them do as they please, and he nods, glumly. He seems accepting of that much, at least.
But Rish is newly hatched, and though she handled Phwee more or less gracefully, the little teddy-bear pokemon is not ready to fight something five times her height, and who knows how many times her weight--rending claws come from the sky, and though she tries the same trick again, the second consecutive use of Detect fails her and she is knocked to the ground.
Dirk might see that Damian is suffering, but--that suffering only increases as Honedge comes out. Damian's eyes go wide and he takes a step back. He could feel it, almost a moment before it arrives, and a little whimper dies in the back of his throat.
Purri's back on her feet enough, though, to shout an encouraging "Purr! Purr purrloin!" at him. Damian nods, and takes a deep breath, as instructed.
And Purri also sounds the alarm to the other pokemon, once she sees the syncrhonization of Dirk's team unfolding. Silci springs into action to protect Rishi, spitting out a line of silk and using it to pull Rishi most of the way out of the way of the flaming slash. At Purri's direction, Rishi picks up Silci and the latter uses Harden to guard against the spray of needles, and then Rishi, Silci, and Pixi book it to avoid the worst of the Cufant's canonball, though they get sent flying in the process.
Damian sighs in relief, just a little. That could've been so much worse.
Except for the fact that this scenario is already kind of his worse nightmare already.
And then Frosslass comes out--she's behind Nina, but Damian knows she's there, and he takes another step back, struggling to control his breathing. Purri darts back to him then, leaping neatly back up onto the stage and then up to Damian's shoulder, nuzzling him to help him calm down. She shouts out commands to Rishi, Silci, and Pixi, who quickly scatter before the combined attack.
He winces as he takes note of the Bomb exploding, sending Biggs and Wedge flying clear... he was warned about that, and it's not unlike a Voltorb's Self-Destruct, but in a way it is entirely unlike it too. But the bigger problem is...
That leaves him, on stage, alone, in front of a bunch of aggrieved Pokemon trainers. He looks around, wide-eyed, knowing several have already made him, but trying so very hard not to make eye contact with Timu. Instead he extends his pokeballs, retrieving every pokemon except for Purri, who remains on his shoulder.
"S-s-s..." He screws his eyes shut, takes a deep breath... and manages to get out the word. "Sorry."
There are pokemon centers around, certainly, but he can't help... but reach into his pouch and place a number of Hyper Potions on the sage, before booking it backstage.
GS: Damian Tamaoka has attacked Nina Chiyome with Hyper Potion! GS: Damian Tamaoka has attacked Chisato Madison with Hyper Potion! GS: Damian Tamaoka has attacked Dirk Swordsman with Hyper Potion! GS: Damian Tamaoka has attacked Josephine Lovelace with Hyper Potion! GS: Damian Tamaoka has attacked Chase with Hyper Potion! GS: Damian Tamaoka has attacked Eleanor Klein with Hyper Potion! GS: Damian Tamaoka has attacked Chartreuse Spinosa with Hyper Potion! GS: Damian Tamaoka has attacked White Knight Leo with Hyper Potion! GS: Damian Tamaoka has attacked Elaine with Hyper Potion! GS: Damian Tamaoka has attacked Timu Guado with Hyper Potion! GS: Damian Tamaoka has gained 1 Combo! GS: Interrupt expired! GS: Damian Tamaoka gains 5 FP from Sufferer! GS: Damian Tamaoka has completed his action. GS: Damian Tamaoka heals White Knight Leo! He gains 182 temporary hit points! GS: CRITICAL! Damian Tamaoka heals Chase! He gains 223 temporary hit points! GS: CRITICAL! Damian Tamaoka heals Eleanor Klein! She gains 217 temporary hit points! GS: Damian Tamaoka heals Chartreuse Spinosa! She gains 180 temporary hit points! GS: Damian Tamaoka heals Dirk Swordsman! He gains 187 temporary hit points! GS: CRITICAL! Damian Tamaoka heals Timu Guado! She gains 53 temporary hit points! GS: Damian Tamaoka heals Josephine Lovelace! She gains 182 temporary hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Chase has posed.
It's not Rishi fighting that bothers Chase. It's what she's being used to fight for. Pokemon change and grow based on how they are trained. And this is... Damian can't possibly want this for his Pokemon, can he...? Didn't Damian understand? When they both talked about how scared they were that the world was changing?
Or is this Damian's answer to that fear...? Pikachu points in her shock, and Chase looks on too. He lifts his hand in a gesture, stilling both Ponyta and Pikachu (and Nidoran, who is now clutched to Chase's leg, not sure what to do about the emotions in play) as Damian struggles to speak.
An apology, a potion, and then Damian is gone.
Chase steps to the potions, picking one up. He looks to Ponyta, who turns away in refusal. Chase's Pikachu pads up to him, pawing at the potion. "Pika...?" Chase looks down, uncertain, conflicted, his grip loose enough for Pikachu to take the Hyper Potion from his hands.
She nearly topples over as she tries to get a good grip on the bottle, then gives Chase a little spritz.
It does not seem to heal what's hurting him. Pikachu lowers the Hyper Potion alongside drooping ears.
"Pika pi..."
<Pose Tracker> Chisato Madison has posed.
Chisato nods, firmly, as Shinx is sent flying, and strikes a needless pose. "Good fight! Now, contemplate your behavior!"
Then she sees Biggs and Wedge's next play. "Oh," Chisato says, tucking her shrinking mortarflamethrowerobelisk into her jacket again. "Y'all gotta keep a tight leash on these!" she yells, and then tenses - flexing chi through her body as she prepares to move.
The next anyone can see her, backlit by the flames of the explosion, Chisato blurs back into view further from shore, rapidly patting down some flames on the arms of her jacket.
"Team Rocket...so this is how far you're taking things, huh?" she mutters, looking out across the disturbed ocean and mostly just scorched pier.
She pinches out a slightly flaming bang.
<Pose Tracker> Chartreuse Spinosa has posed.
Chartreuse meets Chase's hopeful look. ...She wishes she could do more to encourage him, but... she doesn't want to give false hope, either. If Damian is doing this of his own free will, then...
...Well, she'll get to that when she gets to that.
Sandshrew lands and leaps back, tail swishing readily as she eyes Purri and the rest of Damian's Pokemon carefully.
Nearby, though... there is an explosion, as Biggs and Wedge's Bomb explodes, sending them flying into the ocean! Chartreuse meets Damian's eyes - then watches as he retrieves his Pokemon, apologises, then departs - though not before leaving behind some Hyper Potions.
...Chartreuse sighs.
"...Geez. Poor kid. Still don't know what's up with you... Hope you figure it out, though." She mutters, massaging the back of her neck. ...She won't be finding out today, though. Instead she approaches the Hyper Potions and takes one, waving up at Farfetch'd on his perch. He soars down, alighting on her arm, then turns so she can get a good angle to spray the potion. With the battle over, Sentret peeks out - then climbs back up on top of her backpack once more.
"How's everyone holding up...? Everyone alright?" Chartreuse asks, then considers. "...This day doesn't have to be a total bust. Come on - let's see if we can't still get a good look at DAIHAKU!"
Right now, she could definitely use that to cheer herself up.
<Pose Tracker> Timu Guado has posed.
'You'd think we'd give up where we're from completely?'
Timu's gaze lids at the thought of it, considering all the Guado did to Spira in the years leading up to the Eternal Calm, but she doesn't linger on that long, because there's a Bomb on the field.
Mystere brings forth more of his strange techniques, as a nice, refreshing, pearlescent wind - the White Wind, it is referred to as - brings a fresh breath of air to Hestrol, Fuecoco, and Timu although the overall gloom lingers.
She can tell some of her friends are very worked up over something, and something about the manner of that other Rocket Grunt is--
The panic over the Bomb's swelling sees Timu stand at alarm, now drawing out and clutching her healer's staff.
"Fueee!" Fuecoco steps forward, boldly, and Hestrol slides on ahead in that strange floating that almost all Water-type Pokemon seem to do on land without ever truly leaving the ground.
They face the BOOM together, best they can, as incredible destructive force washes through them. Fuecoco tumbles back. Hestrol slides back like a great breeze is throwing them off-course (kinda-sorta, that force displaces a lot of air), and Timu herself falls over on her seat as the two Rocket-aligned Guado are sent into the ocean.
Timu stays on dry land, though one of the dropped Hyper Potions by a Grunt as they leave ends up rolling in her direction. She recognizes it's a very strong type of Potion, the kind you don't get a hold of in great quantities easily even if you have the FOL.
"...Stroooo..." Hestrol whines, as Fuecoco exhales loudly on his back looking slightly singed. Fuecoco waves an arm over in Hestrol's direction before letting it go limp.
"...Right!" Timu goes, taking that Hyper Potion next to her Hestrol friend, who once again was injured - this time, in her defense.
"I'm sorry," she says to Hestrol, laying her land on her side, "you don't deserve to be treated as a thing of fear. ...And you don't deserve to be seen as a thing for someone to take away."
She applies the spray from it gently and evenly, across places where injury is more apparent.
She doesn't give Biggs nor Wedge the dignity of further attention or response to their present predicament of being in the water with a suspicious lack of an immediately accounted for enormous Wailord.
<Pose Tracker> Nina Chiyome has posed.
Nina genuinely can't explain why she's as angry as she is. The explosion and the fleeing figure go hand in hand. There's a lot of things rolling around in her head despite her usual straight forward habits. She ignores particular impulse to.. be meaner. Instead, she twists on her heels. She hefts BB into her arms again and checks on Kurokiri, using a bit of her own magic.
She starts to use her own magic to try and cure, then angrily snatches one of the potions to treat the two that got it the worst.
"I'm fine." She states grumpily. "I don't know what he's playing at, but it's stupid." Which suggests she really is bad at sorting out her own thoughts on the spot.
There's probably going to be some new grafitti somewhere else. Something of an outlet and time for her to think on.
She glances to Chase, "You okay?" Trying to force herself back to neutral at least! Same with Dirk, "Hey, thanks." And a thumbs up. "Still need to do that thing." While not quite mercurial, sliding her focus away is.. at least beneficial.
"I don't think he knows." She decides. She knows she doesn't. Looking to Chartruese. "My guess." And then she resumes treating her pokemon.
<Pose Tracker> Eleanor Klein has posed.
Flamethrower!!
"Miss Madison you are... a very impressive fighter," Eleanor reflects. The Bomb, though, is not deterred by Phaosia's work! It yelps, sure, but it looks around, and--swells up--
"Oh, dear," Eleanor says. BOOM. Phaosia ducks down and hits the ground, covering her ears with her paws. The explosion rolls over her and she's singed, rising up again to wobble on her back paws. "Pi...ka..."
Their foes are vanquished... ish.
Eleanor peers after them. "...Do you think we should recover them?" Eleanor wonders.
Phaosia crosses her arms. "Pika."
"...All right."
"...At least Daihaku is safe," Eleanor says, as she watches the younger Rocket run away. To give up where they're from completely.... Eleanor can understand that. But Chartreuse thinks they can salvage that day and--
"Yes," Eleanor says. "Let's make sure everyone's all right, heal up our Pokemon, and appreciate the star of the show as best we're able." She speaks gently, though. ...She doesn't have the heart to pretend everything is fine, but maybe it can be fine enough for now.
<Pose Tracker> White Knight Leo has posed.
Mystere's gaze darts in the direction of the third, younger Rocket. The people fighting him seem to know him, and he feels something twist in his chest. With no context for what's happening there, he focuses on the relatively known quantities of Biggs and Wedge. "They're the souls of the dead," Mystere protests--though that's not precisely true in all cases, is it? And aren't some Pokemon similar, at least according to the legends? There is no chance for debate, though; Bomb has the final word on that matter.
The explosion slams into Mystere, and sends him rolling across the pier. He's agile enough to know how to fall right, though, and he plants his cane on the deck, and forces himself upright as he comes to a halt. He lets out a heavy breath, pats out a fire on the hem of his cape, and glances at the retreating (or otherwise) Rockets.
"You did well," he says, to Timu. "And all of the rest of you, as well. Ser Dunsparce...?"
"Dun," says Ser Dunsparce, a little muffled by the wooden skewer he's holding with his little mouth-feelers. Three fresh dango--pink, white and green--are skewered on it. He offers it to Chase, before flitting back to the stand to get another, which he promptly brings to Timu.
'At least Daihaku is safe...'
Mystere looks out at the water again, then back at Eleanor. "You don't think he'll take offense, will he?" he asks her--and, well, anyone nearby who might be able to guess.
<Pose Tracker> Giovanni has posed.
Biggs and Wedge vanish. Damian flees.
All is quiet for a moment.
Then, there is a large splash -- and a massive, white Wailord erupts from the water. DAIHAKU rises, in all of his glory; he shoots high into theair,does a flip, and then slams down into the water. Which splashes across the stage and the harbor.
And the people who fled, and were just starting to come back, including the Mayor.
They all cheer, together: "DAIHAKU!!"
DAIHAKU emerges his head from the water, shooting up another spout of water high into the air.
<Pose Tracker> Dirk Swordsman has posed.
Cufant rears up on her hind legs, threateningly.
Damian apologizes - and he flees - and he leaves potions in his wake.
Dirk...
Doesn't press it. Farfetch'd would probably complain.
But Farfetch'd is lightly grilled in his Pokeball, probably laying in mud to soothe it. He steps forwards, Charcadet and Chespin flanking him. (Honedge, perhaps shy in the face of a crowd, returns to his own residence of his own will."
Chespin looks at Chase, then at Chase's Pikachu. "Chespin," he says, walking over to pat Pikachu's shoulder.
"... hey," Dirk says as he comes up near Chase, turning his head to scan the horizon. "You wanna get a better seat? Cufant," Dirk says to the baby elephant. "If he's down... give him a lift up."
Cufant understands this in full, at least. A trunk waggles invitingly, but Cufant will not give Chase a boost up to the elephant-back seat without concurrence.
(Charcadet sits down. He's still full of fried dough.)
"Uh - thanks, Mr. Silver Star," Dirk says to the mysterious Mystere, giving him a thumbs up to go with it. BUT THEN:
"DAIHAKU!" "chespin!" "charca*burp*t" "CUFAAAAAAAAAANT"
<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.
All she does is regard Damian in a perhaps too-knowing way. They'll both do what they must --is that it?
Kirke is a nasty piece of work as Pokemon go -- though the tale she'd told Damian weeks prior during their chance meeting (what with the picnic attack followed by Kirke ending up in Pokemon Timeout) might have hinted at her tendencies. Here, with little but whatever 'fair play' rules apply for a Pokemon like her in a situation like this to keep her in line--
"That's enough," Josie says, urging the Bombirdier back to her side.
The nasty glint has not once left Kirke's gaze.
Quite literally, a Bomb goes off and Josie whirls about sharply to stare into the last licking remnants of the explosion as the detonation hurls Biggs and Wedge into the drink and suddenly left on his lonesome against a good deal of Pokemon trainers (to say nothing of the crowd watching them all duke it out), Damian opts to depart.
It's probably the only reasonable choice he could have made in the moment, Josie considers, glancing at the rest of her allies in this moment. "Well, I suppose that's all done and dusted," she says, shrugging broadly in a way that's not matched by the look in her eyes. "I guess--"
"DAIHAKU!"
"Well," Josie says, gazing up at the display the Wailord puts on for them all. "Ain't that somethin'!"
Somewhere, a great many stalls away, a popped corn vendor has just discovered that in the chaos, what had been a simple petty corn theft had escalated into outright pillaging by Starlys.
And one black-and-white bird that looks a bit like a Pidove.
Anguished yelling ensues.
<Pose Tracker> Chartreuse Spinosa has posed.
All is quiet, and then... there's a splash! DAIHAKU emerges!
And this time... Chartreuse is ready. She has her phone at hand, and records the whole thing - getting a good, close-up view of DAIHAKU as he shoots up high, flips, and slams down. She's splashed - but this just makes her cheer harder.
"DAIHAKU!" Chartreuse cheers, as he emerges and shoots up a water spout - and then, thinks quickly, turning to Farfetch'd.
"Quick, get a picture with me in the shot!" She urges, handing her phone over to the duck. He obliges, tucking it under his wing briefly before flying off to get a better vantage point. Chartreuse turns, smiling for the camera as Farfetch'd takes a picture of both of them. He's a surprisingly good shot, actually...
Her good mood will continue for the rest of the day.
<Pose Tracker> Chase has posed.
Chase, in blunt honesty, shakes his head at Nina's question. Pikachu offers Nina the rest of the Hyper Potion, as if she might be able to use it better, having thumbs and all. This will not work, as Chase is not wounded. Pikachu looks around a bit for a better answer, and spots Ser Dunsparce's timely arrival.
"Piii Pikachu!" she greets cheerfully, then looks up at Chase expectantly as an offering of dango is made. Chase takes it automatically at first, blinking to attention as he focuses on the Pokemon. He sets a hand on Dunsparce's head in a gesture of gratitude and affection.
Dirk's pat receives a gleeful nuzzle in return, Pikachu's ears perked as she continues to watch Chase encouragingly. Chase glances up when spoken to, then very slowly nods as he finally lifts himself up with Cufant's help. He nods his thanks to Dirk and glances at the others gazing out to the ocean.
Pikachu beams up at Chase, then grabs Nidoran to pull up onto Ponyta's back, where they both bounce up and down to cheer for DAIHAKU with their own calls. Ponyta tolerates this.
Chase may not be one for cheering, but he does manage a small smile with DAIHAKU's arrival and everyone's joy for it. Yes, at least the Wailord is safe. He finally ventures a nibble of his dango.