2024-01-19: Undone at the Dunsparce Spa
- Log: Undone at the Dunsparce Spa
- Cast: Jessie and James, Eleanor Klein, Rena Lanford, Whit Aomori, Lunata Croze, Chase, Dirk Swordsman, Elaine, Chartreuse Spinosa, White Knight Leo, Hannah Curie, Lan Lilac, Loren Voss, Shige Kiwako
- Where: Dunsparce Spa, Vermillion City
- Date: January 19, 2024
- Summary: Just when you're expecting a relaxing day at the spa, THIS happens!
<Pose Tracker> Jessie and James has posed.
Diglett's Cave, off of Vermillion City, is a throughfare dug by Pokemon. And while the Diglett are, naturally, stars of Diglett's Cave...
... there are other diggers, too.
One Pokemon which gets on well with Diglett is Dunsparce: the Land Snake pokemon who looks a little like a chubby snake and a little like a larva, with teeny-tiny cherub wings upon its back and a drill on the end of its tail. When Vermillion City was being developed, Dunsparce's tunnels dug up something delightful near Diglett's Cave: hot springs.
The wild Dunsparce were of course happy to let humans use their flooded tunnels, so long as they got to bathe in them, too. (Dunsparce, unlike Diglett, are Normal-type -- which means they love a bath.) Thus was born the Dunsparce Spa, a happy union between people and Pokemon which let both parties unlock their full relaxation potential. Human engineering has built baths out of the tunnels, open to the sky, and they've been carefully sculpted to make sure the environment is safe.
And Dunsparce Spa has been getting a lot more attention than usual, today, thanks to flyers distributed far and wide advertising their services -- with directions simple enough that even the most baffled Visitor could follow them. (These instructions stipulate that one should wear one's bathing suit when visiting the spas, due to their mixed-gender nature.)
"Gosh," the chubby woman who runs the spa, Clara Hidaka, exclaims. "We sure are happy to see you all! Well, whatever the occasion -- come on through!"
The hot rocks of the spas are lovely to relax on, for those Pokemon (or people!) who don't enjoy getting wet -- and the steam rolling from the water is enough to clear anyone's mind. There's a cloak room to store one's things, of course, and Clara does try to request that Visitors stow their various weapons of destruction there. "This is a place to relax," she assures them. "We don't even host Pokemon battles in the spa!"
"Dunssssspaaaaaaaa," a friendly wild Dunsparce chimes in, draped lazily over her shoulder. And he's not the only one -- there are several wild Dunsparce hanging about the spa, either hovering a little ways above the ground on their tiny wings or flopped upon the ground. They welcome pets and attention -- after all, as Clara fondly says, "These little guys sure are the real stars!"
... but it's not just Dunsparce who are stars, today.
Hidden by the steam which fogs everyone's vision, a Meowth-headed balloon floats, above the spa.
"Look at all the rare Pokemon...!" Jessie exclaims.
"I've never even seen a Pokemon like that," James says, pointing out the insubstantial bear cub beside one luckless fellow.
"It's time for Team Rocket..." "... to have a relaxing theft!"
They're the ones who distributed the flyers.
And their efforts are rewarded, as Koffing comes out to spread a Haze deeper than the steam. A pair of claws reach out, grabby-grabby-grab, to grasp at some of those rare Pokemon(?) relaxing in the spa. Loren's bear companion is somehow grasped, despite its strange nature -- and so is a Vulpix which was too busy staring into space to get out of the way. Up, up, up they're pulled, into a strange rubber cage suspended beneath the Rockets' balloon. It has to float quite low near the earth for those claws to reach, but they still, inarguably, have the high ground.
"Prepare for trouble..." As the Haze parts, some now increasingly familiar voices ring out. "... and make it double!" "To protect the Nede from devastation!" "To unite all peoples within all nations!" "To denounce the evils of truth and love!" "To extend our reach to the stars above!"
Those figures, in the mist, they're -- "Jessie!" A woman with magenta hair declares, as she swipes her hand through the air. "James!" A lavender-haired man introduces himself, holding a rose between his fingers.
"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!" "Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"
"... mrowr," a Meowth peeks down from inside the hot balloon basket, "mrawr!"
"Go, Ekans!" Jessie exclaims, as she throws a Pokeball, and a much more active looking snake emerges from it onto the hot spring rocks. ("Kkaanssss!") And James joins in, with a, "Get them, Koffing!", as his doofily-smiling hardened cloud of pollution bobs on down to join Ekans. Ekans wastes no time launching a Poison Sting attack from her mouth -- while Koffing pours Smog from his vents.
"Maybe we should escape with what we caught," James suggests, entirely too sensibly, even as their Pokemon are attacking.
But Jessie shoots him down: "The Boss won't be satisfied with just two Pokemon!"
... so it looks like it's a fight!
GS: Jessie and James spends 2 Combo on Poison and Link! GS: Jessie and James has attacked Chartreuse Spinosa with Prepare For Trouble!! GS: Jessie and James has attacked Chase with Prepare For Trouble!! GS: Jessie and James has attacked Dirk Swordsman with Prepare For Trouble!! GS: Jessie and James has attacked Elaine with Prepare For Trouble!! GS: Jessie and James has attacked Eleanor Klein with Prepare For Trouble!! GS: Jessie and James has attacked Hannah Curie with Prepare For Trouble!! GS: Jessie and James has attacked Lan Lilac with Prepare For Trouble!! GS: Jessie and James has attacked Loren Voss with Prepare For Trouble!! GS: Jessie and James has attacked Lunata Croze with Prepare For Trouble!! GS: Jessie and James has attacked Rena Lanford with Prepare For Trouble!! GS: Jessie and James has attacked Shige Kiwako with Prepare For Trouble!! GS: Jessie and James has attacked Whit Aomori with Prepare For Trouble!! GS: Jessie and James has attacked White Knight Leo with Prepare For Trouble!! GS: Jessie and James has gained 1 Combo! GS: Jessie and James has launched an attack Link! GS: Shige Kiwako takes a glancing hit from Jessie and James's Prepare For Trouble! for 28 hit points! GS: Blind, Disease, and Poison applied to Shige Kiwako! GS: FP up! |Arcane, Font|Reaction, and bonus| GS: Lunata Croze suffers a terrible blow from Jessie and James's Prepare For Trouble! for 69 hit points! GS: Blind, Disease, and Poison applied to Lunata Croze! GS: CRITICAL! Lan Lilac suffers a terrible blow from Jessie and James's Prepare For Trouble! for 104 hit points! GS: Blind, Disease, and Poison applied to Lan Lilac! GS: COUNTER! Rena Lanford counterattacks Jessie and James with Crush! GS: Rena Lanford solidly guards Jessie and James's Prepare For Trouble! for 66 hit points! GS: Blind, Disease, and Poison applied to Rena Lanford! GS: FP up! |Reaction and bonus| GS: Whit Aomori takes a solid hit from Jessie and James's Prepare For Trouble! for 85 hit points! GS: Whit Aomori's Blind Ward may block the effect! GS: Disease and Poison applied to Whit Aomori! GS: Blind blocked! GS: Chartreuse Spinosa solidly guards Jessie and James's Prepare For Trouble! for 42 hit points! GS: Blind, Disease, and Poison applied to Chartreuse Spinosa! GS: CRITICAL! Jessie and James suffers a terrible blow from Rena Lanford's Crush for 150 hit points! GS: Jessie and James has attacked Chartreuse Spinosa with And Make It Double!! GS: Jessie and James has attacked Chase with And Make It Double!! GS: Jessie and James has attacked Dirk Swordsman with And Make It Double!! GS: Jessie and James has attacked Elaine with And Make It Double!! GS: Jessie and James has attacked Eleanor Klein with And Make It Double!! GS: Jessie and James has attacked Hannah Curie with And Make It Double!! GS: Jessie and James has attacked Lan Lilac with And Make It Double!! GS: Jessie and James has attacked Loren Voss with And Make It Double!! GS: Jessie and James has attacked Lunata Croze with And Make It Double!! GS: Jessie and James has attacked Rena Lanford with And Make It Double!! GS: Jessie and James has attacked Shige Kiwako with And Make It Double!! GS: Jessie and James has attacked Whit Aomori with And Make It Double!! GS: Jessie and James has attacked White Knight Leo with And Make It Double!! GS: Jessie and James has gained 1 Combo! GS: Jessie and James has completed their action. GS: CRITICAL! Lunata Croze suffers a terrible blow from Jessie and James's And Make It Double! for 0 hit points! GS: Cripple, Hex, and Mute applied to Lunata Croze! GS: FP up! |Power and Burst| GS: CRITICAL! Chartreuse Spinosa takes a solid hit from Jessie and James's And Make It Double! for 0 hit points! GS: Cripple, Hex, and Mute applied to Chartreuse Spinosa! GS: FP up! |Reaction and bonus| GS: CRITICAL! Lan Lilac takes a glancing hit from Jessie and James's And Make It Double! for 0 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Lan Lilac gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Cripple, Hex, and Mute applied to Lan Lilac! GS: FP up! |Reaction and bonus| GS: White Knight Leo takes a solid hit from Jessie and James's Prepare For Trouble! for 76 hit points! GS: Blind, Disease, and Poison applied to White Knight Leo! GS: Whit Aomori suffers a terrible blow from Jessie and James's And Make It Double! for 0 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Whit Aomori gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Cripple, Hex, and Mute applied to Whit Aomori! GS: Eleanor Klein suffers a terrible blow from Jessie and James's Prepare For Trouble! for 93 hit points! GS: Blind, Disease, and Poison applied to Eleanor Klein! GS: FP up! |Arcane and Font| GS: CRITICAL! Eleanor Klein partially guards Jessie and James's And Make It Double! for 0 hit points! GS: Cripple, Hex, and Mute applied to Eleanor Klein! GS: White Knight Leo partially evades Jessie and James's And Make It Double! for 0 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! White Knight Leo gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Cripple, Hex, and Mute applied to White Knight Leo! GS: FP up! |Power, Burst|Reaction, and bonus| GS: Chase suffers a terrible blow from Jessie and James's Prepare For Trouble! for 89 hit points! GS: Blind, Disease, and Poison applied to Chase! GS: COUNTER! Chase counterattacks Jessie and James with Poison Point! GS: Chase solidly guards Jessie and James's And Make It Double! for 0 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Chase gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Cripple, Hex, and Mute applied to Chase! GS: FP up! |Reaction and bonus| GS: Elaine solidly guards Jessie and James's Prepare For Trouble! for 41 hit points! GS: Elaine's Blind Ward may block the effect! GS: Elaine's Poison Ward may block the effect! GS: Blind and Disease applied to Elaine! GS: Poison blocked! GS: FP up! |Arcane, Font|Reaction, and bonus| GS: Elaine solidly guards Jessie and James's And Make It Double! for 0 hit points! GS: Elaine's Mute Ward may block the effect! GS: Cripple, Hex, and Mute applied to Elaine! GS: FP up! |Reaction and bonus| GS: Rena Lanford suffers a terrible blow from Jessie and James's And Make It Double! for 0 hit points! GS: Cripple, Hex, and Mute applied to Rena Lanford! GS: FP up! |Power and Burst| GS: Dirk Swordsman takes a solid hit from Jessie and James's Prepare For Trouble! for 72 hit points! GS: Blind, Disease, and Poison applied to Dirk Swordsman! GS: FP up! |Reaction and bonus| GS: Dirk Swordsman suffers a terrible blow from Jessie and James's And Make It Double! for 0 hit points! GS: Dirk Swordsman's Cripple Ward may block the effect! GS: Cripple, Hex, and Mute applied to Dirk Swordsman! GS: FP up! |Power and Burst| GS: Loren Voss solidly guards Jessie and James's Prepare For Trouble! for 46 hit points! GS: Blind, Disease, and Poison applied to Loren Voss! GS: Loren Voss takes a solid hit from Jessie and James's And Make It Double! for 0 hit points! GS: Cripple, Hex, and Mute applied to Loren Voss! GS: FP up! |Power and Burst|
<Pose Tracker> Eleanor Klein has posed.
It's lovely here, and Eleanor Klein adores hot springs even under normal circumstances. An outright spa... Well, this is very nice.
Eleanor is in the water, her things stowed away in the cloak room--including jewelry, firearm, and Crest pouch as well as her outside clothes. She is dressed in a lovely orange one-piece swimsuit with her hair up to avoid it getting too wet, and even that was something Eleanor had to be convinced a bit to go for, considering the company. But now that she's in the water, it's just wonderful.
She has been petting a little Dunsparce as her Slowpoke lounges next to her. "Slow," he comments. Her Pikachu is on a hot rock nearby, curled up happily snoozing, and her Vulpix is on a rock a little ways' away from the water. Pyri (for that is her name) is looking at... something. Or, well... was.
"Ah!?" The haze suddenly falls over the springs, and Eleanor has been to enough springs to know that this is unusual. There are strange noises, and suddenly--
A speech!? "What!?"
Jessie and James introduce themselves, and Eleanor narrows her eyes--until she realizes that in the cage is, "Pyri!" Her voice is tinged with dismay. Her precious Vulpix has been kidnapped! "Let her go!"
But in the next moment she's coughing wildly, thanks to the Smog. It takes her a moment to catch herself before it fades--and then, even as she starts to stand, her Slowpoke has... stepped in front of her???
"...poke," he says, and the slowpoke Okeanos has entered the battle! "You... You want to fight them?" Eleanor asks in wonder, and... Slowpoke stares forward without answering. This could be a while.
"Pika!!" announces Phaosia the menace of a Pikachu, and hops onto Slowpoke's back. "Pikaaaaaa!"
Eleanor rises up behind her Pokemon, hair falling down around her shoulders and one fair hand pointing forward.
Psychic Eleanor wants to battle!
Pyrosia leaaaans down--and starts whispering in Slowpoke's ear. Eventually, Okeanos's eyes start to widen. A smile inches agonizingly slowly across his face.
GS: Eleanor Klein has attacked Eleanor Klein with Nasty Plot! GS: Eleanor Klein has gained 1 Combo! GS: Eleanor Klein takes 37 damage from Poison! GS: Eleanor Klein has completed her action. GS: CRITICAL! Eleanor Klein accepts Eleanor Klein's Nasty Plot for 0 hit points! GS: Restore! Hex removed! GS: Hyper and Surge applied to Eleanor Klein! GS: Mighty applied to Eleanor Klein!
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lanford has posed.
Rena's training with Dias Flac is certainly bearing fruit, she definitely feels sharper than ever, even if Dias can be a tough person to work with. However, it comes with a price.
"NNngh."
She hurts all over, dealing with this kind of intensive physical training, reminding herself that she asked for this. Recently however, while chatting up the people of Vermillion City, she was handed a flyer, and learned of something wonderful, heavenly - known as Spa Days.
And that's why she's here at the Dunsparce Spa.
"Thank you so much, Miss. You have no idea how much I need a day to just unwind."
Rena has bought a swimsuit for this day, having changed into her white tie bikini to relax on the hot rocks as steam wafts all around her.
Rena's Swimsuit: https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/starocean/images/7/70/SO2_SummerRena_Fullview.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20210428024122
Shorty's been brought out, and is capering about, playing with one of the friendlier Dunsparce, borking, "Ash! Ash!" As they engage in some back and forth play. "We're both having a great rest day, huh?"
Which is when the deep haze comes out, and Rena calls out, "Um? Hello! Can barely se-" KOFF KOFF "-hck-see!" Scrambling up, Shorty begins to whimper, "Shounnn-! Shoun! Shoun-! From the assault upon its nostrils, followed by a yipe yipe yipe as its struck by poison stingers, as the tiny hound rolls around in misery.
"Team Rocket!? People are trying to relax here! How dare you take advantage of them to steal their innocent Pokemon!" Rena PROMPTLY responds to their assault by getting up from her spot on the rocks and symbological power swells about her, "CRUSH!" Causing a perfectly spherical boulder to just APPEAR above their balloon and gravity does the rest. "Let her Vulpix go right now!" She shouts, as Eleanor lays claim to Pyri.
The announcement causes Shorty's whimpering to only grow, especially when he can finally SEE and SMELL James, his former tormenter, causing yet more pain, he's already feeling ill. "Shouuu-Sh-Sh-shounnnnnnnnnn!" Continuing to back up, Rena gets down on her knees.
"Shorty! I know you're scared, but I need time to go grab my things. Can you manage to do what we practiced?"
And Rena puts her fingers together into a heart. Shorty looks at her, and it's like a moment of understanding. "Ash!" He borks, as he clambers up on a larger rock formation so that he's in clearer view.
"You're so brave..." She says, awed, before, "Alright Shorty! Strike a pose with Tail Whip!"
"Ash! Ash! Ash!"
Shorty's two tails suddenly whirl around in a hypnotic pattern before the tail tips bend to form a <3 as the two join up. The heart then flexibly begins to wag in place with it's furry tails, in slow hypnotic swirls.
The adorable heart brightening even as the air around it heats up, causing it's <3<3<3<3 to blur like a heat haze around it.
"Perfect! I'm so proud of you! Keep it up!"
Rena makes a quick run for the cloak room, hoping at least that the tiny Ashound can stall them just long enough.
GS: Rena Lanford has attacked Jessie and James with Pose A <3 With Tail Whip! GS: Rena Lanford takes 38 damage from Poison! GS: Rena Lanford has completed her action. GS: Hannah Curie solidly guards Jessie and James's Prepare For Trouble! for 54 hit points! GS: Blind, Disease, and Poison applied to Hannah Curie! GS: FP up! |Arcane, Font|Reaction, and bonus| GS: CRITICAL! Hannah Curie suffers a terrible blow from Jessie and James's And Make It Double! for 0 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Hannah Curie gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Hannah Curie's Mute Ward may block the effect! GS: Cripple, Hex, and Mute applied to Hannah Curie!
<Pose Tracker> Whit Aomori has posed.
Whit Aomori somehow manages to combine a rugged handsomeness with the softness of youth. He looks like he's in his mid-twenties, and about 5' 11" tall. He is clean-shaven and has shaggy, short ash-blond hair and piercing blue-green eyes (behind those glasses of his). He has the distinctive pointed ears of an elf or a Nedian. His build is wiry, and he obviously spends a lot of time in the sun. He is wearing a red-and-white striped boxer-style bathing suit and flipflops, and has an oversized towel draped around his shoulders. His Pokemon, an Ivysaur, accompanies him, and he is careful not to let his friend get too wet. Root rot is a very bad thing!
He is enjoying the spa and minding his own business when he notices the Koffing fog (and the Meowth balloon). He sees Jessie and James make their entrance through the mist and strike him with a bunch of terrible statuses. One of them is Poison. He knows Poison. He turns to the Ivysaur. Just because his weapons (and camera) were safely stored away in the cloak room didn't mean he was helpless. Especially with his buddy along! "Hey, Chauncey, help a guy out?" he calls.
"Veeeeeeeee!" Chauncey squeals. The Ivysaur hunkers down, toad-like and concentrating, his darker spots starting to glow. A green flash envelopes him and Whit! "Thanks, little guy!" Whit responds.
GS: Whit Aomori has attacked Whit Aomori with Chlorophyll! GS: Whit Aomori has gained 1 Combo! GS: Whit Aomori takes 30 damage from Poison! GS: Whit Aomori has completed his action. GS: CRITICAL! Whit Aomori accepts Whit Aomori's Chlorophyll for 0 hit points! GS: Pray grants a random effect! Lock state and Quick applied to Whit Aomori!
<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.
Lunata has spent a lot of her time in the first two, three weeks of Nede in Hospitality Service because that's just how she does, nyeatch! Mostly, she's been working out of various Pokemon Centres working as a cook, and finding that there's a lot to learn about cooking in Nede that she didn't know before.
It's time for a treat.
And that means... a Spa! A Spa! She's hoping her undead body won't melt in the harsh conditions of natural mineral hot springs!
She's dressed in a one-piece (Summer Version coming in next month's banner), with the requisite towel folded and placed over her head as she sinks into the water. "Oh, this is so incredible. Thank you so much, Miss Clara. I feel like my limbs are melting away..."
Fortunately, Zombie does not melt in Hot Water.
But... but there's trouble! And--
Two dramatic figures appear from the haze!
"Team Rocket?!" Lunata exclaims, before--
Her eyes make contact with the trio.
( ! )
BGM - A Trainer Appears! (Girl) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPZBTM1uB8k
As if in a stupor, Lunata rises sharply, her back straightened as she marches in the direction of the trio.
"Hi! I love POKeMON too! I just traded my first one yesterday!"
BGM - Battle! Trainer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NF01ajkOB_0
As Ekans and Koffing prepare their attacks, Lunata reaches to the singular (yes, singular) Poke Ball in her... why are you carrying a Poke Ball on your bathing suit, Lunata?
"Go! Zubat!!"
The ball sails in an arc and pops, and out comes a... pretty tiny Zubat. Actually, this is most assuredly one of the Zubats that another arm of Team Rocket have been cycling around on the Wonder Trade. There's a certain characteristic to them--
SCREE
Zubat flies around gently for a few moments, and then takes Ekans' Poison Sting straight into her centre mass.
The Zubat collapses.
"... ... eh?" Lunata blinks a few times.
GS: Zubat FAINTED!
"Oh no! I didn't know that would happen--" Lunata panics.
GS: Lunata is out of usable POKeMON!
Lunata stares up into seeming nothingness. "What happens now?"
GS: Lunata paid 4,100 FOL to the winner!
The ex-waitress' shoulders stiffen, and she sobs loudly (even though no tears come out; such is the harsh
reality of an undead body, even when you have been savagely torn apart on a financial level.
"H-here's this fortnight's paycheck... don't spend it all in one place..." Lunata whimpers through large sobs,
handing over a reasonably large wad of paper bills to the nearest of the trio, head hung in shame.
GS: Lunata Croze has attacked Jessie and James with Pay Day! GS: Lunata Croze takes 32 damage from Poison! GS: Lunata Croze has completed her action. GS: Lunata Croze has Fallen! She is no longer able to fight!
<Pose Tracker> Chase has posed.
Advertisements do their job. Chase's Pikachu had picked one up, read it (can Pikachu read??) and held it up to Chase while her eyes grew a few magnitude larger. Chase pat her on the head, picked her up, and now... here they are.
Pikachu rides Chase's shoulder, ears perked and swiveling while she looks all around at the new sights and smells. Pikachu has been ~adorned~. Now, she wears a red and yellow sash that's been tied into a perfect, puffy bow around her neck. Clara explains the spa, and while Chase says nothing -- looking around in a similar manner as Pikachu herself -- Pikachu chimes in with, "Pika!" and "Ka chu!" as if this is a conversation.
She waves excited at the Dunsparce. "Piii pikachu!" Chase smiles, observing one a moment before letting it investigate his hand before petting one.
Then the STEAM OF (DOUBLE) TROUBLE sets in!
Chase hugs tightly onto Pikachu, coughing through the haze and darting away from the claws, only to watch as two other Pokemon (at least one other Pokemon, and something else) is snatched up. He clenches his jaw as he blinks through the fog.
Pikachu sparks at her cheeks, smile on her face and eyes narrowed with violent. She rushes forward only a few steps before one of Chase's balls shakes on his belt and pops open in a burst of color. Appearing before him is...
A violet, rabbit-like creature with massive ears and a few spines. He is very small. And he is shaking.
Despite this little tremble, he growls and stands defensively in front of Pikachu, sputtering a few failed roar attempts at Team Rocket. Chase watches him, then nods. He kneels down, feeding Nidoran a berry, and once back up, whistles to make it official: two quick notes, one shorter than the other. The Nidoran's ears stand alert, and Pikachu retreats back to Chase's side, beginning to do a little dance as she cheers Nidoran on. "Pi pi pikachu! Pi pi pikachu!"
Another whistle, and Nidoran rushes bravely into combat with a squeak of a battle cry, charging headfirst to smash into Ekans and/or Koffing with the tiny stubs he would dare call horns...!
GS: Chase used Force Action: Mystic on himself! GS: Hex removed! GS: Chase has attacked Jessie and James with Horn Attack! GS: Chase takes 34 damage from Poison! GS: Chase has completed his action.
<Pose Tracker> Dirk Swordsman has posed.
EARLIER:
"Chespin," says a Chespin, having found something stuck on his quills.
"Whatchoo got there," Dirk says when Chespin tries to reach back and pull it loose, helping his Pokemon and finding... "Huh," he says.
"What do you guys think?"
"Ches!"
"Charcadet."
"Farfetch'd."
"Yeah, this is kind of weird timing, huh. Still..."
SWORD SLICE CUT INTO THE DUNSPARCE SPA
Dirk Swordsman is sitting cross-legged on a towel at the edge of the water. He is wearing a neon-green set of swim trunks and has his sword with him. He is also still wearing his shades. He does have a towel around his neck. Sitting next to him, steaming visibly, is Charcadet; he does not want to swim. Too 'on fire.'
To his other side is Honedge, who glistens damply in the heat but whose single optical jewel is closed in apparent delight. "honnnnnn"
Farfetch'd and Chespin are soaking happily before the master of Sword. Drip. Splash. Steam.
"... Hm," says Dirk, even as a Wyrdeer-scarer goes 'tonk' somewhere in the Spa grounds. "... it's been like forty-five minutes. Maybe I'm just bein' paranoid."
"Char," agrees the little charcoal man, or at least, it's agreeable.
"Hmmm."
His eyes close (with no discernible impact on his sprite). Time passes.
"Fwah," breathes out Farfetch'd in apparent relaxation. All of them miss the haze. The clouds thicken... and then... they part.
'To protect the Nede from Devastation!'
'To unite' (that's when Farfetch'd looks up and immediately starts prodding Chespin with the leek)
(Chespin wakes up, looks upwards -- briefly sees claws coming for it as his little eyes widen hugely -- only to get pulled out of the water by Dirk, who almost overbalances into the spa water!) (Farfetch'd, for his part, flaps his wings. Ducks, man. They're all terrain.)
This chaos discombobulates the wannabe heroes of justice, and the smog rolls over them with a flurry of coughs even as Dirk grasps his blade in both hands. "Ugh -- it's Team Rocket! Charcadet, burn off some'a this crap!"
Coughing in an adorable tiny way, it doesn't seem that Charcadet needs to be encouraged twice. Tensing up, the doughty little fire Pokemon hurls a doughty little burst of glowing flame out into the haze of the spas, facing towards the Koffing that is the author of this olfactory misfortune. Rallying up, Dirk grimaces as he finally gets properly oriented.
Silently, he is relieved to see other people getting on the case, including at least two Pikas chu. Though - "None of you guys touch the water," he warns the group, which gets a chorus of agreement (Chespin last, because he had to get his stick).
GS: Dirk Swordsman has attacked Jessie and James with Charcadet - Ember! GS: Dirk Swordsman has gained 1 Combo! GS: Dirk Swordsman takes 30 damage from Poison! GS: Dirk Swordsman has completed his action.
<Pose Tracker> Elaine has posed.
IT. IS. SPA DAY! At least that was the plan. Elaine has arrived with two new Pokemon and Veevee! One is a small fox looking Pokemon standing on two legs, its fur white, yellow, and black with orange tips on its tail and fluff out of its ears. A stick is visibly stored sticking out of its fluffy tail. The other is a blue seal like Pokemon with frilly collar like apperance and pink found nose. Veevee remains a majestic dark brown, fluffy Eevee riding on Elaine's head while the Braixen walks beside Elaine and the Popplio is in her arms. No sooner has she arrived and started to look for where to go, the Braixen tugging insistently on her to get into the Spa than Double Trouble occurs!
"Wait, what, ack!" Elaine cries out as she and her Pokemon are caught up in the unexpected attack. A defense ward appears around them warding a portion off but all three take a majority of the surprise attack. But while Veevee, the Popplio and Elaine look confused the Braixen blinks, and then begins to grow visibly upset and angry as if reaching a conclusion ahead of everyone else... Spa Day just got cancelled. "Popp! Vee! Brax!" all three Pokemon begin to cry out spotting Jessie and James even as Elaine realizes what was happening and glowers at them.
"Kayou, Misutikku, first use moves to raises your stats and defenses. Then let's help Chase clear those trouble makers out." as she releases the Kayou from her arms, letting the Popplio down. Misutikku, the Braxien, chirps in response pulling the stick from her tail which ignites the end of it like a witch's wand while Kayou stands up on his tail and the two begin to use moves to raise their own abilities first while Veevee cheers from her throne on Elaine's head.
GS: Elaine has attacked Elaine with Doubles Defense! GS: Elaine has gained 1 Combo! GS: Elaine has completed her action. GS: Elaine heals Elaine! She gains 23 temporary hit points! GS: Restore! Hex removed! GS: Burst applied to Elaine! GS: Shield applied to Elaine!
<Pose Tracker> Chartreuse Spinosa has posed.
Chartreuse does a lot of traveling, but sometimes, it's good to take a break. And what's better for taking a break after travel than a nice spa day? And, what do you know - there's a spa right nearby!
"You're a saint, ma'am." Chartreuse greets Clara. And, in short order, she's paid up, changed, and settled into the warm, refreshing water.
"...This is the life." Chartreuse exhales, pleased. Today's bathing suit - an emerald-green two-piece with skirt combo. All of her Pokemon have been let out. Mareep dozes lazily next to her as Chartreuse idly pats her on the head, Sentret looks the most relaxed he's ever been in his entire life(which is usually a tall order), and Farfetch'd leans back with matching pleased sigh.
...His leek is here, too. Isn't it just going to get steamed? ...It's probably fine.
Her more recent acquisitions are here too, of course - Rattata splashes happily, while Sandshrew is curled up on a warm rock with Zubat on her back.
Today seems perfect... and then, a Haze!!
Chartreuse coughs, shutting her eyes tight and throwing an arm over her mouth and nose for protection. The rest of her Pokemon spring to alertness, too.
"What's-" Chartreuse starts... and quickly receives an explanation.
Team Rocket is here, giving their - admittedly rather impressive - speech. And then...
"Look out!" Chartreuse calls - her team braces themselves, as Poison Sting sprays out across the field!
"Sentret, go get my things! Farfetch'd - let's get ready to fight." Chartreuse calls out. With a chirp, Sentret rushes off - and Farfetch'd, ever ready, leaps into action. He draws his leek, grasping it in front of him with both hands and shuts his eyes as he focuses. Energy surges around him - and soon after, the others.
- Chartreuse's team is getting pumped!
GS: Chartreuse Spinosa has attacked Chartreuse Spinosa with Focus Energy! GS: Chartreuse Spinosa has gained 2 Combo! GS: Chartreuse Spinosa's stances have changed to Hero! GS: Chartreuse Spinosa takes 31 damage from Poison! 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!
<Pose Tracker> White Knight Leo has posed.
Not all of the Visitors came from the portal in the Kanto Plains. The Wise Men made two, after all, and that second one is siphoning the life of the Silver Star. With assurance from the Black Wizard that it was safe to traverse--for now--Althena's Guard sent a team through the rift, into the alien world beyond.
What happened then? That will be revealed in due time. What matters, for the moment, is that the team's leader stumbled across one of those flyers, and went to investigate.
Leo's life has been stressful lately, and that's putting it mildly. He still has no idea what to make of this 'Energy Nede' place, with its bizarre high technology and its inexplicably tame monsters, but so far, it seems... peaceful. Welcoming. People have used strange glass-and-metal tablets to take pictures of him, and he's been all too glad to indulge. A generous young lad gave him a little money--despite Leo's protests--for rescuing his odd water turtle from beneath a storm drain.
While everyone else has been soaking in the hot springs, Leo has been doing push-ups on the hot rocks for the past fifteen minutes. The steam does a good job of hiding him from casual observation; he's clearly recognizable, wearing blue bathing shorts and looking... very much not like the average Visitor, much less the average Nedian.
One of the Dunsparces watches intently, as if mesmerized.
Then... VILLAINY IS AFOOT.
"What in the Ghk--" Leo's oath trails off into coughing as Koffing's smoke filters in through the steam. An envenomed barb lands moments later, and the world starts to spin. The White Knight grounds himself--literally, one of the hot rocks rumbles, and then grows upward to act as a post for him to lean on--and looks up at the balloon. At the two criminals, and their monster accomplices, stealing the patrons' pets.
A moment passes. Then another. Then--
"HALT, VILLAINS!"
Another part of the Hot Rock Area has risen to form a small pedestal, revealing... a mysterious, well-built figure in blue swim trunks. A curious and compliant Dunsparce is draped over his shoulder. It can't be Leo. Leo doesn't wear a mask, especially not one hastily made from a spa towel tied into an improvised domino shape. (How did he manage that???)
"I, MYSTERE, am here to bring your--" MYSTERE trails off into a coughing fit. The Dunsparce slaps him on the back with a wing, and gestures the other wing towards the lockers. Mystere nods, clasps his hands, and releases a burst of power. Fresh, cleansing wind starts to flow outwards from him, threaded with little ribbons of white. It swirls around nearby patrons and Pokemon alike, making the horrible toxic onslaught a bit easier to bear.
Mystere advances bravely towards the lockers. HE NEEDS HIS MASK, WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT FROM HIM.
GS: White Knight Leo has attacked Chase with White Wind! GS: White Knight Leo has attacked Elaine with White Wind! GS: White Knight Leo has attacked Rena Lanford with White Wind! GS: White Knight Leo has attacked Eleanor Klein with White Wind! GS: White Knight Leo has gained 1 Combo! GS: White Knight Leo takes 28 damage from Poison! GS: White Knight Leo has completed his action.
<Pose Tracker> Hannah Curie has posed.
Hannah doesn't go out for spas or hot springs often, but the idea is appealing... and she knows she has to let herself relax a little every once in a while. It was easy enough to be convinced to come here with her friend Eleanor, at any rate.
She's opted for a two piece swimsuit, in green. All of her stuff is stashed, currently, and... well, while Hannah, somehow, doesn't feel exposed from the swimsuit--she barely wore more than this as her drifter wear for a few years, she does feel a bit naked without her crest graph, which hardly ever leaves her.
But this is a spa, and besides, there's a ton of pokemon here. Who the heck would attack a place like this?
Ask a stupid question...
She's relaxing in some water. Nearby a Caterpie and a Weedle relax on some rocks, and Zephyr has taken up a perch on a nearby structure. She sighs, contentedly, glancing over to look at her two bug pokemon. They seem to be enjoying themselves, stretched out on a warm rock, so she leves them be.
And then Team Rocket make their entrance. She stands up, suddenly, one going for her hip--
Aw, crud. It's too far to get back to the cloak room, and by the time she's working out a plan poison sings and smog come raining down, it's too late for that plan. She coughs, doing her best to scoop up her two Bug pokemon and scramble out of the water. She's coughing as she tries to retreat to a safe distance. "Zephyr!" she chokes out. "Sic 'em!"
Zephyr had already taken off from his perch as soon as the danger presented itself, and at Hannah's command he lets out a loud screech and divebombs Ekans and Koffing. That beak is coming in hot.
What kind of pokemon is that!?
GS: Hannah Curie has attacked Jessie and James with Peck! GS: Hannah Curie takes 33 damage from Poison! GS: Hannah Curie has completed her action. GS: White Knight Leo heals Eleanor Klein! She gains 24 temporary hit points! GS: Jessie and James takes a solid hit from Rena Lanford's Pose A <3 With Tail Whip for 0 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Jessie and James gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Infect! Debuff durations extended!! GS: Break and Slow applied to Jessie and James! GS: Jessie and James suffers a terrible blow from Chase's Poison Point for 127 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Jessie and James gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Jessie and James solidly guards Lunata Croze's Pay Day for 0 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Jessie and James gains 1 additional Combo! GS: FP up! |Reaction, bonus|Lunata, Croze's, and Reload!| GS: Jessie and James partially guards Chase's Horn Attack for 85 hit points! GS: White Knight Leo heals Chase! He gains 24 temporary hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Lan Lilac has posed.
Diglett Cave was an entire thing. There were so many environmental hazards. And it was uncomfortable, but not because of the environmental hazards.
Lan, who is trying hard not to mope about things, has been soaking in the hot springs next to Eleanor and chatting. Since Eleanor bought a swimsuit she did too: it's a pink bikini with blue beadwork (the kind of suit meant to be worn for #aesthetic Pokegram photos and not serious swimming). The Lunatone doesn't care for water, but even it seemed content to lie down on one of the rocks and close its visible eye. Maybe it likes the heat...?
Her hair's been woven into a loose braid but otherwise left down, because hot springs are wonderful and Lan would like every single inch of her to be able to soak up their goodness! Also her neck hurts if she leaves it up too long. "This was totally worth the slog through that cave," Lan sighs, resting her arms and chin on a rock at the edge of the hot spring. If only she could bring one of these hot springs back to Little Firelight someday...! She's so busy caught up in daydreams about all of her aunties and uncles and old arthritic grannies being able to soak whenever they'd like that she almost misses the commotion. That is, until Pyri disappears into the sky, clutched by a weird... grope-on-a-rope hand thingy, and stolen away into a hot air balloon. "Pyri!" she shouts, and scrambles out of the water, pale gaze darting everywhere. There are a ton of Pokemon here, and also--
"RUNEBERRY!"
Her bow is still in the changing room, but Lan has never needed a weapon. She lifts a hand, glaring at the balloon as she prepares to call down the wrath of the heavens themselves. "O you offfFFFFPFPFPFPFPFFTFTT!!"
Koffing'd. Right in the face. Lan backpedals, trips over a rock, and falls right back into the water.
The Lunatone, woken from its nap, floats upright and begins to hum neutrally.
GS: Lan Lilac has attacked Lan Lilac with Starlight Shimmer! GS: Lan Lilac has gained 2 Combo! GS: Lan Lilac takes 33 damage from Poison! GS: Lan Lilac has completed her action. GS: Lan Lilac heals Lan Lilac! She gains 22 temporary hit points! GS: Restore! Hex removed! GS: Mighty applied to Lan Lilac! GS: CRITICAL! Jessie and James takes a glancing hit from Dirk Swordsman's Charcadet - Ember for 83 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Jessie and James gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Poison applied to Jessie and James! GS: Hyper applied to Dirk Swordsman! GS: White Knight Leo heals Rena Lanford! She gains 23 temporary hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Loren Voss has posed.
It all started with that flyer.
To be fair, it's not all that bad here in the spa, once Loren had gotten past the initial hurdle of 'there's way too many people in here'. Bathing in Etrenank is usually done in private, sure, but it's not as if he's unused to the idea of people bathing communally. Water being scarce in some parts of Filgaia means that there aren't the resources for solo bathing in some places (a fact that a younger Loren had learned to his dismay).
And it's supposed to be warm water, too. --Not that Nede is at all lacking in facilities, unlike certain other planetary/lunar surfaces he could mention.
And he's had a rough go of it (at least, as far as he's concerned). And he could use the distraction. ...And it's supposed to be a good way to bond with your Pokemon. Runeberry isn't (technically?) (he thinks) but... it probably doesn't matter, given how people have reacted to them, and maybe it's good to fit in. It's definitely not because he's been talking to the little elemental-animal abomination-against-god more over the last couple of days. Nope.
So he'd done the thing where he'd gone to the trouble of getting a bathing suit and so on and so forth, and just about the only bad part of this whole experience up to this point has been the questions about where he 'met' Runeberry.
Which is a hard thing to answer under any circumstance. How do you explain 'in a haunted manor on the moon'?
It's gotten really hazy in here. Something trips a paranoid circuit in the back of Loren's brain and he stands up suddenly. Wait, where is Runeberry--
He doesn't have a lot of experience with hot springs, it should be mentioned. He's been in the water a little too long. Almost immediately, he ends up regretting both the sudden movement and lingering over-long in the water and immediately falls to his knees. One hand raised to his head, he glances upward out of sheer chance and here, he sees a familiar form contained in a cage above him! "Runeberry?!"
Was this whole operation some sort of scam? Who are these people? Who steals Pokemon, anyway?! "Hey! Let them go! They're mine!" he belts, trying to rise from to his feet as Team Rocket makes their introductions only to fall to one knee in the water again.
And toxic gas and poison stings really aren't helping. Half-covering his face with his right hand, Loren, who of course doesn't have even a piece of equipment on him (not even his glasses!) other than his swimsuit, does what comes naturally.
Green light spreads outward in spreading fractal lines as he works to try to clear the effects of the foul air and stings and in so doing, everything else the sprawl of light happens to touch.
Whit Aomori
GS: Loren Voss has attacked Loren Voss with Renewal Order! GS: Loren Voss has attacked Hannah Curie with Renewal Order! GS: Loren Voss has attacked Chase with Renewal Order! GS: Loren Voss has attacked Eleanor Klein with Renewal Order! GS: Loren Voss has attacked Lan Lilac with Renewal Order! GS: Loren Voss has attacked Whit Aomori with Renewal Order! GS: Loren Voss has attacked White Knight Leo with Renewal Order! GS: Loren Voss has attacked Dirk Swordsman with Renewal Order! GS: Loren Voss has gained 1 Combo! GS: Loren Voss takes 35 damage from Poison! GS: Loren Voss has completed his action. GS: Eleanor Klein accepts Loren Voss's Renewal Order for 0 hit points! GS: Restore! Blind and Cripple removed! GS: Pray grants a random effect! Amplify, Hyper, and Lock state applied to Eleanor Klein! GS: CRITICAL! Loren Voss heals Chase! He gains 10 temporary hit points! GS: Restore! Blind, Cripple, Disease, and Poison removed! GS: Pray grants a random effect! Blitz, Lock state, and Regen applied to Chase! GS: Loren Voss accepts Loren Voss's Renewal Order for 0 hit points! GS: Restore! Hex removed! GS: Pray grants a random effect! Amplify, Lock state, and Quick applied to Loren Voss! GS: White Knight Leo accepts Loren Voss's Renewal Order for 0 hit points! GS: Restore! Hex removed! GS: Pray grants a random effect! Blitz, Hyper, and Lock state applied to White Knight Leo! GS: Lan Lilac accepts Loren Voss's Renewal Order for 0 hit points! GS: Restore! Blind, Cripple, Disease, and Mute removed! GS: Pray grants a random effect! Hyper, Lock state, and Shield applied to Lan Lilac!
<Pose Tracker> Shige Kiwako has posed.
Shige Kiwako had never been to something like a hot spring dug by snakes. Snake-ish things. Big snakes?
Sure she hasn't managed to capture a pokemon of her own, but she's found all the critters adorable! In their way at least.
She does have her own friends though! And one of them is currently trying to get the lounging cat's attention. Not that it's actually all that visible to most beyond glimpses in the mist and from the corners of their eyes. Probably the closest thing to seeing her shadows!
The figure stalks off through the mist, clearly annoyed that the feline is.. out for lunch so to speak for a moment.
There's a loud startling noise right next to Shige's head suddenly getting a rather feline noise out of the normally mostly reserved cat. She jumped clean out of the water even! She also looks rather frazzled and puffy for a moment standing there in the water. "What the f-" she starts. About to reprimand one of the shadowy forms when she spots the smog rolling in and is slightly too slow to get her head under the water to avoid the worst of it.
When she resurfaces, she's coughing and muttering about everything. It had been so nice too!
She pulls her lantern and smaller satchel holding just one thing, slinging it over her shoulder) as she climbs out of the water. (Because they're never far from her.) and begins to swing the lantern away, trying to dismiss the worst of the smoke. This is already something of a strange place and she's not sure how it will all hold out, but there is a sense of.. calm that comes with her magic. The stillness in a way!
While she's casting her magic, there's a figure stalking through the mist. A long, black haired figure that blinks in and out of the corners of people's eyes. Staring angrily at the Rockets and their pokemon. Radiating that menace, but never quite acting. She's a bit too far away from the cat to actually borrow power to fully manifest.
The ghostly fragment points accusing at the pair. Blinking in and out of vision, always in a slightly different place. Always disappearing when looked at. Then it's just.. fully gone! Might be up to some antics of its own.
GS: CRITICAL! Whit Aomori accepts Loren Voss's Renewal Order for 0 hit points! GS: Restore! Hex removed! GS: Pray grants a random effect! Lock state and Surge applied to Whit Aomori! GS: Shige Kiwako takes a glancing hit from Jessie and James's And Make It Double! for 0 hit points! GS: Shige Kiwako's Mute Ward may block the effect! GS: Cripple and Hex applied to Shige Kiwako! GS: Mute blocked! GS: Shige Kiwako has attacked Rena Lanford with Hallowed Ground! GS: Shige Kiwako has attacked Shige Kiwako with Hallowed Ground! GS: Shige Kiwako has attacked White Knight Leo with Hallowed Ground! GS: Shige Kiwako has attacked Hannah Curie with Hallowed Ground! GS: Shige Kiwako has attacked Lan Lilac with Hallowed Ground! GS: Shige Kiwako has attacked Loren Voss with Hallowed Ground! GS: Shige Kiwako has gained 1 Combo! GS: Shige Kiwako takes 34 damage from Poison! GS: Shige Kiwako has completed her action. GS: Hannah Curie accepts Loren Voss's Renewal Order for 0 hit points! GS: Restore! Hex removed! GS: Pray grants a random effect! Blitz, Burst, and Lock state applied to Hannah Curie! GS: Shige Kiwako accepts Shige Kiwako's Hallowed Ground for 0 hit points! GS: Restore! Hex removed! GS: Lock state applied to Shige Kiwako! GS: White Knight Leo accepts Shige Kiwako's Hallowed Ground for 0 hit points! GS: Restore! Blind, Cripple, and Disease removed! GS: Lock state applied to White Knight Leo! GS: Lan Lilac accepts Shige Kiwako's Hallowed Ground for 0 hit points! GS: Restore! Poison removed! GS: Lock state applied to Lan Lilac! GS: Rena Lanford accepts Shige Kiwako's Hallowed Ground for 0 hit points! GS: Restore! Hex removed! GS: Lock state applied to Rena Lanford! GS: Hannah Curie accepts Shige Kiwako's Hallowed Ground for 0 hit points! GS: Restore! Blind, Disease, and Poison removed! GS: Lock state applied to Hannah Curie! GS: Loren Voss accepts Shige Kiwako's Hallowed Ground for 0 hit points! GS: Restore! Blind, Cripple, Disease, and Mute removed! GS: Lock state applied to Loren Voss! GS: CRITICAL! White Knight Leo heals Elaine! She gains 28 temporary hit points! GS: CRITICAL! Loren Voss heals Dirk Swordsman! He gains 10 temporary hit points! GS: Restore! Hex removed! GS: Pray grants a random effect! Amplify, Lock state, and Regen applied to Dirk Swordsman!
<Pose Tracker> Jessie and James has posed.
"Ssssspa," Eleanor's Dunsparce oozes, beside the Sage.
"Slooooo," Slowpoke replies.
"Ssssspa," Dunsparce mumbles, content.
"Slooooo..."
"Ssssspa..."
The Dunsparce are really quite chilled out, which means that when the arena grows Hazey, they're confused. "Dunsss?" They hiss, their little feelers quivering over their mouths. One floats up on its little cherub wings to flutter behind Chase, hiding there. Clara gasps, and shrieks: "Team Rocket?! Why -- why are they here?! You can't fight here! This is a place to relax--!!" And lo, she faints right there in the steam. Luckily, two of her Dunsparce friends catch her.
Luckily, all the assaults against Team Rocket's balloon will prove more difficult, because -- look, there! There's the shimmer of Symbology, on the giant Meowthshead. "Hahaha! Don't think you can burst our bubble so easily, little girl!" Jessie laughs down at Rena, far more noble than her station, a hand to her mouth.
"That's right," James smiles. "I made the fabric for this balloon myself. It's absolutely magical!" But then Shorty goes <3, and he squeals, hands clutching to his heart. "Aaahhh! That dog really does want to come with us! I knew it, I knew it!" ... James suffered a terrible blow from Tail Whip! His defence dropped... harshly!
Tragically, many of these Trainers have Pokemon who can fight Team Rocket's poison -- but one who can't is, "Eeeh?" Jessie asks, shoving James aside to peer down at Lunata's Zubat. "Hey," she whispers, to him, "isn't that one ours?"
"I think it is, Jessie!" James whispers back. "Byrne and Kelly were just talking about putting a new batch of Zubat out!"
Koffing bobs over to Lunata, and politely says, "Koffi," as he grabs the FOL in his mouth and floats it up to James. "Uweeheehee!" He laughs, as he pockets it. "4,100 FOL! Even though we lost our bonuses this month, we're still getting rich!" "Rich!" Jessie exclaims, beside him. "Rich!" James emphasises, a third time.
Everything's coming up Team Rocket!
Oh, by the way, Chase is here.
Luckily, Chase's Pikachu spares them, for now -- she has her subjects fighting for her. Nidoran impacts Ekans heavily, and she hisses, "Kkaaansss!!", as she twists about to Wrap her fellow Poison Pokemon in turn. She can't spend too much time squeezing Nidoran, though, because there are a lot of Pokemon to fight.
Meanwhile, Koffing finds his gasses ignited by Ember, and he bellows, "KOFFIIII!!" The smoke burns away, but Koffing puts himself out by spitting some Acid -- which goes straight for Dirk's Charcadet!
"Did you hear that?" James pouts, as he taps a finger to his rose. (It disappears and reappears between shots. Don't worry about it.) "That miscreant called us villains." And Jessie laughs, as she leans on his shoulder. "We are villains," she reminds him, smirking. "... and we're going to get all these rare Pokemon. Look, James! Two Farfetch'd!" Oh, no. Both Dirk and Chartreuse are in trouble. Double trouble! "Ekans!" Jessie declares, as she points down, "Crunch those delicious little ducks!" And Ekans does try to Crunch Chartreuse's Farfetch'd -- but before she can get to Dirk's Pokemon (attacking him twice, that's against the rules!), a strange, ghostly figure appears before the snake. Shige's apparation scares her right off!
"Ekans! Don't freeze up!" Jessie exclaims, before she does a double-take at Whit, folds her arms, and huffs: "Ekans! Use your Glare attack on that Ivysaur! Show them you're the scariest thing on this battlefield!"
James cuts in with: "Whoa! What kind of Pokemon is that!" Because Koffing has just gotten divebombed by something which definitely isn't a Talonflame, as much as there's a passing resemblance. "Koffing, don't let it beat you! Use your Sludge Bomb!" And Koffing stops reeling through the air long enough to spit sludge at Hannah's companion, Zephyr, while James pulls out his phone and scrolls through it. "No, it's not a Pidgeot... it's not a Talonflame... come on, come on..." Jessie swats him, and demands: "Stop looking it up and steal it, already!"
Meanwhile: Lan answers a burning question about one of the Pokemon they have stolen. "Oh! It's a Runeberry!" Jessie sparkles, as if she hadn't just berated James for his curiosity. "Ekans, thank the young lady with a Dig attack!!" And Ekans dives into the stone, burrowing in much like her Land Snake cousins -- only to come crashing out under Lunatone, hissing, "Kkssss!!"
Finally, James points, and says: "Koffing! Hit that Braixen with your Toxic!" And Koffing has all the best hits of the season, as he tries to interrupt Elaine's Doubles strategy from the outset.
Koffing's Smokescreen, meanwhile, just continues being a problem for everyone.
GS: Jessie and James takes a glancing hit from Hannah Curie's Peck for 28 hit points! GS: Jessie and James has activated Force Action: Extend! GS: Jessie and James has attacked Chase with Wrap! GS: Jessie and James has gained 1 Combo! GS: Jessie and James has attacked Dirk Swordsman with Acid! GS: Jessie and James has gained 1 Combo! GS: Jessie and James spends 2 Combo on Headshot! GS: Jessie and James has attacked Chartreuse Spinosa with Crunch! GS: Jessie and James has gained 2 Combo! GS: Jessie and James spends 4 Combo on Poison and Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: Jessie and James has attacked Hannah Curie with Sludge Bomb! GS: Jessie and James has gained 1 Combo! GS: Jessie and James has attacked Lan Lilac with Dig! GS: Jessie and James has attacked Whit Aomori with Glare! GS: Jessie and James has gained 2 Combo! GS: Jessie and James has attacked Loren Voss with Smokescreen! GS: Jessie and James has attacked White Knight Leo with Smokescreen! GS: Jessie and James has attacked Rena Lanford with Smokescreen! GS: Jessie and James has attacked Eleanor Klein with Smokescreen! GS: Jessie and James has attacked Shige Kiwako with Smokescreen! GS: Jessie and James has gained 3 Combo! GS: Jessie and James takes 31 damage from Poison! GS: Jessie and James has completed their action. GS: Eleanor Klein takes a glancing hit from Jessie and James's Smokescreen for 43 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Eleanor Klein gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Blind applied to Eleanor Klein! GS: Cover applied to Jessie and James! GS: FP up! |Arcane, Font|Reaction, and bonus| GS: CRITICAL! Chartreuse Spinosa solidly guards Jessie and James's Crunch for 122 hit points! GS: Infect! Debuff durations extended!! GS: Cripple and Jam applied to Chartreuse Spinosa! GS: Dirk Swordsman solidly guards Jessie and James's Acid for 85 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Dirk Swordsman gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Break applied to Dirk Swordsman! GS: FP up! |Reaction and bonus| GS: CRITICAL! Whit Aomori takes a glancing hit from Jessie and James's Glare for 0 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Whit Aomori gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Entangle and Shieldbreak applied to Whit Aomori! GS: White Knight Leo takes a solid hit from Jessie and James's Smokescreen for 104 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! White Knight Leo gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Blind applied to White Knight Leo! GS: Cover applied to Jessie and James! GS: CRITICAL! Shige Kiwako takes a solid hit from Jessie and James's Smokescreen for 145 hit points! GS: Blind applied to Shige Kiwako! GS: Cover applied to Jessie and James! GS: FP up! |Arcane and Font| GS: CRITICAL! Rena Lanford solidly guards Jessie and James's Smokescreen for 99 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Rena Lanford gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Blind applied to Rena Lanford! GS: Cover applied to Jessie and James! GS: Loren Voss solidly guards Jessie and James's Smokescreen for 72 hit points! GS: Blind applied to Loren Voss! GS: Cover applied to Jessie and James! GS: FP up! |Reaction and bonus| GS: Lan Lilac takes a glancing hit from Jessie and James's Dig for 48 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Whit Aomori has posed.
White realizes with astonishment that he recognizes one of the Rockets. "Jessie!" Whit addresses the old friend of the Aomori family. "Why are you doing this?!?? There's no need to steal Pokemon! You're with ...Team Rocket?!?!" He staggers back in shock, unable to act. He'd known Jessie most of his life, without a clue about her criminal activities. Meanwhile, Whit's toad-lizard-plant Pokemon knows one thing: Team Rocket is threatening his trainer (and best friend). He interposes himself between Whit and Jessie and James. The Koffing is out of reach -- it floats! -- but he crawls towards the Ekans, hissing a challenge. The Ekans responds with Glare, hitting Chauncy solidly and slowing him down even more! It takes awhile -- he is even slower than usual -- but he does his best to administer a vicious bite to the poisonous snake! Chauncey only has eight teeth, but they're strong and sharp! "I can protect myself!" Whit protests, still confounded. "Come back here -- it's too dangerous!" The Ivysaur ignores him. Some Trainer he is! Whit scrambles to retrieve his Pokemon but isn't fast enough to prevent the bite -- if it lands. "I said, GET BACK HERE!" The Ivysaur is stubborn and refuses to heel -- or return to his Pokeball. He wants to fight!
GS: Whit Aomori has attacked Jessie and James with Chauncey Bite! GS: Whit Aomori takes 28 damage from Poison! GS: Whit Aomori has completed his action. GS: Chase takes a glancing hit from Jessie and James's Wrap for 44 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Chase gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Cripple and Entangle applied to Chase! GS: FP up! |Reaction and bonus|
<Pose Tracker> Eleanor Klein has posed.
Eleanor had been listening to Lan and hanging out with Hannah and Lan both. "Wasn't it?" she asked Lan. She did notice Whit, and smiled at the stranger because he was cute and she's married not dead. Meanwhile, "I'm glad you convinced me to go for it," Eleanor says. "I'm not unused to hot springs, but a mixed bath is a little..." Well, it didn't stop her this time!
But: the smoke isn't gone, and it still burns Eleanor's eyes, along with those of her Pokemon--but they're pretty hardy about this kind of thing, it would seem. She hears Whit talking to--Chauncey? The Ivysaur! "Pokemon of his type are... good at dealing with water, right? Do you have any advice?"
Phaosia the Pikachu turns to Dirk as he tells her not to touch the water and sticks her tongue out at him. ...She does in fact stay above the water, though. "Chuuu..."
Leo--Ahem, not Leo--helps with fresh cleansing winds, and ELeanor feels her lungs soothed. Of all people, Loren Voss makes to help, and his magic renews both her and her Pokemon in radiant light. There's something about his magic that seems kinder than he always acts. But Maybe Eleanor is just hoping for something there. "Thank you!" Eleanor calls to both of them, Mystere and even Loren too. She may still be mad at him for how he's been treating Lan, but gratitude is gratitude.
"The little bear!" she says, as Lan calls for Runeberry. "Well! We'll save them, too!"
She takes the lead of Elaine and Chase in the meantime; they're obviously quite good at this. ...Until the Smokescreen continues to happen, and Eleanor coughs again. "I can't--" Pause.
"...I don't need to see them, do I? Okeanos!"
"..............?"
Okeanos is starting to notice the Dunsparce aren't happy. But he also notices Eleanor's command, which continues, "Find that Koffing and use your special move!"
"Slo..."
Pause. "...Phaosia, help him get there!" "Pika!!"
Pikachu rides Slowpoke into the air as the Pokemon leaps in a sudden flash of pink energy, rearing back and--
SLAMMING his head straight for Koffing like he's the world's smelliest volleyball!
GS: Formation! Eleanor Klein has attacked Jessie and James with Zen Headbutt! GS: Eleanor Klein has gained 1 Combo! GS: Eleanor Klein takes 33 damage from Poison! GS: Eleanor Klein has completed her action. GS: Jessie and James takes a glancing hit from Whit Aomori's Chauncey Bite for 52 hit points! GS: Poison blocked! GS: Jessie and James suffers a terrible blow from Eleanor Klein's Zen Headbutt for 238 hit points! GS: Dispel! Cover removed! GS: Jessie and James spends 3 Combo on Headshot and Poison! GS: Jessie and James has attacked Elaine with Toxic! GS: Jessie and James has gained 1 Combo! GS: CRITICAL! Elaine solidly guards Jessie and James's Toxic for 69 hit points! GS: Infect! Debuff durations extended!! GS: Elaine's Poison Ward may block the effect! GS: Cripple, Disease, Drowsy, Hex, Jam, and Poison applied to Elaine! GS: FP up! |Arcane, Font|Reaction, and bonus| GS: Hannah Curie takes a glancing hit from Jessie and James's Sludge Bomb for 98 hit points! GS: Dispel! Lock state removed! GS: Poison blocked! GS: FP up! |Arcane and Font|
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lanford has posed.
"Who are you calling a little girl!?" Rena calls back at Jessie, indignant, despite the incontrovertible fact they protected their balloon against her magic, "You have no room to talk when you've decided to make a career out of something that's just a phase for most people!"
As James however gets struck with a critical hit in the feels, Shorty abruptly sweatdrops, anxiety entering into the movements of its tail. "Shouuuuu.... Shouuuuuuuuunnn-!" It's DEFINITELY worried about a future where he gets taken.
"Thank you Mystere!" Rena calls out as his healing spell clears the air for Shorty. Beaming a smile as she enters into the women's locker room. Especially as Shige tries to do the same in quick succession, with her healing magic. Being a healer, Rena recognizes the effort certainly, "And you too Ma'am!"
Her call becomes abruptly muffled inside the Locker Room, as she digs through her things. Certainly she doesn't have time to get dressed, but she can at least have her spiked knuckles on hand, her pack, and draping a sash of Pokeballs over her bikini like a bandolier.
She returns out just in time for Shorty to get struck by a sudden Smokescreen, "Paws over nose!" Shorty tries, but whimpers, tears leaving his eyes, "Shounnnnn! SHOUNNNNNN!" It's becoming too much for the poor little guy. He's gotten into battling lately, but against James...!
Seeing his distress, she shouts out, "You did so good! That's enough for now!" And opening his Pokeball, he suddenly returns in with a flash of light, even as she throws out another.
"Nibbles! It's your turn!"
What appears is a white-furred lop-eared bunny, it's ears reaching all the way down to the ground, with yellow tips, adorably rotund, with buck teeth. It begins to hop, towards Team Rocket's Ekans, bipedal, two much shorter upper limbs waving in rhythm.
"Jub. Jub. Jub." It then lands, bobbing on the ground adorably, "Juuuuuu!"
Jubjubunnies are such common Pokemon as to be completely unremarkable, but Rena seems to have full confidence in this one. Because she takes a fierce stance and points.
"Nibbles! Show them a Scary Face!"
Abruptly its pink eyes become bloodshot red, as its buckteeth distend, growing all the way so that it's larger than it's entire body. It's jaw unhinges, as it opens its maw and SNARLS a blood curdling screech as saliva foams at its mouth.
"JUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!"
This visage of horror then begins to hop at Ekans with an incredible bloodlust, seeming unperturbed at all by the fact that it's a large snake Pokemon, and it's not that far removed from rodentia itself screeching and gnashing its far too large fangs.
"Good work, Nibbles! That's the intensity I like to see!"
IT IS!?
GS: Rena Lanford has attacked Jessie and James with It's Just A Harmless Little JUBJUBUNNY Isn't It?! GS: Rena Lanford has gained 1 Combo! GS: Rena Lanford's stances have changed to Avenger! GS: Rena Lanford gains 10 FP from her Daredevil! GS: Rena Lanford enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Rena Lanford takes 47 damage from Poison! GS: Rena Lanford has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Elaine has posed.
Elaine's Pokemon quickly work together to start countering the initial effects of the smoke screen and poison, but despite that a sudden fling Toxic at Misutikku interrupts their work pushing the Fox Pokemon back and splaching the Sea Lion Pokemon beside her. "Misutikku! Oh no.. Kayou, use Aqua Jet!" Elaine calls out as Veevee wriggles on her head, getting ready to jump into the fray herself if it worsens maybe.
As she calls out the attack, Elaine looks around trying to figure out what all is going on muttering to herself "I just had to leave Soar and Pink behind today." with a shake of her head. She could try and swap out her Pokemon through the Pokedex's Pokebox connection, but not in the middle of battle. "We need a move like Gust or Whirlwind to clear the smoke. Watch out for the Toxic attack too! The Poison damage from it is much greater than just regular poison." she calls out trying to coordinate something, through the smokescreen is making it difficult for her to get a full grasp of who all exactly is around by just their voices.
Kayou wastes no time following commands, the prim and proper sea lion engulfing itself in water before it suddenly blasts forward like a cannon ball leaving a trail of water in its wake like a jetstream. It makes right for Koffin, the one that hit it and Misutikku with Toxic and the current source of the biggest problems.
GS: Elaine has attacked Jessie and James with Aqua Jet! GS: Elaine has gained 1 Combo! GS: Elaine's stances have changed to Sage! GS: Elaine enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Elaine gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: Elaine takes 26 damage from Poison! GS: Elaine has completed her action. <Pose Tracker> Shige Kiwako has posed.
Shige Kiwako is just getting annoyed at this point. It had been a nice day and now she's coughing and stumbling around in the dark. "If I wanted to wander around blind, I'd have gone ghost hunting again." She mutters to no one in particulary. Swinging that lantern around still. She's going to keep trying to keep that problem swept away. Sprinkling a bit of hallowed magic, of sorts around. The figure standing behind her is clearly telling her something as her ear twitches and she gets more annoyed, tails frazzled briefly. She calms herself down and begins to fumble around, patting for her cigar holder before realizing.. right. Hot spring. She at least has a mission now.
At least the light seems to try and push the nastiness away from everyone!
For everything else though, there's that figure appearing again. Staring. Never getting closer. Never acting. Though she does become more isible as Shige approaches the group of them. One single eye through parted hair! Then gone again. There might have been more mist there too. Probably nothing too surprising for those used to the haunted cat. Though now that she's manifesting more clearly.. she's sticking behind the trio of Rockets! Always moving or blinking out. Just a creepy presence.
The ghost genuinely thinks it's funny and Shige's too distracted to stop her. (Realistically she'd encourage it, but..)
"Why is there a balloon?" The feline asks, getting a clear look at both her ghost. The trio and the, well, balloon. She gets a wide eyed look and slowly raises a hand and points behind the trio. Then ducks away back into that chaos having added to it. She can't argue, it IS funny.
"Mystere?" she's forgotten the name Leo uses. She does know the figure though. Still, question stands, not putting two and two together. A hand goes up to Rena, "Yep!" said in that same tone any server offers. It's her bartender repsonse!
"I'll keep at it, they're pouring it on thick." She means the smog. Also their antics. "Not that I'm any better." she adds in a slightly quieter tone.
Her onryo friend has a creepy smile on her features now. Right.. there.
She IS rather fascinated by the pokemon battles though! "You know-" she starts, turning back to address someone over her shoulder, "If I could stuff you lot into one of those little ball things-" before she snorts, "Can't even take a joke." It's a one sided conversation.
Her spell finished, the light continues to spread. Eerie, but calming in its way. She's going to keep trying to clear that nastiness out!
GS: Shige Kiwako has attacked Shige Kiwako with Hallowed Ground! GS: Shige Kiwako has attacked Chase with Hallowed Ground! GS: Shige Kiwako has attacked Lunata Croze with Hallowed Ground! GS: Shige Kiwako has attacked Chartreuse Spinosa with Hallowed Ground! GS: Shige Kiwako has attacked Whit Aomori with Hallowed Ground! GS: Shige Kiwako has gained 1 Combo! GS: Shige Kiwako takes 37 damage from Poison! GS: Shige Kiwako has completed her action. GS: Chase accepts Shige Kiwako's Hallowed Ground for 0 hit points! GS: Restore! Cripple and Mute removed! GS: Lock state applied to Chase! GS: Shige Kiwako accepts Shige Kiwako's Hallowed Ground for 0 hit points! GS: Restore! Cripple and Disease removed! GS: Lock state applied to Shige Kiwako! GS: Chartreuse Spinosa accepts Shige Kiwako's Hallowed Ground for 0 hit points! GS: Restore! Hex removed! GS: Lock state applied to Chartreuse Spinosa! GS: Whit Aomori accepts Shige Kiwako's Hallowed Ground for 0 hit points! GS: Restore! Cripple, Disease, and Entangle removed! GS: Lock state applied to Whit Aomori!
<Pose Tracker> Dirk Swordsman has posed.
Even as Charcadet lobs a fireball (which always helps, ask Matty Patel), Dirk looks around. His eyes flick around as he struggles to figure out the exact layout. How MANY people in Team Rocket are here? A thought crosses his mind, based on a trashy film he saw two years ago: what if the fight's chaos is part of their scheme!?
(Fortunately, the fictional 'Team Chaos' was foiled by a hard-boiled detective and his equally hardboiled Eggsecutor. Unfortunately, nobody here has an Eggsecutor, and most spas don't let you stay in long enough to get more than soft boiled.)
But then something washes outwards - green light. Dirk raises up an arm in case it's some kind of deviltry but it actually feels good. His Pokemon seem to be in agreement about this, glancing at each other once and chattering briefly among themselves.
"Like... a portable healer? THANKS DOC," Dirk shouts forwards.
"Chespin! Ches!" At this the entire sword-school looks forwards and there's acid inbound! AND THEN, RISING THROUGH THE STEAM
BURNING JUSTICE IN HIS EYES
Charcadet ascends towards the glob of acid that had threatened to hit them and splash all over his comrades. There is fury in this pugnacious little Fire-type's eyes; and in his hands? Not a Berry, not Leftovers, nor even a Stone, but a simple BBQ Skewer. A steel one.
SHING!
The acid glob parts in two portions. One chunk lands in the spa water, which, sucks, but they can like put in baking soda or something later. The rest splashes Charcadet, whose flame sputters smokily as he lands. "Ch-- char--!!"
Dirk sweats. (You can't really tell a big difference because he's standing next to a hot spring.) "Take it easy Charcadet, good hustle!!" ("Far.")
"Okay, Farfetch'd, if you get in there it's just playin' into their hand, so we're gonna go with *swords without range.*" ("Far," nods the duck, who is used to this kind of talk.)
Dirk, at this point, ACTUALLY DRAWS HIS SWORD - it glitters, live steel, or at least the visual appearance of it - and sweeps it around to point aggressively towards the Koffing. "Seed 'im up, Chespin!" And Chespin, who has had his bath disturbed and his battling-buddy smacked with acid, doesn't need to get told twice. He throws himself down on a quad stance, lets out a "Chesssss--- PIN!"
A volley of green seeds erupt out of the hedgehog's upper back, sailing forwards in a cluster towards Koffing. Aiming to embed themselves within the cloudy Pokemon's polluted corpus and sprout!
"Don't gimme that look! You ain't got a board!" Dirk says to Phaosia D. Pikachu as he gets SECOND HAND POKEBACKSASS.
GS: Dirk Swordsman spends 2 Combo on Headshot! GS: Dirk Swordsman has attacked Jessie and James with Chespin - Leech Seed! GS: Dirk Swordsman has gained 2 Combo! GS: Dirk Swordsman gains 8 THP from Regen! GS: Dirk Swordsman has completed his action.
<Pose Tracker> Chase has posed.
Chase shifts his stance instinctively as a Dunsparce seeks cover, scraping the sole of his sneakers against the dirt to square himself and stay between it and Team Rocket. His sleeve remains up over his face as he coughs, one eye watering enough for tears. It seems Chase is having a particularly bad time of it when it comes to obstructed airways.
But admist the toxin comes ribbons of white, fractal green, and an eerie light of calm. Chase holds up his hand, as if he could discern any of this like one trying to determine if it's raining. Pikachu bounces up and down and bites onto one of the ribbons of light. She cannot report whether or not it tastes like anything.
Nidoran is giving it his all. He gnashes and growls and roars (he squeaks -- he's squeaking) in defiance, only to be wrapped up in Ekans' coils. He flails and whimpers helplessly until Chase's whistle reminds him to struggle. (Not Struggle. He still has PP.) Squirm, thrash, he's stuck he's stuck he's stuck -- oh! He's free!
...Because Ekans has bigger problems than little Nidoran.
"Piiii pika piiiii!" Pikachu cheers to Nidoran, waving at him with both paws. With shaking legs he pushes up to his feet and roars (squeaks) once more. He! Will fight! Chase's hand hovers near his other ball, but he flexes his fingers instead, takes a breath, and whistles to Nidoran.
Nidoran charges back into the fray as fast as his little legs will leg him go, and he slams into the earth without losing momentum, skidding with his clawed limbs to kick up spray of hot mud from hot spring water into Ekans.
GS: Burst added to Chase! GS: Chase has activated Force Action: Boost! GS: Blitz! Chase has attacked Jessie and James with Mud Slap! GS: Chase gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: Chase gains 27 THP from Regen! GS: Chase has completed his action.
<Pose Tracker> Chartreuse Spinosa has posed.
"Sorry, ma'am - can you get the Dunsparce to safety?" Chartreeuse apologises to Clara. She wishes they didn't have to fight here - but crime isn't going to politely change locales just because they ask.
...Or will it??
Questions for later, she supposes. Jessie has eyed Farfetch'd - and the duck's eyes gleam.
"Farfetch'd." He retorts defiantly. He's just saying his name, and yet, it's as if he's declaring the notion...
...Well, you know.
"Careful!" Chartreuse warns. Ekans lunges in under the cover of Haze - and at the last moment Farfetch'd raises his leek to defend! That Crunch sinks in - it's already serious, but a moment later... and that might've been bad. Fortunately, a ghost scares Ekans right off, giving him some breathing.
"I guess they're as talented at fighting as they are at showmanship. Can you still fight?" Chartreuse asks. Farfetch'd nods.
At this time, Sentret returns - somehow lugging her backpack despite his small size.
"Ah, good timing. You're a lifesizer." Chartreuse says gratefully. She pats Sentret on the head as he sets her backpack down, then reaches into one of its many pockets, retrieving her glasses and sliding them onto her face. Thanks to that - and that eerie yet calming light, which she sends Shige a thankful nod for - she can start seeing a lot better.
"How's everybody holding up? Is everyone alright?" Chartreuse calls into the battlefield - then, turns her attention back to the fight.
"They have to split their attention quite a few ways... so, let's give them one more thing to worry about. Farfetch'd - Night Slash." Chartreuse commands, gesturing in the direction she sees (faintly) Ekans.
Dark energy brims from Farfetch'd's leek - and then he leaps into the air, descending on Ekans with a swing!
GS: Formation! Chartreuse Spinosa has attacked Jessie and James with Together!! GS: Chartreuse Spinosa has gained 1 Combo! GS: Chartreuse Spinosa gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: Chartreuse Spinosa takes 31 damage from Poison! GS: Chartreuse Spinosa has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.
Indeed, that seems to be one of Team Rocket's Zubats! Which means... a mission DOUBLE success, because one of Byrne or Kelly probably succeeded in a scam! Ah, these Visitors and their inability to understand PHISHING and SOCIAL ENGINEERING.
Lunata steps back as James gloats, and twiddles her thumbs. "You get a bonus...? Wow...!" She recalls Zubat and blinks a few times, looking up at whatever it is she seems to be seeing that no one else is.
"Now... what?"
GS: Lunata blacked out!
"HEY-- Can I at least get dressed first--"
As if a puppet that's been cut from its strings, Lunata suddenly reels and collapses backwards--
But don't worry, avid reader, for she falls on a mysteriously prepared cart made out of wood, manned by three
Galarian Meowths who readily cart her off to dump her right in front the nearest Pokemon Centre.
<Pose Tracker> Lan Lilac has posed.
Familiar green fractal light finds her, even underwater. Lan wipes at her eyes, and resurfaces with a gasp and a splash (and has to wipe her eyes again because seriously, you were underwater, what did you think it was going to accomplish?). More cleansing magic comes her way and Lan welcomes it; the lamplight isn't familiar in the same way as Loren's restorative Ether, but in the way the torches of Little Firelight are. (Little Firelight is about 90% fewer ghosts per volume, however.)
She's wading back towards the shore when the ground beneath the Lunatone splits open, a giant purple thing erupting from below! The stone Pokemon takes a scratch from Ekans's fangs, but any other damage seems to be mitigated by its levitation ability. It does spin a bit dizzily, however, and... looks to Lan for direction?!
"...Huh? What?" Lan squeezes some of the water out of her looooong braid, which weighs approximately a hundred million pounds when wet. "I mean... just... do what comes naturally?" she offers. She isn't a Pokemon Trainer! She's just helping it get back home! The Pokemon Center didn't even have a book about Lunatones!
The Lunatone turns away from her and narrows its eyes at Ekans. Its hum is overriden by a jangling sound like dented, out-of-tune chimes. The rubble leftover from Ekans's Dig attack lifts off of the ground in a show of psychic force, before pelting the snake Pokemon!
GS: Lan Lilac spends 3 Combo on Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: Lan Lilac has attacked Jessie and James with Rock Throw! GS: Lan Lilac gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: Lan Lilac has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> White Knight Leo has posed.
"It was--" Cough, hack, "--nothing! Keep those miscreants at bay a moment--" Cough, sputter. "--longer!" Thankfully, Mystere isn't the only one here with healing magic; both Shige's expanding radius of stillness and Loren's green fractal display neutralize the worst of the poison.
Friendly Dunsparce still draped over his shoulder, Mystere skids to a halt in front of one of the lockers. (That's Leo's locker! Is Leo okay with him rummaging through his things?!) The Pokemon engages in a crucial bit of aid, holding its wings up as he changes out the improvised mask... for his real one.
"Dun," says the Pokemon, its oddly-charming head bobbing up and down.
"Yes, my friend," says Mystere, "they're dun for."
Again, the rocks of the hot spring rise upwards, forming an unnatural outcrop. A dramatic plateau. A stage, even. Mystere stands atop it, towering over Dirk's team, and Eleanor's, and Chase's--not as a monolithic threat, but as a protector!
"I see. Your 'boss' craves the fighting spirit of these strange beasts, but can't be bothered to earn their trust. Thus, base thievery!" Charcadet makes his move, and Mystere clenches a fist, cheering him on. "Yes, that's it, strange... charcoal swordsbeing! Noble leek ducks! Precious..." Mystere looks down at Chase. "What's that one? Is that some sort of... lizard rabbit?" But he's getting distracted, and the smoke is really stinging his eyes. He's seeing double. Four Meowths!
"I, too, know the secrets of the monsters of the world. Their power is as my own! Take this!!"
Mystere takes a deep breath, the ambient steam of the spa flowing into his lungs. (Along with Koffing's smoke, which makes his eyes water more, but necessary sacrifices.) With a single breath out, all that Water-aspected energy surges outwards, forming a torrential deluge aimed right at Koffing!
GS: Blitz! White Knight Leo has attacked Jessie and James with Aqua Breath! GS: White Knight Leo has gained 2 Combo! GS: White Knight Leo gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: White Knight Leo takes 38 damage from Poison! GS: White Knight Leo has completed his action.
<Pose Tracker> Hannah Curie has posed.
Eleanor isn't sure about mixed baths... "Ehhh, you're overthinkin' it too much. Don't mean nothin' but what you assign to it."
There are people providing healing magic, and Hannah is grateful to Shige and--Loren?! No, question that later--as they try to help clear up some of the afflictions caused by Jessie and James. "Thanks, you two!"
She glares up to Jessie and James in the balloon, though, as they boast about it being impervious to magic. "Grr... Last time I'm goin' anywhere without my crest graphs." But there is some confusion over what kind of Pokemon Zephyr is, and she smirks.
"He ain't a Pokemon! He's my best friend, and he's smarter'n the two of you put together!" No, Hannah, don't tell them Zephyr is more rare, that's not going to help--
It's fine. If they do capture him... they really don't know what they're getting in for.
Koffing spews a ball of toxic sludge, and Zephyr executes a tight roll to avoid most of it, swooping down and past the pokemon before pulling up and out of the immediate fracass of the fight.
"Well if the balloon can't be hurt... Zephyr, distract 'em!"
Zephyr acknowledges with another cry as swoops around behind the balloon, and then up--
And suddenly there is a furious screeching right behind Jessie and James that immediately precedes the red-tailed hawk buzzing right past their faces and just generally being a nuisance.
GS: Hannah Curie spends 1 Combo on Interrupt! GS: Blitz! Hannah Curie has attacked Jessie and James with Screech! GS: Hannah Curie enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Mute expired! GS: Hannah Curie has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Loren Voss has posed.
"Lan?!"
There's a familiar voice out there in the mix.
The last time he'd seen Lan (just a few days ago, for the record) her parting words had been to tell him (formally, for her) that it was nice to see him again and simply walk away. Loren has had a lot of things on his mind since, the sort of things that might well drive a young man to seek the (rather crowded, honestly) solace of a spa day to settle. But whatever he'd like to ask of her takes second billing to the real problem of the moment:
Those thieves took Runeberry and he's going to get them back.
And apparently, this is what Lan is aiming to do as well.
The fact of the matter is that it's much easier -- particularly when dizzy, and envenomated, and Emperor-knows-what else -- for Loren to lean into his natural inclinations in a pinch even if (again, because he's dizzy, envenomated, etc etc) he's not exactly aiming for anyone in particular. But maybe it's fine to be a little bit loose with things in a crowd aiming to attempt much the same thing he is, which is to say, rescue their friends.
...Was that a thank-you aimed his way? More than one? Loren shrugs absently and surges to his feet, managing to stay there for a good twenty seconds before he starts to feel light-headed again and
well
getting a lungful of Smokescreen probably doesn't help.
He doesn't pass out but he does end up stumbling a step backwards to sit by the side of the pool, his head in both hands. "Ugh..." Come on, he's got to get it together! This is no time for a dizzy spell, Runeberry's in danger! Fortunately, it's, again, not like he has to aim precisely or even look to use Ether and produce the effects he'd like. "Hurry up and take out the balloon!" he calls out, uniting water's speed and earth's stability to enhance and protect a handful of the people here.
GS: Loren Voss has activated Force Action: Extend! GS: Loren Voss has attacked Shige Kiwako with Guardian Factor! GS: Loren Voss has attacked Rena Lanford with Guardian Factor! GS: Loren Voss has attacked White Knight Leo with Guardian Factor! GS: Loren Voss has attacked Chartreuse Spinosa with Guardian Factor! GS: Loren Voss has gained 2 Combo! GS: Loren Voss's stances have changed to Sage! GS: Loren Voss takes 33 damage from Poison! GS: Loren Voss has completed his action. GS: Chartreuse Spinosa accepts Loren Voss's Guardian Factor for 0 hit points! GS: Quick and Shield applied to Chartreuse Spinosa! GS: Rena Lanford accepts Loren Voss's Guardian Factor for 0 hit points! GS: Quick and Shield applied to Rena Lanford! GS: White Knight Leo accepts Loren Voss's Guardian Factor for 0 hit points! GS: Quick and Shield applied to White Knight Leo! GS: Jessie and James takes a glancing hit from Rena Lanford's It's Just A Harmless Little JUBJUBUNNY Isn't It? for 65 hit points! GS: Entangle blocked! GS: Jessie and James takes a glancing hit from Elaine's Aqua Jet for 69 hit points! GS: Jessie and James takes a glancing hit from Dirk Swordsman's Chespin - Leech Seed for 72 hit points! GS: Cripple applied to Jessie and James! GS: Hyper applied to Dirk Swordsman! GS: Dirk Swordsman drains Jessie and James! Dirk Swordsman gains 8 temporary hit points! GS: Jessie and James takes a glancing hit from Chartreuse Spinosa's Together! for 101 hit points! GS: Jessie and James takes a glancing hit from Lan Lilac's Rock Throw for 82 hit points! GS: Jessie and James takes a solid hit from White Knight Leo's Aqua Breath for 242 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Jessie and James gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Disrupt applied to Jessie and James! GS: Delay blocked! GS: Jessie and James takes a glancing hit from Chase's Mud Slap for 67 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Jessie and James gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Infect! Debuff durations extended!! GS: Jessie and James partially evades Hannah Curie's Screech for 103 hit points! GS: Interrupt applied to Jessie and James! GS: Hyper applied to Hannah Curie! GS: Jessie and James has lost 2 Combo from Interrupt! GS: Shige Kiwako accepts Loren Voss's Guardian Factor for 0 hit points! GS: Quick and Shield applied to Shige Kiwako!
<Pose Tracker> Jessie and James has posed.
"In for a penny, in for a pound," Jessie sighs, as she shrugs, broadly, and points theatrically at Whit. "That's right! I, Jessie Musashi, was a member of Team Rocket all this time! You idiots really believed I was just an innocent orphan girl, didn't you?! Hahahaha! It's so funny!"
(The context they're not showing, of course, is Anne making it very obvious what will happen if Jessie blabs about their day job to her kids. They're not involved. She was extremely clear on this point.)
But just as Ekans can bite, Ekans can get bit, and she hisses, "Kkannsss!!", in protest. "Ekans! Don't take that sitting down! Show him your Crunch attack!"
And even though Ekans has definitely vibed with Chauncy before (Jessie got him a year ago! Come to think of it, that's when she stopped visiting as often...), she opens up her jaws and goes CROMCH. She might not be a bad Pokemon, but her Trainer is a bad, bad lady, and she is loyal to her master.
(Somewhere on Nede, the Normin, Bienfu sneezes.)
She's scared off, though, by Nibbles' Scary Face -- slithering off and putting those Galarian Meowth helping Lunata between her and the bunny. "What?!" Jessie exclaims, stomping her foot. ("MRRROWRRR!", that was Meowth's tail! "Owowowowow stop it!" Jessie proceeds to yelp, as he Fury Swipes her leg viciously.) "... Ekans!" She recovers, eventually, "show that rabbit a real scary face! Glare!" And so Ekans turns around, and her eyes flash with malicious intent as she stares down Rena's terrifying bunny.
Koffing, meanwhile, gets a Slowpoke Special right in the head. "Koffi?!" He yelps, as he bobs backwards. "Koffing!" James calls out. "Hit it with your Toxic attack!" And before Slowpoke can fly by forgetting about gravity, he and his Pikachu rider will find themselves escorted back down by a Toxic spray.
Koffing, meanwhile, is hit with Aqua Jet, and he goes roll-roll-rolling through the air, just like one of those balls Kayou performs with. "Ach!" James yelps, clutching at his throat. "As if you can clean my Koffing up! Koffing, use your Acid!" And Koffing coughs some Acid up to lob at Elaine's Kayou.
Meowth notices that ghost, though, even if the others are too wrapped up in their battle. "Mreeeowr?!" He yowls, as Shige's companion(?) blinks in and out. He balls himself up -- and leaps at her! No one told him Normal moves don't work on Ghosts...
"Oh, no, another sword maniac?!" James moans, as Dirk draws his blade. But luckily, Chespin attacks, instead, and Koffing... is seeded! "Koff?!" He yelps, in surprise. "Koffing! Use your Smokescreen to shake it off!!" James commands, and Koffing does pour more smoke everywhere -- poor Chespin is Ground Zero, but Rena and Loren are also in the firing range -- but it doesn't get rid of the seeds.
Chase's Dunsparce keeps hiding behind him, but his Nidoran is showing so much more bravery than his little form can hold. Ekans hisses, as mud covers her beautiful purple scales, recoiling back. "Kkaans!!" She yelps, as Jessie says: "A little dirt never stopped you! Ekans, Dig!" And Ekans can pretend she meant to get that mud on her, as she digs down under the rocks to erupt under Nidoran.
The Dunsparce get Clara to safety, instead. "Dunsss," one hisses, politely, to her, bonking his little head against her cheek to thank her for the trouble. Ekans, meanwhile, gets struck by that Night Slash soon after she emerges from that hole -- and Jessie demands: "Shake it off, Ekans! Headbutt!" Ekans lunges for the Farfetch'd--!! ... but at least it's not jaws-first, this time.
However, she's interrupted before she can target that rare Pokemon too badly -- by Rock Throw! "Kkaans!" Ekans hisses, and Jessie says, "Ekans! Wrap that rock!", only for her faithful snake to try to coil about Lan's Lunatone and squeeeeze.
"Huh?" James blinks. "Did that man just... use Water Gun?"
"Is it a Pokemon?" Jessie wonders.
"But it's talking," James replies.
"Myoooowwww..." Meowth wonders, peering over the edge of the basket at the Mystere.
Koffing, meanwhile, takes the Aqua Breath like a champ -- even if it visibly knocks him about the spa. "If that's a Pokemon, then it's fine to attack it, Koffing! Hit it with a Sludge Bomb!" James declares, and Koffing, naturally, lobs it straight at Mystere. (Who rudely raided Leo's locker. Who's the thief now?! ... still them, huh.)
"Nonsense!" Jessie declares, when Hannah says Zephyr isn't a Pokemon. "You're commanding it just like a Pokemon! James, grab it!" And James grabs the claws attached to that cage holding Runeberry and Vulpix, and they grasp right for the swooping bird--!!
Meanwhile, Loren is just having the worst time, proving that the Energy Nede really isn't all that different to their homeworlds.
GS: Jessie and James has activated Force Action: Extend! GS: Jessie and James spends 2 Combo on Headshot! GS: Jessie and James has attacked Whit Aomori with Crunch! GS: Jessie and James has gained 1 Combo! GS: Interrupt expired! GS: Jessie and James spends 3 Combo on Headshot and Poison! GS: Jessie and James has attacked Eleanor Klein with Toxic! GS: Jessie and James has gained 1 Combo! GS: Jessie and James has attacked Elaine with Acid! GS: Jessie and James has gained 1 Combo! GS: Jessie and James has attacked Dirk Swordsman with Smokescreen! GS: Jessie and James has attacked Loren Voss with Smokescreen! GS: Jessie and James has attacked Rena Lanford with Smokescreen! GS: Jessie and James has gained 2 Combo! GS: Jessie and James has attacked Chase with Dig! GS: Jessie and James has gained 1 Combo! GS: Jessie and James has attacked Chartreuse Spinosa with Headbutt! GS: Jessie and James has gained 3 Combo! GS: Jessie and James has attacked Lan Lilac with Wrap! GS: Jessie and James has gained 1 Combo! GS: Jessie and James spends 4 Combo on Poison and Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: Jessie and James has attacked White Knight Leo with Sludge Bomb! GS: Jessie and James has gained 2 Combo! GS: Jessie and James spends 2 Combo on Headshot! GS: Jessie and James has attacked Hannah Curie with Rocket Grab! GS: Jessie and James has gained 1 Combo! GS: Rena Lanford suffers a terrible blow from Jessie and James's Smokescreen for 137 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Rena Lanford gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Blind applied to Rena Lanford! GS: Cover applied to Jessie and James! GS: Jessie and James has attacked Shige Kiwako with Tackle Cannot Hit Ghosts! GS: Jessie and James has gained 2 Combo! GS: Jessie and James takes 31 damage from Poison! GS: Jessie and James has completed their action. GS: Chase suffers a terrible blow from Jessie and James's Dig for 163 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Chase gains 1 additional Combo! GS: CRITICAL! Elaine solidly guards Jessie and James's Acid for 98 hit points! GS: Break applied to Elaine! GS: FP up! |Arcane, Font|Reaction, and bonus| GS: Eleanor Klein solidly guards Jessie and James's Toxic for 80 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Eleanor Klein gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Infect! Debuff durations extended!! GS: Cripple, Disease, Drowsy, Hex, Jam, and Poison applied to Eleanor Klein! GS: Eleanor Klein enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: FP up! |Arcane and Font| GS: Interrupt! Attack weakened! GS: Whit Aomori solidly guards Jessie and James's Crunch for 55 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Whit Aomori gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Infect! Debuff durations extended!! GS: Cripple and Jam applied to Whit Aomori! GS: FP up! |Reaction and bonus| GS: Dirk Swordsman suffers a terrible blow from Jessie and James's Smokescreen for 124 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Dirk Swordsman gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Blind applied to Dirk Swordsman! GS: Cover applied to Jessie and James!
<Pose Tracker> Whit Aomori has posed.
A blonde woman distracts Whit from the battle for a moment. "Pokemon of his type are... good at dealing with water, right? Do you have any advice?"
"Don't let them get *too* wet," he responds. "You don't want them to get root-rot! We'll have time for introductions later!"
He turns to concentrate on the fight --also *very* distracted by Jessie. How long has she been involved with Team Rocket? he wonders.
This wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening. A cat-woman casts a spell, and suddenly Whit feels much better. He nods his thanks.
"Jessie," he addresses her again, "if you don't stop this, I'm going to tell my mother! She'll be so ashamed of you!" Of course Jessie would deny it, and he has no solid proof. He can't bring himself to attack her, but her Pokemon are fair game -- and so is James, a stranger. "Iiiiii-veeeeee-SAUR!" Chauncey squeaks from his position directly in front of the Ekans. The fronds on his back BURST forth new growth briefly, attempting to envelop the pinkish-purple snake! He's still ignoring Whit's commands to leave the fray. The snake counters, striking the Ivysaur with her fangs!
GS: Whit Aomori spends 1 Combo on Poison! GS: Whit Aomori has attacked Jessie and James with Overgrowth! GS: Whit Aomori takes 29 damage from Poison! GS: Whit Aomori has completed his action. GS: CRITICAL! White Knight Leo critically guards Jessie and James's Sludge Bomb for 142 hit points! GS: Poison blocked! GS: Chartreuse Spinosa solidly guards Jessie and James's Headbutt for 64 hit points! GS: Cripple applied to Chartreuse Spinosa! GS: Mighty applied to Jessie and James!
<Pose Tracker> Eleanor Klein has posed.
Hannah could be right. But Eleanor will have to discuss it with her later. Instead, she says, "It's fine--using our magic down here might harm the springs!" Eleanor cautions Hannah. "We'll have to rely on our friends for this."
Chartreuse asks if they're all right and Eleanor calls back, "I'm fine! But Pyri is in their cage! She's the Vulpix!" Eleanor is still dismayed about this. But she does at least see Lan walk back to the shore. "Lan, are you all right??"
Mystere is helping!! Eleanor looks to him for a moment, and, "You..." That's a very unusual magic.
She does worry a bit about Lunata...
Phaosia meanwhile whirls mid-motion at Dirk. "Pikaaaa!!!" She should get a board. Then he'll see. Then they'll all see!
But Eleanor moves through the water, looking around for Loren stumbling to sit down--and she reaches him. "Careful there," she says. "We're relying on you!"
Slowpoke and Pikachu are hard at work!! ...Okeanos the Slowpoke really might have forgotten about gravity, if not for the Toxic blast that hits both him and Phaosia the Pikachu. "Pikaaaa!"
About five seconds later, "Slo... :("
They fall. But Pikachu has a Nasty Plot in the works, and she scurries down to a rock and pushes Slowpoke as hard as she can!! Okeanos tilts through the air slowly--and remembers he had a plan!
"Po..."
A HUGE GOUT OF FLAMES erupts from the Slowpoke's mouth towards Koffing!!!
"Oh!! Go, Okeanos!"
Then to Whit, "It seems that my Slowpoke has learned a few new moves!" Pause. "Oh, but that's a terrible thing to enjoy in the moment, isn't it?
I'm sorry. I know what it's like for a friend to turn out to be a criminal..."""
GS: Eleanor Klein has activated Force Action: Fury Shot! GS: Eleanor Klein spends 4 Combo on Poison and Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: Eleanor Klein has attacked Jessie and James with Flame Thrower! GS: Eleanor Klein has gained 2 Combo! GS: Eleanor Klein takes 36 damage from Poison! GS: Eleanor Klein has completed her action. GS: Loren Voss suffers a terrible blow from Jessie and James's Smokescreen for 118 hit points! GS: Blind applied to Loren Voss! GS: Cover applied to Jessie and James!
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lanford has posed.
Loren's spells, catch a smile out of Rena, "Thanks! I know spells like that aren't easy to just, spread around like that." Because she can do similar herself, but she's trying to get into the mindset of being a Pokemon trainer.
It becomes a sudden face off, as Ekans glares at Nibbles, and Nibbles glares back, face full of malevolence. Their eyes meet in the staring contest, between the serpent and the hare.
Back and forth it goes, in the stareoff and then-!
GS:Nibbles flinches!
GS:Nibbles is paralyzed!
(Somehow it's even more disturbing when frozen in that pose.)
And then it is utterly helpless when consumed by the smokescreen that follows.
"Oh no! Quick! Take this!"
And suddenly another spray enters the fray, as Rena reaches into her bag and uses a Paralyze Heal. Nibbles quivers, then blinks, then glares at Ekans. "Jub!" It is perhaps, upset that it lost the staring contest.
It's eyes if anything grow more red, as more foam and spittle drips upon the floor from the sheer intensity of its bloodlust. Rena seems entirely unconcerned.
"Nibbles! Hit them where it hurts with a Hyper Fang!"
The bunny's hind legs press down harder, and then suddenly it springs with incredible speed and force, fangs extended.
"JUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!"
Silhouette shot. The world is red, and two Pokemon clash.
In the end, the Jubjubunny arrives on the other side, it's fangs abruptly shrinking, like a Samurai putting away it's blade. All is quiet.
And then...
"Jub."
A dozen piercing thrusts appear over it's Ekans opponent, simultaneously.
There's no blood spray of course, this is a kid's show! Rena then looks towards Whit because, could threatening to tell her Mother work on criminals so petty?
... Actually? Probably!
GS: Surge added to Rena Lanford! GS: Rena Lanford has activated Force Action: Boost! GS: Rena Lanford has activated Force Action: Full Clip! GS: Rena Lanford spends 5 Combo on Headshot and Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: Rena Lanford has attacked Jessie and James with Hyper Fang! GS: Rena Lanford has gained 1 Combo! GS: Rena Lanford gains 10 FP from her Daredevil! GS: Rena Lanford gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: Rena Lanford takes 30 damage from Poison! GS: Cripple, Disease, and Poison expired! GS: Rena Lanford has completed her action. GS: CRITICAL! Jessie and James solidly guards Whit Aomori's Overgrowth for 200 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Jessie and James gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Poison applied to Jessie and James! GS: Strain! Whit Aomori takes 136 damage! GS: CRITICAL! Jessie and James partially guards Rena Lanford's Hyper Fang for 321 hit points! GS: Jessie and James takes a glancing hit from Eleanor Klein's Flame Thrower for 93 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Jessie and James gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Misery inflicts a random effect! Blind, Cripple, and Poison applied to Jessie and James!
<Pose Tracker> Shige Kiwako has posed.
It's never ending as best she can tell. Just so much nastiness flung around. There's an errant thought that the feline psychopomp should just let the control go and spread the love in return, but keeping the others safe and protected is more important right now.
The ghost lets out a low laugh, that distant scratchy creepy sound as the feline Meowth leaps right through her. It keeps following the two trainers though. Sticking behind them. Just being a nuisance of her own. It is rather cold to jump through though!
Admittedly there are two other figures following the cat. They're just.. better at hiding and better behaved.
Loren's given a call out, "I owe you a drink!" rather than just a typical thanks, because.. it's her. Of course she does. That gets a moment of pause from the feline, "You'd better not touch my bottles and cigars or I'm letting her off the chain!" She's too distracted to hard stop it admittedly. Though even that brief offer gets the ghost to perk up, laughing audibly, evily before fading away fully. At least for now!
Shige may have reclaimed her power though, calling out to Rena, "Be careful." her head turning towards the Nedian (She thinks) as something whispers in her ear. she doesn't.. quite have enough to manifest though. The witch. The other figure still a ghost of a memory.
The figure in white being the primary culprit. Getting a frustrated, "Stop that-" from Shige as the Onryo. That extra power comes with extra responsibilities. Or just remembering to clamp down on errant manifestations!
Or it's an extension of her own frustration at the idea of being robbed on a day off. Six of one.
The onryo gets her way for now. Reaching out to drain from the trio around her. Sapping the warmth. Continuing her beginning of a horror movie antics.
Shige for her part lets out a frustrated sound and yells, "Get back here!" and puts her foot down.
A look to Leo, Rena and Whit and his pokemon and she calls out, "Sorry, trying to get them to cooperate!" Not that half of them will understand what she's up to, though her attempts at clearing and healing are at least known! (And a few know what she's actually on about.)
GS: Shige Kiwako takes a glancing hit from Jessie and James's Tackle Cannot Hit Ghosts for 0 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Elaine has posed.
Elaine calls out "Good hit Kayou!" as the Popplio rockets into Koffing and then bounces back over, the water surrounding it vanishing as it lands next to the Braixen. As the Trainer/Research Assistance scans the field, she continues to try and figure out something to help turn the tides. The smoke is clearing quicker thanks to all the attacks flying but it isn't stopping the chaos. It then that Veevee wags her tail and leans forward enough to push her face into Elaine's face!
Veevee nuzzles up against Elaine! It's Super Cute!
"You want to help out Veevee?" Elaine asks, tilting her head slightly which doesn't bother Veevee. Veevee nods energetically with an "Eev! Eevee! Vee! Vee!" before repositioning to Elaine's forearm. Kayou and Misutikku turn to look, and then nod energetically in agreement with whatever Veevee is explaining. Elaine just smiles, saying "Alright, I think I understand. Well then..." as she takes a half step back and twists her body as if winding up for a pitch with the arm Veevee is on.
"Let's just give EVERYONE A HELPING HAND VEEVEE!" she yells out swinging forward to launch the Eevee into the air. The large, brown Eevee fairly well glimmers with a white light as if channeling something and then it explodes outwards with an effect very similar to helping hand, if slightly different. The Pokemon and people it washes will find strength welling up for a short time.
GS: Shige Kiwako has attacked Jessie and James with Onryo's Grudge! GS: Shige Kiwako has gained 1 Combo! GS: Shige Kiwako gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: Shige Kiwako takes 32 damage from Poison! GS: Shige Kiwako has completed her action. GS: Elaine has attacked Lan Lilac with Helping Hand! GS: Elaine has attacked Loren Voss with Helping Hand! GS: Elaine has attacked Hannah Curie with Helping Hand! GS: Elaine has attacked White Knight Leo with Helping Hand! GS: Elaine has attacked Chartreuse Spinosa with Helping Hand! GS: Elaine has attacked Chase with Helping Hand! GS: Elaine has attacked Dirk Swordsman with Helping Hand! GS: Elaine has attacked Shige Kiwako with Helping Hand! GS: Elaine has attacked Rena Lanford with Helping Hand! GS: Elaine has attacked Eleanor Klein with Helping Hand! GS: Elaine has attacked Elaine with Helping Hand! GS: Elaine has attacked Whit Aomori with Helping Hand! GS: Elaine has gained 1 Combo! GS: Elaine takes 26 damage from Poison! GS: Hex expired! GS: Elaine has completed her action. GS: Rena Lanford accepts Elaine's Helping Hand for 0 hit points! GS: Amplify, Burst, and Surge applied to Rena Lanford! GS: Dirk Swordsman accepts Elaine's Helping Hand for 0 hit points! GS: Amplify, Burst, and Surge applied to Dirk Swordsman! GS: Elaine accepts Elaine's Helping Hand for 0 hit points! GS: Amplify, Burst, and Surge applied to Elaine! GS: Eleanor Klein accepts Elaine's Helping Hand for 0 hit points! GS: Amplify, Burst, and Surge applied to Eleanor Klein! GS: Chartreuse Spinosa accepts Elaine's Helping Hand for 0 hit points! GS: Amplify, Burst, and Surge applied to Chartreuse Spinosa! GS: Chase accepts Elaine's Helping Hand for 0 hit points! GS: Amplify, Burst, and Surge applied to Chase! GS: White Knight Leo accepts Elaine's Helping Hand for 0 hit points! GS: Amplify, Burst, and Surge applied to White Knight Leo! GS: Whit Aomori accepts Elaine's Helping Hand for 0 hit points! GS: Amplify, Burst, and Surge applied to Whit Aomori! GS: Loren Voss accepts Elaine's Helping Hand for 0 hit points! GS: Amplify, Burst, and Surge applied to Loren Voss! GS: Hannah Curie takes a solid hit from Jessie and James's Rocket Grab for 125 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Hannah Curie gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Infect! Debuff durations extended!! GS: Cripple and Jam applied to Hannah Curie! GS: FP up! |Reaction and bonus| GS: Hannah Curie accepts Elaine's Helping Hand for 0 hit points! GS: Amplify, Burst, and Surge applied to Hannah Curie!
<Pose Tracker> Dirk Swordsman has posed.
The doctor out there is modest. "Man, what a good guy," Dirk comments about Loren, even as the battle's chaos keeps rolling.
"Whatdaya mean another sword guy??" Dirk shouts back, indignant. He shades his eyes with one hand, narrowing his eyes behind the... already-present shades -- oh no! A counterattack?!
"Chespin look o--" Psssshhhhhhhh
There is a chorus of coughs inside of the thick cloud of smoke.
Chespin indeed gets the worst of it; his little eyes tearing up, he's half bending over. Dirk looks at the Pokemon with a mixture of guilt and sympathy, starts to take a deep breath and then puts a hand over his mouth as he realizes that's a bad idea. "alright," he says, in a quiet, gentler tone than his earlier hollering. "Farfetch'd you keep an eye on these guys. Try to get to cover, back us up."
Us?
Dirk points off to the side. "You're on deck," he says... and something moves in the smoke...
LIKE SIX SECONDS LATER:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTBHtVZNMjs
"Disturbing the sanctity of a chill-out spot... Trying to boost people's Pokemon instead of catching 'em yourself... your Team's gonna blow up on the launchpad!!" declares DIRK SWORDSMAN, entering anew (he walked like eight yards to the edge of the smokescreen and climbed up two steps of stacked decorative rock) and sweeping his blade around to point it towards the malefactors.
"Carve injustice away and the tree grows twice as high! Face the eternal peril at the hands of the ancient cursed Pokemon! C'MON--"
Dirk sweeps his blade around. "--HONEDGE!"
And that is when the levitating sword Pokemon sweeps out of the eroding smoke screen, singular eye facing towards Jessie and James. The Ghostly blade-Pokemon makes a subtle noise: hhhhonnnnnnn
Before
Slowly
Drawing itself
Rising by ghostly force from the scabbard, that noise intensifying...!
"You oughta listen to that guy over there! I'm givin' you one last chance to get out of this spa before I send your souls to eternal torment!" Dirk declares, even as that ominous metallic noise rises higher...!!
(It sounds kind of like a theremin to Loren and perhaps also other people who might have encountered such simple electronic musical instruments.)
At the emanating wave of Veevee's aid, Honedge vibrates faster. Dirk, for his part, lets out a justice laugh, arms and sword held high above his head! This would look notably cooler if he wasn't in a swimsuit.
DC: Dirk Swordsman switches forms to The Deadly Haunted Blade -- HONEDGE! GS: Dirk Swordsman has attacked Jessie and James with METAL SOUND! GS: Dirk Swordsman enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Dirk Swordsman gains 8 THP from Regen! GS: Break and Disease expired! GS: Dirk Swordsman has completed his action. GS: Lan Lilac takes a glancing hit from Jessie and James's Wrap for 34 hit points! GS: Cripple and Entangle applied to Lan Lilac! GS: Lan Lilac enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: FP up! |Reaction and bonus| GS: Lan Lilac accepts Elaine's Helping Hand for 0 hit points! GS: Amplify, Burst, and Surge applied to Lan Lilac! <Pose Tracker> Chartreuse Spinosa has posed.
Eleanor calls back to her, and Chartreuse frowns.
"That's your Vulpix? I'm sorry - let's do what we can to save her." She replies. "They've captured that Teddiursa, as well..."
She doesn't know what Runeberry is, but they match the 'Little Bear' classification.
She feels a surge of protective power, then - water and earth combined. It's interested - it's not quite Symbology, she can tell that much.
"That's some interesting Sorcery... thanks for the aid." Chartreuse comments toward Loren - before turning her attention right back onto the fight.
Jessie orders a Headbutt! Ekans lunges toward Farfetch'd headfirst, when suddenly...!
"Mareep!" Chartreuse calls out. Suddenly, Mareep interposes herself between Farfetch'd and Ekans! Ekan's head meets soft, plush wool - softening the blow, somewhat. "Farfetch'd, fall back and gather your strength."
With a nod Farfetch'd leaps back, perching on Chartreuse's shoulder.
Mareep paws the ground, then, staring down Ekans with as much of an intimidating look an adorable sheep can muster.
Nearby - an Eevee is hurled into the air! Light shines off it, falling over Chartreuse and her team! It helps shake off the daze from the haze.
"You're a big help!" Chartreuse calls out toward Elaine, before returning to the fight. She points at Ekans - and Mareep follows her direction instictively.
"Thunder Shock!" She calls out. Mareep's wool bristles, steam rising as the water clinging to it is rapidly heated from electricity - before loosing a Thunder Shock right for Chartreuse's target with pinpoint accuracy!
GS: Chartreuse Spinosa has activated Force Action: Full Clip! GS: Chartreuse Spinosa spends 2 Combo on Headshot! GS: Chartreuse Spinosa has attacked Jessie and James with Concentrate your efforts.! GS: Chartreuse Spinosa has gained 1 Combo! GS: Chartreuse Spinosa gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: Chartreuse Spinosa takes 40 damage from Poison! GS: Chartreuse Spinosa has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Hannah Curie has posed.
She glances to Eleanor. "I--I know, but--They're usin' magic!" she points to the enchanted balloon. "And a machine! That can't be fair, can it?"
'You idiots really believed I was just an innocent orphan girl, didn't you?! Hahahaha! It's so funny!'
"... You think... there's something funny.... 'bout bein' an orphan?" Hannah glares at Jessie, her hands balling into fists. "Well that tears it!" She points an accusing finger at Jessie as she claims that Zephyr must be a pokemon because she's ordering him around. "I don't order him around, I ask 'im to do things and he does it 'cause he's my friend!"
Hannah, you're describing like, 95% of peoples' relationship with their pokemon on Energy Nede. You're not helping your case any.
"And even if you manage to catch him..." Hannah levels a deadly serious gaze on Jessie. "I will find you."
There might be, for just a moment, something that twists or faintly crackles in the air immediately around Hannah. It's probably fine?
Zephyr, boldly, tries to swoop down past the claw to take another shot at Jessie and James, but the twist is a moment too slow and the claw manages to snatch him. He screetches and tries to swriggle his way out of its grasp.
"Zephyr!"
Elaine's Eevee lends a helping hand, and Caterpie, emboldened by the assistance, charges forward between Hannah's legs with a cry of "Piii!"
Hannah blinks as she looks down at her Pokemon. "Huh? Well, if you're offerin'... Go for it!"
"Cater!" Hannah's Caterpie rears back and shoots a length of sticky string right for the claw holding Zephyr, trying to snag it and prevent it from putting Zephyr in the cage.
GS: Hannah Curie has activated Force Action: Lock On! GS: Blitz! Hannah Curie has attacked Jessie and James with String Shot! GS: Hannah Curie has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Loren Voss has posed.
"...No thanks," he replies to Shige, shaking his head vehemently enough to make him feel like he's rattled his brains. Not only is he not much of a drinker (understatement), he barely... knows this lady?
It's really, really not his day. Then again, when has it ever been...?
Eleanor, of all people, comes to his aid, steadying him with a hand on his shoulder. They're relying on him, she says.
His shoulders should and as if put upon, he drags a hand down his face. "...Seriously...?" he groans, but it only takes a single upwards glance for him to remember -- again -- what he's fighting for.
"And what's wrong with you people, anyway!" Loren belts at Team Rocket and surges to his feet as if bolstered by the sudden fury within...!
And then of course he sways, which means he ends up having to lean on Eleanor for a moment. How many times does this mean he owes her now, precisely...?
He would have preferred it if they hadn't had that last encounter. If she hadn't said those few sentences back then that had found a way to etch themselves into his very psyche. If he could have just shrugged it off like so much water off the back of a duck. But Loren narrows his eyes and grimaces as if the universe had conspired to bring this moment about. "...thanks," he mutters, in such a forced way that it makes the description 'begrudging' seem kindly.
Leaving Eleanor's support behind, Loren strides forward a few steps of his own volition, sloshing through the pool as he advances on the balloon. He's feeling better! He doesn't feel like he's going to faint anymore! He's going to make these Rockets wish they were never been born--
And then, predictably, there's a burst of Pokemon-borne smoke. Loren can't seem to get free of it and drops to his knees in the pool, just about coughing up a lung. Wheezing, his right hand over his mouth, he instead pulls from his own inner well and casts out a set of brilliant green tethers.
...Why is he hearing a theremin? Turning his head slowly, Loren is treated to the sight of a haunted sword! ...Just floating there. Like a haunted sword.
While making that sound.
Loren's expression silently asks the question about what sort of loving god would permit such a thing in their creation. He is unlikely to get an answer he'd appreciate.
GS: Loren Voss has activated Force Action: Extend! GS: Loren Voss spends 1 Combo on Reload! GS: Loren Voss has attacked Chase with Spirit Dynamic! GS: Loren Voss has attacked Eleanor Klein with Spirit Dynamic! GS: Loren Voss has attacked Shige Kiwako with Spirit Dynamic! GS: Loren Voss has attacked Elaine with Spirit Dynamic! GS: Loren Voss has gained 2 Combo! GS: Loren Voss takes 26 damage from Poison! GS: Loren Voss has completed his action. GS: Chase accepts Loren Voss's Spirit Dynamic for 0 hit points! GS: Hyper applied to Chase! GS: Cover and Shield applied to Loren Voss! GS: FP up! |Loren, Voss's, and Reload!| GS: CRITICAL! Eleanor Klein accepts Loren Voss's Spirit Dynamic for 0 hit points! GS: Hyper applied to Eleanor Klein! GS: Cover and Shield applied to Loren Voss! GS: FP up! |Loren, Voss's, and Reload!|
<Pose Tracker> Chase has posed.
When Mystere asks what his lizard rabbit is, Chase holds up the Pokedex, which speaks in its electronic voice for him: "Nidoran: the Poison Pin Pokemon." This, sadly, fails to convey that this Nidoran is called Rivii. Two quick whistles, the first short and the second sharper. Rii-viii.
Dirk Swordsman leaps in with Honedge. Swimsuit or no, Chase's Pikachu is briefly distracted from the battle to stare, eyes round and shimmering. She tugs at Chase's shorts, pointing in a reverent whisper: "Chachu..." Chase sighs. What should have been a one time impulse will now haunt Pikachu's desires forever.
Nidoran's ears shoot up as Ekans disappears into the earth with Dig. He is a burrowing creature, but he is not a burrowing hunter. He backs up, squeaking, growling, feeling the tremors and listening for the sounds. It's not enough to avoid the attack, and a super effective eruption of stone and snake crashes into him. Chase's eyes widen as he flinches, Pikachu mirroring the distress. Nidoran is sent flying, and lands with a tumble toward his trainer.
Pikachu is immediately at Nidoran's side with a nuzzle. Chase kneels down to scoop him up, and Nidoran gives gives a small lick to Chase's chin and accepts his withdrawal from the battlefield. Chase returns him to his ball, safe from the smoke. Unlike Chase himself. He coughs again, arm over his mouth, trying to clear the immediate area with his arm. It's more for the Dunsparce he's shielding than himself.
Chase clutches his next ball close, eyes closed. Pikachu pats his leg with a solemn nod. Eyes snapping open, Chase reels into a spin, lobbing the ball into battle. It bursts open with a swirling surge of fire, releasing...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nG-fya3vutQ
...a white pony that makes up for its small size with tempestuous flame for its mane and tail. Brimstone smolders in its eyes. It rears up and slams its hooves down with a sound like thunder. Its judgmental gaze latches onto Team Rocket, head upturned. It snorts pure black smoke.
It slams its hoof down with another thunderclap, glancing back at Chase pointedly as it burns more brightly from Veevee's glimmering Helping Hand. Loren's green Ether mixes in, turned eerie and sickly under the fire's light. The verdict is set. Chase whistles his command, and Ponyta explodes into an inferno.
Chase's Pikachu hops up onto Ponyta's back to enjoy the ride and the carnage, her and her ribbon (sash) miraculously unburned by the blaze. A magic horse encased in a wheel of hellfire and leaps into their foes, intent delivering a vengeful counter on Ekans -- but it'll gladly contend with whoever else decides to get in the way.
Pikachu smiles sweetly up at Team Rocket's balloon from her steed, waving with her digits.
GS: Chase has activated Force Action: Full Clip! GS: Formation! Blitz! Chase has attacked Jessie and James with Flame Wheel! GS: Chase has gained 1 Combo! GS: Chase enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Chase gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: Chase gains 31 THP from Regen! GS: Entangle expired! GS: Chase has completed his action. GS: Jessie and James suffers a terrible blow from Shige Kiwako's Onryo's Grudge for 207 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Jessie and James gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Shige Kiwako drains Jessie and James! Shige Kiwako gains 100 temporary hit points! GS: Jessie and James solidly guards Dirk Swordsman's METAL SOUND for 80 hit points! GS: Misery inflicts a random effect! Jam applied to Jessie and James! GS: Weaken blocked! GS: Jessie and James takes a solid hit from Chartreuse Spinosa's Concentrate your efforts. for 260 hit points! GS: Quick applied to Chartreuse Spinosa!
<Pose Tracker> White Knight Leo has posed.
"Oh," says Mystere. "Nidoran. A very precious creature indeed." Meanwhile, the Dunsparce around Mystere's neck sees its fellows helping Clara to safety. It looks back at Mystere.
"Go, help your friend!" says the masked hero, with a wave of his hand.
"Dun!" says the Dunsparce, and with a little nod, it flutters off to assist. That makes one less strange animal at risk of theft, probably. Mystere glances through the haze, trying to ascertain who is where and engaged with what, but Koffing's smoke covers the spa in thick black clouds, even with the Pokemon himself temporarily indisposed.
Jessie and James ask some questions.
"Am I a--?" Mystere blinks. Condensation drips from the horn in the middle of his forehead. "No, no! I said I knew the secrets and the power of the monsters of this world," he says, while Koffing turns to him, its adorably oblivious gaze boring into him, "--not that I oh Goddess--"
Then: as Margaret experienced, there is the dawn of a new era. An era of visceral OH GODDESS, WHY.
Mystere raises a hand to shield his face, and it sort of works. His mask is spared. But it's in his hair and some of it got in his mouth, Althena he can TASTE IT. Mystere coughs, sputters, gags. With his face scrunched up, he doesn't see Veevee come to his rescue, but he feels that surge of power, and Loren's, too.Then...
The smoke parts, and Mystere's gaze falls upon Dirk. The masked vigilante goes silent, but he's positively beaming. "Well spoken, brave warrior," he says. "Perhaps a bit less of the 'eternal torment' thing but we can workshop that, ah--" Mystere trails off as a thought occurs to him, again. He's been pointedly not using this particular trick, perhaps because he himself experienced it and knows how dire it is, and what it entails, but at the same time, Team Rocket opened by spewing gas and venom everywhere.
"Turnabout is fair play," Mystere mutters. Again, he takes a deep breath, holding it until his lungs feel like a cauldron, full of stewing, bubbling power. He tastes something acrid in the back of his throat. That means it's worked, said his Ronso trainer.
Mystere exhales, sharply, and a plume of shimmering force washes out with his breath, a gradient of bile-like greens and golds. It might pass over Ekans and Koffing, but it's aimed at the balloon, specifically the people (and Pokemon) in its basket. Blue Magic can't reproduce the precise chemicals involved in Morbol bile, but it sure can produce their effects. And It smells. OH GOD IT SMELLS. It's like a Garbodor basking in the warm summer sun while eating out of a dumpster. A Gigantamax Garbodor.
Mercifully, Mystere is being careful not to get it all over his allies, especially the ones downwind. They've endured enough olfactory assaults today.
GS: Blitz! White Knight Leo has attacked Jessie and James with Bad Breath! GS: White Knight Leo has gained 1 Combo! GS: White Knight Leo gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: White Knight Leo takes 29 damage from Poison! GS: White Knight Leo has completed his action.
<Pose Tracker> Lan Lilac has posed.
'Lan?!'
Did-- did he seriously not know she was here this whole time. She's been giving him his space and everything! Perhaps... too much space??
The Lunatone is wrapped, and gripped, and squozen tightly! ...Er, sort of. It's a round, smooth rock, so Ekans's coils keep catching hold, squeezing, and then the Lunatone slips free! After a couple of squeezes Lunatone manages to free itself for good, spinning in place to, er... restore the circulation? To its... rock?
Lan resolves not to think about it too hard, which is perhaps easier for her than for some others. "Yeah, I'm okay!" she calls back to Eleanor. She frowns up at the balloon. How can she...?
Oh! Of course! Lan gathers her legs beneath her and jumps. She will go up there and have a very reasonable discussion with Team Rocket and maybe only threaten them with some violence if they don't give back Runeberry and the Pokemon--
Lan does not float, or even jump more than a Drifter-appropriate amount of 'far'. She lands on the ground and staggers briefly before righting herself, and remembers with sudden and embarrassing clarity that she left her butterfly ribbon with her clothes in the changing room. "........." She is not quite desperate enough yet to bring out the black ribbon. Maybe if they try to float away. Lan puts the thought aside as a burst of warmth flows through her. (She saw a cute brown fox jump, and it filled her with determination.)
The Lunatone floats after Ekans, rising hiiiiiiiiiiiiigh into the air... before letting gravity do the work of bringing it back down to earth!
GS: Lan Lilac has attacked Jessie and James with Material - Shooting Star! GS: Lan Lilac has gained 2 Combo! GS: Lan Lilac enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Lan Lilac gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: Lan Lilac has completed her action. GS: Sneak! The true nature of Chase's attack becomes clear! GS: Jessie and James solidly guards Chase's It's... some kind of effective! for 139 hit points! GS: FP up! |Reaction and bonus| GS: Jessie and James partially guards Hannah Curie's String Shot for 0 hit points! GS: Slow applied to Jessie and James! GS: Hyper applied to Hannah Curie! GS: Jessie and James solidly guards White Knight Leo's Bad Breath for 0 hit points! GS: Misery inflicts a random effect! Disrupt applied to Jessie and James! GS: Jessie and James solidly guards Lan Lilac's Material - Shooting Star for 111 hit points! GS: Hex applied to Jessie and James! GS: FP up! |Reaction and bonus|
<Pose Tracker> Jessie and James has posed.
Jessie's brow twitches, when Whit invokes his mother. Miyamoto dropped her off at the orphanage twelve years ago; she hasn't been seen since, and that explains why Jessie relied so much on Anne's advice, growing up. It's a valid threat. "You wouldn't dare!" Ekans is buffeted by the might of Overgrowth, and before she can recover, Jubjubunny cuts and leaves the bod--
-- no, obviously not, this is Energy Nede. But Hyper Fang IS a sharp chiaroscuro, and the vines of Overgrowth grow in through the slices on the screen.
"Kkaaaa..." Ekans wobbles, dazed. "Ekans!" Jessie says, calling her attention back. "Shake it off and hit them with your Acid!" Both of the Rockets have Poison Pokemon, and Ekans bares her jaws, shooting poison from her fangs at Whit's Ivysaur and Rena's Jubjubunny.
Unfortunately for Koffing, flamethrower. "Why does everyone want to set my Koffing on fire?!" James demands, as Koffing spins through the air, roasty-toasty. "Koffing! Use your Acid, too!!" And Koffing spits out Acid at Eleanor's Slowpoke and Pikachu, even as his vents are still sizzling.
(Somehow, this doesn't burn off the Leech Seeds.)
"Mrowrrrr!" Meowth meows, insistently, tugging at James's pants-leg. "Meowth, what is it?" James asks, as he turns to see -- "G-g-ghost?! Meowth, what are you thinking! Bite it, Bite it!!"
"Mrarrrrr!" Meowth protests, but Shige's ghost is creepy enough that he DOES chomp down with his little cat teeth. And, as it happens, Dark moves... are super-effective against Ghosts. James apparently learned that much from Trainer School!
Meanwhile, Jessie realises: "That Eevee is using teamwork! Get her, Ekans -- Headbutt!!" And Ekans rams towards Elaine's Veevee, because Jessie isn't about to underestimate that Eevee.
"Because there are two of you!" James yells back, at Dirk, when he asks about a second sword guy. "You know! That guy with long blue hair! He was hanging around HER!" He points accusation at Rena, emphatically. But Dirk has a speech of his own, and by the end of Honedge's introduction, Jessie and James are holding up placards --
8 . 0
"Not bad," Jessie remarks, even as Metal Sound rocks Koffing and Ekans. In unison, Jessie and James demand: "Acid attack!!", and both Koffings and Ekans wheel on Honedge to fire their Acid at the massive blade.
The Dunsparce hovering by Chartreuse, meanwhile, coils around Farfetch'd, Roosting with its fellow Pokemon. "Sssparsssss," it hisses, trustingly. Ekans hisses in much more alarm -- "K-K-K-K-K-K-K-K-K--KKANNSSSS," because she gets zapped THOROUGHLY by Thunder Shock. "Ekans!" Jessie gasps, "... ground yourself with another Dig attack!" And under the rocks Ekans burrows, crashing up underneath Mareep!
"This doesn't concern you, little girl," Jessie says, scowling down to Hannah when she takes offence to -- Jessie's life story? How rude. There's venom in her voice which wasn't there before, but she doesn't explain it. Instead, she just tells her to: "Butt out!" And when Caterpie gunks up James's claws with String Shot, it does make the claws harder to control...
... but they're stuck in the position of gripping Zephyr!! Rocket Grab (Continued)!!!
"Gah! I can't drop it off!" James yelps, as he tries to drop Zephyr in the cage, only to find himself unable to drop her off. His efforts leave the entry to the cage open, as the claws struggle with their mechanisms. Even if it's a protective rubber cage, it's not enclosing them properly any more--!!
"We're Team Rocket!" Jessie yells, to Loren. "And all your Pokemon belong to us! With our power, the Boss is going to change Energy Nede forever--!!"
"So just give up on your little Cubchu!" James adds, distracted from his cage foibles. "Without a Pokemon, how far do you think that weird Symbology is going to take you? Koffing, chase him out with a Tackle attack!!" Ordering his Pokemon to attack a human, Koffing goes flying towards Loren, and if he hits, it will be EXACTLY like a bully pelting him with a beach ball.
... at least it's only a Tackle.
Speaking of Chase: Dunsparce is safe behind him, and in front of him is that implacable Ekans. But Koffing isn't the only one who can be set on fire -- here's Ponyta, whose flames burn anyone it doesn't trust! That includes the Snake Pokemon, evidently, who is run over by Ponyta's flaming hooves. "Kkaaa," she hisses, as she drifts to the ground from where she was kicked up, flattened, by Ponyta's hooves. She gets herself together, though, as Jessie barks: "Ekans! Don't get close to those flames -- just fire your Sludge Bomb!" And poison power builds in Ekan's maw, before she lobs a circular orb of toxins towards Pikachu's loyal steed.
"It says it isn't a Pokemon," Jessie says, looking from Mystere to James.
"But it just used Sludge Bomb on," James starts, as Bad Breath passes over Ekans and Koffing's heads,
"Us!" Jessie finishes his sentence, as it falls over them.
"Myowrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!" Meowth's horror can be heard all throughout the spa.
Worryingly, Mystere's Bad Breath might even be bad enough to weaken the Symbological protections on that balloon...
"Koffing," James coughs, "s--show him how it's done! Acid attack!!" And Koffing answers Bad Breath with Bad Breath, breathing poison onto Mystere.
Meanwhile, Ekans finds herself lifted into the air by Lunatone -- only to DROP. "Ekans?!" She hisses, in alarm, because she's never experienced PRO WRESTLING. "Ka, ka, kaaaa--!!" THUD.
"Ekans!" Jessie exclaims. "Don't give up! Crunch that Lunatone!" And lo, does Ekans CHOMP right into a rock.
"Kaaaaa..." She whines, afterwards, because she chipped a tooth.
GS: Jessie and James has activated Force Action: Extend! GS: Jessie and James has attacked Rena Lanford with Acid! GS: Jessie and James has attacked Whit Aomori with Acid! GS: Jessie and James has attacked Eleanor Klein with Acid! GS: Jessie and James has attacked Dirk Swordsman with Acid! GS: Jessie and James has attacked White Knight Leo with Acid! GS: Jessie and James has gained 2 Combo! GS: Jessie and James spends 1 Combo on Interrupt! GS: Jessie and James has attacked Shige Kiwako with Bite! GS: Jessie and James has gained 1 Combo! GS: Jessie and James has attacked Elaine with Headbutt! GS: Jessie and James has gained 3 Combo! GS: Jessie and James has attacked Chartreuse Spinosa with Dig! GS: Jessie and James spends 2 Combo on Headshot! GS: Jessie and James has attacked Hannah Curie with Rocket Grab! GS: Jessie and James has gained 1 Combo! GS: Jessie and James has attacked Loren Voss with Tackle! GS: Jessie and James has gained 1 Combo! GS: Jessie and James spends 4 Combo on Poison and Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: Jessie and James has attacked Chase with Sludge Bomb! GS: Jessie and James has gained 1 Combo! GS: Jessie and James spends 2 Combo on Headshot! GS: Jessie and James has attacked Lan Lilac with Crunch! GS: Jessie and James has gained 2 Combo! GS: CRITICAL! Chartreuse Spinosa suffers a terrible blow from Jessie and James's Dig for 175 hit points! GS: Jessie and James takes 30 damage from Poison! GS: Jessie and James has completed their action. GS: Rena Lanford solidly guards Jessie and James's Acid for 99 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Rena Lanford gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Break applied to Rena Lanford! GS: CRITICAL! Dirk Swordsman fully evades Jessie and James's Acid for 33 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Dirk Swordsman gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Break blocked! GS: FP up! |Reaction and bonus| GS: CRITICAL! Eleanor Klein partially guards Jessie and James's Acid for 109 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Eleanor Klein gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Break applied to Eleanor Klein! GS: Eleanor Klein enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: FP up! |Arcane and Font| GS: Chase has activated Force Action: Accelerate! GS: Chase suffers a terrible blow from Jessie and James's Sludge Bomb for 304 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Chase gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Dispel! Lock state removed! GS: Poison applied to Chase! GS: CRITICAL! Lan Lilac solidly guards Jessie and James's Crunch for 108 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Lan Lilac gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Infect! Debuff durations extended!! GS: Cripple and Jam applied to Lan Lilac! GS: FP up! |Reaction and bonus| GS: Whit Aomori takes a glancing hit from Jessie and James's Acid for 50 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Whit Aomori gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Break applied to Whit Aomori! GS: Elaine accepts Loren Voss's Spirit Dynamic for 0 hit points! GS: Hyper applied to Elaine! GS: Cover applied to Loren Voss! GS: FP up! |Loren, Voss's, and Reload!| GS: Elaine suffers a terrible blow from Jessie and James's Headbutt for 150 hit points! GS: Infect! Debuff durations extended!! GS: Cripple and Jam applied to Elaine! GS: Mighty applied to Jessie and James! GS: CRITICAL! Loren Voss solidly guards Jessie and James's Tackle for 106 hit points! GS: FP up! |Power and Burst| GS: CRITICAL! White Knight Leo takes a glancing hit from Jessie and James's Acid for 58 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! White Knight Leo gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Break applied to White Knight Leo! GS: FP up! |Reaction and bonus|
<Pose Tracker> Whit Aomori has posed.
"Thank you!" Whit calls to Elaine. He hasn't met her before, but she's obviously a Trainer. "I owe you one!"
""I can and I will!" he shout-promise-threatens to Jessie. He catches a whiff of Mystere's Bad Breath and gags. Pulling himself together, he manages to shout to Chauncey, "All right!" If you're bound and determined to fight...let's fight together! Teamwork!" Bouyed by Whit's encouragement, Chauncey renews his attacks on the Ekans. The Koffing is still out of reach, bobbing tauntingly. But the Ivysaur's no jumper. He can raise himself up on his hind legs, and that's about all. He gamely continues to attack, mercifully upwind from the vile atmosphere. He attempts to claw and bite the snake, while using his superior mass and weight to overbear. The Ekans responds, spitting poison; it burns the Ivysaur's right paw and foreleg. Whit watches the injury with concern but believes his healing will eventually be able to put it right.
GS: Whit Aomori spends 4 Combo on Poison and Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Whit Aomori has attacked Jessie and James with TEAMO SUPREMO!! GS: Whit Aomori has gained 1 Combo! GS: Whit Aomori enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Whit Aomori takes 37 damage from Poison! GS: Whit Aomori has completed his action. GS: Shige Kiwako accepts Elaine's Helping Hand for 0 hit points! GS: Amplify, Burst, and Surge applied to Shige Kiwako! GS: Shige Kiwako accepts Loren Voss's Spirit Dynamic for 0 hit points! GS: Hyper applied to Shige Kiwako! GS: Cover applied to Loren Voss! GS: FP up! |Loren, Voss's, and Reload!| GS: Shige Kiwako fully evades Jessie and James's Bite for 0 hit points! GS: Interrupt blocked! GS: FP up! |Reaction and bonus| GS: Shige Kiwako has lost 2 Combo from Interrupt!
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lanford has posed.
Threatening to call HIS mother to beat up someone in the local criminal faction worked!? "What kind of person is his mother!?" As she then looks at Jessie, asking the same question, "No seriously, what kind of person is she!?"
Rena certainly does look like a Nedian, doesn't she? And to those who were there that day, Nall confirmed she was, but- she's been living on Filgaia her whole life, too, according to her.
And so she replies to Shige, "I will-! If I can't hold my own against Team Rocket though, then-!" How can be she entrusted with the duty of fighting the Ten Wise Men? She accepted this mission, and she wants to see it through.
Even as Elaine offers a Helping Hand through Eevee, "Oh! Thank you so much Eevee!" The white light settles upon Rena, and Nibbles, empowering them. And then Rena looks at the sheer EXTRA that is Dirk Swordsman, "Whoa-! He's really into it!"
And then - JUDGEMENT comes on a fiery steed, that rolls right by her, blazing while carrying a Pikachu.
Rena realizes perhaps, how much she needs to step up as a Pokemon Trainer, to catch up to some of these Nedian trainers. While new, so much is riding on her group's strength in the face of this challenge.
But! James yells an accusation, and Rena seems taken aback as she barks out a laugh at him pointing at her, "Wha-what!?" As she puts a hand on her hip, "Dias is NOTHING like him! Not all Swordsmen are alike you know!"
Even if they have blue hair. The acid however, Nibbles plows right into it, as wisps of it sizzle off the bunny in dissolution, but it hardly seems perturbed - his trainer however, "Oh no! Was that acid!? You used ACID on my poor Nibbles?!" Well... she loves her Pokemon, and she can't stand to see them hurt.
"I know you're tough but that's enough for one fight! You did great Nibbles! Come back!"
The terrifying Jubjubunny vanishes in a glare of light, even as Rena unclips another Pokeball from her Bandolier, and throws it.
"Go! Buttons!"
What appears, is a tiny brown teddy bear, with a pink ribbon around her neck. Many in this crowd likely have likely as children owned teddy bears like this one. It's eyes are closed, and for a time it's still, but then it's head turns to face Jessie and James.
This one, it's actually a rare one! A Whelpwisher! A Fairy Pokemon Born from Childhood toys belonging to those who had unfulfilled childhood dreams.
"Wish."
It toddles right up to the Ekans fearlessly. "Alright! Now! Stomp them down! Let's show them why they shouldn't mess with people trying to destress!" And then, it vanishes-! Oh wait, no it's overhead! A single fuzzy leg extended.
"WhelWHELP!"
As it stomps down with tremendous force, far more than it's tiny leg OUGHT to carry.
"And - follow that up with a play date!"
Immediately, its arms extend to great length, claws growing in size, trying to wrap Ekans in a terrifying bear hug and dive to the ground, in an all out tumble in the dust, which rises around them.
There's sounds of the two in one tremendous melee, as stars erupt from the two engaged in this awful display of roughhousing.
"Don't worry about Ekans! It's definitely not as bad as it looks."
Is that supposed to be reassuring?
GS: Burst added to Rena Lanford! GS: Rena Lanford has activated Force Action: Boost! GS: Rena Lanford has activated Force Action: Full Clip! GS: Rena Lanford has activated Force Action: Lock On! GS: Rena Lanford spends 1 Combo on Link! GS: Rena Lanford has attacked Jessie and James with Stomp! GS: Rena Lanford has gained 1 Combo! GS: Rena Lanford has launched an attack Link! GS: Rena Lanford's stances have changed from Avenger and Link to Avenger and Link! GS: Rena Lanford spends 3 Combo on Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: Rena Lanford has attacked Jessie and James with Play Rough! GS: Rena Lanford has gained 2 Combo! GS: Rena Lanford gains 10 FP from her Daredevil! GS: Rena Lanford gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: Rena Lanford has completed her action. GS: Hannah Curie has activated Force Action: Guard! GS: CRITICAL! Hannah Curie solidly guards Jessie and James's Rocket Grab for 94 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Hannah Curie gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Infect! Debuff durations extended!! GS: Cripple and Jam applied to Hannah Curie!
<Pose Tracker> Eleanor Klein has posed.
"Thank you," Eleanor says to Chartreuse, and she is still troubled. "My friend's bear, too..." Lan is her friend, anyway. Loren is...
Well, Loren is helping. That will do. Even if he doesn't like being called upon about it; Eleanor can support him for a moment in return in any case. He even says 'thanks', and sure, it's forced, but...
"You're welcome," Eleanor tells him calmly. Maybe it's a little thing. Maybe it isn't very much. But maybe... Maybe it will be something.
But Hannah--Eleanor says, "They are," she allows, "But that's how this world does things!"
She winces, when Hannah glares at Jessie.
Veevee is helping!! Not only is she super cute, but she's helpin, and that light--Eleanor is an expert on light--flows into Eleanor's Pokemon with a warmth she can feel.
...She also sees Shige and her ghosts, but, she is less sure what to do about that. "I think they're stealing all your vices!" she offers in encouragement.
Then there is a sword drawing itself. Eleanor feels the spiritual power radiating fromt he Ghost-type Pokemon, and she stares for a moment. She does hear the sound. "Eternal... torment?" she wonders. That does seem like quite the threat.
Lan says she's okay, and then her Lunatone... "That Pokemon seems to be doing its best!"
Eleanor, meanwhile, is contractually free from appearing in the same frames as Bad Breath. It just doesn't happen.
"Sloooooooo.........................." Okeanos looks in dismay at the Acid. It splashes the Slowpoke, even as Pikachu looks up and gets a face-ful, too. "Chuuuu!"
They splash down, Phaosia hitting the rocks and Slowpoke disappearing into the spring. "No!" Eleanor calls, and in the cage:
"Vuuuuuul!" Pyri cries. Her big, sad eyes are huge and black. Staring into them is staring into the abyss, but it's just as well not to because they're mostly closed, with dismay. She keeps crying.
"Whatever change you'd bring to Energy Nede," Eleanor says, gritting her teeth, "I'm sure they don't want it any more than we would!"
She throws out her hand, and--
"Pika?"
Phaosia pops up again. "Phaosia!" Eleanor calls. "You're still--"
"Chuuuuuuuu!" Phaosia looks to Eleanor and nods firmly, looking to the cage--no, the cage is rubberized. Eleanor thinks carefully. "If Mystere has weakened the wards..."
She extends her hand, and a warm glow surrounds her Pikachu as she starts to rise into the air. "Pika!? Piii!" Enshrouded in gold, Phaosia looks to the enemy before them. "Go! Iron Tail!" Eleanor calls.
"These creatures have a magic of their own, Hannah. And we'll see that it's enough!" Phaosia in the same moment jumps down, and springs off of the hot rocks, somersaulting through the air towards Koffing. "Piiiiikaaaaaaaaaa---"
Whirling, spinning, twirling Phaosia rushes, and her heart-ended tail suddenly glows metallic as she SLAMS it straight down for Koffing, aiming to bat it straight into the balloon!!!
GS: Eleanor Klein has activated Force Action: Fury Shot! GS: Eleanor Klein has activated Force Action: Full Clip! GS: Eleanor Klein has activated Force Action: Extend! GS: Eleanor Klein spends 3 Combo on Headshot and Interrupt! GS: Eleanor Klein has attacked Jessie and James with Iron Tail! GS: Eleanor Klein has gained 1 Combo! GS: Eleanor Klein takes 39 damage from Poison! GS: Hex expired! GS: Eleanor Klein has completed her action. GS: Jessie and James partially guards Whit Aomori's TEAMO SUPREMO! for 197 hit points! GS: Poison blocked! GS: Riposte applied to Whit Aomori! GS: FP up! |Reaction and bonus| GS: Jessie and James partially guards Rena Lanford's Stomp for 191 hit points! GS: Jessie and James takes a solid hit from Rena Lanford's Play Rough for 334 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Chase has posed.
As the battle goes on, Chase kneels down, hand hovering over Dunsparce as if this is going to provide any extra protection. It might, if it turns out he has to grab the Pokemon and run. He coughs, holding his throat, but forces himself to clear it so he can put his fingers to his mouth. He may not be calling his commands, but he does still need to call his commands.
Ponyta surges over Ekans mercilessly to stare down Koffing, digging its hoof into the ground and lowering its head to toss it. It whineys, heart filled with murder. Wait. Murder?! Listen, all that stands in the way between Ponyta and unhinged violence is a child (teenager). Unfortunately for Ponyta, he is vigilant.
Chase whistles a warning as a Sludge Bomb smashes into Ponyta's side. The fire horse Pokemon is sent tobbling over from the violent impact of it, poison feeding flames and causing a pillar surge of fire. Pikachu cries out as she's nearly thrown from Ponyta's back. Ponyta catches her ribbon in its mouth, jerks its head, and tosses Pikachu upward...
...so that Pikachu flies straight up into the air! She reaches the peak of the throw, eye level with Team Rocket as she seems to hang in the air for a terrible little moment. "Piii pikachu!" she greets, waving, cheeks sparking.
A whistled command sounds from Chase behind her.
Pikachu goes >:3
Lightning explodes from her diminutive body, seeking to capture Team Rocket in a violent pillar of voltage.
It's more controlled than it looks at glance, avoiding hitting the water of the hotsprings below or any of her allied Pokemon.
GS: Chase has activated Force Action: Full Clip! GS: Chase spends 3 Combo on Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Blitz! Chase has attacked Jessie and James with Pika Papow! GS: Chase has gained 2 Combo! GS: Chase gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: Chase takes 43 damage from Poison! GS: Chase has completed his action.
<Pose Tracker> Chartreuse Spinosa has posed.
"...I see. Well, don't worry - we'll get them back." Chartreuse assures Eleanor. She can't allow Pokemon to be taken from those who care about them, after all.
Mareep's Thunder Shock lands accurately - and Ekans counter-attacks by digging into the earth! Chartreuse frowns, watching the ground carefully.
"Brace yourself, Mareep, we don't know where -" Chartreuse warns - before Ekans suddenly crashes up from underneath Mareep! The powerful Ground-type attack sends Mareep flying! She lands, her wool dampening the blow - and then rolls right back into the spa.
...Dazed from the attack, she elects to stay there in the warm, comfortable water and sleep it off.
"Alright, Farfetch'd, looks like you're back up." Chartreuse says. Farfetch'd nods, and gives the Roosting Dunsparce a grateful wing pat before hopping back onto the field of battle.
The Symbological barrier is weakening... It looks like now's the time to really give them all they've got!
"Alright, Farfetch'd, it's time - Brave Bird!" She calls out. With a nod, Farfetch'd flies up near the roof of the tunnel, and then, tucks his leek underneath one wing in a manner not unlike a quick draw practitioner sheathing their blade. And then - he descends!! Leek at the ready, he doesn't have much room to go for a safe landing, but right now, that's fine. His leek-blade is drawn in an instant with audible sharpness as he passes the balloon, delivering a powerful, aerial slash - and then as he makes his (rather rough) landing, is sheathed with a flourish.
GS: Chartreuse Spinosa has activated Force Action: Full Clip! GS: Chartreuse Spinosa spends 2 Combo on Headshot! GS: Chartreuse Spinosa has attacked Jessie and James with Brave Bird! GS: Chartreuse Spinosa has gained 1 Combo! GS: Chartreuse Spinosa gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: Chartreuse Spinosa takes 20 damage from Poison! GS: Blind, Disease, and Poison expired! GS: Chartreuse Spinosa has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Dirk Swordsman has posed.
"Thanks guys," Dirk says, shooting a finger-gun at Jessie and James, "I worked hard on it. Go to jail now."
But --
"Huh!? Is that one of the foreign dudes??" Dirk's head swivels around as he looks upon the freshly highlighted Rena, even as an additional acid bombardment is declared.
Dirk's brow furrows. Is he heedless of the acid? Honedge's one eye looks up. The haunted sword slides into its scabbard and twists --
!! DUAL PARRY !!
Like Charcadet's valiant effort, Honedge is able to smash the burst of acid into two subsidiary chunks o' horrible chemicals, one of which lands in the water and presumably diffuses throughout. Lotta baking soda in this place's future. The glob that comes towards Dirk receives a brutal twisting one-hand slash from his katana, which glistens slightly and if you LOOK CLOSER:
Gains acid-etching in REAL TIME.
Some of it also lands on his leg. "Ow."
"Ow! Hss! Dangit!"
"Honedge," Dirk says as he hops over and dunks the acid-washed leg in the water before it gets worse. "We gotta do this. You're going to need to outthink these guys - I can tell people are getting critical and up to their limits. They might be able to go beyond... but half these peeps are foreigners. We can't let 'em outshine us."
"Honedge," replies Honedge. It's a kind of metallic song! Neat!
"Yeah," Dirk says. "I'm countin' on you, buddy."
The sword Pokemon rises upwards suddenly -- apparently, LOREN, it can not only hover, but literally fly. Three dimensional movement without visible cause! *AWESOME!* The Pokemon gets near the roof of the cavern and twists around laterally -- juking back and forth as if looking for an angle. Then it raises its blade upwards...
This is totally going to be a big dive downwards. Right?
GS: Dirk Swordsman has attacked Jessie and James with Extremely Rad Plunge Attack...?! GS: Dirk Swordsman has gained 2 Combo! GS: Dirk Swordsman enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Dirk Swordsman gains 26 THP from Regen! GS: Dirk Swordsman has completed his action.
<Pose Tracker> Elaine has posed.
By the time Ekans is coming in, Veevee has already completed her task! But as Elaine catches the falling Eevee into her hands, it means she and Veevee take Ekans' headbutt! Flashes of a symbologic shield flash and then shatter as Veevee takes the hit solidly into Elaine. Both her Braixen and Popplio cry out angrily at this and Veevee herself also looks upset about that!
Elaine recovers in time to smile and nod as everyone thanks her and Veevee but her attion focuses on Jessie and James quickly. "Veevee, it's not fully ready, but maybe try something like Beat Up?" she askes the Eevee in her arms before letting her jump down. Veevee, Kayou, and Misutikki quickly convene a strategy meeting it seems as the three huddle talking about something.
And just as suddenly the Pokemon Huddle breaks as all three dart off for Ekans! The Braixen, Popplio, and Eevee all try to come at Ekans' from different angles as the look to Beat Up on Ekans with a slightly uncoordinated but for sure Baddy Bad attack! Kayou and Misutikki seem to use rather basic tackle attacks as they help gang up, but Veevee seems to use something slightly different, a partial flash of light coming off her as she moves in to strike with a bit of a swagger.
GS: Elaine has attacked Jessie and James with Baddy Bad! GS: Elaine gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: Elaine takes 35 damage from Poison! GS: Elaine has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Loren Voss has posed.
He had not, in fact, noticed that Lan was here. This can be chalked up to a number of things, including 'being in his own head about recent events' and 'is Loren Voss'.
Which, speaking of 'being Loren Voss'--
"What-- it's not a Cubchu!" Loren sputters, pushed into the near apoplectic zone by the misidentification of Runeberry. "How do you look at that and think, 'oh, that's a Cubchu!'!? It's not even a Pokemon! That's my-- I'm not letting you have it!"
He gets an answer of sorts by way of Koffing speeding down towards him. Loren begins to move only to think better of it, shifting his stance to try and absorb some of the incoming hit instead (he may be well familiar with this sort of attack on his person at this point). ...It's a moderate success! Koffing batters him back a short distance, sure, but for once today, Loren is spared the indignity of completely eating shit!
It'd be much cooler if he weren't wearing a bathing suit during, though.
And if he weren't in the presence of some... haunted sword. Which can fly, because of course it can. Loren, in the manner of a man who wishes he didn't have to look at the monster, turns his head Honedge's way.
It's in this moment that he finally gets a good look at Lan's partner, probably because he's no longer dizzy from a prolonged stay in the pool or hacking up a lung from smoke or poisoned. She's... that's not her shamanic magic, he realizes. That's a Pokemon.
He stares at Lunatone. He stares at it for a good long time. ...He didn't know Pokemon could look like that.
...It's way too cool...
Shaking his head vehemently, as if to rouse himself from the stupor he'd fallen into, Loren regards Team Rocket with a look that could cut glass.
"I'll show you 'Symbology'!" he roars, jabbing a finger in their direction. The earth begins to tremble.
With all the force of Loren's indignation, it comes, a rocky towering spire cutting upwards towards the heavens. ...Or Jessie and James' balloon, at least.
GS: Loren Voss has activated Force Action: Lock On! GS: Loren Voss spends 1 Combo on Interrupt! GS: Loren Voss has attacked Jessie and James with Terra Axiom! GS: Loren Voss takes 37 damage from Poison! GS: Poison expired! GS: Loren Voss has completed his action. GS: Jessie and James solidly guards Chase's Pika Papow for 172 hit points! GS: FP up! |Reaction and bonus| GS: CRITICAL! Jessie and James suffers a terrible blow from Chartreuse Spinosa's Brave Bird for 399 hit points! GS: Quick applied to Chartreuse Spinosa! GS: Strain! Chartreuse Spinosa takes 50 damage! GS: Sneak! The true nature of Dirk Swordsman's attack becomes clear! GS: Jessie and James solidly guards Dirk Swordsman's SHADOW SNEAK for 131 hit points! GS: Poison blocked! GS: Jessie and James solidly guards Eleanor Klein's Iron Tail for 163 hit points! GS: Infect! Debuff durations extended!! GS: Misery inflicts a random effect! Blind, Break, and Interrupt applied to Jessie and James! GS: Shield applied to Eleanor Klein! GS: Jessie and James has lost 2 Combo from Interrupt! GS: Jessie and James solidly guards Elaine's Baddy Bad for 110 hit points! GS: FP up! |Reaction and bonus| GS: Jessie and James solidly guards Loren Voss's Terra Axiom for 85 hit points! GS: Interrupt applied to Jessie and James! GS: Disrupt blocked! GS: Jessie and James has lost 2 Combo from Interrupt!
<Pose Tracker> Dirk Swordsman has posed.
Nah.
Busting a balloon would be hard. And then they'd have their backs to the wall.
Who knows what some cornered crooks might do to avoid jail time?
Honedge doesn't go for the balloon. That's not the maneuver.
However, Honedge does cast a shadow approximately onto the basket hanging beneath the balloon... and there are menacing eyes in that shadow as a Presence appears and reaches forth to push on everyone's head.
Explicitly including Meowth's.
(While this is happening, Farfetch'd has been able to see Chartruese's Farfetch'd and is once again Disgruntled. He looks at his leek for a moment... before shaking his head, and silently redoubling his resolve to his path. In time. He'll show them all.)
<Pose Tracker> Shige Kiwako has posed.
Shige Kiwako shrugs at the decline, "More for me then." said in a dismissive offhand manner. Not at all bothered. "Odd bunch though." She follows up. Who passes up a freebie from the bartender?
The ghost? Wasn't there any more. The meowth biting down onto nothing. The feline having finally managed to get something of a reign in on the clearly agitated ghostly figure! She does slowly peak out from behind Shige's shoulder and smiles at the other feline though. One last little dig before fading away. Shige's menagerie shuffling as she tries to manifest what she actually wished for.
She's still clearly fighting with something though and as the lantern flickers, casting long shadows. Then they just blink out and she hesitates. Muttering, "This place feels weird."
Still, the people around aren't doing so hot and she's been slacking as far as she can tell. Or at least how she feels. She glances around, then swings her lantern up high to add to the earlier effect of sanctity and stillness. (The latter of which might be creepy in context.) And the atmosphere takes on an almost party-like vibe. Multiple shades and figures cheering. It's a different kind of curative and a different kind of memory for the feline!
This is almost interrupted by Eleanor reminding Shige that they're getting away with her booze and smokes. "Then stop them, I have to do other things!" Sounding really frustrated at the idea of yet another world where people steal her bottles of liquor! Those monsters! (And she doesn't actually quite have the range to attack a balloon anyway..)
There is.. some comfort in knowing that she's helping out all the cute critters though!
There is a brief moment of distraction though. Her head turning away from the escaping alcohol (And she won't admit the part that's actually going to upset her if they got away, her books) when she spots a haunted.. sword? "Do you need help with that?" She calls out to Dirk, then she catches herself and holds up a finger, "I can help it move on later!" with a finger held up. She clearly hasn't been introduced to the local ghost types yet.
"I won't offer again." She holds a thumbs up for the support cast by Loren again though! She knows she should just say thanks on some level.
Elaine's offered a similar thing though, "Owe you one too!" a drink. She's a bartender. She's trying to be friendly. "Long as they don't get away with my stock!" It's a lot easier to worry about the obvious out loud right?
GS: Shige Kiwako has attacked Chartreuse Spinosa with Rousing Spirits! GS: Shige Kiwako has attacked Chase with Rousing Spirits! GS: Shige Kiwako has attacked Rena Lanford with Rousing Spirits! GS: Shige Kiwako has attacked White Knight Leo with Rousing Spirits! GS: Shige Kiwako has attacked Loren Voss with Rousing Spirits! GS: Shige Kiwako has attacked Eleanor Klein with Rousing Spirits! GS: Shige Kiwako has gained 2 Combo! GS: Shige Kiwako gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: Shige Kiwako takes 33 damage from Poison! GS: Poison expired! GS: Shige Kiwako has completed her action. GS: CRITICAL! Shige Kiwako heals Eleanor Klein! She gains 57 temporary hit points! GS: Regen applied to Eleanor Klein! GS: Shige Kiwako heals Chartreuse Spinosa! She gains 188 temporary hit points! GS: Regen applied to Chartreuse Spinosa!
<Pose Tracker> Lan Lilac has posed.
"You can't have them!" Lan yells after Team Rocket, because WHO STEALS PETS? Who would just steal someone's pet, for real?! Ekans breaks a fang on the Lunatone's rocky body, but it also manages to carve a gouge in the lunar Pokemon's smooth body in the process. "Are you okay?" she yelps. Even if it's not really 'her' Pokemon, Lan doesn't want to see it injured! (The Lunatone is still in green levels of health; Lan is panicking for nothing.)
They're going to get away. They're going to get away and take Runeberry and Pyri and all the Pokemon!!
And then Loren gets knocked back by that awful poisonous gas cloud thing and Lan's body is moving on its own--
--but he's okay?
But she's still running, which is not allowed near the hot springs!
But he's mad. And Lan knows that stance, from years of fighting side-by-side with him (equal amounts of time were spent actually fighting Loren). So Lan is running, and then she is running up the side of the rocky spire, momentum and her own magic and a hefty dose of just being real sick of everything going wrong powering her right up the side of it as it reeeeeeeeeeeeeaches.
She runs, and runs, and then she's there, leaping and clinging to the rim of the basket with all her might! "HI I'M GOING TO NEED YOU TO GIVE BACK THE POKEMON YOU STOLE! OR I'LL BE REALLY UPSET!"
She's climbing inside!!
GS: Shige Kiwako heals Chase! He gains 193 temporary hit points! GS: Regen applied to Chase! GS: Lan Lilac gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: Lan Lilac has completed her action.
GS: Shige Kiwako heals Rena Lanford! She gains 188 temporary hit points! GS: Regen applied to Rena Lanford!
<Pose Tracker> White Knight Leo has posed.
There's an aftertaste. They didn't warn him about that. Mystere exhales sharply, several times, until it's gone. His eyes water; he can't tell if it's from his own attack, or Koffing's relentless toxicity, or both. His eyes widen as James issues his order, and he sucks in a breath. Again, he sprays it out as a tremendous jet of Water-aspected force--aimed directly at Koffing's acid, because apparently he and Dirk and Honedge are sharing the same brain cell at the moment.
Don't think about that too hard.
Watered-down acid sprays all over Mystere's side. It stings something horrible, but thankfully, it doesn't do anything worse--at least, nothing he can't fight through. "Their shields are weakened!" he cries, a moment after Eleanor's announced he's damaged the balloon. "Now, strike with everything you have!" And they're doing just that. Mystere's eyes widen as Ekans disappears into a dustcloud, no less than four different monsters descending for a beatdown. Koffing isn't having much better luck. Pride flares in Mystere's chest. The creatures of this place have so much potential. Kelk would never, ever, ever let him live it down if he didn't put in a showing of his own.
He places both hands to the ground. Immediately he detects resistance: sorcery of another sort trying to act on the earth as well. It's not coming from one of the 'Pokemon', either, for all the digging and mud-throwing and rock-falling that's happened. It outmatches him, but... he sees what its weaver is trying to do. Mystere hooks fingers onto Loren's spire as it erupts from the earth, letting the momentum carry him. He rises. He lets go. He flies!!
And in mid-air, he shifts his weight, drawing his right leg back--and then driving it forward with tremendous force. Force imparted along a single vector, imploring the target to just go away, via the simple expedient of a kick.
As he falls, Mystere grins at Pikachu, and reaches out for a high-five.
GS: Shige Kiwako heals White Knight Leo! He gains 187 temporary hit points! GS: Regen applied to White Knight Leo! GS: White Knight Leo has activated Force Action: Lock On! GS: White Knight Leo spends 3 Combo on Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: Blitz! White Knight Leo has attacked Jessie and James with Thrust Kick! GS: White Knight Leo has gained 1 Combo! GS: White Knight Leo gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: White Knight Leo gains 33 THP from Regen! GS: Blind expired! GS: White Knight Leo has completed his action.
<Pose Tracker> Chase has posed.
Pikachu flips once in the air and gleefully smacks her paw to Mystere's palm.
"Pi-pikachu!"
<Pose Tracker> Hannah Curie has posed.
'Little girl.' "Little girl? You're only like what, a year older'n me?" She does not back down before venom. (Or acid, or poison, or sludge bombs, or...) She tells her to butt out, and Hannah retorts, "You're the one draggin' us all into this to begin with!"
That's how this world does things. Hannah sighs in exasperation as Eleanor points that out. "I know, I know, but--" She gestures, futilely, at the balloon. "That can't be legal in the League rules, right?!"
They've got the claws gummed up, and the cage door is stuck open. Hannah grimaces as she can feel Zephyr struggling to break free in her mind. There's no time to get her crest graphs, but--
Teamwork is the order of the day, right?
Hannah darts forward, grabbing a hold of the string Caterpie shot out and yanking back on it as hard as she can. "C'mon, buddy," she mutters. "Just... gotta... there!" She gives it a proper yank, shaking the mechanism of the claw just enough for Zephyr to wriggle his way out.
Unfortunately this means he's falling now. Hannah's heart is in her throat as she watches, but Zephyr manages to turn, right himself into a dive....
And pull up right before hitting the water, talons trailing through the water's surface. "Yes!"
Eleanor says these creatures have a magic of their own. Hannah nods to her, "I know--" and smiles to Caterpie. "An' you were amazin'." Then looks to Zephyr again. "But Zephyr is amazin' too."
Zephyr has regained altitude, climbing up as fast as his wings will carry him. He arcs high overhead and then divebombs the side of the balloon.
Hannah has noted, with pride, that Zephyr once fought off a bear. (See, a bear is--)
He may not have powers, and he may complain about being hungry all the time, but he is her best friend, and most imporatantly...
He is a Brave Bird.
GS: Quick added to Hannah Curie! GS: Hannah Curie has activated Force Action: Boost! GS: Hannah Curie has activated Force Action: Full Clip! GS: Hannah Curie has activated Force Action: Lock On! GS: Hannah Curie spends 3 Combo on Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: Blitz! Hannah Curie has attacked Jessie and James with Brave Bird! GS: Hannah Curie has completed her action. GS: Jessie and James suffers a terrible blow from White Knight Leo's Thrust Kick for 307 hit points! GS: Cripple blocked! GS: Jessie and James takes a solid hit from Hannah Curie's Brave Bird for 264 hit points! GS: Mute blocked!
<Pose Tracker> Jessie and James has posed.
Whit promise-threatens to tell Anne, and Jessie waves her hands, desperately. "H--hey! You don't have to do that!!" And as for who's scaring Team Rocket like this -- "Professor Aomori is terrifying!" Jessie exclaims, to Rena. "One time, she made me do a hundred situps just for messing up--!! Me! I'm too beautiful to get big muscles!"
"You're too beautiful?!" James snarks, immediately. "What about -- ow!!"
Jessie just elbowed him, sharply, in the side.
"Obviously I'm talking about me!" Jessie insists, with a little hint-hint stab in her voice. "Don't make everything about yourself like that twerp with the weird Talonflame down there!" Oh, so she did realise why Hannah would be upset. She's just too mean to point out to her that she was being sincere. And why would she? This is clearly a family matter.
And James, obviously, doesn't know Anne. He's not their family friend.
They definitely didn't have to endure a hundred push-ups specifically after messing up the raid on Professor Oak's laboratory and destroying Anne's equipment.
Definitely not.
"Why do they even have swords?!" James demands, when Rena insists that not all swordsmen know each other. But as for Ekans --
-- she gets an object lesson in wrestling, thanks to Whelpwisher. And Jessie barely has time to say, "James, sort out the claws! We've got to nab that Whelpwisher!", before it Whelpwishes Ekans right into the ground. To her credit, Jessie does gasp: "-- Ekans! Get up!!"
Reassuringly, Ekans does slither back up, though her eyes are quite spinny. Tragically, this is when Elaine's Veevee leads her gang in a Beat Up, tossing her up towards the balloon towards her Trainer--!!
(Jessie catches her.)
"The old men of Energy Nede are stagnant!" Jessie says, returning Ekans to her Pokeball and pointing to Eleanor. Is that the same stagnation which Shige has noticed, deciding this place is weird? "What have the old ways gotten us?! They couldn't even keep the Ten Wise Men locked away! So you should just give your Pokemon to people who'll put them to better use --"
"Namely, us!" James finishes, hand to his chest.
"I'll tell you now, twerp," Jessie adds, pointing to Dirk, "no jail could hold us!"
"Yeah!" James adds. "We aced our jail escape drills!"
They... have those...?
Honedge doesn't go for the balloon -- what he does, instead, is scare Jessie and James into not firing more attacks on the crowd. "Eeek!!" James yelps, grasping Jessie. "I forgot those things can fly!!!"
"Mrowrrrrrr," Meowth hides under the two of them, as if to say that he was definitely going to use them as human shields.
Meanwhile, Eleanor's Pikachu strikes Koffing with her heart-shaped Iron Tail, and, for some reason, there are little heart sparkles as Koffing sails towards the balloon. "Koffiii--!!" He cries, as James catches him in the chest. ("Oof!!")
"We don't want your spirits!" Jessie snaps, at Shige. "Or your spirits!" But speaking of vengeful ghosts crawling through the television --
-- no, wait, that's Lan. "Eeeh?!" Jessie cuts herself off, as a woman LEAPS UP INTO THE AIR AND CRAWLS INTO THEIR BASKET. "Hey! You're not allowed in here! Get out, get!" But even as she shoves at Lan's face, Lan is determined, and no member of Team Rocket could stop her.
Into the basket she goes, where a cat leans over her. "Rrrowrrrr!!" Meowth hisses, menacingly. (He's actually rather cute.)
Ponyta gives Pikachu a lift, meanwhile -- and all of Team Rocket makes eye contact with the destroyer of worlds, as electricity builds in her cheeks. "Uhhhhh---" Jessie yelps, as she clutches James.
"That Pikachu is back again!" James cries, in horror.
And then, "GKNJDKFGNKFDJGNSDF," Pikachu proves that Team Rocket isn't Electricity-proof, as Chartreuse's Farfetch'd flies up and slices his leek-blade down on the weakened Symbological balloon. A tear rips across Meowth's face, in precisely the manner of a samurai, and the air starts to escape with a PSSSHHHHH...
... and Loren's Symbology makes that more of a FWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH, as that rocky spire stabs into the balloon and explodes the flame sitting atop their basket.
Thanks to all those balloon-assaults jerking the balloon about, Zephyr's strike doesn't quite hit the same target -- but his brave claws lash out at something just as important. His fly-by tears the cage free -- and thankfully, since it's made of rubber, it bounces when it hits the ground.
And it rolls, and stills, its open latch swinging out to reveal Runeberry and Pyri. They're safe and sound!
Unlike Team Rocket, who find themselves not falling towards the ground, any more. Thanks to Mystere's Thrust Kick, they realise, in unison: "Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again--!!"
And -- ping, the ruined balloon sails over the horizon.
...
Hang on, where's Lan?!
Clara, at least, has managed to regain consciousness. "Oh my, oh my," she huffs, fanning herself as a Dunsparce floats at her shoulder. "I can't believe Team Rocket attacked us here. I'm so sorry, everyone! This is supposed to be a place to unwind!"
"Dunssss," the Dunsparce hisses, calmly. "Duns," "Duns," Duns," "Duns," a chorus of fellow Land Snakes add, as the Dunsparce emerge from where they were hiding.
"But it really looks like the Dunsparce admired your courage defending their special place," Clara says. "Looks like some of them might even want to go with you... if you have room for a new friend."
"Dunsparsssss," one of the Land Snakes hisses, nodding serenely, as he hovers about the air.
(You have PROVEN YOURSELF TO THE DUNSPARCE, and have the opportunity to add one to your team.)
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lanford has posed.
"Um-!" Rena listens to Jessie proclaim her fear of Professor Aomori. "Like - just situps? I do that most mornings." Rena startles as she implies that a girl who works out is-! "Hey! There's nothing wrong with a girl with a little muscle on her!"
Unfortunately or perhaps fortunately - none of the guys in her party are here to be forced into that kind of position, and Rena looks towards Dirk to answer, "Dias is from Filgaia, just like me-! We grew up together. Though I guess I was originally from here?" And as James protests Rena seems taken aback, "Because our world- Filgaia- is a dangerous place!" She tells him, "It's not like Nede there! We don't have Pokemon to battle with us."
Jessie however tries to imply they're taking- "You're not taking Buttons! She's my precious friend!" Rena calls out, trying not to look a touch satisfied when Ekans gets the worse for it.
Shige's lantern causes a different atmosphere, and Rena finds herself affected by it, giggling, "Um-! Though I guess, we should finish this up so we can get back to relaxing!"
And indeed, as Jessie speaks of the old men being stagnant, Rena blinks, "Even if Nede has problems, you're both spoiled. You have NO IDEA how good you have it! And of course they couldn't stop them. They got out on Filgaia. You sealed yourselves away from being able to stop it." Eventually the combinations of the Pokemon, and Drifters send them soaring over the horizon. "Wow, I wish I could kick that hard." She asides to Mystere.
As Clara becomes conscious, "Are you alright Ma'am? It's not your fault! Team Rocket is just a menace." But the Dunsparce surround them and, "Oh hey!" Buttons toddles over to one and pats it with its now very normal size teddy bear paws, "Whel! WhelWhelp!" Rena looks down at them, "Aw- if you really want to come with us on our journey! Then, I have a Pokeball for you! But first-! You've had a very stressful day too haven't you? What with Team Rocket attacking."
-=-=-
Rena lays down on her stomach, hands crossed under her head, steam rising around her. Beside her is Buttons with Cucumbers atop her Button eyes, the steam partially frizzing up her fur.
And beside them is a Dunsparce, sleeping nestled up between Buttons and Rena.
It's going to be a nice relaxing day after all.
<Pose Tracker> Whit Aomori has posed.
Chauncey whimpers; the snake's acid burns; in some place his scales have peeled and sloughed off, and bone is showing. He is bleeding. Whit hates to see his little friend in such pain; he has to do something! He pauses, taking some deep breaths, deep in meditation. Healing energy flows out from him and into Chauncey, and the injuries start to knit. Whit smiles in relief, and runs over to the Ivysaur and scoops him up in his arms -- no mean feat, since he weighs about thirty pounds -- but scolds the Pokemon anyway: "I TOLD you it was too dangerous! The next time I tell you to stand down, I expect you to STAND DOWN!" "Iiii-veeee-saur," Chauncy replies. Whit can't tell if that's a positive or negative answer. He watches as Team Rocket's balloon is PUNTED over the distant horizon. At least the imprisoned Pokemon are now free to reunite with their Trainers!
But he was going to have to have a serious talk with Jessie!
<Pose Tracker> Eleanor Klein has posed.
The old men of Energy Nede... "Maybe," Eleanor says. "But the solution isn't to give up on your society and turn to crime!"
She does appreciate the fear of pushups. But...
Most important for her is when that latch swings open, and Eleanor rushes to her Vulpix. "Oh, Pyri!" she says, and kneels down to give the Pokemon a big hug.
...
"Wait," she says. "Where is...?"
Where is Lan???
When Eleanor finishes figuring that out, she'll be happy to heal peoples' Pokemon as needed. But for now...
Well, for now, at least the Dunsparce are safe. "I assure you," she tells Clara, "Despite this, I'm still giving you a top review! It wasn't your fault at all!"
But she looks to Loren, "...But I think..."
She might have to have a talk with him, too.
<Pose Tracker> Chase has posed.
Gravity demands its due and Pikachu falls through the sky. "Piiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii --"
Landing right into Chase's arms as he catches her.
"--ka~."
Chase heaves a sigh of relief as his Pikachu nuzzles him happily. With the smog cleared, he releases Nidoran and Ponyta again to tend to their wounds and ailments with berries and potions after the battle. He checks on Elaine and her Pokemon too, offering them access to his supplies.
He won't be braving a swimsuit and getting into the baths anytime soon, but later if anyone looks for him, they'll be able to find him curled up against his sleeping Ponyta in some corner of the spa with Nidoran and Pikachu in his arms, all of them covered in a blanket of Dunsparce.
<Pose Tracker> Loren Voss has posed.
And just like that, Lan is in the middle of things, racing up the side of the stone pillar he's conjured and leaping aboard the balloon to threaten Team Rocket. "Wait--" Loren starts to say, as the shape of things beginning to go horribly wrong appear to sketch themselves out before him.
And then things go horribly wrong.
But they also go right... in a manner of speaking. As Team Rocket's balloon shoots off towards the horizon, Loren runs for the fallen cage, scooping up Runeberry in a way that certainly doesn't expose the affection he's developed for the cloudbear over the years, nope, not at all.
But, wait. He pauses and takes a look around him, realizing the problem in the same moment perhaps that Eleanor does:
"...Lan?"
Well, there's one good answer for that, unfortunately. Sitting down on a nearby rock he can't help but make eyecontact with Eleanor and then turn his gaze slowly towards Lan's lonely Lunatone. "..."
It looks like he's going to have to babysit. And maybe plan a rescue mission. But at least new allies aren't hard to come by. To wit:
"Dunnnnns~"
<Pose Tracker> Chartreuse Spinosa has posed.
They all fight valiantly against Team Rocket - and in the end, the captured Pokemon are freed! ...Though in the end, they're minus one Lan, as she ends up getting caught up with them.
"...Ah. I hope she'll be okay..." Chartreuse murmurs, concerned.
...Clara awakens, then, and and Chartreuse hurries over, ready to give her a hand if she needs a hand up.
"It's alright, ma'am." Chartreuse says, then nods toward Rena. "Like she says, it's not your fault.
She offers a grin.
"I hope you don't mind us staying just a bit longer because of this, though." She says.
The Dunsparce start to emerge, then, offering their thanks and admiration. Farfetch'd returns to her side - where the same Dunsparce from before greets them both.
"Thanks for your help back there. You really gave us the energy we needed to keep going." Chartreuse says, kneeling down to eye level. She looks up at Clara, then back down to Dunsparce. "Is that so...? I could use a digging partner. What do you say - do you want to help me out?"
She's met with an affirmative 'Duns', and Chartreuse smiles, reaching out to give her new friend a pat.
Looks like today turned out really well, after all.
<Pose Tracker> Shige Kiwako has posed.
Shige Kiwako tilts her head and considers, "Then why'd you take it!" and shakes a fist at them. "Besides there was something else in there." The idea that the world is stagnant gets a frown though. She retreats and looks around. Maybe that had been it. Sure there's other things happening. Reasons she's not got complete control, but..
She points up, "You want to fix that, you do it right!" Muttermutter. Then she steps further back into herself, so to speak. Actually assessing the area. Having anything she can latch onto with the 'off'ness is helpful, ultimately.
She completely misses them blasting off and looks actually confused when they're gone. She opens her mouth, closes it. Holds a finger up. Then just shakes her head and looks back over her shoulder.
Now she's a wet cat with too many thoughts in her head. She shakes herself off (Sorry anyone nearby) and frowns.
Rena's cheer pulls her out of her reverie though. She looks over, offering a faint smile, "Yeah we should." Trying to sort her thoughts out more coherently.
The Dunsparce is cute in that derpy sort of way. The sort of thing that would make a great bar pet (No.). She reaches out and tries to offer the creature a pet. "I have no idea how you're flying." She finally admits. Her ear twitches and she glances back, "Yes it's important." She doesn't have a pokeball though so.. the dunsparce when she carefully reaches out and settles the dunsparce in a hug. Which she then just treats as completely normal as she does the rounds to check on everyone.
<Pose Tracker> Hannah Curie has posed.
Hannah is not priviledged, at least this day, to know the fearful symmetry between herself and Jessie. (One might wonder if it'd make her reaction to the two better or worse. It's hard to tell.)
"He's a red-tailed hawk!" Hannah objects. "An' I'll have you know--"
Not the time to get into an argument like that.
She doesn't care what their motives are, it's not worth doing all of this.
But the others make quick work of the balloon, and Zephyr charges the cage, tearing it free and rescuing the two creatures inside it. "Yes!" shouts Hannah with a fist pumped high in the air.
(There is a wince as the cage crashes into the ground. Even if it is made of rubber that's still a rough landing.)
Zephyr finishes his dive and swoops back over to Hannah, who catches him in her arms. "Zephyr! You had me so worried!" She does a spin with him before letting him go. Zephyr chirps happily at her and moves up to perch on her shoulder.
Hannah turns to look at Caterpie and Weedle, kneeling down to look at the both of them. "Okay." She holds out a hand to both of them. "Guess we gotta start trainin' you both up right. It's high time I started, an' y'all deserve to protect your home, too."
"Cater caterpie!"
"Weedle weedle!"
<Pose Tracker> White Knight Leo has posed.
Pikachu's enthusiasm is infectious. For a moment, as he high-fives her, Leo feels his troubles dry up and blow away. They'll be back, but for now...
Now, he has gravity to contend with. Mystere, being a grown-ass man who is not a Pokemon, thank you very much, lands a bit harder than Pikachu; the ground beneath him just gives way, turning into muddy soup, the perfect consistency to stop a fall. He plants one hand on the edge of the pit, then the other, and then hauls himself out. It's not clean, but it's not Koffing's Acid, or Sludge Bomb.
"Duns," says the Dunsparce that perched on his shoulder earlier, which hovers in front of him. It cocks its head. Mystere looks at it for a long moment. "I don't know if I can take you with me," he says, "but... I can at least train you to protect your home. This place deserves protection."
"Duns!" The Dunsparce does a loop-de-loop in delight.
But first: a proper bath.
<Pose Tracker> Dirk Swordsman has posed.
"-- You guys practice breaking out of jail??" Dirk asks, before the rise of the shadow.
"Absolutely not," Dirk tells Shige.
After Honedge makes his blow, the sword Pokemon moves to retreat. Dirk explains to Shige as the Team Rocket blasts off...
again.
Dirk lowers his head and tries to put his hands in his pockets.
He has no pockets. He is wearing swim trunks. It is very hard to look cool in swim trunks.
"You guys don't have Pokemon on Filgaia...? How'd you even -- alright, you know what, we gonna talk later. I'll find you," Dirk tells Rena as he walks back to his other Pokemon, who seem, understandably, relieved to be neither stolen nor knocked out (though Charcadet is still sitting down and gets some concerned examination.)
He turns his head then to look at the back of Mystere.
"... That guy..."
He turns around and is confronted by a Dunsparce.
He hears the words of the beast, and answers: "I appreciate it. We're glad we helped. But we're following the path of the blade... so I don't think we're a good match. Later."
- Dirk departs to the showers.
(Do they even have showers on Filgaia, he wonders, standing under the water. It is unknown if he was still wearing his shades.)