2024-02-02: SPICUUUUULE!!!!
- Log: 2024-02-02 SPICUUUUULE!!!!
- Cast: Michael, Claude C. Kenny, Rille Felis, Chase, Timu Guado, Xantia, Rena Lanford, Dias Flac, Chisato Madison
- Where: Pewter City - Rock Road
- Date: February 02, 2024
- Summary: Michael of the Ten Wise Men attacks Pewter City. He is a one-trick pony, but it's a trick he does appallingly well.
<Pose Tracker> Michael has posed.
Pewter City is a little snowy, this time of year...
...but the Princebridge Snowfields are a little snowy nearly all of the year. In a carefully calculated way, easily cleared and cleaned for a picturesque look that never quite shuts the city down. Such is the weather on Energy Nede.
Everything arranged, to give a semblance of normal life, and prevent a broken world from making broken people.
Its buildings stretch out, few being especially tall -- and there are massive mountains in the distance. Then, the peace is broken, when a bolt of fire crashes down -- exploding in the middle of the street. A moment later, there's some smaller explosions and shouts from the Gym.
A separate attack, there, it seems.
Not a moment later, in the main thoroughfare, a figure descends: a powerfully built man, with black robes lined with red, a plated golden belt, and spiked red hair. One eye is a burning red ember. As he descends, he laughs.
"BWAHAHA!"
Then, he cracks his knuckles. "Thought this town was too cold! Let's... WARM IT UP! Courtesy of Michael, one of the Ten Wise Men! Run, run, or you'll be WELL DONE!"
DC: Michael switches forms to Tactical Weapon Michael!
<Pose Tracker> Claude C. Kenny has posed.
Admittedly, Claude likes the snow. It's not the ruinous, city-shutting-down snow he's experienced in some places, but more pleasant. And coming from a temperate part of Earth, snow doesn't have any bad associations for him. ...Less good? Fireballs descending from the sky.
He was here hanging out, but as soon as the fire comes and people start scattering--
"Rena! Let's go!"
And so, here and now:
"Haaah--!"
Claude spins through the air, somersaulting forward with his sword at the ready and then hacks down at Michael. "Helmetbreak!"
"You're not done with us yet!"
GS: Claude C. Kenny has attacked Michael with Helmetbreak! GS: Claude C. Kenny has gained 1 Combo! GS: Claude C. Kenny has completed his action. GS: Michael suffers a terrible blow from Claude C. Kenny's Helmetbreak for 143 hit points! GS: Cover and Hyper applied to Claude C. Kenny! ===== +attacks: Dias Flac Form 1: Wandering Swordsman ========================== _ Name/Flags (Combo) |___________________________| Tier/Stat/PL |_____| Min/Cst _ _ Qigong Surge Db TEC 0 0 / 0 _ _ - Self, Burst, Quick, and Restore _ _ Near Air Slash Db TEC 4 5 / 5 _ _ - Accurate1, Refined, and Drowsy _ _ Far Air Slash Db TEC 4 5 / 5 _ _ - Accurate1, Refined, Cripple, and Prudent _ _ Iai Strike Db TEC 4 5 / 5 _ _ - Accurate1, Refined, and Counter _ _ Melee Chaos Sword Db TEC 5 15 / 5 _ _ - Accurate1, Mighty, and Bold _ _ Ranged Chaos Sword Db TEC 5 15 / 5 _ _ - Accurate1, Riposte, and Prudent _ _ Gale Thrust Db TEC 6 30 / 0 _ _ - Efficient and Trueshot _ _ Moonlight Arc Db TEC 4 30 / 5 _ _ - Accurate1, Chain, Refined, and Prudent _ _ Crescent Cross Sig TEC 7 60 / 5 _ _ - Accurate1, Careful1, Efficient, Gatling (0-3), and Pierce _ _ Pale Moonlight Sig TEC 7 60 / 15 _ _ - Accurate1, Careful1, Curb, Refined, and Counter _ _ Phoenix Drive Sig TEC 7 60 / 15 _ _ - Accurate2, Careful2, Efficient, and Headshot (2) _ _ Full Moon Slash M-A TEC 8 75 / 25 _ _ - Accurate2, Efficient, Gatling (0-3), Headshot (2), and Smite _ _ FP: 30/150 +attack +15 / +guard/+evade +15 / +charge +More / +accept +5 _ _ | FORCE ACTIONS: Accelerate , Full Clip , Fury Shot , and Lock On | _
<Pose Tracker> Rille Felis has posed.
Since she got to Energy Nede, Rille hasn't really had a fixed destination. She's been travelling around almost aimlessly, getting the lay of the land. It's good in that it keeps her well out of the sight of Kislev - there's no member of the Kaiser's guard *here*!
Honestly, she's learned a lot. She still carries the Pokeball she was given, though it's still empty, but being a Drifter on Nede is... different than on Filgaia. Unfortunately, her usual go-to for employment isn't quite as valuable on Energy Nede, but she's still made enough to keep herself fed (not that she couldn't get something even without, something that *still* surprises her, but Rille has a big appetite and she likes meat so she feels better with the FOL in hand).
She'd been in Pewter just as part of her travels. She had not expected it to be attacked.
Rille rises up from where she'd been sitting at a cafe. And up. And up, to her full height; over six and a half feet, closer to seven if you count her horns. She does *not* look like a Nedian. About the only similarity is that she has pointed ears, though hers are furred on the outside, with a tuft near the end.
"OI!"
Rille picks up the chair she'd been sitting on, a surprisingly solid affair of wood and steel - she'd been sitting on it backwards because her tail absolutely didn't fit in it sitting the proper way. She hefts it up with one hand, mentally apologizes to the cafe owner, and throws the entire thing at Michael, running forward after it.
GS: Rille Felis has attacked Michael with Improvised Weapon! GS: Rille Felis has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Chase has posed.
Fire explodes, and something -- someone -- descends.
Chase is young still. He's younger than a lot of these visitors. He's just starting his Pokemon journey. Inexperienced and already in over his head. Somewhere in the back of the mind, he hears the voices that would tell him to be careful. Stop, even. But it's down out by Chase's memories of the Clefairies at Mt. Moon, crying out and fleeing in fear, threatened and raided in the name of the Ten Wise Men.
Maybe the way his blood is boiling now is what Ponyta saw in him the day it pressed its nose to his Pokeball and joined him on his adventure. His eyes are a match for his steed's, seeing red and blazing as if they were both trying to beat Michael at his own game and fight fire with fire.
Thundering hooves race through the streets in a trail of heat and flame, charging straight for Michael. Chase rides atop Ponyta, with Pikachu perched on the neck as she sparks wildly with electricity admist a mane of wildfire. "Piiiiiiiiiiiiii --"
Fire and lightning swirl together in a brilliant, blinding charge, Pokemon able to leave the navigation to their trainer while they can focus ong providing explosive firepower on collision.
"KA!"
GS: Chase has attacked Michael with Double Strike! Flame Wheel and Thunder Shock! GS: Chase has gained 1 Combo! GS: Chase has completed his action. GS: Michael suffers a terrible blow from Rille Felis's Improvised Weapon for 108 hit points! GS: Cripple applied to Michael!
<Pose Tracker> Timu Guado has posed.
Timu was considering heading to Pewter City to get started on the Gym Challenge. (As her present team is a Fire-type and a Flying/Electric-type, how that'd go against a Rock-type specialist is more likely than not a foregone conclusion. But... such a thing is a rite of passage as a Trainer.)
Coming up to the Princebridge Snowfields reminds her of when both she and her sister braved Mt. Gagazet to help stop their father, Gon. A Regen spell woven out of her birthright of the healing aspects of Althenian Fire helps keep herself (and anyone else directly with her) warm, but this is only a mild inconvenience at best with some snacks on hand. It's a pleasant and fun journey, and she knows there's a cafe here Rille likes that she can't wait to meet her at!
"Here it is," the teenage Guado looks upon Pewter City with a certain amount of awe, but no more than about three minutes after arriving...
Chaos.
"The Ten Wise Men! It can't be!" A local Nedian screams. The information has been circulating through Energy Nede, but not everyone meets it with stoic acceptance. It's their boogeymen of tens of thousands of years, here in the flesh (and the flame). Timu flinches as people run by.
In her mind and her heart, she keeps thinking... is this Nede's Sin? It's frightening to think of, but somewhere along the way, a young woman some time ago stood up and said, 'no, I don't accept this, I will end this,' even in the face of being declared a heretic.
As a wielder of what was dubbed 'prayer magic' in the Yevon faith's reign, awaiting a new name for the discipline, Timu cannot help but think, 'what would High Summoner Yuna do' when she's wielding a similar staff in her hands.
"...I'm not going to run," she declares in a bout of youthful hot-headedness, which may shock anyone who's with her. She is not the hardened warrior that the swordsman up ahead is, and there's even a moment of serious pause when she skids to a stop to behold Michael proper when she sees both the man and the damage he's already done with that exploded piece of street courtesy of a bolt of fire that still leaves smoldering.
One of her Pokeballs fires a little light from its center, as Fuecoco touches down on the ground without prompting, leaning forward with an angry face.
"Fue!!" He declares, in his boldest Fuecoco voice.
"...Right." Timu nods, taking in a breath. She's from a land that shook off over a thousand years of death and suffering to a cycle. Fuecoco looks back and nods his head the once, and faces forward.
"I'll aid you!" She calls to those already at the frontlines, and she's not taking no for an answer. Fuecoco awaits her command as she takes her staff in both hands.
"Fuecoco! Use Incinerate!"
Fuecoco lets loose with a gout of flame, a smaller Fire Croc against someone whose flame is not at all small, nor crocodile-like in nature.
GS: Timu Guado has attacked Michael with Incinerate! GS: Timu Guado has gained 1 Combo! GS: Timu Guado has completed her action. GS: Michael solidly guards Chase's Double Strike! Flame Wheel and Thunder Shock for 43 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Michael gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Infect! Debuff durations extended!! GS: Blind applied to Michael! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus!
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
As of late, Xantia has been on her very own Pokemon journey - the lowercase kind, not the kind that Nedians would typically associate with those words. Hers has been a learning experience, figuring out what exactly makes these creatures tick, their role in this strange culture... and especially, about the two that keep following her around. She hasn't kept them in Pokeballs, perhaps to keep some measure of distance rather than committing to them being 'hers'. But this may be more symbolic than anything else. Since even if they get separated for a time, they always end up finding her again. And she couldn't deny that there's a level of understanding between them, one that she hasn't been able to explain, but feels strangely natural.
Right now, she's seated at a local cafe in Pewter, eating a small pile of sandwiches, while the Shuppet and Ralts that have been her shadow as of late chow down on Poke Puffs. ...She presumably wouldn't be feeding them if her attempts at creating distance were very serious. Or maybe this is a way to keep her emotions from getting munched on instead? Who knows, Xantia's mind certainly isn't known for following the same patterns as most people's.
In between bites, Xantia looks over to the Shuppet she'd (accidentally) named Shoo, and the as of yet unnamed Ralts. "So... I've been wondering. How do you two fight, anyway? I don't presume you punch things."
Shoo glances down at its armless form, a question mark appearing over the Ghost's head. "Shuppet?" The Ralts, meanwhile, looks down at its fistless arms, flexes them a bit, then nods. "Ralts." Xantia chuckles. "Well, I appreciate the enthusiasm, but--"
Explosions and fire break up the peaceful day. Xantia is on her feet immediately, quick to cram the remains of her sandwich in her mouth, ruining her attempt at vocalizing something in the direction of the Wise Man she hadn't seen before until she swallows it down. "...I said, 'oh, you made a big mistake coming here'!"
She starts to calmly head in Michael's direction, cracking her knuckles... when something happens that she would never have predicted. Behind her, the two Pokemon nod at each other, and Shoo appears in front of Xantia, startling her. "Wh-- not now, you stay back there. That guy's dangerous, I'll handle it." While she speaks, the Ralts toddles around to in front of her as well. She still has no idea what's happening when the duo lines up side by side, and simultaneously inhale.
What follows is an absolutely awful high-pitched noise, as both Pokemon combine their respective sonic attacks into one in an inpromptu team attack. ...Unfortunately, these two have not gone through any sort of meaningful training, which means it's probably just going to be a little annoying. But, they're helping!
"No, don't!" ...Which Xantia is not at all happy about, because there is just no way this is going to end well.
GS: Xantia has attacked Michael with Screech/Disarming Voice! GS: Xantia has gained 1 Combo! GS: Xantia has completed her action. GS: Michael critically guards Timu Guado's Incinerate for 22 hit points! GS: Weaken blocked! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus!
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lanford has posed.
"It's a wash again boy."
Rena HAD been looking up information on the Quadratic Key, genealogy records, and more at the University to try and discover where she came from. All a wash. The best the researchers there could tell her is that many of the records she'd asked for are more restricted at the North City Archives.
She couldn't help feel a bit down about it, however, which is why she's sitting on the steps outside of the University, petting Shorty, her Ashound, who responded to the attention, with a lick on the face.
"Heh. Good boy. Aw you should get out there and play in the snow rather than cheering me up."
The Ashound happily capered off, sounding off, "Ash! Ash!" As Rena circled around to join up with Claude checked through her Pokedex for more information for conversation.
"I'm still trying to learn more about Psynards before we make for North City. Luckily I found a few entries about Conservation efforts. It says that-"
FWOOM!
As she looked up, her mouth went wide at the sudden FIRES all around town, "That... wasn't Shorty right? I hope he didn't interpret play like that." Every instinct told her it wasn't, especially as Claude starts moving into action. "Right!"
Fortunately, the culprit showed themselves right away, even as Shorty ran back towards here, "Shorty! In your ball!" As she takes out the Pokeball, the whimpering and fleeing Ashound suddenly vanishing in light.
And as Claude suddenly surges into action.
"You! Stop this! Right now! These people did nothing to you!" Rena immediately puts starts casting spells, as a shining Symbologic barrier forms around Claude, "Guard!" And another sends energy surging through him, "Haste!"
She's marking all the others who are around, Chase, she certainly recognizes, and Timu, and Xantia. The odds are against them though with one of the Ten Wise Men. Yet despite the intensity of threat she offers one more complaint.
"Also. Well done? Really? I thought you were supposed to be a 'Wise Man'." As if she were incredulous about his 'taste', "Medium rare is the way to go. If you can't make anything to order then be ready- we're going to be sending back everything you make tonight."
GS: Rena Lanford has attacked Claude C. Kenny with Guard! Haste!! GS: Rena Lanford has gained 2 Combo! GS: Rena Lanford has completed her action. GS: Michael suffers a terrible blow from Xantia's Screech/Disarming Voice for 39 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Michael gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Break applied to Michael! GS: CRITICAL! Claude C. Kenny accepts Rena Lanford's Guard! Haste! for 0 hit points! GS: Blitz, Burst, Quick, and Shield applied to Claude C. Kenny!
<Pose Tracker> Dias Flac has posed.
'Hanging out' is not a thing that Dias is often inclined to do. But for better or worse, he's spending this journey functionally following Rena and Claude around, so if Claude wants to hang out, most times, Dias is going to be there too. ...He minds Claude less these days, anyway. And there are worse ways to spend one's time than watching the snow fall. With a fresh chicken skewer in one hand and a cup of hot sake (oops, I mean "tea") in the other, it would've been actually quite a relaxing time. Alas, given Rena's failed attempts at researching her past, it's more providing silent support than anything else.
Dias is not really good at support of any kind (or so he believes), but at least Rena has her Ashound with her to cheer her up--and then there's something more practical to focus on, i.e. Psynards.
But then there are explosions, both of fire and laughter. Dias frowns in the direction of the commotion; Claude, being Claude, is off like a shot, and Rena, being Rena, follows soon after. Dias follows, but a bit more cautiously, going against the flow of fleeing civilians. He's not one to turn down a good fight, but forewarned is forearmed. It's just stupid to get into a fight without knowing what you're getting into.
And what they're getting into is a match with one of the Ten Wise Men--one who is practically bursting with flames. Dias's eyes narrow. Why is he here? He says the place could use "warming up," but surely he wouldn't attack a town for so shallow a reason. Right? He shoots a glance around for any sign of any of the other Wise Men--but if there are others, they're keeping to themselves.
Others are rushing in to join the fight. Chase and his Pikachu, charging in on a fiery horse; that Guado girl who'd helped defend Salva, commanding a fire Pokemon of her own; a beastfolk Dias doesn't know, hurling a chair at Michael; a woman follows behind a pair of small Pokemon that let out the biggest *screech*.
"They're all reckless," he mutters. At last he draws his sword, then cuts it through the air with blinding speed, creating a crescent-shaped shockwave that travels in a straight line towards Michael. "Moonlight Arc!" he calls.
He doesn't say it, but he fully agrees with what Rena says about medium rare vs. well done. Clearly this Wise Man is no gourmand.
GS: Dias Flac has attacked Michael with Moonlight Arc! GS: Dias Flac has gained 5 Combo! GS: Dias Flac's stances have changed to Stoic! GS: Dias Flac gains 28 THP from his Cautious! GS: Dias Flac has completed his action. GS: Michael solidly guards Dias Flac's Moonlight Arc for 56 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Michael gains 1 additional Combo! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus!
<Pose Tracker> Chisato Madison has posed.
Claude and his crew dash off toward the commotion, and...someone peeks out from behind the side of the university building. "Wow!" the redhead giggles, her face split by a big grin. "Didn't even slow down! Cool!"
She scampers forward, ultimately finding a trashcan to squat behind, pulling a notebook from her suit jacket pocket and scribbling into it. "'or you'll be...well...done,'" she murmurs to herself. "Honestly, who writes his material? Though..."
She edges around the side to look at the gouts of flame issuing from the Gym. "...not good," she mutters, and flicks her notebook open. "Gym damaged...'Michael.' And..."
She tucks her notebook away and pulls out a cell phone, which she flicks open as she stands up straight. "Yeah, it's me. Go check on the Gym, I'll hold it down with our friend from Cinnabar."
"What? No, he's not actually from--just go!" Slipping the cell phone away, she smooths down her jacket, taking a breath and looking at the looming might of one of the Ten Wise Men. "They make this stuff look easy," she huffs as even some of the young trainers join in. "Okay....just an ordinary reporter who happened to be passing by...! Right!"
Then Chisato reaches into her jacket, and pulls out a GUN that shoots LIGHTNING, and charges down the street firing blasts!!
GS: Chisato Madison has attacked Michael with Lightning Gun! GS: Chisato Madison has gained 2 Combo! GS: Chisato Madison has completed her action. GS: Michael solidly guards Chisato Madison's Lightning Gun for 67 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Michael has posed.
Claude's sword slams down into Michael's head. It doesn't split his skill; it doesn't break his skin. There is a flash of light and Symbols across his skin, and then he is knocked backward, before he grunts.
Then laughs. "Hah! So you survived and got to Nede, eh?" he asks. "Good! I've been wanting a warm-up!"
He turns his head -- almost whipping towards Rille as he sees her rise up, actuly taller than him. His eyes narrow. "One of those Filgaians with altered DNA," he says. Then, the chair slams into him, shattering into splinters on him.
"Heh!" He slams his hands together. They ignite, fire wreathing him, and then he punches a hand towards her. A bolt of flame explodes off his fist, hurtling off towards her.
Then, Michael looks up. He stares at Chase -- and his Ponyta -- and then his eyes narrow. "The heck--"
Electricity from Pikachu hurtles towards him, as he raises both arms. Lightning and flame dance across him, Symbols flaring across his body, as he is driven backward by the explosion. He is shoved backward, with a hard grunt.
"Clever!" he roars, before he swings out a fire-wreathed hand. Flame shoots out like a whip, and he cracks that fire across Chase, Ponyta, and Pikachu alike.
Michael's head turns, as Timu and Fuecoco do not run. He looks at her; he doesn't know what a Guado is. He frowns, as flame comes at him -- and catches it, with an outstretched hand.
Then squeezes the bolt of flame in his fist. "Let me show you what fire really is!"
He slams a foot down into the ground. The ground shakes -- cracks open -- and several globs of half-molten stone rise up, and drop down towards Timu and Fuecoco.
The sonic blast from Ralts and Shuppet make him take a step backward, briefly confused. He looks at them, then at Xantia. "You want to fight, huh?" he asks. "I'll oblige all three of you!"
He swings his hand out, and the the flames snap out again, like a whip. They crack at Shuppet and Ralts, then snap down for Xantia too. (A table may be burnt to a cinder too.)
A crescent shockwave hits him a moment later. He turns, looking at Dias -- head tilted to the side. "Eh?" he asks, Symbols flickering over him, and bursts of magical static. "Nice hit."
Which is when several of Chisato's lightning shots hit him. Sparks explode, arcs of electricity shooting over his Symbologically-enhanced body, and he turns and looks at her. "Hah! A second Nedian who'll fight back. Gonna make this fun, huh?"
He raises a hand over his head. Symbols flash across him -- and both eyes blaze red -- before the ground between Chisato and Dias cracks open. Then, it explodes. Fiery chunks of rock and raging flame billows out, hurtling towards them both.
"Stop?" Michael says, looking to Rena. He blinks at her. "Why would I do that? I suppose should thank you, with that Quadratic Key of yours... big help. And I think I know just the way!"
He grins, widely. His ember-eye gleams, dangerously.
"I'LL CHAR YOUR VERY BONES!"
Michael's fists, coated in flame, are SLAMMED into the ground with a hammerblow. Then a shockwave of flame erupts -- and a ball of fire shoots high into the sky. It explodes, a huge fireball erupting into the air -- and then it spews down a raging column of flame that slams down between Rena and Claude.
And it explodes apart in a massive fireball that hurtles towards them both.
"SPICULE!"
GS: Michael has attacked Rille Felis with Fire Bolt! GS: Recover! Blind and Break removed from Michael! GS: Michael has attacked Chase with Firewhip! GS: Michael has gained 1 Combo! GS: Michael has attacked Timu Guado with Lava Flow! GS: Michael has gained 1 Combo! GS: Michael has attacked Xantia with Firewhip! GS: Michael has gained 1 Combo! GS: Michael has attacked Dias Flac with Eruption! GS: Michael has attacked Chisato Madison with Eruption! GS: Michael has gained 2 Combo! GS: Michael spends 5 Combo on Headshot and Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Michael has attacked Claude C. Kenny with Spicule! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Michael has attacked Rena Lanford with Spicule! GS: Michael has gained 2 Combo! GS: Michael has attacked Michael with Spontaneous Combustion! GS: Michael has gained 1 Combo! GS: Michael has completed his action. GS: Michael accepts Michael's Spontaneous Combustion for 0 hit points! GS: Dynamax and Hyper applied to Michael! GS: Mighty applied to Michael! GS: CRITICAL! Claude C. Kenny solidly guards Michael's Spicule for 163 hit points! GS: COUNTER! Chase counterattacks Michael with Static! GS: CRITICAL! Chase solidly guards Michael's Firewhip for 161 hit points! GS: CRITICAL! Xantia takes a solid hit from Michael's Firewhip for 215 hit points! GS: FP up! Power Burst and Reaction bonus! GS: Michael takes a solid hit from Chase's Static for 104 hit points! GS: Chisato Madison partially guards Michael's Eruption for 110 hit points! GS: COUNTER! Rena Lanford counterattacks Michael with Light Cross! GS: CRITICAL! Rena Lanford suffers a terrible blow from Michael's Spicule for 447 hit points! GS: FP up! Arcane Font! GS: COUNTER! Rille Felis counterattacks Michael with Wild Blow! GS: CRITICAL! Rille Felis suffers a terrible blow from Michael's Fire Bolt for 203 hit points! GS: Disrupt applied to Rille Felis! GS: CRITICAL! Timu Guado partially guards Michael's Lava Flow for 168 hit points! GS: Delay applied to Timu Guado! GS: CRITICAL! Dias Flac partially evades Michael's Eruption for 173 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Claude C. Kenny has posed.
Claude would rather be helping Rena in her search, and talking about Psynards. But that's not the day he's going to get today. Even as many others surge in to oppose the Wise Man, Claude hits him!!! And--of course, it doesn't break the skin. But Claude falls backward and hits the ground on his feet, adopting a ready stance. "We sure did. And we're going to stop you!"
...he doesn't elaborate on how, obviously.
There are Pokemon fighting, youths fighting...
But Claude and Rena are the target of a massive fireball. "What-!?"
Claude hits one knee, managing to interpose his sword between him and the attack, and that cuts through some of the fireball--but it's still enough of a blast that it sends him skidding back. "That was..."
"Everyone all right!?" he looks to Rena, in particular.
"We won't give up!"
Claude spins his weapon and extends his hand--and then, with a whirl, stone erupts from the ground to try to smother Michael's flames in a burst of rock headed straight for him!
GS: Blitz! Claude C. Kenny has attacked Michael with Rock Explosion! GS: Claude C. Kenny has gained 1 Combo! GS: Claude C. Kenny has completed his action.
<Pose Tracker> Rille Felis has posed.
Rille barrels forward at her top speed after throwing the chair. People assuming she's slow because she's big and solidly built... and at first, she is, but when she picks up momentum she's nearly unstoppable. Her head lowers as she comes at Michael horns-first.
A blast of fire clips Rille's shoulder... but it doesn't slow her down as she literally headbutts one of the Ten Wise Men. She feels the impact through her skull as, presumably, Symbols flare (she closed her eyes when she hit), then snaps her head back as she takes one step away.
And then she sees someone she knows.
"Timu!" Rille calls. "Good to see you here, but it's dangerous! Watch yourself! And the rest of you - " She doesn't recognize them. Some are Nedians, but some are humans, so they can't be local. Filgaians? "I'm Rille, I'm on your side!"
She looks pretty monstrous when she gets going. It's best to make it clear from the outset, she figures.
Turning her focus back on Michael, Rille's lips curl back slightly, revealing rather pointed teeth. "As for YOU, I'm going to hit some answers out of you. Things like, why are you attacking this city? And what the hell is DNA? First it's Symbology, now it's 'altered'? I don't even have Symbology!"
Rille plants her feet as she winds up, digging her clawed toes into the dirt for stability... or that's what she'd do if it was dirt and not pavement. As is they just kind of scrape as she delivers a powerful series of punches, one-two-three, like a boxer; her right is more powerful, but she has a fast left jab, and she keeps her hands raised afterwards. Her body is tense enough to make the muscles in her arms and across her back stand out rather than just looking generally big, strength coiled to strike.
GS: Rille Felis has attacked Michael with Iron Stance! GS: Rille Felis has gained 2 Combo! GS: Rille Felis's stances have changed to Hero! GS: Rille Felis has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Timu Guado has posed.
"'One of those Filgaians' is my friend!" Timu shouts as michael muses about a number of them. Rille came to her aid when she was getting her feel for life on Filgaia and navigating some of its dangerous, unfair, frightening social and environmental challenges. Rille reminds her of how dangerous it is, and she wants to say 'yes, I know, I'm fighting with you!'
Some of that resolve fades when Michael looks at her, with that frown.
"Fueco...!" Fuecoco meets that stare head-on despite having little ground to stand on. Fuecoco is a creature designed and bred to love and live a world maintained in protective exile. Any ancestral memory of the terrible deeds and power of the Ten Wise Men do not appear to surface in his psyche.
Half-molten stones come their way, and this power threatens to remind him.
"CO--!"
Fuecoco flinches, head bowed and mouth shut tight. Both Timu and Fuecoco both find themselves thrown back. Timu stays upright on her feet beyond sliding back and putting immense stress on her ankles as the bottom of her staff drags against the ground with sparks flying by the contact. Fuecoco ends up on their back.
This is an accidental mercy, as they get to watch what will burn the word Spicule into their ears with a massive fireball crashing down upon the blue-haired Nedian and the human swordsman.
Timu freezes in fear for a time, crouched in what is instinctual for a Guado in alarm.
'Everyone allr ight!?' That's the swordsman's voice. 'We won't give up!'
Timu knows that if she runs, Rille wouldn't. She sees how another Trainer near her is doing their best, too, and wouldn't one know it...
Fuecoco's back on his feet, bruised and a little charred but the spirit hasn't left him. "Fue," he looks to Timu and nods.
It's not 'I'm with you,' as Timu.
It's 'we're with you,' as partners.
"Come on," she tells her Pokemon partner as they move towards Rille's side as she puts up her dukes, because she's not going to hide behind her. She's going to stand firmly by her side, albeit... not in a straight horizontal line of 'by her side,' but the sentiment is there.
"Fuecoco," Timu exhales, "use Bite!"
"Co..." Fuecoco nods their big head-body, dashes forward clear of Rille's enormous tail (he hopes he has one that strong and cool when he evolves), and leaps up at one of Michael's arms with those powerful jaws.
GS: CRITICAL! Michael solidly guards Rena Lanford's Light Cross for 111 hit points! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus! GS: Timu Guado has attacked Michael with Bite! GS: Timu Guado has gained 2 Combo! GS: Delay expired! GS: Timu Guado has completed her action. GS: Michael takes a solid hit from Claude C. Kenny's Rock Explosion for 195 hit points! GS: Michael solidly guards Rille Felis's Iron Stance for 120 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Michael gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Mighty and Shield applied to Rille Felis!
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lanford has posed.
Rena at first wonders if another Pikachu entered the fray, but then turns to find-! A woman in those spats and that jacket firing a lightning gun, "Did she just, run in from work?" That's dedication to town safety!
And yes Dias, they're extremely reckless. Now you know why she recruited you! To be a moderating force.
"Of course we survived." Rena tells Michael, but then - he asks her why he should stop, and Rena looks flabbergasted, "Because-! These people are civilians!"
Well, there is the civilian over there shooting lightning, she perhaps only half counts?
But, he thanks her for her- and Rena's breath seizes up, "It's-! I wasn't ever trying to help YOU!"
However, she looks momentarily overwhelmed, and that unsettling gleam in his eyes- his words really telling her what kind of a person he is, as she mouths the words, "Light- Cross!" Showering him with tiny detonations of sparkling radiance as that raging column of fire slams down atop her and Claude.
Rena is blasted away by the simple pressure wave of it, even as the fire roars over her.
"Nnnghhhh." Rena's world in the aftermath becomes pain, but as she speaks with a rasp out of her singed throat, power wells up around her in symbological runes, energy sparkling out as she speaks.
"Faerie Light!"
A flood of light, each glittering sparkle becomes a smaller faerie, as they all join into an effigy of a much larger one, it soars in an arc over all of them restoring flesh and healing burns before it scatters once again into light.
Despite the power of the spell though, it seems to have difficulty healing all of the burns.
"I'm- alright." She affirms to Claude, but only after the spell has finished taking affect, before she tells Michael.
"We won't let you. Anything you do- I'll undo. Get out of this town!"
GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Rena Lanford has attacked Rena Lanford with Faerie Light! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Rena Lanford has attacked Claude C. Kenny with Faerie Light! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Rena Lanford has attacked Dias Flac with Faerie Light! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Rena Lanford has attacked Rille Felis with Faerie Light! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Rena Lanford has attacked Chisato Madison with Faerie Light! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Rena Lanford has attacked Xantia with Faerie Light! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Rena Lanford has attacked Timu Guado with Faerie Light! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Rena Lanford has attacked Chase with Faerie Light! GS: Rena Lanford has gained 2 Combo! GS: Rena Lanford has completed her action. GS: Rena Lanford heals Chase! He gains 304 temporary hit points! GS: Pray grants a random effect! Burst and Regen applied to Chase! GS: Rena Lanford heals Rena Lanford! She gains 305 temporary hit points! GS: Pray grants a random effect! Lock state and Regen applied to Rena Lanford! GS: Rena Lanford heals Rille Felis! She gains 303 temporary hit points! GS: Restore! Disrupt removed! GS: Pray grants a random effect! Quick and Regen applied to Rille Felis! GS: Rena Lanford heals Timu Guado! She gains 301 temporary hit points! GS: Pray grants a random effect! Regen and Surge applied to Timu Guado! GS: Rena Lanford heals Dias Flac! He gains 297 temporary hit points! GS: Pray grants a random effect! Hyper and Regen applied to Dias Flac! GS: Rena Lanford heals Xantia! She gains 296 temporary hit points! GS: Pray grants a random effect! Regen and Shield applied to Xantia! GS: CRITICAL! Rena Lanford heals Claude C. Kenny! He gains 396 temporary hit points! GS: Pray grants a random effect! Lock state and Regen applied to Claude C. Kenny! GS: Rena Lanford heals Chisato Madison! She gains 298 temporary hit points! GS: Pray grants a random effect! Regen and Shield applied to Chisato Madison! GS: CRITICAL! Michael suffers a terrible blow from Rille Felis's Wild Blow for 196 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Michael gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Shield applied to Rille Felis! GS: Delay! Attack greatly weakened! GS: Michael solidly guards Timu Guado's Bite for 74 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Michael gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Delay applied to Michael!
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
Of course, Xantia would have just charged in with maximum force, had it been up to her. The Pokemon interruption catches her entirely flat-footed, and as she hasn't even tried being a trainer, she doesn't have to first clue how to handle this sort of situation. Could she have done something different so things wouldn't have ended up like this? A question she can't afford to ask herself right now, but she definitely will later... assuming there is a later, as Michael seems eager to prevent there from being one.
She moves quickly and instinctively, like always. Except... quite unlike her usual self. Normally she would be focusing on her own protection, watching that incoming whip carefully and trying to deflect it. Yet somehow... her impulse this time is to charge in, leaping in front of the Shuppet and Ralts in an attempt to protect them. Why did she do that? It's the objectively wrong move, not giving her enough time to react and getting lashed by the whip-like flames for her trouble. Not only that, she can't even manage to keep the Pokemon safe, the pair also taking a lash once she's knocked out of the way.
Seeing those two strange creatures take the hit, knocked away, and collapse... somehow, it hurts even more than the flame whip did. It's not due to that fire that Xantia spontaneously bursts into flames herself, roaring in anger. "You'll pay for that!!"
Rena's healing force comes too late for the fainted Pokemon, but it does wonders for Xantia, charging Michael with a burst of vigor. Despite her aura being one of fire, her right hand glows a blinding white, the punch she throws as soon as she's within striking range one full of light-elemental force. Full to literally bursting, causing an outward explosion on impact.
GS: Xantia spends 2 Combo on Headshot! GS: Xantia has attacked Michael with Exploding Fist! GS: Xantia has gained 1 Combo! GS: Xantia gains 35 THP from Regen! GS: Xantia has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Chase has posed.
Michael's flaming whip lashes into Chase and his Pokemon with force and fire greater than Ponyta has. Tripped, horse and rider spill across the ground, Ponyta kicking its legs in with a loud bellow while Chase tumbles away, Pikachu sparking wildly all the while. Chase grabs hold of her before they hit the ground, protecting her as they tumble. He coughs from smoke and dust as he finally loses momentum.
Faerie Light sparkles over the three of them, Ponyta kicking back upright with an angry stamp into the earth. Chase shoves back to his feet.
"Chachu!"
As if the one taking commands now, Chase spins and whips Pikachu straight... upward? Where did the Pikachu go? Chase focuses instead on helping Ponyta back up and assessing the situation. There are visitors here, and other trainers, some familiar, and some not. But more importantly, he's trying to figure out... why here, why now? What are they after this time?
...There is a shadow over Michael. Something pops. A balloon pops.
"Piii pikachu!" Pikachu greets just as she is about to land directly on Michael's face -- with violent impact, if she can.
GS: Chase spends 1 Combo on Interrupt! GS: Chase has attacked Michael with Floaty Fall! GS: Chase has gained 1 Combo! GS: Chase gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: Chase gains 31 THP from Regen! GS: Chase has completed his action. GS: Michael takes a solid hit from Xantia's Exploding Fist for 160 hit points! GS: Hyper and Hyper applied to Xantia! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus! GS: Michael critically guards Chase's Floaty Fall for 46 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Michael gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Interrupt blocked! GS: Michael has lost 2 Combo from Interrupt!
<Pose Tracker> Dias Flac has posed.
And coming up the rear is the woman who'd been watching them for a while. She didn't seem to have any ill will, so Dias had ignored her, but she sure doesn't hesitate long to join in the fight. Her pointed ears make it clear she's Nedian, but what exactly was she snooping around for?
"Work, huh. That'd be interesting if so," Dias remarks to Rena. Because that would imply *they're* her work.
For the moment, though, there's no time to go further into that. Michael's defenses are clearly superb. Dias frowns at his compliment. "Not nice enough," he rumbles.
He sees Michael's eyes flash red, sees his gesture, and so he's ready to dodge when that Eruption spell shatters the street between him and Chisato, avoiding the initial blast. However, the rock and flame that come hurtling out are faster than he expects, and they rain hell on him. He snarls in pain as they batter and sear his armor.
But that's nothing compared to the spell that Michael calls down in response to Rena. Some gratitude. The flames momentarily overtake her and Claude both, and a certain fear grips Dias's heart in a hatefully familiar way. Claude cuts through it, though, and in doing so partially defends himself; Rena is floored, but responds with her strongest healing spell. Dias breathes again as its force washes over him, soothing his burns and his soul. Not in their entirety, perhaps--but enough.
"Fine," he tells Claude, clipped. His red eyes flick towards his 'little sister.' 'Anything you do, I'll undo,' huh...
Some things can't be undone, though. But damned if any of them will just sit back and let Michael do it.
Breaking into a dash, Dias closes the distance between himself and the Wise Man, deftly leaping between the parts of the road that still burn to avoid having the soles of his shoes melt on them. He'll leave screaming defiance to the others; he'll express what he thinks of this vile man with his sword. As he closes in, kinetic energy envelopes him, bolstered by Rena's Faerie Light, and that last dash increases his speed to *blinding* as he leaps blade-first at Michael, seeking out a chink on his Symbological defenses. "Gale Thrust!!"
GS: Dias Flac has attacked Michael with Gale Thrust! GS: Dias Flac has gained 2 Combo! GS: Dias Flac gains 22 THP from his Cautious! GS: Dias Flac gains 33 THP from Regen! GS: Dias Flac has completed his action. GS: Michael takes a solid hit from Dias Flac's Gale Thrust for 151 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Michael gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Michael enters CONDITION GREEN!!
<Pose Tracker> Chisato Madison has posed.
It is not even remotely false that Chisato just ran in from work. That's just true! Technically she's still doing work, even!
"Sorry, Fire-type, but modern girls just can't stand guys who'll set their house ablaze without asking," Chisato replies with a certain bravado, and then the ground ruptures nearby. "Yikes!"
She jukes to the left and right, then spin kicks a flying chunk of rock aside. Once her foot lands, she shakes it out. "Gah! Dang that's hot," she curses, scuffing her sneakers against the pavement. "Sure is a Wise Man..."
..she says, right before he blows Claude and Rena THE HELL up!! Chisato does look over, with eyes wide, only to see the duo surviving, if barely. She sets her teeth a little, tucking that gun back away. Steady, steady...what would Sensei do...
"...nah, not that," she decides, and instead produces what appears to be a long-handled taser of some kind from her jacket, the whole apparatus nearly as long as her arm. And longer than her jacket. ...don't worry about it. "One Hundred," she calls out, and flicks a switch, and thrusts the weapon forward, "Thousand Volts!"
And a RAKE of lightning fires out, claws of the stuff crackling across the ground as it crawls toward Michael.
GS: Chisato Madison has attacked Michael with One Hundred Thousand Volts! GS: Chisato Madison gains 34 THP from Regen! GS: Chisato Madison has completed her action. GS: Gamble: Very High! Michael solidly guards Chisato Madison's One Hundred Thousand Volts for 103 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Michael gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Delay removed!
<Pose Tracker> Michael has posed.
"Gwaha!" Michael answers Claude. "You'll have to do better than that!"
Stone erupts from the ground, smashing into him. It batters him backward, leaving a few scratches on him this time. Then, Michael moves -- and leaves a fiery trail in his wake as he surges forward, fast, and slams a mighty, fire-wreathed fist for Claude's midsection.
"DNA is deoxyribonucleic acid!" Michael answers Rille. "And I'm attacking this city... because the Ten Wise Men have claimed this world!" It's not an answer; it's something he is holding back.
Rille's punches slam into him, smashing against his own (enhanced) muscles. He feels like punching a steel wall, though he still buckles backward. Then, he reels backward--
And fire ignites around his fist, and when he throws his punch for Rille, it EXPLODES and tries to hurl her back into a cafe.
And a moment later, there is a CHOMP -- and Fuecoco bites into his arm. This time, he grunts with pain -- and swings his arm to the side, knocking the crocodile Pokemon clear. "Guh!"
He turns his head, looking at Rena. His ember-eye catches hers. "You think there's civilians, among the Nedians? You think something like me cares? I'm not going to hold back," he says. "I'll show them exactly what I am!"
Sparks and blasts of light slam down into him -- and he frowns, as he sees Rena Lanford. As she rises up, and uses her healing Symbology on them all.
"Neat trick!" he snaps, before he thrusts a hand out -- and a bolt of flame explodes off it, and goes screaming towards her. "And I'm not going ANYWHERE!"
Dias rushes in, leaping between the damaged parts of the street, and whirls in time to see the Swallowblade coming down. His mismatched eyes widen -- and then the blade cuts into him, slashing through his defenses and into his side.
Too-bright red blood splashes on the ground, before the wound rapidly begins to mend, with a flash of Symbols.
And then he swings a fist, back for Dias before he can leap away. It explodes in a fiery blast as he seeks to connect with the swordsman.
"I'm not worried what girls are looking for!" Michael snaps back to Chisato. He scowls at her -- and the his eyes widen, with realization, as even more lightning erupts for him. It sends him flying backward, but his feet stay on the ground.
He whips his arm out -- and flame extends, like a whip, and then snaps down across Chisato.
Which is when Xantia rushes right for him. Her punch slams into him, exploding and bouncing him backward. He flies back into a storefront, bicycle kicks off the store's facade -- shattering the brickwork there, revealing the advance metal superstructure under it -- and then comes crashing down for Xantia.
He swings both hands down, in a mighty hammerblow for the top of Xantia's head.
"HWAH!"
And then, a moment later: "MRRRGGUHH!!"
Because a Pikachu has fallen onto his face. He yelps, twists, and then turns his head to the side -- knocking Pikachu free -- and blinks his eyes a few times, before he grunts. "Damn rat..."
He cranes his head to look at Chase.
"You wanna fight me with your friends? GWAHAHA! FINE!" he bellows. "Let me TURN UP THE HEAT!"
Once again, Michael slams a fist into the ground, and throws up another ball of flame. It shoots into the skies -- now already smoky, with a lingering firestorm -- and reignites them. Flame roils and churns above.
Then, another column of flame explodes -- crashing down towards Timu and Chase both. Another massive fireball explodes, scarring the streets black, blasting over tables at the cafe that Rille was at, and shattering nearby windows.
"SPICULE!"
GS: Michael has attacked Claude C. Kenny with Blaze Rush! GS: Michael has gained 3 Combo! GS: Michael spends 2 Combo on Headshot! GS: Michael enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Michael has attacked Rille Felis with Pyroclast Punch! GS: Michael has gained 3 Combo! GS: Michael enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Michael has attacked Rena Lanford with Fire Bolt! GS: Recover! Cripple removed from Michael! GS: Michael has attacked Xantia with Bosom Blow! GS: Michael has gained 2 Combo! GS: Michael spends 2 Combo on Headshot! GS: Michael has attacked Dias Flac with Pyroclast Punch! GS: Michael has gained 3 Combo! GS: Michael has attacked Chisato Madison with Firewhip! GS: Michael has gained 1 Combo! GS: Michael spends 5 Combo on Headshot and Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Michael has attacked Timu Guado with Spicule! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Michael has attacked Chase with Spicule! GS: Michael has gained 1 Combo! GS: Michael has attacked Michael with Spontaneous Combustion! GS: Michael has gained 1 Combo! GS: Michael has completed his action. GS: CRITICAL! Michael accepts Michael's Spontaneous Combustion for 0 hit points! GS: Dynamax and Hyper applied to Michael! GS: Mighty applied to Michael! GS: Stagger removed from Michael! GS: CRITICAL! Rille Felis fully evades Michael's Pyroclast Punch for 0 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Rille Felis gains 1 additional Combo! GS: FP up! Power Burst! GS: Strain! Michael takes 150 damage! GS: Rena Lanford takes a glancing hit from Michael's Fire Bolt for 63 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Rena Lanford gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Disrupt blocked! GS: FP up! Arcane Font! GS: CRITICAL! Chase suffers a terrible blow from Michael's Spicule for 366 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Chase gains 1 additional Combo! GS: CRITICAL! Claude C. Kenny suffers a terrible blow from Michael's Blaze Rush for 213 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Claude C. Kenny gains 1 additional Combo! GS: FP up! Power Burst! GS: Chisato Madison takes a solid hit from Michael's Firewhip for 164 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Chisato Madison gains 1 additional Combo! GS: FP up! Power Burst! GS: CRITICAL! Dias Flac suffers a terrible blow from Michael's Pyroclast Punch for 317 hit points! GS: FP up! Power Burst! GS: Strain! Michael takes 150 damage! GS: Timu Guado has activated Force Action: Guard! GS: CRITICAL! Timu Guado solidly guards Michael's Spicule for 236 hit points! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus! GS: Xantia takes a glancing hit from Michael's Bosom Blow for 75 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Xantia gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Cover, Mighty, and Riposte applied to Michael! GS: FP up! Power Burst and Reaction bonus!
<Pose Tracker> Claude C. Kenny has posed.
"Got it, Rille!"
Claude will accept a new ally against the Ten Wise Men anyday. ...He doesn't have time to explain DNA, though. He looks to Timu for a moment--but just a moment, and that's all. But Faerie Light happens and Claude breathes easily again, despite the superheated air that seemed like it would burn his lungs. It's not perfect, but it's a hell of a lot better than it was.
"Or we'll throw you out!" Claude follows up for Rena.
Claude hears Dias say he's fine. It'll do.
That fiery fist slams into Claude's midsection--he's forced back, breath knnocked out of him, unable to retaliate with words or blows for a long moment. "--"
But despite Michael's awesome power, he's not out yet. He looks at Chisato. "...We're--fine."
But the Trainers might not be. Claude grits his teeth--and--
Claude lunges, bringing out his non-sword hand. "KNUCKLE...!"
He swings, and punches forward, slamming a blast of spirit energy straigght for Michael that explodes on impact!
"BURST!"
"Come on!"
GS: Claude C. Kenny spends 2 Combo on Headshot! GS: Blitz! Claude C. Kenny has attacked Michael with Knuckle Burst! GS: Claude C. Kenny has gained 3 Combo! GS: Claude C. Kenny gains 26 THP from Regen! GS: Claude C. Kenny has completed his action. GS: CRITICAL! Michael solidly guards Claude C. Kenny's Knuckle Burst for 135 hit points! GS: Hyper and Shield applied to Claude C. Kenny!
<Pose Tracker> Rille Felis has posed.
Light washes over Rille. She's not quite sure where it came from at first - she looks left and right, startled, but the light seems to be *helping* - and then she spots Rena and her spectral faerie, and gives her a toothy grin. This one, unlike when she showed too many pointed teeth to Michael, appears to be friendly. "I'll keep him busy if you can keep the sorcery up!"
Rille didn't expect Timu to run. She wouldn't have. "Be careful," she calls, instead. "This guy's dangerous!" This is somewhat hypocritical; Rille hasn't been careful a day in her life. She says it anyway.
Rille jerks to one side when Fuecoco rushes past to clear a line of attack for the little crocodilian Pokemon, giving him a little boost as he goes. Empowered by Rena's spell, she makes it a little further than she'd actually meant and turns it into a hasty step - and when Michael swings that explosive fist at her, she's moving with the blow. Not enough to completely evade it, but enough that it's not going to hit her as solidly as it should -
But then Rille does something she really shouldn't, because she's used to brawling. Fighting ordinary people, not people who are on the level of the Ten Wise Men.
She catches the fist with her own hands, a block.
The explosion erupts. Rille *feels* that impact all the way through her body; her claws, already black, don't look any different, but the scales running across the back of her hand and up the lower part of her arm are covered in soot and ash. It stings as the fire washes upward, a thousand little pinpricks, but it's not a significant injury, really; most of what was scorched, she can't feel any more than she can feel her hair.
"Nice try," Rille growls, deep in her throat. "I don't believe you. But if you don't want to tell us why you're here, we'll just have to beat it out of you!" It's his own fault, for trying this, if they manage it.
Also, she grabs him by the hand she just blocked with and twists her body, literally trying to lift him overhead and whip him downward into the pavement. If he connects, the very ground shatters from the strength of the impact, a literal crater forming where she smashed him downward. She can still feel the heat in her hands from his fists - and once she's let go, she backs up rapidly, not wanting any part in the electrical discharge from Chisato, which gets an incredulous look.
Among others. But not being hit by manmade lightning is high on Rille's list of priorities.
She *also* shouts, "What the hell does acid have to do with it, anyway? You can't make shit up and fool me just because I haven't been to school!"
GS: Rille Felis has attacked Michael with Earth Breaker! GS: Rille Felis has gained 1 Combo! GS: Rille Felis gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: Rille Felis gains 28 THP from Regen! GS: Rille Felis has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lanford has posed.
Michael addresses her, "Of course there are! Things have changed since your time!" She says that so confidently as well, but is it really true? Would she know about it.
This time when the bolt of flame explodes off of his hand, she dives into a roll, capelet swishing from the singe marks as she comes up onto her feet.
"But it's like you said, isn't it? You don't care."
Dias notes that it'd be interesting if so regarding Chisato, "It would be." She tells Dias, unaware that Dias has caught them following her around. She just thinks it's neat for a working woman to run out there into the fray. Rena seems even somewhat startled by Chisato's words to Michael, "She says that so confidently!"
Is the word supposed to be shamelessly? No, no it's not. She's impressed!
Though now she wonders if Michael is... you know. If he swings- you know what, she can think on his preferences later!
Again, the man utilizes his terrible spell, that column of flame detonating on the street, and Rena looks to it with alarm.
She's beginning to understand that which Dias assessed from the start. That if they're going to survive this, she has to fight smart. So instead, she keeps away from Michael, and begins to triage the people, the trainers - the Pokemon.
"Cure! All!"
Another expression of Symbological Power, glitters over the battlefield, extinguishing flames on people, and healing burns.
"We'll make you care. Even if it's only making you find out you can't just do this without there being consequences!"
GS: Rena Lanford spends 3 Combo on Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: Rena Lanford has attacked Rena Lanford with Cure All! GS: Rena Lanford has attacked Claude C. Kenny with Cure All! GS: Rena Lanford has attacked Dias Flac with Cure All! GS: Rena Lanford has attacked Xantia with Cure All! GS: Rena Lanford has attacked Timu Guado with Cure All! GS: Rena Lanford has attacked Rille Felis with Cure All! GS: Rena Lanford has attacked Chisato Madison with Cure All! GS: Rena Lanford has gained 2 Combo! GS: Rena Lanford's stances have changed to Sage! GS: Rena Lanford gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: Rena Lanford gains 27 THP from Regen! GS: Rena Lanford has completed her action. GS: Michael solidly guards Rille Felis's Earth Breaker for 203 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Michael gains 1 additional Combo! GS: CRITICAL! Rena Lanford heals Rena Lanford! She gains 259 temporary hit points! GS: Rena Lanford heals Timu Guado! She gains 216 temporary hit points! GS: Rena Lanford heals Dias Flac! He gains 215 temporary hit points! GS: Rena Lanford heals Rille Felis! She gains 220 temporary hit points! GS: Rena Lanford heals Claude C. Kenny! He gains 236 temporary hit points! GS: Rena Lanford heals Chisato Madison! She gains 215 temporary hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Chase has posed.
"Pika!" Pikachu complains as she's thrown free. She flips through the air and lands daintily on the ground before lowering, cheeks sparking with agitation.
Chase whistles, and Pikachu blinks once. "Pika?" She looks back at him in a look that can be summed up as shock and betrayal, but he whistles again, more sharply, more urgently, as fire rises into the air a second time. Pikachu turns to the sky, ears folding back as she sees the churning flames.
Ponyta rears up to charge, only to be returned to its ball while Chase dashes toward Pikachu. He scoops her off of the ground, back to the uncoming fire as he hugs onto her tightly. "Chachu? Chachu!"
The explosion engulfs him, blasting him into the nearest storefront with a brutal crash. He sinks to the ground, but not once does Chase loosen his grip on Pikachu, the first sign of life being to squeeze her closer to protect her from the shard of fallen glass. Chase can see her little mouth moving, but he can't hear her, everything a high pitched whine for the moment. He can barely see straight, the world blurring together every time he moves his head.
A ball on his belt quivers and pops open as a Nidoran emerges between him and Michael. Chase shoves himself halfway up, dizzy, as Pikachu tries to steady him. He fails to whistle the first time, wets his lips, and tries again.
Nidoran does not obey the call to return. He roars out, as loud as his tiny lungs will allow... which is drowned out in the crackle of any nearby flame. Yet he does roar, and he makes his charge for Michael. He springs off of rubble, zipping back and forth in a wild flurry of attacks that use teeth, quills, and claw alike.
GS: Blitz added to Chase! GS: Chase has activated Force Action: Boost! GS: Formation! Blitz! Chase has attacked Michael with Fury Attack! GS: Chase has gained 1 Combo! GS: Chase gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: Chase gains 27 THP from Regen! GS: Chase has completed his action. GS: Rena Lanford heals Xantia! She gains 213 temporary hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Dias Flac has posed.
Those defenses are tested and penetrated--but then the wound begins to heal itself. The next instant, Michael PUNCHES Dias. No; to call it a 'punch' is an understatement, even an insult. It's a nuclear bomb in a fist, and in the instant after *that*, Dias is consumed in fire.
Anyone would get killed by a hit like that. And yet...
It's testament to the incredible vitality granted unto him by Rena's Faerie Light, and then *again* by her Cure All, that not only is Dias still standing afterwards, he isn't even nursing any broken bones or charred skin. He might have at the instant of the impact of Michael's fist, but even as those flames overtake him, healing energy dash to outdo the damage even as it's being done. It's not unlike the regeneration that Michael just displayed.
It probably won't last nearly so long, though. For the moment, though, it's more than enough.
Blue hair whipping like a ribbon behind him, crimson eyes burning like those flames, Dias cuts through the shimmering heat haze left in the wake of Michael's attacks, slashing left, slashing right, slashing upwards as kinetic energy forms a cross beneath Michael. It ignites, not with flame but with energy, and sears that shining force upwards into him.
"Crescent Cross!" he snarls.
He continues to leave the combat chatter to the others. He doesn't even glance over as that second Spicule hurls Chase and his Pikachu through a glass storefront, though that urge is there. The more force Dias pours on now, the better their odds at overwhelming Michael's defenses and forcing him to retreat--and that means there's no time for anything but an overwhelming exchange of blows.
He's still not really taking the others' attacks into account as he does so... but at the least, he is definitely relying on Rena's healing to keep him going.
GS: Dias Flac spends 3 Combo on Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: Dias Flac has attacked Michael with Crescent Cross! GS: Dias Flac has gained 2 Combo! GS: Dias Flac gains 23 THP from his Cautious! GS: Dias Flac gains 29 THP from Regen! GS: Dias Flac has completed his action. GS: Sneak! The true nature of Chase's attack becomes clear! GS: Michael solidly guards Chase's It's... some kind of effective! for 105 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Michael gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Michael suffers a terrible blow from Dias Flac's Crescent Cross for 230 hit points! GS: Michael enters CONDITION GREEN!!
<Pose Tracker> Chisato Madison has posed.
"You should! That's fifty percent of the population, ya know!" Chisato badgers Michael back. "That's SO MUCH market share! AND lightning bolts! Oh heck"
Chisato's attempt to lunge away from the flame whip falters - her shoe slips in the snow and she takes the whip hard across the chest, tumbling backwards with a cry until she slams into the wall of the Skill Guild. But she's hale and healthy from Rena's protection earlier, and Rena's followup heal covers the rest of it. The scrappy redhead shakes out her head afterward, rubbing the side of her head to clear the dizzy stars. She...stays slumped against the brickwork for a moment, plucking out her notebook and jotting down some shorthand so she doesn't forget key details about Michael, the Wise Man. Or Rena Lanford.
She tucks it back away afterward, forcing herself upright with slightly false effort. She pulls something from her pocket again, and grimaces. "Guess it's worth a shot," she says, and swings the object around and plants it firmly on the ground! It's...some...kind of mortar!? AS BIG AS SHE IS??
It fires a bolt of metal and fire into the air, which arcs high and then ERUPTS into a rain of fireballs that would probably do much more impressive environment damage if Michael had not already done all the Fire-type environmental damage.
GS: Chisato Madison spends 3 Combo on Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: Chisato Madison has attacked Michael with Flamethrower! GS: Chisato Madison gains 32 THP from Regen! GS: Chisato Madison has completed her action. GS: Michael solidly guards Chisato Madison's Flamethrower for 157 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Michael gains 1 additional Combo!
<Pose Tracker> Timu Guado has posed.
Rena calls upon her birthright as a Nedian, bringing relief to all from their burns and bludgeonings of that initial volley, and Timu is transfixed momentarily by the flood of light of the Faerie Light, and Rena's promise to undo what's been done. The scalding burning feeling starts to fade, gradually, and the teenage Guado sucks in a breath of relief.
As for the bitey li'l Fire Croc... Fuecoco's resolve is to hold on as long as he can. As it happens with a combination of plucky youth and one of the Ten Wise Men, he is overestimating how much of a span of time is actually achievable, as he's flung off unceremoniously after biting into the arm no more than two or three seconds later.
Timu, once a Blitzball enthusiast, runs to where Fuecoco is flung, dropping her staff and coming to a crouch to catch her partner Pokemon and cradle him - even with the momentary burning sensation of his tuft atop his head nuzzling at her chin. She's not going to recoil from that.
"You've done great," she reassures him as he sets him down.
'Be careful,' Rille warns, 'this guy's dangerous!'
"...I should be saying that to you," Timu chokes a bit as she stands up, because she could feel some of Fuecoco's fading courage in her arms as she sets him down. She picks up her staff anew, as Michael's laughter makes her blood run cold, and another ball of flame like what was thrown at the blue-haired Nedian and the blonde-haired human rises up, and... her eyes widen.
It's coming for her.
YEARS AGO - OUTSIDE GUADOSALAM WITH HER FATHER
The Spiran understanding of the White aspects of Althena's Blessing has, in Yevon's reign, reflected a dedication to uniform beliefs in perpetuity. Hardly any spell in Spiran discipline accounted for the differing elemental bloodlines for its supportive sorcery. Cure is shaped like Cure. Haste is shaped like Haste. The teachings kept these sorcerous expressions uniform.
Gon Guado, having been blessed with the healing aspects of Fire and Ice - opposing elements - was always deeply privileged in the breadth of White Magic he could muster. He had all the makings of being one of the best of his generation, and not just among the Guado.
Even he might have glimpsed, somewhat, at a truth that eluded the continent's dominant culture, as he sat with a ten-year-old Timu before a roaring bonfire. His face was stern, as it always was, foremost among the Guado Guardians.
"This fire is so large," a smaller Timu notes, her words reserved, "why are we so close to it?"
"It's warm." Gon says, partially annoyed at what should be common sense, tempered with the udnerstanding this is his lot as a father. "If you stray, you'll freeze."
Timu had watched another Guado Guardian defeat a Fiend with a well-placed Firaga, and struggled with how something that could burn and destroy could also give warmth. She flinched, thinking about it.
Quietly, he intoned a spell - Regen, it was called - as a comfortable, familiar warmth washed around his eldest daughter, as she calmed to the sensation.
"...Your prayer magic is warm too," a young Timu says, innocently of the realities of the sorcery in question.
"So will yours be," he says. "Perhaps you should imagine it more like the bonfire here."
Timu slowly came around to relaxing before the fire.
<Pose Tracker> Timu Guado has posed.
NOW - OUTSIDE GUADOSALAM WITH ALL HER FRIENDS ON ENERGY NEDE
Timu's life is flashing before her eyes, and even Fuecoco's eyes have gotten wide with terror.
Suddenly... a scream. In context, it could the the terror of dying throes in one's final moments, as Timu holds her staff alight. Seraph Yvain, a Fire Seraph of great personal strength, had forged this staff for her, and it withstands the heat. She channels everything she can muster of what prayer magic she learned proficiency with.
She doesn't do it alone.
Rena, in her kindness and resolve, calls down the strength of Cure All, as her Symbological Power helps battle against the highest expression of Symbological might forged into flame.
Timu supplies the rest of it through an entirely foreign discipline and power, channeling the warmth of the flame as Gon had unwittingly deduced it as back then. It burns, this close. It scalds, this close - but she is not rendered unto ash, as warmth wraps around her and disperses against hard-reclaimed split-second serenity that might have made High Summoner Yuna proud.
In this moment, she protects herself *and* Fuecoco.
"I don't know how long Energy Nede's been afraid of you," Timu coughs, having limited oxygen surrounding her to work with in the moment, but this artificial atmosphere has been impeccable in keeping it in good supply. "It can't stay afraid of you forever."
She speaks from experience, as Fuecoco faces forward and steps a short ways again, waiting command. Timu picks up on the body language.
"Fuecoco... use Round," she says, as Fuecoco sings his little heart out in defiance against the doom and gloom, while Timu slumps to a knee. She tries not to think too hard of how close a call it was.
GS: Timu Guado spends 3 Combo on Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: Timu Guado has attacked Michael with Round! GS: Timu Guado gains 31 THP from Regen! GS: Timu Guado has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
Xantia only feels positive emotions about knocking Michael into a building. She doesn't normally care a great deal about collateral damage, she cares about it even less once she loses her temper. Which wouldn't have taken much normally when dealing with the Wise Men, currently elevated to #1 Enemy in her mind. It was just accelerated a bit due to what happened just now. Xantia started caring about those Pokemon more than she herself realized. And now, she will avenge their foolish bravery with even more foolish bravery. Nothing new there, really.
In spite of everything, there's still a grin on Xantia's face when Michael charges her. There are few things more satisfying than exchanging fisticuffs, the area in which she excels. She's ready for that hammerblow, dodging aside swiftly enough to be merely grazed. Immediately, she--
...pauses, at the sudden Pikachu Interrupt. She really should have capitalized on that distraction. Was she... worried about hitting the Pokemon? She glances aside, for the first time noticing that Nedian boy who helped her before (and she still hasn't caught the name of). Did she somehow manage to recognize that Pikachu as his Pikachu? These strange and frankly disturbing developments are stacking up a bit too much for her liking.
But that's when Chase is forced to contend with Michael's full fury, and Xantia instantly regrets her hesitation. No more. "Hey!" She uses only a single word to attract attention, preferring to impress her feelings upon Michael by means of the gigantic hammer of pure electricity that forms between her hands with alarming speed. It's only good for one swing before it explodes in a shower of sparks, but that's generally plenty to make a good impression, literally. Only then does she add a few words... except, they come out sounding far too calm, with an almost cheerful tone.
"Don't think that barrier of yours will save you from me. I'm coming for you. You'll pay. Oh, all of you will pay."
It's just the slightest bit unhinged. This is fine.
GS: Lock State added to Xantia! GS: Xantia has activated Force Action: Boost! GS: Xantia spends 5 Combo on Headshot and Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: Xantia has attacked Michael with Ethereal Weapon Construct! GS: Xantia has gained 1 Combo! GS: Xantia gains 32 THP from Regen! GS: Xantia has completed her action. GS: Michael solidly guards Timu Guado's Round for 95 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Michael gains 1 additional Combo! GS: CRITICAL! Michael suffers a terrible blow from Xantia's Ethereal Weapon Construct for 294 hit points! GS: Hyper applied to Xantia!
<Pose Tracker> Michael has posed.
"I'd like to see you try!" Michael laughs back at Claude, even as he goes flying for the Wise Man. His fist slams into Michael's hand. A shockwave blasts out between them, driving him backward, and Michael hurls Claude back from him.
Then, he looks at Rille. "A lot of people have tried! And I'm here and they're ash!" He laughs again, at that. Even if he frowns--
Well, not the time for a molecular biology lesson.
She grabs his hand -- and he cries out with surprise as he is /lifted/ -- and then Michael gets /slammed into the ground, leaving a large crack in the pavement. He stands -- and sees Xantia's hammer coming.
It throws him back again, smashing him into another building, leaving a massive crater in the facade and a dent in the steel structure underneath. He steps away, dust falling, and looks at Xantia. He grins.
Michael claps both hands together. Then, in the space between Claude, Rille, and Xantia, the air grows hot -- and a ball of fiery light forms. It shudders, before it explodes outward with another shockwave and a fireball that erupts to engulf all three of them unless they move quickly.
"Why should I care!?" Michael snaps back to Rena -- before he looks at her healing spell. His eyes narrow. "The Ten Wise Men... they don't owe that to this world. Or any 'life' out there!"
Then he rushes forward, swinging back his fist -- and slams it for her midsection, as hard as he can. "HWUUAAAH!"
He had left Chase, at that moment, for down and out. So he is surprised, then, as the Nidoran erupts from a Pokeball -- and quills, teeth, and claws slash into him. Michael shouts and turns, before he swings back his fiery fist--
--and the backhanded blow explodes when he slams it for the Nidoran, to smash him away.
Which is when he turns his head towards Timu -- and for the second time, today, is surprised someone isn't down when he thought they should be. His eyes flicker to that staff, as if that might explain it.
"Not long enough," he tells Timu, plainly -- before the Fuecoco's song makes him stumble back. He grunts -- and then he swings his hand out, and a fiery whip extends out, and crashes down for the both of them.
Dias charges in, striking at him. The cross cut into the ground below him explodes, sending him up into the air. "Ngh--can't just stay down, can you--"
Then Chisato's mortar fires. Several fireballs slam into him, smashing him back towards the earth. He lands in a three-point stance on the battered pavement.
And Michael skids back over the ground, hand dragging along the now-ruined street. The stones are scarred black as they do. He pulls his hand backward, then, and fire gathers into it. He grins, looking at Dias and Chisato. "The only thing I'm interested in... IS TURNING UP THE HEAT!"
Then he PUNCHES down into the ground, and sends up another ball of fire that rockets into the air.
The skies are already choked with smoke and even ash now, and the firestorm hasn't quite stopped. It reacts by shuddering -- and then spews forth another column of fire, which slams down directly between Dias and Chisato. It explodes out into another shockwave; another fiery blast that wreaks havoc across Pewter City's streets and nearby buildings. The snowbank that Chisato landed in earlier flash-melts with the wave of the heat, before the fire washes up a stone building.
"SPICULE!"
GS: Michael spends 2 Combo on Headshot! GS: Michael has attacked Claude C. Kenny with Explosion! GS: Michael has attacked Rille Felis with Explosion! GS: Michael has attacked Xantia with Explosion! GS: Michael has gained 1 Combo! GS: Michael has attacked Rena Lanford with Bosom Blow! GS: Michael has gained 1 Combo! GS: Michael spends 2 Combo on Headshot! GS: Michael enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Michael has attacked Chase with Pyroclast Punch! GS: Michael has gained 4 Combo! GS: Michael has attacked Timu Guado with Firewhip! GS: Michael has gained 2 Combo! GS: Michael spends 5 Combo on Headshot and Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Michael has attacked Dias Flac with Spicule! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Michael has attacked Chisato Madison with Spicule! GS: Michael has gained 2 Combo! GS: Michael has attacked Michael with Spontaneous Combustion! GS: Michael has gained 1 Combo! GS: Michael has completed his action. GS: Michael accepts Michael's Spontaneous Combustion for 0 hit points! GS: Dynamax and Hyper applied to Michael! GS: Mighty applied to Michael! GS: Stagger removed from Michael! GS: CRITICAL! Rena Lanford solidly guards Michael's Bosom Blow for 154 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Rena Lanford gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Cover, Mighty, and Riposte applied to Michael! GS: Timu Guado suffers a terrible blow from Michael's Firewhip for 176 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Timu Guado gains 1 additional Combo! GS: CRITICAL! Claude C. Kenny suffers a terrible blow from Michael's Explosion for 311 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Claude C. Kenny gains 1 additional Combo! GS: CRITICAL! Chase suffers a terrible blow from Michael's Pyroclast Punch for 355 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Chase gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Strain! Michael takes 137 damage! GS: CRITICAL! Xantia critically guards Michael's Explosion for 65 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Xantia gains 1 additional Combo! GS: CRITICAL! Rille Felis solidly guards Michael's Explosion for 80 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Rille Felis gains 1 additional Combo! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus! GS: CRITICAL! Dias Flac suffers a terrible blow from Michael's Spicule for 363 hit points! GS: Dias Flac enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: CRITICAL! Chisato Madison suffers a terrible blow from Michael's Spicule for 276 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Chisato Madison gains 1 additional Combo!
<Pose Tracker> Claude C. Kenny has posed.
"WELL JUST WATCH!" Claude shouts back, thrown again back and refusing to stay down, despite the fact that if not for Rena's healing he absolutely would be by now. Xantia's a little worrying, but, "Glad you're on our side," he comments to her as she swings that electric hammer.
A... mortar, from Chisato. That's a thing that happens. So is the gigantic fireball that shudders and explodes, which knocks Claude into a building next as he throws his sword out to shield himself from the blast and is still knocked back by it. Rena's healing comes to the rescue yet again.
He looks over to eye Chase, holding his Pikachu and protecting him from the flames--and his heart almost breaks for him. "HEY!" Claude says. "Leave that kid alone!"
Rena will make them care--but so will Claude. Claude sprints away from Dias and towards Chase, where he takes up a defensive psition in front of him, lifting his sword--
His sword is melted slag. Claude grimaces, and tosses the now-useless weapon away. "Fine," he says. "You want to see what we can do..."
"The Federation won't take you guys lying down any more than Filgaia or Nede will!"
He pulls his Phase Gun, and takes aim. "Now--"
A blast from it BOOMS out towards Michael in a flash of white, exploding in a dome of power when it reaches him!
GS: Claude C. Kenny spends 5 Combo on Headshot and Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: Blitz! Claude C. Kenny has attacked Michael with Sword of Light! GS: Claude C. Kenny has gained 1 Combo! GS: Claude C. Kenny gains 30 THP from Regen! GS: Claude C. Kenny has completed his action. GS: Michael solidly guards Claude C. Kenny's Sword of Light for 127 hit points! GS: Hyper and Shield applied to Claude C. Kenny!
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lanford has posed.
Chisato gets blown away, to which Rena calls in alarm, "Are you alright!?" Then- she pulls out a whole Mortar. Which...
"Oh, she pulled a flamethrower."
Which seems to be Rena's way of saying, she has to be? All her experience with criticall injured people is that they don't tend to pull out flamethrowers.
When she sees him slap away Chase's Nidoran, Rena looks at Chase in alarm as Claude goes to his aid, and- "If you're hurt! You don't have to keep going. We have this."
Whereas she looks in Timu in surprise, as he stands up to one of the Ten Wise Men.
Michael snaps at her, swinging his fist, and Rena suddenly crosses her arms, taking the blow on her wrist guards. The blow hits so hard she feels her wrist joint crack, and she's sent a full three meters back in the snow.
It is only her own lingering magic that causes her to feel that wound start to correct itself.
Panting, she looks up over the heat haze of the town to look at him, a single blue eye visible through the gaps in her gauntlet.
"Wanting to rule the universe, without caring about a single life in it." Is Rena's slow conclusion, as she lowers her hands, "I don't even want to hear you speak anymore."
Seeing Claude's sword is slag, he pulls his 'second' sword, and Rena finds a smile in that reminder.
It's in that moment that her stance shifts more aggressively as if it prompts her forward, and indeed, she moves in closer to him, fists at the ready, but at the moment she does-
"SILENCE!"
Ethereal chains form, of Symbological runes, and attempt to clamp down upon his neck. A bind, attempting to weaken his spellcasting.
"If he wants to see what we can do! Let's show him everyone!"
GS: Rena Lanford has attacked Michael with Silence! GS: Rena Lanford has gained 1 Combo! GS: Rena Lanford's stances have changed from Sage to Hero! GS: Rena Lanford gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: Rena Lanford gains 29 THP from Regen! GS: Rena Lanford has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Timu Guado has posed.
'Not long enough.' The words are chilling, for someone so enveloped in the most destructive aspects of flame, that Timu's fingers clench tightly in tension while Fuecoco's little song comes to an end. There's a look on his face that translates roughly to 'um, now what?'
Michael raises his hand, and Timu looks up again like it might be the precursor to yet another Spicule.
She runs forward, staff in hand, with Fuecoco not too far behind (impressive given the leg stride differences).
The flame whip crashes down on the both of them, but more importantly, it 'latches' around her staff and rips it out of her hands, sending it flying to embed itself into the ground somewhere a bit too far away for her to run and retrieve. The way Michael punches down into the ground a short time after is enough to void her balance that she can't take off for it in the moment anyway.
Fuecoco is thrust on his back by the imapct of the flame whip. Even with inherent protection from fellow Fire-type attacks and the bonus of near-full heals via Rena's Symbology, even he's looking like he's about ready to tag out. "Fuuu.... eeeee... fuuuuuueeee..."
Timu kneels down to lay her hands upon him and hold him close. "My people... no, all of Spira, we spent a thousand years afraid of Sin. Some... only thought better in so much they could use Sin for themselves." Some societal guilt, there, given what Jyascal managed to spin and position the Guado into. (The real question is why it took them so long - nearly until the final years of Sin's reign of terror - to think of converting to and exploiting Yevon for their own benefit, but that will never be answered.)
She doesn't have her staff to focus through, but there's a reason Yevon framed the curative aspects of Althena's Blessing as 'prayer magic,' channeling the power as if in fervent piety - it's undisciplined, in the moment, as she channels her reserves across all who stand and fight against Michael. From her friend Rille, to the brave Claude, to the Nedian prodigy Rena, to the taciturn Dias, to the resolute Chisato, to the driven Xantia, to the journeying Chase and his allies...
Green sparkles of sorcerous energy, though carrying the 'footprint' of the warmth of flame, wash all over. It's not as potent as Rena's Symbological healing, but it comes from the same place of desire.
"I don't want Energy Nede to live in fear like us either," she says with lidded eyes rather than defiant shouting, hugging Fuecoco close.
GS: Timu Guado has attacked Xantia with Cura! GS: Timu Guado has attacked Timu Guado with Cura! GS: Timu Guado has attacked Chisato Madison with Cura! GS: Timu Guado has attacked Dias Flac with Cura! GS: Timu Guado has attacked Chase with Cura! GS: Timu Guado has attacked Rena Lanford with Cura! GS: Timu Guado has attacked Rille Felis with Cura! GS: Timu Guado has attacked Claude C. Kenny with Cura! GS: Timu Guado has gained 1 Combo! GS: Timu Guado gains 27 THP from Regen! GS: Timu Guado has completed her action. GS: CRITICAL! Timu Guado heals Timu Guado! She gains 214 temporary hit points! GS: Shield applied to Timu Guado! GS: Timu Guado heals Rena Lanford! She gains 183 temporary hit points! GS: Shield applied to Rena Lanford! GS: Timu Guado heals Rille Felis! She gains 181 temporary hit points! GS: Shield applied to Rille Felis! GS: Timu Guado heals Xantia! She gains 183 temporary hit points! GS: Shield applied to Xantia! GS: Timu Guado heals Claude C. Kenny! He gains 206 temporary hit points! GS: Shield applied to Claude C. Kenny! GS: Timu Guado heals Chase! He gains 187 temporary hit points! GS: Shield applied to Chase! GS: Timu Guado heals Dias Flac! He gains 183 temporary hit points! GS: Shield applied to Dias Flac! GS: CRITICAL! Timu Guado heals Chisato Madison! She gains 217 temporary hit points! GS: Shield applied to Chisato Madison! GS: Michael solidly guards Rena Lanford's Silence for 0 hit points! GS: Infect! Debuff durations extended!! GS: Hex and Mute applied to Michael!
<Pose Tracker> Rille Felis has posed.
Rille's grin is starting to look slightly feral. "Yeah, well, I'm not ash! I'm Rille Felis, and at this rate you'd better remember it!" No, Rille does not really think she can handle Michael by herself. But she's pretty buzzed on adrenaline right now. When she gets going, she gets *going*.
Rille keeps her fists up, somewhat like a boxer but not entirely. She's self-trained, not part of any organized school, and there's a bit of sloppiness in her technique - or, if not sloppiness, idiosyncrasy. Her style is nothing but her own. None of the other martial artists recognize it, quite.
"What's the matter? Can't keep one beastfolk down?" Every bit of Rille is alert as Michael moves around. Her thick tail lashes, sweeping heavily behind her. "Why don't you kick my fuzzy ass instead of going after the kids and the civilians?" Now she's taunting him, trying to draw attention to herself instead of the other combatants. Rille can take it. She knows she can take it.
Well, she thinks she can take it. The explosion going off right next to her has other ideas.
Rille staggers out of the explosion, slightly smoking. Her shirt is looking a little ragged along her back, where she hunkered down to take the worse of it; beneath it, little gaps of scales and flesh are visible, but it's still hanging in there and so is she. Thanks to Rena and Timu's healing, mostly, but it counts. She'll have to thank Timu later. Right now she doesn't want to draw Michael's attention to her. In fact... better she draw it to herself.
"OVER HERE!" she yells, before she winds up one hell of an uppercut. And Michael may feel like he's being subtly taunted a second way, because as Rille swings the uppercut, reddish chi gathers along her knuckles, spreading down her hand and leaving a trail in the air behind her fist -
Only for it to *detonate* on impact, lancing upward in a great pillar. It's not fire, but a pure explosion of chi - but the difference is somewhat academic aside from the fact that she's not likely to light anything on fire this way.
Well, she wasn't anyway. Anything next to Michael that was flammable already burned.
<Pose Tracker> Dias Flac has posed.
'Just can't stay down, can you--'
"I will not die here," Dias replies, voice flat, eyes flashing.
It might be a contrast to some of the apparent reasons for the others choosing to fight--Xantia and her frankly unnerving desire for justice and/or vengeance, Chisato and her chase for that scoop, Timu and her all-too-recent memories of Sin, and more--but it's him, and it's sincere, and it's resolute.
So naturally, Michael immediately puts that to the test with another Spicule.
This is his third time using it this fight; Dias recognizes it as it comes in. Recognizing it does him no good. If he weren't being constantly supported by Rena's healing, a break coming in only so Timu can heal him and the others instead, he would definitely be dead by now. That's Dias's biggest and most striking thought as that column of flame smashes down in the wake of Michael's ground punch, its shockwave exploding outwards into more flames that once again swallow him up.
The pain is beyond description, that constant in-flow of healing energy keeping him on his feet; he roars defiance, but the sound is swallowed by the Spicule. He lands near Chisato, sheathing his sword, and when he pants, his breath forms black clouds.
"...Bad time to be taking notes," he growls at her--how did he notice she was doing that while he was so focused on Michael?? especially when she was doing so much more eye-catching things between it???--before launching himself back into the fray.
It isn't joy. It isn't fear. It's something else entirely that drives him to keep fighting this particular foe, blade flashing in the red light as he draws with blinding speed. A shockwave bursts forward from the force of his draw, creating another crescent shape--but this time, it reaches all the way to the sky, layering on itself as it smashes towards the Wise Man.
Claude runs off to try to protect Chase, and that's a good thing, in Dias's eyes. The fact that Claude is so protective of others means that Dias can focus on just fighting.
GS: Dias Flac enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Dias Flac has attacked Michael with Pale Moonlight! GS: Dias Flac enters a Counter stance! GS: Dias Flac has gained 2 Combo! GS: Dias Flac gains 27 THP from his Cautious! GS: Dias Flac enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Dias Flac gains 30 THP from Regen! GS: Dias Flac has completed his action. GS: Rille Felis has activated Force Action: Lock On! GS: Rille Felis spends 2 Combo on Headshot! GS: Rille Felis has attacked Michael with Dynamite Knuckle! GS: Rille Felis has gained 2 Combo! GS: Rille Felis gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: Rille Felis gains 26 THP from Regen! GS: Mighty expired! GS: Rille Felis has completed her action. GS: Michael suffers a terrible blow from Rille Felis's Dynamite Knuckle for 243 hit points! GS: Cripple and Delay applied to Michael! GS: Shield applied to Rille Felis! GS: Michael enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: CRITICAL! Michael suffers a terrible blow from Dias Flac's Pale Moonlight for 240 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Chase has posed.
A powerful fist explodes into Nidoran with force and fire, and there is a brief second upon contact where Nidoran might swear time has stopped, letting out a little whine, before time resumes and its tiny body is sent flying, crashing away. Chase stares, trying to lift his hand before it falls back down at his side.
Blearily, he hears voices. Split, blurry images slowly merge together and solidfy into Claude's form. Chase remembers him, he thinks? Pikachu's calling, gently nudging him with a paw as the rest of the world struggles to come into being. Another voice, Rena's, mentions something about not having to keep going.
But he does. He can't just... just...
Green sparkles sink onto his skin with the warmth of a hearth. Chase's senses seem to resurface as if from a dark ocean. He gasps for breath and he finally finds the strength he needs to push himself back up. He looks to Timu, watching her work her magic, and looks to where Nidoran fell.
The small Pokemon pops his head out of rubble, nose wriggling. He sneezes as a bit of glittering, green light lands on his nose. Then he hops free completely, roaring with his tiny voice again before looking directly at Chase. Pikachu looks up at him, too, and the other ball at his belt explodes open. Ponyta stomps a hoof and acts as a crutch. Chase looks from one to the other.
Together, they don't have to live in fear.
Another call whistles, and three Pokemon -- Pikachu, Ponyta, and Nidoran -- race to converge upon Michael with trails of electricity, flame, and burrowed earth, colliding as one.
GS: Chase enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Blitz! Chase has attacked Michael with Triple Finish! GS: Chase enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Chase gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: Chase gains 28 THP from Regen! GS: Chase has completed his action. GS: Michael solidly guards Chase's Triple Finish for 48 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Chisato Madison has posed.
"Oh neat, pretty effective," Chisato observes of her flamethrower. She tucks it away again, uh, somehow. "Though I guess now I have some questions about how typing works with you boys."
She fiddles with something in her jacket a moment longer, then pulls out her gun again, pulling it high sees a GIGANTIC FIREBALL HEADING DIRECTLY FOR HER.
"ah," she says, as she turns into a sketch and explodes. Fire erupts in every direction, trails of it exploding skyward like the throns of a damned crown.
Chisato is ALSO sent sailing through the air by that hit, the air lensing faintly around a Nedian Symbological-technology defensive field. Similar to what the Wise Men use, but the scale and nature of that power is like night and day. For instance, when she lands, it's with her face in a snow drift and her ass in the air.
She yanks herself out with a cough and shakes her head thoroughly, wiping snow out of her hair. Dias lands and gives her some advice, and she turns on him with a serious narrowing of the eyes. "Good eyes. But I want to remember this like it really happened," she says back, and turns around to get herself back to her feet. Dias rushes back in and Chisato spends a moment rolling her neck and shoulder, then does a couple experimental high-knees as if testing her flexibility for the day.
Then she slams her sneaker into the ground and chi sparks through her, circulating along and through her meridians. "Guess the old master wouldn't like it much if I didn't earnestly inform you that you are not welcome. So there. That's your warning."
Then she surges - godspeed-darting across the distance, afterimages skipping along paving stones until she's already in Michael's inferno aura. "Jingu-style...!"
Her arms blur, striking over and over against the Wise Man's defense, vanishing into nonsensical swaths of movement.
"Thousand Fists!"
GS: Blitz added to Chisato Madison! GS: Chisato Madison has activated Force Action: Boost! GS: Chisato Madison spends 3 Combo on Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: Blitz! Chisato Madison has attacked Michael with Jingu-Style Thousand Fists! GS: Chisato Madison gains 35 THP from Regen! GS: Regen expired! GS: Chisato Madison has completed her action. GS: Gamble: Moderate! Michael solidly guards Chisato Madison's Jingu-Style Thousand Fists for 117 hit points! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus!
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
Xantia grins right back at Michael. She's just... standing there, watching him pull free from the second building she's (technically indirectly) caused the destruction of today. Just waiting for him to come back at her again. As if there's some kind of understanding there.
Xantia did note it before, the way the Wise Men feel somehow similar to herself. It's something about their nature. Especially those like Michael, who almost certainly have combat as their primary reason for being. Considering everything, that must be true for her as well. And that doesn't really bother her. There's a lot of good she can use her abilities for.
Well, that's the way she'd usually think. But right now, Xantia isn't thinking in the way she usually does. As calm as she looks, below the surface... there is a gleeful, almost playful sort of malice bubbling to the surface. If Xantia were fighting herself right now, she might be a little reminded of Id, back in the early days. Nothing worrying about having similar vibes to the Demon of Elru, certainly.
She doesn't visibly react, when the explosion of fire is sent her way. It may appear as if she just stood there calmly and let herself be incinerated. But, when the smoke clears, Xantia is standing there in the same spot as before, arms crossed in front of her. One may catch a glimpse of the glow of her bracers, and the remnants of flames vanishing into them, the magic being absorbed. Looking none the worse for wear, she lowers her bracers, still grinning. What little damage was done is summarily healed by her allies, once again.
"This is pointless, you know that don't you?" She questions, with an overdramatic shrug. "I know I can't kill you, and - though you're free to try - you can't kill me."
She stretches out her right arm to the side, emitting what seems to be a beam of light at first, until it solidifies, quickly reshaping itself in the form of an intricate blade. A greatsword to be precise, which while a two-handed weapon, she has no trouble wielding with one.
And then she appears to vanish, reappearing above Michael, dropping down with her own brand of Sword of Light. Clearly that Pikachu had the right idea. Just needed a little more oomph.
Unlike the hammer, though, the sword sticks around after her strike. Upon landing, Xantia outstretches the construct of light to point in Michael's direction. "So? What'll it be? Wanna keep going, or...?"
GS: Xantia has attacked Michael with Radiant Blade! GS: Xantia enters a Counter stance! GS: Xantia has gained 3 Combo! GS: Xantia gains 31 THP from Regen! GS: Xantia has completed her action. GS: Michael partially guards Xantia's Radiant Blade for 139 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Michael has posed.
"Your Federation--"
The Phase Gun fires. White, consuming light engulfs Michael. For a fleeting second, all of the Symbols in his robes and body flare -- and then he vanishes in the light. As it fades, his arms are crossed; parts of his robes are burnt away at the edges, and there's scorch marks across him.
But he is whole. He is unbroken.
"--isn't gonna be ENOUGH!"
Ethereal chains bind him -- searing into him -- and he finds his grip on his spellcasting wavering, for a moment, as they wrap around his neck. "Ngh--!"
His eyes, one wide and another a glowing ember, look to Timu. "A thousand years is a blink of an eye to me!" he snaps. "What is a thousand years of fear? Nothing!"
Which is when Rille's uppercut strikes him. Red chi explodes, a pillar of light hurtling him upward. He flies upward -- then flips, and lands on the ground. "Nngh--!"
Did he learn her name? (Yes, actually.)
He turns towards Dias, and he punches the shockwave. It explodes about his fist, but it slams him backward again. And this time, Michael stumbles more. The Wise Man can, it seems, be worn down.
He looks up, then, as three Pokemon rush him at once. Ponyta is blocked with his left arm, flame exploding as the two meet; Nidoran with his right, sending up a rain of stone. And he crosses both arms, lightning exploding as Pikachu lands, sparks exploding off him.
He uncrosses his arms. Before he even blinks, Chisato is there -- afterimages trailing after -- and multiple strikes slam into him. She finds it like the blows landed by Xantia and Rille: like punching something as much steel as flesh, even as he is forced backward with each strike.
"We're not interested in an invitation--"
And Xantia's greatsword of light swings down from above, slamming into his crossed arms once again. A shockwave blasts out from around him, even as she vanishes. Xantia reappears, a distance away. He uncrosses his arms, and then he grins at her.
"I'm not done yet," he says. "I'm not ready to be turned over! We'll see who can kill WHO!"
Then he leaps into the air, and punches the battered earth. Another ball of flame explodes up into the air. It detonates amidst the churning smoke, ash, and fire above; then, a column of fire smashes down behind Xantia and in front of Rille. It explodes in a fiery blast, a massive shockwave of flame roaring toward them.
"SPICULE!"
And Michael bounces up from the rebound of that punch. He does a tight midair cartwheel, then lands amidst the ground. Both fists slam into the street. It cracks; rebar is blown backward, concrete is shattered, and another sphere of flame is hurled into the air.
The fiery clouds above swirl, churn, and and meet it. They explode -- and a second column of fire slams down, just before Michael. He raises both arms, crossing them, as the flame rushes over him. Past him. His robes burn; his ember-eye FLARES with Symbological light.
And onward, towards everyone fighting him, a final explosive burst of fire and fury. And over it, Michael shouts again:
"SPICULE!"
GS: Michael has become ENRAGED! GS: Michael spends 5 Combo on Headshot and Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Michael has attacked Rille Felis with Spicule! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Michael has attacked Xantia with Spicule! GS: Michael has gained 2 Combo! GS: Michael has attacked Michael with Spontaneous Combustion! GS: Michael has gained 2 Combo! GS: Delay expired! GS: CRITICAL! Michael accepts Michael's Spontaneous Combustion for 0 hit points! GS: Enrage! Cover, Dynamax, Hex, Hyper, Mighty, and Riposte removed! GS: Dynamax and Hyper applied to Michael! GS: Mighty applied to Michael! GS: Stagger removed from Michael! GS: Michael spends 5 Combo on Headshot and Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Michael has attacked Xantia with Spicule! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Michael has attacked Chisato Madison with Spicule! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Michael has attacked Chase with Spicule! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Michael has attacked Dias Flac with Spicule! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Michael has attacked Rille Felis with Spicule! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Michael has attacked Timu Guado with Spicule! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Michael has attacked Rena Lanford with Spicule! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Michael has attacked Claude C. Kenny with Spicule! GS: Michael has gained 1 Combo! GS: Enrage purges all positive status! GS: Michael has completed his action. GS: Michael has completed his action. GS: Chisato Madison has activated Force Action: Accelerate! GS: CRITICAL! Chisato Madison suffers a terrible blow from Michael's Spicule for 381 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Chisato Madison gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Enrage! Blitz and Shield removed! GS: Rille Felis has activated Force Action: Guard! GS: CRITICAL! Rille Felis solidly guards Michael's Spicule for 110 hit points! GS: Enrage! Quick, Regen, and Shield removed! GS: CRITICAL! Rille Felis suffers a terrible blow from Michael's Spicule for 325 hit points! GS: CRITICAL! Claude C. Kenny solidly guards Michael's Spicule for 166 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Claude C. Kenny gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Enrage! Lock state removed! GS: Chase takes a glancing hit from Michael's Spicule for 119 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Chase gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Enrage! Blitz, Burst, Regen, and Shield removed! GS: Rena Lanford has activated Force Action: Accelerate! GS: CRITICAL! Rena Lanford takes a glancing hit from Michael's Spicule for 178 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Rena Lanford gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Enrage! Lock state removed! GS: FP up! Arcane Font! GS: COUNTER! Dias Flac counterattacks Michael with Counter Attack! GS: CRITICAL! Dias Flac solidly guards Michael's Spicule for 230 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Dias Flac gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Enrage! Hyper, Regen, and Shield removed! GS: Charge!! You gain 60 FP! (That's 45 more than usual!) GS: COUNTER! Xantia counterattacks Michael with Light Buster! GS: CRITICAL! Xantia suffers a terrible blow from Michael's Spicule for 408 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Xantia gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Enrage! Lock state removed! GS: CRITICAL! Michael suffers a terrible blow from Dias Flac's Counter Attack for 269 hit points! GS: Michael has Fallen! He is no longer able to fight! GS: CRITICAL! Xantia solidly guards Michael's Spicule for 134 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Xantia gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Enrage! Hyper, Regen, and Shield removed! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus! GS: Healthy! For entering Condition Green, Xantia receives 100 temporary hit points. GS: Xantia enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Michael has Fallen! He is no longer able to fight! GS: CRITICAL! Michael partially guards Xantia's Light Buster for 197 hit points! GS: Michael has Fallen! He is no longer able to fight! GS: Timu Guado has activated Force Action: Guard! GS: CRITICAL! Timu Guado suffers a terrible blow from Michael's Spicule for 332 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Timu Guado gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Enrage! Regen, Shield, and Surge removed! GS: Michael has Fallen! He is no longer able to fight! GS: Timu Guado has Fallen! She is no longer able to fight!
<Pose Tracker> Dias Flac has posed.
'I want to remember this like it really happened,' Chisato says.
"Hm," Dias grunts, and leaves it at that--for now. It'll be something to consider later, though.
Something else to consider later: the way Xantia says that Michael can't kill her, any more than she can kill him. Is she saying that because of how much healing energy has been getting poured into them thus far, or is there something deeper to it?
Regardless, as Xantia generates her *own* Sword of Light--and a true one, rather than Claude's phase gun--Dias wheels around Michael in the wake of his Pale Moonlight. Michael may punch into the shockwave, but that affords an instant where Dias can get behind him. Michael casts Spicule upon Spicule, leaping up off his own ground punch to rain down yet more fury.
Dias is hardly exempt from that. The fiery clouds rain hell on him as much as anyone else. But just before they impact, he completes his swivel and raises Swallowblade up to repeat that massive shockwave of his own that he unleashed earlier--but now aimed *up*, to slam into Michael from underneath with massive, radiant force that cuts through the heavens, just before the second Spicule envelopes everything.
<Pose Tracker> Timu Guado has posed.
'A thousand years is a blink of an eye to me!' Based on that asymmetrical pair, Timu could believe it, and there's a scale here she can't begin to comprehend. Spira was ruled by a thousand years of endless death and destruction. What even happened to Energy Nede, even accounting for the likeness that circumstances more or less turned a single continent into an entire world by their perceptions?
A thousand years of fear as nothing, shouted with such sincerity, is a level of terror incomprehensible.
Fuecoco remains buried in her arms as others take their strikes at an implacable force of nature. She wasn't there for it, and only heard of it in periphery of Guado devouts as mockery for the sacrifice of 'foolish Otherworlders and heathens' - Operation Mi'ihen. (If it worked, they would have lost a lot of their luxuries and influence.) She wonders, in the moment, of what's going on here must have been something like this, even if the scale of destruction is muted only in the sense that Michael isn't flattening as large of an area in his wake.
And only that sense.
'SPICULE!' Timu isn't at the epicenter of it like Rille and Xantia are, but the sheer blowback is enough to throw both Trainer and Pokemon back across the scenery. Timu lands face-down, clawed hands scratching into the ground as Fuecoco rolls onto his back a ways away.
Then, to her horror - everyone's - Michael bounces up again, another one.
'SPICULE!'
An injured, bloodied, scorched Timu takes out Fuecoco's Pokeball, holding it up at level so there's line of sight and a clear line - something she was told was important for pulling back any misbehaving 'mons. (The closest she's gotten with that is Moteray drifting off a little too far into weird places.)
"...Fuecoco," she intones weakly, "return."
Fuecoco disappears into light, and escapes back into his ball moments before impact, and the concussive force, sweltering heat, and consumed oxygen is a bit too much for an untested Drifter of her age and experience to withstand another time, as the world grows dark.
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
Not done yet, huh. Xantia had seemed unconcerned with how the battle was progressing, but when Michael makes that declaration, she does draw back her sword, and holds it overhead in a ready stance. "Alright. Then give it your best shot." She may not sound any more concerned than before, but make no mistake - she is taking this as seriously as it warrants.
At least she has a pretty good idea of what's coming, Michael has made it pretty obvious what move he likes the most. It doesn't make dealing with it much easier. Thankfully, she has several advantages. She has her bracers' anti-magic capabilities firing at all cylinders, and her own fiery aura can counteract at least some fire-elemental damage. Between that and the protective magic she's been bombarded with during the battle... she's confident that she should be capable of withstanding this.
That doesn't mean it's exactly a pleasant experience. She needed every single one of those protective elements to not be burned to ash where she stands. With them, however... she pushes ahead, forcing herself directly through the oncoming shockwave. By the end of it, she looks heavily battered, having incurred a number of very painful-looking burns. And yet... she's grinning. Even if not easily visible, those burns are already healing - she knows she'll going to be fine, and she's looking to rub it in. Say something about his best not being good enough.
Except... Michael is already winding up for a second Spicule. That is one too many Spicules at once. So she launches herself at him, driven by the suddenly critical need to put a stop to that. Throwing her weight and momentum behind it, she STABS the giant sword forward, upon which it abruptly loses its cohesion, launched forward in the form of a searing ray of magical light. She couldn't quite keep that second blast from happening... but at least this one wasn't launched with her directly at its center.
<Pose Tracker> Michael has posed.
The Swallowblade slices upward. A shockwave rips off it -- slams into Michael, and it pitches him up into the air. He cries out, with surprise--
And Xantia breaks through the shockwave, grinning, and that sword of her slams into him. He is smashed through the flames. As they begin to whisk away, he smashes into a building. He crumples, sliding down it -- and then Symbols light up all across him.
He is teleported away, still dazed, before he can hit the ground.
As the flames clear, a few young men and women are jogging up. They have brown jackets on, with blue jeans -- the uniform of the Gym. Behind them are police.
"Oh, thank heavens!" the one in the lead says. She sighs with relief. "Are you okay!? I'm glad you're here--these strange Pokemon attacked the Gym--"
A man next to her shakes his head. "Looked like regular ones, but all wrong... it tied up Brock... good thing you were here!"
<Pose Tracker> Claude C. Kenny has posed.
Dias has Claude's number. That's how he is; he sees someone who needs protecting, and he'll do it. But Chase isn't the only one who might. A Spiran--someone who knows intimately how it is to live with fear--is healing them then, and Claude feels the warmth of that fire.
"Thanks!" he calls to Timu, and keeps up his post before Chase. Three Pokemon converge, and Claude thinks for a moment of the new friends he's made here. ...He won't send them against Michael. But he'll fight anyway.
...Xantia... can't be killed? Claude looks at her for a moment--and watches that hammer of light.
Not just one SPICULE, but two. Claude struggles to stay upright even through all the healing, and he wonders.
His Federation isn't going to be enough. Is that true? Given Nede's technology...
"Y-yeah," Claude says, when the Gym trainers come up and are glad they're here. Strange Pokemon...
"Yeah, it's... a good thing..."
He isn't getting up for a little while.
<Pose Tracker> Rille Felis has posed.
Rille glances over at Chisato when she plants in the snowdrift. Well, she thinks. It could be worse. It could be in a stonedrift. Must be embarrassing, though.
More of her attention is on Michael. It has to be, because if she doesn't she *will* die; for all her smart mouth and literally daring him to take shots at her, she doesn't rate her chances very highly if he goes after her entirely, and not at all if she doesn't give him the respect he deserves there, if not in her words.
Not one, but two pillars of fire lance down. One in front of her, which sends her backwards, reeling, hands in front of her face to cover it from the flames - and another, moments later, sending her literally tumbling away to land on her back, breathing hard. Healing spells have kept her up so far, but there's a limit to how far those can push her and she's hitting it.
She still tries. Rille manages to push herself to one knee, and then her feet. The adrenaline's still hitting strong; she *knows* she's worse off than she feels, because she can't catch her breath; her sides are heaving, but she lurches as if stepping to protect the downed Timu.
It ends up unnecessary. Michael teleports. Rille plants both hands on her knees and gasps for air, only raising up after a few moments of that. "I got her," she says, now moving toward Timu to check on her.
Police...
Rille isn't a big fan of police. Even if they are here to help.
<Pose Tracker> Chase has posed.
Chase's assault is fended off, and another follows. He whistles, low and urgent, as the fire roils again. Ponyta slams a hoof down, extended and head lowered, for Nidoran and Pikachu to leap aboard. A full gallope is made, trying to get out of range of the fire, before another whistle from Chase.
Full trust, no hesitation, Ponyta spins around to face the flames and rears up, slamming his hooves down as bright, brilliant sunlight shines as if from within in the face of Spicule. Chase dashes toward them, grabbing hold with the three while they endure the firestorm. And then another.
The four of them all crumple in a heap together, Chase half collapsed over Ponyta, one hand on Pikachu's head, the other arm around Nidoran. The two smaller Pokemon nuzzle and lick him, while Ponyta weakly cranes his head halfway back.
Chase turns, leaning against Ponyta as he holds Nidoran and Pikachu, staring up at the sky and trying to calm his breathing. The light of the fire still burns in his vision. His legs do not want to work. His ears are still ringing.
This isn't the type of battle Chase spent his entire childhood imagining Pokemon having. Not the sorts of video feeds he watched with Elaine. Nothing he ever read prepared him for what's happening to Nede now.
He holds his hand up toward the sky, looking through his fingers in a daze. Pikachu's face appears before him. "Pika!" She smooshes her cheek to his and pointing to the others around the battlefield. Rille and Chisato relentlessly kept on the pressure. Claude, who defended him. Dias and Xantia, who fought even when it looked like it was over. Rena, who kept everyone upright. Timu, who dragged him back from the brink.
Pikachu looks back at face, smile bright despite singed fur and exhaustion worn openly.
"Pi, pikachu!"
He understands. Chase rests his hand on her head.
'Let's go. Everyone.'
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lanford has posed.
"Wait she really was taking notes!?"
Rena gawks, as what Dias called out turns out to be accurate.
Rena wonders what notes one can even take other than suddenly there is fire, and even more fire!?
As Timu heals them as well, Rena hears his words his earnest desire, his guilt, and tells him, "It won't. Not with your support."
She doesn't either. Something just tells her that her Mother loved Nede. She just knows it.
She doesn't want her home to become like Spira. She feels her fist tightening as she hears Dias say how he won't die here today.
"You won't."
Is Rena's quiet answer, because unlike before...
...she won't be late.
The Ten Wise Man's own resolve is strong towards survival, his power clear, as he bounces up from the power of that punch into a fiery maelstrom of chaos.
Down he comes! Again! And again.
The heat of the flames is so intense, she feels her eyebrows burning, but this time she watches as Dias blade is ready for him, as is Timu, and Xantia-
-the man teleports away.
And Rena just, sags to the ground beside Claude into the puddles of melted snow. The police come and... there was an attack at the gym?
Rena IS interested, but right now the police can and probably should handle it, at least, until they can get up.
After a moment she tiredly asides to Claude.
"Snow would feel pretty nice... right about now."
A beat.
"Jerk."
She means, Michael, for melting the snow.
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
Even if she didn't entirely avoid it, Xantia's exposure to the second Spicule is mercifully short. She does have her limits, even if she was making a show out of how much she could take. Point made, perhaps?
Aaaand that's a third building she's knocked Michael into. Oops. At least he's leaving, though she's not entirely certain how much of that was Michael's decision. "...Heh," is the only sound that leaves her lips.
Then... she blinks a few times, and grimaces. "Ow ow ow, everything hurts..." She looks around, appearing confused. "Wait... where'd that guy go? What happened?" This is definitely not the situation as she remembered it being just a second ago, leading her to question, "...Did I black out?"
She is surprised by Shoo suddenly appearing next to her, bouncing in the air seeming overjoyed, sing-songing 'Shuppet Shuppet'. "Wha-- you're okay? What about--" The Ralts, however, is still in Fainted status. As soon as the gym trainers and police arrive, Xantia is quick to signal to them, "Hey, I have a Pokemon who needs help over here!" Surely they'll have some recovery items on hand... Xantia never imagined she'd need those.
In all the commotion, she's quick to forget about her condition, and Shoo mysteriously being fine. Though maybe others will have spotted the fallen Shuppet raising its head, its eyes glowing red, shortly before Xantia snapped out of it and Shoo's following sudden recovery...
<Pose Tracker> Chisato Madison has posed.
Chisato has a sense of how tough that defense is going to be, but even so, she's surprised by how firm that resistance is. She cuts back once the others begin their own next offensive, skipping nimbly away...which just puts her back in range of Spicule Number She Lost Count. "Wow just...really keeps it coming, huh," she says, sets her feet, and then totally fails to launch herself away; she arcs helplessly through the air, smashing into and through a street lamp and lands jumbled up against a now-soot-stained street planter. "Ohhh that one stung," she groans, rolling herself back to a sit and then kipping up to her feet nimbly. She takes a brief breath of too-hot Pewter City air, and then...oh, there's the cops. Annnd the Gym staff. hmmm. ...Her eyes flick to Dias.
hmmmm. chisato's in a pickle.
"Oh, hey, Brock's at the Gym what are the odds of that I'm gonna go get a statement byyYYYYYEEE" she says, and sprints at full speed in the complete opposite direction.
<Pose Tracker> Dias Flac has posed.
Though he hadn't intended on it, Dias's follow-up attack knocks Michael unsteady enough for Xantia to come in grinning and whallop Michael into a nearby building. That's enough to seemingly knock him dizzy, and his Symbological shielding teleports him away.
Dias watches this closely. Was that an automatic reaction after reaching a certain threshhold of damage? Michael's regeneration *had* been slowing over time. Or was someone monitoring Michael's status and actively called him back?
Questions they won't get the answers to anytime soon, he suspects. For now, he looks over at Xantia and gives her a single nod. Whatever *her* deal is, she's certainly piqued his interest--especially when she seems to *forget* the moment that just passed, and her Shuppet's eyes glow red.
For now, he sheathes Swallowblade as the trainers from Pewter Gym come running up. Dias notes them and what they say about "wrong Pokemon" and tying up Brock, but otherwise pays them little mind. He looks to Timu, brave but over her head, who's sunk unconscious; fortunately, Rille goes to her side and announces as much. He looks to Chase and his three Pokemon; Pikachu in particular is pointing around, and the two of them might note Dias watching. He doesn't go to their sides, though, and soon he looks away to Claude, sinking to his knees in a daze in the wake of an overwhelming battle. Rena sinks down next to him, clearly exhausted, but still in one piece, and still conscious.
Then finally he frowns at Chisato.
Chisato meets his eyes.
Chisato dead-ass runs away at full speed.
"Hmmm," he repeats, and, for now, lets her.
For now, he hobbles over to Rena and Claude, and slumps down into a sit next to them in silence. Investigating that strange woman, and asking the authorities more about those "wrong" Pokemon, will come later. Now is the time for them all to catch their breaths.