2024-04-20: Moebius

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<Pose Tracker> Loren Voss has posed.

    Any minute now, there'll be trouble. Loren is fairly certain he could set a timer and it would be accurate down to the second. There won't be any slinking out the back door undetected this time -- not that it's been the case any of the previous times.

    But that's fine too. He'd gotten an unexpected reprieve after the last attempt: a little good fortune for him, for once. Command had been quite interested in the notebook Graveler had found for him. Leah had even sounded pleased. And once, that would have been sufficient.

    It wasn't enough for her -- or the rest of them, though. He'd been ordered to go out again, this time with a specific target in mind. There was a certain something made by a certain company that Command had learned about and wanted -- something that couldn't just be bought. It's a very rare and limited something, and after he'd asked why and what it did, well, Leah had told him.

    "Okay. Back away now. Keep your hands where I can see them, and no calling to any Pokemon," Loren tells the head of Silph Co.'s research, who does exactly as commanded. Whether they're worried about what hidden powers the Strangers might have, or are just concerned about starting another fight in the middle of the lab isn't clear, but it amounts to the same thing as far as he's concerned.

    Getting in here hadn't been easy: the fallen and disabled security personnel scattered about the lab attest to that. Getting across what they'd wanted and securing 'that' also hadn't been easy. But that part's done now and here comes the inevitable trouble--

    After all, he's well aware that the alarms have been going off for the last three minutes. 

<Pose Tracker> Monster Mash has posed.

As before, Loren has backup.

    Today, there are two other agents with him. A big, burly blonde man stands at his flank, keeping eye contact with the Director in a transparent attempt at intimidation--aided by a pair of reflective sunglasses. As Loren gives his command, the blonde man idly reaches out a gloved hand, and curls his fingers. Atmospheric moisture condenses into an orb in his palm, a simple but clear gesture of Etheric sorcery. The message: he could exercise his power here, but he won't. He doesn't need to.

    "Their law enforcement is on its way, Captain," says Loren's other partner, a rangy woman with dark, curly hair. "We--we don't have much time." She reaches for her belt, and draws a Pokeball. She passes it back and forth from hand to hand, equal parts preparation and nervous fidgeting.

<Pose Tracker> Jessie and James has posed.

    "We're so lucky those Strangers decided to attack now!" Jessie crows, as she sneaks through a different part of the Silph Co, all the guards already laid low.

    "But we can't find any rare Pokemon..." James bemoans, as he lifts a pot-plant to see if there might be one hiding beneath.

    It's Meowth who opens an Item Ball in the storage area -- only to retrieve a lovely little bracelet. His big eyes positively shine, as he holds it up. "Mra, mrowr!" He meows, hugging the jewellery.

    Of course it means something to him.

    "Huh? What did you find, Meowth?" Jessie asks, as she leans over to look. Her own eyes grow three sizes, with a broad grin. "Hey! That's a Dynamax Band! What a good cat!"

    "Ma, mraa!" Meowth chirps, brightly.

    "Things are finally looking up!" James declares, as the three of them round a corner...

    ... and come face-to-face with the company Lapras.

    "Wow!" Jessie exclaims. "And a rare Pokemon, right here! All right!" She puts on that Dynamax Band, and points at it -- "Meowth, go ahead and Dynamax right now so we can catch it!"

    "Mra?" Meowth asks, tilting his head, because there's no Wishing Star in the Band.

    "Lappppp," Lapras scowls, as it opens its broad mouth.

    "Eeehhh?!" James yelps, as he watches it charge up an Ice Beam --

    -- and it sends Team Rocket blasting out through a window, twinkling into the sky. "Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off already...!!!"

    That angry beam serves as an excellent extra alarm to alert everyone outside the facility that something is wrong. Silph Co is under attack--!!

GS: Your next attack with the Counter flag will display with the name irrational number.

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Ragnell has posed.

    Solaris has been awfully active in Nede lately. Ragnell doesn't like it. Of course, it's easily not to like the activity of a group you didn't like in the first place, but semantics! It's more than enough cause for Ragnell to skulk around Nede looking for the next big thing Solaris does.
    
    Lucky for her, that wait isn't a long one. She's in Saffron City, peering over the vistas from atop one of its skyscrapers, when the alarms start screaming over at the Silph Co. HQ nearby. Not necessarily Ragnell's business--not even when Team Rocket goes blasting off again, right through a window and into a twinkle in the distant sky--but more than enough to draw her interest and to poke her nose in. Who's going to stop her when, by and large, they can't see her?
    
    And so, as Loren is holding up Silph Co's head researcher to keep their hands where he can see them, Ragnell is skulking on inside the building. She stops a short distance away, tilting up the brim of her cowboy hat, red eyes glittering in its shadow. She doesn't do anything about the hold-up just yet, even though the sight of Loren confirms that this is Solaris business. First, she wants to know just what that business is in the first place. 

<Pose Tracker> Sable Aomori has posed.

Sable Aomori was here for the tour, and also to inquire about the matter of certain Pokemon transformations of which she is aware. She has researcher parents; she knows a lot of things some might not.

But when she arrives...

"...?" Sable says, looking over the disabled security personnel and the cowering receptionist. The receptionist sees her and her friends--

"You should get out of here! The Visitors have gone crazy!"

"..." Sable looks down, and nods. "I won't look away. Which way did they go?"

Then, on the way there, there's a terrible crash from a higher floor--the Ice Beam blasting Team Rocket off, presumably. For some reason Sable doesnt meet them today!

But soon, the girl in the fur-collared jacket steps into the room, Pokeballs at her belt. "...We're not law enforcement," she tells Germaine.

?"But we won't let you do this."

"Mr. Loren..."

Sable looks at him. "You're not a nice man."

She is a very tall girl, with gray-blue eyes and dark brown hair. Her gaze is steely. 

<Pose Tracker> Sable Aomori has posed.

Sable flips a Pokeball up into her hand seemingly from nowhere, though it's now missing at her belt, and points it down. Ulpi the Prinplup now stands before her, like a penguin in a dapper blue suit. "Prin!"

He doesn't look any happier than she does. 

<Pose Tracker> Blue Oak has posed.

An Aerodactyl flies overhead, carrying one Blue Oak. It approaches Silph Co., landing outside the nearest entrance and listening to the alarms.

Blue Oak does not really show his trainer card. He can, if needed, but he thinks being a tall fifteen year old walking confidently is really enough show around these parts.

What he DOES carry is a large soda and a rolled up paper bag. As he steps into the fray, slowly, he stops to take note of the three people in charge. A boss, unlikely to reason. Two goons, one making threatening motions and one nervously fidgeting.

That nervous fidgeting is all he needs, as he nods to Sable. Teenagers stopping crime is a rite of passage!

"You guys the ones robbing all the high-tech places? It stinks. Why don't we talk about it? I mean, better than butts getting kicked and people getting mad at each other in my leg of the cosmos."

He unfurls the bag, revealing...

Like, a dozen burgers.

"You want a burger? They're pretty good. I got some condiments, too. Ketchup, mustard, mayo..."

He trusts his reaction time enough to grab a Pokeball, but he might get a little hurt in the process. He can get help for that.

But you can't help cockiness, really. 

<Pose Tracker> Nina Chiyome has posed.

Nina's along for the ride with Sable, though while there's plenty of interesting things around, she seems at least a little distracted. Museums aren't entirely her thing until she gets there. That sort of vibe.
 
 There's a warning from the guard though. "I think most of the aliens are a bit strange honestly." Before catching herself and realizing what's actually up. She suddenly looks a lot more focused here and now instead of looking around the surrounding area!
 
 Following Sable up with a, "Now who's wreckless?" Tone teasing. Though truth be told she'd probably have done this with or without the friend. Said friend needs ribbing though.
 
 There's a flat 'really' look from Nina at the declaration. More teasing later. "You know you can just buy most of their products right?" Not that her taunts are any better.
 
 She's thrown out her quilava though! "Hey Poppy!" is her greeting. Though there's less excitement at first from the pokemon. Who stifles a yawn, then shakes herself out before suddenly flaring to life with vaguely purplish flames. 

DC: Luna Meitner switches forms to Luna Meitner, Wandering Speargirl!
DC: Luna Meitner switches forms to Luna Meitner, Wandering Speargirl!

<Pose Tracker> Timu Guado has posed.

    Timu's with Sable for the tour, more for matters of hanging out with friends. The Guado teenager gets a bit more alert as they head inside, like a part of her recognizes something might be amiss. A few seconds later, things absolutely are. Security personnel are to either side, and the receptionist...
 
     'The Visitors have gone crazy!'
 
     Timu goes silent, hands over her chest as Sable asks for directions. Timu doesn't have it in her to ask if it's Biggs and Wedge again, so Sable taking charge is appreciated in the moment.
 
     A terrible crash occurs, and Timu takes off like a rocket. She only slows down to let Sable go ahead of her to where Loren and his back-up are in the middle of doing 'a crime,' a concept of which Energy Nede as a whole is slowly coming to grips with having to accept is a true and real thing.
 
     "Why are you even doing this?" Timu asks on the heels of Sable saying her feelings on the matter simply. With Nina and Sable summoning one of their Pokemon friends, Timu takes a hold of one such ball too, head bowed as she remembers that fateful day at the festival...
 
     "Hestrol!" She calls, tossing out the ball as some space is thus filled up by the whale-like Pokemon with an almost sing-song 'Strooooooo.'
 
     Timu rests one of her hands by their side in reassurance, where the Pokemon was once wounded by other Visitors.
 
     "You should leave." Timu says this, but doesn't think for a moment that Hestrol's presence might be a detriment to the invitation. 

<Pose Tracker> Rena Lanford has posed.

For all their many many flaws, Team Rocket did give Rena an idea she appreciates. To add 'Poketechnology' companies to her list of places to investigate for information on where she came from.
 
"It'll be fine. What's the worst that could happen? They just tell me whether they've been working on teleportation technology that could get someone outside of the barrier- or not."
 
Rena nervously fidgeted with a compact, opening it to check her face, "Maybe your Mom is even a researcher here. Maybe you'll pass her by in the halls - and... never even realize it."
 
There's a pause, as she shuts the compact, "No you can't think like that. Just - one step at a time. One step at a time."
 
Taking a deep breath, she steps into the lobby to the sight of fallen personnel, security guards, and the buzz of an alarm. "Excuse me!? Not again!"
 
Breaking into a jog, she dashes across the lobby and-
 
Cue Elevator Music. "I don't get why they're playing something so calming right now? It's... a little grating..."
 
DING-!
 
Rena emerges a Pokeball in hand, as she flings it, shouting, "Team-"
 
Sight is caught of Loren Voss, as the second word changes mid statement.
 
"-Drunk Guy!?" Rena puts a hand up in front of her mouth, as if astounded, "You're doing this whole thing again?" As she looks towards the Head Researcher, the stand off.
 
Out of the Pokeball comes Rena's Ashound, Shorty, who is quite the runt for his species. However he quickly growls, borking bravely at the assailants, "Ash! Ash!"
 
Rena looks towards Sable, "Agreed, but - we'll put an end to his crime spree today."
 
He is after all, setting a bad example for the children.
 
The thing is while Rena likes shouting attacks - she doesn't need to. It's just about getting one's thoughts across, and right now in this situation, that's useful.
 
Shorty takes off like a shot, the flames that naturally envelop his body becoming a shroud, flames billowing off him as he tries to crash into Loren - or his Pokemon, he's not picky.
 
"Sic 'em boy!"
 
Well... now she says it.

GS: Rena Lanford has attacked Loren Voss with Flame Charge!
GS: Rena Lanford has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Rena Lanford's stances have changed from Counter to Avenger and Counter!
GS: Rena Lanford gains 5 FP from her Daredevil!
GS: Rena Lanford has completed her action.

<Pose Tracker> Dirk Swordsman has posed.

 
DIRK SWORDSMAN was somewhat antsy about all this crap with those weird Outsiders who showed up and immediately attempted to raid, first, an abandoned house, which, second, had a bunch of important corpo stuff in it. Silph Co.'s worst scandal that Dirk is aware of is that time they had to do a contamination recall on some packaged Pokeblocks when he was twelve, which mostly came up because he saw at least three different local Pokemon throw up purple goo.

It was awful.

But that was then. This is now.

DIRK SWORDSMAN lurks in a Net Cafe, where he has been drinking lemonades and the occasional soda to keep up his edge. He has been mostly watching archival videos of swordsmen throughout the ages, with Chespin hanging out on the Netcafe table with him. Cufant has been hanging out in the bike parking space in front of the NetCafe, working her way through some public domain hay and watching the videos through the windows. Everyone else has been on rest mode in the balls.

And then, it comes. A distant howling.

Updates on PokeLive for the immediate area as people say they're being bothered by the alarm, or were forced to leave early. Check-ins, spontaneously started. The Rangers, the cops, they'll all figure it out at some point, but Dirk Swordsman has been waiting. "Let's ride," he tells Chespin. "Up," and Chespin gets on his shoulder, held carefully in place as Chespin brandishes his ironwood stick!

Dirk runs into the parking lot and vaults up on Cufant. "There," he says, drawing out his sword and pointing. "Hustle!"

A Cufant with a weirdo and a Chespin on it stomps inwards at fast speed. Cufant trumpets with glory as she slams through a door, executing a sick spark-showering drift as Dirk directs her into the stairwell! Cufant thunders upwards as Dirk watches. At the second floor landing he pops out Charcadet. At the third floor one, Farfetch'd. He considers Honedge-- but nah.

Once they get to the relevant floor, Cufant is huffing and puffing a little. Dirk says, "Good work, sister" as he hops off. "Guard the door here. You see any Rockets or anyone with bad vibes, throw 'em down the stairs."

Cufant, who understands the tactical value of a chokepoint, trumpets joyously.

And from there it's just a matter of a few hallways before --

BAM! Someone kicks in the lab entrance door.

Dirk looks around quickly to stunned and hopefully not unalived security guards. His expression darkens, as does Farfetch'd and Charcadet's. (Chespin is more 'worried for the guards' than 'righteously furious.')

But it's easy enough to spot the only people who are still upright. "WHAT DID I TELL YOU," Dirk shouts from across the lab before beginning his advance. Charcadet and Chespin flank him. "Soften 'em up, Farfetch'd!"

Farfetch'd does NOT have this problem of having to walk like some kind of plebian. He flaps his way onto a lab table, hops across several, and finds some kind of neutral fire extinguisher supply which, after a moment of examination, is revealed to be just plain white sand kept for any chemical fires that you do not want water or other chemicals on. Farfetch'd nods, and immediately kicks it over with one foot and hops over the barrel to whip a bunch of the sand in Loren's direction with his wing! 

GS: Dirk Swordsman has attacked Loren Voss with Farfetch'd - Sand Attack!
GS: Dirk Swordsman has gained 2 Combo!
GS: Dirk Swordsman has completed his action.

<Pose Tracker> Chartreuse Spinosa has posed.

Saffron City is a frequent travel destination for the average trainer. It's big and there's a lot to see, not to mention the gym.

...It's a little less frequent for Chartreuse, who tends to give the city a wide berth given the Incident that lead to her starting her journey when she did. Still, she's here...

...Which means, she's there to witness an Ice Beam erupting out of the side of the Silph Co. building.

...Did she see something exit the building along with it? ...It's fine, it's probably nothing.

It does mean, however, that something must be happening - and checking her phone a moment later confirms her fears, and causes her to adjust her course straight toward it.

One moment and an elevator ride later, she's on the scene. And everything she's seen up to this point... It's clear that this isn't something she can just let go.

Her eyes track to Loren, and then to today's assistants.

"Breaking into an already-abandoned building is one place, but this? Hurting and scaring these people... You really are a bunch of trouble makers." Chartreuse comments, shaking her head. "...I'm not going to ask nicely this time."

She reaches into her coat and draws out her Pokeball, tossing it forward.

"Farfetch'd!" She calls out - and her companion materializes ahead of her, getting his leek ahead of her. With that, she looks toward the others, sending them a nod.

"...Let's watch each other's backs, okay? These people seem dangerous." She advises. 

<Pose Tracker> Chase has posed.

"Piii Pikachu pi Chachu~," Pikachu chants, waddling alongside Chase and licking at a mini ice cream cone. Chase looks through his own purchases and checks his funds on his phone, trying to do some basic calculations about his plans when --

Vroooooooooooooooooooooom di~ng.

Chase blinks once and looks up. He and Pikachu look to each other and nod in unison. Moments later, the people of Saffron City see a Ponyta hopping from roof to roof in a streak of fire before making a galloping leap for the building.

... And the windows nearest Loren explodes in fire as Chase's unusually large Ponyta stomps his hoof into the ground with a snort of soot black smoke. Chase regards Loren with a point of surprised familiarity while Pikachu, seated in Chase's lap astride Ponyta, waves cheerfully with her stubby Pikachu arm.

"Pika!"

Ponyta lets out a less friendly sound with a neigh pitched to be heard from hell, the raging flames of his arrival doing nothing to Chase, Pikachu, or any of their allies, but threatening to burn Loren and associates.

GS: Chase has attacked Loren Voss with Ember!
GS: Chase has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Chase's stances have changed to Sage!
GS: Chase has completed his action.

<Pose Tracker> Vivace Mori has posed.

Vivace Mori was not here because she had any particular forewarning about Solaris - though she is aware that the Visitors have attacked and stolen, she doesn't know what or why. Nor did she come along with Sable, because why would she? Vivace doesn't know most of the people she's with, anyway.

No, she just saw the blast, and then when she got closer to assist, heard the alarms.

The first sign anyone *here* has of her, though, is when someone - teenaged, mid-height, darker than he is, wearing a slightly cropped top, a pair of fashionably distressed jeans, and a KLEFKI KEYS windbreaker left open - leans past Blue and swipes a burger right out of his bag.

Vivace takes a big bite out of the burger and then makes a face. "Should've got one without mayo," she says. She's only holding the burger one-handed, though; her other hand has two Pokeballs in it, which she is spinning around each other like a pair of baoding balls. Her thumb hovers over them, ready to push the buttons open.

She looks up at the pair of agents. Loren's already in a battle (in like four battles, by her count). "Are you going to come along quietly?" she asks, in what passes for politeness. Though she does stand and speak like she's in charge of this mismatched gang of Trainers, which of course she isn't. If it wasn't for Oak, she might claim to be, but... well, he's presumably as good as she is. 

<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.

It didn't take Xantia long to get an answer in regards to the vision shown to her by Kira, her Kirlia. A building of the shape that she described bearing the name of Silph Co. could only be their Saffron HQ, clearly visible and known to basically everybody. Advance warning of where Solaris would strike next... could that really be what that image was? Is that a power that Pokemon can have?

Even if she'd taken the time to verify that, she wouldn't know how to even begin to explain what made her think that Silph Co. was going to be attacked. And what if it turned out to be wrong, and she made a big deal out of nothing, wasting everybody's time? She didn't need to give the Nedians any more evidence for the undoubtedly already common belief that Visitors are a bunch of weirdos.

That's fine, though. It's not like she's actively looking to get anybody else involved. The feeling that Solaris is her responsibility is as strong as it's ever been. She'll handle it, somehow, even if she has to do it all by herself.

She hasn't yet made a decision on how fortunate it is that this won't be the case, as several other parties are quick to arrive on the scene. Even if this is on Nedian soil and thus every little bit their business, they don't know Solaris the way she does. She really, really hopes they won't need to become as familiar with them as she is.

But that's not something she can can change. After all, a number of them are part of the very same tour group that she joined, for the express purpose of keeping a lookout for the trouble that she was expecting. She frowns deeply, when it happens. "You can say that again," she adds to Sable's assertion that Loren is not, in fact, a very nice man.

She does not move to summon a Pokemon. Because she already had one by her side the entire time, it just wasn't visible to the naked eye. Loren will discover this in the least pleasant way possible, when Shoo appears directly in front of him with an all too cheerful cry, "Shuppet~"

'Surprise', one can imagine the translation. Meanwhile, Xantia herself steps forward out of the crowd, trying to keep herself at the fore of the group of the trainers on that side. If her expression doesn't already say it all, she makes it plain with her words.

"Haven't you ruined enough lives already? Last warning. Leave now, and keep this place out of whatever it is you're planning." 

GS: Xantia has attacked Loren Voss with Astonish!
GS: Xantia has gained 2 Combo!
GS: Xantia has completed her action.

<Pose Tracker> Luna Meitner has posed.

Luna certainly seems to get around, for any that have run into her. And she always seems to be travelling alone, no matter where she ends up, whether in the far reaches of Eluria, through the warzone that is heating up between Kislev and Aveh, or even just here on Nede, where solo travel is, admittedly, far, far less hazardous to one's health, normally.

But no matter where she is she is always keeping an eye out for those her father has declared as an enemy, and she has heard word that Solaris has been active in Nede recently. If Solaris is making moves on Nede, it behooves them to find out what they are and why, so as to better combat them in the future.

it's still a lucky stroke that she saw the ice beam blasting out of the side of the building, though--there's trouble brewing, surely, and even if it isn't tied to Solaris...

It's been a minute since she had a satisfying fight. Worth checking out, in any case.

She is currently in disguise, in the appearance of a girl of only fifteen years of age. Rough features, long, pointed ears, dark red hair in a loose braid and dark green eyes. She's dressed in a black crop top, a red shirt worn completely unbottoned, and black cargo pants. She has a backpack on her back, and she might look like any other trainer...

Except for the simple spear on her back. Not to mention the simple bow and quiver that goes with it.

She makes her way in, and notes Ragnell hanging back to watch. She steps right up beside her and very quietly says, "Not eager to join the battle?" It's delivered so quietly she might as well be talking to herself... until she turns her head just enough to look directly at Ragnell out of the corner of her eye.

Then she strides forward, reaching behind herself to withdraw her spear. Then, she breaks into a run, leaping up high and driving her spear down with considerable force at Loren Voss. 

GS: Luna Meitner has attacked Loren Voss with Falcon Dive!
GS: Luna Meitner has gained 2 Combo!
GS: Luna Meitner's stances have changed from Counter to Avenger and Counter!
GS: Luna Meitner gains 5 FP from her Daredevil!
GS: Luna Meitner has completed her action.
GS: Loren Voss critically fails to evade Dirk Swordsman's Farfetch'd - Sand Attack for 130 hit points!
GS: Blind and Cripple applied to Loren Voss!
GS: Loren Voss perfectly guards Rena Lanford's Flame Charge for 52 hit points!
GS: Reaction switch bonus! Loren Voss gains 1 additional Combo!
GS: Loren Voss marginally evades Chase's Ember for 105 hit points!
GS: Reaction switch bonus! Loren Voss gains 1 additional Combo!
GS: Loren Voss critically fails to guard Xantia's Astonish for 77 hit points!
GS: Reaction switch bonus! Loren Voss gains 1 additional Combo!
GS: Interrupt applied to Loren Voss!
GS: CRITICAL! Loren Voss mostly guards Luna Meitner's Falcon Dive for 70 hit points!
GS: Hyper applied to Luna Meitner!

<Pose Tracker> Loren Voss has posed.

    Whether or not his fellow Solarian soldiers can see Seraphim is an open question, but Loren certainly can -- but only when they're not hiding themselves from him (or hidden in an object, which has caused more than a few hits to Loren's sanity in the past).

    In the moment, he's effectively counting down the seconds. Three, two, one--

    Loren assumes a defensive stance, preparing for the crash that is to come. There is a lengthy pause. "..." He gets a quizzical look from the researcher.

    And then, just as Loren is starting to feel uneasy about the whole thing, someone kicks the door in. Finally. At last, someone vindicating his paranoia so he doesn't look like a weirdo-- well, never mind the fact that it probably would have been better if they could have made their exit without interference, but...

    He more firmly regrets this moment of vindication when he gets a bunch of sand in his face. "What are you doing? Who uses sand--" Loren blurts out, ignorant in the moment that some of his own spells pretty much amount to weaponized dust and/or sand. Rubbing at his face, he levels a sharp look at Farfetch'd and of course, Dirk.

    'Drunk Guy!' Rena calls out. Loren in fleeting pulls a face that looks very much like he'd prefer to expire on the spot, thanks. Without looking at either Brandt or Germaine, though, he gestures sharply through the air before him. "I told you already, I'm--"

     You're not a nice man, Sable tells him. Loren's response is to grimace. "...Were you expecting someone nice?" he asks her, as her Pokemon makes their appearance.

    He'd be mistaken to ignore Rena in favor of Sable: Rena's Ashound is quick on the draw and charges at Loren. But Loren's been in this sort of situation before and a shimmering field appears before him without so much an incantation or gesture, stopping Shorty... short.

    There's another familiar face: Chartreuse is here, and it hasn't even been that long since the mess in the Pokemon Mansion. "Save it," he grits out, "I don't want to hear it." His gaze shifts over to Timu, another all-too-familiar face from his time here in Energy Nede. "Solaris is interested in Pokemon technology," he answers Timu simply, looking her and Hestrol up and down. "And trust me, I'd like to." Loren pauses. "But I don't think you'll just let us walk out." Wait, does that mean that Solaris already has what it came here for--

    It's pretty funny timing, as it happens, though. Just as he's said that a Ponyta comes crashing through the windows and only some experience-honed instinct keeps him from getting trampled by a burning horse where he stands. ...He's only mostly-trampled.

    "Are you," Loren gets out, staring at Ponyta, Chase, and Pikachu, "kidding me...?" Slowly, he stands. Is he going to come along quietly, as Vivace, a woman he doesn't think he's met, asks?

    "Absolutely not," he answers her, tossing out two of his Pokeballs as he delivers a pointed and unkind look Timu's way. Golbat and Graveler appear in a flash of light apiece. "I'm walking out of here, or else." Or else what?

    Nina suggests this could have been avoided by them going shopping, as it were. "You can't just buy what's in development!" he snaps at Nina, apparently agitated by her assumption as to they're after. A long pause follows as a kid who acts like he owns the place strolls in and offers him... burgers. Damn, they do look good but-- this is a thought that only further screws Loren's resolve to the sticking place. "Enough! You'll let us pass, or--"

    It's into this moment that a woman he's also fairly certain he's never met bears a real, non-Pokemon weapon at him and strikes out. But it never connects with Loren. Neither does he use magic to deflect the strike. Instead, it's Graveler, interposing herself into the strike and driving a fist for Luna; electricity sparks along the Pokemon's body. This is the cue that Dunsparce appears to have been waiting for as she likewise lets loose, slamming a glob of mud at Rena's Ashound Shorty. Not to be outdone, Graveler ejects a shower of sparks at Dirk's Farfetch'd.

    But then, right before him it appears. Is that a--

    "Shit," Loren utters, eyes wide as he takes a step back. This avails him little: Shuppet's blast catches him full on. Xantia has a question for him, though. "...It's too late for that," he tells her. He fields his remaining Pokemon, Clefairy and Golbat, in a hurry. Clefairy ambles over to Chase and Ponyta, waves, and then attempts to slug Ponyta in the leg. This may be a bad decision.

    And as for the still-relatively-newly evolved Golbat, he sizes up Xantia and... screeches. This is a screech that will linger-- and not strike at her alone. A certain hidden Seraph may also feel the weight of the dreaded cry. 

GS: Loren Voss has attacked Luna Meitner with Thunder Punch!
GS: Loren Voss has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Interrupt expired!
GS: Loren Voss has attacked Rena Lanford with Mud-Slap!
GS: Loren Voss has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Loren Voss has attacked Dirk Swordsman with Spark!
GS: Loren Voss has attacked Chase with Pound!
GS: COUNTER! Rena Lanford counterattacks Loren Voss with Double Ember??? What does it mean?!
GS: Rena Lanford critically fails to charge Loren Voss's Mud-Slap for 70 hit points!
GS: Blind applied to Rena Lanford!
GS: FP up! Power Burst!
GS: Loren Voss has activated a Boss Action!
GS: You have activated the Boss Action Extend!
GS: You cannot act while you still have attacks in queue.
GS: Loren Voss mostly evades Rena Lanford's Double Ember??? What does it mean? for 54 hit points!
GS: Reaction switch bonus! Loren Voss gains 1 additional Combo!
GS: FP up! Reaction bonus!
GS: Loren Voss spends 1 Combo on Interrupt!
GS: Loren Voss has attacked Xantia with Supersonic!
GS: Loren Voss has attacked Seraph Ragnell with Supersonic!
GS: Loren Voss has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Loren Voss has completed his action.
GS: Dirk Swordsman marginally evades Loren Voss's Spark for 110 hit points!
GS: FP up! Reaction bonus!
GS: Chase mostly evades Loren Voss's Pound for 34 hit points!

<Pose Tracker> Monster Mash has posed.

    The dark-haired woman--Lieutenant Germaine--looks up, and cocks her head in the direction of that distant crash. "Was that one of theirs?" she says, curling fingers around her Pokeball. It feels wrong. She needs a gun, at least. She spent years learning how to silence, suffocate, and rend her country's enemies. The very air can be her weapon, if she wants it. And here she is, waiting for a bunch of teenagers to show up, her only protection something that looks more like a toy than the complex Symbological construct it is.

    The blonde--Lieutenant Brandt--turns from the Director as Sable rushes up, the sphere of water still hovering above his hand. "Captain," he observes, looking down at Sable so she can see her reflection in his glasses, "the -lambs- are here." 'Drunk Guy'? Brandt, who has not yet learned of Loren's misadventures--simply laughs at Rena's assertion. "And my. They think they can speak like that to their betters?"

    Germaine pulls a pair of mirrored glasses from her jacket pocket, pressing a finger to a tiny touchpad on the earpiece. Images light up on the lunes as PokeSnap loads. As the enemy Trainers pile in, Germaine's gaze darts about, performing image IDs. Her gaze flicks back and forth, noting Poppy and Ponyta and Pikachu, before settling on Hestrol.

    True to form, perhaps, neither of the younger agents notice Ragnell.

    "Bold of you to assume this is your business," says Brandt, turning his gaze to Timu. "Run along, now." Then, Nina. "Take your pets with you." Then Vivace. Is he even going to acknowledge Blue's attempt to placate him? "Return to your safe, stagnant little lives--"

    One of the Pokeballs on Brandt's belt bursts open of its own accord. The light resolves into a smallish, round creature--a caricature of a mouse with blue fur, no arms, and a big blue sphere on the end of its long tail.

    "Rill!" chirps the Azurill, which has smelled Blue's burgers, and hops forward to investigate.

    "No! We don't eat their--" Brandt's lip twitches. The tic gets worse as people pile on his commander, and he slips into a fighting stance. "Azurill, square up! Extinguish that... fire thing!" He points at Poppy.

    Azurill hops forth, does an adorable little twirl, and spits a stream of high-pressure water right at Nina's Quilava! Look out, Poppy!

    Germaine, meanwhile, has finished her assessment, and nods to her partner. She finally throws the Pokeball she's been fussing with like a stress toy; it pops open, and the beam of light coalesces into... a seed. An acorn, if it were almost a foot tall, with stubby little feet. "Seedot, shake them up," says Germaine, simply, and Seedot launches himself forward, diving right at Timu's Hestrol. Hit or miss, a ricochet sends him flying with startling force, right at Ulpi!

GS: Monster Mash has attacked Nina Chiyome with Water Gun!
GS: Monster Mash has completed their action.
GS: Monster Mash has canceled their attack on Nina Chiyome.
GS: Monster Mash has activated a Boss Action!
GS: Monster Mash has attacked Chartreuse Spinosa with Brandt used TAUNT!
GS: Monster Mash has attacked Blue Oak with Brandt used TAUNT!
GS: Monster Mash has attacked Vivace Mori with Brandt used TAUNT!
GS: Monster Mash has gained 2 Combo!
GS: Monster Mash has attacked Timu Guado with Astonish!
GS: Monster Mash has attacked Sable Aomori with Astonish!
GS: Monster Mash has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Monster Mash spends 3 Combo on Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling!
GS: Monster Mash has attacked Nina Chiyome with Water Gun!

DG: The party led by #-1 NO SUCH OBJECT VISIBLE has been fully Exhausted by !

GS: Monster Mash has completed their action.
GS: Xantia perfectly evades Loren Voss's Supersonic for 0 hit points!
GS: Blind, Drowsy, and Interrupt blocked!
GS: FP up! Reaction bonus!
GS: Xantia has lost 2 Combo from Interrupt!
GS: Vivace Mori perfectly evades Monster Mash's Brandt used TAUNT for 0 hit points!
GS: Weaken blocked!
GS: Sable Aomori mostly evades Monster Mash's Astonish for 34 hit points!
GS: Misery adds  Shieldbreak!
GS: Delay and Shieldbreak applied to Sable Aomori!
GS: COUNTER! Luna Meitner counterattacks Loren Voss with Chaotic Thrust!
GS: Interrupt! Attack weakened!
GS: CRITICAL! Luna Meitner critically fails to charge Loren Voss's Thunder Punch for 165 hit points!
GS: Delay applied to Luna Meitner!
GS: FP up! Power Burst!
GS: CRITICAL! Nina Chiyome mostly evades Monster Mash's Water Gun for 107 hit points!
GS: Timu Guado mostly evades Monster Mash's Astonish for 29 hit points!
GS: Misery adds  Break!
GS: Break and Delay applied to Timu Guado!
GS: Chartreuse Spinosa marginally guards Monster Mash's Brandt used TAUNT for 0 hit points!
GS: Weaken applied to Chartreuse Spinosa!
GS: FP up! Reaction bonus!

<Pose Tracker> Sable Aomori has posed.

"It needs doing," Sable says to Nina, just as seriously as before. But though she doesn't show it, her friend Nina being willing to tease her in a moment like this is reassuring.

And Rena agrees with her. "Right. Today." Xantia, too. She's also very cool, and she seems to know Loren better than she does.

Ulpi the Prinplup stands fast next to Hestrol, ready to fight. He's loose, his wings at his sides ready to bring up to crack through steel.

And Sable answers Chartreuse, "Yes."

There are two Farfetch'd on the job... Dirk remains Very Cool to Sable. But she watches them go--and decides tht she ought to focus on the other operatives.

Then Ponyta happens, and Sable steps back, her cool demeanor slightly marred by surprise. Then she notices Blue and his burgers. "I don't think they're going to come peacefully,' she sys, even as Vivace asks whether they will.

Loren asks if she was expecting someone nice. "Yes," she tells Loren. "That's why we were supposed to be welcoming..."

"Betters?" she wonders of Brandt. "I don't understand what you mean. What is -lambs-?"

Ulpi takes a hit from Seedot, bumped backward by the impact. He caws back, "Prin!" in a deep voice like the ocean.

"We won't give up that easily," Sable says. "Ulpi, use Icy Wind."

The blue penguin Pokemon lifts his wings and opens his beak, a sudden frigid gale sweeping from behind him towards the Seedot.

"You thought a Grass type would be strong against me... But I know the right moves to overcome you." 

DC: Seraph Ragnell switches forms to The Free!

GS: Sable Aomori has attacked Monster Mash with Icy Wind!
GS: Sable Aomori has gained 2 Combo!
GS: Sable Aomori's stances have changed from Counter to Counter and Stoic!
GS: Delay expired!
GS: Sable Aomori gains 21 THP from her Cautious!
GS: Sable Aomori has completed her action.
GS: Gamble: Highest! Monster Mash perfectly evades Sable Aomori's Icy Wind for 0 hit points!
GS: FP up! Arcane Font and Reaction bonus!

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Ragnell has posed.

    Naturally, at about the same time Ragnell arrives to scope the situation, so do plenty of the locals, and plenty of Drifters, among them as many faces she knows as ones she doesn't, offering a rainbow of solutions from burgers to violence.
    
    She smirks at the sight all the same. If there's anything you can set your watch to, it's the will of meddling kids to meddle. Hell, one of them even smashes in astride a horse that's on fire. That's metal.
    
    A girl whispers nearby her. Ragnell's eyes slide Luna's way. The question of whether she was addressing her or just muttering to herself is answered when Luna's eyes slide right back to meet hers, then leaps into battle dragoon-style. Ragnell watches her go thoughtfully, taking in her familiar pointed ears and red hair. Familiar, despite the fact that she doesn't know *her* face, either. Interesting.
    
    She smirks, then draws her paired pistols. "Love a good fight, my gal. But that won't tell me none 'bout what's goin' on here," she murmurs. (Luna is probably too far to hear this, though.) Plenty of others have been giving Loren and his buddies grief, from insults to literal sand in his face. He says that he'd like to leave, but he doesn't think they'll let him go... Her smile fades as her eyes narrow. She leaps up, then zips down in a flash of lightning nearby.
    
    "Or else what?" she drawls, pointing one of her pistols at Loren's head. "Really curious what you're try'na' drag outta here, Lorikeet!"
    
    But the Golbat screeches then, and it is a *hideous* screech. As she grits her teeth and claps a gloved hand over one ear, an action that lessens the sound but not so much the effect of it, she fires at Loren--but in a complete change for her usual, the 'bullet' she fires at his head isn't fashioned to do damage, but (assuming it strikes true with that Golbat's cry still ringing in her ears; aside from throwing off her aim, there *is* an Electric-immune Graveler right there to potentially take the hit for him) crawl all over his body, numbing his nerves and making his movements stiff and jerky.
    
    You know. To make it harder for him to get away and easier for her (and everyone really, she doesn't care *who* accomplishes it as long as it gets done) to harass him into spilling the beans on his mission. 

GS: Blue Oak mostly guards Monster Mash's Brandt used TAUNT for 0 hit points!
GS: Weaken applied to Blue Oak!
GS: FP up! Power Burst!
GS: Seraph Ragnell mostly evades Loren Voss's Supersonic for 13 hit points!
GS: Blind, Drowsy, and Interrupt applied to Seraph Ragnell!
GS: Seraph Ragnell has lost 2 Combo from Interrupt!
GS: Seraph Ragnell has attacked Loren Voss with Electric Boogaloo!
GS: Seraph Ragnell has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Interrupt expired!
GS: Seraph Ragnell has completed her action.

<Pose Tracker> Dirk Swordsman has posed.

 
Dirk is (not) alone against the Outsider forces. Chase makes an explosive entrance. Another Farfetch'd has hit the scene. Dirk smiles a little, and comments to Rena, "Guess you beat me here, huh. These guys... I can't believe it. Don't take 'stay away' for an answer, I guess."

"Yeah, we're filmin' a time trial for quickest butt-kicking this century and you got elected!" Dirk counters when Loren expresses incredulity at the arrival of Chase and Pikachu. ("Ches!" says Chespin to Pikachu. There is a firm nod with this. (Pokemon subtitle: 'sup'))

"Okay, like, seriously, I don't know if it's different on Filgaia but stealin' crap is like, bad," Dirk says, "because like, it doesn't belong to you. Like if you was just using a bike because you thought it was yours, that's differe FARFETCH'D"

The doughty bird is showered with sparks even as he leaps back. "Faaar!" he cries, before rolling in the sand. You can smell some burning feather. Gruesome stuff. Well, not that gruesome, but burning feather smell suuucks.

"Alright, this guy's a crime boy but he's got a good ally with that Graveler," Dirk thinks aloud which probably doesn't give him a tactical advantage. "Chespin, you're up!"

"Chespin!!" declaims the adorable little guy, who brandishes his ironwood stick with a fierce face! As fierce as he can manage, anyway. His little face skrunkles up as he focuses - (Stay on target... stay on target...) And then flings several seeds towards Graveler, aiming to land on the Rock-type's body and sprout, digging in roots and beginning the process by which stone becomes soil! Sort of.

"You got a strong guy there, and I guess he doesn't mind what you're up to," Dirk says, now, to Loren, "but you ain't doing him any favors, leanin' on him like this!" After this, a Golbat screeches. (Charcadet looks at it, and then looks directly at Ragnell. "Cadet!" (Pokemon subtitles: 'sup')) 

GS: Dirk Swordsman spends 2 Combo on Headshot!
GS: Dirk Swordsman has attacked Loren Voss with Chespin - Leech Seed!
GS: Dirk Swordsman has gained 2 Combo!
GS: Dirk Swordsman has completed his action.

<Pose Tracker> Rena Lanford has posed.

"A spy, a thief, and a crook?" Is Rena's quick answer to 'I told you already, I'm-'
 
Just what does she think his self-image is!?
 
As she tells Dirk, "I can only wish I was following them, honestly I came here today to... look into a matter, but I'm glad you're here."
 
Shorty rams face first into a Shimmering field, his flames guttering out as he yelps miserably, "Shouuunnnnn!"
 
The Dunsparce slams a glob in his face shortly after, even as he turns and suddenly showers the area in a burst of flames - not long after Chase's Ponyta, creating...
 
... Double Ember.
 
As the Lieutenant asks whether they can speak like that to their betters, Rena pauses looking at him.
 
"I would hardly think someone ransacking a lab and treating people like this is my better. If you're our betters then why are you here stealing Nede's technology?"
 
Rena looks at the Graveler, perhaps surprised after it blew itself up, and weighs something.
 
"Shorty - come back." As she holds a Pokeball, and then opens another-
 
There is a sudden heavy thud, following by a clattering of... various boneson the floor.
 
They fall about the heavy feet of an enormous bunny, twice as tall as Rena, wearing boxing gloves and trunks- with walrus tusks.
 
Nibbles the Jabberwabbit looks at Loren Voss.
 
Kill Bill Ironsides Siren - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOy6hqzfsAs
 
He tosses aside what looks like a femur bone, as Rena commands, "Nibbles, show them a Scary Face." Who subsequently SNARLS a blood curdling cry and pounds his boxing gloves together, radiating this sense of paralyzing terror around the room.
 
He then looks at Loren's Dunsparce, with beady red eyes, and then turns to his Graveler, spraying spittle, as if to ask 'Are you getting in my way?'
 
Rena immediately praises him. "Good work! That's the level of intensity I was hoping for." It was!? Does she - does she NOT see the bones!?
 
Immediately after she asides to Sable casually, "Ulpi is looking extra dapper today."
 
What? Penguins are adorable!

GS: Rena Lanford has attacked Loren Voss with He's got ... LOOK AT THE BONES!!
GS: Rena Lanford has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Rena Lanford's stances have changed from Avenger to Avenger!
GS: Rena Lanford gains 5 FP from her Daredevil!
GS: Rena Lanford has completed her action.

<Pose Tracker> Nina Chiyome has posed.

The ninja has to show bravado or it'd reveal just how worried she is about all of this. There's some refuge in her audacity in a way.
 
 Still, "Move" she shouts suddenly serious, the water gun just barely skimming the quilava's hide. Dousing some of the flames and getting a surprised sound from the pokemon.
 
 "Sable you have any idea what a lamb is?" She asks, quickly running ideas through her head. Her lack of specific typing isn't exactly to her advantage at this point, but..
 
 She does sling out a second pokeball while she's talking. The pokemon in question appears off to the side while the quilava shakes herself off and barks out an annoyed sound. Then flares itself up. The flames big. Distracting.
 
 "Eddy, Nuzzle." the ninja calls out, the purple lizard..ish pokemon darts forward, electricity starting to spark along his forehead. Suddenly jumping at the azurill.
 
 She calls off to the side "Spend more money, they let you beta test as an investor." towards Loren!
 
 The goon though. "I've got a bad habit of getting into trouble. Sue me." She sticks her tongue out. She's also.. snuck out her little ninja kit. Maybe looking for other options. This is another chaotic mess, why not add to it?
 
 "Timu, you want to swap out?" Pointing with her thumb to Poppy who glances back. There's a bark of acknowledgement and she bounds over to help the offworlder.
 
 There's some curiosity aimed Vivace's way. She'll play that part by ear.
 
 Chartreuse though, that's a thumbs up, "Way ahead of ya." She says cheerily. Still leaning into that bravado! 

GS: Nina Chiyome has attacked Monster Mash with Nuzzle!
GS: Nina Chiyome has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Nina Chiyome has completed her action.

<Pose Tracker> Blue Oak has posed.

Blue takes a burger out, sets his bag and drink down, and grabs a Pokeball, click click, after being ignored. He shrugs at Vivace, before turning to Brandt.

"You know, that stings. This cost me like, thirty dollars. I can't eat all these burgers right now and by the time I get home they won't refrigerate as well."

He's angry. The taunt worked. A large palm-tree with multiple egg shaped heads is released, Omelet the Exeggeutor makes a noise at it peers down at the littlest Azurill it could.

"Razor Leaf!" Blue shouts out, taking a bite of his burger. It's foolish to eat when these people could just, you know, bodyrush him. But he'll be fine!

Omelet cries, swings its trunk, and releases a small barrage of leaves straight for Azurill, flying at rapid speeds.

"Let's teach you about type advantage." 

<Pose Tracker> Timu Guado has posed.

    'Run along, now.' Timu keeps her gaze level as Brandt tries to get her to shoo. The sphere of water in his hand is striking, with a level of control she'd attribute only to some of the most skilled Water-line sorcerers of Spira, with that reflective look against his sunglasses showing her own hardening gaze.
 
     She doesn't flinch from seeing her own reflection. She's Gon Guado's kid, and she has absolutely inherited that capability for a hardened gaze on her part.
 
     "We won't," she answers, as an Azurill and a Seedot appear together.
 
     Timu's eyes are following the Azurill at first simply because it's larger and easier to follow, even as Brandt has them set upon someone else.
 
     'Seedot, shake them up.'
 
     "Hestrol, look out!" Timu calls, taking a step back and accidentally bumping her hip into something. Her Hestrol doesn't seem too fussed...
 
     As a Water / Normal-type Pokemon, by nature Hestrol doesn't need to do much to avoid Ghost-type attacks, but she has been trained to do a little twirl in the air when being warned, and so she does.
 
     There's a delay when Timu winces from what she just bumped into, and also losing sight of where the little Seedot goes (over by Ulpi).
 
     Sable points out something important as she leads that counter-offensive - Seedot is a Grass-type.
 
     "I knew too many people who thought their being 'betters' made it all right to hurt and take advantage of everyon else," the Guado begins as she takes her healer's staff in both hands. She doesn't have Sable's outward composure in the moment, as anger rises within her.
 
     "Hestrol," she calls, "use Supersonic to throw them off!"
 
     "Hestrooooool~" Hestrol, a little timid, echoes out her call in disorienting soundwaves that seem to selectively travel along the rapidly declining state of this part of Silph Co. to try and reach the Seedot and give them... well. If Germaine has ever had to deal with caves full of Zubat, she knows exactly what Seedot's in for by now. 

GS: Timu Guado has attacked Monster Mash with Supersonic!
GS: Timu Guado has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Delay expired!
GS: Timu Guado has completed her action.
GS: Blue Oak has attacked Monster Mash with Show Your Moves!!
GS: Blue Oak has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Blue Oak's stances have changed to Hero!
GS: Blue Oak has completed his action.
GS: Monster Mash critically fails to evade Nina Chiyome's Nuzzle for 14 hit points!
GS: Misery adds  Shieldbreak!
GS: Cripple, Poison, and Shieldbreak applied to Monster Mash!

<Pose Tracker> Vivace Mori has posed.

"Probably not, but it's polite to ask," Vivace says to Sable, even though 99% of the time Vivace doesn't actually care about politeness. But she *does* care about the way things are done. Vivace takes another bite of her burger. (It's hers now, anyway. What's Blue going to do, ask for it back? He offered, sort of!) Her glasses gleam as she lowers her head slightly.

'Go back to your safe, stagnant little lives - '

Vivace's scowl intensifies. She swallows, then breathes in through her nose, lets it out in a slow hiss.

"And what? Let you run over Nede? Or let the other Visitors deal with it? We don't need their help to handle every little problem, or we *shouldn't*." Whatever the adults say about it. "Though if they're causing the problems, the least they can do is help clean them up a little bit."

"But how about we get the tidying out of the way? Sandshrew, Tinkatuff, you're up!"

If the Solarians have done a little, but not a lot, of Pokemon research, what shows up might surprise them a little. The Tinkatuff is a very pink humanoid figure with paler 'hair' in a ponytail, carrying a hammer that appears to be made out of scrap metal, and the Sandshrew isn't the common kind but instead some kind of iced-over metal-shelled variant, with little rigid ears - an Alolan Sandshrew.

"Keep 'em off balance," is Vivace's spoken command; they know what to do, this is a long-established opener, and she's gesturing to direct them which way to go; hand signals, visible but incomprehensible to anyone else.

The Alolan Sandshrew dives at the Seedot, practically yelling an excited "San san SAN!" as she lashes exhales spray of white-blue frigid powder, freezing a line in front of her so she can belly-slide right past while spinning on said belly and blasting Powder Snow in all directions.

Meanwhile, the Azurill has a different issue: the Tinkatuff is winding up with that *enormous* hammer. And while she might not have the strength a full-grown Tinkaton does, she's not exactly weak... and she's being a jerk, because if the Azurill has managed to score a burger, this kind of horizontal swing is going to Knock Off it right away from the poor hungry Pokemon. 

GS: Vivace Mori has attacked Monster Mash with Strategy - Open Them Up!!
GS: Vivace Mori has completed her action.

<Pose Tracker> Chase has posed.

What does it mean... It's so vivid. And fiery.

("Chu!" says Pikachu to Chespin, mirroring the nod in attempt to be just as cool and casual as Chespin. Her wildly wagging tail ruins the effect.)

Somewhere else in the world -- perhaps even the current one everyone's standing on -- there is a robot who has a lot to say about the effectiveness of using sand. But that's neither here nor there.

Chase lowers his point as Loren wonders if this is all a joke of some kind. He sighs and frowns, like he's concerned. Like he's disappointed. He's a punk kid who broke through a window on a magic fire horse, who is he to be disappointed at Loren? And yet...!

Clefairy arrives and waves. Pikachu waves back happily. Chase waves back hesitantly. Ponyta looks down at the small pink Pokemon and gets socked RIGHT IN THE LEG. With Kanto's most offended snort, Ponyta yanks its leg up with a wide eyed snort. How. DARE. In rage, he stomps down, charging Clefairy as Chase dismounts. It's a distraction for now as Chase whistles for a different Pokemon.

Pikachu's ears both twitch as she activates with a bright, "Pika!" With a swing of his arm, Chase spins and launches Pikachu into battle as she sails out in joyous, sparkling electricity. It's time to show the world what she and Chase have learned from watching Elaine...!

She hits the ground running, zipping at lightning speed across the battlefield to assess her comrades, and then finding a center point to bounce and cheer for everyone. As Pikachu does her dance, she emits an erratic, sparkling storm to those she's identified as her allies for this battle.

This includes a target toward... nothing? Chase looks at Ragnell's position dead on with a more blank stare than usual. Does he see anything...? It's only a moment. He's still trying to figure out what Team Drunk Guy is all about and nodding emphatically with Dirk's accusations. 

GS: Chase has attacked Chase with Helping Hand!
GS: Chase has attacked Xantia with Helping Hand!
GS: Chase has attacked Luna Meitner with Helping Hand!
GS: Chase has attacked Dirk Swordsman with Helping Hand!
GS: Chase has attacked Rena Lanford with Helping Hand!
GS: Chase has attacked Seraph Ragnell with Helping Hand!
GS: Chase has completed his action.
GS: Dirk Swordsman accepts Chase's Helping Hand for 0 hit points!
GS: Expansive and Hyper applied to Dirk Swordsman!
GS: Rena Lanford accepts Chase's Helping Hand for 0 hit points!
GS: Expansive and Hyper applied to Rena Lanford!
GS: Quick applied to Chase!
GS: Chase accepts Chase's Helping Hand for 0 hit points!
GS: Expansive and Hyper applied to Chase!
GS: Xantia accepts Chase's Helping Hand for 0 hit points!
GS: Expansive and Hyper applied to Xantia!
GS: Seraph Ragnell accepts Chase's Helping Hand for 0 hit points!
GS: Expansive and Hyper applied to Seraph Ragnell!

<Pose Tracker> Chartreuse Spinosa has posed.

-Lambs-...? But she hasn't even brought out Mareep yet. ...No, it feels like that means something else. Still, the way they both talk... Chartreuse frowns. Their 'safe, stagnant little lives'...

...Something about that comment itches at the back of her mind, but she shoves it down for now.

"'Betters'? You guys just showed up and started causing problems. You're making a poor example of yourselves if you think you're 'better'. Do you think you can just do whatever you want?" Chartreuse asks, anger stoked. "If you want to see a good first impression... Farfetch'd!"

And Farfetch'd does, indeed, make a good First Impression - and the capitals are important, because he lunges right for Seedot with surprising speed, drawing his leek and jabbing it forward in a stab right for the acorn!

Meanwhile, Chartreuse nods toward Sable, and responds to Nina with a thumbs-up of her own. 

GS: Chartreuse Spinosa has attacked Monster Mash with First Impression!
GS: Chartreuse Spinosa has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Chartreuse Spinosa's stances have changed to Hero!
GS: Chartreuse Spinosa has completed her action.
GS: CRITICAL! Monster Mash marginally guards Blue Oak's Show Your Moves! for 116 hit points!
GS: Reaction switch bonus! Monster Mash gains 1 additional Combo!
GS: FP up! Arcane Font and Reaction bonus!
GS: Delay! Attack greatly weakened!
GS: Gamble: Very High! Monster Mash mostly evades Timu Guado's Supersonic for 8 hit points!
GS: Reaction switch bonus! Monster Mash gains 1 additional Combo!
GS: Break and Slow applied to Monster Mash!
GS: FP up! Arcane Font and Reaction bonus!
GS: Monster Mash critically fails to guard Vivace Mori's Strategy - Open Them Up! for 80 hit points!
GS: Reaction switch bonus! Monster Mash gains 1 additional Combo!
GS: Break blocked!
GS: Monster Mash fails to evade Chartreuse Spinosa's First Impression for 128 hit points!
GS: Reaction switch bonus! Monster Mash gains 1 additional Combo!
GS: Luna Meitner accepts Chase's Helping Hand for 0 hit points!
GS: Expansive and Hyper applied to Luna Meitner!
GS: Hyper applied to Chase!

<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.

Xantia lets out an unamused "Heh", in response to Loren's assertion. "It probably is, at that." Was there ever a proper time to try and negotiate anything with Solaris? If there was, she reckons it probably wasn't in her lifetime. Fine then. The hard way it is.

The appearance of Loren's Pokemon isn't a surprise. What is a surprise is that the Golbat is heading directly for her, instead of her Pokemon. Shoo could be considered partially at fault for making zero effort to get between the attacking Pokemon and its trainer, but regardless, Xantia is forced to back off in a hurry, diving aside to avoid taking the sonic attack in the nick of time. Which forces a certain Seraph to take the brunt of that, instead. Oops. That wasn't on purpose, she hadn't noticed that hidden presence - her subsequent surprise as she yells "Ragnell?!" is perfectly genuine.

No time for reunions, though. There's Solarians to fight, and this time Loren's backup is still standing once the Pokeballs start flying on both sides. At this rate, things could get messy. In so far as they haven't already. Hearing Sable question That Word, Xantia gives the Nedian trainer a response as she picks herself back up. "That's just the word they use when they're looking down on you. And they're always looking down on you."

Briefly, she's distracted by the appearance of a familiar Pikachu. She wouldn't have an answer for how she managed to tell it's the one who belongs to a certain Nedian boy who helped her out with her Pokemon, but she finds herself unsurprised to notice Chase is here. She smiles, briefly, before steeling herself. Being cheered on may be heartening, but it also hardens her resolve to do what she feels she must, things having escalated to this point: End this quickly.

"Shoo! Night Shade!" Called back to attention by those words, Xantia's Shuppet zooms in front of Loren's Golbat, a blanket of darkness enveloping the ghost and the other Pokemon both. Left in total darkness for a short moment, Golbat will be forced to content with a giant pair of threatening, terrifying red eyes... before the illusion fades away, leaving only Shoo there, as always finding its own antics very funny.

For Loren, however, the more worrying thing may be that Xantia's taken this opportunity to slip past his Pokemon bodyguard and is now approaching him personally. It's not hard to imagine that the way she's thought to end this is by taking out the leader of the Solarian platoon, and thus has something rather painful in mind. 

GS: Xantia has attacked Loren Voss with Night Shade!
GS: Xantia has gained 2 Combo!
GS: Xantia has completed her action.

<Pose Tracker> Luna Meitner has posed.

Luna's spear meets with--of all things--not Loren or one of his spells, but a pokemon that looks like a living rock, of all things. She stes down, her spear held forward in a ready posture. Graveler swings for her and rather than backing away or trying to deflect the blow, Luna instead just charges forward, intending to bypass the pokemon to get to the Solarian soldier--only she miscalculates how fast that arm can swing and it catches her off guard, stocking her in the stomach and sending her flying back as electricity crawls over her body.

But in the process of flying back she takes advantage of her spear's reach and twists and thrusts to land her own strike on the Graveler before she flies out of range. She hits the ground hard and rolls once, but puts a hand down to stabilize herself and hop back up.

"So, you have adopted the fighting techniques of the locals," she says with... remarkable calmness and also with a little bit too much familiarity. "Interesting."

The ears and hair may well be familiar to Ragnell, even if the face is not--but the way she handles a spear, on the other hand, may be quite a bit more familiar. If one could just imagine some spears or shadows along its length...

She glances to Sable, and incidentally also answres Nina's question. "That is what they call those they think their inferiors. Disabuse them of that notion."

Sparkling magic rains down on her, helping infuse her with a helping hand. Luna holds out a hand, as if to catch one and examine it further, but she nods after a moment and looks to Chase. "Keep your eyes on the soldier. That's your target."

"Very well. Let it not be said I am unwilling to master new forms of combat." Luna stands up from her stance, standing fully upright, though one hand still holds her spear braced against her back, ready to bring it forth at a moment's notice. Her free hand reaches for her belt and she throws it out. In a flash of red light out pops a Meditite.

"Show me what you've learned," Luna says simply.

Meditite looks to her and nods, his expression serious as he turns back to face Graveller. "Medi!" A white aura appears around his fist as he leaps forward, and he lashes out with a Force Punch. 

GS: Luna Meitner enters CONDITION GREEN!!
GS: Luna Meitner has attacked Loren Voss with Force Punch!
GS: Luna Meitner has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Delay expired!
GS: Luna Meitner gains 5 FP from her Daredevil!
GS: Luna Meitner enters CONDITION GREEN!!
GS: Luna Meitner gains 5 FP from Gleam!
GS: Luna Meitner has completed her action.
GS: Interrupt! Attack weakened!
GS: CRITICAL! Gamble: High! Loren Voss marginally evades Seraph Ragnell's Electric Boogaloo for 70 hit points!
GS: Entangle applied to Loren Voss!
GS: FP up! Reaction bonus!
GS: Loren Voss mostly guards Luna Meitner's Chaotic Thrust for 83 hit points!
GS: Reaction switch bonus! Loren Voss gains 1 additional Combo!
GS: Quick applied to Luna Meitner!
GS: CRITICAL! Loren Voss mostly guards Dirk Swordsman's Chespin - Leech Seed for 77 hit points!
GS: Cripple applied to Loren Voss!
GS: Hyper and Hyper applied to Dirk Swordsman!
GS: FP up! Reaction bonus!
GS: Dirk Swordsman drains Loren Voss! Dirk Swordsman gains 38 temporary hit points!

<Pose Tracker> Monster Mash has posed.

    Germaine's Seedot ricochets off Ulpi, and twists into a backflip. He lands upright, and does a little bouncing dance, hopping from foot to foot. Is he taunting Ulpi?

    'I don't understand what you mean. What is -lambs-?'

    Germaine attempts to communicate 'please don't get him started' with facial expressions alone. It's not very effective!

    'Ulpi, use Icy Wind.'

    "Seedot," says Germaine, eyes narrowing, "move!" The acorn-like Pokemon leaps into action again, hitting the floor and rolling behind a desk. Ulpi's freezing wind washes over a desktop and executive stress toy, coating both in rime--but Seedot remains unscathed.

    "...I take that back. You're not -lambs-. You're irrelevant." An ugly grin splits Brandt's face as he turns to Rena. He's focusing on her, meaning he doesn't immediately spot the trouble Azurill is in.

    "Rill?" says the small blue Pokemon. He blinks, then looks back to his Trainer. "Rill, Azurill?"

    "Fools who consigned themselves to-- Azurill, get back!"

    Azurill gets leaves to the face. As he flies back under the onslaught, Eddy comes in for the shocking Nuzzle. "Ri-l-l-l-l-l-l-l--!" The droplet on his tail wobbles as he stumbles back, swirly-eyed and dizzy.

    Brandt's jaw falls open. A look of horror dawns behind those glasses as Tinkatuff's hammer slams into into Azurill, sending the tiny blue Pokemon across the room. He slams into a server rack, bounces off, and rolls to a stop.

    Germaine's Seedot isn't faring much better. Ulpi made an opening for Sandshrew, who slams into the Grass-type aggressively; a dopplering "Eeeeee~!" echoes through the room as Seedot goes flying. Farfetch'd intercepts him leek-first, and with a single, violent STAB, plants Seedot into the floor.

    "Gh," Germaine grunts. Her lips twist in a snarl as she looks at Timu, and Nina's sass only makes her that much angrier. She pulls a second Pokeball off her belt, and hurls it into the fray. "Gastly," she growls. "Psy-ops, now!" 'Psy-ops' apparently means 'Confuse Ray' to the grinning violet orb that emerges from the Pokeball. Eerie light ignites in its eyes as it locks them on Chartreuse's Farfetch'd, then Ulpi, then Vivace's Tinkatuff and Sandshrew. It's disorienting!

    Brandt is a bit slower in responding, but he, too, hurls a second Pokeball into the fray. "Spearow, get them!" he cries, still distracted by the sight of the precious animal--that trusted him, and nuzzled him--lying on the ground, trying to get up. Spearow lets out a keening battle cry, and takes to the air, immediately sizing up Blue's Exeggcutor as a serious threat. Spearow shoots a glare at Nina's Pokemon, trying to freeze them in place, then dives at Exeggcutor repeatedly.

    Seedot did not appreciate Hestrol's sonic attack. He sways upright, and emanates bright green energy, trying to siphon the Water-type's lifeforce!

GS: Monster Mash has activated a Boss Action!
GS: Monster Mash has attacked Timu Guado with Absorb!
GS: Monster Mash has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Recover! Break and Cripple removed from Monster Mash!
GS: Monster Mash spends 1 Combo on Interrupt!
GS: Monster Mash has attacked Chartreuse Spinosa with Confuse Ray!
GS: Monster Mash has attacked Vivace Mori with Confuse Ray!
GS: Monster Mash has attacked Sable Aomori with Confuse Ray!
GS: Monster Mash has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Monster Mash has attacked Blue Oak with Fury Attack!
GS: Monster Mash has attacked Nina Chiyome with Leer!
GS: Monster Mash has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Monster Mash takes 35 damage from Poison!
GS: Monster Mash has completed their action.
GS: Sable Aomori fails to charge Monster Mash's Confuse Ray for 106 hit points!
GS: Reaction switch bonus! Sable Aomori gains 1 additional Combo!
GS: Disrupt and Interrupt applied to Sable Aomori!
GS: Sable Aomori has lost 2 Combo from Interrupt!
GS: Chartreuse Spinosa perfectly evades Monster Mash's Confuse Ray for 0 hit points!
GS: Reaction switch bonus! Chartreuse Spinosa gains 1 additional Combo!
GS: Disrupt and Interrupt blocked!
GS: Chartreuse Spinosa has lost 2 Combo from Interrupt!
GS: CRITICAL! Gamble: Low! Blue Oak mostly guards Monster Mash's Fury Attack for 79 hit points!
GS: FP up! Power Burst and Reaction bonus!

<Pose Tracker> Monster Mash has posed.

    Whatever block is in Brandt's brain starts to break. As Spearow covers for him, he runs to Azurill's side, and scoops the Pokemon off the floor. Azurill nuzzles his hand.

    "Are you okay?" he asks the Pokemon, softly. "Can you still fight?" Emperor, just saying that feels so strange, and so vulnerable. He's not sure how to feel about that.

GS: Nina Chiyome critically fails to evade Monster Mash's Leer for 39 hit points!
GS: Nina Chiyome's Cripple Ward may block the effect!
GS: Break and Cripple applied to Nina Chiyome!
GS: Loren Voss mostly guards Luna Meitner's Force Punch for 84 hit points!
GS: Hyper applied to Luna Meitner!
GS: FP up! Reaction bonus!
GS: ROU|LET|TE: Severe! Loren Voss critically fails to evade Xantia's Night Shade for 207 hit points!
GS: Reaction switch bonus! Loren Voss gains 1 additional Combo!
GS: Loren Voss mostly guards Rena Lanford's He's got ... LOOK AT THE BONES! for 55 hit points!
GS: Reaction switch bonus! Loren Voss gains 1 additional Combo!
GS: Entangle applied to Loren Voss!
GS: Vivace Mori fails to guard Monster Mash's Confuse Ray for 106 hit points!
GS: Reaction switch bonus! Vivace Mori gains 1 additional Combo!
GS: Disrupt and Interrupt applied to Vivace Mori!
GS: Vivace Mori has lost 2 Combo from Interrupt!
GS: CRITICAL! Timu Guado critically fails to guard Monster Mash's Absorb for 124 hit points!
GS: Reaction switch bonus! Timu Guado gains 1 additional Combo!
GS: FP up! Arcane Font!



<Pose Tracker> Loren Voss has posed.

    The Ashound's attack doesn't stop there; but burns as if stoked by the arrival of the Ponyta! ...Just what is Loren's luck score anyway?

    Are... they going to say something about the 'Drunk Guy', Loren wonders for a long tense moment.
    He might just exhale a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.

    "Maybe you shouldn't have been," he tells Sable at that.

    "You!" he utters, spotting Ragnell as she materialized... and immediately calls him a lorikeet. "And my name is Loren!" Electricity crashes towards him from her pistol, but it never connects with him: the partially Electric Alolan Graveler steps in to take the strike for him. Sparks dance off her form, but neither is she knocked aside.

    Rather, it's Dirk's Chespin that strikes a more potent blow against her, sowing her with leaching seeds! "Graaa," utters Graveler, a little agitated by this tack.

    "Tch... and? Those are your rules," he counters Dirk. "We have our own rules." Which apparently, mean that stealing is justifiable if they do it...? "And anyway, Graveler's a she!"

    But there is a rattle of bones on the floor, and Loren is aware of the fact that this way something wicked comes. "Uh," he starts, staring at the bunny, staring up at the bunny--

    Yep. That's a scary face. The look on Loren's face says it all. Dunsparce thinks so, too, but she's nothing if not determined to carry on even in spite of... ...Nibbles.

    Somewhere in the middle of all this, Clefairy goes flying as he's tackled by Ponyta in the background with a "Cleeeeeef" before landing in (yes, in) a cabinet. There's a distinctly Clefairy-shaped hole there now. It's star-shaped!

    But Loren has more pressing things to worry about and they're Shuppet-shaped. "Why," he laments as Shoo emerges into his personal space again. Is there some way you can get a ghost to... leave?
    Something painful in mind is accurate, at least: Gripping at his head, Loren drops to one knee, reminded of the tactic that Lan had taken against him in the Pokemon Mansion. If they keep this up.

    "Everyone-- return," he says, recalling his Pokemon.

    "Okay," Loren says, sizing up the room. His gaze flits over at Brandt and Germaine, busily fighting their own battles. This is an improvement on the last few times: he's not the only one standing. But he's got a bad idea about how this might end up going.

    Fortunately, it's the sort of thing he's already prepared himself for.

    "I'm going to use it," he says, addressing the two of them. It's the only warning that they, or anyone else, will get. With a practiced hand, Loren retrieves two syringes from his kit and after using the other hand to roll up his sleeve, plunges each into his flesh in succession. The empty syringes dance and clink on the floor.

    It hurts just as much this time as last time: Loren bowls over, cradling his arm against his abdomen as he tries to keep his breathing steady and even. And like last time, the temptation to just let himself get subsumed in what comes roaring up from his abyss is strong. But Leah had said--

    And he can't--

    This time his hand shakes as he pulls his glasses from his face. But the vicious smile that has started to wend its way across his face is still the same.

    This time, he's still here. And it feels good.

    Loren's feet no longer touch the ground. He hovers there, blue lights the color of a Cherenkov reaction blazing into existence around him. A scant handful of them swarm around him and vanish, but the remaining anti-worldly lights remain. With one hand, he gestures; upon Brandt and Germaine he bestows his blessing in a wash of etherial blue.

    "If you won't get out of my way, then I'll carve right through you!"

    There's a flicker in the air. It's a warning, one that if it isn't heeded may well spell disaster for those caught in the path of what arrives next. Brilliant blue-white light suddenly cleaves across a lab from end to end beginning at two separate points.

    But those not caught in the path of the chaotic Ether are not spared: the points of light that have emerged behind Loren open like eyes and from them fly a flurry of beams, as cold as the hand of a god. 

DC: You switch forms to Loren Awakened!
DC: Loren Voss switches forms to Loren Awakened!

GS: Loren Voss spends 2 Combo on Inspire and Reload!
GS: Loren Voss has attacked Loren Voss with Tetration!
GS: Loren Voss enters a Counter stance!
GS: Loren Voss has gained 3 Combo!
GS: Loren Voss accepts Loren Voss's Tetration for 0 hit points!
GS: Loren Voss gains Combo from Inspire!
GS: Loren Voss has attacked Monster Mash with Hyperoperation Sequence!
GS: Loren Voss has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Loren Voss has attacked Rena Lanford with e!
GS: Loren Voss has attacked Luna Meitner with e!
GS: Loren Voss has attacked Seraph Ragnell with e!
GS: Loren Voss has attacked Dirk Swordsman with e!
GS: Loren Voss has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Loren Voss has attacked Chase with Absolute Convergence!
GS: Loren Voss has attacked Xantia with Absolute Convergence!
GS: Loren Voss has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Loren Voss has completed his action.

<Pose Tracker> Blue Oak has posed.

Blue isn't even thinking about burgers anymore, as Azurill goes flying and the Spearow comes in flying at Exeggutor. Exeggutor takes a defensive position, mostly protecting itself against the flying type, but it's pushed back anyways.

But instead of countering, Blue's eyes cross towards Brandt. A change of heart? He might be able to exploit this.

"They're living creatures, and they'll love you as long as you take care of them, and maybe even if you don't. You can use them for crime... or you can give them a better life than that, instead of exploiting them for your robbery. That Azurill can be healed at a Pokemon Center, but if you're too busy fighting us..."

Blue has a horrible instinct cross his heart. These are bad people. But...

"If you'll let me cross over, I can apply a potion and help your Azurill hold on. I won't give any conditions on it. I won't use this as an opportunity to backstab you. If you want to throw them right back into the fight, you can... that's a judgment on you, not me, dude."

He pulls out the potion, a sealed Silph brand potion that probably couldn't have been tampered with, while dropping his burger and putting his other hand up. The vulnerability is making him vulnerable, it seems. He thinks he's gonna regret this...

But if you don't give people a chance to escape, will they ever?

MEANWHILE, Exeggutor is being eaten by a bird, so it thrashes, whipping a vine out and moving to try and whack the bird backwards defensively! Blue has full confidence in Exeggutor here, otherwise he wouldn't be pulling this stunt.

Blue sees the brilliant white light across the hall, tearing into allies as someone shoots up with syringes. It's terrifying. But even as he sees it, he takes a deep breath, trying to hide his panic. His potion remains outstretched to Brandt.
 
If Blue buckled under fear, then he's not worthy of being Champion. He might not be, anyways, depending on how others see him offering the potion to an enemy." 

GS: Blue Oak has attacked Monster Mash with Defensive Maneuvers!!
GS: Blue Oak has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Blue Oak's stances have changed from Hero to Stoic!
GS: Blue Oak has completed his action.
GS: CRITICAL! Gamble: Low! Dirk Swordsman mostly guards Loren Voss's e for 111 hit points!
GS: Reaction switch bonus! Dirk Swordsman gains 1 additional Combo!
GS: Shield applied to Loren Voss!

<Pose Tracker> Sable Aomori has posed.

It's polite to ask, Vivace says. "It's good to be polite," Sable concedes.

She recognizzees Eddy, of course. She doesn't smile, but it's nice to see that Pokemon again. Instead she answers Nina, "I don't."

Timu may not have Sable's outward composure, but Sable respects her anger all the same. "We can do it, Timu," she says to her. "We'll stop them."

Luna glances to her. Sable glances back. It is a glance with meaning. "Irrelevant?" Sable asks. "..."

Her expression hardens. "I don't like you."

The Gastly uses its Confuse Ray on Ulpi, who is staggered for a moment by it. Sable quickly says, "Ulpi, you can still do this." She pauses, and points her arm out. "Forward."

"Prin!" Ulpi does as directed, approaching the Gastly warily. "Against that type... Use Metal Claw!"

Ulpi suddenly springs forward and hacks down with a wing that glows silver, aiming to crash right through the Gastly's mist all at once with a powerful blow!

"We'll crush you."

Then, she looks back to Loren, and frowns at him, too. "I won't start believing bad things about the world just because you're mean." But she sees him recall his Pokemon, and take out--syringes. She finds her eyes widening in alarm at his reaction. "What?"

She aburbtly sees what they need to do, and focuses on her own battle as she sees Ulpi staring, too. "Focus!" she calls. "We have to do our part, too!" 

GS: Sable Aomori spends 3 Combo on Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling!
GS: Sable Aomori has attacked Monster Mash with Metal Claw!
GS: Sable Aomori has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Interrupt expired!
GS: Sable Aomori gains 27 THP from her Cautious!
GS: Sable Aomori has completed her action.
GS: Gamble: High! Rena Lanford fails to guard Loren Voss's e for 210 hit points!
GS: Reaction switch bonus! Rena Lanford gains 1 additional Combo!
GS: Shield applied to Loren Voss!
GS: FP up! Reaction bonus!
GS: Xantia mostly guards Loren Voss's Absolute Convergence for 124 hit points!
GS: Reaction switch bonus! Xantia gains 1 additional Combo!
GS: Chase mostly evades Loren Voss's Absolute Convergence for 96 hit points!
GS: COUNTER! Seraph Ragnell counterattacks Loren Voss with Counter Attack!
GS: CRITICAL! Gamble: Lowest! Seraph Ragnell critically fails to charge Loren Voss's e for 204 hit points!
GS: Reaction switch bonus! Seraph Ragnell gains 1 additional Combo!
GS: Shield applied to Loren Voss!
GS: FP up! Arcane Font!
GS: Seraph Ragnell enters CONDITION GREEN!!

<Pose Tracker> Timu Guado has posed.

    Even Timu over there flinches with what happens to Brandt's Azurill - not just that, but the way Brandt's composure changes in the moment in their wake. From being emotionally opaque, dismissive to suddenly being brought into a world of concern for the Pokemon that has befriended him.
 
     A Gastly appears, followed by a Spearow - but Seedot is still in play, and where Blue was talking about type advantages (and Sable also helped demonstrate). Nina actually asks a good question. 'Timu, you want to swap out?'
 
     "I--"
 
     Seedot uses Abosrb! Grassy energies absorb Hestrol's life force, causing her to sway upward with a higher-pitched bit of whale song that luckily the glass in this place is treated to handle. It's super-effective! (On Hestrol. The glass endures.)
 
     "Hestrol!" Timu calls, as the Guado realizes her own mistake, holding out the Pokeball to swap her back as the large whale-like Pokemon starts to drift towards the ground closer to the throes of unconsciousness. She holds the ball closer to her chest for a bit, as Brandt is looking to his Azurill's well-being.
 
     'I'm going to use it,' she hears Loren say, as his Pokemon are recalled, and Timu steps back in shock at whatever power it is that's going through him. The change of the expression on his face... and the ethereal blue that reaches his friends.
 
     "Moteray," she calls, throwing out the ball as the electric little flying manta ray goes forth, and for once seems keen to fly and flit in a direction that can actually be considered 'within relevant space of action' to a cooing "Mooooote~"
 
     From there, Timu takes her staff in hand.
 
     "I don't know what he's doing," she says, as the flame accents atop the staff that Yvain forged for her glint in the light coming through to Silph Co., as she starts to focus herself to the birthright she was born with, "but I'm going to even the odds...!"
 
     The warmth of flame starts to wash over her friends and incidental allies - Sable, Nina, Chartreuse, Vivace, Blue, and herself - reinforcing their teams with newfound strength to allow them to fight harder against this newfound threat.
 
     "Berserk!" Timu finishes the call, as Moteray gets a little more animated and may eventually develop some startling opinions about why there's a ceiling where he wants to be, but that's a problem for future Moteray. 

GS: Timu Guado has attacked Nina Chiyome with Berserk!
GS: Timu Guado has attacked Vivace Mori with Berserk!
GS: Timu Guado has attacked Chartreuse Spinosa with Berserk!
GS: Timu Guado has attacked Blue Oak with Berserk!
GS: Timu Guado has attacked Sable Aomori with Berserk!
GS: Timu Guado has attacked Timu Guado with Berserk!
GS: Timu Guado has gained 2 Combo!
GS: Timu Guado has completed her action.
GS: Timu Guado accepts Timu Guado's Berserk for 0 hit points!
GS: Hyper and Quick applied to Timu Guado!
GS: Mighty applied to Timu Guado!
GS: Chartreuse Spinosa accepts Timu Guado's Berserk for 0 hit points!
GS: Hyper and Quick applied to Chartreuse Spinosa!
GS: Mighty applied to Timu Guado!
GS: Sable Aomori accepts Timu Guado's Berserk for 0 hit points!
GS: Hyper and Quick applied to Sable Aomori!
GS: Mighty applied to Timu Guado!
GS: Luna Meitner has activated Force Action: Accelerate!
GS: Gamble: Very High! Luna Meitner critically fails to evade Loren Voss's e for 256 hit points!
GS: Reaction switch bonus! Luna Meitner gains 1 additional Combo!
GS: Vivace Mori accepts Timu Guado's Berserk for 0 hit points!
GS: Hyper and Quick applied to Vivace Mori!
GS: Mighty applied to Timu Guado!
GS: CRITICAL! Blue Oak accepts Timu Guado's Berserk for 0 hit points!
GS: Hyper and Quick applied to Blue Oak!
GS: Mighty applied to Timu Guado!
GS: Loren Voss heals Monster Mash! They gains 31 temporary hit points!
GS: Restore! Poison and Slow removed!
GS: Hyper, Lock state, and Regen applied to Monster Mash!
GS: Mighty applied to Loren Voss!
GS: Monster Mash fails to guard Blue Oak's Defensive Maneuvers! for 93 hit points!
GS: Reaction switch bonus! Monster Mash gains 1 additional Combo!
GS: Delay and Disrupt applied to Monster Mash!
GS: Hyper applied to Blue Oak!
GS: FP up! Arcane Font!
GS: Interrupt! Attack weakened!
GS: CRITICAL! Monster Mash critically fails to evade Sable Aomori's Metal Claw for 334 hit points!
GS: Reaction switch bonus! Monster Mash gains 1 additional Combo!
GS: Mighty applied to Sable Aomori!

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Ragnell has posed.

    A little red guy looks at her and says 'sup!' in the language of their people. "Yooo," Ragnell drawls back as she flashes the Charcadet a wink and a smirk. This gets shifted an instant later to Pikachu, with a blown kiss added to boot, as the yellow mouse zips across the battlefield with lightning and joy and shares it in a storm across the room. That revitalizing electricity does a lot to balance out the imbalancing of that earlier Golbat's Screech. "Love yer style, chica-chu!"
    
    Then Xantia yelps her name in recognition. "What, you're surprised t' see me?" she quips. Her gaze goes then to Luna as she flips her spear around to strike Graveler even as she's thrust away. Good instincts... Very good indeed. Ragnell hums a bit to herself, the edge of her mouth quirking up higher when she explains what -lambs- mean in this context--and what to do about it. "Couldn't'a' put it better m'self," she drawls.
    
    "Me!" Ragnell sneers back at Loren. "An' I know what your name is... Forlor'n." (In fairness, that's a much more accurate nickname than Lorikeet was.) But then he takes back all his Pokemon, including that Graveler that'd taken on her hit, and-- "Well, damn," she says, eyebrows rising in genuine surprise as Loren shoots up and then starts floating. "That can't be what you jus' stole. Even you wouldn't be desperate enough to shoot up on Pokemon juice. Right?"
    
    Lights and anti-lights answer her with a flurry of beams from the points of light now floating behind him. It really is amazing how people will ruin themselves for power, she reflects as they explode around her. It isn't even a human thing. Anyone can and will do it.
    
    But though that light sears and tears through her quasi-physical form, she stands her ground. This is a new power, brand-new to her experience; she's morbidly curious how it feels.
    
    (Bad. It feels bad.)
    
    She cackles as she raises her pistols and charges them both with their own scintillating light. As they do, she shouts back, "So you wanna play hardball, huh? I'm game!!" The light in the muzzles of those guns bright, and brighten, and then *blast* with gunfire made of light and lightning and colors that dance as she fires over and over and over, Seraphic glyph circling lazily at her feet as she channels the power of the Goddess--or something like that, anyway--in a series of blasts like Morse code, short then long then short and then one last long blast that pours force like starlight towards the floating Solarian.
    
    "PRISM TANGO!!" 

GS: Seraph Ragnell spends 2 Combo on Gatling, loading 2 into Gatling!
GS: Seraph Ragnell has attacked Loren Voss with Prism Tango!
GS: Seraph Ragnell has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Blind and Drowsy expired!
GS: Seraph Ragnell has completed her action.
GS: CRITICAL! Nina Chiyome accepts Timu Guado's Berserk for 0 hit points!
GS: Hyper and Quick applied to Nina Chiyome!
GS: Mighty applied to Timu Guado!

<Pose Tracker> Vivace Mori has posed.

"Irrelevant, huh?"

Vivace's voice is not raised, particularly, but not because she's not trying to be heard. She's irritated - well, increasingly a bit more than irritated. The other Visitors might have put her in a position where she needed to fight, or told her that her help wasn't needed, but she could tell they wanted to keep her safe - and while that makes her angry, it comes from a relatively good place.

Being dismissed, though. That's different.

So Vivace is increasingly furious, though it's a cold fury, one that's restrained enough to not erupt. It shows most in the set of her jaw, in the sudden stiffness in her posture as she straightens, all signs of levity from when she was joking around with the burger gone.

The confusion ray strikes both her Pokemon. Sandshrew merely staggers back, headachey, and returns to Vivace's side, but Tinkatuff gets the worst of it; she lets out a "Tinka~" and nearly drops her own hammer on her foot. Vivace returns her to the Pokeball, switching out for another one, which she considers for a moment. "Gholdengo!"

And, a moment later: "Sandshrew! Here." She passes down the remnants of her burger.

> Sandshrew was given the Leftovers to hold.

Now the Gholdengo, as it appears - a humanoid figure apparently made up of coin after coin, held together and even pressed together, with a crooked smile and 'hair' that's made out of the same coins - is in front, while the Sandshrew nibbles curiously at the burger. Or at least the bun, which she seems to prefer.

"Drop 'em," Vivace directs Gholdengo, who spreads his arms wide as a hail of coins appears up high, gleaming, before falling down in an erratic pelting cascade on the entirety of the attacking Pokemon group! She does, however, keep the coins away from the downed Pokemon; the fallen Azurill is untouched, though a coin gets so close as to hit the floor and roll gently over to Brandt's foot, where it stops.

Sandshrew remains behind Gholdengo, still nibbling, though it's clear she wants to get back to the fight - only a hand gesture from Vivace holds her back.

And behind her, light -

Vivace turns, slightly. Idiot! she thinks to herself. You have to pay attention everywhere in a battle, not just ahead! She didn't see Loren pull out the needles, but she can see the results, and despite herself there's a pulse of fear; what Symbology she has (and she does have some, even if she rarely uses it) is no match for *that*, she doesn't know a single battle spell.

The fear is washed away, a moment later, by Timu's magic. Vivace doesn't recognize *that*, either, and it touches her only lightly, but it does seem to gets the now-revitalized Sandshrew back on the offense, calling out an angry "San SAN!" Even the relatively easy-going Gholdengo seems fired up by it...! 

GS: Vivace Mori has attacked Monster Mash with Gholdengo - Make It Rain!
GS: Vivace Mori has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Interrupt expired!
GS: Vivace Mori gains 5 FP from Sufferer!
GS: Vivace Mori has completed her action.

<Pose Tracker> Nina Chiyome has posed.

"Lamb?" sure Luna gave an answer, but Nina still thinks it sounds funny. There are lamb pokemon. But that's like accusing someone of being a bugzapper right?
 
 Eddy unfortunately is frozen in fear by the uh, Fearow. Though with both a ghost-type AND a flying type out-.. she swaps on the fly. Recalling Eddy for now, "Good work, take a sec-"
 
 She glances to Chartreuse, "She's got it right-" then she's.. a bit cheeky towards them, though she does briefly lose some of that bravado over the obvious concern for the azurill.
 
 Then again, these aren't nice people like Sable's noted and.. well it's not a sanctioned match. Who needs a fair fight?
 
 Vivace's rant isn't far from her own and Nina just replies, "Yeah. Not happenin', got to show we can stand on our own and I'll start right here, right now."
 
 She focuses on the other goon though, the one that still seems to be in the fight with a ghost type out as well as the Seedot. Mavs is thrown out to keep the Ghostly type distracted. The sneasel giving it an evil glare of her own. She likes these odds!
 
 A look to Timu, playing off of the situation as she's maybe distracted, for obvious reasons. The magic she weaves though, definitely adds some punch to the situation. And she calls to her quilava, "Go Poppy. Flame Wheel!" pointing to the Seedot.
 
 The short bark of, "Quil!" is met with a sudden burst of purple flames. Then with a leep and a bound, the pokemon turns into a burning wheel.
 
 Nina also files this image for later. That might make neat grafitti. An old school style yokai-ish quilava monk wheel and badguys- Sable might recognize the look.
 
 She does get her head back in the game though. The sneasel starting to circle the ghastly. 

GS: Nina Chiyome has attacked Monster Mash with Flame Wheel!
GS: Nina Chiyome has completed her action.
GS: COUNTER! Loren Voss counterattacks Seraph Ragnell with irrational number!
GS: Loren Voss fails to charge Seraph Ragnell's Counter Attack for 143 hit points!
GS: Reaction switch bonus! Loren Voss gains 1 additional Combo!
GS: Charge!! You gain 40 FP! (That's 25 more than usual!)
GS: Loren Voss fails to guard Seraph Ragnell's Prism Tango for 256 hit points!
GS: Reaction switch bonus! Loren Voss gains 1 additional Combo!
GS: Seraph Ragnell mostly evades Loren Voss's irrational number for 68 hit points!
GS: Reaction switch bonus! Seraph Ragnell gains 1 additional Combo!
GS: FP up! Arcane Font!
GS: Seraph Ragnell enters CONDITION GREEN!!

<Pose Tracker> Rena Lanford has posed.

"What right do you have to call anybody irrelevant?" Indignation comes easily at Brandt's statement, as she calls out at the seeming hypocrisy. "You're even using Pokemon! Are you calling your own Pokemon, irrelevant when they're Nedians too?"

Chase's Pikachu runs around the battlefield in a storm of electricity, as Rena discretely waves at her with a smile.
 
Nibbles looks like they're being shocked for a moment, as it cries out, "JABBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB!"
 
Oh wait that's not pain, he's simply being charged up, still sparking, the Jabberwabbit just starts stomping forward.
 
Things change in an instant, when he returns - and Loren injects himself, "What are you DOING!?"
 
As it nearly doubles him over, she gets a growing sense of dread - as he rises, aglow with Blue, "Nibbles - DON'T!"
 
The Pokemon leaps, right into that beam, as the blue-white beam cleaves through him. The Blue-Haired Nedian suddenly is right there, kneeling beside the tortured body of the Jabberwabbit, as it breathes raggedly upon the floor.
 
"... It's going to be okay. It's fine..." She closes her eyes. "-Return." Cradling the Pokeball she says, "Rest. I've got this. I've-"
 
The Nedian Girl gets up in that moment, and turns to face Loren, "-you won't do any such thing." There's a gathering glow around her, before the girl herself takes off towards him.
 
The thing is she's a healer but-
 
-sometimes the best way to prevent harm.
 
Abruptly, the girl that had been a Pokemon Trainer just a moment ago is now kicking off equipment, leaping towards him, fists outstretched.
 
The dangers are obvious, Loren Voss is a bright star, burning bright full of Etheric Power, but she tries to slam her Cestus armed Fist right into the same abdomen where he injected those drugs, before flipping around mid-blow to try and axe-kick him back down.
 
And as she does...
 
"Star..."
 
Radiant symbology forms while she's still aerial, tracing grid lines in an act of creation as fusion happens in that space where she tried to slam him.
 
Burning bright and forming in seconds, an effigy of a star.
 
"...FLARE!"
 
It builds in power, before bursting out, an outpouring like a Solar Flare, a radiant inferno of Nedian Symbology, intended to smother his flame and take the fight out of his compatriots before this gets further out of hand.

DC: Rena Lanford switches forms to The Hands-On Healer!

GS: Rena Lanford has activated Force Action: Full Clip!
GS: Rena Lanford spends 1 Combo on Link!
GS: Rena Lanford has attacked Loren Voss with Star...!
GS: Rena Lanford has attacked Monster Mash with Star...!
GS: Rena Lanford has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Rena Lanford has launched an attack Link!
GS: Rena Lanford spends 3 Combo on Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling!
GS: Rena Lanford has attacked Loren Voss with ...FLARE!
GS: Rena Lanford has attacked Monster Mash with ...FLARE!
GS: Rena Lanford gains 5 FP from Gleam!
GS: Rena Lanford has completed her action.

<Pose Tracker> Chartreuse Spinosa has posed.

Irrelevant? Irrelevant? These people... Chartreuse grits her teeth - and then exhales. She has to focus -

Especially when, nearby, searing light tears through the building. It wasn't directed her way, but just the sight of it causes her to stumble.

"What was that?" She gasps out. ...She makes a silent wish for the safety of those fighting Loren, but she can't let herself take her eyes off of her current opponents for long.

Germaine orders 'Psy-ops' from her newly-called out, and it takes Chartreuse a second to figure out what that means - a second too late, as Gastly locks eyes with Farfetch'd. The eerie light dazes the duck and he stumbles. He squints, grasps his leek in both wings, and swings at a target that isn't there.

"Farfetch'd, it's alright! They're right ahead of you - just listen to my voice!" Chartreuse calls out. Her voice manages to reach him through the daze and he shuts his eyes tight, shaking his head, and makes an irritated sound. He eyes up his opponent carefully - and then, Timu's Moteray comes to his aid. Invigorating flame washes over him and he straightens up, feeling more ready to fight than before.

"Good timing - thanks for the help." Chartreuse offers Timu with a smile and a tip of the hat. "Farfetch'd! Use Night Slash!"

With a nod Farfetch'd leaps upward. There's not a whole lot of airspace for him to fly. He touches the ceiling, and kicks off of it to propel himself, leek at the ready. He swings at Gastly, darkness radiating off his weapon.

And off to the side... she frowns, just a little, as she spots Brandt and Azurill. Even people like this can care about Pokemon, huh... Maybe there's still a chance for them. 

GS: Chartreuse Spinosa has attacked Monster Mash with Close in!!
GS: Chartreuse Spinosa has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Chartreuse Spinosa gains 5 FP from Gleam!
GS: Chartreuse Spinosa has completed her action.
GS: Loren Voss critically fails to guard Rena Lanford's Star... for 205 hit points!
GS: FP up! Arcane Font!
GS: Loren Voss enters CONDITION GREEN!!
GS: Blind expired!
GS: Please react targeting the attack number in +queue.
GS: Loren Voss critically fails to guard Rena Lanford's ...FLARE for 250 hit points!
GS: FP up! Arcane Font!

<Pose Tracker> Dirk Swordsman has posed.

 
"Oh, my bad," Dirk says when Loren corrects him. It's small, almost reflexive, coming along with a small nod. Like automatically opening a can or clicking to a particular net site. He would probably express this sentiment to Graveler but Graveler is an accessory to crime right now.

He grimaces as Rena encourages her Jabberwabbit. Not better, one might say. Something else is bugging him, something about lambs? Those are like the old term for a juvenile Mareep, right?

MAYBE, BUT ALSO WRONG: The encouraging words from Pikachu come and make the cluster of Pokemon with Dirk rally up visibly. Farfetch'd gets back up from nursing his scorched wings, while Charcadet raises his BBQ-skewer blade and shouts, "Charcadet!!!"

Charcadet surges forwards. He will regret this.

Dirk turns his head for a moment and stares in bafflement as Loren injects himself. Medical stuff? Why is he using medical stuff right here in the middle of a battle? And he's shooting it into *HIS* arm not into Graveler. Using some kind of injector on Graveler would both be really funny (because rock, you see) and logical to Dirk Swordsman.

But then he calls on something. Lights hover around him. Strange lights. At this point Charcadet leaps into the air, intent on completing what must be some kind of a Flame Charge; and he was coming from Dirk's direction, which is why Charcadet gets hit by the beam.

The good news for Charcadet is that he was holding up a piece of metal in front of himself - good, solid, *resilient* metal, because its original purpose in life was to get repeatedly used as an anchor point for grilled meats and vegetables and other assorted grillables. The bad news for Charcadet is everything else. The doughty Ghost Pokemon is struck and thrown clear, smacking off the back walls of the lab and sprawling out.

Dirk, aghast, immediately pops up the Pokeball and says, "Alright, come back!!" The light flashes out of the Pokeball-- and it takes several seconds, possibly from distance, for it to happen. When Dirk looks back at Loren, his sunglasses hide a deeply horrified look.

He hardens up. They're still fighting. "-- Alright, we got a problem here," Dirk says. "This guy's a psychic," he guesses, even as Rena unleashes the hell that is a lot more familiar. During this time, Dirk ducks down, rolling beneath one of the lab tables and coming out the other side -- Chespin follows, which was probably wise.

Farfetch'd doesn't. Farfetch'd took off when the beam flew through the air and has been alarmed, yet determined, by this turn of events, perhaps. Without a lot of prompting from Dirk, the bird dives down to bomb near to Loren -- slashing out with his leek, hitting the ground, and doing a return pass while taking off and then swooping abruptly to get behind a vent hood.

(dammit dammit dammit dammit dammit, thinks the young man who would hesitate to say that *aloud*, as he comes out of the other side of the lab table -- which is, at best, 'slightly less in Loren's line of sight'. But he's thinking more of Charcadet, if we're honest.) 

GS: Dirk Swordsman spends 3 Combo on Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling!
GS: Dirk Swordsman has attacked Loren Voss with Farfetch'd - Fury Cutter!
GS: Dirk Swordsman has completed his action.
GS: Monster Mash fails to guard Vivace Mori's Gholdengo - Make It Rain for 159 hit points!
GS: Reaction switch bonus! Monster Mash gains 1 additional Combo!
GS: FP up! Arcane Font!
GS: Monster Mash mostly evades Nina Chiyome's Flame Wheel for 42 hit points!
GS: Reaction switch bonus! Monster Mash gains 1 additional Combo!
GS: FP up! Reaction bonus!
GS: CRITICAL! Monster Mash perfectly guards Rena Lanford's Star... for 104 hit points!
GS: Reaction switch bonus! Monster Mash gains 1 additional Combo!
GS: FP up! Arcane Font and Reaction bonus!
GS: Monster Mash mostly evades Rena Lanford's ...FLARE for 94 hit points!
GS: Reaction switch bonus! Monster Mash gains 1 additional Combo!
GS: FP up! Arcane Font!
GS: Monster Mash enters CONDITION GREEN!!
GS: Monster Mash critically fails to evade Chartreuse Spinosa's Close in! for 185 hit points!
GS: Luna Meitner has activated Force Action: Full Clip!
GS: Luna Meitner has activated Force Action: Lock On!

<Pose Tracker> Chase has posed.

Rena gets a Pika-wink and Ragnell's blown kiss gets one of Pikachu's trademark (it is not, there are no laws among Pikachu) Pika-chus in return. She smooches her whole paw and sweeps it out. Chu~. If an electric heart is visible, don't worry about it.

(Chase is worried about it. Whatever Pikachu looks at, his gaze sharply acknowledges.)

Chase isn't sure 'enemy' is the right word and gives Luna a blank stare, but he at least wisely positions himself away from the window he entered. He tries to stand among his fellow trainers as he whistles commands to Ponyta and Pikachu. It's a lot to keep up with. The battles. The Pokemon. The information slinging left and right. And then the number of things going on shrinks -- for the worse. Pokemon return as Ponyta is left peering angrily into an empty star-shaped hole.

Loren is going to use 'it'. What --

With every motion, Chase's eyes get a fraction wider. His whistle to Pikachu is urgent as she dives at him at full speed, not understanding what's happening, but sensing Chase's genuine distress. He wraps his arms entirely around his Pokemon, huddled over her as uncaring light seeks to seer into them with a power he does not recognize.

He feels his body grabbed and thrown --

Teeth in his jacket, yanking him up, as Ponyta scarcely gets Chase, with Pikachu, up onto his back to outrun these blinding fingers of god. Chase holds tight to Ponyta's neck with one arm and Pikachu with the other.

What is this light? What was in those syringes? Why is this man called Loren smiling now? This isn't a Drunk Guy! This is something completely different!

He balances himself on Ponyta and guides his Pokesteed to a stop, feeling his own heart rate how in his throat. With Pikachu clutched tight, he tries to breathe. In. And out. Pikachu breathes with him. "Chachu." He nods, and then he lifts Pikachu up and tosses her into the fray again.

Following her are two more Pokeballs. A Nidoran squeaks in defiance. A Stayu announces itself with its signature "HIYAH!" Chase points and whistles commands, all three Pokemon fanning out -- Pikachu and Nidoran sprinting in opposite directions while Staryu spins through the air in flight. Electricity builds in all three, and as they converge upon Loren, each unleashes lightning in a volatile, but unified bolt.

GS: Regen added to Chase!
GS: Chase has activated Force Action: Boost!
GS: Chase spends 3 Combo on Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling!
GS: Formation! Chase has attacked Loren Voss with Thunderbolt!
GS: Chase has gained 2 Combo!
GS: Chase gains 5 FP from Gleam!
GS: Chase gains 40 THP from Regen!
GS: Chase has completed his action.

<Pose Tracker> Luna Meitner has posed.

Luna gives Sable a short nod. There is determination in the Nedian girl, and Luna respects that. But to Nina, she adds further clarification. "To be a lamb, to them, is to be a weak, docile creature. Our livestock do not often possess the same temerity as your pokemon."

She looks over to Ragnell as she agrees, and simply nods to that sentiment. They're on the same page, at least on this--what more is there to say?

Loren was fighting by the rules of Nedian culture, and it was... entertaining enough, to see where that might lead. But then he recalls all of his pokemon, and Luna narrows her eyes. She watches as Loren retrieves two syringes...

"Disappointing," is all she says. "Unwilling to rely on your own power." She says that but she's not... doing anything to stop him, in the time she's saying that. "Meditite, stand back and observe. I will handle the rest."

"Medi." The small pokemon backs away from Loren, retreating to the back wall where he stands up straight to watch.

She takes her spear up again, settling into her stance and closes her eyes, briefly, focusing her energy. Then, when the air flickers her eyes snap open and she charges forward, attempting to duck and weave her way through to make an attack, only for the sudden swiftness of Loren's magic to take her off guard. It tears into her and sends her reeling as it strikes true, and Luna is forced backwards and briefly down onto a knee, leaning against her spear for support. "You wield that stolen power well," she observes.

But then she takes a deep breath and rises once more, settling into her stance. Muscles tensing, she focuses intently... and when she moves she is streaking across the room as she bounds forward. She lands in a crouch for a brief instant, then springs upwards, flipping so that her feet impact the ceiling in a crouch. And from there, she powers jumps and barrels downwards at Loren, the tip of her spear heating up as she drives it through the air with intensity, displacing a shockwave of air before it. 

GS: Luna Meitner spends 3 Combo on Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling!
GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Luna Meitner has attacked Loren Voss with Starfall Dive!
GS: Luna Meitner has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Luna Meitner gains 5 FP from her Daredevil!
GS: Luna Meitner gains 5 FP from Gleam!
GS: Luna Meitner has completed her action.

<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.

Xantia was indeed surprised to see Ragnell popping up right, right at this moment. Given that they have at least one shared reason to not like Solaris very much, the Seraph will certainly be an ally in this fight, and thus she responds, "A little, but glad for it!"

There isn't much else to be glad about, given what happens shortly after. When Xantia started her approach on Loren, she had no idea how right that call would turn out to be. That was what she should have done from the start. Maybe then she would have been in time to stop the trump card from being employed, rather than still being too far removed from him before she sees that happen. Her eyes widen in recognition, knowing very well what that substance is, and what's about to happen. "Wh-- no! Everybody, watch out!"

That's the best she can manage in the time she has, before the familiar sense of Ether concentration going through the roof hits her, and she grits her teeth. Digging in her heels, she crosses her bracers in front of her, forming an energy shield, as well as an aura of light about her body to defend against whatever expression of magic might soon be brought to bear.

Xantia's barrier holds against the first few hits, but there's way too many beams to stop them all. Her light barrier, too, can only stop so much of the assault. However, visible energy burns and unpleasant ozone smell notwithstanding... she manages to stay on her feet, and not get knocked back too far.

She coughs, once, before yelling with furious indignance, "LOREN!" At least she used his actual name this time. "You'd go this far, here, now?! Don't think you're getting away with this! You want to go all-out?! Then eat this!!"

The light of her aura flows into hands, extending and solidifying into the shape of a massive two-handed sword. Not quite the same magic as Ether... this is closer to a Seraphic Arte, or so she was told. Not that it matters. What matters now is bringing down the Solarian threat before this power brings down the whole building. Choosing a giant sword of light as the tool for this task, Xantia wields the weapon in one hand, slamming it down with all of the considerable force she can muster, before taking a defensive stance.

"There's more where that came from, Solaris!" Aaaand back to not using Loren's name. "Come at me, if you think you can handle it!" More than that, she hopes to draw Loren's attention to herself, away from those who might not be able to stand against Ether as well as she can.

Shoo, meanwhile, is nowhere to be seen. Typical. 

DC: Xantia switches forms to Xantia, Seeker of Memory!

GS: Xantia has attacked Loren Voss with Radiant Blade!
GS: Xantia enters a Counter stance!
GS: Xantia has gained 3 Combo!
GS: Xantia gains 5 FP from Gleam!
GS: Xantia has completed her action.

<Pose Tracker> Monster Mash has posed.

    Spearow dive-bombs Blue's Exeggcutor over and over, showing dogged persistence in the face of a threat. She's still painfully new to proper battles, and as Exeggcutor settles into a defensive posture, she plays right into it, risking overexertion as she tries to batter her way through. Brandt glances back at his other Pokemon. A lump settles in his throat.

    "Spearow, pull back! Now, dammit!" Brandt demands.

    Spearow lets out another keening cry. She doesn't listen.

    Elsewhere on the field, Ulpi and Chartreuse's Farfetch'd meet Germaine's Gastly with decisive force. "Evade!" cries the other operative, but too late. Gastly takes the hits dead-on, and vanishes in a puff of violet smoke, seemingly rent asunder by leek and claw. Germaine startles; her hand clenches around Gastly's Pokeball.

    Another puff of smoke. The Ghost-type reappears before her, eyes swirling. Mutely, Germaine presses the button on the ball, recalling Gastly to safety. "What even is this place," Germaine asks no one, and everyone. "What the hell are these things. Why are they so okay with fighting for you?!"

    Seedot, meanwhile, nods--seemingly satisfied by its theft. (Seedot is kind of a jerk.)

    Blue is met with no resistance as he crosses the field. Brandt is much bigger, but he looks at the young man like he's holding a gun, and not a potion. "I just don't want it to die," he says. "It's not going to die, is it?"

    "Rill?" chirps Azurill, opening one eye. "Azurill?"

    None of this makes any sense. Energy Nede is indolent, said the propagandists who spoke to them before they left. It does not know what it has. It does not deserve what it has. It is Solaris' right to take what they have, and use it to maintain the Emperor's order. They were both given Pokemon, captured by other Solarian operatives, and given the bare minimum of time to familiarize themselves. They're just beasts, even if they're Symbologically-augmented.

    They're not that smart. And they certainly can't feel, even if they're tailored to appeal to caregiving instincts. Right. Right?

    Brandt doesn't do a damn thing as Blue spritzes Azurill down with a Potion.

    Azurill gets a moment of reprieve. Seedot and Spearow are less fortunate. Poppy slams head-on into Seedot, sending him flying with a cry of 'Eeee!'. He caroms off another server rack, and rolls to a stop. Spearow is pelted by coins. Coins?! The Flying-type's sheer belligerence wins out; she's scuffed and mussed, but still in the air, afterwards. Barely.

    It's Germaine who notices the sudden change in Loren's. "Captain?!" she cries. He's recalling his Pokemon. Oh good, Germaine thinks, now they can deal with--they can do something that isn't whatever horrible mess this mission has turned into. But the Captain isn't channeling Ether. Why isn't he--?

    'I'm going to use it.'

    The color fades from Germaine's face. "Are you," she gets out, but Loren's injected himself, twice, before she can say any more. Blue light washes over her, her Pokemon, and her partner. Seedot and Spearow immediately perk up as a second wind washes over them.

    Brandt and Germaine are a bit less fortunate, as Rena meets them with a wave of force and fire. For once, it's the Trainers who go flying--Brandt cradling Azurill while Germaine holds Gastly's Pokeball tight. Seedot stands firm, though, and does another of those little, taunting dances. Another, greater wave of bright-green light erupts from him, washing over Goldengho, then Exeggcutor, then the other enemy Pokemon, each in turn. Seedot, it seems, is focused on fighting this battle to the bitter end! (And also kind of a jerk.)

    Brandt scrambles to his feet. "Get out of here!" he shouts, actual urgency in his voice instead of the patronizing tone he took on earlier. "Combat drugs," is his explanation. "He'll kill you! Get out of here, now!" This was supposed to be a mission where they followed Nedian rules. The Drive was a contingency. The contingency is in play, and the rules flew out the window.

GS: Monster Mash has activated a Boss Action!
GS: Monster Mash has attacked Timu Guado with Absorb!
GS: Monster Mash has attacked Vivace Mori with Absorb!
GS: Monster Mash has attacked Nina Chiyome with Absorb!
GS: Monster Mash has attacked Chartreuse Spinosa with Absorb!
GS: Monster Mash has attacked Blue Oak with Absorb!
GS: Monster Mash has attacked Sable Aomori with Absorb!
GS: Monster Mash has gained 2 Combo!
GS: Recover! Delay and Disrupt removed from Monster Mash!
GS: CRITICAL! Gamble: Very High! Loren Voss mostly evades Dirk Swordsman's Farfetch'd - Fury Cutter for 140 hit points!
GS: Reaction switch bonus! Loren Voss gains 1 additional Combo!
GS: Please react targeting the attack number in +queue.
GS: Loren Voss fails to guard Chase's Thunderbolt for 208 hit points!
GS: Reaction switch bonus! Loren Voss gains 1 additional Combo!
GS: FP up! Arcane Font!
GS: CRITICAL! Loren Voss mostly guards Luna Meitner's Starfall Dive for 192 hit points!
GS: Sable Aomori mostly evades Monster Mash's Absorb for 41 hit points!
GS: Reaction switch bonus! Sable Aomori gains 1 additional Combo!
GS: Blue Oak fails to charge Monster Mash's Absorb for 121 hit points!
GS: Reaction switch bonus! Blue Oak gains 1 additional Combo!
GS: FP up! Reaction bonus!
GS: Blue Oak enters CONDITION GREEN!!
GS: Vivace Mori mostly charges Monster Mash's Absorb for 91 hit points!
GS: Reaction switch bonus! Vivace Mori gains 1 additional Combo!
GS: FP up! Reaction bonus!
GS: Timu Guado has activated Force Action: Guard!
GS: Timu Guado mostly guards Monster Mash's Absorb for 55 hit points!
GS: FP up! Arcane Font!
GS: Chartreuse Spinosa mostly guards Monster Mash's Absorb for 48 hit points!
GS: Reaction switch bonus! Chartreuse Spinosa gains 1 additional Combo!
GS: FP up! Reaction bonus!
GS: Chartreuse Spinosa enters CONDITION GREEN!!

<Pose Tracker> Loren Voss has posed.

    To be fair it was largely reflexive from Loren, too. Which is strange for a man who has never really had a pet before (Runeberry doesn't count (Runeberry absolutely counts)).

    "Do you really think..." he starts to say to Ragnell; something indescripable flits across his face, nearly as if he were struggling to maintain 'himself'. "--You're wrong! This is our power!" His gaze flits to Luna as she expresses her own disappointment of his strength. "--You'll see! You cannot stand against the unsealed might of a First Class Solarian!" It's so easy to fall back into that mode of thinking as he straddles the line between maintaining control and letting his psyche become subsumed. In fact, it's just about second nature.

    Is that... what I really think?

    And that itself is a distraction at the worst of times as Ragnell comes in hot, guns blazing for him. Blue light catches some of her blasts but not all -- not all. One of his orbiting 'stars' fires a counter-burst in her direction, but she's not done with him as he wheels to face her. Even his attempts to more proactively deflect the blows come too slow and thus too late. He's forced back even as he maintains his stable float.

    "I'd like to see you try! Do you think you can hurt me now?!" he asks of Ragnell as the drug burns in his veins. Light burns at his hands; something mighty is growing.

    He is a bright star, and Rena would be the moon to his sun.
    In the sense that she intends to eclipse the power he's channeling, and she starts with a fierce kick to his abdomen. He doesn't fall: he can't fall, caught up in the embrace of this Power as he is. But it is sufficent to knock him back into a desk, which cracks under the impact.

    And then splinters outright as about him there is birthed a star. But Loren emerges from the light as it begins to fade, his feet inches above the ground.

    Into this moment intrudes Farfetch'd, swooping for Loren with the determination only a very brave bird can muster. But it pays off: Loren's focus is on Rena in this moment of moments, and Farfetch'd is able to get in a very solid strike against Loren's side. Neither is this ignored by Luna, who comes in hard with her own spear from above. The resulting detonation kicks up dust and obscures half the room.

    There is a hole in the floor, afterwards. Loren is bloodied. But he is still standing -- or rather floating -- here in the lab.

    Lightning, courtesy of Chase's Pokemon, cracks down all around him as his gaze dispassionately sweeps the room. His subordinates -- isn't that a lovely word, subordinate -- have begun to panic themselves, realizing that all the stops have been pulled free. Did they see how much he took? Perhaps so. Or perhaps, they merely know for themselves how it can be, on Drive. "Do not worry," Loren tells them even as he's struck again and again by lightning--

    His body twitches but he's still standing.

    He'd go this far, here and now? "Of course. I'm not going to lose to you," he tells Xantia, unable to entirely keep the grin off his face. How many times has he been forced to retreat, now? How many times has someone else gotten the upper hand? Light cleaves into him at her command and he-- stands there, blue light flickering as some aspect of that attack is absorbed. But not all of it. Far from all of it. He lifts one bloodied hand slowly to stare at it, then gazes over at Xantia... and points.

    Thin pale blue lines begin to streak upwards towards the ceiling at regular intervals. Is it possible they continue through and beyound these boundaries? They are joined and connected by others, as insubstantial as a spiderweb until the lab is laced through with them. They glitter in the light for a moment before the connected planes suddenly turn and twist and pull apart.

    And rejoin.

    And it shouldn't be possible, according to classical physics, and yet--

    His own blue eyes blazing, Loren turns his attention on still others among those who have decided to stand before him and bar his path. He could leave. He could simply swat them away and then leave. But that won't do.

    They need to learn their place, speaks that counterpart within him. And it's not that he's lost control: his hands are on the reins. But rather--

    "Do you understand, now? Do you understand what you're playing with?!"

    Light thrums, unwinding from the center of the lab. It seems almost languid compared to the rapid strikes before. But that is simply because it is still growing. Spokes grow from it, aligning to some order within the chaos which Loren can now make manifest, and fix at three separate places within the lab's space. For a moment, nothing seems to happen.

    For a moment, the timer ticks down.

    The light is no longer blue when it erupts outwards. It's gold, and as brilliant as the fusion reaction that is the sun. 

GS: Loren Voss has activated Force Action: Snipe!
GS: You have activated the Force Action Snipe!
GS: Loren Voss has activated a Boss Action!
GS: You have activated the Boss Action Extend!
GS: You cannot act while you still have attacks in queue.
GS: You cannot act while you still have attacks in queue.
GS: CRITICAL! Loren Voss mostly guards Xantia's Radiant Blade for 136 hit points!
GS: Blind blocked!
GS: Loren Voss has attacked Seraph Ragnell with Non-Euclidean Space!
GS: Loren Voss has attacked Luna Meitner with Non-Euclidean Space!
GS: Loren Voss has attacked Rena Lanford with Non-Euclidean Space!
GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Loren Voss has attacked Chase with Phi -Golden Ratio-!
GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Loren Voss has attacked Xantia with Phi -Golden Ratio-!
GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Loren Voss has attacked Dirk Swordsman with Phi -Golden Ratio-!
GS: Loren Voss has gained 2 Combo!
GS: Recover! Cripple and Entangle removed from Loren Voss!
GS: Loren Voss has completed his action.
GS: CRITICAL! Rena Lanford fails to charge Loren Voss's Non-Euclidean Space for 188 hit points!
GS: Reaction switch bonus! Rena Lanford gains 1 additional Combo!
GS: FP up! Arcane Font!
GS: Dirk Swordsman mostly guards Loren Voss's Phi -Golden Ratio- for 146 hit points!
GS: FP up! Reaction bonus!
GS: Strain! Loren Voss takes 85 damage!
GS: COUNTER! Xantia counterattacks Loren Voss with Light Buster!
GS: Xantia fails to charge Loren Voss's Phi -Golden Ratio- for 346 hit points!
GS: Reaction switch bonus! Xantia gains 1 additional Combo!
GS: Healthy! For entering Condition Green, Xantia receives 100 temporary hit points.
GS: Xantia enters CONDITION GREEN!!
GS: Strain! Loren Voss takes 75 damage!
GS: CRITICAL! Chase critically fails to charge Loren Voss's Phi -Golden Ratio- for 465 hit points!
GS: Reaction switch bonus! Chase gains 1 additional Combo!
GS: Healthy! For entering Condition Green, Chase receives 100 temporary hit points.
GS: Chase enters CONDITION GREEN!!
GS: Strain! Loren Voss takes 66 damage!
GS: Chase used Force Action: Mystic on Dirk Swordsman! FP up!
GS: Loren Voss mostly charges Xantia's Light Buster for 194 hit points!
GS: Reaction switch bonus! Loren Voss gains 1 additional Combo!
GS: Charge!! You gain 50 FP! (That's 35 more than usual!)

<Pose Tracker> Sable Aomori has posed.

Timu's power washes over Sable and her team. She feels stronger, too--it's a surge that is almost unsettling for her... Except that the anger that she feels matches it well. Ulpi, too, feels this power, and crows triumphantly as his hit strikes home.

Sable is afraid of Loren, too. It's the sort of thing that made her want to hide from the Visitors in the first place--the very sort of thing that made her decide to act, instead. But she is battling his support, and that is what she must focus on. One thing at a time; one battle after the next.

Sable does recognize Nina and Poppy's look. "We'll handle them quickly!" she assures Nina.

"Then we can all focus on--" She doesn't know what to call Loren, now. He's clearly more than he was in some awful way. Or is it more?

She notices Germaine's concern along with Brandt's. She sees it s Germaine pulls it to safety. "It's just fainted," Sable tells her. And she's not Blue, but she does seem him approach, and, "...You're kind," she tells Blue. She leaves caring for the Pokemon to them.

Brandt tells them to get out of here, but, "We won't," Sable says, standing up to her full height. "To face the Ten Wise Men, we have to be willing to face anything. Even though he's dangerous, we won't run away. We'll trust in ourselves and our Pokemon. No matter what."

Then she shields her eyes against the radiant power Loren brings to bear, shrinking awy despite herself. But what she just said is true, as she forces herself to stand back up again, once more s tall as she can.

"We're not playing!" Sable shouts at Loren.

She then recalls Ulpi finally. "Good work," she says as she extends her arm with the Pokeball. "Now.."

She suddenly has another in her hand, arm held at a right angle to the ground. Then... she extends her hand, "Prima!" She lets loose--and a strange plant with a bell-like head and a twiglike body emerges, dancing almost like a ballerina.

"Use--"

She pauses. "...No."

"Blue is right," she says. "if you're so afraid..."

"I'll give you this one chance to leave. And if not..."

"Prima. Use Substitute."

POOF. There's a rush of smoke... and suddenly there are multiple Bellsprouts! "Choose carefully." 

GS: Sable Aomori has attacked Sable Aomori with Substitute!
GS: Sable Aomori has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Sable Aomori gains 30 THP from her Cautious!
GS: Sable Aomori gains 5 FP from Gleam!
GS: Shieldbreak expired!
GS: Sable Aomori has completed her action.
GS: CRITICAL! Sable Aomori heals Sable Aomori! She gains 338 temporary hit points!
GS: Restore! Disrupt removed!
GS: Strain! Sable Aomori takes 71 damage!
GS: Nina Chiyome critically fails to charge Monster Mash's Absorb for 140 hit points!
GS: Reaction switch bonus! Nina Chiyome gains 1 additional Combo!

<Pose Tracker> Blue Oak has posed.

Blue spritzes down Azurill, talking as he does. His voice is shaky, fear obvious as things get increasingly worse.

"No, they won't die. But you need to take care of them. You know why they fight for us so hard? Why they're willing to do anything for us?"

The final drop of potion spritzes on Azurill, as Blue steps back, retreating across the battle line from a slow walk into a run.

"Because we'll do the same for them! They're not just pets or beasts of burden! They're our friends and family. And if you can't deal with taking care of this Azurill, find someone who will, okay? It's the least you could do."

Blue would run away. His legs are buckling slightly at the words 'he'll kill you'. But...

"I haven't... gotten my prize money yet?"

It's not the truth of the situation. No, he just can't leave others to die. That wouldn't be a cool thing to do.

"Exeggutor, Psychic on Seedot! Knock it back!"

Exeggutor slowly makes a noise as it's absorbed, charging forth and concentrating. A mental blast is sparked at Seedot, trying to stagger it quickly and with force, but without doing too much *pain*. The golden light is scaring the Pokemon as well as Blue, but... he needs to worry about his foes in front of them. They're not good people...

...but they're still people, aren't they? 

GS: Blue Oak has activated Force Action: Lock On!
GS: Blue Oak has attacked Monster Mash with Psychic!!
GS: Blue Oak has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Blue Oak gains 5 FP from Gleam!
GS: Blue Oak has completed his action.
GS: CRITICAL! Seraph Ragnell critically fails to charge Loren Voss's Non-Euclidean Space for 209 hit points!
GS: Reaction switch bonus! Seraph Ragnell gains 1 additional Combo!
GS: FP up! Arcane Font!

<Pose Tracker> Vivace Mori has posed.

Germaine didn't exactly ask Vivace, but she answers anyway.

"They fight *with* us," and she puts the emphasis on 'with' rather than 'for', "because they trust us, and we trust them. We work as a team. I'm the coach and trainer, they're the players, but you don't get to play the game without both and nobody's more important than anyone else."

For Vivace, answering was an act of kindness, which is probably why she ruins it by lacing her fingers together and stretching them, eliciting a couple pops (Vivace you are FOURTEEN stop ruining your knuckles). "And right now we're going to get some Visitor stooges out of our science labs," she says, firmly. Stooges is a good word, she feels. She learned it from movies.

There's an *awful* lot of light... What Loren is doing hurts Vivace's eyes. She looks from him back to the soldiers she was fighting, even as Seedot reaches out; not enough to take out the Gholdengo, but enough to stagger him -

'Get out of here! He'll kill you! Get out of here, now!'

Vivace sets her jaw. "Sandshrew, Gholdengo, back home!" Both are recalled, one Pokeball per hand, and she tucks them back in her belt before pulling out a different kind of Pokeball. White on the bottom, but brownish-grey on top, with some blobby blue nodules on the front and side, it's some kind of special-use Ball.

"Erikodus! Go!"

Vivace flings the Heavy Ball, and it discharges with a deeper, basser noise than the Pokeballs normally manage. The glowing energy forms something *big*, even by Pokemon standards, taking a moment to shape itself into...

That's a Gear.

Well, not quite. It's very small for a Gear, but it's still far bigger than any human; twelve feet tall and change, nearly as long as it is tall, and only a little narrower, it comes pretty close to filling the average corridor.

Vivace pulls herself on top of it with a practiced movement, planting her butt just in front of a squareish segment with a slot on it. She releases a *second* Pokemon, this one from a blue Pokeball with a yellow X drawn across it; this Pokemon is much smaller, very rectangular, and drops right into the slot like it was born (constructed? it looks artificial) to be there with a click.

"Niquia! Light Screen on the Erikodus!" The little boxy Pokemon hums, and a shining barrier of light forms in front of the Erikodus, spreading out to make three rectangular forcefield-like shields that float before it.

Vivace looks down and back. "You run first," she calls to Brandt, as the Erikodus begins to stomp forward. Is it... protecting them? (Only incidentally, by filling the entire hallway with its bulk.) "I don't have time to battle a coward, but if you're scared of your own partner, he's not your partner." 

GS: Vivace Mori has attacked Vivace Mori with Niquia - Light Screen!
GS: Vivace Mori has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Vivace Mori gains 5 FP from Sufferer!
GS: Vivace Mori has completed her action.
GS: Vivace Mori accepts Vivace Mori's Niquia - Light Screen for 0 hit points!
GS: Shield applied to Vivace Mori!

<Pose Tracker> Rena Lanford has posed.

Sadly, Pikachu doesn't get a wink in reply to the Pika-wink, because so much has gone wrong in a matter of moments.

In the wake of her attack Rena drops to the floor, cestus clanging as she lands with a hand down, eyes upon that space. The man on drive - everything at her is screaming about the danger.
 
Things are different, this isn't the same man as it was before.
 
Her mind asks what he did, but her eyes say it doesn't matter. He simply has to be stopped. They're asked if they understand, and Rena leaps at him again.
 
This time she's taken head on by the blue light, and sent hurtling across the room as she's cut out of the sky with a heavy impact.
 
Brandt is telling them the sense he knows, that he'll kill them all.
 
"No. He won't." Rena speaks softly, pained - her dress marred by the light burned into it, the capelet she wears all but incinerated but within Rena's hands is a glow, small, like a Will'o'Wisp, soft in it's glow, bathing like Lunar Light.
 
"I understand that you think you're superior, that we're irrelevant... but - just like me, there's so much about this world you don't yet understand."
 
She releases it from her hands, and it streams out over the room like Feylight from a mountain in the middle of night.
 
It shines down like faeries, restoring the people of the room, as if to undo his works outright.
 
"And I don't understand why - but it feels like you don't have much time left." Rena says softly, as if she simply just has a strange sense of that... that's true.
 
Her eyes lock with his, as if she simply intends to just keep - pouring that healing Symbology into everyone here until he falls.
 
"Can your strength outlast ours?"

<Pose Tracker> Vivace Mori has posed.

Germaine didn't exactly ask Vivace, but she answers anyway.

"They fight *with* us," and she puts the emphasis on 'with' rather than 'for', "because they trust us, and we trust them. We work as a team. I'm the coach and trainer, they're the players, but you don't get to play the game without both and nobody's more important than anyone else."

For Vivace, answering was an act of kindness, which is probably why she ruins it by lacing her fingers together and stretching them, eliciting a couple pops (Vivace you are FOURTEEN stop ruining your knuckles). "And right now we're going to get some Visitor stooges out of our science labs," she says, firmly. Stooges is a good word, she feels. She learned it from movies.

There's an *awful* lot of light... What Loren is doing hurts Vivace's eyes. She looks from him back to the soldiers she was fighting, even as Seedot reaches out; not enough to take out the Gholdengo, but enough to stagger him -

'Get out of here! He'll kill you! Get out of here, now!'

Vivace sets her jaw. "Sandshrew, Gholdengo, back home!" Both are recalled, one Pokeball per hand, and she tucks them back in her belt before pulling out a different kind of Pokeball. White on the bottom, but brownish-grey on top, with some blobby blue nodules on the front and side, it's some kind of special-use Ball.

"Erikodus! Go!"

Vivace flings the Heavy Ball, and it discharges with a deeper, basser noise than the Pokeballs normally manage. The glowing energy forms something *big*, even by Pokemon standards, taking a moment to shape itself into...

That's a Gear.

Well, not quite. It's very small for a Gear, but it's still far bigger than any human; twelve feet tall and change, nearly as long as it is tall, and only a little narrower, it comes pretty close to filling the average corridor.

It's weird-shaped, though. The 'body' is faintly triangular, pointing forward, with an oversized multibarrel gun hanging off the bottom; it really resembles a Gear more than a Pokemon, but judging by the way Vivace moves around it, she believes it's one. Its legs are reverse-kneed and made of stange flat discs for the soles of the 'feet'.

Vivace pulls herself on top of it with a practiced movement, planting her butt just in front of a squareish segment with a slot on it. She releases a *second* Pokemon, this one from a blue Pokeball with a yellow X drawn across it; this Pokemon is much smaller, very rectangular, and drops right into the slot like it was born (constructed? it looks artificial) to be there with a click.

"Niquia! Light Screen on the Erikodus!" The little boxy Pokemon hums, and a shining barrier of light forms in front of the Erikodus, spreading out to make three rectangular forcefield-like shields that float before it.

Vivace looks down and back. "You run first," she calls to Brandt, as the Erikodus begins to stomp forward. Is it... protecting them? (Only incidentally, by filling the entire hallway with its bulk.) "I don't have time to battle a coward, but if you're scared of your own partner, he's not your partner." 

GS: Rena Lanford has attacked Sable Aomori with Faerie Healing!
GS: Rena Lanford has attacked Seraph Ragnell with Faerie Healing!
GS: Rena Lanford has attacked Dirk Swordsman with Faerie Healing!
GS: Rena Lanford has attacked Chase with Faerie Healing!
GS: Rena Lanford has attacked Chartreuse Spinosa with Faerie Healing!
GS: Rena Lanford has attacked Blue Oak with Faerie Healing!
GS: Rena Lanford has attacked Nina Chiyome with Faerie Healing!
GS: Rena Lanford has attacked Timu Guado with Faerie Healing!
GS: Rena Lanford has attacked Vivace Mori with Faerie Healing!
GS: Rena Lanford has attacked Xantia with Faerie Healing!
GS: Rena Lanford has gained 2 Combo!
GS: Rena Lanford gains 5 FP from Gleam!
GS: Blind expired!
GS: Rena Lanford has completed her action.
GS: Rena Lanford heals Timu Guado! She gains 232 temporary hit points!
GS: Rena Lanford heals Sable Aomori! She gains 230 temporary hit points!
GS: CRITICAL! Rena Lanford heals Chartreuse Spinosa! She gains 270 temporary hit points!
GS: CRITICAL! Rena Lanford heals Blue Oak! He gains 275 temporary hit points!
GS: Rena Lanford heals Chase! He gains 228 temporary hit points!
GS: CRITICAL! Rena Lanford heals Dirk Swordsman! He gains 274 temporary hit points!
GS: Rena Lanford heals Xantia! She gains 226 temporary hit points!
GS: CRITICAL! Rena Lanford heals Vivace Mori! She gains 275 temporary hit points!
GS: Healthy! For entering Condition Green, Vivace Mori receives 100 temporary hit points.
GS: Vivace Mori enters CONDITION GREEN!!
GS: Disrupt expired!
GS: CRITICAL! Rena Lanford heals Nina Chiyome! She gains 272 temporary hit points!
GS: Nina Chiyome enters CONDITION GREEN!!
GS: Rena Lanford heals Seraph Ragnell! She gains 243 temporary hit points!

<Pose Tracker> Nina Chiyome has posed.

Nina tilts her head and says, "I still have no idea what a lamb is though." Looking to Luna. At this point she's at least thinking something like a miltank, but that's a horror show all its own.
 
 There's a warning from the goons though. That's a thing she should actually focus on. That kind of fear seems legitimate at least and... nominally she'd smokebomb the place, maybe toss some paint bombs and get everyone to scatter.
 
 That's not really an option though, is it?
 
 They had let their guard down around the Seedot as it continued it's attack!
 
 It wasn't very effective, but it did crit and the quilava spins on it. Like her trainer, she'd thought they were done and now she looks.. kinda frustrated.
 
 There is a frustrated sound from Nina, "I think I'm bad luck, I keep running into this kind of thing-" First a hellion, then a veruni and now this-
 
 The question though, that she's playing with something? That triggers a bit of belligerence usually saved for authority types. She starts to reach for her bag. Her bundle of fireworks and cans on display all, but briefly. Because it.. did kind of stall the fight last time by sheer audacity.
 
 "Hasn't stopped me before though and certainly won't stop me now! Got people to protect and things to prove." Which is all fine and dandy up until the light gets bright enough. She slings her pokeballs out, trying to recall both her sneasel and quilava, fully intending to bail if it gets worse. After grabbing a few people to get them out too.
 
 The quilava dodges the recall though and barks back at her.
 
 For now, she tries to buy some time instead. To discourage the fight. She has a hunch on the refusal. With quick hand gestures she tries to at least block the line of sight! Also you know, maybe turn the lights down a little with some mist. (This might create a foglamp situation. Oops.) 

GS: Nina Chiyome spends 1 Combo on Interrupt!
GS: Nina Chiyome has attacked Monster Mash with Mist Veil Art!
GS: Nina Chiyome has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Break and Cripple expired!
GS: Nina Chiyome has completed her action.

<Pose Tracker> Timu Guado has posed.

    Moteray flits about for a bit - and only a bit - as Loren's growing power becomes concerning enough that Moteray decides he does, indeed, want to float into the ceiling and past it, the power of Berserk compelling him to lay flat up against it as opposed to ram into it a few times (which is for the best, he's not that strong).
 
     Seedot's attempt to peel strength him with Absorb doesn't work out too well largely on virtue of the Flying half of Moteray's typing more than any defensive gesture, even if hugging that ceiling might have counted.
 
     "Stay there," Timu says of Moteray, recognizing the way he's hugging the ceiling is about as safe a spot as can be where he's at, as she takes her staff in her beclawed Guado hands, before holding up her forearm to try and keep the blinding light away from her eyes.
 
     Sable calmly keeps her counsel and Blue offers help, but to the call that they leave and run, lest they be killed...
 
     "If you're so caring that we don't die here to him," Timu calls above the growing noise and danger of all the power being flung about, "then why can't you be to everyone else to begin with...!"
 
     Rena takes her turn with her Symbological healing power upon everyone, under the idea that they can outlast Loren if he's about to burn himself out on these drugs.
 
     "If what's going on before you is wrong," she calls above it all to Loren's operative allies, "then who are you waiting for to stand up and stop it? Did you do this just because it's the way things are?!" Tears form around Timu's clenched eyes, as if a nerve were touched.
 
     Moteray peels off from the ceiling to fly immediately drape around Timu as if sensing her distress, and subtly she shifts her stance as if to face the incoming danger.
 
     She doesn't have Rena's raw power, or the bulk of the Takikodus and their Light Screen.
 
     "...They're our best friends," she says, as Moteray nuzzles up against her (with only a slight yelp from the shock), "in this world we're choosing to defend!"
 
     It's like the time at Bevelle when she felt powerless to help a burn victim - multiple burn victims - with mere casts of 'Cure,' but she couldn't bear to stop trying. If she's still standing - and she must still be standing! - she resolves to do what it takes to see everyone alive and well. 

GS: Luna Meitner has activated Force Action: Guard!
GS: CRITICAL! Luna Meitner marginally charges Loren Voss's Non-Euclidean Space for 115 hit points!
GS: Reaction switch bonus! Luna Meitner gains 1 additional Combo!
GS: Luna Meitner enters CONDITION GREEN!!

<Pose Tracker> Dirk Swordsman has posed.

 
Whatever is happening to that guy, he's glowing a really bright color, and that's not normal at all in the estimation of Dirk. His focus stays on the enemy, a sort of tunnel vision, even as he says stuff he associates with the final battle of movie villains. He sweats, though silently, even as the light dawns.

Farfetch'd finishes his attack and comes to light on the lab table that Dirk just ducked under, a minute ago. Chespin steps back as well. Dirk considers a range of tactical options. He doesn't like any of them, and the worry over Charcadet lingers in his mind.

Dirk doesn't come to a conclusion when the star begins to dawn. He ducks back underneath the lab table - it worked before, and it's got like a layer of wood and a layer of metal on top, right? It's pretty long, too, so even if something washed in underneath --

-- one of the rays arcs through the lab table Dirk was just hoping about. There is a thump, and a yelp of pain, though it's the kind of thing that can get lost in the chaos of battle.

Nothing much happens from the lab table for a moment or two.

But underneath:

Farfetch'd, though visibly tense, had ducked under the table. Chespin got there first. He pulls on Dirk's arm, saying quietly, "ches, ches, ches!" in encouragement. Chespin gives up on this pulling even as Dirk groans, shaking his head once. His sunglasses fell off.

He looks up at Chespin and says, "hey - hey, it's cool, just got wind knocked outta me. Think my leg's just... trapped, it's cool." Chespin babbles and tries to exhort Farfetch'd into helping, and during this period, Dirk thinks: Wow. My leg actually hurts incredibly bad. This is horrible. The pain is big and unusual enough that it's actually kind of floating outside of his vision.

Looking down, he sees he dropped his sword but it didn't, thankfully, jab him; it's on the 'wider' part of the impromptu cave the collapsed lab table made. But his hand is free, and it works, and he reaches for the Pokeballs.

"Chespin -- chill -- he'd just shoot Cufant with one of those fire ray things... if this keeps goin' on I don't know if any of us are making it out." This makes Chespin's eyes well up, even as Dirk pops open one to reveal a familliar Pokemon, levitating at a weird angle given the confines, and a less familiar one - a blue and plump figure who declares "wott!" in dismay at this situation.

"I know you guys don't wanna hit humans," Dirk wheezes, "but I don't think this guy's really a human right now, so you gonna have to work with it. I know you're ready, this is what we trained for." He's quiet for a couple of seconds, which is enough for Oshawott to approach him and for her to give Dirk a forlorn tug on the wrist.

Damn that sounds cool, thinks Dirk as he swallows. "Honedge, you gonna have to sub for me. Oshawott's only learned the first three, so... we're goin with the second one." (Farfetch'd groans.) "Oshawott, don't worry. You're going to rule. I just wish I could --"

Strange light shines from the direction of Rena. It affects, for the most part, Farfetch'd and Dirk. Farfetch'd lets out a quack of surprise as his plumage loses most of the dullness and stain of the burns, leaving only some soot. Even his leek's perked up. Dirk feels his leg suddenly hurt WAY WORSE for like a half second and then feel a lot better. ... Though it's still trapped.

"Heh," Dirk says. ("Thanks," he tells Chespin, who just handed him his sunglasses.) "Look for the opening and do formation 2. He ain't gonna expect it. I'd wish you good luck, but you aren't gonna need it."

The majority of the group wavers for a moment, but Honedge settles it with a metallic hum and adjusting his position to be lower to the ground. Oshawott, Chespin and Farfetch'd get on the sword, and Honedge sweeps his way out and turns carefully in the shelter of the fallen table before --

YES, LOREN: IT IS A SWORD CARRYING THREE POKEMON.

There are no pithy remarks, other than the occasional "Chespin!" and "Oshaaaa" here and there. Farfetch'd takes off first in order to get air and make as though he's about to sweep past Loren the same way he just did -- the strike goes wide, but maybe it's to get him flinching.

Honedge sweeps around as Oshawott holds onto the hilt, hurling Chespin towards Loren. A lever-action flip launches Oshawott in the air; she grasps onto the ceiling and pulls up her scalchop with the other paw.

Chespin's path aims to smack into Loren's legs. This would be a lot more effective if he wasn't floating, but we work with what we've got. Chespin does do a roll-bounce-upward sweep as he goes, perhaps having recognized this fact. And just as he does it:

DOWN comes Oshawott with an "OSHAAAAA" of fury as she aims to carve her destiny across Loren's entire torso, and if that wasn't enough the final incoming problem is Honedge, who has approached at a low and improbable angle before sweeping back to the left -- and then doing a spinning pivot back to the RIGHT, aiming to smack a huge slash into Loren on the way past!

(The group will graduate, in the main, to tactics and techniques that require them to stand still when they are no longer quite small.) 

GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Dirk Swordsman has attacked Loren Voss with Tsurugi Ultimate Emergence ~Unite: Synchronization~!
GS: Dirk Swordsman has gained 3 Combo!
GS: Dirk Swordsman has completed his action.
GS: Loren Voss fails to guard Dirk Swordsman's Tsurugi Ultimate Emergence ~Unite: Synchronization~ for 267 hit points!
GS: Reaction switch bonus! Loren Voss gains 1 additional Combo!
GS: Shieldbreak blocked!
GS: FP up! Reaction bonus!

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Ragnell has posed.

    Ragnell really does appreciate that Pikachu's style, grinning at that electric heart swept along with a blown kiss back. She'll have to teach her some bad habits sometime.
    
    Xantia gets a grin too. "The enemy o' my enemy, right?" she drawls.
    
    A smirk Luna's way, meanwhile. They'll have their own conversation later, but they're definitely on the same page right now.
    
    More important right now is Loren and--whatever the hell he's done to himself. Ragnell watches him closely as he responds, as his expression shifts in an unclear way, as he confirms that this is Solaris's doing. She nods once. It's been a fun fight, but she's pretty sure she won't be getting any answers out of him after all.
    
    That's fine, really. There's his underlings, and also the Silph Co. workers he'd just robbed. They'll figure it out.
    
    'Do you think you can hurt me now?!' Loren demands, and even though that beam blast knocks her back, sending her spiraling into a back flip that nearly knocks her down, Ragnell snorts, smirk widening--but her eyes gleam with an emotion he's probably not going to like: pity. "Pretty sure I won't have to," she calls back, rising back up. "Pretty sure you're gonna self-destruct. But I ain't above hurryin' you along." A shake of the head. "You really are a small, petty little man, Loren. I hope Lan an' Elly don't waste too many more tears over you, but hope in one hand an' spit in the other 'n' see whatcha get."
    
    But just because Ragnell thinks Loren is a small, petty little man doesn't mean he doesn't have real power in spades, and while she might not say it out loud, she does acknowledge it in her heart. She really doesn't know what the hell is going on with him or what he's done to himself, or how that correlates with the so-called 'unsealed might of a First Class Solarian.' It'd seem to imply that those injections removed some kind of inhibitor, but who's to say if Loren hasn't been deceived on the nature of what he put in his own body? Ragnell has fought his direct superior and she seems like the kind of woman who'd lie to a subordinate for the sake of results.
    
    Isn't that a lovely word, subordinate? Except it's only lovely for those who aren't.
    
    'Do you understand, now? Do you understand what you're playing with?!'
    
    "Nope," Ragnell calls back. "Why don'tcha show us? At full force?"
    
    Well.
    
    She *did* ask.
    
    Granted, it's not that golden light that Loren rains down upon her, but those thin blue lines that join and glitter and part and rejoin and--simply watching them is dizzying, and though Ragnell absolutely meant to taunt Loren into overclocking himself, she didn't mean to be caught off-guard by when that blue light finally would do--whatever it is they end up doing, it's an indescribable sort of experience, but she screams in pain as they pass through her and take parts of her with them. It's such a straightforward, simplistic way of describing such an incomprehensible attack.
    
    He may be a small man, but he is very, very strong like this. But not strong enough to kill her--and whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger... especially if you have a powerful healer on your side. Rena's Faerie Healing washes over her, revitalizing her spiritual body and giving her the strength to rise again. Ragnell tilts her head Rena's way, and she recognizes her from a long time ago--but they never chatted, so Ragnell simply gives her a nod of gratitude.
    
    "Well," she says, "it is what it is."
    
    A Seraphic glyph blooms at her feet as she raises a hand, erupting with golden sparks that flow and gleam upwards around her.
    
    "I, who stand in the full light of the Heavens--"
    
    They storm and storm and storm upwards, further and further and further like a cumulonimbus stormhead. It doesn't matter that they're inside; Heaven is here, at Ragnell's beck and call.
    
    "--command thee, who open the gates of Hell."
    
    A matching glyph finally materializes high, high above, and lines of crackling energy connect them: as above, so below.

    "Come forth, divine lightning!"

    Light glitters and dances in the space between them, white at the fringes, indigo at the mantle, and at its core, the purest of gold.
    
    "You *did* ask!"
    
    And, with one decisive burst, a MASSIVE lightning bolt cuts through space like a chainsaw, right down towards Loren's floating form, as Ragnell's eyes blaze.
    
    "INDIGNATION!!" 

GS: Seraph Ragnell has activated Force Action: Lock On!
GS: Seraph Ragnell has activated Force Action: Full Clip!
GS: Seraph Ragnell spends 2 Combo on Headshot!
GS: Seraph Ragnell has attacked Loren Voss with Indignation!
GS: Seraph Ragnell has gained 2 Combo!
GS: Seraph Ragnell has completed her action.
GS: Loren Voss critically fails to guard Seraph Ragnell's Indignation for 246 hit points!
GS: Blind and Jam applied to Loren Voss!
GS: FP up! Arcane Font!
GS: Loren Voss enters CONDITION GREEN!!
GS: Loren Voss has Fallen! He is no longer able to fight!

<Pose Tracker> Chase has posed.

It feels like all the explanations are slamming together at once. Solaris. Unsealed might. First Class. Combat drugs. He'll kill you. Get out. Where? There's only light, boundless and twisting connecting. The patterns are all rooted in logic, but not one Chase can calculate. Blue. Then gold.

Within the engulfing, gold light, beams shoot out. All of Chase's Pokemon return to their balls with their own cries of protest. He clutches them, all four, to his chest as they rattle violently and Chase is consumed.

It's just gold. Brilliant, blinding, everywhere.

...

"PI. KA. CHUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!"

Pikachu's ball explodes open, light met with lightning, force met with force in a stormy fit of rebellion. Chase, off his feet and slumped on the ground, holds his own head up. Stayu spins in front of him with a screen of light, not enough to stop the horrible surge, but dampening it with all the power the star Pokemon can muster. Ponyta stands at Chase's side, mane flaring with the warmth of the sun at dawn that shines over his wounds. Nidoran slides under Chase's limp hand, nudging and looking up at him.

Chase's fingers twitch, dragging inward to pet him weakly. He can barely see, vision dim except for a bright, yellow companion on all fours in front of him, bursting with lightning and magic in a violent barrier of her own.

He tries to whistle, but only air comes out. He licks his lips and tries again, failing twice. Pikachu looks back at him and nods in understanding all the same.

Does lightning strike the same place twice?

It does, if you're Loren.

"Pika pika PIIIIIKA!"

Pikachu launches herself upward as lightning leaps off her body. Static brews, thick and relentless. A black vortex storms around Loren as a massive pillar of electricity descends down upon him, radiant white at its center.

Her landing is harsh and exhausted, but a renewing light shines down. Staryu floats under one of Chase's arms and Ponyta offers himself as a crutch, Chase back on his feet and Pokemon preparing for a second wind under Rena's sparkling Feylight.

GS: Chase has activated Force Action: Full Clip!
GS: Chase spends 3 Combo on Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling!
GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Chase has attacked Loren Voss with Pika Papow!
GS: Chase gains 5 FP from Gleam!
GS: Chase gains 40 THP from Regen!
GS: Chase has completed his action.
GS: Loren Voss critically fails to charge Chase's Pika Papow for 314 hit points!
GS: Reaction switch bonus! Loren Voss gains 1 additional Combo!
GS: Charge!! You gain 60 FP! (That's 45 more than usual!)
GS: FP up! Arcane Font!
GS: Loren Voss has Fallen! He is no longer able to fight!
GS: CRITICAL! Monster Mash critically fails to guard Blue Oak's Psychic! for 330 hit points!
GS: Reaction switch bonus! Monster Mash gains 1 additional Combo!
GS: FP up! Arcane Font!
GS: CRITICAL! Monster Mash critically fails to evade Nina Chiyome's Mist Veil Art for 0 hit points!
GS: Reaction switch bonus! Monster Mash gains 1 additional Combo!
GS: Blind and Interrupt applied to Monster Mash!
GS: Monster Mash enters CONDITION GREEN!!
GS: Monster Mash has lost 2 Combo from Interrupt!

<Pose Tracker> Chartreuse Spinosa has posed.

Important questions are asked. What are they? Why are they so okay with fighting for them?

Blue has a good answer for that, and so does Vivace.

"They hit the nail on the head." Chartreuse agrees, looking toward Germaine. "It's a relationship built on mutual trust. They're our partners - our companions, and we're the same to them. ...And it seems like they want to be that for you, too. I don't know what you did to earn it... but they're really in your corner now. Are you going to return the favor?"

Loren's power... honestly, it's like nothing she's ever seen before. She's never seen a Visitor get truly serious before - and this seems like even a step beyond that, forcing those fighting him to respond in kind. Combat drugs, huh...

...It puts a lot into perspective - in regards to the way they look at them. A people for whom fighting like that is practically unheard of...

She could stand to learn a lot - but she's not going to let herself get that hardened, either.

"I'll admit, I'm terrified." Chartreuse says, looking toward Brandt. "But I can't just run and leave everyone else behind."

She shakes her head.

...And right now, she feels energized, thanks to Rena.

Still, Seedot is fighting strong - even when the situation is like this. Seedot draws some strength from Farfetch'd.

"After this... you can take them down to the Center. They'll patch them up for you - no charge. ...That's what kind of world this is." Chartreuse says. "But for now... Farfetch'd! Use Brave Bird!"

With a nod, Farfetch'd takes to the skies again. He tucks his leek under his wing like a quick draw artist readying their sword in its sheath, and his eyes flash briefly - and then he descends quickly and rapidly, drawing his leek in a single instant in a slash across Seedot. 

GS: Chartreuse Spinosa spends 2 Combo on Headshot!
GS: Chartreuse Spinosa has attacked Monster Mash with Brave Bird!
GS: Chartreuse Spinosa has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Chartreuse Spinosa gains 5 FP from Gleam!
GS: Chartreuse Spinosa has completed her action.

<Pose Tracker> Luna Meitner has posed.

Luna holds her gaze steady as she looks Loren in the eye, even in his altered, heightened state. He rebutts her charge, but she just narrows her eyes. He insists it is their power. "But will you master your borrowed power, or will it master you?"

She does not fear the man Loren is--in truth, there is not much she truly fears--but that power is dangerous, and a man possessed may act wildly, irrationally. To show no regard for his surroundings. She will not discount that power, which is why she lead with her strongest attack.

It explodes a hole in the floor and she hops back away, landing in a low and ready stance with her spear at the ready. (How did she hop away if she blew out the floor beneath her? Don't worry about it, she was out of frame while the stock animation of her Mystic Arte played.) But he still stands (floats), and Luna can't help but frown, slightly.

Nina's still confused. "Later." There's too much to explain, in the moment, if describing the context isn't enough to understand the insult.

She sees that smirk from Ragnell. She acknowledges it by... not acknowledging it. They will, indeed, talk later on.

But in the next moment, Loren calls down impossible, physics-defying patterns of light down upon them all. Luna sets her jaw and charges into it, angling her spear to cross in front of her body and stem the blow. It is the force of the impossible versus her (perfectly ordinary??) spear. Light washes over her, and when it dies down, her braid is partly undone, there are some burn marks on her skin, and her muscles strain with the effort of remaining standing.

But she is still standing. Her spear was pushing back against the overwhelming force of Loren's magic, and once it dies down she continues with the motion, swinging the spear up in a wide arc. A wave of force erupts from it, another shockwave caused by the quick motion. And she does not stop with one, wheeling the spear around her body with a step to swing it horizontally with another shockwave, and another, unleashing a flurry of blows--or of wings--on Loren. But her ire is not limited to just him, as with the graceful semi-dance of motions, her spear flicks out to lash out at Germaine and Brandt, too. Not their pokemon, but the Solaris soldiers themselves. (Though if their pokemon intercede, she can't control that.) 

GS: Luna Meitner has activated Force Action: Full Clip!
GS: Luna Meitner has activated Force Action: Lock On!
GS: Luna Meitner spends 3 Combo on Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling!
GS: Luna Meitner has attacked Loren Voss with Flurry of Wings!
GS: Luna Meitner has attacked Monster Mash with Flurry of Wings!
GS: Luna Meitner has gained 3 Combo!
GS: Luna Meitner gains 5 FP from her Daredevil!
GS: Luna Meitner gains 5 FP from Gleam!
GS: Luna Meitner has completed her action.

<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.

Xantia stands her ground, glaring in the face of Loren's threat. "We'll see about that," is her simple response in regards to who's losing to who here. But she can tell. Even if he can be still hurt, and with her having little in the way of qualms about hurting him... in his current state, it's going to be difficult to actually stop Loren. The best she can hope for is that her taunt will cause him to give her an opening. As soon as Loren moves his hand--

"TOO SLOW!"

So yelling, Xantia throws herself forward, rushing the Solarian operative with her magical construct. Striking once more, the blade formed of light comes apart in her hands, launching outward in the form of an energy wave. But it fails to bring Loren down, and leaves her completely open to what soon follows. She is engulfed by a massive burst of golden light, and when it fades... she is left collapsed on the floor, armor torn to shreds, unmoving. Somehow still alive, and Rena's healing is sure to keep her that way, but... she was right at ground zero with no way to protect herself. No one should be getting up from that.

"...heh heh..."

A soft chuckle is the only warning before her eyes fly open, and Xantia leaps back to her feet. One may rightly question how she can still do that in her condition. But the answer comes in the most unsettling form.

Laughter. A fully unhinged kind of laughter.

BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__5Bvicup44

"What's wrong, Solaris?!" Her voice has taken on a gleeful tone, her grin outright savage as Ether bursts forth from where she stands, flaring up like a fountain of red as the ground cracks beneath her. "Was that truly your best? Too bad for you... I'm still heeeeere~"

Spreading her arms wide, the Ether she's gathered starts to coalesce, taking the shape of... knives. So many knives. Dozens upon dozens of knives, all colored blood-red. "Nice try, but do you know where you miscalculated...?"

Her eyes widen, and her grin melts away into an emotionless expression, as the knives all at once turn their pointed ends in Loren's direction.

"You thought you were the only monster here."

Without any further warning, every single one of the etheric constructs flies towards the Solarian. As Xantia, once again, begins to laugh... then abruptly stops, gripping her head with both hands, screaming in agony. At the same time, all the knives vanish back into the Ether from which they came... though more than likely, just a little bit too late to do Loren any good. 

GS: Xantia has activated Force Action: Full Clip!
GS: Xantia spends 2 Combo on Headshot!
GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Xantia has attacked Loren Voss with Transcendent Etherforger!
GS: Xantia has gained 2 Combo!
GS: Xantia gains 5 FP from Gleam!
GS: Xantia has completed her action.
GS: CRITICAL! Monster Mash critically fails to guard Chartreuse Spinosa's Brave Bird for 327 hit points!
GS: Reaction switch bonus! Monster Mash gains 1 additional Combo!
GS: Quick applied to Chartreuse Spinosa!
GS: Strain! Chartreuse Spinosa takes 84 damage!
GS: Monster Mash critically fails to evade Luna Meitner's Flurry of Wings for 288 hit points!
GS: Reaction switch bonus! Monster Mash gains 1 additional Combo!

<Pose Tracker> Monster Mash has posed.

    "I," says Brandt. His glasses slip, revealing pale eyes halfway between Solarian First-Class blue, and sea green. He can't just give Azurill up, can he? He's part of his duty. He needs to have a Pokemon as part of operations. But should he, if he's done this?

    "Azurill," says Azurill, and he nuzzles Brandt's face. His eyes are big and watery. There's a disconnect between him and his Trainer, and it goes both ways.

    "You're--do you have any idea what--" Germaine stammers. Her eyes are wide as saucers, and while she's talking to Sable, she's staring at her commander. He's bleeding, but nothing they do so much as rattles him.

    Wait. Where's Seedot?

    She glances down, to where she thinks her other Pokemon should be, and sees blackened, cratered floor. Her heart seizes. Germaine's head whips back and forth, her eyes darting about--and the moment she spots Seedot, doing his belligerent little dance, full of stolen power, she rushes forward. "What are you doing?" she demands. "Don't scare me like that!"

    Brandt's Spearow shrieks, and divebombs Exeggcutor yet again. The sound draws Brandt out of his monofocus on Azurill. His head snaps up, his eyes wide. "Spearow, retreat!" he commands. He can hear the raggedness in her voice, and Sable's not-very-veiled threat reminds him of how ragged he feels. Brandt holds up Spearow's ball; the wave of force from Exeggcutor's psionic attack slams into her, and sends her flying like a line drive. A thin ray of light shoots from the Pokeball, and returns her to safety.

    With Spearow safe, and Azurill tucked securely against his neck, Brandt breathes. "Germaine! Pull the other one back!"

    "I'm trying!" Germaine cries. Again, she thrusts the Pokeball forward, and the little red line strikes Seedot. Again, its body wobbles, but doesn't return to the ball.

    "Seed! Seedot!" the Pokemon protests, shooting his Trainer sideeye. Germaine's face burns. Her eyes close for a moment as Vicace follows up with advice of her own. Part of a team. Equals. "That's..." she says. "How does that even..." She can't bring herself to meet Vivace's eyes.

    Vivace summons a Gear. (A Pokemon.) Seedot, Brandt, and Germaine whirl to face it as one. "Seed! Seedot!" Seedot is scraped and scratched, but its voice burns with belligerence. More of that bright green power builds around it--

    And one last swipe from Farfetch'd sends him falling facefirst onto the lab floor. One of his little feet twitches. This time, he returns to his ball without protest, truly educated by a master swordsduck.

    "Brandt," says Germaine, turning back to Erikodus, "we need to go."

    "Can't leave the Captain," says Brandt, meeting his partner's wide eyes with his. "Not with her." A tremor creeps into his voice as he looks at Xantia--

    And then Luna comes out of nowhere, and paradoxically, this is the most normal thing that's happened this fight. Germaine's arm snaps up, and the air above her grows dense and thick. It's enough to keep that spear from stabbing into her; it glances off her shoulder instead, trailing a line of red down her jacket. Brandt jukes to the side, flowing into a series of swift blocks that keep Luna's spear from gutting him, at the cost of a myriad of cuts on his forearms. He's grimacing, and trailing red, as he starts to bolt.

    "CAPTAIN!" Brandt cries. "FALLING BACK!" This was an utter shitshow. Did they even get what they wanted?

GS: Loren Voss fails to charge Luna Meitner's Flurry of Wings for 305 hit points!
GS: Charge!! You gain 50 FP! (That's 35 more than usual!)
GS: Loren Voss has Fallen! He is no longer able to fight!
GS: Loren Voss critically fails to charge Xantia's Transcendent Etherforger for 390 hit points!
GS: Hyper applied to Xantia!
GS: Charge!! You gain 60 FP! (That's 45 more than usual!)
GS: Strain! Xantia takes 50 damage!
GS: Loren Voss has Fallen! He is no longer able to fight!

<Pose Tracker> Loren Voss has posed.

    TOO SLOW!

    "--Now who is too slow?" he retorts to Xantia, his mouth twisted in that awful smile as the explosion of light rolls on and on and on.

    There's a difference between what looks like a person and what is a person. Right now, can what Loren has contorted himself into really be considered a...?

    It's the pep talk Dirk's Pokemon need as they come sailing in for the clutch atop -- yes! -- a flying ghost sword. In another time and place and certainly less drugged state of mind, Loren would have balked.

    Instead, blue unearthly light lasers past the quartet as they storm his position, but not a single one of them is struck. All for one and one for all: they carve their way across his form. Even more importantly, they push him back, ruining the position he'd taken within the lab. This will become critical shortly as others make their attempts.

    "It doesn't ride me -- I ride it!" he insists to Luna, high atop his mountain of madness.

    Luna's response to that may well be seen in the arcing sweep she releases upon his subordinates and him alike: one shockwave staggers him and the second knocks him back. "This isn't-- over!" he promises her, light gathering in his hands.

    There is laughter. Perhaps in any other frame of mind, it might have prompted him to worry. As it stands, his gaze slides in her direction. "So you are," he remarks, watching her as she rounds on him, her own expression about as maniacal as his own. "Do you think you can match me--"

    They come one after another. There's far too many of them to block all of them, and more than a few strike far truer than he would have preferred. Something shifts in his gaze as, his one hand against a particularly bad wound in his side, he stares over at Xantia.

    Shit.

    In that moment he can feel the foundation for this pharmaceutical house of cards shift. One strong push and it'll all come crashing down. Light blooms beneath his feet. Should he-- give in to the drug fully and hope he has enough time left to...

    '...but it feels like you don't have that much time left.'

    Even as he is, he catches that. And for an instant, it's Loren looking at Rena again, eyes widened, and not the person he'd become under the influence of the Drive. But then even that vanishes beneath the waves as Feylight shimmers and shines throughout the room.

    She's right -- for the here and now, Loren will concede to himself. The drug takes its toll over time, consuming his energy in exchange for power. He has strength like this, but it can't be maintained. Eventually, he'll either strike all of them down or collapse.

    The clock is ticking, and she's just managed made it that much harder for him to meet his own deadline.

    As Ragnell says to him, she's pretty sure he's going to self-destruct before long. And that she hopes that Lan and Elly (and Elly?? some part of him rages) don't waste too many tears on him.

    In response to that -- to all of that -- Loren lets out a shout that's damn near bestial.

    But just as Ragnell had asked him to show her what he's got, the same is true in reverse: she'll show him what she's got.

    Lightning needs only to strike once, sometimes. The room trembles under the impact of that detonation.

    Loren lies flat on the floor. He rises to one knee after a moment, failing to float. That otherworldly light swells around him as he visibly struggles to stay in this fight.

    Lightning need only strike once, but it doesn't necessarily hurt for it to strike twice. Pikachu certainly must think so.
    It doesn't hurt, that is, as long as you're not the one on the receiving end.

    The second bolt cuts into him and Loren spasms before he collapses against the floor again. This time he does not rise. 

<Pose Tracker> Monster Mash has posed.

    Loren doesn't listen. Brandt's heart hammers against his ribs. Does he abandon his Captain, or risk the wrath of a man high on Drive?

    Germaine grabs the back of her partner's jacket, and tugs. "He--he can get out." Her voice is a stammer; she's rationalizing their escape already. "He--"

    Lightning strikes, and strikes again. Captain Voss spasms, then collapses. Brandt sees his chance, and darts forward, hoisting his fallen Captain into a fireman's carry. Azurill scampers up onto Loren's side, tiptoeing gingerly around his wounds. Germaine grabs Loren's bag, following her partner as they beat a hasty retreat, and take their Pokemon with them.

    But they've left so many questions behind. What, exactly, is Solaris? Who would unleash this horrible power? What kind of horrible place churns out people so violent, and so afraid to trust?

    Questions for another time.

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Ragnell has posed.

    Loren roars his bestial cry just before Ragnell's Indignation falls. He tries to rise--and then lightning strikes twice.
    
    "Nice," Ragnell asides to Pikachu.
    
    But the battle is pretty definitively over now. Ragnell holsters her guns and approaches the fallen Loren and his subordinates. When one of them rushes over to sling Loren over his shoulder and makes a run for it with his partner, Ragnell rolls her eyes but lets them go.
    
    Instead, she looks over to wherever the Silph Co. employees have been hiding all this time, then looks over at Xantia. "Hey, Xan, can you--hm. Okay, not you," she concludes, taking in whatever Xantia's going through right now, which looks like A Lot. She looks around the room with a frown. "Damn. Okay, you," she says, pointing at Luna. She points over at the Silph Co. employees. "Do me a solid an' ask them what those guys came here to steal."
    
    Luna probably loves that! 

<Pose Tracker> Chartreuse Spinosa has posed.

Things are just... getting more and more out of hand over on the other side of the room. That laughter... and it's not even from Loren - ostensibly, it's from someone on her side.

Chartreuse is going to have a lot to think about tonight.

On her end of things, the fight finally draws to a close - especially when one of the Visitors appears with a spear drawn...

And Loren, over there, collapses.

"Take him and go." Chartreuse insists. She's not going to stop them from retrieving him. Instead... when they're gone, she lets out a breath it feels like she'd been holding for an eternity and lets herself fall against a wall for a moment, her knees feeling a little weak. Briefly, she covers her face with her hat - and then, after another moment straightens up off the wall, fixing her hat back onto her head.

"Alright... let's go check on everyone to make sure they're alright." Chartreuse says. "These people must be terrified. And... we should probably find out if they actually took anything, too."

She doesn't have the Resonance to perceive Seraphim, or else she'd realise she said basically the same thing Ragnell did. 

<Pose Tracker> Sable Aomori has posed.

It was not at all veiled, Sable's threat. But when they back off, Sable allows it. She keeps one eye on the terrifying Loren as he clashes with also-terrifying Visitors like Xantia, but knowing Rena is there healing all of them reassures her a lot.

"Thank you..."

Eventually, they leave, and Sable watches them go. She has nothing more to say, for now.

Until...

She recalls Prima. "Good work," she tells the Pokemon, and then looks around. Ragnell demands answers. Sable can see and hear her!

"...That was really dangerous," she says.

"But..."

"We did it." She smiles, faintly. "Even though it was scary, we did it."

...of course, cleanup will be a problem... 

<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.

Needless to say, it's probably a good thing that Xantia is too distracted by Sudden Agony to interfere in anyone's proceedings, after all that. Whatever that was.

Though not in time to respond to Ragnell, it's not long before she seems to recover, slowly removing her hands from her head. When she looks around afterwards, what remains of the earlier madness in her eyes is only confusion. Her surroundings have changed from what she last remembers. But she can sure tell something happened, from some of the Looks she gets, after all that.

In total defiance of the mood, Shoo is all smiles upon rejoining her side at this point, now that all the serious business is over. Such a loyal partner. Xantia doesn't really acknowledge it one way or the other. Instead...

"S-sorry," she offers an empty apology for an unknown transgression, as she moves to shakily stumble out the building. There may be questions later. She may be the one asking questions later. But for now... she just wants to be elsewhere. 

<Pose Tracker> Timu Guado has posed.

    Things don't quite resolve. There's a lot of damage, a lot of frightened people, and probably several hurt, and Timu's Moteray decides to cling tight to her in the wake of everything that's going on. Timu responds by freeing a hand to stroke Moteray with the back of her hand - her nails necessitate she does it that way.
 
     Her youth catches up to her, with all the vulnerability she's had to suppress and keep down from having had to grow up a little too soon during the days of the Althena and Yevon conflicts, coming down to her knees and lowering her head into her Moteray friend's fin. 

<Pose Tracker> Blue Oak has posed.

As the Solarians escape with their boss, Blue drops to the ground next to his burgers. His drink has spilled, his burgers are smashed, and he's breathing rapidly. After a minute, he steels himself.

"I'm not kind!" He shouts at Sable and runs off after returning Exeggutor to his ball. Not even a smell ya later. 

<Pose Tracker> Chase has posed.

Pikachu beams at Ragnell and raises a paw. "Pi-pikachu!"

With Loren's collapse, Pikachu spins to beam back at Chase, exhausted, but bright eyed from triumph. Her face and her ears fall as she sees him struggling to stand. Chase smiles, sinking into a kneel to set his hand atop her head, but Pikachu only wilts further with the praise. She can feel the tremble in his hand from everything he saw of the Visitors today.

"Chachu...?"

Nidoran watches from the ground. Ponyta and Staryu are strong and supportive. Pikachu is sad. Chase is hurt and afraid. What can a little Nidoran do...? He perks his large ears and listens. He sniffs about. He wanders away into the rubble from the fight.

... One Lapras encounter later...

"Ran."

Chase opens his tired eyes to see Nidoran nudging an item ball toward him. He pops it open. Huh. What a strange band... white with a red stripe on one end, and blue on the other...

<Pose Tracker> Nina Chiyome has posed.

The situation's over almost as fast as it began and the ninja/trainer looks. Relieved. She's got the jitters, though she clenches up and hides it well enough when she's aware people are watching.
 
 She claps her hands together, hoping the shock makes it stop. Then looks to the others and.. is silent. She's clearly checking up on them though, step by step. Not that she's the best healer ever, but..
 
 She looks to the damage in the immediate area. Then over to Sable, voice even enough at least. "We should start carrying masks if we're going to keep stumbling on these crime scenes." She mutters in an undertone. Though at least they're likely to be treated as friendlies. Right?
 
 She carefully makes her way over after and crouches down by Poppy. Then promptly scoops her up and walks back over to Sable. "She didn't want to fall back. I think if it had gone on.." clearly a little concerned. Nudging the pokemon. "You need to listen sometimes." A rare bit of defiance. Maybe Nina's too lax? Or babying them too much.. 

<Pose Tracker> Luna Meitner has posed.

Loren insists that he rides the power, and that it does not ride him. And yet, after all of that, Loren is brought to a knee, and then brought completely low by the combined assault. She does not relax her stance, though, looking to the two subordinates--who seem to recognize a prime opportunity to retreat.

"And yet we still stand," she comments quietly, as she releases tension from her body, with the danger passed. The mysterious Visitor who came in wielding a spear finally decides to sheath it behind her back. She reaches into a small pouch on the side of her leg and pulls out a red vial, stares at it for a moment... and then flings it sideways towards Meditite without even looking at him.

Meditite catches it and pulls the stopper out, then drinks it down. Meanwhile, Luna gets another one for herself.

She looks to the rest of the room as she stashes the empty vial. "Luna Meitner." She's introducing herself to the others... but there's a glance in Ragnell's direction. This is my cover don't blow it.

She nods to Sable. "Indeed." She did do it.

She looks to Xantia, to Timu, and to Chase each in turn, to the fleeing Blue. She only watches, but she does not comment, her expression remaining stoic. She does nod to Ragnells' suggestion and turns towards the Silph Co employee.

She does at least take a moment to look him over, but it's brief. "Are you injured?" is the only followup that gets, and then she immediately follows that with, "What were they after?"

She'll get those answers that both she and Ragnell want--and then perhaps they'll have other things to discuss, besides. 

<Pose Tracker> Dirk Swordsman has posed.

 
The sword-student Pokemon regroup themselves. They stay the hecc away from Loren as he brings himself together -- and then is buried in a wall of thunder.

If he lives, his comrades took him away.

Dirk turns his head to look over towards Nidoran, who is the only guy he can see from this perspective. "Hey," he calls a little, but Nidoran's already bouncing.

"Man..."

"Yo hey," Dirk calls from beneath the collapsed table. "Can one of y'all go ask Cufant to come over? She's in the emergency stairwell. Uh, don't surprise her. No big if someone's hurt, this thing just weighs like a million kilos."

It's a little funny on the outside, although to Dirk, it doesn't feel funny at all, on the inside. 

<Pose Tracker> Chase has posed.

Nidoran may be bouncing away on a mission, but there is another hero that hears Dirk's call.

"HIYAH?!"

Suddenly, Staryu!

It spins in place, listening to Dirk's heartfelt plea, and then brightens with a rainbow beacon of heroism.

...

After wedging itself under the table and failing to lift it even an inch, it dejectedly floats off to find Cufant.

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Ragnell has posed.

    Ragnell doesn't leave Pikachu hanging. She squats down to hit that raised paw with a high-five. "See you 'round then, chica-chu," she drawls.
    
    They've both got business to attend to now. Ragnell will leave Pikachu to hers.
    
    She catches Luna's glance and files away the name she offers to the room. Her rakish grin doesn't budge an inch. She's not going to blow her cover. She does, however, stroll on over as Luna checks in with the Silph Co. employees and passes on her inquiry. Chartreuse also makes a similar call, but she can't see or hear Ragnell, and Sable may see and hear her but she doesn't address her, so Ragnell doesn't address either of them.
    
    And the Silph employees' answer is...
    
    ...something that will be revealed next episode!! (Probably.)

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