2024-04-25: Sound the Trumpets!
- Log: Sound the Trumpets!
- Cast: Jessie and James, Asgard, Sable Aomori, Nina Chiyome, Chase, Timu Guado, Hannah Curie, Chartreuse Spinosa, Elaine, Josephine Lovelace, Ida Everstead-Rey
- Where: Safari Zone, Fuchsia City, Energy Nede
- Date: April 25, 2024 (506 PC Filgaian)
- Summary: The Safari Zone, in Fuchsia City, is advertising their aquatic Hoenn environmental enclosures today -- particularly to the Visitors who might not be aware of all the scientific work the Safari Zone does. Come and catch a friendly Wingull or Corphish! It's a good thing that only good actors can see their advertising, and no one has gotten any big ideas about stealing all the excess Pokemon they clearly have over there. But come prepared for a boss battle anyway!
<Pose Tracker> Jessie and James has posed.
OST: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9yms2HgeIM Team Rocket's Secret Strategy (Hoenn)
"Are you sure this is the way?" Jessie whispers, pouting.
"Sure am!" James crows, a hand to his chest. "Our plan is rock solid!"
"Myaow..."
~~*
The Hoenn Safari Tour has taken its Visitors -- and a few locals! -- around the beautiful beachfronts, a microcosm of a world which once was. Their tour boat is attended by a woman in a blue uniform with blonde hair, and the trip... definitely feels like it's stretched out for longer than the building they entered would imply. Maybe they've been taking a circular route?
(The locals will know the truth, of course -- that the Safari Zone uses Symbology to control its climate and manipulate space. Much like a phone booth or a Pokeball, it's bigger on the inside.)
"We were a great nation," the attendant says, gravely, as she gestures to the islands they pass, "and a series of nations... long ago. Today, only Kanto survives, but we consider it our duty to safeguard all the creatures which lived here. Through careful guidance, we live in harmony with our Pokemon."
She smiles, again, as they pass by a particular little island, sunny beaches and a cave-front which looks ancient. "In ancient times, it's said that the people of Hoenn kept a certain power here," she explains, quite engaged. "Of course," she adds, with light laughter, "I don't know if it's been moved here -- I've never been inside! But who knows what Pokemon might have made it their home?" The Island Cave certainly looks imposing, surrounded by rocks, beach-sand bare against the waves. "If you'd like to fish, though, Pokemon love these waters. Perhaps they remember, too!"
One particular boy dips his rod into the water, and waits, and waits...
............... ! Oh! A bite!
"All right!" He crows, as he reels in -- a Milotic, one of the rarest and most beautiful sea-creatures of the Pokemon world! She rears up like a snake, antenna quivering, as he sends his Wigglytuff to battle her. Soon enough, he tosses a Pokeball, and --
"Yeah! Milotic! I knew you'd join me!" He grins, as he grabs the stilled ball, and presents it to the world. "Look! I caught a Milotic!"
"That's amazing!" The attendant claps, as he lets her out, and pulls out a healing Potion to spray on the wounds she acquired in the battle.
"Millll," the Milotic trills, waving her tail happily as her hit points are restored.
But then, from behind one of the rocks on that nearby island...
"Prepare for trouble you've doubled since you came to visit!" A familiar voice calls, as a figure steps out, shaded by an unknown spotlight.
"And now it's been tripled with this aid we'll solicit!" Another, more masculine voice adds, stepping out from another rock. More lights flash on, illuminating -- TEAM ROCKET!
"To protect the Nede from devastation!" Jessie cries, as she reaches out to one side. "To unite all peoples within all nations!" James cries, reaching to the other.
And then, they both gesture... to the cave.
"Now denouncing false evils with perfect protection!" Jessie declares, bold as brass.
"Nothing halts Team Rocket's chaotic collection!" James insists, sharp as iron.
"Jessie!" She hardly needs to introduce herself at this point. "James!" He does it anyway.
"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!" Jessie points to the ship, with all those Trainers' Pokemon inside.
"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!" James declares, as he spreads his arms wide.
"Meeeowth --"
<Pose Tracker> Asgard has posed.
"... That's right."
Wait who said that?
A figure steps into the light out of the cave behind them and folds his arms the moment he says that, finishing the duo's speech with his own affirmation. He is nearly twice as tall as either of the others, and thus stands behind them, posing as earnestly as any of them, seeming proud to simply have been a part of this speech.
An oversized Safari Hat sits perfectly upon his head, with his horns stabbed through two slits expertly made by some haberdasher, while a Safari Jacket surrounds the absurd proportions of his upper body, sash tied and buckled around his mid-section.
Over that, is an entire bandolier of Pokeballs, tied at a diagonal, notably missing a singular Pokeball.
The Golem, Asgard, must be a Visitor, because he certainly bears no resemblance to Nedian design. He speaks to both of them, and Meowth, "As you are all my seniors within Team Rocket, would you permit me this battle? I will bring back the Milotic for you to present to the boss." He asks so courteously! And gives them the credit. "I am quite new to this and believe you would all be better suited for discerning other Pokemon of value to our organization while I handle this."
There's not even the slightest hint of deceit, like he's trying to even manipulate either of them! He's truly showing deference to Jessie and James and - even Meowth!?
The Golem takes several ponderous steps forward and- a barrier shimmers into place, surrounding the entrance to this island cave part of the reserve, and the other members of Team Rocket, effectively locking numerous rare specimens Pokemon inside of his own barrier - with a Jessie and James eager to claim them.
Whereas Asgard steps forward towards the child, "Your battle was well fought child, and your victory hard-earned. But I will be taking your prize from you today." Asgard looks upon those present with yellowed eyes before focusing on the child, "Despite my inexperience in Pokemon Battling, I believe my strength is adequate to the task." Gripping a Pokeball from his Bandolier, he calls out abruptly, "COME FORTH! BATTLE AWAITS!"
Certainly to those who know him, he couldn't have had any more time than any other Visitor to Nede to engage in Pokemon battling, so what will he produce? Perhaps a Squirtle? Or an Ashound? Or even a Chespin!
A light emerges, and while it's at first small, it grows, and grows, and grows. A ridged head, with four muscular arms, it wears a pair of trunks with a Pokeball adorned belt.
"Maaaaaaa-CHAMP!" The towering Machamp that's nearly the size of his trainer shouts as it plants his feet like a wrestler, quartet of arms outspread, as if waiting for them to attack, "To those who choose a destiny of battle - the hardest lessons are often swift in coming. Prepare yourself, child."
And come that lesson does, not from the Machamp, but a sudden blur of motion, zig-zagging, sand scattering across the beach as it slams into the Milotic. A Lucario hitting the Milotic with Extreme Speed, as the dragon creature goes flying through the air.
Asgard's grip comes to rest around the Milotic, squeezing just hard enough to keep it in a state of submission. The Lucario settles into an easy fighting stance, bouncing back and forth from foot to foot, as the spiked bipedal canine Pokemon readies himself, a low growl emerging from his throat.
"I ask that you hold nothing back, but it is my hope that I have now given you fewer reasons to do so."
The Milotic bleats pathetically, from within his grip, as if to illustrate his point.
DC: Asgard switches forms to Trainer Asgard Wants to Battle!!
<Pose Tracker> Sable Aomori has posed.
Sable Aomori has always liked the Safari Zone. She first came here as a child with her mother, and was captivated by the stories of lost regions and the Pokemon from same. This is indeed where she met Artan, her Dratini.
Well, not the Hoenn section. But still!
She doesn't really need the tour herself for that reason, but her friends could use it, and so Sable is in the audience with them. "Milotic!" she exclims, smiling t the grinning boy--but suddenly--
Sable tilts her head. She knows that voice... "Jessie?" Blink blink. "James?"
She always wondered what Jessie got up to after dropping out of school. "You're with Team Rocket...?"
She frowns, but before she can say more, Asgard appears. he steps out of the light, and Sable wonders for a moment if he's a Golurk before she realizes Golurks don't usually wear safari outfits.
"You're.. also, in Team Rocket...?"
Sable looks aound at the others. "This is unexpected," she says without emotion.
Then she pulls a Pokeball from her belt. "...But Artan has the home field advantage..."
She extends her hand, and a Dratini appears, an adorable, fat little serpent-dragon with adorable wings for ears. He's blue! He's six feet long! He's--
"Use Dragon Tail," she instructs, and Artan the Dratini sails up to Machamp and swings his heavy tail at him!
"Jessie, James..."
"Does Mom know you're stealing Pokemon?"
GS: Sable Aomori has attacked Asgard with Dragon Tail! GS: Sable Aomori has gained 2 Combo! GS: Sable Aomori's stances have changed from Counter to Counter and Stoic! GS: Sable Aomori gains 29 THP from her Cautious! GS: Sable Aomori has completed her action. GS: Your next attack with the Counter flag will display with the name Twister. GS: COUNTER! Asgard counterattacks Sable Aomori with Low Sweep! GS: CRITICAL! Asgard mostly charges Sable Aomori's Dragon Tail for 102 hit points! GS: Delay and Drowsy applied to Asgard! GS: Mute blocked! GS: FP up! Power Burst! GS: COUNTER! Sable Aomori counterattacks Asgard with Twister! GS: Sable Aomori mostly charges Asgard's Low Sweep for 106 hit points! GS: Charge!! You gain 40 FP! (That's 25 more than usual!) GS: FP up! Reaction bonus! GS: Asgard mostly guards Sable Aomori's Twister for 61 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Asgard gains 1 additional Combo! GS: FP up! Power Burst!
DC: Elaine switches forms to Field Assistant Elaine! DC: Ida Everstead-Rey switches forms to Naturalist Ida and the Battling Menagerie!
<Pose Tracker> Nina Chiyome has posed.
Nina's back home. She's wearing newer clothes again, looks relaxed and cleaned up and.. well. She's back home.
This also means she tagged along with Sable to help with the tour, she lives right next door, these were her old stomping grounds. Kinda.
Sorta.
She smiles when she spots the Milotic, though she doesn't announce it. Sable beat her to it!
Sable recognizes Jessie, but Nina certainly doesn't and is leaning forward thinking maybe it's just a time thing. Finally she mutters, "I have no idea who that is." While reaching back to pull a pokebal free. Lobbing it to the side, when Sable's Dratini is sent out too. Following her lead on this one.
Poppy appears with a sleepy yawn and shakes herself out. Starting to run quickly after, flame sparking up and trailing behind her as Nina calls out, "Fire Wheel!" Leading with her usual! Becuase of course she does. It's fast and a good opener. In her mind at least.
"Looks like some of the pokemon myths in books doesn't it?" She considers this only after she sent the pokemon out. In hindsight she facepalms. Only looking up and to the side when she realizes Sable's decided he's not a pokemon prompting a second look
GS: Nina Chiyome has attacked Asgard with Flame Wheel! GS: Nina Chiyome has completed her action. GS: CRITICAL! Asgard mostly guards Nina Chiyome's Flame Wheel for 58 hit points! GS: FP up! Power Burst!
<Pose Tracker> Chase has posed.
The moment Pikachu entered the Safari Zone, she bolted off, greeting every Pokemon she the moment they entered her sight. Back and forth, to and fro, Pikachu scampers and skitters. She runs with Pokemon. She chases Pokemon. She gets chased by Pokemon.
Exhausted but cheerful, she finds her way back to Chase, who scoops her up seamlessly while he walks with the tour group. Normally, he'd not have joined something so... organized, but once invited it seemed stranger not to accept He watches as a Milotic is caught, and even Chase is not so stoic that he does not faintly smile. Such a Pokemon is a rare sight.
His face falls the moment a familiar introduction begins. Pikachu's ears go straight and rigid as she gasps from Chase's arms. "Pika?!" She leaps from his grasp to prepare herself, and surprise smacks Pokemon and Trainer again as a new member of Team Rocket appears.
Chase stares at the... Golruk variant? No. Aulbear...? A Trainer, evidently. A Team Rocket Trainer, capturing a Milotic that had only just excitedly met her new partner and companion. Chase's eyes narrow. So does Pikachu's -- her plastered smile is unchanged.
With a sharp whistle, Pikachu dashes for Lucario. She leaps in the air, flipping around to wield her tail with rock crashing precision and a simple joy for violence.
Chase blinks in Sable's direction and then looks back at Jessie. More interpersonal Team Rocket drama...?
GS: Chase has attacked Asgard with Rock Smash! GS: Chase has completed his action. GS: Asgard mostly evades Chase's Rock Smash for 8 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Asgard gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Break applied to Asgard! GS: FP up! Power Burst!
<Pose Tracker> Timu Guado has posed.
Timu got invited along with Sable. The Guado teenager is enthusiastic for much of the tour, but grows a bit more solemn as time goes on. She can't put a finger on it... it's not as much an entire lost part of the world as much as elements of it feel familiar to a place she doesn't really want to return to. (Some of her social manner also bears coincidental surface likeness to what has been preserved of Hoenn's culture, which is odd but not indicative of anything dire or intriguing, it just is.)
She lightens up as she watches that Milotic come to the surface and be caught, eyes widening as she just admires how beautiful they are. It's... nice to feel like exciting things can come from the water, isn't it?
Then, trouble they aren't prepared for (but are politely instructed to be) surfaces. It's Team Rocket! And---
A Golem appears, hulking and intimidating but awful polite and attempting to ascertain their role and duty in all of this.
Timu shields her eyes as the barriers appear, not so used to their appearance, but as Asgard steps to the child--
"They're not yours to take away!" Timu shouts, standing up in full, as an impressively powerful Machamp and an incredibly fast Lucario make their entrance - the other to strike the Milotic.
"Let them go!" Timu calls with all the fury of an angered teenage girl trying to stand up to a younger sibling's bully. It doesn't strike her in the moment that the Machamp may be far stronger than any of her friends, and not even her Moteray could keep up with that Lucario.
Still...
"Fuecoco," Timu calls, as she tosses the ball to reveal the small, younger round crocodile-like Pokemon whom hops out, leans forward, and has his tiny little dukes put up. He doesn't need to be filled in, he knows!
"Use Incinerate on the larger one!" Timu doesn't know all the names by heart, but the size differences are easier to parse - the slimmer Lucario might be too quick to keep up with despite being the better target to direct Fire-types at, so she points her friend in Machamp's direction.
Despite his much smaller size, Fuecoco ambles forward, leaps, and opens wide with his big ol' mouth to release a stream of flame at the four-armed brutish Pokemon!
GS: Timu Guado has attacked Asgard with Incinerate! GS: Timu Guado has gained 1 Combo! GS: Timu Guado has completed her action. GS: Asgard perfectly guards Timu Guado's Incinerate for 27 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Asgard gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Weaken blocked!
<Pose Tracker> Hannah Curie has posed.
Hannah is all about exploring new places and learning about the places of days gone by--to her, that is almost the entirety of what it means to be a Drifter (as she recently discussed with Sable and Timu in Cinnibar.) So when Sable extended an invite to check out the Safari Zone, Hannah happily accepted. She's dressed casually, in a navy blue skirt, striped green top, a long pink vest, and her customary hiking boots and satchel.
(She has her suspicions about the Symbology at play helping to massage space into a longer tour, but it's hard for her not to notice and ponder over magical oddities.)
She claps when a Milotic is fished up--and then immediately goes to PokeSnap to identify it and figure out why everyone is so enthused for it.
She frowns, when the theatrics start up, looking to Zephyr, who is on her shoulder. "Don't tell me..."
Zephyr chirps.
"I asked ya not to tell me."
But both Hannah and Zephyr blink in surprise as the third member is revealed.
hannah bolts upright, and Zephyr squawks and has to take wing or risk being thrown off. She points, "You! What in the world--" Pause. "What in both of our worlds are you doin' in Team Rocket? An' don't think I've forgiven you for what you did to my friend!"
She scans Machamp and Lucario. Fighting types. And she has... two Bug types and a Dark type. Not... the best of matchups if she's remembering her type charts correctly. Still...
She reaches for a pokeball at her belt and tosses it out. "Cassandra, go!" In a flash an Absol appears. "Absol!"
"I know it ain't a great matchup, but we gotta protect that Milotic!"
Cassandra looks back to Hannah and nods, "Ab!" Then she faces forward, settling into a ready stance.
"Alright then-- Double Team! Catch 'em off guard!"
The Absol leaps forward and then blurs into motion, streaking across the battlefield as she tries to strike at both Machamp and Lucario.
GS: Hannah Curie has attacked Asgard with Double Team! GS: Hannah Curie has gained 1 Combo! GS: Hannah Curie has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Chartreuse Spinosa has posed.
Chartreuse had the Hoenn Safari Tour in her calendar for a while. She might be from Energy Nede herself, but she's never really had the chance to go - academia has kept her quite busy. This year, though! This year, Chartreuse is on a journey, and that means making her own schedule - and by extension, making time for all the little things she had a hard time fitting in before.
Especially when she's received an invitation from a friend - of course she agreed, when Sable reached out. It sounds like she's gathered quite the party, too! It should make for a fun day.
And so!
Chartreuse joins the others in the tour boat, listening intently as their guide speaks. Sure, she knows the history already... but there's something to be said for hearing it from the mouth of an expert in their own words, and the little details they might add that general study might overlook.
And then, as they pass by a cave, someone goes fishing before reeling in... a Milotic!
"Wow! You must have a real calm aura to draw a Milotic in..." Chartreuse enthuses. She cheers the boy on as he battles, but just as they're all reveling in his triumph...
Trouble!!
Familiar voices ring out and Chartreuse whirls... and, listens patiently. They've changed up the lyrics again... Team Rocket showing up is undoubtedly a bad thing, but she'd be lying if she said she wasn't impressed by Jessie and James's theatrics and lyricism. It'd be rude to interrupt.
...Except... The ending is a little different this time, because they're joined by a fourth party. A man... a machine? ...A Visitor, and a barrier shimmers forth.
It only takes an instant for the freshly caught Milotic to be taken down, and caught in Asgard's grasp. That looks painful...
"Hey! Be careful with her...!" Chartreuse urges, wincing. What awful timing... Her heart hurts for the boy, and the Milotic. Asgard issues a challenge, though - and there's only one answer. "Don't worry - I'll show you everything I've got. But if we win, you're all leaving empty-handed. Got it?"
She reaches into her coat, drawing out a Pokeball and tossing it in front of her. Farfetch'd materializes in front of her, leek already at the ready.
"Farfetch'd, Focus your Energy and wait for their attack! We need to be ready for anything." Chartreuse commands. With a nod, Farfetch'd shifts into a fight stance - focused and ready to strike back. "Everyone else, you be careful too."
GS: Chartreuse Spinosa has attacked Chartreuse Spinosa with Focus Energy! GS: Chartreuse Spinosa has gained 2 Combo! GS: Chartreuse Spinosa's stances have changed to Hero! GS: Chartreuse Spinosa has completed her action. GS: Chartreuse Spinosa accepts Chartreuse Spinosa's Focus Energy for 0 hit points! GS: Hyper and Lock state applied to Chartreuse Spinosa! GS: Asgard fails to evade Hannah Curie's Double Team for 70 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Asgard gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Disrupt applied to Asgard! GS: Riposte applied to Hannah Curie! GS: FP up! Power Burst!
<Pose Tracker> Elaine has posed.
From further up the beach and the island interior is one young teenage Nedian girl, surrounded by friendly Pokemon holding a red Pokedex in blue leather case examining them. The sudden sounds of combat through cause the majority of the Pokemon to vanish into the water, air, or island interior leaving just a few confused look Pokemon looking to the girl who is blinking in confusion too while an Eevee tilts her head looking towards the source.
"The Safari zone... Usually doesn't allow trainer battles?" Elaine says to herself, turning to look as a Vileplume and icy blue Sandshrew stand by her. "Guess I shouldn't leave it alone." she says as she begins to walk down the beach towards the noises, followed by her three Pokemon. What they find a few seconds later as they come into sight of the cave entrance area is what looks like a mixed group fighting... Team Rocket? Elaine frowns, looking over the situtation as she continues to approach. Unlike the others through who Asgard was introduced to, Elaine only sees what appears to be an Ogre, Aulbear, or golem type dressed in uniform along with Jessie and James.
"Bloom, Aisu." Elaine states as she continues her approach calling to her Vileplume and snowy Sandshrew respectively, "Doubles battle formation. Toxic Blizzard, the big one and both fighting types." telling her Pokemon to target Asgard along with his Lucario and Machamp. Her Pokemon hestiate for a moment, causing Elaine to tilt her head wondering why, but the two make their attack before she can question them. Aisu takes a deep breath, and then exhales a huge Blizzard down the beach while Bloom tenses up, petals closing before opening again is it unleashes not one blob of toxic poison but multiple small balls of it that mix into the blizzard raging down the beach staining the once white snow a dangerous purple. It's only after this that Elaine gasps. "Oh no... he isn't a Pokemon is he..." her eyes wide in surprise. "Oh no..." as Veevee makes a chirping sound as if to say 'Just realize?'.
Thankfully, her Pokemon aimed only for Machamp and Lucario.
GS: Elaine has attacked Asgard with Toxic Blizzard! GS: Elaine has gained 2 Combo! GS: Elaine has completed her action. GS: CRITICAL! Asgard mostly charges Elaine's Toxic Blizzard for 0 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Asgard gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Entangle, Poison, and Shieldbreak applied to Asgard! GS: FP up! Power Burst!
<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.
"Now that's right dirty pool," drawls a voice from the back.
Josephine Lovelace, ne'er-do-well and fake archaeologist, points a finger in Asgard's direction, having at long last risen from her seat (the empty glass on the table might well suggest the reason why she had delayed getting to her feet) now strides forward to take her place amongst those challenging Team Rocket's first (and only?) Golem associate.
It was supposed to be a fairly leisurely trip, and one would be forgiving for making the assumption that this was the reason for Josephine's attendance -- not that she would have done anything to disavow such an assumption.
But as they say, playtime is now over.
"That dragon thing ain't yours," she affirms, tossing out a Pokeball of her own. "Go, Ikaros! Show 'em we mean business!"
"Piiii," says Ikaros the Pidove, who proceeds to show exactly what he means by waddling up to the Machamp. Narrowing his... eyebrows? eyebrow equivalents?? ...Ikaros utters a challenging, "PIDOOOO!" as if to dare the Machamp to, well. Bring it.
The contrast in sizes is stark. But of course, as the legends do say, it is no easy task to punch a bird.
GS: Josephine Lovelace has attacked Asgard with Taunt! GS: Josephine Lovelace has gained 2 Combo! GS: Josephine Lovelace has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
The Safari Zone has been on Ida's to-do list for a while, but it's big enough and exciting enough that she wanted to experience it with friends. Sable's invitation was the perfect reason to finally explore. And what better way to do that than the guided tour?
Ida sits towards the front of the tour boat, geared for a proper safari. She brought her trusty Symbological hiking boots, sturdy jeans, a field jacket, and a backpack. She took some pictures earlier, but put her phone away to better focus on the guide. It was only polite.
As Milotic emerges from the deep, Ida gasps. Her backpack trills, audibly, as Catastrophe Sal--who has been watching the whole ride from her favotire spot inside--lets out the Butterfree equivalent of an impressed whistle. As battle ensues, Ida braces; this is the part she's still not wholly comfortable with. (Sal clings to the edge of the backpack, cheering "Butterfree free Butterfree!" Which Pokemon is she cheering for?) And then...
'Prepare for trouble you've doubled since you came to visit!'
"Oh," Ida says, shooting bolt upright as she recognizes that slogan and that voice from the raid on Oak's lab. Her head whips around before settling on the cave mouth. Sal pulls herself out of the backpack, unfurls her wings, and perches on her Trainer's shoulder in preparation for fisticuffs. There's the blue-haired man, there's the Meowth, there's...
Ida falls silent, her mouth still slightly agape. Her eyes fix on the massive figure behind Jessie, James, and Meowth. Sal waves a tiny hand in front of her face, which finally gets her to speak.
"Asgard?!" Ida is gobsmacked. Baffled. "What--why are you-- Siegfried--!"
"Ree!" Sal cries, tugging on Ida's jacket collar. "Ree?"
"Wait--!" Ida shouts, rising from her seat. Lucario is too fast; by the time Ida scrambles to the bow of the boat, it's already landed its attack and escaped. This is...
Actually making an alarming amount of sense, the more she thinks about it.
Ida lets out a breath, and braces. She stares at the Machamp from across the water, then turns to its Trainer, putting on her best game face. "Asgard of the Ultimate Shield," Ida says. "I, Ida of the Method, accept your challenge to battle on this field--this memory of long-lost Hoenn." The format of the challenge is classic Hyadean. Sal is still hazy on what a Hyadean is, but she pounds a tiny fist into her tiny palm in excitement. "The stakes are the Pokemon your Team Rocket lays claim to. As my ally, I send forth Catastrophe Sal, my loyal shield!"
Oh shit. Oh shit. Is she doing this right? Does she even need to do this? Is Asgard expecting this, or is--
(ida it's fine, just let yourself be a little extra)
"Poison Powder!" Ida commands. Sal lets loose with a trilling "Freeee~!" as she flits out of the boat and charges Asgard's Machamp. Sparkly blue scales fall from her wings as she darts to and fro like the tiniest crop-duster, trying to coat the Pokemon with toxic dust. All the while, she jukes and weaves, as if daring Machamp to retaliate. Ida's heart leaps into her throat at the sight of it, but... Sal does have a bit of an edge. Theoretically. Based on Typing. The bird thing works on bugs too, right?
GS: Ida Everstead-Rey spends 1 Combo on Poison! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has attacked Asgard with Poison Powder! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has gained 1 Combo! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has completed her action. GS: Asgard mostly evades Josephine Lovelace's Taunt for 0 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Asgard gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Misery adds Weaken, Poison, and Entangle! GS: Entangle, Poison, and Weaken applied to Asgard! GS: Mighty applied to Josephine Lovelace! GS: FP up! Power Burst! GS: Asgard critically fails to guard Ida Everstead-Rey's Poison Powder for 85 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Asgard gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Disease and Poison applied to Asgard!
<Pose Tracker> Jessie and James has posed.
"Asgard! Asgard! He's our golem!" Where did Jessie get a cheerleader's outfit?!
"Thanks to him, all these Pokemon are stolen!" Why does James look better in the cheerleader's skirt?!
"Mrawr, mrawr, mrowr mrowr mrowr!" WHY DOES MEOWTH HAVE TINY POMPOMS?!
(Meowth is too busy cheering to greet Pikachu. Perhaps that's for the best.)
But their cheering is interrupted by -- Sable! Who has a very dangerous question. "... as if I'd tell a law-abiding citizen anything!" Jessie yells out, from the shore, a hand to her hip. "Now get out of here before we steal your Pokemon too, gemcutter!"
Technically -- TECHNICALLY, she never lied to the kid.
And to those like Nina who don't know who they are, James puts a hand to his chest, and declares: "We're TEAM ROCKET! Weren't you listening to the song?!"
"We were very clear," Jessie adds, pouting.
Everyone is distracted by Asgard's shocking appearance, of course -- though Jessie and James would certainly preen if they knew Chartreuse admired their presentation. Just as planned!
"And while he's keeping everyone busy..." Of course they keep the cheerleader's outfits as Jessie whispers, sinister, to James.
"... it's time for Team Rocket to get a free Safari Zone run!" James snickers, in turn.
Lo, do the descend into the Island Cave, and --
"Wait a second," someone might hear James, echoing out from the cave. "Did I teach Koffing Flash?"
"Koffi..."
"WRONG MOVE, KOFFING! WRONG MOVE!"
As an explosion echoes out from the inside of the cave, a strange blue Pokemon wanders out from the depths, tapping on Asgard's perfect barrier.
"Wynaut?" Wynaut Wynauts, grinning, as he squeezes up against the barrier. It doesn't give. "Wynaut!" He declares, happily, as he gives it another shot.
He loves these defences.
<Pose Tracker> Asgard has posed.
"Yes." Is Asgard's answer to Sable, "Our Boss is strong. I was no match for him. He demonstrated to me how truly inexperienced I was as a Pokemon trainer. As a gesture of respect, I have joined their cause... part time."
And Ida's disbelief "Indeed." Asgard pulls out a tablet with one hand, and holds it up showing - A CALENDAR SCHEDULE? "Part of my agreement with the Boss is that I make my own hours."
What a deal!?
Four Fist Death Punch (Machamp vs Goro theme) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Usg6QiVo5gg
The Dratini comes, and Asgard commands, "Machamp, sweep the tail." "Maaaaa-CHAMP!" The Machamp kicks at the same time, hooking the Dratini at the same time it slaps its leg. As the twister surrounds him in response, he simply plants its feet and crosses his arms, looking at the Dratini over the cross of his guard, "CHAMP!"
Leaping out of the Dragon created winds, the Machamp suddenly starts punching and punching, with greater momentum, until his fists become a blur - a rapid cloud, "MaMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMA!" And one final massive punch at the Dratini, "-CHAMP!"
"I assure you, I bear little resemblance to the myths of Nede." Asgard tells Nina, despite understanding where one might get that impression, the Lucario, rushes in front of Poppy, and takes the wheel head on, it's chi surrounded hands taking it head on, flames beating against his face as he's driven back one step, then two.
And then abruptly, once he's arrested momentum enough, he growls, lifting a fist back, and there's a sudden shower of stars off of it, as it then surges forward, pounding into Poppy with a downward fist that suddenly causes the sand to geyser up around him from the explosive force.
To those from Filgaia who have seen it - it bears a striking resemblance to a certain young martial artist's techniques.
Pikachu, comes at Lucario at that moment, and Lucario alarmed suddenly weaves to the side like a boxer, attempting to leap away, but the impact blasts him sideways, as he skids upon the sand, but with a sudden reversal of momentum, he surges forward to suddenly pound into the electrical mouse with glowing fists, before brutally trying to slam both fists down in Pikachu's head.
"Nede knows not even it's potential. The potential of a world where it's culture allows even children to participate in a destiny of battle." He comments, to Chase.
Timu notes that they're not his to take away, and Asgard answers her, "They are, assuming you lack the strength to stop me." The Incinerate from the Crocodile Pokemon is suddenly met by Machamp's Fist, who with a single punch, disperses the flames. "Maaaa-CHAMP!" And then crossing his arms, hurtles himself into Timu's crocodile Pokemon with all the force that his considerable mass can muster, corkscrewing in the air at the moment of impact.
"Cha-" @_@ His eyes briefly take on a dazed appearance for a moment, before shaking it off.
As Hannah shouts her indignation, Asgard answers, "I do not expect that you would - nor do I offer any apology." Calmly, as Absol suddenly blurs into both Lucario and Machamp, who are both struck from the side, each turns around rapidly as if trying to figure out the angle the attack came from.
Then Lucario breathes in raising it's head, and lowering it, the Lucario suddenly breathing out an intense beam of blue Dragon Chi, that tries to ravage the Absol with him just pouring on the assault, as the beam suddenly expands, glassing the part of the beach the Absol stands on.
"Nor do I expect your forgiveness for this."
Chartreuse offers her own response to the challenge, and Asgard notes, "Incorrect. If you defeat me then I will leave empty-handed. I make no promises for my superiors." For now, Asgard does not order his Pokemon to attack Chartreuse, as if simply allowing them to have their Pokemon gather their strength for the conflict ahead.
Elaine's Vileplume suddenly showers the area in a toxic blizzard, and while Machamp and Lucario both start choking, Asgard says simply, "Lucario, disperse the blizzard with your strength." Suddenly the Lucario seems to recover composure, making a palm, as suddenly a booming wave of force crashes through the toxic cloud, and right at both her Vileplume and her Sandshrew.
"Josephine Lovelace." Asgard repeats, as she tells him it's not his to take, "After all the work you did for Odessa, you would take a stand on simple thievery?" He does not sound astonished, merely amused, faintly. "It is no matter." The Pidove waddles up and- "Machamp, meet her challenge head on."
The Machamp suddenly raises both of its arms, brutally crashing each down on the Pidove with incredible weight, the space of the impact suddenly becoming a shockwave like explosion.
Ida issues her challenge, and Asgard nods, "Your challenge is heard Ida of the Method - however I am currently on the Clock with Team Rocket, and must abide by Team Rocket policy." He looks at the tablet as if to check Team Rocket policy and- "Yes, I see. It says here that honorable Pokemon combat is for 'losers'. While I disagree, I must abide."
And as if to demonstrate, Asgard puts the Pokedex away, and throws another Pokeball as Machamp is rubbing Sal's poison powder out of his eyes, "MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Out of the Pokeball emerges a rounded shape in mid-air, right over Sal, as Asgard calls out, "Golem use Bulldoze."
It demonstrates that by suddenly curling into a ball and, "GOOOO-lEM!" Falling directly Sal, to slam them into the beach.
As he's cheered on by his superiors, Asgard looks over his shoulder, and suddenly straightens, looking at Jessie and James behind them. There is a moment where he actually looks... genuinely touched?
"I will not allow their trust in me to be misplaced. I see then, that I must get - serious."
Asgard abruptly holds the Milotic out, as Earthen Spikes suddenly erupt from a shamanistic spell, trapping them in the bars of a makeshift rough cage. Now with both hands free ponderously, Asgard unties his Safari jacket, and grips his hat, with a sudden yank of force it comes off, as does the Safari Jacket as Asgard reveals-!
The Team Rocket Uniform!? IN HIS SIZE!?
Then yanking something out of a pocket space, he grabs one of their grunt hats, proudly sliding that on his head as well (It too is complete with slits for his horns).
But he's not done, because, he then ties something else around his waist, a black strip of cloth, that he winds around, and knots and-
IS THAT A BLACK BELT? Didn't he say he was new!?
With one final tug, there's a sudden change among his Pokemon, as suddenly each of them takes on the appearance of a burning aura of Chi amongst the trio of them.
Was just SHOWING them this enough?
"Your resolve to save this Pokemon is admirable, but will it be enough?"
Asgard's left optic twitches subtly as he hears everything going on behind within the cave. No there's nothing he can do right now.
GS: Asgard has attacked Sable Aomori with Dynamic Punch! GS: Asgard has gained 2 Combo! GS: Delay expired! GS: Asgard has attacked Nina Chiyome with Meteor Mash! GS: Asgard has gained 1 Combo! GS: Asgard has attacked Chase with Close Combat! GS: Asgard has gained 1 Combo! GS: Asgard has attacked Timu Guado with Double Edge! GS: Asgard has gained 1 Combo! GS: Asgard has attacked Hannah Curie with Dragon Pulse! GS: Asgard has gained 1 Combo! GS: Recover! Disease, Disrupt, and Weaken removed from Asgard! GS: Asgard's stances have changed to Avenger! GS: Asgard spends 1 Combo on Interrupt! GS: Asgard has attacked Elaine with Force Palm! GS: Asgard has gained 2 Combo! GS: Asgard spends 2 Combo on Headshot! GS: Asgard has attacked Josephine Lovelace with Cross Chop! GS: Asgard has gained 2 Combo! GS: Asgard has attacked Ida Everstead-Rey with Bulldoze! GS: Asgard has gained 2 Combo! GS: Asgard has attacked Asgard with Million Battles Showing Off His Black Belt! GS: Asgard gains 5 FP from Sufferer! GS: Asgard takes 29 damage from Poison! GS: Asgard has completed his action. GS: CRITICAL! Asgard accepts Asgard's Million Battles Showing Off His Black Belt for 0 hit points! GS: Restore! Drowsy and Shieldbreak removed! GS: Expansive, Hyper, and Lock state applied to Asgard! ===== +stats: Sable Aomori ===================================================== ___________________________________| Form 1 |___________________________________ _ Punk Girl Sable CP: 325 AP: 160 DP: 65 _ _ REF: 41 _ _ POW: 42 16 Agility _ _ VIT: 47 10 Brute _ _ SOR: 40 14 Combat _ _ ARM: 36 13 Wits _ _ TEC: 38 _ _ +++Personal Skills: Adept, Bishop, Butcher, Cautious, Creative, Deadeye, _ _ Finesse, Gambler, Gleam, Master, Polymath, Protector, Silencer, Soporific, _ _ Squad, and Survivor. _ _ +++Tools: (4) Onix (Major Brute Improved), Substitute (Minor Combat _ _ Stalwart), Meteorology (Minor Brute Stalwart), and Icy Wind (Minor Agility _ _ Quicken). _ |' Substitute Db 0/10 TEC SELF FAC SRN HEAL REST 10 / 10 '| |' Slam Db 5/10 TEC ACC1 CAR1 PRG PRUD 15 / 0 '| |' Dragon Tail Db 5/6 TEC ACC1 LKY1 DLY PRUD 15 / 0 '| |' Peck Db 5/10 TEC ACC1 GMBL MTY 15 / 5 '| |' Icy Wind Db 6/12 SOR ACC1 CAR1 GMBL PRUD 30 / 5 '| |' White Wind Db 0/8 TEC AREA GMBL EXP HEAL 45 / 20 '| |' Weather Ball Db 0/12 SOR ACC1 ROUL MSRY 60 / 25 '| |' Dig Db 0/12 SOR ACC1 HDST ROUL 60 / 30 '| |' Meteorology Sig 0/0 SOR SELF HYPE QCK SHLD CTR 25 / 25 '| |' Dazzling Gleam Sig 7/14 SOR ACC3 CAR1 GAT PRC 60 / 25 '| |' Bubble Beam Sig 7/12 SOR ACC3 GAT LKY1 INTR 60 / 25 '| |' Metal Claw Sig 7/13 ARM GAT MAR PRC MTY 60 / 35 '| |' Energy Ball Sig 8/16 SOR ACC3 FAC SMIT 75 / 40 '| --------| FORCE ACTIONS: Boost , Extend , Full Clip , and Guard |--------
GS: CRITICAL! Sable Aomori mostly guards Asgard's Dynamic Punch for 95 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Sable Aomori gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Drowsy applied to Sable Aomori! GS: CRITICAL! Nina Chiyome mostly evades Asgard's Meteor Mash for 65 hit points! GS: Nina Chiyome's Cripple Ward may block the effect! GS: Cripple and Weaken applied to Nina Chiyome! GS: Josephine Lovelace mostly evades Asgard's Cross Chop for 76 hit points! GS: Josephine Lovelace's Cripple Ward may block the effect! GS: Mute applied to Josephine Lovelace! GS: Cripple blocked! GS: CRITICAL! Elaine mostly guards Asgard's Force Palm for 88 hit points! GS: Break and Interrupt applied to Elaine! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus! GS: Elaine has lost 2 Combo from Interrupt! GS: CRITICAL! Timu Guado fails to evade Asgard's Double Edge for 309 hit points! GS: Cripple and Mute applied to Timu Guado! GS: Strain! Asgard takes 150 damage! GS: CRITICAL! Ida Everstead-Rey perfectly evades Asgard's Bulldoze for 0 hit points! GS: Slow blocked! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus! GS: CRITICAL! Chase critically fails to evade Asgard's Close Combat for 209 hit points! GS: Break applied to Chase!
<Pose Tracker> Sable Aomori has posed.
"I see," Sable answers Asgard. "I didn't imagine Team Rocket had people you could respect..."
"He does look like that," Sable says to Nina. "But I think he's a construct..."
She looks at Chase as if she could hear him blink. She noticed Timu growing more reserved earlier too, but she certainly doesn't have trouble speaking up now. And Sable agrees.
"Type matchups are important, but you can overcome the difference with skillful battling," Sable says calmly to Hannah.
She looks curiously at Ida, who seems to know the Golem, even as she sees Elaine's Pokemon and their impressive teamwork. "...?" A pause. "Ida of the Method..."
Sable's Dratini has an epic clash with the Machamp. Artan can create draconic winds with a whirl of his tail, but Machamp is powerful enough to fight with massive blurring punches. In the end, Artan is thrown from the clash, and Sable catches him as she hops off the boat onto the beach. "Good work," she tells him. "Stay back for now."
Another Pokeball appears in her hand. Jessie argues with her. Sable blinks slowly. "...While that makes sense," she says, "I'm not leaving. I'm going to fight your Asgard. And we're going to win."
She lets out the Pokemon; Xirua the Vulpix appears, white-and-blue, like ice. Ice has a weakness to fighting, but...
"Potential?" Sable asks Asgard. "I don't understand."
But the black belt shines...!
"Xirua," Sable instructs, and Xirua roars cutely as she starts forward. "Use Dazzling Gleam," Sable says, and Xirua opens her mouth--only for the camera to pan out, and a lens flare to precede the emergence of great, shining beam of many colors!
"Don't underestimate our resolve," she warns. "...We're going to fight the Ten Wise Men. That means I won't back down here, either."
GS: Sable Aomori spends 3 Combo on Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: Sable Aomori has attacked Asgard with Dazzling Gleam! GS: Sable Aomori has gained 2 Combo! GS: Sable Aomori gains 25 THP from her Cautious! GS: Sable Aomori has completed her action. GS: Asgard mostly guards Sable Aomori's Dazzling Gleam for 113 hit points! GS: CRITICAL! Hannah Curie fails to evade Asgard's Dragon Pulse for 314 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Chase has posed.
One of the advantages of being a trainer is having multiple eyes and ears on the field. Pikachu can put her whole rodent heart into the bliss of battle, while Chase can balk at Ida, who recognizes this 'Asgard'. Ultimate Shield? Lost to Giovanni...? What's a Siegfried, though? The Lucario's nickname??
Pikachu spots Meowth, waving with her whole paw. Meowth is busy cheering. With pom poms. She looks to her empty paws and back at Chase. "Chachu?" Chase frowns thoughtfully. Maybe Pikachu wants lessons from an Oricorio...
Hey you two, isn't there a battle happening?! There is! Pikachu makes her strike, but Lucario retaliates hard and fast, smashing the smaller Pokemon's head and leaving Pikachu tumbling back. She wavers, singing dizzily to herself. "Piii pika chuuuu...?"
Asgard addresses him directly and Chase freezes, but gazes back with his own inherent intensity, eye contact unbroken. The world 'potential' makes his eyes narrow again. Chase didn't like that. Nor does he like this hostage situation.
With a whistle, Pikachu comes sprinting back toward him and climbs right into his shoulder as Chase flings out a ball. Fire explodes into the silhouette of a horse, and Ponyta dismisses the smoke and flame with a decisive stomp.
Warm sunlight shines in the sky, like the rays of the dawn. It gently gleams over everyone fighting on behalf of the Milotic, and their Pokemon, to provide them relief from their fatigue and let them fight further. They need to be relentless in the face of this stranger if they want to save Milotic...
GS: Chase has attacked Chase with Morning Sun! GS: Chase has attacked Ida Everstead-Rey with Morning Sun! GS: Chase has attacked Josephine Lovelace with Morning Sun! GS: Chase has attacked Elaine with Morning Sun! GS: Chase has attacked Chartreuse Spinosa with Morning Sun! GS: Chase has attacked Hannah Curie with Morning Sun! GS: Chase has attacked Timu Guado with Morning Sun! GS: Chase has attacked Nina Chiyome with Morning Sun! GS: Chase has attacked Sable Aomori with Morning Sun! GS: Chase has gained 1 Combo! GS: Chase has completed his action. GS: Chase heals Chase! He gains 218 temporary hit points! GS: Quick applied to Chase! GS: Chase heals Sable Aomori! She gains 221 temporary hit points! GS: Chase heals Elaine! She gains 218 temporary hit points! GS: Chase heals Hannah Curie! She gains 215 temporary hit points! GS: Chase heals Chartreuse Spinosa! She gains 221 temporary hit points! GS: Chase heals Ida Everstead-Rey! She gains 215 temporary hit points! GS: Hyper applied to Chase! GS: Chase heals Timu Guado! She gains 223 temporary hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Nina Chiyome has posed.
Nina doesn't have her goodies bag on her today. "Yeah I've met you weirdos before." She pauses. "Not you weirdos specifically. The other-" she trials off and facepalms again while looking over to Sable, "You handle them." She won't admit she's kinda fuming. Especially with recent events and people and they're so lucky they don't-
"Poppy, up!" she calls, the quilava bouncing up and evading the worst of the blow, though finding itself landing awkwardly with a tumble. She rolls back onto her feet, but at the same time she's thrown out a second pokeball. BB her noibat pops out with a squeak and a twirl. He's small and that's a big pokemon, but.. Nina has something of a plan. Somehow. "Beebs, Thief!" though while he's attacking, Nina's chanting a little something to add to what amounts to more of a sucker punch than anything. Though the little bat-dragon pokemon would happily loot anything not bolted down, so to speak. Of course!
It's not super effective, but still.. there's a plan there. (It's also why her sneasel's not doing the usual heavy lifting!)
There is a sideglance to Sable and a murmured, "Law abiding?" with a snicker.
Still, she's paying more attention to Asgard and his pokemon than not.
"How did they find enough cloth for that?" She starts to ask, then adds, "Trust? I wouldn't trust any of them!" Though she might have a bit of a grudge at this point. They're hijacking her own ideals and all!
There is a concerned look bacwards though. This isn't how she wanted others to see her hometown or the safari zone. There's almost a look of embarrassment there like she could have stopped this or that the various schools could have maybe.
GS: Chase heals Nina Chiyome! She gains 221 temporary hit points! GS: Nina Chiyome has attacked Asgard with Thief! GS: Nina Chiyome has gained 1 Combo! GS: Nina Chiyome has completed her action. GS: Asgard mostly guards Nina Chiyome's Thief for 23 hit points! GS: Dispel! Lock state removed! GS: Cripple, Interrupt, and Poison applied to Asgard! GS: FP up! Power Burst and Reaction bonus!
<Pose Tracker> Chartreuse Spinosa has posed.
Chartreuse assesses the situation - and then does a double take, as she notices that in the moment her eyes were off them, Jessie and James have changed outfits. She's not sure what's more impressive - their quick-change technique, or the quality.
She focuses for now, though, turning her attention back to Asgard. Nede's potential... she frowns, just a little. She doesn't like the sound of that, coming from him.
Asgard counters her statement - and it puts the brakes on her momentum, a little, as she has to pause and reorient.
"...Then we'll just have to deal with them next. But right now... there's someone right here counting on us." She decides. That explosion, though... maybe they don't need to hurry too quickly.
Farfetch'd, meanwhile, is left unattacked. Whether it's an allowance or waiting to see what they'll do, Chartreuse is fine accepting it.
"Farfetch'd, close in with a Slash!" Chartreuse calls out, pointing towards Asgard's Machamp. Farfetch'd nods with an affirmative cry and takes off, circling through the air for a moment as he waits for an open before descending. He dives quickly, his leek at the ready, and delivers a Slash toward Machamp as he passes by!
And above, the warm, refreshing Morning Sun shines down... It's encouraging.
GS: Chartreuse Spinosa has attacked Asgard 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: Chase heals Josephine Lovelace! She gains 221 temporary hit points! GS: Quick applied to Chase! GS: Asgard fails to charge Chartreuse Spinosa's Close in! for 160 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Asgard gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Quick applied to Chartreuse Spinosa! GS: FP up! Power Burst!
<Pose Tracker> Timu Guado has posed.
'They are, assuming you lack the strength to stop me.'
Machamp translates this in easier-to-understand terms between fellow Pokemon by punching out the gout of flame. The flame briefly sports its own spiraling ducks as it disperses, somehow, enough to get Fuecoco to tilt his head as to how that's possible rather than being horrified about how outmatched he is.
"That's--" Timu picks up the slack on the horror as she brings her hands up to her chest and rears back, just as Machamp starts to uncross his arms. "Fuecoco! Look o--"
* * IMPACT * *
Timu's Blitzball skills come into play as she leaps up to catch Fuecoco before he's flung clean into the water, sharing his own set of mutually attained @_@ eyes with Machamp over there.
"Fuecoco!" Timu calls, holding him close.
"Fuuuueeeee---"
Some of the theatrics are lost on her in soft horror as she cradles her barely conscious friend, as... Chase's Ponyta comes to the rescue, with warm sunlight shining down. Fuecoco's eyes slowly focus, blinking, looking up to Timu despite the enormous bump on his head and cross-hatch scribbled bruises, and happily opens his mouth and nods.
The warm sunligh twashes voer Timu, and she nods, putting him back down. Despite being outmatched, her Fuecoco friend's Bold nature carries through as he staggers up, raises his tiny little crocodile hands again...
"All right," Timu says. "Thank you... now..."
"Fuecoco! Use Round!"
Fuecoco belts out a song, carrying through to the opposing team in a cacophonous singing voice that... it's a talent he'll grow into, eventually, just kind of letting it all sing out.
GS: Timu Guado has activated Force Action: Full Clip! GS: Timu Guado spends 1 Combo on Gatling, loading 1 into Gatling! GS: Timu Guado has attacked Asgard with Round! GS: Timu Guado has gained 1 Combo! GS: Timu Guado has completed her action. GS: Asgard mostly guards Timu Guado's Round for 66 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Asgard gains 1 additional Combo!
<Pose Tracker> Hannah Curie has posed.
Elaine has a horrifying realization about Asgard. "'e's a golem--" shouts Hannah, and then pauses. "Wait, not like that kinda--He's from Filgaia. Probably. We'll explain later."
Hannah glances to Ida, raising an eyebrow as she declares, very formally, a challenge. In the Hyadean fashion. "The whole thing, huh? Think it'll help?"
She stares a little, as Jessie and James--and Mewoth are ready to cheer Asgard on. "... what kinda outfits are those an' how many of 'em do they have anyhow?"
Asgard doesn't expect her forgiveness--and he isn't apologizing. Or expecting forgiveness for the current act, either. "Well--good. 'Cause I definitely ain't gonna." She's a little taken off guard by that, for a moment, but recovers. "So long as we're clear on where we stand."
But Lucario has a blast of energy for Cassandra, and Hannah shouts, "Get outta--" But both she and Cassandra are too slow to act, and though the pokemon starts to move, she is caught up in the blast and flung free, landing on her side with a pained breath.
"Cassandra!" shouts Hannah, voice full of alarm.
But something else Asgard said gets her attention, and she looks to Josie. "Odessa?! What the hay--" She'll have words for Josie, later.
Oh. Asgard has a Golem pokemon. Because... right. That might be the most explicable thing to happen today.
Hannah nods to Sable, as she offers that advice. "Right. An' I know Cassandra wouldn't wanna sit on the sidelines anyhow."
But Chase's summoning of Ponyta brings some relief to Cassandra, who slowly finds the strength to upright herself and stand again. She nods to Chase. "Thanks, hun. She needed that."
She shouts to Cassandar. "You okay to keep fightin'?"
"Ab!" asserts Cassandra. She shakes herself out, and then firmly plants her feet, growling. A dark aura starts to grow around her as she focuses her energy, staring down the three enemy pokemon on the field.
GS: Hannah Curie has attacked Hannah Curie with Justified! GS: Hannah Curie gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: Hannah Curie has completed her action. GS: Hannah Curie accepts Hannah Curie's Justified for 0 hit points! GS: Hyper and Surge applied to Hannah Curie!
<Pose Tracker> Elaine has posed.
The blizzard of poison is blown away by the shockwave which races through it to strike both Bloom and Aisu. Distance through maybe reduced its strength as both Pokemon brace themselves and are forced back a few feet but not knocked around by it. Eliane watching from behind frowns to herself, saying "What unusual strength... Is that one training them in something from the other world?" she wonders outloud. As Elaine considers her choices, she spots Chase and her eyes fill with worry for a moment but she sees he seems ready, having made a decision and she smiles. Then her eyes suddenly gleam, then harden coming to a decision herself. "Aisu, Bloom, return." she says juggling two Pokeballs in her left hand to recall them surprised Sandshrew and Vilebloom. "You two did great, but I think this is a better chance for someone else."
In her right hand is a third pokeball, and she hurls forward with all her strength aiming to get it as close to Lucario and Machamp as she can even as she calls out "Kukyu, your up. Rage." is all she commands the Primeape that suddenly appears. Kukyu slams his boxing glove like hands together, the metal shackles making a metallic clashing sound as the single chain on them rattles about. It's large, angry eyes lock onto Lucario and for a moment nothing happens. Then a purple aura explodes around Kukyu and it rushes forward swinging a single intense punch, its hand wrapped in purplish flame.
As Kukyu engages his choice of opponent, Elaine calls out "Fighting types have a number of useful moves, but they can also learn and use real martial techniques to further enhance the power of their moves, evasion and defense. These two have clearly been trained so be careful." as she moves closer, Veevee staying beside her. "Pure Fighting types like Machamp are weakest against flying and psyhic types. Lucario is a fighting and steel type through, so its weaknesses are actually fighting and fire types."
GS: Elaine has attacked Asgard with Rage Fist! GS: Interrupt expired! GS: Elaine has completed her action. GS: Interrupt! Attack weakened! GS: Asgard mostly guards Elaine's Rage Fist for 28 hit points! GS: FP up! Power Burst!
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
Asgard holds up the tablet. Ida pauses with both hands and one foot on the tour boat's railing, looking it over. Her jaw tightens, but she nods. She feels like arguing with Asgard when he clearly respects his new 'Boss' is an exercise in futility. "Fair enough," she says.
Ida swings one leg over the railing, then the other. Wind streaked with glowing green motes wafts up beneath her as she leaps to the shore. Her boots crunch into the sand. Sable thinks Asgard's a construct. Ida nods to her. "The Hyadeans made him," she says. "They programmed him for battle, to grow in the crucible of combat..." Which, evidently, includes Pokemon battles.
"...A destiny of battle," Ida says, echoing Asgard's words as she meets his gaze. Her face pinches a little, though--this is a battle by Team Rocket rules.
The second presence in Ida's mind stirs, mid-dream. The colorful monsters are fanciful dream-concoctions. Doing whatever it takes to win, though...
Confusion. Indignation. Ida sucks in a hiss of breath as feelings that aren't hers wash through her mind. Her eyes lose focus at the intensity; she plants a hand to her temple.
"Ree?!" squawks Catastrophe Sal, pausing in her incessant pestering of Machamp. Then Asgard unleashes another Pokemon, and an ominous shadow falls over her. Ida snaps back into focus. She puts two fingers to her lips and whistles sharply--the signal to evade, now. Asgard's Golem falls out of the sky, landing on the beach with a thunderous THOOM. Sand flies in every direction. Ida raises her hand to shield her eyes; it pelts against her face, stinging.
Sal finishes the barrel roll she'd executed mere moments before, and flits up in front of her Trainer's face. "Butterfree!" she cries, adrenaline in her voice from the near-miss. A second later, and that would've been a direct hit! A dance on the razor's edge!
Ida cranes her head towards Elaine, listening to her tactical advice. "Sal!" she cries. "Redirect to the blue one, and use Acrobatics!"
Sal's compound eyes gleam in delight--and a little anger, since she saw Phwee take that hit. Asgard has a Black Belt. That's impressive. But Sal... has a gold bandana, which she ties on with as much pomp and ceremony. Newly-anointed, she lets out a sharp, defiant trill. The air blurs as she races right towards Lucario's head, then starts swooping, diving, and generally bullying it. "Eeeee~!" she cries.
GS: Ida Everstead-Rey spends 2 Combo on Gatling, loading 2 into Gatling! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has attacked Asgard with Acrobatics! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has completed her action. GS: Asgard marginally guards Ida Everstead-Rey's Acrobatics for 106 hit points! GS: FP up! Power Burst!
<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.
Her eyes narrow as Asgard addresses her directly and recalls the work she'd once done for Odessa -- work done at Asgard's side, as a matter of fact.
It's not as if Asgard, as a person, is unfamiliar to her after all. As to what he's doing with Team Rocket, though--
"Everyone's got standards," she tells Asgard blithely, as if to say that her time with Odessa was just the indiscretion of youth and not a stint of working for a terrorist organization. "And I ain't about stealing from kids, Asgard."
Ikaros, meanwhile, meets with a challenge of his own: the Machamp takes him up on the challenge he'd posed and sends a shockwave speeding for the smaller Pokemon. Ikaros stares at the oncoming attack and somewhat belatedly takes flight, winging out of the way at just the last second-- which is to say, the trailing edges of the blast clips Ikaros and sends him hurtling off into the short distance. He lies on the shore, his little feet up in the air as he blinks in apparent confusion. Josie pauses in that moment, as if in deep contemplation while warm sunlight showers down all around them. One of Ikaros' feet twitches.
"Ikaros, get back here!" she yells out, recalling him to his Pokeball. "Go! Diomedes!"
Josie has traded one bird... for another.
"C'mon, Diomedes-- show 'em what's what!" She pauses, as if to consider what Elaine is saying. "Steel, eh... Try an 'Ember'!"
"Fletchling!" trills Diomedes, flying about in a spiral rapidly before coming to an abrupt stop to rain down embers and sparks upon Lucario.
Almost as an aside she glances over at Hannah. "Oh, never you mind that," she says, waving her good hand as if to bat the matter aside. "It's old history, right?"
GS: Josephine Lovelace spends 2 Combo on Gatling, loading 2 into Gatling! GS: Josephine Lovelace has attacked Asgard with Ember! GS: Josephine Lovelace has completed her action. GS: Asgard mostly guards Josephine Lovelace's Ember for 83 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Jessie and James has posed.
James's costuming skills are a Team Rocket trade secret!
... though a careful examination would reveal the style to be subtly Celadonian. How strange.
"He really looks up to us!" James exclaims, to Jessie, looking honestly shocked.
"W--well, of course he does! We're the best!" Jessie says, despite their long string of failures.
For instance --
When they get inside the cave --
And it's totally dark.
(And Koffing just Exploded, but that's not going to kill them. They're very hard-headed.)
"Just start throwing nets!" Jessie decides, from inside. "We're bound to catch something rare!" And she'd prefer to do it before Sable gets in here and starts asking too many questions.
From the cave, there is the sound of many wings flapping.
Meanwhile, outside, Wynaut clusters against the barrier. Pressssss. "Wynaut!" He chirps, unable to break through. "Wynaut?" Has he found... the perfect defence?!
<Pose Tracker> Asgard has posed.
"You do not understand Team Rocket then." Is Asgard's quick response to Sable and Nina in turn, "It shows the truth of this world's stagnation that you would write them off as people unworthy of my respect."
Xirua suddenly pours out a dazzling brilliance as Asgard shouts, "GOLEM!" The Golem suddenly rushes in front of Machamp and Lucario, taking it head on, as it's beam of light starts to try and bore through his rocky exterior, but as it's finished guarding...
The Machamp suddenly rockets up, to grasp Xiura, it's eyes gleaming. "Ma-" Its legs flex, as suddenly it makes a whirling turn, then throws Xirua straight up, "-CHAMP!" And the tiny Vulpix has the unpleasant experience of suddenly being hurtled like a ball up - and up - and up.
Until it can see the barrier coming UNCOMFORTABLY close to them. Fortunately that's the point when they stop, and then - down they come.
That certainly is a long way down.
"Potential." Asgard reiterates, "Locked away. We shall see if you can grasp it."
Chase seems upset, and Asgard seems to understand that intrinsically, "Commendable." He does note when his Ponyta shines that healing light all over the battlefield, "Teamwork is a form of strength, certainly."
Nina's little Dragon Bat tries to steal everything bolted down and-! The Golem suddenly paws the air upset, as it shouts, "Goooo-LEM!" Because the Pokemon just stole its hidden shades, "Unfortunate." Asgard notes. As suddenly the Golem raises one leg, and brutally stomps down, and beneath the sand the earth splits open, sand shifting and falling into the cracks before - a sudden detonation of rock shards catches the Pokemon in the middle of a localized Earthquake.
"For you."
Farfetch'd abruptly descends to try and slash the Machamp, who rushes into the blow, a slash appearing on his arm as he roars in frustration as it passes by before he can get a grip on them. "Correct." Asgard tells Chartreuse, a hand moving down back on the Milotic's trapped and wriggling head.
Whereas Fuecoco, sings, at the dissonant singing, Machamp abruptly takes two of his hands and - plugs his ears!? With two fingers.
"Nedian technology is quite advanced." Asgard tells Hannah, "It was trivial for the Boss to find clothing in my size." Asgard actually shows the tablet again, "This tablet's processing power alone is more advanced than I am by several orders of magnitude."
The Primeape comes up to Lucario and Lucario locks eyes with it, as it's fist is lit up with purplish flame, similarly Lucario's hand lights up, and the two fists meet with one brutal impact that causes the wind to gust all around them. And then without missing a beat, while the fists are still making contact - while it looks like he's still caught in the thrill of the moment, Lucario opens his maw, and breathes out a titanic laser of Dragon-Empowered Chi at close range, like some enormous cannon to try and envelope the Primeape.
"It is a weakness they have all been working hard to mitigate." Asgard utters, "With enough raw strength, any type weakness can be overcome."
But as Lucario is breathing out that pulse, Sal suddenly rushes, and slams his head, causing the beam to go off course, ripping across the shore and towards the sky.
"Standards." The Golem repeats, and then there's a synthetic chuckle Josephine's way, "I will take you at your word, then, out of respect for the work we did together." It is clear he thinks there is something hypocritical there, but he is not calling her on it. Josephine sends out Dimodes and- Lucario suddenly growls, brushing its paws frantically over its face against the embers.
"Hmm, I see that I might need to change my approach." Asgard takes out another Pokeball, and throws a fourth, and what emerges is an enormous suit of armor, rusted and shredded, with sigils across it, but its eyes glow as it stands up, a Golurk!? Asgard must really know what he's about. "Golurk. Show that one the weaknesses of his approach." As he tips his head towards Chase.
The Ghostly Pokemon lifts its arms and, suddenly vanishes in a purplish pool of ectoplasm. There is this ghastly sense of many of them being watched before...
Purplish Will-O-Wisps hover around many Pokemon on the field, a creeping sense of horror as something grasps them on a spiritual level with oppressive force, and starts leeching all of that energy that Chase's Ponyta spread around the battlefield away.
"Yes, Golurk..."
Meanwhile, Asgard, poses!? He stands up straight, and crosses his arms.
"... That's right."
Wow is he really practicing his posing in the middle of a Pokemon battle!? Did he earnestly enjoy doing that with Jessie and James that much.
(Absolutely. He's having so much fun.)
GS: Asgard has activated Force Action: Full Clip! GS: Asgard has activated Force Action: Fury Shot! GS: Asgard spends 2 Combo on Headshot! GS: Asgard has attacked Sable Aomori with Seismic Toss! GS: Asgard has gained 2 Combo! GS: Interrupt expired! GS: Asgard has attacked Nina Chiyome with Earthquake! GS: Asgard has gained 2 Combo! GS: Asgard has attacked Elaine with Dragon Pulse! GS: Asgard has gained 1 Combo! GS: Recover! Cripple, Entangle, and Poison removed from Asgard! GS: Asgard's stances have changed from Avenger to Avenger! GS: Elaine has activated Force Action: Guard! GS: Elaine mostly guards Asgard's Dragon Pulse for 134 hit points! GS: Misery adds Entangle! GS: Entangle applied to Elaine! GS: Asgard has attacked Josephine Lovelace with Phantom Force! GS: Asgard has attacked Ida Everstead-Rey with Phantom Force! GS: Asgard has attacked Hannah Curie with Phantom Force! GS: Asgard has attacked Timu Guado with Phantom Force! GS: Asgard has attacked Chartreuse Spinosa with Phantom Force! GS: Asgard has attacked Chase with Phantom Force! GS: Asgard has gained 1 Combo! GS: Asgard has attacked Asgard with Million Battles Showing Off His Black Belt! GS: CRITICAL! Asgard accepts Asgard's Million Battles Showing Off His Black Belt for 0 hit points! GS: Misery adds Weaken! GS: Expansive, Hyper, Lock state, and Weaken applied to Asgard! GS: Asgard gains 5 FP from Sufferer! GS: Asgard has completed his action. GS: CRITICAL! Sable Aomori critically fails to evade Asgard's Seismic Toss for 305 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Sable Aomori gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Infect! Debuff durations extended!! GS: Misery adds Delay! GS: Cripple, Delay, and Mute applied to Sable Aomori! GS: Chase mostly evades Asgard's Phantom Force for 138 hit points! GS: Dispel! Hyper and Quick removed! GS: Misery adds Disease! GS: Disease applied to Chase! GS: CRITICAL! Chartreuse Spinosa marginally evades Asgard's Phantom Force for 342 hit points! GS: Dispel! Lock state removed! GS: Misery adds Disrupt! GS: Disrupt applied to Chartreuse Spinosa! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus! GS: Josephine Lovelace fails to guard Asgard's Phantom Force for 367 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Josephine Lovelace gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Dispel! Mighty removed! GS: Misery adds Hex! GS: Hex applied to Josephine Lovelace! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus! GS: Timu Guado has activated Force Action: Accelerate! GS: Timu Guado mostly evades Asgard's Phantom Force for 138 hit points! GS: Misery adds Slow! GS: Slow applied to Timu Guado! GS: FP up! Arcane Font! GS: CRITICAL! Ida Everstead-Rey perfectly guards Asgard's Phantom Force for 209 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Ida Everstead-Rey gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Misery adds Poison! GS: Poison blocked! GS: FP up! Arcane Font! GS: Nina Chiyome fails to evade Asgard's Earthquake for 246 hit points! GS: Infect! Debuff durations extended!! GS: Misery adds Shieldbreak! GS: Hex and Shieldbreak applied to Nina Chiyome! GS: CRITICAL! Hannah Curie mostly evades Asgard's Phantom Force for 225 hit points! GS: Dispel! Hyper, Riposte, and Surge removed! GS: Misery adds Drowsy! GS: Drowsy applied to Hannah Curie!
<Pose Tracker> Sable Aomori has posed.
Light shines over Sable and her Pokemon, and she feels the radiance, not just on her skin but in her heart. Dratini recovers visibly, coiling out of Sable's arms and in front of her.
Then she nods to Nina, seriously. Law-abiding... "Comparatively speaking," she allows.
Then she answers Hannah, "Cheerleader outfits. They're cute..."
She looks to Fuecoco, but as he belts out his song, it seems he and Timu are okay. "Don't give up, Timu."
She considers Elaine's advice, next. And he Pokemon. It's very angry...
But Ida repeats it; a destiny of battle. "...Mom said my destiny is whatever I want it to be." Sable sounds certain, when she says that.
She is less sure of what Josie is talking about with Asgard but, "That's a good standard," she says.
However... She doesn't understand Team Rocket, it seems. Sable frowns thoughtfully and then looks in muted dismy as Machamp rockets upward to grasp Xirua. "No--" She starts, aannd then--Xirua goes up, up, up... and all the way back down. "Pix..." She sways, and falls over, fainting. Sable recalls her. "I'm sorry, Xirua. I should've planned better..."
Potential, again. Sable narrows her eyes. "I don't understand Team Rocket then," she says. "I don't know why anyone would support them..."
it troubles her, but she isn't finished yet. She extends her hand, and a small Pokemon appers: A Bellsprout! Prima twirls in place like a ballerina, and and then faces Asgard's Pokemon.
"Extension," Sable says, light flashing at her feet. "Use Energy Ball!" She hurls an Energy Ball at all of Asgard's Pokemon, a pulsing green sphere of roiling power!
GS: Sable Aomori has activated Force Action: Extend! GS: You have activated the Force Action Extend! GS: Sable Aomori has attacked Asgard with Energy Ball! GS: Sable Aomori has gained 1 Combo! GS: Sable Aomori gains 18 THP from her Cautious! GS: Sable Aomori has completed her action. GS: Asgard mostly guards Sable Aomori's Energy Ball for 107 hit points! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus!
<Pose Tracker> Chase has posed.
Each moment is wrought with tension. But Timu manages to catch Fuecoco. Swaps are made. Butterfree revenge is sought. Elaine explains typing in this trial by fire. Trial by Fighting.
These are terrifyingly strong Pokemon for a Visitor... or for a native Nedian. Giovanni was able to beat him. Chase clenches his jaw, and his Pikachu looks to him in concern, patting his hatted head. "Chachu?" He exhales out his tension, lifting his hand to her head. A twitch of her ear suggests she's still unconvinced, and she looks to Asgard and the battling Pokemon with a squint, trying to discern further.
Asgard mentions respect for Team Rocket, and Chase...
...gives Asgard a thumbs down.
Pikachu nods along sagely with Chase's assessment, and gives Asgard two thumbs down. "Pika pi."
Ponyta's commanded daybreak finally glimmers its last. The power it's given will have to be enough for now. He turns his head back to Chase, and Chase whistles low. Ponyta snorts smoke and digs a hoof into the ground, the flames of its mane raging. He stands down the incoming Golurk, trying to counter the ghostly flames of purple with fiery red. Hooves stamp into the earth as Ponyta rears up and neighs, kicking and thrashing, but he cannot kick away this draining miasma...!
Chase gives a sharp whistle and Ponyta snaps to awareness, breath coming out in wisps and snorts smokier than fiery, but keen to Chase's whistling commands despite the phantom assault. Fire rages anew, and Ponyta takes one step before launching into the air in a deft spring, rising above Golurk's position...
And aiming to time the fall of the Bounce for when Golurk reappears!
GS: Chase has attacked Asgard with Bounce! GS: Chase has gained 1 Combo! GS: Chase has completed his action. GS: Asgard critically fails to evade Chase's Bounce for 103 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Asgard gains 1 additional Combo! GS: FP up! Power Burst!
<Pose Tracker> Hannah Curie has posed.
Hannah gives Josie a dubious look. "'Old history'? You sayin' that like they wasn't a goin' concern even just two years ago."
When Hannah sees Ida take the leap to the shore she backs up a few steps. Instead of a fancy pair of Symbologically-enhanced boots, though, she just takes a running start, plants one foot on the bow of the ship, and then takes a flying leap down to the shore to land, her feet kicking up a spray of sand as she lands.
"You alright, Ida?" inquires Hannah as the other woman holds her head for a moment.
Hannah blinks as Asgard makes that admission about the tablet. "That's... alright, I ain't much an expert in constructin' golems or this Nedian tech but that feels like it oughta be existentially terrifyin' to admit somethin' like that." She frowns. "I mean, I recognize you as sentient, but I don't think..."
She looks down at her phone, stashed away in her satchel. "... You know what, Iiiii'm gonna save the philosophizin' for later."
There's a glance back to Sable. "'Cheerleader'? I... must be a cultural thing. Maybe you can explain it to me after."
But another new pokemon comes out into the fray, and Golurk vanishes, intimidating one and all with a Phantom Force. Hannah shivers a little, despite herself, and Cassandra looks uncertain, turning this way and that trying to anticipate an attack. "Cassandra, fall back!" she calls.
The Absol looks reluctant, but she returns to Hannahs side on the beach. Hannah tosses out two pokeballs. "Agapi! Eimi! Help boost everyone up with Shield dust!"
A Metapod and a Kakuna appear, both letting out cries as they concentrate. Rising up from their bodies are scintillating clouds of dust that rise up and then gently fall down upon all the pokemon fighting Asgard's team--and trying to defend Milotic. Restorative, and protective, to prevent future maladies from taking hold.
GS: Hannah Curie has attacked Chase with Shield Dust! GS: Hannah Curie has attacked Sable Aomori with Shield Dust! GS: Hannah Curie has attacked Josephine Lovelace with Shield Dust! GS: Hannah Curie has attacked Ida Everstead-Rey with Shield Dust! GS: Hannah Curie has attacked Elaine with Shield Dust! GS: Hannah Curie has attacked Hannah Curie with Shield Dust! GS: Hannah Curie has attacked Timu Guado with Shield Dust! GS: Hannah Curie has attacked Chartreuse Spinosa with Shield Dust! GS: Hannah Curie has attacked Nina Chiyome with Shield Dust! GS: Hannah Curie has completed her action. GS: Hannah Curie accepts Hannah Curie's Shield Dust for 0 hit points! GS: Restore! Drowsy removed! GS: Lock state applied to Hannah Curie! GS: Chartreuse Spinosa accepts Hannah Curie's Shield Dust for 0 hit points! GS: Restore! Disrupt removed! GS: Lock state applied to Chartreuse Spinosa! GS: Chase accepts Hannah Curie's Shield Dust for 0 hit points! GS: Restore! Break and Disease removed! GS: Lock state applied to Chase! GS: Elaine accepts Hannah Curie's Shield Dust for 0 hit points! GS: Restore! Break and Entangle removed! GS: Lock state applied to Elaine! GS: Hyper applied to Hannah Curie! GS: Sable Aomori accepts Hannah Curie's Shield Dust for 0 hit points! GS: Restore! Cripple, Delay, Drowsy, and Mute removed! GS: Lock state applied to Sable Aomori! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey accepts Hannah Curie's Shield Dust for 0 hit points! GS: Lock state applied to Ida Everstead-Rey! GS: Hyper applied to Hannah Curie! GS: Josephine Lovelace accepts Hannah Curie's Shield Dust for 0 hit points! GS: Restore! Hex removed! GS: Lock state applied to Josephine Lovelace! GS: Hyper applied to Hannah Curie!
<Pose Tracker> Nina Chiyome has posed.
Nina snorts and calls out, "They're using it as an excuse! I do the same thing and I haven't stolen anyone else's work!" She has probably cost people a decent bit of money though. She puts her foot down!
There is.. one moment of thought though- "He found the size, but has no style. What's his name I can send him some tips!" Hey, it's worth a shot. It's totally not going to work though.
She's not laughing as much this time around, somethign about it being this close to her home probably.
The explosion is far bigger than she'd thought and the noibat wasn't fast enough getting out of the way even flying. She catches him with her pokeball's beam before he hits the ground.
The heal, the radiance is appreciated, it helped BB a little, though he was definitely still out of the fight.
She looks to Hannah, then back to Sable, "Don't you dare show her those pictures. They were cute though"
It wouldn't fit her vibe if that got out.
She glances over though, at Sable's question. "Every one I've fought thought they were in with friends or doing something 'better'."
She won't admit the choreography's good though. Usually.
There's a lot of types she's really at a disadvantage with and it's gnawing at the back of her mind. This isn't going to go well regardless is it.
Maybe she can even things up? She reaches back throwing the ball for her Froslass forward. The ghost making a low, creepy sound as the ghostly type she is! "Kurokiri, use Draining Kiss!" Pointing to the Machamp. That'll work right? It's at least a good matchup and maybe she can prune the fight down and.. this isn't quite last ditch, but she's trying to keep defeatist mentality out of her mind.
GS: Nina Chiyome accepts Hannah Curie's Shield Dust for 0 hit points! GS: Restore! Hex removed! GS: Lock state applied to Nina Chiyome! GS: Nina Chiyome spends 1 Combo on Interrupt! GS: Nina Chiyome has attacked Asgard with Draining Kiss! GS: Nina Chiyome has gained 1 Combo! GS: Nina Chiyome has completed her action. GS: CRITICAL! Asgard fails to guard Nina Chiyome's Draining Kiss for 51 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Asgard gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Interrupt applied to Asgard! GS: Asgard has lost 2 Combo from Interrupt! GS: CRITICAL! Timu Guado accepts Hannah Curie's Shield Dust for 0 hit points! GS: Restore! Cripple, Mute, and Slow removed! GS: Lock state applied to Timu Guado!
<Pose Tracker> Elaine has posed.
Elaine watches Kukyu take the Dragon Pulse full on. By the time it fades, the Primeape has been pushed dozens of feet back and its fur is singed and smoking but its still standing. Its still glaring, and that purple aura around seems to have gotten a little denser after being hit. Elaine tilts her head slightly, and says "Thats... Not an original tactic. If overwhelming power could truly overcome anything... then wouldn't everyone just use that?". In the back of her mind, the Pokemon League Championship matches play, where every Pokemon is already overwhelming powerful. "Well, regardless we should do something about these stat changes first. Kukyu, come back and swap a moment. You can punch them more once Veevee and Muddy set you up to really go in."
Kukyu lets out a loud cry, more a screech as it stomps a foot, clearly wanting to go punch Lucario again, but it surprising does fall back to Elaine. Veevee bounces forward, and Elaine tosses a pokeball colored blue and white lightly. "Muddy, use yawn! Veevee, try your best to use the new move, Freezy Frost!" she tells her two Pokemon. Muddy, a Wooper, lets out a surprisingly deep pitched "Wooper" before waddling forward and opening it mouth wide as if yawning. Several bubbles emergy and float... lackidasically towards Agsard's pokemon as if with homing. Following up around them Veevee shakes herself and the tempurature noticably begins to drop as ice forms on and around the Eevee creating a hazy mist with the sudden change, but before the attack completes fully it seems to dissapate and Veevee lets out a sad "Vee..." even as the haze from the attack continues to spread across the field obscuring the yawn bubbles and trying to sap a little strength from Asgards Pokemon.
GS: Elaine has attacked Asgard with Hazy Yawn! GS: Elaine has gained 1 Combo! GS: Elaine has completed her action. GS: Asgard mostly evades Elaine's Hazy Yawn for 1 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Asgard gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Dispel! Lock state removed! GS: Drowsy and Hex applied to Asgard!
<Pose Tracker> Timu Guado has posed.
"Good work, Fuecoco!" Timu cheers her resolute companion on, as Machamp covers his ears. It's such a small thing, but she's able to overhear Elaine's advice about Types, and how to deal with Machamp.
The talk about Nedian technology and how it's even more advanced than the Filgaian Golem by several magnitudes. "After a point, it feels all like it's just sorcery," Timu asides in all of this, as Asgard eventually announces changing his approach. Another Pokeball, another creature - Golurk. The eerie lurching armored Pokemon spreads ectoplasm of Will-O-Wisps everywhere, and there's some intrinsic set of dread that starts to dawn on the otherwise Bold Fuecoco, like it's something he should be more afraid of...
"Fuecoco, back here," Timu calls - but not in terms of recalling to the Pokeball, immediately, but to gesture to him to come running back, away from the spiritually draining force towards a place of comfort and companionship.
Which is to say, his Trainer! He escapes most the worst of it by leaping back into her arms.
"You're fine, you're all right," she tells him, before setting him down and holding out his Pokeball for him to return.
"Moteray..." Timu calls next, as she throws the ball to let the flying electric stingray free, flying into Metapod's and Kakuna's shared Shield Dust to avoid a double dose of the worst of the Phantom Force lingering in the area.
"Maybe we don't need to understand Team Rocket," Timu says to Sable as her friend struggles to understand Team Rocket, "maybe... we just need to all stop them." Easier said than done, but... keeping Elaine's advice in mind.
"Moteray!" Timu calls, as Moteray flies a little too high to be politely 'on the field,' as he sometimes does, "circle back and use your Wing Attack on the one with four arms!"
"Moooote~"
Moteray spirals down, rushing forward to clip the far larger Machamp with one of his fins!
GS: Timu Guado has attacked Asgard with Wing Attack! GS: Timu Guado has gained 2 Combo! GS: Timu Guado has completed her action. GS: Asgard critically fails to guard Timu Guado's Wing Attack for 110 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Asgard gains 1 additional Combo! GS: FP up! Power Burst!
<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.
There is, in all fairness, without question something hypocritical here.
But Josie has never let a good self-contradiction keep her down.
"See?" she asides to Hannah, "Nearly two years now! That's ancient history," she persists, as if this were sufficient reason in and of itself to pay the matter no mind at all.
But for Asgard, she tenders a lopsided smile. "Right you are. And it's for the same I'm playin' nicely-like now, right?" Is this a veiled threat?
It's... probably a veiled threat...
Diomedes screams in victory as his embers burn Lucario, but--
This is premature. All at once a shadow falls across the field, leaching the warmth that was only recently so gifted; try that he might to struggle against the siphoning shadowy energy, Diomedes soon drops to the ground in a faint.
"Fle...."
"Diomedes, enough! Okay-- Antigone! You're up!"
"Rem!" promises Remoraid, the fish-like Pokemon appearing with a flash on the field. And while 'fish-like' certainly fits the bill, isn't there something a little... ARM-like about Remoraid's general look?
"Okay-- I'm not playing 'round! Hit 'em with a Psybeam!" Narrowing her eyes, Antigone focuses intently! Power is drawing into her form as she shudders and shakes!
Then, in a brilliant pink-white burst, she opens her eyes wide to let loose with a burst of psychic energy for the nearest of Asgard's Pokemon!
GS: Josephine Lovelace has attacked Asgard with Psybeam! GS: Josephine Lovelace has gained 1 Combo! GS: Josephine Lovelace has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Chartreuse Spinosa has posed.
Chartreuse grimaces. Milotic... They just have to keep fighting. That's what this Visitor seems to want.
And before long, he calls out another Pokemon. Golurk... she looks between Asgard and Golurk for a moment, frowning consideringly.
...She shrugs.
"...I guess I have to give you credit for sticking to a theme." She admits.
Golurk vanishes, then, and Chartreuse looks around quickly.
"Everyone, keep your eyes open! There's no telling where it'll attack from!" She warns.
The answer, as it happens, is all over - ghostly wisps hover around Farfetch'd. He tries to outfly them, but Golurk proves all the more persistent. They drain his stamina - until, eventually, his wings give out and he's forced to alight on the island.
Agapi and Eimi lend a metaphorical hand, however, protective dust falling over Farfetch'd at Hannah's command. The draining effect is warded off - but the damage is already done.
"Thanks for the aid." Chartreuse calls over to her. "Farfetch'd, come back and rest up for a bit!"
With a dutiful nod, Farfetch'd musters the strength to fly back to her, resting on her shoulder as she draws out her next ball.
"Dunsparce!" Chartreuse calls out. The little winged snake appears! Her little wings flutter for a moment as she takes stock of the situation... and then, determination crosses her face!
...Not that her expression changes all that much. But if you know your Dunsparce, you can definitely tell.
With that, Chartreuse gestures at the field. It makes it difficult to tell where she's pointing.
"I'll have to apologise to the staff for this later, but... use Dig!" Chartreuse calls out. Obediently, Dunsparce's tail stabs into the ground. It isn't long before she disappears into the sand.
...And then, she reappears! Dunsparce bursts out from underneath Lucario with a headbutt and a spray of upturned earth, before disappearing underground once more - and then striking out for Asgard's next Pokemon in Chartreuse's gestured sequence. She'll keep this up for a while if she isn't stopped.
GS: Chartreuse Spinosa spends 1 Combo on Poison! GS: Chartreuse Spinosa has attacked Asgard with Don't let up.! GS: Chartreuse Spinosa has gained 2 Combo! GS: Chartreuse Spinosa gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: Chartreuse Spinosa has completed her action. GS: CRITICAL! Asgard fails to guard Josephine Lovelace's Psybeam for 165 hit points! GS: Blind applied to Asgard! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus! GS: Asgard marginally guards Chartreuse Spinosa's Don't let up. for 121 hit points! GS: Poison blocked! GS: FP up! Power Burst! GS: Asgard enters CONDITION GREEN!!
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
"I'm all right," Ida says, glancing back to Hannah. "Catastrophe Sal jukes backwards. Her antennae whip up from the force, keeping them from touching Lucario's beam of Dragon-based death. It comes close enough to Sal that she could reach out and touch it, if she wanted to, but she does not. She can feel the force behind it. A solid hit would put her out of the fight.
"Good job, Sal!" Ida cries, clenching a fist and pumping it in the air. She's putting forth an amazing showing against Pokemon this strong. Ida's only ever seen two Golems, both in televised battles with professional Trainers. And Machamps... well. Ida wants to fight one personally, but she knows it would force her to push herself. (That's the point.)
"Chase, Timu, are you all right?" Ida glances over in their direction, but in that moment, Asgard throws another ball. What comes out would not that out of place as the ancient guardian of a long-forgotten tomb. Ida whistles twice, sharp and quick. Flickering light gleams off Sal's carapace as it Hardens.
This--and Ponyta's lended flames--might've been all that keeps her from being knocked out in one blow. Sal's wings flap and flutter as the wave of ghostly force roars across the battlefield. Ida grimaces. She sets her feet, and shivers as an unearthly chill sinks into her bones. Ida's right hand spasms on contact with the wave, and she grasps it behind the wrist, and breathes.
Sal lets out a determined "Eeeee~!" but can't maintain forward momentum. She flies backwards, thrown by Golurk's attack. Ida's left hand snaps out to catch her, and she cradles her to her chest. Sal shivers as she clings to her Trainer. "Butterfree," she mutters, and trembles again. She is getting sick of this Ghost-type stuff catching her off-guard.
"You did good, Sal," Ida says, her voice gentle. "I'm so proud of you." Her jaw tightens at Timu's words. "You have to understand," Ida says. She thrusts her right hand forward, and it starts to grow. Bone lengthens, muscles cord. Skin deepens to a light bronze etched with red linear tattoos.
You're making a mistake hurting one of the young ones like this, he thinks, and he wants to laugh and cry, but can't do either.
Instead, they reach for a second Pokeball, together.
"Aurora," Ida says, a faint, gravelly undertone in her voice. Her vocal cords can't quite communicate with Fafnir's nervous system, which is desperate to reach them. Their fingers clasp around the ball. Ida's arm whips up and around, and they let go.
The Pokeball snaps open mid-flight, revealing a largeish Eevee who immediately takes stock of the terrain, allies, and enemy, and lets out an "Evoi," of resolute determination.
"Sand Attack!" Ida cries. Aurora leaps forwards, throwing her whole body into a vulpine dive. A massive wave of sand rushes forwards, aimed mostly at Lucario--but the other tangible Pokemon might get hit, as well.
GS: Ida Everstead-Rey spends 1 Combo on Interrupt! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has attacked Asgard with Sand Attack! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has gained 1 Combo! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has completed her action. GS: Asgard critically fails to charge Ida Everstead-Rey's Sand Attack for 0 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Asgard gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Blind and Interrupt applied to Asgard! GS: FP up! Power Burst! GS: Asgard has lost 2 Combo from Interrupt!
<Pose Tracker> Jessie and James has posed.
A single Zubat flies out of the Island Cave.
(Why are there Zubat in the rare Pokemon reserve? Well, you see, where there is a cave, Zubat will flourish.)
Meanwhile, Wynaut finds himself shoved against the barrier by an errant shockwave from the battle. "Wy...naut?" He asks, as he finds that he's less sturdy than his new best friend (he's ended his friendship with the cave; the barrier is his new best friend). With all this force being contained...
He's starting to feel competitive...!!
<Pose Tracker> Asgard has posed.
Asgard does not exult over Xirua's fall, certainly they will live to fight another day, but to what their trainer says?
"Then learn." He replies simply, "And grow. Finding those answers for yourself can be a source of strength as well."
The Bellsprout hurtles a ball of energy at Asgard's Pokemon, and all of them turn in alarm, the Machamp abruptly reaches out and clasps it between four palms, as if to contain it.
But then it detonates outwards, causing Lucario to stagger, and Golem to be buffeted on it's rocky shell. Machamp calls out, irritated as it shakes his head from side to side, "Mamamamamamama-champ!" Then reaches down to scoop up some sand over himself as if he were just trying to rub some dirt on it.
Chase gives him a thumbs down- no TWO thumbs down, and Asgard looks at him, and nods, "I see." It is hardly a surprise, team rocket is hardly popular on Nede, and Asgard himself was popular with the children BEFORE he joined Team Rocket at least.
Still he can't help but feel the smallest twinge of regret that some of them will not desire to see him again.
Ponyta suddenly springs, and Golurk rises up from below, just in time for Ponyta to KICK it. Golurk's arms pinwheel as it moans, "Gooooo-lurk!" and topples over onto his back. "Golurk! Golurk!" As he writhes, for a time, unable to get up, "Machamp, help Golurk." Asgard sounds, as the Machamp grips him, and hauls him back to his feet. "Well played." Asgard tells Chase, complimenting his strategy.
Golurk however seems less amused, as he takes one step forward, then another, then-seems to become less than substantial, fading away. When he reappears again, both of his fists are raised high in a fist, which it brings down upon Ponyta.
"Golem. Set the field." "Goooo-LEM!" And the Golem then curls up in a ball, abruptly rolling around in multiple areas, scattering dust, but not otherwise - attacking? What's the deal? "It does raise intriguing philosophical questions." Asgard states to Hannah, before explaining, "A cheerleader is one who supports and praises during events, to hype up those who are participating - my seniors are both phenomenal cheerleaders."
He does note the Restorative tactics, but for now that's all that he seems to do, not even commenting on it. Abruptly however the Golem stops and 'Golem!'
The next time the Metapod so much as twitches, Stealth Rocks suddenly detonate like fragmentation mines, spraying shards of rock straight into its body.
And then - something happens, as Nina's Froslass comes at Machamp, and Machamp puts up his guard, "Ma-champ?!" But then - it presses forward, for a draining kiss, and Machamp looks... confused!?
Theme of Machamp (Right now) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p79GmLNLMrY
The draining kiss occurs, and Machamp blushes, putting his hands on his cheeks, turning away as if to hide it. "Maaaaaaaa!" He keens in embarrassment.
"I see. So some things can bloom on the battlefield, even between Pokemon." Asgard does look at the Frosslass, "Though perhaps it is one sided? Machamp - realize that it was likely not an expression of affection."
Machamp utters, "Machamp!?" And looks at Frosslass, with wide eyes, but Elaine's Veevee begins to let out bubbles that burst against him, as he begins to stumble forward- just as Moteray spirals down and slams into them.
"Is that truly your answer? That you merely need to stop us?" Asgard asks Timu, "I suppose I expected more from someone who was a part of the grand changes that are coming about in Spira."
Josephine however makes a veiled threat, and Asgard actually utters this synthetic chuckle, "Never change, Josephine." Asgard smiles, "Even as you grow stronger." It is still a type of change, but it is not the change he meant. The Brilliant Psychic Energy from Antigone suddenly explodes outwards, and Asgard shouts, "Machamp! This is your moment!"
Suddenly the Machamp seems to shake it off, as that brilliant pink burst washes over him, and despite his obvious type weakness - he tries, he tries his hardest but-
-sometimes it's not enough, when the beam clears, the Machamp utters, "Ma..." Before falling over on his face, and Asgard nods, holding out a Pokeball, "Machamp- return!"
The four armed terror does so, finally, even as Lucario finds himself being battered by Chartreuse's Dunsparce, he puts up his guard, but it happens again, and again, as he keeps stumbling. "I imagine they'll be too thankful to care - provided you are actually successful in your objective." Then sand strikes him right in the eyes, and the Pokemon growls abruptly, trying to shake off the blindness.
And in that moment- "Everyone! Return!" The three Pokemon on the field are enveloped with light, returning to their Pokeballs with a sudden click.
Is it over?
One might think that, until they realize Asgard is holding one final Pokeball, as he cries out, "Melmetal! COME FORTH!"
The Pokemon that appears looks like a strange amalgamation between nuts and bolts, joined together by shiny liquid metal that makes up its body. As they watch in the golden bolt that roughly approximates as a head a small iron ball appears, chaotically tracking everyone on the field like an eye.
"Break them."
It doesn't look particularly tall, or strong, but the Pokemon suddenly lumbers forward, it's strange body shifting, and shifting again, before it's limbs suddenly elongate, the liquid metal stretching thin enough to be almost a thread, as it spins, each bolt like limb suddenly crashing into the whole throng of them like a swinging wrecking ball, striking with enough force that the island shakes.
Several of the Pokemon are hit hard enough that they're likely to be thrown into the ocean.
Where did he even get a Pokemon like this!?
Asgard turns to look at a singular Zubat flying against his barrier, is that- admiration in his eyes!?
GS: Asgard has activated Force Action: Snipe! GS: Asgard has activated Force Action: Fury Shot! GS: Asgard has activated Force Action: Full Clip! GS: Asgard has attacked Chase with Hammer Arm! GS: Asgard has gained 1 Combo! GS: Interrupt expired! GS: Asgard spends 1 Combo on Poison! GS: Asgard has attacked Hannah Curie with Stealth Rock! GS: Asgard has gained 1 Combo! GS: Asgard spends 2 Combo on Headshot! GS: Asgard has attacked Ida Everstead-Rey with Double Iron Bash! GS: Asgard has attacked Chartreuse Spinosa with Double Iron Bash! GS: Asgard has attacked Josephine Lovelace with Double Iron Bash! GS: Asgard has attacked Timu Guado with Double Iron Bash! GS: Asgard has attacked Elaine with Double Iron Bash! GS: Asgard has attacked Nina Chiyome with Double Iron Bash! GS: Asgard has attacked Sable Aomori with Double Iron Bash! GS: Asgard has gained 1 Combo! GS: Asgard gains 5 FP from Sufferer! GS: Expansive and Hyper expired! GS: Asgard has completed his action. GS: CRITICAL! Sable Aomori mostly guards Asgard's Double Iron Bash for 155 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Sable Aomori gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Misery adds Delay! GS: Cripple, Delay, Mute, and Shieldbreak applied to Sable Aomori! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus! GS: CRITICAL! Chartreuse Spinosa perfectly guards Asgard's Double Iron Bash for 123 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Chartreuse Spinosa gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Misery adds Poison! GS: Cripple, Mute, Poison, and Shieldbreak blocked! GS: CRITICAL! Elaine mostly guards Asgard's Double Iron Bash for 165 hit points! GS: Misery adds Disrupt! GS: Cripple, Disrupt, Mute, and Shieldbreak applied to Elaine! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus! GS: CRITICAL! Ida Everstead-Rey marginally guards Asgard's Double Iron Bash for 227 hit points! GS: Misery adds Slow! GS: Cripple, Mute, Shieldbreak, and Slow applied to Ida Everstead-Rey! GS: Josephine Lovelace has activated Force Action: Accelerate! GS: CRITICAL! Josephine Lovelace mostly evades Asgard's Double Iron Bash for 131 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Josephine Lovelace gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Josephine Lovelace's Cripple Ward may block the effect! GS: Misery adds Interrupt! GS: Cripple, Interrupt, Mute, and Shieldbreak applied to Josephine Lovelace! GS: Interrupt! Attack weakened! GS: Chase mostly evades Asgard's Hammer Arm for 84 hit points! GS: Misery adds Delay! GS: Delay applied to Chase! GS: Entangle blocked! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus!
<Pose Tracker> Sable Aomori has posed.
Learn, Asgard tells her. Grow. "....I will," she answers. "I'll find my own answers."
Hannah glances her way and Sable nods. "I'll tell you later," she says. She glances back to Nina. "I'd only show her mine," Sable assures Nina. "We'll do that later."
Focus she does. She focuses on Team Rocket. And Timu has another perspective for her, too. Sable shakes her head. "...If not now," she says, "Then later. I need to understand." Sable pulls another Pokeball in that resolve, Ulpi crowing proudly as the Prinplup finally joins the battle. With the Shield Dust Hannah's team affords her, Sable is more confident in her Pokemon's defenses. Which means that she can stay on the offense. Sable narrows her eyes, and looks a lot like her mother for a moment, as Prima is pproached by the attack. She suddenly roots into the ground and, rather than becoming rigid against it, sways in the force of the attack. It hits hard, but it doesn't destroy her. "...Good, Prima."
"Ulpi," Sable says. "We need to change the battlefield if we want to win." She pauses.
"Use Rainy Day."
"Prin!" Ulpi halts in place--and then turns to the side, swinging out a wing. Turn to the other side, swing tht wing. Wing up, wing up--stomp, stomp.
The sky turns; a heavy rain begins to fall across the battlefield.
"Brute force... Only takes you so far," Sable says. "I'll have to use strategy..."
GS: Sable Aomori has attacked Sable Aomori with Meteorology! GS: Sable Aomori enters a Counter stance! GS: Sable Aomori has gained 2 Combo! GS: Delay expired! GS: Sable Aomori gains 22 THP from her Cautious! GS: Sable Aomori has completed her action. GS: Sable Aomori accepts Sable Aomori's Meteorology for 0 hit points! GS: Hyper, Quick, and Shield applied to Sable Aomori! GS: CRITICAL! Timu Guado perfectly evades Asgard's Double Iron Bash for 0 hit points! GS: Misery adds Drowsy! GS: Cripple, Drowsy, Mute, and Shieldbreak blocked! GS: CRITICAL! Hannah Curie marginally guards Asgard's Stealth Rock for 173 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Hannah Curie gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Misery adds Entangle! GS: Blind, Entangle, and Poison applied to Hannah Curie!
<Pose Tracker> Elaine has posed.
Elaine crouches to pet Veevee who'd return to her while Kukyu moved forward to Muddy ready to rush in to the fight. "It's okay Veevee, we'll get it down eventually.". The fight is going on, the various trainers and visiting trainers starting to get an upper hand. But only starting, for despite their coordinated efforts and assistance to each other the battle sudden flips.
Elaine stares in shock as Asgard sends out a new Pokemon. A Pokemon a vast majority of Nedians might not even know of. One that shouldn't be there, at all. "No, that's been gone for over several thousand years or more..." her eyes wide and unable to react. Not that there was time to. The Melmetal wastes no time as begins to rampage. Kukyu throws himself forward taking the hit thrown their way, but still clips Muddy causing both to going flying backwards. Muddy's eyes are swirl marks, while Kukyu flails and tries to get up but lacks the strength. Veevee bristles between Elaine and the lost Pokemon. The Pokedex hanging from her pack chimes "No data found." in the few moments after the attack.
The sound of the Pokedex snaps Elaine back. She shakes her head and slaps her cheeks. "Kukyu, Muddy return." she recalls her pokemon back. "It is most likely a steel type, so fire, fighting, and ground attacks. It'll be immune to most poison attacks and not really take damage from most other types." she calls out as she stands. "Veevee, we need to help as many get back up as we can. Use Sparkly Swirl!" she says, giving Veevee the order to attack, or rather assist.
Veevee lets out a cheerful "Eevee!" as purple, pink, and yellow sparkles of energy begin to swirl around her and with another cry explodes outward to envelop different pokemon and people helping to relieve them of some effects and give them some strength to strike back with. "Be careful through, that... There are almost no records left about Melmetal, just fragments and rumors of myths and legends. It's been gone for a very, very long time, so we can't really know how it'll behave or fight."
GS: Elaine spends 1 Combo on Inspire! GS: Elaine has attacked Ida Everstead-Rey with Sparkly Swirl! GS: Elaine has attacked Josephine Lovelace with Sparkly Swirl! GS: Elaine has attacked Nina Chiyome with Sparkly Swirl! GS: Elaine has attacked Chase with Sparkly Swirl! GS: Elaine has attacked Sable Aomori with Sparkly Swirl! GS: Elaine has attacked Hannah Curie with Sparkly Swirl! GS: Elaine has completed her action. GS: Chase accepts Elaine's Sparkly Swirl for 0 hit points! GS: Restore! Delay removed! GS: Pray adds Burst! GS: Burst applied to Chase! GS: FP up! Elaine's Reload!! GS: Chase gains Combo from Inspire! GS: Sable Aomori accepts Elaine's Sparkly Swirl for 0 hit points! GS: Restore! Cripple and Mute removed! GS: Pray adds Burst! GS: Burst applied to Sable Aomori! GS: FP up! Elaine's Reload!! GS: Sable Aomori gains Combo from Inspire! GS: Hannah Curie accepts Elaine's Sparkly Swirl for 0 hit points! GS: Restore! Blind, Entangle, and Poison removed! GS: Pray adds Hyper! GS: Hyper applied to Hannah Curie! GS: FP up! Elaine's Reload!! GS: Hannah Curie gains Combo from Inspire! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey accepts Elaine's Sparkly Swirl for 0 hit points! GS: Restore! Cripple, Mute, Shieldbreak, and Slow removed! GS: Pray adds Lock State! GS: Lock state applied to Ida Everstead-Rey! GS: FP up! Elaine's Reload!! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey gains Combo from Inspire!
<Pose Tracker> Chase has posed.
Shield Dust scatters over Ponyta, who is too busy trying to enact judgment from above to react beyond the new shimmer in his fiery mane. But Chase nods to Hannah in thanks. To Ida's question, Chase gives a very honest and blunt shake of his head, his face scrunched in continued confusion and disappointment. Physically, he's okay.
As Sal gives her all, Pikachu bounces on Chase's shoulder, cheering in sing-song.
Chase spares only a glance to Asgard's praise and then sighs and hangs his head, upset! Sullen, even! He can't have fun when Milotic is in this position... Pokemon battles are supposed to be fun. Why does Team Rocket have to do things like this?
Like Sable, Chase doesn't understand it at all.
Ponyta lands with a self-assured snort, but a whistle from Chase keeps him alert as Golurk continues to counter offensive. It stumbles from the heavy blow, but this horse seems to know how to somersault, crashing into the ground and flipping back up, all four legs braced to balance as it snorts in defiance. But rain begins to fall from the sky. Chase holds out his hand, then looks to Pikachu with a nod. A beam of light returns Ponyta to his ball.
This Pokemon... Chase has never seen anything like it before. Not in person. 'Melmetal.' Chase looks to Elaine in shock from across the battlefield.
Chase grabs his next ball in both hands. He reels back and spins around, the ball bursting into a star-shaped silhouette just as Chase hurls his next Pokemon into battle. Staryu comes flying out like a chakram, its body hardening as it sails through the air so that it can make it count when it makes impact with Melmetal, ricocheting off and spinning in place to follow up with a powerful stream of bubbles empowered by the rainy weather.
GS: Chase has activated Force Action: Full Clip! GS: Chase spends 1 Combo on Link! GS: Chase has attacked Asgard with Harden! GS: Chase has launched an attack Link! GS: Chase has attacked Asgard with Bubble Beam! GS: Chase has gained 1 Combo! GS: Chase gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: Chase has completed his action. GS: Asgard mostly guards Chase's Harden for 53 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Asgard gains 1 additional Combo! GS: FP up! Power Burst! GS: Asgard mostly guards Chase's Bubble Beam for 70 hit points! GS: FP up! Reaction bonus! GS: Josephine Lovelace accepts Elaine's Sparkly Swirl for 0 hit points! GS: Restore! Cripple, Interrupt, and Shieldbreak removed! GS: Pray adds Quick! GS: Quick applied to Josephine Lovelace! GS: FP up! Elaine's Reload!! GS: Josephine Lovelace gains Combo from Inspire!
<Pose Tracker> Chartreuse Spinosa has posed.
"...Good point. Then I'll have to endeavor not to disappoint." Chartreuse replies. Dunsparce pops up here and there - and seems quite pleased with herself, having made a difference. But then Asgard returns all of his Pokemon... but Chartreuse gets the feeling that this isn't over yet.
And indeed, it isn't - there's one final Pokeball.
"Melmetal? I've never heard of that one..." Chartreuse remarks, surprised. The steel Pokemon - both in type and in apparent form - appears... and it immediately proves itself to be dangerous.
"Dunsparce! Brace yourself!" Chartreuse calls out quickly. Dunsparce steels herself - and then, little wings flapping with all their might, she lifts herself and turns. Drill tail meets massive limb, spinning with all its might. And then Dunsparce is thrown clear. Chartreuse leaps, catching her before she crashes into the water - Farfetch'd taking off from the sudden movement. Her last second move might've mitigated some of the damage, but she's in no condition to keep fighting.
"You did good... Rest up, okay?" Chartreuse entreats, returning Dunsparce to her Pokeball. "We'll have to pull out all the stops for this one... Mareep! Farfetch'd! Time for some teamwork."
Chartreuse sends out Mareep. Mareep is ready in an instant, pawing at the ground and letting out an affirmative cry. Farfetch'd nods - and as heavy rain falls over the battlefield, he flies up.
"Now, combine your powers and attack!" Chartreuse calls out. Electricity sparks across Mareep's wool - and as it does, Farfetch'd raises his leek to the heavens. Mareep's lightning shoots out... and strikes!
But neither leek nor duck is deliciously roasted - Mareep's electricity is carefully focused as Farfetch'd descends to deliver an electrically-powered slash aimed right at Melmetal!
GS: Chartreuse Spinosa spends 3 Combo on Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: Formation! Chartreuse Spinosa has attacked Asgard with Acting as one!! GS: Chartreuse Spinosa has gained 1 Combo! GS: Chartreuse Spinosa gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: Chartreuse Spinosa has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Hannah Curie has posed.
Hannah looks to Nina. "You know you coulda not mentioned 'em and then I wouldn't be curious, right?"
She raises an eyebrow at Josie. "Ancient history? There's a huge chasm in the ground that begs to differ, Josie." Not to mention her best friend got shunted into the Memory Maze because of all of that.
She nods back to Chartreuse as she receives thanks. "Welcome!"
"Long as you're sure," she says to Ida, when she insists she's fine.
Asgard agrees with her on the potential philosophical issues at play with a sentient construct discussing a piece of technology more advanced than himself. That's... both comforting and confusing that they should agree. And then he explains cheerleaders and she pauses. "Well that certainly soudns like it'd be all positive but your seniors ain't even here right now."
A beat.
"Consarn it all we gotta get in that cave and stop 'em."
But Agapi (the Metapod) is ever the brave one, and she wriggles her way forward to hopefully do more than just sit on the sidelines--but she stumbles right into a hidden Steal Rock, letting out a shrill cry of 'Metapod!' as she is knocked back. Eimi (the Kakuna), lets out their own alarmed cry and turns to face their friend.
Cassandra leans down and nudges Agapi up. "Don't worry hun," says Hannah. Y'all got each others' backs."
She gives a nod to Sable, "Later then." And another one to Chase, to acknowledge his non-verbal thanks. And finally a "Much obliged!" to Elaine and Veevee for their help.
Now that the battlefield has been cleared, they have a single, easy target to concentrate on. "Alright. Speakin' of havin' each others' backs... Time for a bit of teamwork. Cassandra, get 'em in position!"
"Absol!" "Metapod!" "Kakuna!"
Agapi and Eimi both stringshot onto Cassandra, who starts taking a wide path around the battlefield. Agapi drops off first, and Eimi does next, and Cassandra finally moves to take up a third position, putting them in a triangle.
"Wait for it... and..." Agapi, Eimi, and Cassandra all tense up...
"GO!"
Agapi and Eimi spit out their strongest stringshots, trying to latch onto Melmetal and strict its movements for just long enough to let Cassandra come charging in. With a roar and a leap she pounces, claws leaving dark trails in the air as she goes for a Night Slash.
GS: Hannah Curie has activated Force Action: Lock On! GS: Hannah Curie has activated Force Action: Snipe! GS: Hannah Curie spends 1 Combo on Link! GS: Hannah Curie has attacked Asgard with Set 'em up!! GS: Hannah Curie has gained 3 Combo! GS: Hannah Curie has launched an attack Link! GS: Hannah Curie spends 3 Combo on Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: Hannah Curie has attacked Asgard with Take 'em down!! GS: Hannah Curie gains 5 FP from Gleam! GS: Hannah Curie has completed her action. GS: Asgard critically fails to guard Chartreuse Spinosa's Acting as one! for 289 hit points! GS: FP up! Power Burst! GS: Asgard enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Asgard mostly guards Hannah Curie's Set 'em up! for 68 hit points! GS: Cripple applied to Asgard! GS: Mighty applied to Hannah Curie! GS: FP up! Power Burst! GS: Asgard mostly guards Hannah Curie's Take 'em down! for 117 hit points! GS: FP up! Power Burst! GS: CRITICAL! Nina Chiyome critically fails to evade Asgard's Double Iron Bash for 324 hit points! GS: Nina Chiyome's Cripple Ward may block the effect! GS: Misery adds Entangle! GS: Cripple, Entangle, Mute, and Shieldbreak applied to Nina Chiyome! GS: Nina Chiyome enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Nina Chiyome accepts Elaine's Sparkly Swirl for 0 hit points! GS: Restore! Cripple, Entangle, Mute, Shieldbreak, and Weaken removed! GS: Pray adds Hyper! GS: Hyper applied to Nina Chiyome! GS: FP up! Elaine's Reload!! GS: Nina Chiyome gains Combo from Inspire!
<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.
"Ancient history," Josie insists, indefatigable. "Ain't nothin' older 'n holes in the ground."
"Hah," Josie grins back at Asgard, baring her teeth. "You just wait! You ain't seen nothin' yet!"
And as if to underline that sentiment, it's but shortly after that Antigone the Remoraid lets erupt the psychic beam at Machamp. However strong Machamp might be, Antigone's determination (and, well, type advantage) see her through. Twisting about the once and letting her fins ripple at her sides, it's as if she celebrates her success in her own way.
"Nice one, Antigone! We've got 'em on the rocks now. So, Asgard--"
Whatever Josie had been about to say dies on her lips as Melmetal appears.
"Huh," Josie utters after regarding Melmetal for a long, long moment. "...Don't that beat all."
But as it thrashes and lets loose, it's clear that not only is it strong, but it means business. And Asgard meant what he said, at that. "Antigone! Evasive action!"
Antigone does a barrel roll.
This mostly works out for her: she takes a grazing shot as she spins out of the way of the spinning strike. The worst that can be said when the dust settles is that she's a little bit dizzy; Antigone shakes herself as if to get her bearings. Sparkling energy from Elaine's Veevee glitters and falls all about them in the moment that follows.
> Antigone snapped out of her confusion! ...Such that it was.
"You've got the advantage! Him 'em where it counts with Water Pulse!"
"Raid!" Antigone cries out, emitting a pulsing wave of water.
GS: Josephine Lovelace has activated Force Action: Lock On! GS: Josephine Lovelace spends 2 Combo on Headshot! GS: Josephine Lovelace has attacked Asgard with Water Pulse! GS: Josephine Lovelace has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Timu Guado has posed.
When Ida shouts and the surge of emotion carries through to her hand, Timu gets startled. The emphasis to need to, as she watches Moteray flit past post-Wing Attack.
Asgard calls her out with familiarity as he expresses his disappointment - from someone who was a part of the grand changes that are coming about in Spira. Have Biggs and Wedge been talking about her among those in Team Rocket?
"..."
"Mote?" Moteray asks, flying by behind Timu's head, as if he might be interested in the answer, before flying back towards the site of battle.
Then... a 'Melmetal' comes forth. There is a definitive call to action here that strikes Timu in place from the novelty of whatever this must be - even Elaine's later given context can only blunt so much.
'Break them.'
"No." Timu responds. "Moteray!" She swings her arm up, and Moteray spirals up into the air with it as liquid metal limbs reach out to strike.
The first swings right past Moteray's back, the displaced air sending them spiraling along in the air. It's worrisome, when the second comes in...
Timu swings her arm down.
Moteray makes a little U-turn in the air to recover as the second bolt strikes through the space in-between the curve, with hardly more than five centimeters of clearance between Moteray and the swinging limb.
"...I was told years ago I had to understand why the Guado took advantage of so many people. Why they left Bevelle in its time of need. Why they'd follow Seymour even to the very end of everything," these are words and terms the Nedian kids don't know, as she bows her head while the rain starts to intensify.
There is a depth of sorrow that simply does not... tend to come that easily in Energy Nede. There's moisture in her eyes. "Always have to understand... because you want us to accept it has to be this way."
Moteray starts to drift down again, and is currently mildly amused about how ticklish the rain is with all the occasional sparks coming off. (Moteray is a youngster and finds a lot of things fun and neat.)
"...I don't," she says, as the rain continues. "Moteray... use your Thunder Shock on them!"
"Teteteray~" Moteray has a silly little laugh at the tickling rain before their brows start getting little angry creases, opening their mouth and shooting out a ring of electricity that dances along the ground towards the Melmetal.
GS: Timu Guado has activated Force Action: Full Clip! GS: Timu Guado has attacked Asgard with Thunder Shock! GS: Timu Guado has gained 1 Combo! GS: Timu Guado has completed her action. GS: Asgard critically fails to guard Josephine Lovelace's Water Pulse for 163 hit points! GS: Hyper applied to Josephine Lovelace! GS: Asgard mostly guards Timu Guado's Thunder Shock for 79 hit points! GS: Infect! Debuff durations extended!! GS: Disrupt applied to Asgard!
<Pose Tracker> Nina Chiyome has posed.
Nina watches the Machamp get rather bashful when her ghost is a cold yukionna sort and-
"Not what I expected" she admits flatly. Then she glances over at Sable and adds, "You'd better." Though there's a sinking feeling that a secret shame might get revealed! (It's really not that bad.)
"Bloom? I think you're looking for her Bellsprout." Nina missed the reference clearly. Still, the situation goes weirder in a way. He recalls all of his pokemon. Nina's.. about to follow up on the trainer, because of course she is when a new pokemon is sent out. One she won't be ashamed to admit she doesn't recognize.
Kurokiri is flung away from the blast, though she 'lands' in as much as any floating ghost does and promptly brushes herself off haughtily. She's learning from Nina. She is quite injured, but trying not to show it. Nina had covered her face with her arms at first.
Then she's off in a run, trying to catch Poppy who was far less lucky while recalling her Froslass. Poppy she tries to catch, having been less worried as she'd been further from the blast, but she was in the air and.. up and over. Blocked from her sight.
Nina's already going for a different option, reaching for her pack and muttering when she remembers it's not there. Looking around. Not quite sure if she wants to try and magic it down. Maybe kicks? She's not going to give up and she's not putting any others at risk either. A point of contention for some of her pokemon.
There's a flash of light, just out of sight, then a growl as the pokemon evolves there on the spot. Having known what kind of an idiot Nina would be.
Climbing back over the hill, the typhlosion, sporting purple flames slowly settles on all fours and growls low, "Tyyyph-". Purple flames starting to form above it, trailing from the purple jets along her shoulders. The bob around, almost like they're dancing before darting towards the unknown trainer (golem? Not that kind of golem-)'s unknown pokemon.
GS: Nina Chiyome spends 1 Combo on Poison! GS: MYSTIC ARTE! Nina Chiyome has attacked Asgard with Infernal Parade! GS: Nina Chiyome has gained 2 Combo! GS: Nina Chiyome has completed her action. GS: Asgard has activated Force Action: Guard! GS: CRITICAL! Asgard marginally guards Nina Chiyome's Infernal Parade for 204 hit points! GS: Poison blocked!
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
Sal's Trainer cradles her like a baby until she stops shivering. (Sal craves excitement, action, and also snuggles. Sal has layers.) "Good job, Aurora!" Ida says. "Now brace!" Aurora sets her paws. Her tail lashes back and forth behind her. Her fur puffs out, standing on end as she growls at Asgard.
Ida wasn't sure what was going to be in that last Pokeball, but--not that. She wasn't expecting that.
"What even," she says, her eyes going wide. A Steel-Type? "LOOK OUT!"
Melmetal's strike wreaks havoc among the Drifters' Pokemon. Aurora has braced herself admirably, but she's no match for the force that hits her. She lets out a yelp of pain--Ida cringes at the sound--and flies backwards, skidding across the sand. She leaves a little ditch in her wake as she comes to a stop before the lapping surf. Aurora staggers to her feet, and stares at Melmetal in shock as she wobbles on unsteady legs. Her expression matches her Trainer's.
A Pokeball on Ida's belt shakes violently, and bursts open. A second, smaller Eevee appears in a beam of light, and rushes to Aurora's side. Ida is only a moment or so behind.
Veevee's sparkly power swirls over Ida and her Pokemon. Sal blinks, and lets go of Ida to flutter in front of her. Aurora pushes herself to her feet. Marigold lets out a grateful "Evoi!" to her fellow Eevee.
Ida listens to Elaine, first. "At least this means the first field data in thousands of years," she says, her tone dark. Her gaze turns to Chase next, then Sable, and then Nina. "He wanted us to come at you with everything we had," she says. "That's why he took that Pokemon hostage. If we held back, it wouldn't be a true test of strength." Rain starts to fall, slicking Ida's bangs to her forehead. She looks at Ulpi--is that little Ulpi?!--with wonder in her eyes. She turns to Asgard. "Am I wrong? I've no doubt your Boss is powerful."
Ida's hands come to rest on Aurora and Marigold. Sal does a defiant--if somewhat wobbly--loop-the-loop. "But you're right, Asgard. There's great potential in these young people. They love and care for their partners--" A glance at Chase, then Timu. "They restore lost pieces of their world--" A glance at Sable. "They defy the stagnant social order in their own way." Nina. "They devote themselves to their craft." Elaine.
"I know you won't be disappointed," Ida says. "I believe in them. And in their Pokemon. And in my new best friends."
Everyone else is giving their all. Chartreuse's Mareep and Farfetch'd, Staryu, even Eimi and Agape, who have distinctly limited mobility. Ida claps her mismatched hands together. Her eyes narrow. "Sic 'em, girls," she says.
"EVOI!" Marigold cries. She runs alongside Aurora, the two of them rapidly blurring into speeding streaks of tan fur. Sal flies above them with a daredevil "Freee~!". All three of them lunge at Melmetal in a single, coordinated assault. Aurora and Marigold try and strike on either side of the gear at its center of mass. Sal Hardens in mid-air and goes for a Tackle to the head, because she's a wild card and she totally knocked out an Iron Valiant like that.
GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has activated Force Action: Snipe! GS: Formation! Ida Everstead-Rey has attacked Asgard with Take Down! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has gained 1 Combo! GS: Ida Everstead-Rey has completed her action. GS: CRITICAL! Asgard mostly guards Ida Everstead-Rey's Take Down for 148 hit points! GS: FP up! Power Burst! GS: Strain! Ida Everstead-Rey takes 63 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Jessie and James has posed.
"We got them! We got them!" Jessie and James crow, as they pull out a big net full of...
... what look to be mostly Zubat, honestly. But there are a lot of them! The Wonder Trade scam possibilities are endless!
"All right, Asgard!" Jessie declares, because of course she's making James carry the net. "Let's get out of here before the cops show up!"
"Mrowr!" Meowth meows, impressed, seeing that Asgard still has that Milotic in hand.
"And you," Jessie adds, waving a finger to Sable, "had better not follow us. What would your mother think!" THAT'S RICH. What would Anne say about the new job JESSIE apparently got?!
(Don't ask, don't tell.)
Meanwhile, behind her, all the strain of being buffeted by Melmetal's terrific force causes a strange glow by the barrier...
... as...
"WOOOOOBBUFFET!!"
... Wobbuffet realises who's in charge of the man with the perfect defences, and realises, at once, that he has to get in on this gig.
"What?!" Jessie yelps, as she turns, only for a big blue creature which looks vaguely inflated flops into her.
Wobbuffet has joined the party! Whether you like it or not.
<Pose Tracker> Asgard has posed.
"Good." Asgard tells Sable, before noting, "Correct, however." He does note to her, "It will take you far, wherever you go. It simply takes more to reach further."
Whereas to Josephine, he puts a hand to the brim of his hat, and tips it, as if in some Filgaian gesture, "Nothing would please me more, if you did show me 'something'."
And to Elaine, Asgard considers what she has to say for a time, before stating, "A Golem possesses not the limitations of a Nedian. There are places where Nedians cannot or will not go, and in these places are the true wealth of this world is found." What exactly is he implying, on where he found Melmetal?
Veevee certainly tries to sparkly swirl restorative sparkles all over the room, Asgard simply watches, observes, as if assessing the affect, but as Chase sighs and hangs his head, "Your concern is for the Milotic, and that is commendable, but understand - a Pokemon is a reflection of the trainer." His hand comes to rest upon the Milotic, "And all of them desire a destiny of battle."
There is perhaps an unsettling idea to it, that Pokemon seek strength most of all, "In time the Milotic will come to be grateful that we can fulfill it's desires, better than anyone else."
Staryu flies out at Melmetal like a Chakram, and it's liquid metal body suddenly takes it head on, it strikes it, and it looks like it might burst through, but it merely distends, then recoils, throwing it away, even as a shower of bubbles come down in a beam, the pressurized spray boring a hole through it.
Before the metallic ball that looks like an eye looks down, and it's body simply patches it up, liquid flowing into that space. Whereas Melmetal suddenly looks towards Mareep, as electricity sparks, and in the rain the electricity strikes with increasing force, shocked - the Melmetal...
... falls apart into a silvery puddle, of nuts and bolts. Before recovering, reforming in an instant. "Correct. They're currently divesting this reserve of it's rarest specimens of lost Hoenn Pokemon." Asgard finally replies to Hannah, as all three of them spit stringshots, trying to hang out Melmetal before - the Night Slash carves its body in half.
Except that the slash instantly fades, filled with that strange liquid metal mass, and then it tugs apart the string shot. It looks about to counterattack, when Josie's Water Pulse suddenlyc rashes into it, again- and again - and again like a wave, moving it just a pace each time.
And Timu shocks it again with aplomb, offering his answer, as Melmetal shrivels smaller, "There is a kind of strength in that rejection." Asgard notes, but seems quite neutral about offering even that much, "But I think that Black and White view of the world will betray you before this is all over."
Asgard looks at Nina, and remarks, "Youth." To her question of 'Bloom?' However, purple ghastly flames begin to attack Melmetal on a spiritual level, dancing about Melmetal, as it's strange ball bearing 'eye' moves around chaotically, the whole Pokemon vibrating terribly.
Ida however asks a question and Asgard...
...
... Does not answer. On what his motivation for taking the Milotic hostage is. Instead Melmetal is battered by both sides by Marigold and Aurora, as it suddenly stumbles backwards.
Ponderously, Asgard finally begins to say- "Melmetal!" With a shout, like he was going to command it to do something else but then- he hears another call, a command, from Jessie, from James. To get out of there and-
"Self-Destruct!"
Oh shi-
The Melmetal suddenly raises both of its nuts- and bolts arms and - melts away, before becoming light like it's reaching critical mass.
And then it becomes light - and is sent into a distant Pokeball. Where Asgard and the Milotic once stood there is a blinking dotted line.
Far away, already - with the Milotic under his arm, wailing pathetically, Asgard notes to Ida, even though she cannot hear him from this distance.
"I did note earlier, Ida of the Method, I am currently acting as a member of Team Rocket."
He then continues to beat feet though because Asgard hates dealing with the fuzz.
<Pose Tracker> Jessie and James has posed.
The boy -- who can't be older than 14 -- tears up as he witnesses Team Rocket leave. "Milotic..!"
"Wiggle," Wigglytuff, whose PP was too exhausted to help much in this battle, huffs as he hugs him.
"H...he stole my Milotic!" The boy cries, beside himself. The attendant puts a hand on his shoulder, and adds, sympathetically, "... on this special tour where we let you fight and catch one, too..."
She frowns, as she looks up to the Visitors -- and the locals. "I'm sorry," she says, "I know it's a lot to ask -- but we're Scientists and Rangers, in this place. I don't have a Pokemon which could take on that... that Melmetal. Even so, could you save this boy's Milotic...?"
He tears up, and says: "I-I was gonna name her S-Shimmer. T-t-this is Sonic," he hugs his Wigglytuff, "m-my name's Jeff... waaaaaaaaaaaahhh!!"
He is, again, just a kid.
<Pose Tracker> Sable Aomori has posed.
Melmetal. Elaine identifies it as a Steel type, and Sable is not unfamiliar with Steel types. "Prima, Artan, return," she says authoritatively, and she has one Pokemon left on the field: Ulpi, the Prinplup. She watches, as Chase takes advantage of her rain, and Josie too, who still seems nice. Timu's resolve gets a look. She doesn't know the words she uses, no, but she understands what's behind them, she thinks. "We don't have to just accept," she agrees.
Ida mentions her hopes. Sable looks at her, for a moment. But then she looks back to Melmetal, and Asgard.
But Jessie and James emerge, and Jessie takes the time to waggle a finger at her. Sable looks blank. "I don't know."
It might be fine. Maybe.
Asgard answers, too. "...I see."
He's trying to help, despite being the enemy. It's strange. She doesn't really unerstand it. But what he says about the Pokemon, and what they desire--Sable shakes her head.
"I don't think that's true..." But it troubles her, that he would think that way. Only a Visitor might. Or is that true?
"Ulpi, duck!" she calls as Melmetal is instructed to self-destruct--
Except--
It doesn't. He's gone..."
"Acting as a member of Tem Rocket..."
She turns, when they're gone, to the boy. he cries. On the special tour...
"..."
She steps forward, and reaches for his shoulder.
"...On my honor as an inheritor of Fuchsia City's traditions," Sable says seriously, "I will recover your Pokemon."
Then, she steps back--and resolutely refuses to explain what she meant.
<Pose Tracker> Chase has posed.
Guado. Bevelle. Seymour. More words Chase has no context for. Timu's had other references to her world beyond that speak of a world with a pained history. Maybe he should ask. ...Maybe he shouldn't. It might hurt her to.
But she's right, what's she's saying... the absurdity of being told they 'have to understand'. They 'have to understand' why Milotic's feelings and wishes and choice of partner don't matter. Chase doesn't want to understand anything like that.
A 'true test of strength'... Chase looks to Ida. His eyes are uncompromising in whatever conviction exists behind them. He turns his unblinking gaze to Asgard. Milotic is just a tool to Asgard, just as Asgard is a tool to Giovanni.
...It's sad, isn't it?
He shakes his head at Asgard firmly. He's wrong. But Chase lacks the ability to explain why. Instead, he focuses on catching Staryu as the Pokemon finishes its arc. Then widens his eyes as Team Rocket, Asgard -- with Milotic -- disappears.
"Pika?!" Chase and Pikachu share a horrified expression.
One fiery explosion later and Ponyta is back out of its ball, Chase vaulting on its back, as he makes a full gallop into -- well. Where is he going? Chase can't possibly know where Asgard has gone, and he doesn't.
But he's already gone, searching futilely.
<Pose Tracker> Elaine has posed.
Veevee works hard to setup as many to go all out as they can! Even as Asgard responds and Elaine makes a face and winces, the reaction suggesting she'd already had that clue in mind but didnn't realize Team Rocket had already acted on it seemingly. Veevee and Elaine watch as the setup goes flat as the Team Rocket members leave in yet another explosion. "Is that... really their trend?" she mutters at first, then shakes her head. At the same time, she sees Chase disappearing and starts to call out but stops. It's not a very large island, she would know having already explored it all doing her research earlier. She does through pull out her own smart phone and checks something on before swapping to her Pokedex to make sure it gotten some information during the fight.
Elaine's face makes a difficult expression when she looks up hearing the child Jeff, but she doesn't say anything even as Veevee walks up and pushes into her encouraging. Elaine's eyes close and she says softly "Yes, we can become stronger... And if one rumor is true, then others may be too." pausing a moment before her eyes open back up looking down at Veevee "We should probably go back to Professor Oak and get permission for the oldest records so we can do our own searching. They can't all be out of reach right?" to which Veevee answer with her own questioning chirp and head tilt.
<Pose Tracker> Nina Chiyome has posed.
Nina frowns. Even with outside help, she'd barely kept up.
She didn't recognize the pokemon and it had caught.. well most of them off guard. And Asgard (She never had gotten his name had she?) had gotten away with a pokemon.
Even further, she'd be a lot happier with Poppy's evolution if it weren't for that feeling of failure. She beckons Poppy over, who glances up at the escaping group of Rockets. Then pads over to Nina, bumping up against her to pull her out of an obvious funk.
It's not a matter of self-doubt. It's a matter of being hit with your own failures. The crying boy isn't helping that sense of failure either. She reaches over, putting a hand on Poppy's head and looks down briefly. "Didn't want to let me try to catch you huh?" It's an attempt at least.
Poppy nips at her hands when she tries to make light of it, then steps past her and starts walking towards the boy. Nina following Poppy and stopping near Sable.
"Yeah, we'll get'em back. Just sit tight." She taps her foot and adds in an undertone to Sable, "It might be worth talking to my brothers. They're in town and either of them might be able to put an ear out for us."
Nina sounds a lot more serious than usual. And looking inward for once. She almost never likes to ask for help after all. Easier ot just plow forward.
She's at least trying to show some confidence for the poor kid.
<Pose Tracker> Chartreuse Spinosa has posed.
They bring everything they have against Melmetal, bringing the power of teamwork to bear - but Asgard has one last option.
Self-Destruct.
Chartreuse's eyes open wide.
"Everyone, get back!" She calls out, retrieving Mareep and Farfetch'd - just as the Melmetal detonates. She shuts her eyes tight, bracing herself... and when the light clears, Asgard and Melmetal are gone - and so, too, is Milotic.
"Hey!" Chartreuse gasps. She realises what's happened - and anger flashes over her face. "You...! You're not going to get away with this..."
...And then she inhales, taking a moment to center herself. ...That's right - there's someone here who's hurting more. She's only hurt her pride. She puts on a smile, looking back toward the attendant and the boy.
"...I'm sorry we couldn't rescue her in time. We'll do everything we can." Chartreuse assures both of them.
<Pose Tracker> Timu Guado has posed.
Timu stands quiet at Asgard's return of what she has to say. She's not sure if what's going on will be as brilliant as a Diamond or shining as a Pearl, either - or whether any of this will end up worth its weight in Platinum.
Moteray floats up at the word 'Self-Destruct,' because even a particularly blissfully free-spirited creature knows that 'Self-Destruct' means 'owie' in all applicable languages and contexts.
What Timu has to say is lost under the flash of light, as a wailing Milotic finds themselves unable to escape back into the arms of their new very young friend.
Moteray floats near Jeff, and Timu comes over from not too far off as she comes down to a kneel before him. She can't say this with such weighty, straight-faced seriousness as Sable does, or the casual ease in which Nina goes along with it...
Timu does raise the back of her hand to gently pet Moteray as he flits by as she looks to the Wigglytuff being held onto for support.
"Take good care of each other," she says to both Wigglytuff and Jeff. She looks over her shoulder to see Chase is already off, well... chasing, and is quiet from there.
<Pose Tracker> Hannah Curie has posed.
"That is a heck of a lotta--" Hannah frowns. To get to them they'd have to get through Asgard, surely. And this battle has already been protracted as it is.
Hannah scowls as Asgard speaks of Milotic being 'grateful'. "Grr... There you go again thinkin' you know what's best for other people! I don't care who you work for or what you think you're achievin', but mark my words we're gonna put an end to it, one way or another. You can't go imposin' your will on others!"
Cassandra lands a decisive blow... that is then immediately reversed by Melmetal's strange properties. "Confound it all... Cassandra, bring Agapi and Eimi back in!"
And then Asgard orders Melmetal to Self-Destruct. Hannah gasps, and hastily spits out. "Harden! Detect!"
Agapi and Eimi both glow with a brilliant sheen to whether the incoming attack, while Cassandra hunkers down, her horn glimmering as a shield raises in front of her.
All three are tired but still up by the time the attack clears.
Her scowling continues as Asgard makes off with the Milotic, and Jeft expresses his hopes and desires for the newly-caught-but-now-stolen pokemon.
She looks to the tour guide. "You're darn right we're gettin' that Milotic back. I ain't done tellin' off that blasted construct yet."
But while Hannah is fuming Cassandra pads over to pick up Agapi and Eimi, and all three return to Hannah. She sighs and kneels down to check them over. "You all did fantastic though. Ain't no way we coulda accounted for Asgard pullin' a forgotten pokemon outta time like that." She reaches into her satchel and pulls out a heal berry each for her three pokemon.
"We'll just have to be more prepared next time, I reckon."
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
Sal, Marigold, and Aurora give it their all, but not without cost. When the light fades, Ida unshields her eyes, and looks up to see all three of them flopped in a pile, together. "E...voi," says Marigold, as she glances back at her Trainer and her allies, her expression strained. For a single, foolhardy moment, Ida weighs the merits of taking on Jessie and James herself, and scrubs the plan. That's not happening, especially not with Asgard right there.
"Aurora, Marigold, Sal, return!" Three beams of light pull Ida's exhausted, hurt Pokemon back to the safety and comfort of their Pokeballs.
Chase meets Ida's gaze. There is steel in the young man's eyes. A faint smile crosses her face, despite the gnawing guilt of defeat, and the pained cries of someone who just saw their new best friend kidnapped. She clasps her right hand in her left, running her fingers along the palm. "Rest, now," she says, to the man in the back of her mind. Her hand shifts until it's returned to its normal size and shape.
"I'm so sorry I couldn't do more to stop them," Ida says, sinking into a bow before the despondent young man. "But I'll do everything I can to get Shimmer back. I can't speak for the others, but... I'm sure their actions will speak for them." She trails off a moment, then adds: "It's okay to not be okay. None of them had any right to do this to Shimmer, or to you."
<Pose Tracker> Jessie and James has posed.
Jeff, who is still QUITE blubbery, immediately just kind of latches onto Ida and keeps crying as Wigglytuff pats his back. She has a child now. This situation will probably resolve itself eventually. Or will it...?
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
Ida blinks. She wraps an arm around Jeff, and does her best to just be there as he cries. Once he's gotten some of it out, she walks him back to the boat, and sits with him--and Sonic, too. (Sonic is soft. Sonic is friend-shaped. Ida is glad he's Jeff's friend.)