AU!Celadon

Channah: -walking alongside Tagg- Glad to hear it. Though I still don't like you being in this place.

Wyndon Station — Aug 21

-Kai beams-

Kai: Everything's gonna be fine. I've already got a plan to deal with a bunch of overspecialized Psychics in case the School decides it wants another piece of me. And we're a clever, accomplished, powerful, and extremely pretty trio of heroes, so we can handle whatever they throw at us. But, more importantly, it's not going to happen in the first place, because I'm determined to simply have a nice, non-dangerous night.

-She gives a bright, shining smile, offering her hands to each.-

Kai: I found a nice, small restaurant nearby, called the Wyndon Rain Bistro. It's nothing too fancy, but nice for lunch, at least if the reviews are to be believed.

Wild Area — Giant's Cap

-Grieve snarls, circling around Kec-

Grieve: <You're going to want your eyes closed for the next few minutes. Let me help.>

-He dives forward, grabbing Kec and repeatedly bashing him against the ground.-

-Meanwhile, Nitrogen reaches her hand out, and a gust of wind blows Hoops from behind, giving a wind-powered push right in the direction of Ferrum's flying dumpster.-

Nitrogen: The quicker we end this, the less ugly it gets, Vanadium. Don't hesitate.

Wyndon Station - August 21

-Alice chuckles slightly at Brie.-

Alice: Well, that's reassuring. It would simply be unfair if you could just wake up looking this good; I'd find myself unable to compete. Though somehow I doubt I could ever nail the windswept look quite as well as you seem to manage. One of your many charms.

-She blinks, realises her mouth is running slightly ahead of her brain, and clears her throat.-

Alice: In all seriousness, I believe Kai has the right of it. Aside from the factors already mentioned, we are in an urban environment with numerous eyewitnesses. That at least gives us some insurance if our previous antagonists are concerned with unveiling themselves.

-She takes Kai's hand and smiles.-

Alice: Besides, I too am determined to have a delightful afternoon, aided along by the fact that such a thing is all but guaranteed in your company. Lead the way.

Ballonlea

-Shun heaves a sigh at the question mark-accented voice on the other end of the line.-

Shun: ...I have reason to believe someone may be in distress and need sanctuary. As such, if you are going to keep stonewalling me on this, I would appreciate you informing me now so that I can look elsewhere. I've already had quite enough of this from my own bosses.

Ballonleia

Jade: -panic-

Ace: -aggressively reassuring wingpats-

AU!Celadon

-To Channah-

I get why those of us besides my mons and I who participated didn't want to come, but I still felt it important to do so.

Muddy: <This was the path we traveled down when we were traveling to fight Lanius and fought his Praetorian Guard.>

Battle would've been worse, if not for Helios, but I'm still not proud of what we did to make that happen.

Nimbasa Park

Hekatonchires: -Firing the eye beams-

Chiyo: -Ducks under the beams before sending a barrier into its chest, which burns through the metal to reveal one last node-

Anguis: -Blasts the chest node with a Dragon Pulse, destroying it-

Hekatonchires: -Now just a head but still firing eye beams-

Azumarill: -Annoyed as she casts Protect to block— <Really?>

Chiyo: Time to end this.

-Uses a barrier to deflect the Hekatonchires' eye beams right back at it, stunning it in midair before encircling it in a barrier bubbles, whose internal temperature starts getting very, very hot-

Hekatonchires: -Roars as it blackens and turns into little more than a pile of ash that falls on the ground-

Chiyo: -As she feels the last of the screaming fade- Good, we've saved them.

Azumarill: <We should go find your friends.>

Chiyo: Yeah, let's get out of here and get back to Nicky and Kendra, I'm sure they're waiting for u-

Gerald: -Appears to the group, but this time as a hologram- I'm sorry Iridium, but I'm afraid you won't be finding your friends where you were expecting them.

-The "camera" pans to show Nicky and Kendra bound with an Aura Jammer between them and Kendra being gagged on top of that-

Chiyo: -Enraged- Let them go now!

Gerald: Oh I think not, we thought they'd be little more than bargaining chips to get you to come back, but they some interesting abilities that ought to be tested to see if they'll make some good Schoolchildren, or even Templars. A shame that you and your pets managed to destroy the Hekatonchires, Iridium, but that dead weight ended up serving as a good distraction while we captured your "friends".

Nicky: Chiyo, it's fine, don't chase after us, it's what they wa-Is also gagged by one of the soldiers-

Gerald: -Smugly- You can try and fail to rescue them, or you can give yourself up quietly and maybe I'll see if they'll let you stay in the same cellblock. Don't bet on it though.

-The hologram winks out as a small ship rises above the treeline, close enough that Chiyo can see Nicky and Kendra's faces pressed against the windows and make eye contact, before it flies off to join a larger ship that can be best described as a flying train, that flies off towards the northeast-

Chiyo: -Kneels and punches the ground- Fuck, this is exactly what I was afraid of happening. Once they go to their final destination... I don't know if I'll ever see them again.

The School brings pain, and I brought my friends pain...

Ovis: -Tapping her shoulder- <I-I know you're feeling distraught, but we need to regroup.>

Chiyo: -Says nothing as they start leaving the park-

Nicky and Kendra's Apartment, an hour later

It just doesn't feel right being here when they're not here...

Anguis: <Do we want to try getting in contact with Tagg, or the rest of the J-Team. I know we can Dream World him.>

Azumarill: -Sitting- <I've tried, he must be in too much turmoil to be in the right state to go there. And they can sometimes be a bit... unreliable, in the amount of time we get enough J-Teamers to get a raid going that airship could disappear without a trace.>

Ovis: <W-Well we can't just give up.>

Chiyo: -Head in her hands- I could try telling the Oasis what happened, but most of them aren't fighters so they'd just get in the way even if they could get here in time, and the other Schoolkids I'm in contact with wouldn't get there in time either, this is such a mess...

-Despondent-

I should've just left when I was feeling better enough to fight properly like I'd planned.

Azumarill: -Arms crossed while frowning- <Enough of that talk Chiyo, it's not your fault this happened, it's the School's.>

Dactyl: <There was always a chance of this happening, and I know you don't really regret doing all that stuff with them either.>

Chiyo: -Looking back up- I guess you're right, sorry about all... this.

Ovis: <W-We'd do this anyway, but you're our friend, so that gives us double the reason.>

Anguis: <If we can't get Tagg or the rest of the J-Team to help... what about our teammates?>

Azumarill: <That thing they went into flies, so we need someone who can fly who's strong enough to carry most if not all of us, but also capable of blasting their away into the train.> ​

--

<I think we know just the mon.>

Chiyo: Well I hope they can get here quickly, otherwise who knows when we'll get another chance to rescue them.>

Ovis: <J-Just give us a moment and we'll be on it.>

Edited by rmctagg09 on Dec 18th 2023 at 5:12:00 AM

Circhester Stadium, VS Gordie and Melony

Melony: Now, Frosmoth, use Blizzard!

Me: Mothra, use Flamethrower!

Gordie: Barbaracle, cut through the strings with Razor Shell!

Evelyn: Mirai, use Helping Hand!

-Melony's Frosmoth and Mothra stare each other down. Frosmoth flaps her glittering wings and unleashes a gust of wind and snow in Mothra's direction. Mothra responds by exhaling a stream of fire, intercepting the Blizzard attack. Mirai's eyes glow in a rainbow of colors as her psychic energy pompoms form in her hands. She does a little cheer before tapping Mothra on the forehead with one of the pompoms, empowering the Flamethrower attack so it gains a little ground. The Binacle claws on Barbaracle's right hand glow a sapphire blue and sharpen into blades, similar to Oshawittle's sword, and he slices through the sticky silk in a similar fashion to how Malacostra cut through them at the museum.-

Me: -gasp- The same thing happened back at the museum!

Evelyn: You're right! And that move is so much like Oshawittle's Razor Shell!

Gordie: Ha ha ha! They say familiarity breeds strategy! And from what I could gather, the two of you have gotten a lot of press recently. You see, I have been studying you two in preparation for our battle, and I saw how you fought back at Orochi Plaza last Christmas, at the National History Museum and at the Galarian Museum. The moves you used, the strategies you formulated, and not only did I study the two of you, I also studied your opposition and their counter-strategies.

Melony: Gordie, what did I tell you about emulating the bad guys?

Gordie: But mooooom... Knowing is half the battle... and besides, it makes things interesting!

Melony: Oh, alright...

Gordie: Now, I'm starting to think this tag battle thing was a mistake.

Melony: -to Gordie- Oh, nonsense, darling. I think it'll shape up to be a good thing in the long run.

Evelyn: Yeah.

Me: Maybe when this is all over, the town of Circhester could become a bit less divided.

Melony: Well, Gordie? What do you say?

Gordie: Honestly, mom... I say, let's do this!

Melony and Gordie: Starting today, we fight as one!

Melony: Frosmoth! Put more energy into your Blizzard attack!

Gordie: Now, Barbaracle! Use Liquidation!

-Melony's Frosmoth flaps her wings harder, stirring up more wind and snow in an attempt to push back Mothra's Flamethrower, while Gordie's Barbaracle brings his Binacle hands together and summons a katana of water between them, which he firmly grasps in his left hand.-

Hasslemon

Textspace

Giant's Cap, Witches on the Storm

Evelyn: HOOPS! KEC! NO!!

-Ian grows increasingly worried as he prepares to do something incredibly stupid.-

Me: I'm going in!

-Ian jumps at the swirling wall of wind, only to figure out that it's pretty much a tornado and he gets sucked in and spun around a bit.-

Me: IT WON'T STOP FLUSHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!!!!

-Ian is then thrown back onto the broom, even dizzier than when he went in. Evelyn facepalmed.-

Evelyn: Yare yare daze...

Me: -extremely dizzy- Uuurgh... Can't get in that way... Believe me... I tried...

Giant's Cap, Skaters on the Ground

-Sophie winces as Hoops gets a dumpster thrown at them. She begins to worry even more as Ian gets sucked into the whirlwind and spun about like a ragdoll above her, which, if one disregards the situation at hand, would actually be pretty funny. She then attempts to assess the potential weaknesses of the whirlwind in the hopes that something she does will be enough to break through and let her allies in and stop Vana from doing something she would eventually regret, as is her mission.-

AU!Celadon

Channah: -looking around- Well, maybe it's important but that doesn't mean you have to do it. But whatever, we're here anyway. Wish I could've been there with you back then.

Hale: -mildly awed at the tour in spite of himself-

AU!Celadon

-To Channah-

Before all this, during the Gold Conference, Helios and I tried experiments to see if there was a way of bypassing his weakness to Water-types. What we came up with did that... and also set the Sinnohan forest on fire. But desperate times can call for desperate measures.

Helios: -Solemn- <I... Rage Powdered them so they'd follow me into a warehouse and I... burned them all to little more than ash and soot. Blew up the warehouse too, though it was already filled with really flammable stuff. And no matter what, it felt like the soot just wouldn't fall off.>

Helios and I, we swore never to use that move again because of the effect the aftermath had on him.

Entralink

Draca: -Is teleported in by a beleaguered looking Alakazam that then winks out after Azumarill gives their thanks- <Okay, so I've been briefed on the situation and...>

-Sniffing the person in question-

<Chiyo, was it? Have you ever ridden a Salamence before?>

Chiyo: -Shakes head- Not really, no.

Draca: -Tilting her head- <Hope you don't end up fainting then, but then my own Trainer's much taller than you and he was managing when he was about your height or shorter, so you should be able to handle it. So how do you plan on getting close enough if they're on some flying train airship that's probably halfway to Galar by now?>

Chiyo: -A determined look on her face- I can teleport to them, but I'm sure the School has to have blockers on that ship so teleporting on isn't an option. I can teleport us close enough that it shouldn't be too much of a flight to get there.

Draca: <Long flights aren't a problem, I can fly nonstop from Sinnoh to Kanto without tiring. Don't worry, we'll get your friends back and stick it to the School, on my honor as a Tongue.>

Dactyl: -Rotates upside down- <I have... no idea what that means, but sure.>

Ovis: -Patting Chiyo's back- <Y-You can trust Draca, she's been part of Tagg's team for almost 20 years now.>

Draca: <I'd be a bit more apprehensive about doing this normally, but time is of the essence and they're generally good enough judges of character.>

Anguis: -Holding his Ball with the end of his tail- <That's pretty big coming from you.>

Draca: -Turning towards the northeast- <So, Chiyo, are you ready? If we fail, I don't think I need to explain the consequences.>

Chiyo: -Nods- I've known what those consequences are for almost my entire life. Re-enslavement, death, worse.

-Getting on Draca's back, following by Ovis and Azumarill as Anguis recalls himself, Dactly orbiting around her head-

Let's do this.

Draca: -Lifts off and starts flying at high speed as Chiyo opens a barrier portal for them to fly into-

Edited by rmctagg09 on Aug 22nd 2021 at 11:14:57 AM

AU!Celadon

Channah: Arceus god.

Hale: <Whatashame.ThisIunderstand.Ionceusedasimilarmaneuver.Thoughwithoutsuch.Allencompassingresults.Unfortunately.>

AU!Celadon

-To Channah-

Arceus willing, we'll never have to see if we'll need to break that vow.

-Helios and I share a brief look at Hale's statement-

Edited by rmctagg09 on Aug 22nd 2021 at 1:44:24 PM

Above the [Atlantic Ocean], halfway to Galar

-The Air Train makes its way over the vast expanse of the sea in the direction of Galar, not expecting much tonight as a portal opens and a woman and mons on Salamence-back trail behind them just outside of sensor range-

-As the clouds of the previous rainstorm break and a rainbow halo surrounds the Moon, they're fully illuminated against the ocean-

Chiyo: -Eyes narrowing as her rainbow Aura turns visible- There it is.

Draca: -Looking back at Chiyo- <Are you ready for this?>

Rainbows can be considered an omen of good luck. Under the light of the lunar rainbow, I knew the gods were on our side...

Chiyo: -Nods as she clutches her necklace- Yes, let's start the attack, just like we planned.

Draca: <Then all of you, hold on tight!>

-Flies high above the Air Train before diving down and firing down Dragon Pulses at some of the repulsors to prevent it from moving any quicker, as drones fly up to meet them in a hail of lasers, all under the all-encompassing light of the Moon and its lunar rainbow-

Nicky... Kendra... I'm coming for you. Just hold on!

Edited by rmctagg09 on Aug 22nd 2021 at 12:16:55 PM

AU!Celadon

Channah: -follows the look and glances at Hale- When...?

Hale: <Hmm.Oh.Shortlybeforemydeath.Thememoryliesdormantwithinyou.>

Channah: Oookay. Uh, onward?

Wyndon Station, August 21

-Brie grins at Alice, and takes Kai's other hand-

Brie: Yeah, that sounds like a solid plan.

-she puts her other hand to her chin in thought-

You know, it's really a shame we don't have some arrangement so Alice and I can hold hands too.

Halcyon: ~As an overspecialized Psychic, I feel like I should take offense.~

Brie: Aw, you're adequately specialized.

Stormchaser, phonespace

-the voice takes on a slightly less sleepy tenor-

???: Protecting someone? That's doable.

Ever Memito. Where am I meeting you?

AU!Celadon

-The group stops by the beach, where there appears to be another plaque-

Lanius, one of the toughest fights I've ever had.

Muddy: <Mon was a monster, in both the figurative and quite literal senses.>

[Atlantic Ocean]

Draca: -Bobbing and weaving through thickets of laser fire, her Dragon Pulses vaporizing the opposition as Chiyo's barriers allow her to attack with near impunity- <Have you been able to figure out where your friends are being kept?>

Chiyo: Vaguely, their system's interfering!

Draca: -As she Dragon Pulses a large hole into one of the back cars- <Ovis, Azumarill, take Anguis and distract the School! If you find a good port, you know what to do!>

Ovis: <R-Right!>

-And with a Mystic-Water wearing Azumarill tied to him he dives down once Draca flies close enough, and Chiyo releases Anguis from his Poké Ball, using Magnet Rise to slow down their fall as they immediately engage with the security forces-

Chiyo: -Pointing to one of the cars closer to the middle- That's the closest car, I think.

Draca: <I'll drop you and Dactyl off there then.>

Chiyo: What about you?

Draca: <...I'll continue what I'm doing now, they can't concentrate their forces in one place, giving us the advantage.>

Chiyo: -Nods- Alright.

Draca: -Dragon Pulses a hole in said car- <Good luck Chiyo!>

Chiyo: Thanks.

-Drops down right in front of some shocked guards-

Hey.

-And immediately slams them against the car walls with her barriers as she turns to face more approaching guards-

Gerald: -Hearing the rumbling and explosions while watching Nicky and Kendra- Dammit, I didn't think she'd catch up to us so quickly. Hortensia?

Hortensia: -Wearing a body suit with a noticeably arachnid aesthetic- Yes sir?

Gerald: Go and handle our iridescent guest, I have to be further up in the cars. You can get her dead or alive, just make sure that either way there's enough of her left to make a good template.

Hortensia: -Eyes widen- One of the most tardy truants is here?

-Licks her lips in anticipation and grins, slowing some longer than normal fangs-

Excellent.

-She runs forward as Gerald also leaves, with two guards staying behind to watch the two as the lights flicker-

Nicky: -Looks around and notices that the Jammer they were using seems to have shorted out- You'd think they'd have a backup generator, but maybe Chiyo and them already destroyed it while attacking.

-Manages to get herself over to a glass broken by the rumbling and starts moving to try cutting off her bindings-

Edited by rmctagg09 on Aug 22nd 2021 at 1:41:50 PM

Castelia City, On the Streets - August 17th, 2021 - 06:00

Shaun: "Good thing that was mostly Ikea furniture."

-He stares up at the window of his old apartment, rolling his shoulders. It's been a while since he's worn a weighted coat, and the metal on his back is unfamiliar, and the bow slung over his shoulder feels out-of-place on a strap. It's been a while since Shaun's gone to war.-

Shaun: "Glameow and Pachirisu, running through the woods in circles..."

-He takes another bite from the wrapped breakfast sandwich in his hand, noting how little he seems to stand out in the city. Of course, he's not trying to be approachable, and the few people who recognize him don't really approach. If they cared that much about autographs they would've gotten them at J-Con.-

Shaun: "Anything?"

-The metal bird screeches as he lands next to Shaun, leaning forward to bite off part of the burger.-

Qrow: <Didn't see him. Might be here, might not be. He strikes me as the sort of rat who hides in alleys. If he's you.>

-Shaun sighs, tearing off another chunk of sandwich and tossing the rest to Qrow, mulling over his options as he chews on his food and thoughts.-

Shaun: "Well, we keep moving. I'd rather not rely on drawing him out, but we might have to. The last thing we need is him jumping us again."

~Nothing on the ground. Heading to the rendezvous point.~

Alright, Qrow and I will meet you there.

-A voice deep within Shaun, one carried through six hundred years of blood, whispers... behind you.-

-Shaun kicks off the ground in a backflip, his body glowing with wisps of smoke as he almost seems to break apart into a swarm of spectral Nincadas, Ninjasks, and Shedinjas, a thrown glaive piercing the air where Shaun was standing.-

Shaun: "Qrow! Get the others!"

-Qrow shoots into the air, a mere shadow in the sky, as Shaun turns to face his opponent, Gloom Dusters already extending.-

Shaun: "Ace?"

-It looks like him, at first glance. But the subtle differences - wearing more casual clothes (almost like Shaun's) instead of a suit, longer hair, a scar on his eye, the Mystic Water around his neck that fills Shaun with a deep, primal dread - quickly cause Shaun to reconsider.-

Shaun: "No, you're-"

-Not!Ace yanks on the chain attached to his glaive, catching it in his other hand and leveling it at Shaun.-

???: "That is not my name! Not since that day! You've slipped away from me too many times!"

Shaun: "Okay let's take a moment to discuss-"

-Not!Ace is already charging, glaive slicing through the air - as Shaun dodges, he notes it's a naginata, not a glaive. Electricity runs down Shaun's left arm as he thrusts his open-palm into Not!Ace's ribs, stunning him and making him trip.-

Shaun: "So I'm sensing some hostility."

Not!Ace: "Shut up and die already!"

-Ace spears empty air again as Shaun disappears into shadow. He looks around angrily, not seeing Shaun anywhere, and releases a Mismagius,-

Not!Ace: "Horkos. Find our Vowbreaker."

Horkos: <At once.>

???, Sinnoh - August 6th

Firebrand: "The key to the Third Gate is the chakras in your ankle and foot. Animalism, selfish wildness, then ignorance and lack of conscience."

Mercury: "So..."

-He stares down Firebrand, his four wings glowing and his eyes unnaturally sharp. He concentrates, trying to give up his too-human self.-

Kalli: <You're doing it, Mercury.>

Lazarus: "Thallium. Should Mercury get...out of hand, you need to use your abilities to calm him down."

Thallium: "I - of course, Doctor."

-Keegan smiles. It doesn't reach his eyes.-

Air Train

Nicky: -Has managed to cut herself loose and is in the middle of removing Kendra's binding while looking to see if she can figure out how to release the locks on their cages and get their Pokémon-

Kendra: -Is watching to see if the guards are paying any attention to them. They aren't-

Azumarill: -Ice Punches her way past some enemy mons- <I hope this whole distraction thing is working.>

Anguis: -Constricting a Machoke into unconsciousness- <Well they haven't stopped trying to fight us yet.>

Ovis: -Removing a panel- <L-Look over here.>

-The area contains a port-

Azumarill: <Okay, now to do what we came for. Trojan, let's get to work.>

-Removes her Mystic Water to show a USB drive, which she plugs in-

-Trojan, or to be more exact, a piece of the piece of Trojan living inside the Stormchaser, hastily sent over with Draca as they rushed to be able to make it here in time, briefly appears on a nearby monitor before getting to work-

Chiyo: -Walks over the soldiers she had to dispatch to get here- Don't worry, you two, I'm coming.

-Runs through the car and barely manages to block the attack of a sickle-shaped blade as its owner is shown to be clinging on the ceiling-

Hortensia: -Smiling, her long canines prominent- Ah, the truant.

-Dodges Chiyo's subsequent barrier pane aimed at squishing her against the ceiling before flipping off it and clashing blades to barrier as the two push against each other-

You should've stayed in school, Iridium.

Chiyo: -Glaring- Never was that good with formal schooling.

-Swiping at her legs-

I prefer self-education. And it's Chiyo.

Hortensia the Spider: -Making chittering sounds as she flips back to give herself more space as the two circle each other- Iridium, Chiyo, different name, same fate.

-And rushes at her again, blood red Aura-cloaked sickles pressed against her barrier like an Ariados' fangs in her prey-

Chiyo: -Noticing her barrier getting slightly thinner as she pushes Hortensia off her- You're an Aura Vampire, aren't you? Figures with the fangs.

I've occasionally had to deal with people who've seen my Aura and have mistaken me for one...

Hortensia: Yes, that I am, and one that hasn't fed in a while.

-Mockingly-

So will you join back with us, Iridium, or will I get to truly taste the rainbow as I sup on your Aura? Gerald said I only had to leave enough of you to make a template out of if you refuse.

Chiyo: -Forming barriers as she starts glowing- I think you already know my answer, I'm getting my friends and either leaving past you, through you, or over you.

Hortensia: -Laughing as she sprouts constructs resembling spider legs- You may have maimed and killed many Templars in your time, but I'm better than any of them. I'm Hortensia the Spider, and you, truant, are little more than my prey!

-And proceeds to rush at Chiyo sickles first with a manic smile-

Edited by rmctagg09 on Aug 22nd 2021 at 2:51:38 PM

Giant's Cap, Wild Area

Hoops: Tot, help!

Tot reacts quickly and releases flies to Hoops, knocking them to the ground just before the dumpster would have taken their head off.

Sud is hit hard by the Meteor Mash. She allows the impact to spin her around and swings her branches at Metagross, redirecting the force of the attack into a powerful Counter. Meanwhile, Kec uses Iron Tail and turns himself into a steel type to resist the Outrage, though he can't break free.

Hoops glares at Ferrum.

Hoops: All I did was help a scared little girl. Sympathy was part of it, but I just did what I thought anyone would have done. I wasn't trying to gain something, and I wasn't worried about losing something. You obviously think that the world is all about looking after number one and nothing else, but you see most kids grow out of that somewhere in their teens.

Internally Hoops is looking around for a way to escape. Their other pokemon are still unconscious from the gym battle, and this wall of air seems impenetrable. Tot releases an Air Slash towards Grieve in the hopes of getting them off of Kec.

Hoops is hit by another Psybeam at the command of Vana, this time in the arm.

Vana: I'm so sorry.

Hulbury Boardwalk

-As the waters rise, the two figures underneath flee to the sides and begin climbing up the side of the boardwalk. Of course as soon as they come out into the open it is obvious these aren't people, nor are they alive. The two are human-sized dolls made of wood, like an artist's model except the size of a person and with weapons; one carries a large and simple piece of steel with a sharpened edge and the other is both bulkier and studded with iron spikes-

-The air gets cold again as the two mannequin combatants approach-

Hulbury Boardwalk

Wooden puppets. Creepy wooden puppets being controlled without a puppeteer. They knew who they were dealing with. Despite what it appears, these still have strings. The group just need to know where the puppetmaster is.

Protium's face went from fearful to kind of frustrated. They're made of wood. Of course, they're made of wood. This basically rendered him useless. He began feeling around for any unusual auras and thoughts, searching in vain for anyone who seems a bit too unfazed by the presence of animate wooden puppets walking down the pier.

Such a sight should be frightening to the other visitors. The three start trying to pick up how the bystanders are thinking. Tritium herself wanted to blurt out that they should run away.

Protium: It's getting kinda chilly in here.

Deuterium: I agree. Wouldn't it be a crying shame if things get frosty.

Water expands when it cools. Ice crystals have a way of puncturing things. Deuterium concentrates on the water molecules within the soaked wood of the puppets, slowing their movements enough that they should start forming ice. With enough nudging, she can just form more icicles from within. With luck they should also slow down.

Protium isn't a very patient man, and he takes out another ball. Out came a large, shiny gyarados. He wanted to put an end to the threat quickly. And water-damaged wood could be very brittle.

Protium: Redford. Hyper beam that way.

The gyarados complied. He knew to target only the puppets.

Wyndon Station

-Kai gets a thoughtful look on their face-

Kai: My gosh, you're right, a flaw in our expertly crafted plan! We're prepared for an attack from any angle, yet blindsided by our own arrangement of hands! I can't allow the newest link to go separated like this. If only there were a second of one of us, to...

-She stops, remembering the Lake of Rage-

Kai: Okay no I'm not going to tempt fate like that. So! Onward?

School Library

Librarian: -sigh- Yes, it is always a sad day when we're driven to expel someone. Shame.

-Victor asks-

-and her glasses seem to shine-

Librarian: Oh, that takes me back…

-hand on her cheek, a fond reminiscence- My Doyle and I used to "rock" the music scene! I with the xylophone, he with his sweet clarinet…

-she sighs, applying inadvisable percussive maintenance to the keys of the massive brick of a computer at her desk-

-clackity clackity clackity-

-she sighs something like "lost my rhythm"...-

Wyndon, Pokémart

Addie: u_u

-Logan smiles like they really thought that she really thought that that was funny-

Logan: I will. ^_^

-they blink-

-and from their pockets they withdraw...a little fidget cube-

Logan: -clicking the switch- I just need something to do with my hands.

-click click click- ...

-...now-

-they're not observant in the same way as a particular one of their friends-

-for instance, they would not have memorized the locations of the security cameras to note that that was where Adelinde was looking-

-but their mind does lock on to that briefest bout of nerves-

Logan: -smiling comfortingly- I will, never you fear.

-and, for reasons they somewhat hastily slam past, they think of their good friend(?) Ever-

-and what the hell, try to reach out a hand-

Logan: -putting the horrible radioactive candy in their basket- So, hear about those layoffs from Macro...Company?

Logan: -watching Addie suspiciously sniff at it- I hear they had to downsize when the CEO went bad. No use for those people, anymore.

School Library

Victor: See... You keep saying that you don't have rhythm. But listen what you're doin' right there. With that click and that clack you've got quite a knack, sounds to me like you've got rhythm to spare.

-He blinks, then shakes his head-

Unfortunately, I don't have the time for the whole song and dance... But I believe in you! See you around, thank you again for the samples, good luck bringing back that music career!

-He starts to leave-

AU!Celadon

Channah: Man...

Jack: -shivers-

AU!Celadon

Muddy: <The mon behind all those war crimes, and he was big too. Bigger than a Golurk, but moved like a Liepard.>

Helios: <And about as misogynistic as he was big too, said female mons were only good for breeding. He really hated humans in general too.>

He threatened to have us all crucified from the roof of the Celadon Department Store so we could "watch our world die" as he put it.

Muddy: <It was virtual suicide to try attacking him hand to hand, we'd watched the folks who'd tried get slaughtered, so we had to hang back and mostly use beam attacks.>

Put several of our mons in the ICU, he did, but we won, and it was my female mons who made the deciding blows to fell him. And then... Tracer took my dagger, and paralyzed him below the neck with it.

Air Train

Nicky: Has managed to free Kendra of her binding, her partner removing the gag on their face as Nicky manages to grab a fallen key to unlock their cages-

Guard: -Actually paying attention now, pointing his gun at them- You two had better not move, drop that key right now.

Kendra: -With her best puppy dog eyes- Come on, I'm sure you realize that this whole thing was probably a mistake from the start, could you please let us go? You're not gonna shoot weaponless girls like us are you?

Guard: -Stares for a couple seconds, noticing the cameras happen to be out, before holstering his pistol- You know what, fuck this, I don't feel like getting maimed or worse by that escapee, we don't get paid enough for crap like this.

-Beat-

We didn't see you.

-Leaves, followed by his partner guard-

Nicky: -Getting the lock- Well that was easier than expected, I guess they don't pick their guards on strength of will.

Kendra: -Nodding- Let's get our Pokémon back and try to find Chiyo.

Chiyo: -Parries strikes from Hortensia's spider leg constructs as the Templar jumps back-

Hortensia: -Screeches as she jumps to the side and manages to pin Chiyo to the ground, only to get knocked off by Dactyl ramming her- Not bad, not bad at all, truant. Shame you've chosen the wrong side.

Chiyo: -Dactyl by her side as the two groups start circling each other- What wrong side, the choice of freedom over slavery and murder?

Hortensia: You are far too worried over things like morality, that's something that should've been eliminated from your template. The strong live, and the weak end up serving the strong or dying, such is nature.

Every time one of these fucks talks about genes I feel like dying.

Chiyo: That's the thing with the School, you think everything about everyone is simply just down to their genes. I may exist because of the School, and genes may have played a role, but it's me who made me.

-Summoning her discs-

Not just my genetics alone, the choices I made thanks to all the lovely people I met from when I first escaped this eugenicist cult...

-Purple eyes narrowing-

That's far more important.

Hortensia: -Auric Charges over as the two clash blade to barrier once more-

Edited by rmctagg09 on Aug 23rd 2021 at 3:10:02 PM

Air Train

Nicky: -Looking ahead- Kendra, wait.

Kendra: Huh?

-Ahead of them is row upon row of cages, most containing people-

Liepard♂ Horatio: -Growling- <I guess this is what Chiyo meant by the School taking people to be experimented on.>

Indeedee♀ Mary: <We're gonna save them, right?>

Nicky: Of course we are, who knows what'll happen to them if we don't. We just need to figure out how.

Trojan: -Appearing on a monitor- I can be of assistance.

Kendra: -Shocked- Who are you? I've never seen a Porygon with those colors before.

Trojan: I am Trojan, a PEFEgon of the Pokémon Extended Fileshare Endeavour under Tagg's purview, my teammates have contracted my help in rescuing you. The School forces are mostly in disarray, and I have jammed outside communications so they cannot call for reinforcements.

Nicky: Well then Trojan, can you unlock all these cages?

Trojan: -Forming a 👍🏿 on the screen- Mere child's play for me.

-And gates start opening as people start coming out of them-

Hortensia: -Trading blows with Chiyo while hanging from the ceiling-

Chiyo: -Ducks under a swipe and manages to connect a disc slash-

Hortensia: -Clutching her right side as she drops to the ground- So, first blood goes to you, huh, truant?

Chiyo: -Barriers aggressively rotating- Ready to call it quits, Hortensia?

Hortensia: -Pulling out a small jewel that appears to contain an miniature Ariados inside- I think not. Let me show you what I'm truly capable of.

-The stone glows as Hortensia turns into what can best be described as a human-Ariados hybrid. If certain people were here, they'd probably compare it to a Sytherman-

Chiyo: The fuck?

-Is shocked enough that she barely manages to put up a barrier as she's knocked back several feet, just preventing herself from getting just plain bowled over- What?

-Sizing up her opponent-

She's a weremon too? No, this is something different, none of the weremons I know can do this fusion transformation.

Dactyl: <I'm not liking this.>

Hortensia the Spider: -Her fangs looking especially spider-like as she grows some actual Ariados legs cloaked in Aura- Like it, Iridium? The power of a Burst Heart, most sublime.

-Bearing a Slasher Smile as she gazes at Chiyo and Dactyl with a predatory look in her eye as the car starts getting covered in silk coming down from her abdomen-

You are little more than a Ribombee caught in my web, Iridium! Prepare to meet your end!

-And launches herself at Chiyo again-

Edited by rmctagg09 on Dec 18th 2023 at 5:18:03 AM