Hunter's Dream

CW: Gore?

Maxim walks over to Kamon's gurney. He pauses, looks down at him. He reaches a hand into Kamon's open abdomen and begins digging around.

Maxim: (looking at Tagg the whole time) This is the Hunter's Dream. The Dream shields those within from the Nightmare.

??????: <For Now>

Maxim: I am a Hunter. Together with Sixclaw, I slaughtered those Pokémon corrupted by the Old Blood.

Sixclaw: <Oh How The Essence Of Life Flowed Nightly Down Our Blades It Was Exquisitely Slippery The Smells Human The Smells You Could Not Imagine I Mourn The Lacking Of It>

Maxim withdraws his bloodied glove, holding something in a fist and pocketing it.

Maxim: In the boy's veins runs a most precious blood. All that remains of - my love. You slowed its destruction.

???

A confluence between Dream and Spirit Worlds? It definitely leans more towards the latter if that's the case.

-To Maxim-

Is there a way to properly save him?

Mitchell and Oliver follow Olivia and Ann into the temple.

Mitchell: So far, so good. But what dangers lie ahead?

Mitchell bursts into the dojo, frantically looking to and fro for Stylus. Christine follows behind a moment later, and immediately notices the giant thing out of place at a dojo like this one.

<Mitchell, look,> Christine says, poking Mitchell on his back and pointing her lower tassel at the thing.

<You found him?> Mitchell asks, as he starts looking in the direction Christine points. <There isn't much time before that ser->

It is here that he sees what Christine is pointing at: a giant Gyarados stuck inside the dojo's walls.

<-pent?>

Mitchell is stuck in place, frozen like a Deerling in the headlights of an oncoming motorcycle. Christine, however, is able to discern something familiar about this Gyarados.

<Hoops?> Christine asks. <Is that you?>

Edmond's finely honed battle instincts let him sense Semyon's attack coming, so he turns toward the Dhelmise and attempts to catch the water-sheathed chain between his bare hands. It is fortunate for him that he did not try this against a solid sword, as though he misses the timing of the catch, he suffers no worse an injury than a dousing of water and a blunt smack across his chest from the chain.

<If you think,> Edmond warns Semyon, <that this water can douse my fiery spirit, think again!>

<Focus, Edmond,> Esmeralda admonishes Edmond. <Heedless words lose hunts.>

<My apologies, Esmeralda,> Edmond says.

Mitchell, meanwhile, sees the need to change tactics. "Time to divide our attacks, my friends," he says. "Esmeralda, batter Semyon down with your Wing Attack! Edmond, crush Katyusha with your Low Sweep!"

Esmeralda takes off and approaches Semyon. Due to her prior Double Team, however, there now appears to be two Esmeraldas, each about to strike Semyon with the same attack from slightly different angles. Which is true, and which is the illusion?

Edmond, meanwhile, leaps forward to just in front of Katyusha and squats. <Forest Cleaver!> he cries, as his right leg accelerates towards the Dwebble in a Low Sweep.

<Huh,> Rebecca remarks as she watches the battle. <So he's picked a new name for that move.>

Castelia City, Hill

Semyon hopped back lightly when his attack got blocked by Edmond (admittedly it stretched the definition of block ever so slightly).

Semyon: <Ahah, yer spirit might be fiery - but me matey has made it safely ter port!>

He replied before moving back into a somewhat better position from where he had both Edmond and Esmeralda in view.

With Mitchell now changing tactics though, Alyesha was aware that she had to do so as well.

Alyesha: "Let's keep up the good work and show 'em a taste of their own medicine friends~!>

'She pointed over to Esmeralda

Alyesha: "Katyusha, you've trained a lot for this, you can do it if you believe in yourself! Aerial Ace! Show her how dangerous flying in bad weather can be! And Semyon, sink her to the bottom!"

The two both nodded, with Katyusha instantly beginning to run faster and faster - only to be hit right in her head by Edmond's Low Sweep. The blow, was already rather effective, only made more so by her having ignored her defence out of eagerness to prove that she could do this. With a yelp and a cry, the small Pokémon was thrust backwards by the attack, only narrowly avoiding to get knocked out of the field (and even more narrowly avoiding getting knocked out period, with her seeming to be kept on this side of the fight more by sheer force of will than logic).

The attack was a critical hit, Katyusha's Sturdy activated

And, eventhough she had taken a heavy hit, Katyusha stood up once more and - slower than before maybe but still steadily - began to gain speed once more before she jumped into the air, almost seeming to soar though it as she vanished into the clouds - that is until her "flight" got markedly less elegant when she shot out of said rain-clouds and tried to crash through both Esmeraldas in an effort to bring the real one off course not unlike Sonya had done before - albeit now decidely more forceful.

Katyusha used Aerial Ace

And just as before, be it through Esmeralda being literally hit off course or slightly changing her flight-path to evade the Dwebble, it would be enough for Semyon to step aside barely in time to not be hit by the attack - what he did not evade though was Katyusha (who, luckily for her, had at least managed to retreat into her shell before trying to crash into Esmeralda to not get knocked out herself) who came in flying just past Esmeralda and in the process slammed into the Dhelmise with... honestly, about the force one would expect from a rock falling from the sky at great speeds. Granted, that did markedly less damage than an intentional attack, more so one he was weak against, but even so, he most certainly could not take many more hits like that - or even just one or two, for that matter.

Before he got hit though, Semyon had of course awaited Esmeralda - his chain already sheathed in water once more - only waiting for Katyusha to (hopefully) show him which Esmeralda was the real one (mostly by watching through which one she would phase through in the event of a hit). The moment Katyusha had crashed against the real one - or, failing an actual hit, simply when who he presumed to be the real Esmeralda had gotten close enough - Semyon would lean back before snapping forwards with all of his might in an effort to have his chain crash right onto her.

Semyon used Liquidation

Edited by Sergey_Smirnov on May 15th 2023 at 6:26:56 PM

Silas looked over the equipment and whistled, Roxy poking over his shoulder staring at the readouts. "Whatcha got there?"

Silas looked over, only to get a kiss on the nose, he blinked for a moment as Roxy grinned. "Well... a lot."

"Weren't there researchers out here in Paldea researching this stuff?" Roxy asked. "What are we even looking for?"

"Energy signatures," Bishop answered flying out of the machines. "Asimov sent us out here because of weird energy signatures across Paldea. The Terastal phenomenon is of interest as the energy it produces as a byproduct is something... well unknown."

This stuff wasn't Roxy's field of expertise, though she understood enough having received tutoring lessons from Snakeye. She looked over the readings and tilted her head. "If I'm reading that right, that's... well that energy reaction shouldn't be happening."

Silas was smiling, outright smiling. "Exactly, it shouldn't. There are reports of phenomena that outright defy all our current understandings, and yet paradoxically obey our physics anyways."

Roxy couldn't help but smile back, his interest was infectious... she loved seeing him pick up interest in this stuff. The way he started rambling or getting involved in a project, sure he needed to take better care of himself but just seeing him with that glint in his eyes as he kicked onto a new project.

"Okay okay, that's actually really cool to think about. Asimov though, isn't exactly interested in this stuff, it's a space company right?"

~Zeke grew up watching Solar Quest, and formed the company out of his desire for that future. Stuff like this is right up the Starfleet alley of exploration,~ Hacks explained.

"That and the joint deal with PEFE, we were closer so we got a head start," Silas added.

Roxy laughed, of course, that was the simplest answer. "So... we're just here to scan a few locations and see what the energy reaction is?"

"There's the crater, but I'd rather not make any advances on that, not without others," Silas explained.

Roxy shook her head, still smiling. She looked up, and blinked for a moment, before squinting. Off in the distance, a black speck... growing larger. There was an odd roaring noise, and she froze. "Silas... move!"

She tackled him, just as the ground behind Silas exploded, the dirt flying everywhere. Silas highly confused as to what the hell just happened. Roxy looked up as flying low overhead was a Asimov Pod, outfitted with black hexagonal wings... Silas recognized it instantly.

"Him?!"

Roxy nodded and got up, she squinted at the pod.

First strafe successful, a concussion bomb makes them aware and minimizes damage. Gabriel grinned to himself, he wanted them to understand what was happening, a few brief blasts here and there, make them scared.

Then... use the special weapon.

Poképark Dojo

Hoops looks sheepishly over at Mitchell and Christine. "Hey guys," they say. "I don't suppose you have any butter or anything on you, do you? I'm a bit stuck."

Sinnoh League

Milotic lets go of the now frozen ChuChu and lets the block drop to the floor. Cynthia smiles. "Looks like your Raichu won't be able to continue."

"Use Psychic!" Xaster shouts. For a moment nothing happens. Then the ice with ChuChu inside rises off the ground and begins to hover in the air. "Go!" The ice slams into a shocked Milotic, hard enough for it to shatter on impact. Milotic is knocked to the ground, with a freed ChuChu standing over her. "Now use Electro Ball!" Xaster shouts. ChuChu makes an orb of electricity and slams it into the face of Milotic. She is knocked unconscious.

Cynthia looks at Xaster with a shocked face. "I didn't know you could do that. Not first try, at least."

"Well..." Xaster says slowly, thinking back to his encounter with Whitt. "I decided I should learn how to counter ice based strategies."

"It certainly caught me by surprise," Cynthia admits. "But unfortunately it only gets from here. Go, Gastrodon!"

As she brings out her next pokémon, Xaster narrows his eyes. "Bad match up," he decides. "ChuChu, return." He selects another pokéball. "Now, LuLu, come out!" He brings out Lucario, and checks the scoreboard. Somehow, he's technically in the lead, but most of his team is already injured. Not a great situation.

"Interesting choice," Cynthia notes. "You realise steel types are weak to ground types, don't you?"

"I know," Xaster says. "But this was the best choice. Use Aura Sphere!" LuLu channels her aura and launches it at Gastrodon.

"Use Water Pulse!" Cynthia commands. Gastrodon quickly fires an orb of water which collides with the Aura Sphere and envelops it before popping, dispelling both attacks harmlessly.

"Now use Ancient Power!" she continues. Gastrodon screeches, and rocks rise from the stadium and fly towards LuLu. She dodges the first few, but then takes a few direct hits which unfortunately don't seem to do much damage.

"Use Extreme Speed!" Xaster yells. Lucario vanishes and appears in front of Gastrodon, and hits her in the face as hard as she can. However, it appears to do very little, as Gastrodon's soft body absorbs much of the damage.

"Uhhh..." Xaster mutters. "What?"

Cynthia smiles. "When your Lucario was hit by Ancient Power, its secondary effect kicked in and boosts all of Gastrodon's stats."

Xaster nods. "Right. So we're in trouble then, is what you're saying."

Cynthia smiles sweetly. "Exactly. Use Water Pulse!" Gastrodon fires a ball of water that slams LuLu into the opposite wall.

She struggles to her feet. "Use Dragon Pulse!" Xaster says. LuLu claps her hands together and fires a blast of purple energy towards Gastrodon. It takes it on the chin, seemingly unfazed, and responds with an Earth Power at Cynthia's command. A compressed shot of rock and lava is fired at LuLu, who barely manages to dodge.

"Use Aura Sphere!" Xaster commands. LuLu makes another ball of aura and throws it at Gastrodon, but once again the attack barely seems to do any damage.

Cynthia smiles. "Nice try, but you'll have to do better."

Xaster grits his teeth. Come on, there must be something I can do. What would Hoops do? Besides angst and look sexy. Wait, crap, I'm getting distracted. Can't think about Hoops, so who do I think about? I suppose I could think about me. What can I do here? Have I just gone in a circle? Wait - that might work.

"LuLu, use Meteor Mash!" Xaster says. "But miss!"

Cynthia frowns. "I've never heard anyone give that command before." LuLu dives towards Gastrodon and slams her fist down into the ground just in front of it. The ground shakes, and for an instant Gastrodon is not entirely in contact with the ground.

"Now, use Extremespeed!" Xaster shouts. "Don't let it settle itself!" LuLu starts to jab at the ground beneath Gastrodon, stopping it from putting all of its body on the ground. It is forced to move backwards, until in frustration it rears up at LuLu.

"That's it!" Xaster says. "Use Aura Sphere!" At close range, LuLu slams a third ball of aura into Gastrodon's unprotected belly. It falls on its back, unconscious.

CW: Suggestive phrasing

<Sadly, no,> Christine responds to Hoops' question, wondering how they managed to evolve in the space of a single day. <As you can see, we're travelling rather light at the moment.>

Mitchell, meanwhile, is mumbling something under his breath. ^note <Pleasedon'teatmepleasedon'teatmepleasedon'teatmepleasedon->

<Are you okay?> Christine asks Mitchell. He snaps out of his stupor as a result, and immediately gets on all fours.

<I'll manage,> Mitchell claims, getting control of his nerves. Turning to Hoops the now-Gyarados, he says <Someone'll get you out, and we'll do our best to help.> Then, turning to whoever was in the dojo, he yells out <HEY! DOES ANYBODY HAVE SOMTHING TO BUTTER UP THIS GYARADOS?>

<MITCHELL! PHRASING!> a suddenly beet-red Christine yells at Mitchell.

<AS IN, GET THEM UNSTUCK FROM THE WALL!> a very shamed Mitchell adds.

Once again in this fight, one of Mitchell's Pokemon clashes with Semyon, A Lyesha's Dhelmise. This time, his water-coated chain is readied against Esmeralda's mighty wing. This time, however, a third party intervenes, tilting the odds in Semyon's favour.

Katyusha's aerial attack upon Esmeralda is something Mitchell instantly recognizes, even if Alyesha had not called out the attack's name in her orders to her team. In his mind, he curses the irony of what is about to happen. Aerial Ace, the very technique Esmeralda uses to strike her foes without fail, is about to strike her without any chance of her evading.

And so, both Katyusha's Aerial Ace and Semyon's Liquidation strike true, and Esmeralda crash lands, sliding across the grass until she stops at Alyesha's feet.

Edmond and Gavroche are struck dumb by the sight they witnessed. Mitchell, Rebecca, and Oliver would have reacted similarly, but they have duties in mind to keep themselves from being shocked.

Esmeralda hacks a cough, then looks with one eye up at Alyesha, heedless of the downpour still upon them. <Heh,> she says. <Such...is life...in the wild...> With that, she loses consciousness.

Oliver announces the verdict. <Esmeralda the Staravia is unable to battle! Mr. Rhodes has two Pokemon remaining!>

This time, Rebecca gives the warning to Mitchell. <Mitchell, you can choose your last Pokemon, or you can forfeit. Which will it be?>

Wordlessly, Mitchell recalls Esmeralda with her Pokeball, then points at the Raticate at his side. "Gavroche," he says. "It's your turn. Are you ready?"

<Always,> Gavroche says, as he steps into the square, joining Edmond shoulder-to-shoulder against Alyesha's vanguard.

Mitchell then locks stares directly across the field, straight on at Alyesha. "Bear witness," he says, "for you will soon feel the bite of a cornered rat!" Then, with a dramatic flourish, he removes both of his gloves and holds them in his left fist. Now, all nearby can see the eight rings on Mitchell's fingers, each topped with a distinctive symbol.

On his right pinkie finger, a stylized Chingling head surrounded by a tongue of flame.

On his right index finger, the front cover of a tome depicting a crowned Shellos.

On his right middle finger, a stylized Ponyta head with a shower of coins in place of a fiery mane.

On his right pointer finger, the hand of a Machop formed in the image of a Galarian or Kalosian straight sword.

On his left pointer finger, the silhouette of a Cleffa in a dancer's pose, emblazoned on a miniature full moon.

On his left middle finger, a rosebud reminiscent of a Roselia's hands, with a Potion bottle placed in the centre of the bud.

On his left index finger, a stylized Rattata's head with a jewel held in it's jaws.

And on his left pinkie finger, a set of Staravia feathers inside a quiver, as if they were arrows.

Leaving little time for the others to wonder what trickery he just pulled, Mitchell calls out his orders. "Gavroche! Finish off Katyusha with a Quick Attack! Edmond! Occupy Semyon with another Dual Chop!"

<Done,> Gavroche says, charging at Katyusha with seemingly instantaneous acceleration.

<Prepare yourself! Twin Dragon Fang!> Edmond calls out, leaping at Semyon with his hands once more cloaked in ominous dragonflame.

Edited by AnotherMan on May 15th 2023 at 11:43:30 AM

Castelia City, Hill

Seeinng how Katyusha and Semyon managed bring down Esmeralda together once more brought cheers to Alyesha's ranks (albeit more muted given Esmeralda was literally at their feet this time around). But, Alyesha was only all too aware of the precariousness of her situation right now - something proven for a fact when Gavroche was called in.

Both Alyesha and Semyon were quick to notice the danger, the latter even crying out a warning

Semyon: <Careful, me matey!>

But alas, it was too late, Katyusha, who had remained in her shell up uintil now, was just about to poke out from there when she was hit by Gavroche. Having already been held up more by force of will than her body, Katyusha yelped as she was thrown outide the ring, having lost conciousness.

Alyesha though had her ball already ready, having taken it out the moment Gavorche began his attack in full knowledge that Katyusha would not be able to take this hit.

Under other circumstances, Semyon likely would have intervened, but, just as Mitchell had planned, right now, he was kept busy by dodging and blocking the Dual Chop using his chain. And, though to onlookers it might have looked that Semyon was holding up... honestly surprisingly well, given his state, Alyesha knew that the situation was quite different - right now, Semyon was using his chain, his best and most versatile tool to attack - in a desperate series of blocks, each broken link representing just a few seconds more, a mere few moments longer that Semyon could hold on.

And so, Alyesha sighed, oficially, she had 3 Pokémon left against Mitchell's 2, yet, in practice, Sonya was on the brink of defeat and with Semyon's defeat it also was more a matter of 'when' rather than 'if'. But, even so, Alyesha trusted her team 100%, so, she merely gave Matvey a small nod.

Alyesha: "It's up to you, Matvey, I believe in you"

She remarked, giving her partner a good luck kiss on his cheek before getting back into a fighting stance as said partner lumbered his way onto the field.

Alyesha: "Well, it's up to you two now, let's show Mitchell why a cornered rat should leave a vessel rather than fight in it! Semyon! Another whirlpool if you may, give Edmond the ride of his life! And Matvey, fire inside the tornado with Brine!"

With her orders given, Alyesha focused on Mitchell, trying to figure out the purpose behind his rings.

All the while, inside the battlefield, Semyonswung his chain one last time, more in an effort to get Edmond to distance, instantly beginning to spin once more to summon yet another whirlpool.

Semyon: <Heh... heh... me cap... in the end... it's yer officers... that remain...>

Matvey, for his part, waited for the Whirlpool to come up around Edmond before inhaling and shooting out a massive torrent of water.

Semyon used Whirlpool, Matvey used Brine

Desmond looks out at the sky, and the clouds lazily floating by. He looks at the townspeople going about their business, and the tourists gushing over the ruins. He smiles.

Desmond: It's nice and quiet here, yeah.

Morgan nods in agreement, and Desmond sighs, and draws Morgan.

Desmond: Right, when you're ready, let's go!

Hunter's Dream

Maxim: Yes. If need be, I shall make a Hunter out of him. He will live. One way or another.

Sixclaw: <My Companion Has Survived Far Worse And So Will His Kin>

Maxim: He must be ready for the perpetrator's return.

Hunter's Dream

-To Maxim-

You mean Channah?

Currently some shadow Fletchinder monster.

Hunter's Dream

Maxim: (nods) You must be as well.

Hunter's Dream

-To Maxim-

What's that going to entail, I'm not killing my girlfriend, even if my hurt's more emotional than physical.

Stylus sighed and hopped down. <It's alright, I can pay for it... I've got the money.>

He stepped over to Hoops and tilted his head a bit in thought, he ran his metal paw over his head... before a smile appeared and he rolled his left shoulder.

<Oh boy...> Oliver commented.

Stylus assumed a pose, the Pangoro backed up a bit. <What in the distortion world are you doing?>

<It's okay, I've done the math. Hoops, I'm sorry but this is going to hurt a bit...>

Stylus shot his paw out right into Hoop's body, a huge wave of concussive force struck into them.

Edited by EchoingSilence on May 16th 2023 at 6:53:49 AM

Ersatz Alliance

-while she's not looking, Logan permits themself a soft, happy smile-

-they give the floor an affectionate toe-tap-

-Truant?-

Wobbuffet: Wobba!!

-expressions flicker across their unshielded face: panic, rage, terror, rage, bargaining-

-rage-

-the tumult collapses into psibolts, sharp as sin-

Ersatz Employee Templar: -snarl- You get that filthy word out of your mouth, you half-baked blender-bait br—

-Logan steps in front of Neo-

Ersatz Templar: -shoving p—-

Logan: -smiling sweetly- Excuse me, Marne? How much is this?

-brandishing a scarf between both hands-

Ersatz Templar Marne, Apparently: ...₽5700—

Logan: -moue- That isn't right.

Marne: ...what?

Logan: It's on the clearance rack. It's out of fashion, so it comes at a discount.

Marne the Retailer: ...then why do you want it?

Logan: Since when did the fashion world agree on anything? 💛 This does everything I need without the bigger price tag.

-they veritably glitter-

-Marne's Wobbuffet wobbles indecisively-

Logan: -still smiling- ...so. How much is it?

Marne the Retailer: ...uh. Right, yeah...

-he reaches for the scarf—hesitates, drops the psibolts to make room, and heads behind the counter-

Edited by Asterisk395 on May 16th 2023 at 8:28:36 AM

Celestic Town

Atrin nods, smiling a bit.

Atrin: All ready. Let's hit the road. Shouldn't be too crazy a journey.

???

There has to be a way out. There has to be. I don't know how long I've been here, but it's been too long. The exit must be...

Wait.

Why are you here?

As Katyusha knocked out of the square, Rebecca and Oliver are ready with their calls.

<Katyusha the Dwebble is unable to battle!>, Rebecca calls. <Alyesha has three Pokemon remaining!>

Oliver tries to give Alyesha instructions regarding her next action in the battle. <Alyesha,> he says, <choose your next Pokemon, or->. Before he can finish, he sees Matvey the Armaldo already out in the field. <I see you've made your choice,> he concludes.

Mitchell plans to have words with Alyesha after this battle about the metaphor she just mangled, but for now, he focuses on the battle itself, watching for an opportunity or the means to create one.

Edmond's aggressive assault upon Semyon ends up luring him into a trap, which both his and Gavroche realize all too late. <Yabai!>, Edmond cries out, as he is trapped inside Semyon's Whirlpool, then moments later blasted by Matvey's salty Brine. The twin deluges of water batter him quite severely.

<ED!> Gavroche squeaks, fearing the worst is about to happen.

Amazingly, even after that punishment he has just taken, Edmond still stands, and he recovers his balance. Spitting out a mouthful of salt water, he says <Not yet. I'm not done.>

Mitchell crosses his arms over his chest. The rings on his fingers, for just a moment, seem to catch what little light reaches through Semyon's storm. A resolute, menacing air surrounds the young man.

"Gavroche," Mitchell says. "Semyon looks a bit tired. Tuck him in with a Crunch, would you? And dear Edmond. How dare Matvey strike you while you were busy with Semyon. I bid you take sweet Revenge upon him, okay?"

The two Pokemon realize what Mitchell has ordered them to do, and they share in his resolve to carry them out.

Gavroche, disappearing from sight with the movements honed in the sewers of his wild life, appears behind Semyon and opens his jaws wide, intent on Crunching the Dhelmise at his weakest point.

Edmond, moving with the flow of the Whirlpool entrapping him, swings close to Matvey and lunges at him. <Pain Repaid!> he roars, unleashing his Revenge upon the Armaldo.

Hunter's Dream

Maxim: (placidly) You are fortunate, then, that I would not advise it. This Nightmare was born in death and so feeds upon it. Just as the Nightmare that I faced was born in blood and did not end with blood.

Sixclaw: <Actually It Kind Of Did But Okay Fine The Blood Was Incidental To The Conclusion>

Maxim: With this act, she has begun what the foreign sect prepared the children for years ago - apotheosis. But three Aspects in one nature are not sustainable, outside of perhaps a divine context. The foreigners follow a different philosophy about the Triune than did the Gray Church. This means that the Nightmare could creep beyond the childrens' Mindscapes and into those of others. (pauses to think) Here, it was the Violet Blood that drew Manrahy's Nightmare into reality. I could not say what the catalyst - and therefore the solution - is for yours.

Ersatz Alliance

Neodymium: Wh— but...he's a truant. What's he doing here?

Hunter's Dream

If Channah's bio dad wasn't already dead, I'd be sorely tempted to make him... suffer injuries incompatible with life. Or bind his soul to a piece of granite and dump it somewhere geologically stable, or something.

-To Maxim-

That damn cult, always causing problems. If this Nightmare feeds on Death as you say, generally that requires Life to counter it. Anything more, I'd need to divine from observing them directly.

West Province Area One, Paldea

Daydre continues her dance until they get the readings they need. The drain on her aura slows, tapering off until it stops entirely. She seems somewhat winded, but from the grin on her face that doesn't really bother her.

Daydre: "So now do we...?"

She gestures at the mask.

Sinnoh League

Three of Cynthia's pokémon are down. Xaster thinks that he might actually be able to do this. He might actually be able to defeat Champion Cynthia.

"I wouldn't be too confident," she says, recalling her Gastrodon. "I still have a lot left to give. Now go, Roserade!"

Xaster frowns as she sends out her next pokémon. He knew that she had one of course, but he wasn't prepared to see it in person. It looks so much stronger than BuBu somehow, even though there isn't much physical difference.

"Are you substituting?" the referee asks.

Xaster considers for a moment. LuLu does risk most of Roserade's attacks, and it's not too badly hurt from the last battle. He makes his decision. "Use Dragon Pulse!" he shouts.

LuLu nods, and prepares to use her attack. Cynthia smiles. "Petal Blizzard." Roserade moves quickly, far faster than what Xaster would have thought possible, and summons a curtain of petals that blanket the stadium before beginning to slam into LuLu. She is pushed back by the force of the attack, losing control of the Dragon Pulse which goes wide and carves a deep furrow into the battlefield. She tries to push back against the storm, but she can't even hold her ground - her feet make small trenches in the ground where she is pushed back. She can't move like this. It's all she can do to keep her balance.

Cynthia keeps smiling confidently. "Keep it up, Roserade."

Xaster begins to panic. He has to stop this, but what can he do? "Aura Sphere!" he shouts, but either LuLu doesn't hear him or she does and has no way to respond. Out of exhaustion her guard finally drops, and she takes the petals to the chest and head. They lift her into the air and slam her down to the ground. That's when, finally, Roserade stops. Xaster looks down at LuLu, who is lying motionless on the ground with her eyes closed.

"Lucario is unable to battle," the referee says. The scoreboard has LuLu's picture go dark.

Xaster stands motionless. This was his mistake. He should have anticipated this. He should have switched out LuLu when he had the chance. Now one of his strongest team members is out of the fight, all because he got cocky.

"I..." he starts to say. Submit. The end of that phrase. He doesn't deserve to be here anyway. He was just kidding himself with the idea that he did. This is a place for serious battlers, not failed coordinators who started battling so the person they liked would respect them more.

That's how it started. That's how it always started. It was the same with contests. He had started because of the older boy from his home town. He had looked incredible up on stage, and Xaster had thought that if he could be on the stage as well, that boy would notice him. As if anyone would notice a chubby kid with a bad haircut who smelled of pokémon fur. But then that first contest... even if he hadn't won, in fact he'd done terribly, it had felt wonderful. And battling was the same, a new way to connect with his pokémon. To grow with them.

And here it would all end, because he was never meant to be here.

Cynthia waits patiently for him. At one point her referee starts to say something, but she raises a hand and silences him.

"I..." Xaster starts to say again. He steels himself. "I don't think I can win against you, Miss Cynthia. You're incredible, one of the most famous trainers in the world, and there's no way I can stand up to that." So I submit. "But even so, even if there's no point to it, I'd like to finish this battle. Please. I want to see how I stack up to you when I give everything I have."

Cynthia nods. "Then give me everything."

Castelia City, Hill

Semyon just stopped spinning from the Whirlpool he had just created. He was about to bump back onto the ground to steady himself when Gavroche appeared behind him. Had he not been so exhausted, had he been able to still float properly, maybe it would have gone differently. But he was. Yes, he noticed, but he simply was not fast enough to evade, the outcome? He knew what it would be, Alyesha knew what it would be, as did the rest of her team.

Semyon let out a last, pained cry, finally flomping onto the ground for good and, coming to rest slightly buried within the muddy soil, seeming like an actual old anchor on the beach left there by some long since forgotten ship. For a few moments, he remained standing like this before Alyesha recalled him, looking at Sonya's ball. Yes, she was technically still in battle, but for how long? In the end, there was only one way to find out.

The only saving grace was that Edmond had been trapped in the Whirlpool.

Matvey meanwhile? The Revenge hit him with full force, pushing him backwards as his claws dug into the soil, yet, he remained standing, roaring loudly in defiance.

Matvey: <That won't be enough to get me!>

He shouted as he got back into a fighting stance.

And so, Alyeha once more sent out Sonya, the small Dreepy looking around and taking in the situation for a moment.

Alyesha: "I'm sorry I couldn't let you rest a bit longer, I promise you'll get a proper rest soon though. But for now, let's show Mitchell that we won't get beaten so easily! Sonya, up into the clouds with you and then stun Gavroche! And Matvey! Finish off Edmond with another Brine!"

Both Pokémon shortly looked at each-other for a moment, nodding in silence before Sonya shot off back into the clouds (and therefore hopefully out of reach as well), not that Alyesha had actually voiced that particuilar thought to her of course. Moments after, olighting once more began raining down from above, this time around targetting Gavroche.

On the ground, Matvey aimed at the Whirlpool once more, waiting for Edmond to be in a good position before inhaling and spitting out another beam of salt-water right into the Whirlpool.

[[spoileR:Sonya used Thunder Wave, Matvey used Brine]]