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 Posted: Fri Sep 11, 2015 10:44 pm
Route 10 - The Crater
After Ignition, Ferox was forced to take a second and recharge. She couldn't use techniques, but she could still move, and she was still fast. Her senses picked up Reynard's underground attack, allowing her to grab Matheson by the arm and bolt sideways to avoid the water type's Dive. It wouldn't have done much damage. Between level difference and Sunny Day's weakening effect, Reynard's water attacks were chip damage at best.
But dodging put Ferox on the back foot all the same, and she still had a noble in her mouth. As she landed, she would swing him around and onto her back; the sudden jerking of Matheson's arm resulted in a loud, dry crack. When the fight began, Ratio hadn't intended to kill the noble and those intentions remained true. Harming him, however, wasn't off the table. Killing Salieri and her team? There weren't any orders forbidding that.
[Hi.]
The smoke by the pillar turned into a thin haze, and Biz Marquis stood in all his glory. Ferox looked at the Quilladin, dropped Math's arm so that it dangled oddly by her neck, and blasted at Biz with a prolonged jet of Flamethrower.
Route 10 – Pillar Field North End
'Scientist Bryony.' Ratio spoke in his calm, cold manner, even as Flame Bursts were launched at his head. He didn't pay the fire attacks any attention, and Aegislash lowered him towards the ground so that they flew harmlessly overhead. The explosion lit Ratio up from behind, etching out the contours of his shredded black cloak in bright light and jet dark.
Ratio hovered a few feet above the ground, and towered over everyone around him. 'Hand over the mega stones and I may yet spare your lives. Refuse, and not one of you will remain standing.'
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Posted: Sat Sep 12, 2015 8:55 am
Route 10 Crater - Team Salieri vs Ferox
Fight or flight time. Naturally disliking flames, Biz chose flight, tucking and rolling off to the side away from the Flamethrower. He didn’t enjoy taking the scared, non-badass route, but he didn’t enjoy being dead either. The heat licked him from behind as Biz escaped the fire. As he rolled, he heard a CLICK from under him.
A Bubble Trap, part of the original set up, triggered underneath him, and high pressure air bubbles lifted him into the air. [Oooo, bubbles.] They burst, exploding into his chest and launching Biz high into the air. He didn’t find them so pretty anymore.
Durendal, who was boosting his speed with Rock Polish, flew to the Quilladin’s rescue and caught the midair ball of plant muscle under the arms. It was embarrassing to have to be saved liked that, but Biz swallowed his pride long enough to say [Thanks]. Dune just nodded.
Salieri also ran off to the side, but not too far. Stepping any further could spring a trap. The stream of fire blazed next to her. [What’s the plan, idiot?] Lupin said directly into her air, clutching her tight. The Bandanna Girl was frozen by circumstance, unable to walk safely but only able to press forward if she wanted to save Matheson. Just looking at Ferox made her heart race. [The plan, Sal, what’s the plan?]
Banksy made her flyby and Lupin took initiative, sticking his long tongue up and tagging the side of the Torkoal’s shell. He hoisted himself and his trainer up, putting them back onto Banksy’s back while keeping them invisible. There was no point in spreading the scales to Banksy, as White Jet would remain in sight regardless.
Sal peered down at Matheson, limp atop the Arcanine’s back. Hearing his arm break made her feel sick. If she could’ve see his fresh blisters from where she stood she would have felt sicker. I told him not to come here. I shouldn’t have let him go. She gulped. Even invisible, fifty feet up and climbing, she didn’t feel safe from Ferox. Nothing since Guildenstern the Quillon had unnerved her this much. But that was a threat she knew. Everyone in Kalos knew of the Quillon. This monster came from nowhere. So many questions, and no time for answers. All she could really think about was keeping her friends alive.
Reynard didn’t share the same fears as the rest of Salieri’s team. If anything, she was agitated that Ferox was essentially ignoring her. The Vaporeon cancelled Seine and became solid again. [What do you want with that wimp?] she growled, a vein bulging angrily on her forehead. [I’m right here!] Her cheeks puffed up before she shot a torrent of Muddy Water Ferox’s way. If the Arcanine had looked her direction, much like she had when Salieri had said the same thing, the water would obscure her vision if it landed in her eyes.
Biz knew that Reynard’s attack was their chance. He liked Matheson. The noble trainer had fed him before. That was a good person in his book. Salieri always preached about keeping things even and paying up a debt. This was his time to do it. [Get me in!] he called to Dune.
The Pawniard shimmered even brighter with a second Rock Polish, zipping overhead as Biz grew two Vine Whips from behind his shoulders to grab at Matheson and hopefully pull him off Ferox and up into the air while Reynard attacked. Durendal wasn't used to flying with one passenger and two might throw off his balance, but he had no other choice.
“Now!” Sal said to Banksy, and the Torkoal divebombed to trace an arc over Ferox’s head. She knew that Biz’s attempt at a grab was futile if Ferox could simply burn the vines away. So she had to use it as a distraction. If Biz couldn’t grab Matheson off of Ferox, they would be there to make a second attempt at the same time using Lupin’s invisible tongue. If Salieri could cover Matheson with Lupin’s Trompe L’oeil, there was a chance they could still make it out of there.
Route 10 – Pillar Field North End
Bryony willed herself not to let this terror overcome her so she could muster up some defiance. The Grunt holding the small case containing the four Mega Stones stepped back. “You’ll probably just kill us anyway, won’t you? I heard what you did to Aliana.”
At this point, Skarada could’ve rounded the corner out from behind a pillar to meet with his boss. Instead, he and 241 stayed behind the pillar, listening in on the conversation from a distance. The Flare Admin folded his arms and blew a puff of air up at his long lock of hair. “Tch. Brilliant,” he grumbled to himself. “Couldn’t have held him up for a couple more minutes, eh Goldberg? I wasted time with the hipster.”
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Posted: Sat Sep 12, 2015 1:08 pm
Route 10 Crater - Team Salieri vs Ferox
Salieri was naive if she thought Ferox would stand around waiting to be coordinated against.
After Biz avoided Ferox's Flamethrower, the Arcanine grabbed Math's dangling arm to secure him to her back, and bolted. Her sensitive ears picked up Reynard's location along her flank before the Muddy Water was hurled. Shouting before launching a sneak attack. The hallmark of an amateur. It wasn't a substantial attack under Ferox's Sunny Day, but it would be enough to complicate matters. Ferox's ear twitched at the rushing sound, and she put on a burst of Agility to sprint past the Muddy Water as it crashed down, and she turned instantly towards Reynard. Matheson's limp body flew from her back and dangled at her side, held only by his wrecked arm and kept from scraping along the floor by wind force.
An Arcanine spent more time in the air while running than it did touching the floor. Still, Ferox blasted through a string of Ska's traps, barely avoiding their effects through sheer speed. Plants and smoke erupted in her wake as she rounded on the Vaporeon.
Ferox couldn't open her maw to attack while holding Matheson, so she got rid of him. Before she crashed into Reynard, the Arcanine planted her paw and scraped to a stop. The brake was fast enough to fling Matheson at Reynard, likely diffusing whatever counterattack the water type had planned. Presumably at this point, Biz and Banksy would switch course to try and rescue Math. If this happened, then Ferox would launch a Dragon Pulse at the easier target, Banksy.
If it hit, Salieri would at the very least be blown from Banksy's back as a swirling purple corridor of dragon-type force ripped into her pokémon. It was unlikely that the fire type could withstand another taste of Ferox's power, and without a flier, Salieri would be vulnerable to Ska's traps. Though Ferox wouldn't be able to see the human, she could smell her, and that was all it took to pinpoint her location. The faintest scent, and the distant pounding of the trainer's heartbeat.
Ferox, free of Matheson, could finally move. If Salieri was grounded, Ferox would pounce on her in a fierce blast of Extremespeed, and pin her to the floor. Flames would lick at the Arcanine's fangs, preparing the final blow.
Route 10 - Pillar Field North End
Ratio could kill them all in the blink of an eye, and take what he wanted from their remains. He would rather not go that route, not if he could help it.
'Aliana was shortsighted, thinking only of her master's will. But you, I know you are not like that, Bryony. I can see you.' Ratio held out his arm, as if offering his hand. 'Fear clouds your judgement. Why hesitate when faced with a choice between uncertainty, and an absolute?'
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Posted: Sat Sep 12, 2015 2:17 pm
Route 10 Crater - Team Salieri vs Ferox
[That’s right, come get it!] Reynard snarled with berserker’s delight, ready on her haunches to go Seine and meet Ferox head on. Dog versus dog. [Think you’ve got what it takes to-]
Matheson was tossed into the Vaporeon, and the two tumbled on the ground. Reynard turned to water, enveloping Math’s body as they activated a Fire Trap. It would’ve been a nasty burn for the noble if Reynard hadn’t been there. Like Fire type attacks, the Fire Trap’s strength was boosted under the last light of the Sunny Day. Reynard boiled, and if she had a mouth in Seine form she’d be growling. The fire died down and Reynard turned solid again, panting heavily next to Matheson.
Both Durendal and Banksy swerved their course to get to Matheson, and the Dragon Pulse came into play. The shockwave ripped off the Trompe L’oeil scales Lupin had planted on Salieri, rendering her mostly visible. In order to increase her speed, Banksy released twin Flamethrower jets from the back of her shell, briefly doubling her speed as she was forced to barrel roll aside. She hadn’t come close to avoiding the attack, still grazed heavily on the side and being brought down to what many trainers called ‘the red’. Salieri and Lupin were flung off the turtle’s back in the process, flipping through the air as Banksy made a crash landing into the crater.
Salieri’s red dress, tattered all over, rippled when she dropped. Lupin, without one word, had shielded her from the part of the Dragon Pulse that hit the two of them. He was out cold already. As her perception of time dilated while glimpses of her life flashed before her eyes, the falling Salieri had enough presence of mind to hear her Pokédex whir to life and say, in a very robotic voice she had only heard it use once before, “EMERGENCY PROTOCOL ENGAGED. UNLOCK CODE INITIATING 84F7IJ45D22LXQ9--”
Durendal, always keeping cool with Inner Focus, made a beeline towards his trainer. Biz Marquis wasn’t playing it as cool, but he was just as focused. Ever since he was young, he craved to be the image of a badass. The other Pokémon in Sycamore’s lab picked on him for his weakness. He thought that someday he could be cool. This past week had been a long lesson in what it truly meant to be that way, but no matter how far he came he still felt like the little Chespin loser he once was as the team he was part of grew in leaps and bounds. He still didn’t know what it meant to be a badass.
This hang-up wasn’t where his focus laid. His focus was on his trainer too. The vines Biz shot to catch Matheson turned, latching onto the earth. Biz pulled hard on them, yanking himself out of Dune’s grip much to the Pawniard’s surprise and towards the ground where Salieri and Lupin were about to land. [NOT!]
His whole body glowed a flashing white and changed, growing bigger and stronger. What was once a round shape became thick muscle. He twisted around, and as Salieri and Lupin plopped on the ground behind him he looked at Ferox head on. His voice had become deeper, raspier. [TODAY!]
The Chesnaught brought his arms together, and two solid plates of plant matter grew from them, combining to form a spike covered circle as large as his whole upper body. He held it in front of him, and his sturdy legs braced hard against the dirt.
An Arcanine spent more time in the air while running than it did touching the floor. Changing direction mid pounce would be next to impossible even for a creature of that might. If nothing changed in the next second, Ferox would land straight into the Spiky Shield. The force of the impact would transfer to the ground below, blowing up a shockwave that’d rip up chunks of earth with them at the epicenter. Wind would whip between them, and Ferox would feel the Chesnaught’s steel hard quills poking into her.
Behind her protector, Salieri returned the shockingly steadfast Kecleon into his Pokéball and slowly got back onto her feet. Whatever emergency code Ivan was running through was still going, at a faster rate than before, but it didn’t matter to her. Even amidst the near loss of her life, she beheld him in awe. “Biz…wow…”
Durendal, who had to save his pride in his friend’s timely save for later, zipped to where Reynard was poking Matheson with a paw. It seemed the Vaporeon had been damaged by proximity to Ferox’s previous Ignition or the Fire Trap, as pale welts covered her sides. Already, Aqua Rings spun over them, slowly putting her back to health. [Not dead,] she told the Pawniard through labored breath. [He’s not dead. I was about to wreck that b***h.]
Route 10 – Pillar Field North End
Bryony didn’t answer Ratio right away. He was tranquil but his presence was anything but calming. The Grunt who held the Mega Stone Case decided enough was enough. He thrust it into Bryony’s hands. “Good luck with that!” he said as he ran away screaming to get out of Route 10 as fast as possible.
The other two Grunts were more defiant. “Here’s an absolute: your outfit is so anti-hero nineties!”
“We’re not gonna trust a guy who can’t even dress himself! Get him!”
The two Houndour they controlled jumped up at Ratio, mouths open ready to Bite.
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Posted: Sat Sep 12, 2015 3:31 pm
Route 10 Crater - Team Salieri vs Ferox
'Wow, nice save,' said a voice in a mocking Unovan accent. 'You nearly got one-shotted.'
Antiq's wings beat heavily and blew a crushing draft across the battlefield. Her enormous bulk cast a shadow over the crater, and Sunny Day's light spilled around her silhouette, blurring its edges. The trainer on her back looked around the battle, from Matheson and Sal's pokémon to the Arcanine tangled with Biz. Then he glanced from Salieri to the miniature sun.
'Can't believe you left this thing up,' Zack shouted down to the other trainer, waving at the fire ball. 'You're fighting a fire type and you let it keep its Sunny Day. Really?'
Meanwhile, Ferox bled. Biz's spiky shield stabbed into her flesh, matting fur with her own blood, which seeped and pooled on the dead earth. Each spike stung like a dagger. Her head was turned awkwardly to the side, her legs and shoulders impaled, and she was growling. It hadn't been the Chestnaut's power that injured her, but her own, and now she paid in pain. Her body heat rose. She'd burn the grass type into powder, then kill the rest. Her fur turned scalding, her growls intensified.
Flames burned out of each spike wound, eager to escape Ferox's body. The fire type roared, and released Ignition one final time before Sunny Day died. Unless Biz managed to escape, he'd be burned to a crisp by a third enormous, flaming tornado that stretched into the sky.
Antiq threw herself sideways, flapping hard to avoid the sudden blast and nearly bucked Zack from her hump. Zack grasped Antiq's neck and hung on tight as she flapped harder and harder, making distance between herself and the roaring twister of flame. If shockwaves from the impact on Spiky Shield had ripped up earth, then this would blow it away. It lifted whole boulders, uprooting them from the ground where they would be launched through the air, flaming. Ignition would block the sun, itself a thick whirl of white and orange, with black smoke caught in the mix.
Route 10 – Pillar Field North End
Ratio shook his head when the Flare Grunts chose not to run with their friend, but to challenge an aura master. He pulled Aegislash's blade from his back and swung it horizontally, Slashing the incoming Houndour across the chests. With his speed, he doubted that they would have a chance to resist the blow, and would fall to the ground, bloodied and twitching.
The grunts who had attacked him were less lucky.
He swung the sword downwards and launched a tiny ball of crackling yellow between the two grunts. Then the ball would expand into a Shock Wave, which would rush through and burn the grunts bodies unless they had the awareness to run far from the battleground. If they were caught, their bodies would spasm, limbs bolting around in a mad dance, screams caught in their paralysed throats. At the end, they would fall to the floor, smoke rising from under their clothes.
Regardless of if they fled or died, Ratio would then say, as dispassionately as if he had just waved off a fly: 'This is your last chance, Bryony. I don't want to kill those who could be useful to me. But I will if I have to.'
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Posted: Sat Sep 12, 2015 5:06 pm
Route 10 - Crater
Biz Marquis had no idea what he was doing. Spiky Shield was an instinct he didn’t understand, and this new form was unfamiliar. For some reason, he felt like he was better at karate now. One thing stayed the same: fire still sucked. The moment he felt heat rise off the impaled beast, his shield collapsed back into his arms and he stumbled away.
There had never been a time where Salieri had been happy to see Zack. Now was still not one of those times, but at least he had a ride that was up and running. "Shut up, Zack!" she yelled at him, unable to come up with something better to say in this dire time.
The emergency code Ivan was running stopped immediately. “Beepboop nevermind. Retreat is highly suggested.”
Ignition was about to commence, and Salieri was already running. Seeing how much bigger he was now, Biz got the idea to grab Salieri and hug her tight as he Rolled Out, tucking into a cream colored spike ball that tore up the earth as the white hot vortex blasted up behind them. They made distance but it wasn’t enough. Even as hulking as he was now, Biz was still forced off the ground by the erupting shockwave, tossing him high into the air.
He was enveloped in a red light from within his balled up body and returned to his Pokéball, leaving Salieri in the center. She outstretched an arm and barely managed to grab Antiq’s leg, scrambling to hoist herself up.
[If he’s not dead yet, he will be soon!] Reynard called out over the sound. Durendal caught onto Matheson, taking as much care as he could not to accidentally cut the noble while they were being blown back. He and Reynard went with the motion, only to stop suddenly against the ragged surface of Banksy’s shell.
The Torkoal had gotten up from the crater, not in any condition to fight but still able to fly. She sputtered away, her smoke lifters coming in prolonged bursts rather than steady trails with Dune, Reynard and Matheson on her back. Dune took the reprieve to breathe easy. Reynard huffed. [I coulda taken her.]
Salieri clambered onto the massive Aerodactyl’s back just as Banksy caught up overhead. She returned the three Pokémon and caught Matheson as he fell, securing him on her back with one arm while frantically shaking Zack’s shoulder, telling him to “Go go GO!”
Route 10 – Pillar Field North End
Two of Bryony’s grunts lay dead on the ground, probably wishing their last words had been more meaningful. Their Houndour lay beside them twitching, potentially just as dead very soon. Bryony reached up to her cheek and felt warm blood. Not her own, but a splash from one of the Houndour.
“Useful to you?” This exact encounter had been her nightmare for days on end, yet here she stood with the conviction to talk to him. The Scientist didn’t want to hand over her life’s work for nothing. If she wasn’t dead by the end of this, she’d be dead on the inside. “What do you need me for? You came here for the Mega Stones.”
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Posted: Sun Sep 13, 2015 5:22 am
Route 10 - Crater
'Better hold on tight!' Zack shouted over the roar of Ignition. Now he had a better look at Matheson's injuries, the reality of the situation hit him. The guy looked half dead, which instantly drained the humour from seeing such a huge guy draped over such a short girl. Zack gripped a decent groove between Antiq's scales and kicked her hard on the flank. The Aerodactyl didn't need telling twice; you didn't get to her age by hanging around hopeless battles. She soared sideways as the fiery tornado expanded, distancing herself, then with a hard blast of 'Agility!' the dinosaur pokémon shot forwards. The sensation was something like riding a jet on the outside, with wind pressure pushing hard on the passengers as they flew down Route 10.
Antiq flew between the stone pillars, and vanished behind a thick group of tall, bushy trees. Ferox's flames died down, and she breathed hard. Her temper fuelled the attack, and now she'd lost track of her prey. They'd fled on the back of an Aerodactyl. At least they were still nearby, not lost. As Sunny Day died, Ferox used Morning Sun to heal her injuries. The punctures from where she'd slammed into Spiky Shield boiled away, the skin sizzling until it was smooth, fur growing back. Her lost blood burned away, and she was whole again.
The light died overhead. Using her Odor Sleuth, Ferox caught wind of Antiq's scent, and took off. As fast as the dinosaur was, Ferox was faster. She became a blur, racing through the route, setting off traps that couldn't touch her as she bolted between the pillars.
'Everybody off,' Zack yelled, angling Antiq towards a high plateau of rocks just off Route 10. The dinosaur pokémon set down, and remained tense, as if she couldn't wait to fly again. They were too close to Ferox, but Zack couldn't operate with Matheson slowing them down. He didn't have time to play to his preference, which would've been to leave Salieri and Matheson here, then fly after the Creature.
Once everyone was down, and Zack would've shoved Salieri off if she seemed to be taking too long, the trainer turned to his pokémon.
'Antiq, I need you to distract it. Don't get too close,' he said. 'Keep its attention away from us, got it?'
The pokémon roared. Zack caught her nervousness in waves, but she complied, taking off alone and flying back the way they came. She angled sideways, passing between pillars. A second later, Antiq span to dodge a burst of fire that could've only come from Ferox. The Aerodactyl flew higher, weaving in and out of pillar rows, leading intermittent blasts of flame on a wild goose chase away from the trainers' rugged platform.
Route 10 - Pillar Field North End
Ratio angled his head sideways at the scientist's words, speaking no more. Aegislash lowered him to the ground. Ratio knew it to be safe from traps thanks to the Houndour. He walked steadily towards Bryony, his cloak flowing silently behind him. Her one overriding emotion was fear. She was afraid of becoming like Aliana, afraid of Team Flare's retribution if she betrayed them, afraid of what Ratio had in store for her if she obeyed. Fear was easy. Fear was primal.
The assassin held out his palm before the scientist's face. His irises glowed red as he bonded with Aliana's fear, encouraged it, magnified it. It would grow from some small creature to a roaring beast. Her mind, no longer able to contain it, would shut down. By the time Ratio's hand closed over her face, the scientist would fall unconscious and become his.
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Posted: Sun Sep 13, 2015 7:31 am
Off Route 10 - Plateau
The moment Antiq touched ground, Salieri jumped off with Matheson on her shoulders and set him down on the hot rock. “Ivan, status report,” she said, not looking at the Pokédex’s direction as she looked over Mathson’s injuries.
“Beepboop calculating. Biz Marquis and Lupin have fainted. Banksy remains at 12%. Reynard remains at 25%. Durendal remains at 100%.”
Fresh pink burns splotched all over Matheson’s body, as well as scrapes from where either debris hit him or Ferox’s fangs held onto him. She didn’t even want to touch the arm she knew was broken. Sal lifted up the bottom of his shirt and saw a huge black bruise where his ribs were broken. “Merde. Reynard!”
She released her Vaporeon, who immediately took the chance to reactivate her Aqua Ring. “Wish.” Reynard gave her a quizzical tilt, not because she didn’t like being told what to do but because she wasn’t sure who to use it on. Salieri hadn’t escaped unscathed either. The girl’s red summer dress was torn across her stomach, back, and near its bottom, revealing very similar scratches and burns. And then again, she could always use the Wish on herself. But Salieri pointed to Math and said, “For him, you idiot.” The Vaporeon glared at her but did as she was told, muttering an incantation under her breath.
Salieri hadn’t even looked at her sour savior yet. She knelt beside the noble and brushed the hair away from his eyes, listening to his unsteady breathing. “Matheson, wake up,” she sad softly, stroking his cheek. “You’re gonna be fine, you have to wake up Math. Please wake up.” Sal looked up for a second to scan the horizon for his Vespiquen. “Where the hell is Rhea?”
Route 10 – Pillar Field North End
“Mmmmff!” Bryony’s eyes grew wide. Then she lost consciousness.
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Posted: Sun Sep 13, 2015 9:01 am
Off Route 10 - Plateau
'Hold off a second, One Shot,' Zack said. He had knelt next to Matheson, and inspected the noble's arm. There was considerable swelling on the forearm where Ferox had bit him, and the bones had snapped out of alignment. His hand stuck at a nauseating angle.
'Cancel that Wish, you can't heal him yet,' Zack ordered Reynard, standing up. 'You don't wanna heal those bones until they're set in place. He won't appreciate it, trust me.'
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Posted: Sun Sep 13, 2015 10:15 am
Off Route 10 - Plateau
"What are you, a doctor now?" Salieri practically spat at him. "Your bedside manner is trash, No Shot." She was still very much on edge after having to face down Ferox. This had quickly become the worst first date in her life. And Zack wasn't helping, even though he was in fact helping.
Reynard continued her incantation, but aimed the Wish at herself instead. Soon, between that and the Aqua Ring, her health would return to her. The sooner she could go back to kick some a**, the better. Her lust for a good fight blinded her to the hopelessness of it.
Three of Rhea's grubs fluttered up from rows of distant pillars and made their way to the plateau excitedly, buzzing near Matheson and starting to set the bones into place like Zack had suggested with String Shot casts. Rhea wouldn't be far behind. "His arm is broken," Sal told one of the grubs, knowing that Rhea would be listening through them. "I tried to get to him sooner...I'm...sorry."
The grub obliged her with a tiny nod and didn't stop working. "I shouldn't have called you here," Salieri said to Zack as she plopped down, staring off into the distance. It wasn't a malicious tone like what she usually used for Zack. Instead, she spoke with tired hindsight. "You won't catch that man, he's too far gone, there are traps everywhere. Just one of his Pokémon nearly killed my whole team. And my team is way stronger than yours." She said the last part so casually that it sounded like common knowledge.
Sal rubbed her temples. "You should go save your Aerodactyl before she's dead. A Pokémon that big is an easy target for that Arcanine."
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Posted: Sun Sep 13, 2015 1:28 pm
Off Route 10 - Plateau
Antiq's shrieks echoed through the valley. Through gaps in the trees and pillars, the sky lit up with fire. Continuous. Distant. But it wouldn't last much longer. All it took was one shot.
'I'd say she'd managing pretty well so far,' Zack said, placing his hand on Salieri's shoulder. He felt it was easy to pity her in this defeated state, but she didn't need someone telling her it was okay to be weak. Dead weight was worthless. 'Let me borrow your Torkoal. If I can take the creature out before it uses any more pokémon, this'll be over. But first I'm gonna need a ride.'
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Posted: Sun Sep 13, 2015 5:22 pm
Off Route 10 - Plateau
Salieri swatted Zack's hand away, feeling condescended. She never wanted anyone's pity, especially his. "******** no, we need to leave. Are you listening to me at all? That man will crush you. His Arcanine tried to kill me. I appreciate the save, but I'm not sending Banksy to die so you can do...whatever stupid thing you're trying to do."
More of Rhea's grubs flew from their surroundings, and drawing closer in the distance was Rhea herself. Matheson's breathing was becoming steadier, as if his subconscious knew his Pokémon was around. Salieri stood up, grilling Zack with a dark look. "What do you want with that man, anyway? He's no darkhorse hunter. If you want to keep your sister safe, you could try not dying."
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Posted: Sun Sep 13, 2015 7:32 pm
Off Route 10 - Plateau
Zack left his hand hanging in the air after Salieri slapped it, and frowned at her words. He was doing this for Helena, for himself too. They needed that money. With it, they could go back home, fix everything. They could say goodbye to nobles and conspiracies and this whole rotten country. Leave the Kalosians to wallow in their filth. It was a gamble, sure, but Zack had always been an all-or-nothing kind of guy.
'I don't plan on dying,' he balled his hand into a fist and it hung at his side. Zack met Salieri's eye. 'You don't have to help if you're afraid. Fear keeps you alive, you should listen to it. Serene!'
The Kirlia's ball fell to the ground and she materialised in a flash of light. Her heavy red eyes lingered on Matheson and Salieri for a moment, then turned to her master and she held onto his leg.
'But here's a little advice: if you're afraid of something trying to kill you, you won't free your country. You won't avenge your family. Better get used to the feeling or go back home. Your choice. Let's go.' With that, Zack and Serene were enveloped in bright light and vanished.
They reappeared a short distance away, standing atop a broken pillar just on level with the trees. Zack looked around for another such pillar. If there were traps, then he doubted they'd have been planted up here. It'd be a slower process than flying on Banksy's shell, and he'd be more vulnerable to attack, but he had no other choice. Ferox was a monster. He'd seen it in action days earlier, ripping the throat out of a Haxorus. To think, the old man must've been its trainer, must've been the creature, right there in front of him. It was just a man all along.
The thought left Zack exhilarated. He spared one look over his shoulder and teleported again, deeper into the route, where Antiq's screeches still echoed.
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Posted: Sun Sep 13, 2015 9:21 pm
Off Route 10 - Plateau
[Take me with you!] yelped Reynared, but it was too late. The Vaporeon ground and stomped a foot onto the plateau. [Damnit!]
Salieri said nothing as Zack and Serene Teleported away. He answered her question, indirectly at least. Zack would go after Ratio because he wasn't afraid. Either his confidence was suicidal, or his ego didn't consider losing an option. He really though it would be simple to unravel the noble conspiracy, like he had said the day before. Salieri had been at it for years, and the thought of someone like Zack waltzing into this middle of this with no personal grasp on its scope bugged her.
What he said about fear, however, was absolutely true. Salieri would never say it to his face, yet she knew wholeheartedly that if fear held her back she wouldn't get anywhere. Only the bold could become champion. Only the brave could dare to uproot the system. Unrefined fear kept you alive. Repurposed fear, the fear of losing, drove you forward. It was as if Zack had dared her to follow him into the pillar field, and that reforged fear told her to go before she missed her chance to question Ratio.
But it could be for nothing. Salieri wanted to know what that man had to do with the nobles, and what Team Flare had to do with the nobles. She had been grasping at straws for years. This could be another dead end, and a literal one at that.
"Come...back..." Matheson wheezed, startling Salieri. She spun and dropped to her knees at his side, putting a hand on his head.
"Don't talk, stop moving," she ordered him, sounding stern while being relieved. A faint smile poked through her heavy concern. "Arceus, such an idiot..."
Rhea came up on top of the plateau, and put her hands over her mouth with a gasp. [Oh dear, oh dear, Lord Matheson...] She had seen it through her grubs, but seeing it in person struck her heart harder. Her grubs got busy creating a stretcher out of String Shot to carry him out on.
"Can't let him...go," he struggled to tell Salieri. With his unbroken arm, he winced and pointed in the direction Zack Teleported off to.
"That man is gone," Sal assured him. "He left when I found you-"
"No...that guy." Math shook his head and grabbed her arm with urgent strength she hadn't thought he could still muster. "Zack...Ratio will kill...Zack."
Ratio. His name is Ratio. Salieri looked where Math had pointed. "Yeah, you're right." She sucked her lips in, concentrating very hard as she stared out into Route 10. "Goddamnit."
Very annoyed, she released Banksy and Durendal. The old Torkoal fell to one knee upon materialization, breathing heavily. "Give her a Wish, then we go," Salieri told Reynard. The Vaporeon made a face like a kid being told they were going to Poképark before muttering her Wish incantation as quickly as possible.
"Are you good to go?" Salieri asked Durendal while Rhea's grabs lifted Matheson onto the String Stretcher. The Pawniard nodded, but gave Salieri a quizzical look with his arms folded. Sal became flustered, and tried to keep up her tough image. "He saved our asses, now we need to be there for his. ********, I need to punch something. Boost up Dune."
"Be...careful..." Math told her as the grubs lifted up his stretcher.
"I'll call you later, Matheson," Salieri said with a wave and a smile as he was flown out.
Reynard's Wish passed onto Banksy. The chips and cracks on the turtle's shell stitched up, as did her bruises, but not quite all the way. Still, Banksy was able to stand just fine with much of her health restored. Reynard jumped on her back and produced a baton of light from her body. The Baton Passed down to Banksy, giving her the Aqua Ring. The water sizzled on her wounds as it spun around, and Reynard applied another one to herself.
Salieri stood on the shell, balancing much like a surfer would. Banksy tucked in her limbs and hovered, her White Jets billowing hard towards the plateau's surface. Durendal, now shining bright red from a Rock Polish, hovered right next to them on a Magnet Rise.
"That way!" And Banksy took off with Sal and Reynard on her back and Dune at their side, journeying to fight the unknown.
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Posted: Sun Sep 13, 2015 10:09 pm
Route 10 - Forest of Pillars
Zack and Serene materialised on another pillar in a flicker of light. The trainer's foot landed on a cracked part of the pillar's tip, and the stone crumbled, breaking his balance. He fell forward slightly, reclaimed his momentum and carefully repositioned himself so that he wouldn't fall. It was then he heard Antiq's screech. Nearby, close enough to make his ear hurt.
Antiq blew past him, crashing hard into a tall pillar but fighting to stay in the air. She screeched and flapped, taking skyward as another jet of searing flame flew by and skimmed her flesh, Ferox racing through the grass and trees blow, an orange streak. The Flamethrower hit its target, but it wasn't the first. All over her body, Antiq was covered in shining burn marks. She was slowing down, weaker, and would probably succumb sooner or later. All it took was that extra half second and one good hit.
But Zack couldn't worry about that just now.
The wind pressure after Antiq flew by had knocked away his tenuous balance and he fell from the pillar. Reflex kicked in and he made a grab for it, holding onto the edge by his fingertips. Serene leapt into his arm, grasping tight at his shirt. Her expression broke into a look of mild surprise as she looked down. The floor was hidden by trees, with no real way of telling how far the drop would be.
As he dared not risk a Teleport with Ferox so close, Zack was forced to pull himself up one-handed until he got his leg over the pillar and hoisted the rest. There was barely enough room for him, so Serene clambered onto the trainer's back. He stood up, wobbled a little and held still. Ferox was nowhere to be seen, and Antiq's screeches had either stopped, or gone so far into the forest of pillars that he couldn't hear them anymore. Zack was also thankful Salieri hadn't seen him fall.
'Great, which way were we going?' Zack whispered to himself, shaking off his arm as he scanned the route. He hadn't been able to get a good look at the place after Teleporting, and everywhere looked the same. Just white pillars projecting from a bushy canopy. Serene looked too, kneeling on Zack's shoulder as she shielded the top of her eyes with her hand.
She made a soft noise and pointed. Zack followed the psychic's arm and spotted a welcome sight. Banksy flying into the route. Perfect.
With Ferox nowhere in sight, Serene used Teleport again. This time the two would reappear on the flying fire type's back, Zack already grinning. 'Boy, am I glad to see you. Move over, One shot.'
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