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 Posted: Sat Aug 19, 2023 7:28 pm
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SubonicXP [Naranja House]
[Bamboo Grove]The ‘bamboo ronin’, as Darts had appropriately dubbed him, considered the hybrid’s question, a question proving to be a difficult one as he mulled it over. His gaze fell upon a single young shoot that stood between a cluster of much taller bamboo, the shoot no doubt would have a difficult time getting adequate light underneath so much shade but its circumstances could change, one of the other taller plants could be cut down thus allowing more sunlight in, as long as it was still intact and alive it could one day thrive like its neighbors. “Hope.” He answered Darts as he stared at that little hopeful shoot.
Hope. That was a word that had become elusive to the jacketed Giratina hybrid, but was no less precious because of it. Why had he done all of the things that he had done? What had he strove so hard to achieve? It was to get control of this body, sure, but as his mind wandered backwards prompted by the old gardener's musings he thought for the first time in detail about everything the last handful of years had brought. From the Shadow pandemic to the World War all of them had lived through, all of the Dragon Master Missions he had put himself through and so much more he began to wonder why. What was the possible reason? Profit seemed like a reason he chased less and less these days. Maybe it was because he was becoming an old sea dog like Drake, but as Darts got older the idea of chasing that thrill of gambling got less and less thrilling. The bet had to be a lot more enticing.
Even having the universe torn asunder and truth itself whispered into his ear hadn't brought him any peace. If anything, it seemed to have driven him lightly mad. He allowed himself to ponder for the first time the enormity of what he had seen. Was it the fact that there had been a plan all along or the fact that he didn't know if his decisions mattered or not anymore in the cosmic grand scheme of things that bothered the hybrid the most? He wasn't sure.
SubonicXP “Every day brings new possibilities, right? Nothing is forever. Just as bamboo didn’t last forever as a building material that doesn’t mean it will always be shunned, tomorrow could provide an answer to its underuse, I just have to have hope that the tomorrow I look forward to one day comes.” He smiled at Darts, finally looking away from the shoot. “The bamboo never questions tomorrow, it has nothing but hope. It grows and spreads until something stops it and continues to do so. It is a defiant and persistent plant because even when its progress is hindered it could one day break free of its restraints and continue its spread. That is hope, an undying resolve. Some may call it stubbornness and maybe it is, but it’s what keeps me going. Like the bamboo I will never get up because tomorrow could remove the shade that hinders my growth and then I shall grow unlike ever before.” After finishing his spiel the old man was alerted toTsuki as he spoke up, the old man glancing over at him from over Darts’ shoulder, noting he was the only other student still around besides Darts. He figured everyone would leave but was surprised to see one other besides the hybrid he had been talking to, was Tsuki there this entire time? “Oh, hello there young man. Come over here, sit with us. I thought everyone else had run off.” He said to Tsuki, patting on the bench they were sitting out, there was still plenty of room.
Tsuki the Lunar Wind [Naranja House]
[Bamboo Grove]Realizing that he had essentially outed himself from his sneaking, Tsuki looked like an Stantler caught in a car’s headlight for a moment before realizing that: no he actually didn’t recognize the Giratina hybrid. He sounded familiar, dressed familiar, but he had never known anyone to be a hybrid of the actual Pokesatan- so that actually set him at ease. Thanks Satan. “Yeah sure.” He said to the old man, taking a seat next to the two of them. His Magby, who he hadn’t (and usually only ever did for class) recalled to her ball, hopped on the bench as well. “Don’t have much of a reason to run off, yknow?” He said, more invested in learning about the grove than exploring. Tsuki liked how the ‘bamboo ronin’ said it, about the shade, the bamboo, and the growth. A part of him still wanted to break free of his own restraints, jump on a table, and swear that he’d never help organize another bake sale or car wash fundraiser ever again. Or that he’d never stay late after a school dance to help clean up. But he didn’t know how to in his situation or how the old man could still be so hopeful after years of the Paldean government giving him the runaround. To have nothing but hope? It seemed daunting at best, especially when thinking about how long someone would need to wait for the tides to change. “Do you ever think about packing up and bringing your plants somewhere else?” Tsuki asked him. That’s what he had done when he had run away from his home in Cinnabar Island. He had decided the idea of his parents being better wasn’t worth the constant fighting and booked it in the middle of the night. In retrospect, he might have been able to handle that situation better. But what was done, was done. His Magby looked up at him. “Mag-magby.” Her trainer squinted, grabbed her, and gave the fire type a noogie. “Rude!”
Darts starts out of his reverie as he realized all of a sudden that there was another person in the clearing with the two of them, his red eyes swiveling quickly to ascertain their motives. He relaxed slightly as he realized it just appeared to be a redheaded other student from the school. He readjusted his orange 'headband' wound around his head almost self-consciously. How had he not noticed another person in the clearing with them? Whoever this was wasn't someone to be underestimated... maybe.
It really stood out as a stark example to Darts of how distracted he had allowed himself to become after their trip to Hisui. A loss of focus and control for somebody like him would be disastrous... he shuddered to think what Teacher would say to him for his current attitude. Damn, he had really pushed aside Crystal and Doc Owl when all they had tried to do was tease out what he was just now realizing. The reason why he kept fighting all of these battles even though there was no guarantee anything any one of them did mattered in the grand scheme of things. He owed both of them an apology... and an explanation. Darts put a golden hand to where the bridge of his nose had one been, pinching it slightly and frowning in the shadows of his crest. How had he not seen it before?
Hope. It comes in different forms to different people. To a gambling addict down on his luck it might be a discarded 20 underneath a garbage can. To a sinner it might be a path to salvation by living a pious life. To Darts, hope was what it always has been. He had hope in Team Snagem to do good in a world often dominated by despair. Despite his unsavory past and questionable actions in several parts of his life, the Giratina hybrid kept fighting to prove everyone wrong. The people who knew him when he was young, the people who thought he would fall to evil after his transformation, and maybe even Arceus Themself. He fought because if he didn't, he had no place to complain at the final day of Judgment, even if there was no Super-Effective Plate involved. He would struggle because like the bamboo surrounding them he was just too goddamned stubborn to do anything else.
On the other hand, hope could manifest itself in the next generation of heroes too. Someone to take the mantle up alongside the legends of yester-year.
"It's not that easy to rip out your roots." Darts speaks up for the first time to Tsuki directly, presciently. "I'm no botanist but even I can tell you there's no guarantees in removing yourself from a situation and trying to re-plant somewhere else. Every once in a while the path moves back around and you can fix it afterwards. But everybody's got somewhere they've come from that they can't remove themselves from so easily without a great deal of struggle." Even Darts himself, as far removed as he was from the street gangs of Sootopolis as he was now, never forgot the scrapping and struggling he had once been put through just to survive on a day-to-day basis in the gutter he called home. "I assume it's the same situation here with bamboo." He adds, turning back to their guide. "This is the number one spot they flourish. You could transplant them, but there's no guarantee they will manage to survive." |
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Posted: Sun Aug 20, 2023 2:58 pm
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Atlantis_Darts [Naranja House]
[Bamboo Grove]"It's not that easy to rip out your roots." Darts speaks up for the first time to Tsuki directly, presciently. "I'm no botanist but even I can tell you there's no guarantees in removing yourself from a situation and trying to re-plant somewhere else. Every once in a while the path moves back around and you can fix it afterwards. But everybody's got somewhere they've come from that they can't remove themselves from so easily without a great deal of struggle." Even Darts himself, as far removed as he was from the street gangs of Sootopolis as he was now, never forgot the scrapping and struggling he had once been put through just to survive on a day-to-day basis in the gutter he called home. "I assume it's the same situation here with bamboo." He adds, turning back to their guide. "This is the number one spot they flourish. You could transplant them, but there's no guarantee they will manage to survive."
Well, Darts was right on a few things. Firstly: he definitely was not a botanist. Though Tsuki didn’t immediately understand what he meant, it was easy for him to see how one’s past could catch up with them in some capacity. Running away usually implied that there’d be something or someone left behind to chase you. “I guess you’ve got a point there. If there’s still an opportunity here for the- uh- what did you say your name was again?” He asked, turning to the old man. Had he shared that or had the boy just forgotten? It had already been an eventful day on his end.
To Tsuki, hope was something to look forward to. It was the graduation he had been trying so hard to get to- to potentially graduate early and get out of his parents’ controlling hands. Maybe too, that the old man had the right idea, in his thinking of the future. Things have to change and the future didn’t stop coming for anybody. What his future would look like through, he didn’t really know. However, the idea that it would at least be different gave him something to hold onto. Unless his mother was literally Dialga, not even she could do anything about that.
Requiem of Whyspers [Naranja House"Help!" Mara's voice called out as she neared the picnic area where Darts and Tsuki were talking to the old proctor for the group. "I need help!" She called, running toward the old man, stumbling more than once now that she had finally found him. "Students have been taken by the local Pawniard!" By the time she caught up, she'd be panting too hard to speak for a moment, hoping that by the time she could explain, that it wouldn't be too late.
“Mara?” Tsuki asked, recognizing his fellow Naranja classmate right away. Even though the Seaking hybrid and he ran in different circles, he took it on himself as the class vice president to know everyone. As she quickly explained the gist of what was going on, he stood up and tossed his Magby over his shoulder. Students were being taken by wild Pokemon? That was so not going to be allowed to continue on his watch- especially since he knew he had a favorable match up against them with his Fire type. And unlike the Snagems who were new here, Tsuki had spent the last three years living in Paldea. He had a decent idea where to look, considering the direction that Mara had come running from.
“Call the teacher!” Tsuki called out to her as he made a break for the Pawniard situation. Even if he wasn’t an expert on that species, he was aware of how territorial they could get. And that wasn’t even considering the Bisharp or especially the Kingambit that could command them. |
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Posted: Wed Aug 23, 2023 7:03 am
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Brian smirked slightly as the Pawniard and Bisharp that were targeted by Camerupt's Lava Plume were instantly knocked out. Sure, fire wasn't exactly a good idea in such small quarters, but considering the number of Pawniard and Bisharp, and the rather noticeable lack of Fighting or Ground-types besides Camerupt and the few Lucario, it was their best chance to take their opponents down. That being said, he looked around as the others jumped into battle, and he had to dodge a flying Litwick that was targeting a Pawniard that had snuck up on him. He watched as the little Ghost/Fire-type latched onto the Dark/Steel-type's face, shuddering as the pained cries of the Pawniard rang out amidst the noise. Oh, that had to hurt; then again, he felt no pity toward the Pawniard, since it was obvious that the Litwick held a grudge for being held captive.
He heard Amaranth's voice coming from across the chamber, and turned to see her leaping toward the Kingambit, hammer swinging. Hearing another voice, one calling a name he recognized, he realized that the new hybrid was actually Leslie, and he had to wonder how he didn't notice it before. Then again, he didn't recognize what kind of hybrid she was now, so that was probably the biggest part of it. He looked at the male Lucario to see how he was faring, surprised to see the Fighting/Steel-type surrounded by knocked-out Pawniard and panting Bisharp. The Lucario was bouncing lightly on his paws, panting slightly from having battled so many opponents at once. He was actually holding his own, and Brian had to wonder just how much he'd held back against Lu, if he'd held back at all.
Turning back to the battle, he realized that Lu was nowhere to be seen. He always knew where she was, but somehow, he'd lost sight of her in the confusion. Firebrand was easy enough to spot, being a rather large, red figure smacking away any Pawniard or Bisharp that got too close. Most kept their distance from the walking furnace, a few already having been burned by the Magmortar's Flame Body ability, but there were still too many. He could hear Lykas saying something about thinning out the group, and he had to agree. Their best shot right now was to take down as many as they could and hope they could get out of here in one piece. "Firebrand, take out as many as ye can," he said. "Be mindful of our allies. Some of those Litwick might have the Flash Fire ability, so use Will-O-Wisp on them, see if they can help out with fire moves. Other than that, ye're free to act as ye see fit." There really wasn't much he could do at this point, besides directing his team and hoping Lu would be alright.
Speaking of Lu, the female Lucario had Aura Sphered and Low Kicked her way toward the Kingambit, even though she hadn't really intended to do so. Now that she was clear of the main fighting force, however, she could clearly see both Amaranth and Leslie fighting the leader of the Bisharp and Pawniard, and seeing the Kingambit trying to go after Leslie with an Iron Head attack made something in her snap. It was one thing to attack another Pokemon, but to attack a new hybrid, especially with an attack that could potentially cause massive damage, was unforgivable. The female Lucario leaped forward to take the attack herself, but Amaranth beat her to it, swinging her hammer into the Dark/Steel-type's side. Lu knew she couldn't just leave the two of them there, even with Guts and Lacuna there to help. Moving forward, she caught Amaranth before the Channeler could go flying, then looked at her and took a fighting stance facing the Kingambit. I will fight with you, she said, not knowing whether the girl could understand her but hoping that her stance would convey what she was saying.
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Posted: Sat Aug 26, 2023 6:09 pm
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[Naranja House]
[Bamboo Grove]
The elder samurai smiled wide at Darts' realization about the very nature of bamboo, and people. He has seen generations of students from the academy, none of them coming anywhere near close to learning the lessons of the bamboo as Darts has."You are correct, and wise beyond your years, young master." The old man spoke to Darts, bestowing upon him a, in the ronin's mind, much earned title. He had met the hybrid roughly an hour ago, knew very little of him, and yet could see that an ancient soul stood before him with knowledge far beyond his years. Now if only the old man knew the extent of the knowledge Darts held.
"Bamboo, like people, wander, searching for a place where they can thrive, a place they can call home. They endure all hardships as they spread and continue to do so until something makes them stop. But, every now and then they find the right spot, their 'home', such as this place, and there they thrive." He smiled, staring out at the bamboo forest. "And yet, the bamboo would have never found this place, this perfect home, if not for my ancestor. He brought them here. The bamboo only realized their true potential with a little help from another. Just like people, just like Pokemon, we all work together to bring out the best in us. We can only get so far alone."
"Ho ho! I guess I never did share my name, did I? Call me Jinzo, Arashiyama Jinzo." He said, giving Tsuki his full name. Before he could say much else Mara appeared, frantic and concerned. Listening to her he gasped softly. The local Pawniard never harmed the students, in fact they were noteworthy for only picking fair fights with trainers, for them to apparently kidnap students was unheard of. Watching as Tsuki fled Jinzo turned to Darts.
"The Pawniard and their evolutions are vital to the ecosystem of this bamboo forest, they help keep the forest in check. I won't ramble on too much more but please, do what you can to smooth over this situation. If the league finds out about any rogue Pokemon attacking students I fear they may try to relocate the Pawniard, or worse. You're a hybrid, speak to their leader, a Kingambit, a sort of very big Bisharp if you're familiar. Tell him the Arashiyama clan pleads for calm." |
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Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2023 8:18 pm
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Aile took note of the orb flying into the air as she looked back at the rapidly disappearing Klawf, still annoyed that she hadn’t had the chance of getting the b*****d to retreat. Probably a flare, noting the location of this abnormal Pokemon, if she had to guess. Still, though, her mood was going to be soured for the rest of the day. Not being able to best that Klawf during round two was going to dig at her for a good while. Once they arrived at their original landing area, Mateo would help Aile and the little Wooper down, patting the mud dweller on the head before recalling his Mudsdale and the trio got onto another taxi. Once again, the humanoid pair would sit opposite one another as they awaited takeoff, with the woman looking out the side, watching the others get into their taxis.
“Aile. What was that all about? Why didn’t you retreat when that thing came back for round two?”
“...Because I’m sure we could have taken it. A large Pokemon would probably have been one of the tamer things we’ve taken on in relative recent history.”
Mateo shook his head. “And? What about the others there? Or the fact that we were just supposed to be observing stuff and not provoking anything to destroy the environment?”
“The other students were jumping in as well, and-”
“Because you guys probably started it. Fights are easy enough to jump in on.”
“Are you holding what happened at Porto Marinada against us? Seriously?”
“I mean, the more I see of you guys, the more I’m convinced you lot have an aura of chaos around you, and you’re reckless, to boot. I mean, just how exactly did you lose your arm, because I feel like I’ve seen you in pictures before with both arms instead of just your right one. I can assume that you were doing something irresponsible while out, and ******** piss off! You don’t have any idea and don’t need to be speculating. Arceus, acting all high and ******** mighty.”
“You want to try and shut me up then?”
“Pokemon battle or a fight?” That took her taxi companion aback for a moment, blinking as he processed the challenge.
“I… Let me think about it.”
“Cool. Shut up until then.” Aile would put her feet up on her chair and rest her head on her knees, looking outside the taxi until they landed. Mateo would have a mix of frustration and concern on his face, not sure about how to proceed next. Especially when they all were probably going to get disciplined for this.
And the little Wooper that decided to tag along with this pair? It was sitting as close to the door as it could, now wondering whether it would be a good idea to run now? No one here was happy.
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Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2023 10:11 am
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[Naranja House]
[Bamboo Grove]
The Kingambit was caught off guard by Amaranth's appearance, attempting to block the hammer's blow however its trajectory was strange and difficult to predict as its weight fluctuated, the Kingambit missing with the swing of its hand and receiving a face full of Amaranth's rocky hammer, Lu jumping in to snatch her up before Kingambit had any time to think about retaliating or the woman getting caught up in what happened next. While the hammer did have some force behind it the Steel type resisted any real damage however Amaranth did not need to do any damage at all, simply being hit was enough of a distraction for Leslie to act, the hybrid releasing her Mawile which promptly unleashed a Flamethrower. The shogun only had enough time to turn and see its new attacker before the flames engulf its head causing it to cry out in pain and stumble backwards.
Finding its footing again the Kingambit snarled at its four female foes, two of them wielding hammers. They would note the Kingambit at some point had gained a faint burning aura of dark red energy, its offensive powers increased as its Supreme Overlord empowered it more and more as its comrades fell. For now though they wouldn't have time to focus too much on that.
"Your cowardly tactics dishonor not only yourself but your ancestors as well! Allow me to punish you for your deceitful ways in their names!" The shogun shouted at them in Pokespeech. Taking a stance similar to a samurai that might be ready to unsheathe the sword on their hip the Kingambit's right hand would begin to glow white, some of the knocked out Pawniard and Bisharp sparkling faintly in response. Just seconds after the glow began the Kingambit would take one big step forward then kick off the ground, flinging itself toward the trio and in that same motion it swung its right hand. As it swung its hand, which was several feet away making contact with any of them, a long blade of Normal energy materialized instantaneously, the shogun swinging the blade in a horizontal slashing motion as it attempted to catch all three of them in its Retaliate move, empowered by its fallen comrades and its own ability. Sure, Leslie, Mawile and Lu were Steel types and could resist some of this powerful slash but it forced them to try and protect their fleshy friend and that's when they will make themselves vulnerable.
As for Delmare it might have tried to attack Kingambit with its Megahorn however there was one more threat to deal with, a surprise entrant in the fight on the side of the shogun. "Chandel!" Cried the Chandelure that had sat above the shogun's throne, now freed but instead attacking the side that freed it as it unleashed a Solar Beam upon the Keldeo, no charge up required thanks to the Sunny Day executed by Brian's Magmortar earlier. The powerful beam of solar energy would hit the charging Keldeo head on, no doubt putting an abrupt end to its charge towards Kingambit and Megahorn move. It was strange, while the rest of the Litwick, and few Lampent, immediately turned on their captors upon being freed their apparently leader, the lone Chandelure, instead stayed faithful to its master as it attempted to protect him from the legendary Pokemon. It was certainly a loyal Pokemon, though foolish.
While the rest of the Pawniard and Bisharp slowly fell to the Litwick, some empowered thanks to Brian's quick thinking, and attacks from the rest of the Snagems, Monique would take action to deal with the thing that started this entire mess, Chichi beside her, even if it didn't mean to; Altaria. Flying through the Mist came an Ice Beam, the freezing energy slamming into Amaranth's new Altaria and instantly knocking it out, the fluffy dragon falling to the ground with a thud, a thin sheet of ice covering its body. As it was knocked out the Mist began to rapidly fade, thanks in part to all the Fire moves still going off and also the source of it was now taking a nap. The remaining Pawniard and Bisharp would see the defeated Altaria as the Mist cleared and then noticed the one that appeared to have felled the doomsday dragon, Monique's Alolan Marowak. One by one they stopped fighting and fell to their knees before kowowing towards Kalama, paying homage to their savior. Their leader would no doubt be furious to see them venerate another but for now he had other things to worry about.
By the time Tsuki and Darts arrived on scene they would see the PAwniard and Bisharp, at least those not knocked out, kowtowing before Monique's Alolan Marowak, as well as a bunch of Litwick buzzing around, Lykas's Keldeo facing off with a Chandelure, and an empowered Kingambit facing Leslie, her Mawile, Amaranth, and Brian's Lucario. Littered around the rest of the cavern were the fainted Pawniard and Bisharp, numerous of them just sprawled out all over the place. It looked like a massacre took place here.
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Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2023 1:41 pm
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Lu was glad to see that Amaranth was alright, the Kingambit before them taking the brunt of the damage from Lacuna's Flamethrower. Oh, that had to hurt, if its pained cry was anything to go by. While it stumbled back, Lu noticed a slight red glow to it, one that seemed to get bigger somehow, and she looked around them to see a host of knocked out Pawniard and Bisharp. Ever the observant one, she noticed the stance the larger Dark/Steel-type took, and how its fallen comrades were beginning to sparkle faintly in response to whatever attack was about to be unleashed. When the attack came, the female Lucario was quick to respond, bringing up a glowing green barrier of energy that took the brunt of the attack, but unfortunately, her Protect wasn't quite strong enough to withstand the Retialiate move, having only just been learned due to her desire to protect her friends, and it shattered, causing Lu to take the rest of the power behind the move to her chest.
She let out a cry of pain as the force sent her flying into the nearest wall, slamming painfully into the hard surface and getting knocked momentarily senseless. Thankfully, this only lasted a few moments, as the Fighting/Steel-type shakily got to her paws. She'd heard the words the Kingambit spoke right before using Retialiate, and she was angry. Not because of what he'd said about her ancestors, but because he'd called her and her friends cowards. You call us cowards because we protect those we hold dear, she growled, slowly getting to her paws and stumbling forward a few steps. You say we dishonor our ancestors by our actions. How is that any different than what you've done here? You chained Litwick to the walls to provide light to this cave, never letting them free. You bully Sableye in other caves. You kidnapped us to fight in your 'army'. You decided that our trainers, our friends, must be chained here, to ensure we followed YOUR orders. We were willing to comply only in order to ensure our friends were safe, yet when your precious wall was broken, YOU attacked US, the ones you kidnapped, for something we had NOTHING to do with. We were not the first to attack, you and your minions were. By your own actions you have proven that YOU are the dishonorable one, here, not my friends and myself.
The entire time she was talking, Lu was stumbling forward, holding a paw to to the spot she'd been injured. While Protect had been enough to stop most of the force, there was still a small gash left behind where she'd been hit, which was bleeding a bit. The Fighting/Steel-type fought through the pain, her desire to stand up for those she held dear and prove this Pokemon wrong the only thing keeping her on her paws at the moment. She could hear Brian calling out to her, somehow having found her in the chaos, and she felt his hands on her arms, steadying her. She shot him a grateful look that he didn't miss before turning her attention back to the Kingambit. While she wasn't sure her words would have any effect, she had to make sure that the Dark/Steel-type knew she wouldn't take his hit to her honor lying down. She would stand and fight to the end, even if it meant she was seriously injured in the process.
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Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2023 7:34 pm
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[Naranja House]
[Bamboo Grove]
"The name's Tsuki! Tanaka Tsuki!" the redhead called out to Old Man Jinzo as he bolted onward.
--
If anybody had asked Tsuki what he'd have initially done when entering the brawl, he'd be a liar if he said his first instinct hadn't been to outright stop the fight altogether. The Pokemon here were serious and picked fights, yeah, but it wasn't out of the ordinary. This was their home and it'd be wrong to expect them to act like it wasn't. But Aggie overheard Lu the Lucario's words and pointed at the Kingsgambit accusingly. She turned to her trainer and said something in Pokespeak to him. It wasn't like he fully understood what the Magby was saying but after being partners for over a decade, he had a decent grasp on things she was trying to convey. The Pawniard line here was taking advantage of other Pokemon. Lampents in chains, trainers as soldiers. The trainer didn't much like the thought of it and it made him sympathize less with the wild Pokemon here. Wild or no, they didn't have the right to do that to other Pokemon or people.
Tsuki scowled and assessed what he could do. If the Kingsgambit was the linchpin in this entire operation, the quickest way to end this would be to knock him out. Maybe it'd even convince the few remaining Bisharp teaming up on that Marowak to back down- and he did have a fire type- and Sunny Day was still up. Picking up his Magby from his shoulder, the trainer threw his Magby upwards and towards the Kingsgambit scuffle.With a Magmortar out here, he knew he could rely on that for a burst of damage with something like a Flamethrower or Flame Burst. Maybe he could help by keeping a steady stream of fire? Hell, maybe that would help push the leader into a retreat. The boy didn't really care if the fight ended in an outright draw or retreat- just scaring off the attackers. "Help 'em out with a Fire Spin!" he called out, commanding his Magby to let loose a tornado of fire at the leader of this gang of Pokemon.
Were the rest of these non Paldean students members of Team Snagem? Tsuki didn't recognize any of them at all. He must have been gone an eternity or something. Did they forget about him? Hm. He shook his head, deciding that any thoughts like this would only distract him away from the fight at hand. With only one Magby to his name, even as well trained as she was, it'd just take one KO to take him out of the fight entirely. Then he'd go from help to a liability and that was something he'd refuse to ever be.
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Posted: Tue Aug 29, 2023 8:11 pm
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Moments after Monique pointed in the direction of Altaria and ordered an Ice Beam, she heard a surprisingly soft thud. The mist began to clear in the harsh sunlight, revealing the Altaria sprawled on the cavern floor, its cloudy wings limp.
She was looking back at Kalama when a glint of light caught her eye. She turned to see one of the still-alive Pawniard throw itself to the ground, the blade atop its head turning from upright to pointed aside. Then another. And a third.
Monique was about to ask what was going on when one of them piped up in Pokéspeech. "Hail the Queen of the Flaming Bone, she who slayed the Living Cloud Which Brings Rust. May her bone stay forever sharp!" More clanging of Pawniard parts followed as the Sharp Blade Pokémon professed fealty to the Alolan Marowak.
Monique and ChiChi looked at Kalama and then at each other, almost in unison. ChiChi was relieved the fighting had quieted down in one corner, but she eyed the rest of the volume nervously. A bright beam of solar energy caught her eye in one corner. But for now, there was time to take a breather.
The sheriff of New Po looked back at her partner Pokémon, amazed. Kalama, along with a tattered black dress and a badge she dared not take on trips after it fell off that one time in Jubilife, was her last tangible link to home. To her past—technically, her future—under the Dome.
"You know, Monique, you said something that I didn't really realize. 'Where I came from is a future you don't want.' What...did that mean?" She looked at Kalama. "Certainly your partner Pokémon is impressive. A Fire-type using Ice Beam?"
Monique looked around. The big Kingambit was squaring off against multiple Snagems. "...I'll tell you on the taxi ride back. For now, let's figure this out." The sheriff started walking toward the Great Shogun. Behind her was Kalama. And behind her, though Monique had yet to notice, were several of her newly loyal Pawniard.
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Posted: Wed Aug 30, 2023 4:27 pm
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Lykas finally found a moment to breath and relax a bit as Monique and her Marowak took out the Altaria, though he was incredibly confused why she had attacked an innocent Pokemon that was caught up in all this just like they were. It didn't matter all that much at the moment, he decided, figuring he'd ask her what she had been thinking later. The answer came almost immediately as Altaria collapsed in a frosty heap a half second later and at least half a dozen of their would-be captors troops immediately defected, seemingly swearing allegiance to her instead of the Kingambit that had dragged most of them here. He started to call out to Delmare again when a sudden flash of light caught his focus for just long enough to realze it was too late to dodge it. The Solar Beam slammed into Delmare from the side, striking the unfortunate unicorn in the head and slamming them face-first into the dirt at an angle.
"Delmare! Are you ok?" He called out, dashing over, his forehead gem glowing black for a moment as he tried to use Pain Split to alleviate the damage that must have caused. Unfortunately for him, it wasn't working. He'd only ever used it to eject his own pain rather than taking on someone else's and it just wasn't working.
"Kel...de...eo." Delmare muttered, clambering back to their after a moment, shaking their head to clear away the stars spinning through their vision after that.
"You alright?" Lykas asked, his gem losing it's black glow now.
"Kel!" Delmare nodded, neighing in assurance.
"Alright... use Aqua Jet and see if you can pin it down long enough for me to hit it." Lykas instructed, bringing his focus inward for just a moment. That big one was trouble but this one needed to be dealt with before they could focus on it for long. Which left him with one big way to finish this. He'd only get one shot at it with how much energy he'd already used, though.
Delmare cloaked themself in water and dashed around Lykas, using the torrent of water to push themself at incredible speed in an effort not to strike Chandelure but to keep it from moving around much.
The moment Lykas saw his oppening, he'd unleash a Water Spout from his forehead gem, aiming to drown the Fire-type in an unexpected flood for a moment. It would be weaker than a Hydro Pump at this point but much stronger than a Water Gun. That was about all Lykas was certain of at the moment, though.
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Posted: Sat Sep 02, 2023 5:54 pm
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It didn't take much time to see that her new opponent was a little mad at the perceived slight their tactics appeared to be. Leslie could almost laugh at the thing attempting to invoke some honor of the ancestors. Who needed honor if it meant you won the fight? If you lost honorably, it just meant you didn't try everything you could to actually win. Getting a grip back on her hammer, Leslie would spin around to face the oncoming Retaliation attack. Of course it was using the power of friendship to avenge its fallen forces. And right behind her was Amaranth. Lu was definitely taking some of the power with that Protect but she had doubts it would be enough. So Leslie would place her other hand onto the head of the hammer, brace herself, and felt a shock as she intercepted the rest of the oncoming blow. "This was a lot easier when I was the one made of metal! Lacuna, Amaranth, wallop it before I get more flying lessons!" Leslie crowed, already feeling her feet giving way and watching a slowly growing fissure in her hammer as the Retaliation began to work its way through the weapon.
Lacuna would immediately look towards Amaranth and her hammer before an idea crossed the Mawile's mind. Preparing another Flamethrower, she would begin firing it off towards the head of Amaranth's hammer, attempting to get the weapon to ignite. There was the potential it might not be as effective as simply directing another torrent of flame at the Kingambit, but Lacuna was willing to bank on the strength of a channeler to make this work way better than two separate moves. Hopefully quickly, as Lacuna could see Leslie go flying past with a shout before the Retaliation attack slammed into the back of Lacuna's head.
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Posted: Sat Sep 02, 2023 9:18 pm
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[Naranja House]
[Bamboo Grove]
Amaranth didn't get to respond before Kingambit started their retaliation, the SNAG's translation coming just after they finished speaking. By this time, Lu had managed to keep her from totally falling from the hammer's fluctuating weight- and more importantly, safer from the Retaliate slash that came at the group as she used the hammer to further guard against it alongside the protective aura. "Cowardly tactics?" She asked as she braced herself. "Like taking others and threatening death on them? What started this other than some Altaria- ngh- crashing through!?"
With the hammer's head slightly higher, Lacuna would have an easy time of aiming her Flamethrower at the head of it, igniting it. "Wait, what're you doing, the last swing didn't do any... thing..." Looking at the flaming head, she figured the impact might do something. The hammer wasn't likely to be damaged much by the flames, what with the good fortune of it being a Rock artifact. What was likely to happen was finding another opening after Kingambit's attack. "Perhaps you could explain that!" She added as she swung the flaming hammer at them. Notably, she'd make sure to barely miss, not wanting to knock them out before they had a chance to answer should the flames overwhelm them.
In the process, unknown to her, the Evergrow Wood would end up falling out and hitting the ground, with some of the stray flames hitting it. Whoops.
Also, Altaria didn't have much of a chance to see the Ice Beam in time, and even if they did, weren't in any position to try and avoid it. They'd be taken out immediately from it, the mist starting to clear as a result and causing Minior to panic... and then calm down when the Pawniard and Bisharp began to kowtow before Kalama, confused at what was happening now that Altaria was downed.
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Posted: Sun Sep 03, 2023 12:01 pm
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[Naranja House]
[Bamboo Grove]
Chandelure was taken aback by the Keldeo's watery charge, the ghost frantically swaying from side to side, up and down, trying to find a way to escape the stinging droplets being flung by the Aqua Jet. Vulnerable and with nowhere else to go the Chandelure was an easy target for Lykas as he blasted the undead light fixture with Water Spout, the water from his forehead gem consuming the ghost and sending it splashing down onto the ground where it would remained, knocked out cold from the Super Effect move.
Kingambit would sneer at Lu, the Lucario's words offending it more than anything else they've done up until this point. The Great Shogun intended to responded with force for such insults to its honor however a vortex of flames was now roaring to life around it thanks to a certain Magby. With nowhere to flee to, at least not immediately, the Kingambit was vulnerable, already winded from their earlier clash as well.
Seeing her opening Amaranth swung her now flaming hammer, the rocky artifact passing through the small Fire Spin and slamming into the side of the Kingambit, the resulting impact ended up in an explosion of flame as the Fire energy contained in her hammer was released, sending them both flying back however the Kingambit taking considerably more force than Amaranth would.
The 'Great Shogun' would be sent flying into its thrown with a metallic clank, pieces of metal, the blades of those Bisharp the shogun defeated, that made up the throne falling off and piling on top of the defeated Pokemon. By the end of it all the throne room was quiet, hot, and humid. The various Pawniard and Bisharps, those still conscious, rose up to their feet upon witnessing the defeat of their master. While they were pleased to see the harbinger of their alleged doom, Altaria, was defeated they were much more conflicted over seeing the defeat of the Great Shogun. Confused the various Steel types just stood there, unsure on what to do, their entire way of life had just been thrown into chaos.
"All Naranja house students report back to the academy! I repeat, all students report back immediately!" A voice spoke over the SNAGs and Roto-phones owned by the students in the bamboo grove. They were being summoned back to the academy. Looks like they didn't have enough time to help straighten out this mess here.
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Posted: Sun Sep 03, 2023 12:26 pm
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It happened in a flash, and with so many Snagems and their Pokémon at work, all Monique, Kalama, and ChiChi could do was watch. The Fire Spin amplified Amaranth's hammer, which took on a sheen of flame and slammed into the throne, its shoddy craftsmanship becoming clear as the various discarded blades fell down on Kingambit with a thud. The volume was left hot, humid, and quiet.
Monique recalled Castform, if only to turn down the temperature. She had just turned back to see Kalama, flanked by two evidently loyal Pawniard, when a message blared on everyone's devices. The show—and the Shogun—were over.
A loud sigh erupted from several of the others. This was a big mess. They weren't going to be able to clean it up. They had to get back.
"Are the taxis still here?" ChiChi asked. "They better be. Wow, that was more Pokémon battling than I've seen in years. I'm a dancer, not a battler."
Monique looked at Kalama, recalling her to her Poké Ball. A couple of the Pawniard stared expectantly and then at Monique. She could hear them in shock. "Our Queen of the Flaming Bone!"
With all of her Pokémon back, the Zoroark and Lucario hybrids walked out, hoping they could get back to the taxis in time. Or, failing that, ChiChi might get her first experience with Claydol.
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Posted: Sun Sep 03, 2023 1:34 pm
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