[attr="class","ihead"]

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[break][break]
Lucas can feel the urgency of the pokemon as it chants line after line. “We are together as one. Bonded by strife and together in triumph. My name is—” Lucas never hears the last bit. Another eruption sounds off, this time from within. He can feel his very liveliness manifest into a solid, small sphere that shoots up from his stomach and out of his throat. It almost makes him choke, having it forcibly ripped out of him, yet the mass isn’t solid. It’s ethereal.[break][break]

A faint purple hue starts to form in front of him. It’s like staring into a star being born. Odd energies swirls in place as they turn from transparent into translucent. He can make out what seems to be an orange flame, growing by the moment.[break][break]

“Hurry, hurry!”[break][break]

The voice no longer comes within. The familiar high-pitched voice of a prepubescent child now emanates from the array of energy in front of him.
[break][break]

---

[break]

[break][break]

• The spirit inside of Lucas Lane is forcibly ejected. It starts to materialize in front of him. All he can see is a mass of glowing energy the size of his torso.

[attr="class","ihead"]

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[break][break]
arian coin continues to travel toward their initial destination: nikolai's dye shop. he stops outside of one of the windows, peeking in, yelling for the professor's attention but Lucas Lane 's attention is elsewhere. arian coin will see it too, the object of the professor's fascination. a mass of swirling purple energy radiates in front of him, a single flame growing from within the floating aura.[break][break][break]

FUTURE SIGHT allows the alakazam to navigate the streets with ease. at least ease relative to their situation. multiple DRACO METEORS litter the street and the first few to land send out minor gusts of winds from their impact. the pokemon coerces @triss to bring out her malamar and not a moment too soon. the moment the LIGHT SCREEN comes up is when one of the meteors land way too close. it explodes into a dozen smaller pieces but the concussive force of the blast rocks the area. like Bailey Cooper , @triss is thrown from the aftermath of the collision. her alakazam body blocks for her and both are thrown onto the street. her malamar is no exception but gets blown backwards, away from them. multiple pieces of debris ricochet off the LIGHT SCREEN with an audible 'pang'.[break][break][break]

@saif sends his zoroak to help guide @triss along but coming in too close puts it in the vicinity of the blast. the pokemon tries to U-TURN back when it sees the meteor coming but it's too late and too close. the impact of the object hitting the street and exploding spreads out in all directions and knocks the zoroak up, flinging it into the air. [break][break][break]

marcel maeda continues to run away from the beast. multiple DRACO METEORS are incoming and directly on his path. a few land behind and he can feel the aftermath of the explosion as sound and wind batter against his backside. his dragonair launches a WATER PULSE, which when diverted toward the ground behind them, loses its force and splashes into the air. water thrown into the air isn't enough to set the meteors off. they tear past, the rebounded attack putting up no resistance. [break][break][break]

it is the ICE BEAM that gives the water some substance. it turns solid and creates a wall. unfortunately, the dragonair underestimates the attack. any meteors that collide against the ice wall will break through it and explode. those that are 'caught', held by the water that splashed against them and turned into solid ice, rips through any ice that lacks the structural integrity to hold a large object that travels at a fast speed. any ice that does, causes the object to detonate, triggered by the sudden stop in motion and resistance to the objects inertia. [break][break][break]

the end result is that several DRACO METEORS break through. thankfully, marcel maeda is quick enough to return his dragonair. it's safe but at what cost? he'll soon found out as he mounts his noivern. none of the meteors outright hit the pair as they take off but they're caught in the explosion. shrapnel scatters and the potential energy turns into kinetic. marcel maeda is thrown off his noivern and both are thrown to the street below. luckily, they haven't gained that much altitude and marcel maeda is not falling from a fatal height. it'll hurt though. and, unfortunately, his noivern is caught by a piece of shrapnel. a sharp piece of shrapnel, part of a concrete wall that was previously swallowed up by the pokemon, pierces into the pokemon's backside, several inches underneath where its right wing connects to the body. it's lodged into place and warm blood starts to pool around the wound, a slow bleed that starts to accelerate as the pokemon lands with a thud, the movement causing the piece to tear deeper. [break][break][break]

her pokemon are the only reason that Bailey Cooper makes it out. the hitmonchan ignores her protest and focuses on the task at hand. it's AGILITY allows it to create a distance as it moves away from the incoming DRACO METEOR. those that still stray too far are deftly avoided by the pokemon's knack for DETECT. they still land, they still explode, and the force does rock the pair, but no where near the turbulence that had laid Bailey Cooper out on the ground moments prior.[break][break][break]

persephone amavi 's zebstrika is given the order to fetch Bailey Cooper and it soon comes into view. the galloping pokemon is undoubtedly faster then the hitmonchan when it comes to breaking ground and it approaches the pair in hot PURSUIT.[break][break][break]

Bailey Cooper 's palossand is left behind as a distraction, anything to buy them some time to escape. the SANDSTORM grows more furious as more dust gets upturned by the impact of the reigning destruction. additional fine particles gather into the pokemon's mass as it starts to expand. they're assimilated by the sand based pokemon and it grows in size. it truly becomes their bulwark, their last wall as it continues to grow. it becomes big enough that the unknown pokemon turns to pay it attention. both appendages snap out wildly, clamoring moments before a DRAGON PULSE fires off. the two beams tear straight into palossand and leave two gaping holes. the castle walls have been breached.[break][break][break]

the sand becomes unsettled and the palossand starts to falter. it body loosens due to the sudden openings and the sand comes apart, scattering as it body starts to lose shape. but, the pokemon doesn't give up! not now, not ever. no matter what difficulties, no matter what trials, not even in the face of certain death will it give up knowing that Bailey Cooper is in danger. a weird feeling start to pulse within the pokemon's lifeless body. it may be dead but at the same time it has never felt so alive. a want, a need, a purpose to last just a moment longer spurs the pokemon onward. its innate sense to struggle, to take on and fight—never giving up to to take flight, radiates from every pore. [break][break][break]

they can win this. victory is within sight. it believes![break][break][break]

sheer grit allows the pokemon to SHORE UP its surroundings. the mass of SANDSTORM comes together and patches it right up. it continues to bulk up and grow. double, no, triples in size as it fills the streets with its mass! dense sand HARDENS as it prepares for another DRAGON PULSE. [break][break][break]


a dark ball of energy forms within the palossand's mouth. a SHADOW BALL materializes, concentrated and almost ready to launch. with absolute defiance, it launches, overtaken by the sudden feeling that overcomes it. absolute valor in the face of an enemy that must be taken down at all costs![break][break][break]

all the sentiments, all the feelings in the world are lost upon the unknown terror. it only knows one thing. hunger. a hunger that it can never escape. one that causes it to scream as it defied yet another obstacle that tries to tear it away from eating. the beast bellows again and a bright light sparks from the pokemon's innermost mouth. and then nothingness. the same HYPER BEAM from earlier tears through anything in its path. Bailey Cooper 's palossand becomes dust to the wind, obliterated, turned into the nothingness from whence it came. when the beam ends the only thing that's still there is a few clumps of sand that scatter in the newfound empty space. it leaves not just a hole in the pokemon but everything else behind it. [break][break][break]



freya morningstar lands on a building that overlooks persephone amavi 's current position, standing in the middle of the carnage yet out of harm's way.
her inquiry is stated before the HYPER BEAM launches but all eyes turn away to the demanding energy beam that vaporizes everything in its path.[break][break][break]

previous behavior from the unknown pokemon would suggest that it would return to eating after another successful attack. however, something is different this time. it senses something. somewhere nearby is a delectable aura of energy that the unknown pokemon and @triss ' alakazam will pick up on. it STOMPS twice more, turning its huge body directly in the direction of Lucas Lane and arian coin . for such a large beast, turning requires effort and everyone else can watch as it takes a moment to get into position. but once it does, it takes off. [break][break][break]

the large beast THRASHS about as it charges forward, BULLDOZING through anything in its way. buildings become paper and the pokemon rampages onward toward nikolai's dye shop. in utter FRUSTRATION, the pokemon's two appendages snap out at anything in front of it, smashing through buildings, and crushing anyone in their way. just being in a place named after such an unfortunate event spells disaster.[break][break][break]

---

[break]

[break][break]

• Lucas Lane summons his beheeyem to stand guard. he continues to recant the chant as the pokemon starts to materialize.
• arian coin runs toward Lucas Lane 's direction. stops outside and yells for Lucas Lane 's attention. his pokemon are turned and he catches sight of the legendary pokemon about to be born.
• @triss ' alakazam refuses to TELEPORT again. instead, it uses FUTURE SIGHT to draw out a plan of escape. they flee together and the alakazam forces her to bring out her malamar. the malamar puts down a protective LIGHT SCREEN as they run. a DRACO METEOR lands nearby and the blast blows them away. @triss is with her alakazam. malamar gets thrown in the opposite direction.
• @saif sends his zoroak to fetch @triss but it gets caught in the blast radius. it gets thrown airborne from the shock waves.
• marcel maeda keeps running and brings out his dragonair. it uses a charged up WATER PULSE on the ground behind, splattering it everywhere. it uses ICE BEAM to solidify the water to stop the DRACO METEOR. he returns it right after the ICE BEAM.
• the ice doesn't stop it. the meteors break the ice or explode from being abruptly stopped. the blast throws marcel maeda off his noivern and both are sent tumbling onto the street. a piece of shrapnel pierces the noivern's back.
• Bailey Cooper runs away but is caught by the sheer force of a meteor exploding. it tosses her aside like a ragdoll and she lands on her elbow. it hurts a lot.
• her hitmonchan and palossand burst out of their balls to help her. her hitmonchan picks her up and flees, leaving the pallosand behind. it uses AGILITY and DETECT to get away. the impact of each blast still rattles the pair.
• persephone amavi stays in place and brings out her zebstrika. she orders it to go fetch Bailey Cooper . it runs off and finds Bailey Cooper .
• the palossand grows in size, turning into a real castle. it gets hit by DRAGON PULSE but persists with SHORE UP. it feels oddly determined. the unknown pokemon uses HYPER BEAM again which vaporizes it.
• freya morningstar lands on a building that overlooks persephone amavi 's current position. she asks persephone amavi to fill her in.
• the unknown pokemon turns to Lucas Lane and arian coin 's direction before charging right at them. it runs through buildings any everything else, tearing through everything in its path.

[attr="class","teamRight"]

the zebstrika lunges ahead, darting between the debris to reach bailey in a determined gallop. thunder crackles in the spots where its hooves meet the ground, streaks of white lightning flicker in momentarily in places after it clears ditches and mounds of rubble in leaps. the pokemon can make out two humanoid shapes in the dust and whirls to a stop beside them, dipping its head to survey them to see if they match its trainer's description.

a voice from above calls for her attention; maybe it would have been lost in the chaos, but hearing her name forces persephone to pull her gaze skyward. she recognises the councilwoman, poised atop her salamence like a mythological figure; graceful against the rippling muscle of her pokemon. persephone's lips part in a question, her eyes affixed on the woman's bow and arrow for a moment too long.

"no..." barely audible, an almost invisible shake of her head.

the invading creature lay waste to half the district alone, the scarred roads and the mutilated buildings a testament to its unprecedented power. myths and arrows won't save them.

"freya—" she cuts herself off. the gathering dust and sand had grown thick, casting a shadow over them, but it's the light cutting through, tearing fragments out of the makeshift wall, that informs her something is terribly wrong. the seconds bought by the stalwart hero, of whose sacrifice she may never learn, is enough for persephone to summon her drampa. she clings onto his white mane, desperate fingers tangled into the fur and body pressed close.

words aren't needed to communicate what they need to do.

the pair ascend like a bullet released from a barrel. the drampa is accustomed to flight; and besides, his knowledge of FLY allowing him to do so higher and quicker. the drampa's long, elegant body ripples in the air as they launch in the sky.

they're well clear of the HYPER BEAM when it rips through the palossand. floating high above the city, persephone watches in abject horror as the white light carves a path through the district, clean like the slice of a knife.

it doesn't stop there. of course it doesn't.

the creature begins to turn, slow at first, but persephone suspects its girth belies its potential for speed. her eyes follow the trajectory of where the creature is looking, trying to identify what caught its attention. she sees movement. she sees blond. she sees arian. she sees spilled ink colouring the street, shattered glass where the tremors had knocked over bottles.

it all becomes horrifyingly clear when the monster charges forward. the drampa wheels around and darts back down at her direction. even asking for the drampa to put down two layers of PROTECT, the green shimmering screen-like, over the dye shop won't be enough to stomp the rampaging creature, but hopefully its enough to give arian and lucas warning about what's approaching.

[attr="class","frlastconttop"]

[attr="class","frlastcontmid"]



[break]

She heard the hyper beam.[break][break]

With that sound, Bailey Cooper ended her struggle. The defeat had been felt, even if she had been unable to stand by her pokemon's side. The tears that burned her gaze came from that realization, mixing with the awful ache that made it impossible to move her left arm.[break][break]

She had never lost a pokemon before.[break][break]

Hitmonchan kept the hand to her back, noticing when the shouting came to its end. “I... I know he did his best,” but the Sergeant just wished she could have been there to support him—where would the ghost go now that its spirit no longer occupied that mismatched castle?[break][break]

Her good hand wiped the tears and the snot from her face. “He can rest.” There was no time to mourn—not while that beast still drew breath. The Sergeant could feel a familiar fire in her veins, rekindling the determination that had almost been lost.[break][break]

Their battle was far from over.[break][break]

The ground trembled, interrupting Hitmonchan's stride—they can hear the unknown creature before they can see it. The giant black shape was only visible for a fraction of a second as it collided through a nearby building, refusing to let the structure stand in its way. It was a level of speed that the Sergeant had not been expecting. [break][break]

“The fuck?” Where was it going? Why was it trying to get there so quickly?[break][break]

Her thoughts were interrupted by the stomping of hooves and the crackle of thunder as the Zebstrika arrived—the electric pokemon easily matching stride with her Hitmonchan. She squinted at the pokemon, “Perse is your trainer,” and it was a faint recollection that allowed her to make that claim.[break][break]

Her eyes went back to that path of destruction, too injured to protest when she was suddenly set atop the electric pokemon. Punchy had made a good point—this would be far more comfortable.[break][break]

“Come on, we gotta see where the hell that thing is going,” and she presumed that the others would follow, if they weren't already at the Dye Shop with Lucas Lane. “Giddy up.”[break][break]

They followed the trail of destruction, letting the Zebstrika set the pace. The faster, the better.[break][break]

[break][break]

tldr: realizes that her palosand is dead and overhears the destruction the guzzlord causes as it starts to travel through the city (not knowing where it is going). encounters the zebstrika that persephone amavi sent to find her and rides it instead of her hitmonchan, following the trail of destruction towards the dye shop.

[attr="class","frlastconttag2"]

"what in the f--" the ground rumbles. and it got only worse as the guzzlord ran toward them. "alright we need to go!" attempting to grab onto Lucas Lane, his pokemon would get in the way. and, so, he'd accidentally grab beheeyem by the noggin. "wha--?! how did you get in my hand!" the pokemon used double the protect. shielding him, @accidentally, and Lucas Lane.

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[break][break]

Lucas is not the only one to feel the approaching beast. The spirit is as surprised as the head researcher and the panic is evident in the pokemon's voice. "What?! Is it coming for us? Why?!" Lucas reaches out and is able to grasp the weird ball of energy. It's ethereal yet solid enough for him to hold. He can feel it wisp between his fingers, malleable, adapting.
[break][break]



"Lucas, what are you doing?! Get out of here! Now! I haven't materialized yet. I need more time."
[break][break]



The spirit doesn't wait for the man to make a move, he tugs at the researcher from the inside of his palm. Anything to get him to create more distance and save them for a little longer.
[break][break]



"Get me out of here!"
[break][break]



Between the panic, urgency, and overall chaos, Lucas will miss the feeling of the sphere in his hand becomes fuller with each second. It feels like its burning but there's no harm done to him. The flame turns from orange to yellow, taking shape.
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---

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[break][break]

• Lucas grabs the mass of energy and it prompts him to flee. It continues to manifest, slowly but surely.

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[attr="class","ipad"]
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drampa tries to project the PROTECT but it fails. the pokemon can feel the energy for the attack extend but it fizzles the farther away it gets. persephone amavi can feel it buckle underneath her when the PROTECT fails to manifest.[break][break][break]

freya morningstar 's arrow hits with a deadly accuracy despite the pokemon's frantic rush. her training shows her skill and ability to adjust to a moving target. the arrow detonates the moment it makes contact. the EXPLOSION that follows engulfs a sizable area but seems to do no visible damage. the pokemon ignores the attack completely, seemingly unaware it was attacked at all. it continues barreling down as another building gets outright swatted away.[break][break][break]

the STOMPING TANTRUM comes to an abrupt end as the pokemon takes a mighty leap. the ground fails to rumble when everyone expects another heavy step because the pokemon's in midair, momentarily as it comes crashing down in a belly flopping HEAVY SLAM. all 30,000 lbs comes crashing down on the PROTECTIVE barrier that covers nikolai's dye shop. [break][break][break]

[break][break][break]

the pokemon comes down and the barriers put up as much resistance as the wind. it shatters, much like their hope. the second layer holds for half a millisecond, enough to watch it absorb the impact before imploding. the layer underneath lasts just as long as that too is broken through by the pokemon's weight. it lands with a mighty thud that caves in the store front and creates a giant EARTHQUAKE that ripples across the entire city blocks. mild fissures form and the streets jiggle like jello.[break][break][break]

[break][break][break]

it takes a few moment for the pokemon to pick itself up. the window grows smaller and smaller as it screams with a terrible need. no one knows what it wants but Lucas Lane can't help but shake the feeling that it's after him. whether he runs or hides, it registers the scientist in its field of vision. the emptiness of its hollow eye sockets know that the oracle makes suitable prey.[break][break][break]

---

[break]

[break][break]

• marcel maeda and his noivern are thrown to the ground. he swaps his injured noivern for his dragonair. it uses MIST to help hide them as they run off to secure a better vantage point.
• @triss is thrown around by the aftershocks of the DRACO METEOR. her alakazam and malamar take the blunt of the blow back. alakazam tries to group by pulling the malamar with a combination of MIRACLE EYE and PSYCHIC. they make a run for it and head toward @zerker.
• @zerker brings out his steelix which helps fetch his KOED zoroark. they double back towards @triss and @zerker rushes to assist her. the steelix keeps a lookout for the unknown pokemon.
• persephone amavi's zebstrika encounters Bailey Cooper and her hitmonchan. Bailey Cooper mounts the zebstrika instead, heading back to towards arian coin and Lucas Lane.
• persephone amavi brings out her drampa and FLIES high above. she recognizes that the unknown pokemon is heading straight towards arian coin. her drampa tries to project the PROTECT but its range can't cross such a distance. the energy fizzles when it extends the field too far.
• freya morningstar lets her salamence steer them as she takes aim with her arrow. she lands a solid hit and it detonates. the EXPLOSION is sizable but doesn't have the punch to get the pokemon to notice. without the same impact, the pokemon has no reason to divert its attention to arian coin and Lucas Lane.
• Lucas Lane grabs the floating spirit and it begs him to flee. it still needs time to fully materialize. his beheeyem shrouds them in a two-folded layer of PROTECT. arian coin barges into the shop and tries to grab Lucas Lane and get the hell out. however, the beheeyem gets in the way and arian coin ends up grabbing the psychic pokemon instead.
• it jumps into the air and crashes into the shop with HEAVY SLAM. once it gets back up it spots Lucas Lane and continues to pursue him.