the various PROTECTS and attacks are enough to counteract the momentum of the falling golurk. in the end, the automaton pokemon is left to fend for itself against the onslaught of attacks that come its way. it takes the ZEN HEADBUTT, FEINT ATTACK, and CRUNCH. no sympathy comes from its owner. why should it? golurk is nothing more than a weapon. its worth is tied to its use and right now it means almost nothing.

but when the seal on its chest is removed, it rages indiscriminately, turning the whole town around it into a mountain of rubble. 

golurk does just that. it rips the seal off and starts its raged-induced STOMPING TANTRUM, looking to batter away anyone near as its large legs look to summon an EARTHQUAKE. anyone in its vicinity will want to leave.

--

whistle.

metagross soars forward, charges straight at fernando with unrivaled intensity; its four legs shift and lock together in place, pointing forwards as it looks to ram straight into the councilman for a METEOR MASH.

--

golurk is stopped!
golurk rips the seal off its chest and uses STOMPING TANTRUM and EARTHQUAKE.
metagross shoots straight at fernando for a METEOR MASH.

FERNANDO SILPH evelyn silph kyle lopez

the rubble that buries noivern shifts from underneath as something looks to break through. but then the movement dies down. noivern has fainted.

delphox fends off the oncoming ROCK BLASTS for as long as she can with her PSYCHICS and MYSTICAL FLARES. but then the defenses stop. delphox has fainted.

luxray is knocked back by SHELL SMASH and releases one final DISCHARGE only to fall to the ground moments after. luxray has fainted.

from underneath the ground, excadrill bursts out of his DRILL RUN and attempts to slash at fernando. but even then, the mole falls to the ground after. excadrill has fainted.

the amalgamation of sacrifices is what turns the tide. he feels the power flowing beneath his feet, feels it transforming the creature beneath him into something so much more. 

they've become one.

silas looks across the battlefield, past the incoming attacks and grins.

"SILPH." 

a sudden shield of PROTECT is enacted, shielding them from what remains of the ZAP CANNON. he allows MUD BOMB and MYSTICAL FIRE to hit but only because he knows what the damage will do. it only makes them stronger. metagross buckles under the pain but looks relatively unaffected.

now it's their turn.

--

the lack of GRAVITY might be silph's demise.

"UP." 

as hard as the GRAVITY once pulled down on them, metagross rises further up. they're not escaping, no, they're simply removing themselves from the blast radius. or at least teetering on the very edge of it.

3/3 READY.

"NOW." 

what has gone unseen is something that comes from the heavens. it falls as quick as a rocket, doubling, tripling, quadrupling in size until it becomes clear for all to see.

golurk's IRON FIST is what cuts through the air. its legs are joined together, mystical energies powering it through the air as it flies, soars, plummeting straight down.

the silphs only have a few seconds to react.

golurk's IRON FIST looks to slam into the ground right where fernando stands, the impact no doubt causing an EARTHQUAKE that looks to ruin the entire city.

"DIE."

--

noivern faints.
delphox faints.
luxray faints.
excadrill tries to DRILL RUN fernando.
excadrill faints.

metagross uses PROTECT.
metagross is hit by MUD BOMB and MYSTICAL FLARE.
metagross rises into the air with silas.
golurk soars straight into the ground for an EARTHQUAKE.

FERNANDO SILPH evelyn silph kyle lopez

the battle rages on around but for silas it comes toa stop. through narrowed eyes he sees something peculiar from the silph, something that he could never have predicted. a purple beam of mystical energy shoots out at him, striking him square in the chest. he has no time to react. his eyes widen, heart tensing as he brings a hand to the spot of impact. he falls to his knees.

--

the presence of the glalie is intimidating but it doesn't shake excadrill, who stands at the ready despite being blasted by the TRI-ATTACK. he watches as the ROCK SLIDE is easily dealt with. as the glalie turns to release a frightening SHEER COLD, he's already started his DRILL RUN, burying himself deep below the ground to avoid the cold.

for now, he remains hidden, moving undisturbed.

--

metagross and delphox come under fire. literally. the fire-type's attacks are redirected back at them. she takes both, understanding the sacrifice she must make to ensure metagross goes on for as long as possible. she turns and holds up both her hands, concentrating the last of her energy on the SURF that flows their way.

a powerful PSYCHIC slows down the SURF, bit by bit, until the water-attack comes to a complete stop. it is held by mystical energies that resemble a wall, stopping the SURF from flowing. she struggles under the pressure, legs buckling and hands trembling, but she holds on for now.

metagross takes the WATER SHURIKENS, moving in the air so the ones targeted for delphox hits it too. it's still up. 

--

luxray expects the rhydon. after the impact the electric-type continues on, eyes set on the mismagius. he lunges forward, CRUNCHING down on the ghost-type. his eyes glow an eerie yellow as he looks to songbird. SCARY FACE is in play.

-- 

metagross looks to its trainer, an inkling of concern, an emotion thought to be unknown to the pokemon, washes over its features. silas is not dead but he's not moving. he hears a voice reaching out to him, interrupting his thoughts with a simple question. the answer is just as simple.

"yes."

--

3/3 ready but not in play yet.

--

excadrill takes the TRI-ATTACK.
excadrill avoids SHEER COLD by DRILL RUNNING into the ground.
silas is hit by the purple beam!
delphox is hit by WILL-O-WISP and MYSTICAL FLARE.
delphox uses PSYCHIC to stop the SURFS.
metagross tanks all the WATER SHURIKENS.
silas wants to WIN.

FERNANDO SILPH evelyn silph kyle lopez

metagross are strong pokemon but they aren't invincible. they can only withstand so much before their programming fails and they have to succumb to the damage taken. but silas' has been trained to survive through whatever means necessary. it is what allows it to tank the water shuriken. as it slips in between buildings, the added cover helps avoid the flamethrower but not the rock blasts. the buildings might help lessen the impact but the rocks still smack into its body. it recoils slightly but doesn't lose its balance. neither does silas.

porygon2 might have locked-on but perhaps it will work against their favor. synchronoise doesn't do enough to deter excadrill away, nor does it even particularly bother metagross. angered at the disruption caused by kecleon, excadrill reaches for the normal-type's fallen body, jams his claws in it, and holds it up in the air to tank most of the tri-attack. despite that, excadrill still slashes away at the ground to summon a rock slide over fernando's way.

the different elements melt away at the kecleon, soon passing through to hit excadrill as well. but he's won his battle and he still survives.

only when songbird speaks again does silas even remembers her presence. so forgettable, so boring. the three elemental attacks are strong on their own but they have no synergy together. which is why they become so weak; mud dilutes the fire, fire weakens the ice. metagross can take it, but it's reaching the brink of exhaustion. it tilts its body in a way that keeps silas safe but even he has suffered some splash damage from the attacks.

narrowing his eyes, silas looks at songbird in great annoyance and nonchalantly throws out two more pokeballs. luxray's charge into wild charge targets cloyster; delphox's mystical flare and will-o-wisp flies towards songbird and her lopunny. annoying shits.

there's no point covering three potential directions of escape. he's not running. but he does seem to be edging away from fernando and hovering closer towards songbird. perhaps he's preparing for something.

the clock's ticking down.

the rubble that buries noivern starts to shift ever so slightly. 

silas looks to songbird. "two of you against me and you're still having this much trouble. you really are a non-factor, aren't you, evelyn?"

2/3

--

metagross tanks the water shuriken.
metagross evades the flamethrower.
metagross tanks the rock blasts.
excadrill uses kecleon as a meat shield.
excadrill uses rock slide on fernando.
metagross tanks songbird's onslaught.
luxray charges and uses wild charge on cloyster.
delphox uses mystical flare and will-o-wisp on songbird and lopunny.
silas moves closer to songbird and farther away from fernando.

FERNANDO SILPH evelyn silph kyle lopez

arrogance is a double-edged sword. it is what carries him forward, what steels him through the raging battle in front of him. it is his rise, his salvation, but it is also his downfall. he hasn't accepted it yet, too stubborn to even consider it, but he's met his match.

luxray's useless while rhydon's on the field. noivern is buried under the rock slide. delphox is vulnerable to the multitude of earthquakes. metagross evades the flamethrower with ease, floating off to the side only to be met by water shurikens that threaten to pierce its iron skin. 

the source of the fissure comes from under the earth. even as the earth rumbles and quakes a drill run is what drives him forward fast enough to avoid the surfs. and then, from under the earth, comes an excadrill; his steel sharpened from a swords dance, claws jammed together as he shoots up at fernando. the weakened mat block will not hold against the intensity of the attack. excadrill goes for fernando's legs.

metagross carries silas off to the side and lands on the ground, near the chasm caused by fissure. the earthquakes are not unfamiliar, they've trained for this, they've lived through it. arrogance is what makes him pursue instead of fleeing from a lost battle.

he's counting down in his head. something else is coming. something that might turn the tide. but for now, he carries on with metagross acting as his vanguard.

1/3

--

noivern is buried under the rock slide.
metagross evades the flamethrower.
metagross tanks the water shuriken.
excadrill is hit by earthquake.
excadrill evades the surfs.
excadrill drill runs up into fernando.

FERNANDO SILPH evelyn silph

the fire is easily dealt with, shrugged off almost, but the ice and thunder is what sends noivern plummeting to the ground. he bats his wings and screeches, boomburst echoing across as he falls and falls. the gravity drags him straight to the ground. boomburst and dragon pulse does what it can to counteract the velocity, but the damage is still substantial. the ground cracks under the pressure even before earthquake.

"i don't." 

there's a delay to the earthquake, a buildup that's required to reach its full power. he knows as much and takes advantage of the brief window he's granted. he recalls the luxray and delphox, keeping them safe from the devastation only to climb atop the metagross. taunt is annoying but there's nothing that can be done.

despite the gravity present, metagross manages to stay airborne, floating just high enough to avoid the full brunt of the earthquake. sharp spikes burst out of the ground, slamming into the steel underbelly of the psychic-type. but metagross remains strong and stable even through the ancient power.

noivern does what he can to avoid the ground, wings thundering as he remains airborne despite the intense gravity pushing down against him.

it's funny how the opposition is grouped up as well.

"do you?"

fernando might have thought he was safe from the earthquake considering the source of it stemmed from him, but the tremors suddenly double in intensity. triple, almost. another earthquake happens at the same time, shockwaves surging underneath the ground where fernando stands.

and from it, a fissure. the ground instantly splits into two and threatens to swallow the councilman and his team in. verdanturf will soon be separated into two.

--

noivern uses boomburst and dragon pulse to lessen the impact into the ground.
luxray and delphox are recalled.
something uses earthquake.
something uses fissure.

FERNANDO SILPH evelyn silph

future sight is what saves him.

silas allows kyle to go free, hidden under the cover of the mist. something about the boy intrigues him; he's not after power nor glory, he's just looking to survive. perhaps that small connection was what saved the league officer from inevitable death.

solar beam shoots out at him but he doesn't flinch. he stares the yellow beam down until it's met with luxray's discharge, battling against it until both attacks subside into nothing. when the energies start to settle down, luxray's already charging.

noivern's screech is what gives the incoming attacks away. that, and the sudden increase in gravity. the sensation is all too familiar, reminiscent of the attack on slateport docks. the change is almost welcomed.

again, silas does not flinch.

the draco meteors that seek him do little to scare him because he knows the first attacks are the strongest. after that they become nothing but pebbles. noivern's sudden hurricane, sharp and intense, booms through the battlefield to combat the oncoming attacks. it's enough to redirect one draco meteor into a nearby building, crushing it almost instantly.

the second draco meteor is met with the same hurricane aided by an equally powerful fire blast. the combined moves are enough to shatter the draco meteor into mere pieces that scatter across the ground, littering the already littered streets.

rock blast is nothing against metagross' preemptive iron defense. the steel-type intercepts the attack, floating strongly after the impact as if it hadn't even been bothered.

FERNANDO SILPH is smart to keep a wary eye out because there is another unseen pokemon in play. it remains hidden for now, waiting for an opportune moment.

it's only when the attacks are dealt with does silas even bother to look across. he is greeted by the familiar sight of evelyn silph and her brother. her defection is nothing but expected; what is unexpected is how fernando's choice.

songbird's reckoning will come.

but for now, his sights are set on the councilman.

whistle.

his pokemon surround him with the exception of the noivern, who remains in the air, circling the battlefield from above. luxray falls to his side while metagross hovers at the front, acting as their vanguard while delphox remains by the side. their backs are exposed, but that won't be a problem for much longer.

they might be in a defensive formation but their intentions are anything but. they bide their time, waiting as they start to circle in the same direction as fernando.

noivern's dragon pulse keeps them busy.

kyle lopez

kyle lopez.

"stop." 

a single command halts the movements of his pokemon. the attacks come at them and they tank through it but they do not retaliate. delphox remains in the harsh grasps of mightyena's crunch. metagross is slowed with static as the bare surface of his metallic blue skin is tainted with the flames of a will-o-wisp. even an untamed beast like noivern halts his onslaught and remains perched up high.

the whistle pierces across the hallowed battlefield.

"what do you want to do, kyle lopez?" 

he takes a step forward. luxray stays by his side.

"do you want to run? or do you want to fight?"

luxray's scary face is only matched by the expressionless face of silas. there is something sinister about the air around him.

"to be the one who killed silas blackwell. it's so tempting, isn't it? you're so close. all you need to do is to reach out and seize it." 

he stops not too far away.

"what will it be, kyle lopez?"

kyle lopez

kyle is not as discreet as he may think he is. silas sees how the boy's hands move to his holster and yet he does nothing. the only reason the two pokemon burst free from their pokeballs is because silas allowed them to.

just like how he is allowing this boy to live. for now.

rain turns into hail with the appearance of the ninetales. disable frees kyle of the psychic hold but roar will not be as effective. noivern's timed boomburst counteracts the roar, effectively diluting the fierce sound until it becomes nothing more than a squeak to luxray.

the mightyena that lunges at delphox will have the same luck as the ninetales. future sight sees the attack coming which allows delphox to crumple her body as she shifts to the side, narrowly avoiding the sharp fangs of the dark-type. she quickly turns and brings her hands together, slamming down into the ground for a fire blast that targets the same mightyena.

silas might not be discreet but he doesn't have to be. the moment the pokeballs flashed open his hands have already found another pokeball.

metagross stops the incoming quick attack, tanking the damage only to return a sudden bullet punch. its heavy fist looks to slam against the electric-type, not to send it away, but to send it into the ground for a meteor mash.

luxray does nothing but charge.

"i asked you a question." 

noivern's dragon pulse booms towards kyle.

"what is your name?"

kyle lopez

the playfulness in the air dissipates, cut into shreds of nothingness that fills the air with a silence that is familiar to the rocket boss. he allows it to change, embraces it, and waits for her reaction to reveal more.

"i'm always unhappy. it's just a matter of how much." 

but erin's words are right: this is the second time. footsteps and laughter come from around the corner and from it comes a pair of rocket grunts donning their uniforms but not out of pride.

they look and the moment they meet silas' gaze, the laughter stops. panic sets in as abruptly as they had intruded. the pair shift their heads away and immediately turn to rush back where they came from.

"just testing the waters." 

silas' gaze fixes on her, golden and bright. he's doing more than just testing the waters: he needs to know just how much he can trust her. allegiances are fickle but call him an optimist for believing in his people. some of his people.

raising his phone, he asks.

"will this be all?"