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NIKOLAI

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i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.

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NIKOLAI PETROV

jouir de [ closed ]

POSTED ON Oct 23, 2018 13:17:47 GMT

the behemoth towers over them but it isn't able to intimidate either of them. they've seen worse. they've been through worse. "he's impressive." he says at surface value because he doesn't know the true extent of its abilities. and when offered a chance to find out, curiosity gets the better of him. he thinks for a moment.

only for a moment.

"speaking from experience?" he knows she does. raising an eyebrow, he clicks with his tongue, sending armaldo forward. HARDEN prepares him for the battle because he knows he'll need his defenses strengthened against a dragon that powerful.

nikolai is a gentleman, but not when in every sense.

"target."

CRUSH CLAW slashes at the ground, sending one ROCK BLAST barreling towards the dragon. he's careful not to get the woman in the splash zone.

nikolai never takes his eyes off her. "you look like you could use a bit of physical activity, too."

@reagan

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NIKOLAI

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TWENTY-FIVE

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i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.

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rise . [ c ]

POSTED ON Oct 23, 2018 13:08:35 GMT

he moves at an impeccable pace, not slowing down once to even acknowledge her as he introduces her to the gym and gives her the short rundown. he can tell she hasn't had a gym battle before and by proxy it tells him she's a relatively new trainer. either that, or she's not as confident as she should be.

she summons her pokemon and the battle commences.

TAILWIND conjures up strong winds that flow through the gym, soaring across as it ruffles his attire and hair. but he lets it. STUN SPORES travel in the wind and he has to admit that it's smart. maybe she isn't so new after all.

bisharp's precise X-SCISSOR cuts a hole in the air that redirects the surge of wind, avoiding being paralyzed but that leaves escavalier prone to being affected. the STUN SPORES land on escavalier's armor and slows him, almost immobilizing and as he struggles to move, all he can do is watch bisharp carry on without him.

bisharp moves with unrivaled speed, hopping left and right, jumping from platform to platform before landing on one close enough to NIGHT SLASH at butterfree. escavalier remains immobile but that doesn't stop him from using IRON DEFENSE to prepare himself.

"hey, dear!" he calls for her attention. "don't be so nervous. you're doing fine. look, you paralyzed escavalier." a little bit of encouragement might do her some good. "now it's time to capitalize on it."

cait alfric

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NIKOLAI

HE/HIM

TWENTY-FIVE

CYBER BOY

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i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.

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lâcher [ closed | future ]

POSTED ON Oct 23, 2018 11:47:42 GMT

"what do you mean it's destroyed?"

his words are rough and fierce, stomping through the air as he voices his frustrations. the news hits him harder than it should've and he's not so sure why it does: it's not his city but it's what he was assigned to protect. to hear that he failed is a blow to his ego because he never fails.

exploded. destroyed. nothing else remains but rubble and dirt. and his legacy as protector of the city. he wasn't there to protect his post but what could he have changed. from what they tell him, the attack happened in an instant. if he had been in the gym he most likely would have died in the explosion, so in a way, he's lucky to not have been there.

that fact doesn't do much to appease the guilt that eats away at him.

wrapped in ridiculous hospital attire, he finds himself confined to the small room of the hospital of the pokemon league with nothing to do but to recover; from what, he's still not too sure.

a knock comes from the door, snapping him right up on the bed. he doesn't bother speaking because he knows he can't change the inevitable: the door will still open.

thalia: a face that usually subdues his insecurities does the exact opposite today. he can't control it—"why are you here?" he can't catch his tongue until the words leave his mouth but by the end of it he diverts his eyes away. guilt isn't new to him.

"sorry."

taking a deep breath, he wills himself to look at her. something's changed and he's not so sure what. "did anyone get hurt?" he asks, referencing the attack on his gym.

thalia black

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NOODLES

NIKOLAI

HE/HIM

TWENTY-FIVE

CYBER BOY

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i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.

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deplorable [c]

POSTED ON Oct 23, 2018 11:12:46 GMT

the moment her drink is refilled and she reaches for it he knows he has her on the hook, because they had agreed for one drink and she's violating their terms. in a good way, of course. it just means he'll have company for the night.

"is that why you're here? to take care of pokemon. or whatever." he repeats her words back to her as he takes another shot. he's never been good at pacing himself, not when he has so much to drown. "or is it another odd job?"

@min

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NIKOLAI

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TWENTY-FIVE

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i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.

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rise . [ c ]

POSTED ON Oct 23, 2018 10:15:34 GMT

the doors of the gym slide open, snapping him out of his daydream. it's a girl he doesn't recognize, but then again he barely recognizes anyone who's a challenger. their faces all sort of blend together: young, feisty, with high hopes and a goal that's too hard to achieve. pokemon champion: the title humors him.

regardless, he won't deny them a chance at their dream.

"welcome to the sootopolis gym. i assume you're here for a challenge?" he takes a step forward, around the counter, and approaches her. "you'd be facing me: nikolai. this way, dear."

despite being a steel-type gym, the decor tells otherwise: the battlefield is comprised of different patches of land with the largest one in the middle and around it is water, deep, cold, and unforgiving if one were to fall in.

smiling, he speaks. "two on two. no items. no switching out." he throws out two pokeballs and his team take their positions on the battlefield. he doesn't need to give them instructions; they've done this routine far too many times.

"any questions? if not, you can have the first move."

cait alfric

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NIKOLAI

HE/HIM

TWENTY-FIVE

CYBER BOY

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i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.

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jouir de [ closed ]

POSTED ON Oct 23, 2018 8:11:25 GMT

her voice catches him off guard: it's soothing yet intoxicating at the same time. it leaves him wanting more, needing more, and her appearance only helps with that. her eyes undressing him do not go unnoticed; it allows him a chance to do the same to her: from her piercing eyes to the curves of her breasts.

"you gotta earn it, darling. i don't go around spilling secrets, not even to beautiful women."

but she needs something to latch on to: a bait, dangling out in the open waters and until he gives her one, there's no guarantee she'll stay.

"preparation."

that's the short of it and he knows it; his smirk gives him away. "and you?"

@reagan

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NIKOLAI

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i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.

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enivré

POSTED ON Oct 23, 2018 6:24:52 GMT

"bad boy—" the words garner more laughter from him as he exhales his amusement, tilting his head slightly at the thought. "in a sense, yeah, i am. but don't tell anyone." the playfulness in his words are transcribed not only by the smirk on his face, but also by the way he lifts his index finger to place over his lips for a gesture.

bad boy: if only she knew the true extent of that word and how much it applies to him.

unlike her he doesn't need to steal glances because his intentions were made clear right from the start. he has no qualms about looking, admiring whenever he pleases, and he makes sure she knows it through the gentle caress of her waist; fingers dance down to her thigh as she fully leans into him but they don't push their boundaries. he stays within his limits because he knows better.

"then don't because i can't either."

their eyes meet and the mischievousness she presents isn't unnoticed. it's what makes him move closer. his hand abandons the glass in favor of her features; fingers brush against the side of her cheek, down her jaw, almost as a test to see how she'd react.

@sveva

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NIKOLAI

HE/HIM

TWENTY-FIVE

CYBER BOY

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i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.

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NIKOLAI PETROV

VICTORY [ CLOSED | FREEFORM | FUTURE ]

POSTED ON Oct 23, 2018 6:04:33 GMT

there's no more tricks up his sleeves: nikolai has revealed his last trump card with the psychic duo and the moment the TELEPORT failed, he knows there's no way out of it unless fernando allows it. his life is in the hands of a deranged man hellbent on revenge for reasons nikolai can't quite understand yet. jealousy is one thing but the SHEER COLD in the middle of the battlefield is another thing entirely. he's not sure if he'll even be given a chance to understand.

in that moment his body is ready to surrender and die, but his stubbornness blocks him from accepting his fate.

he feels his hands rummage through his pockets, retrieving each and every single one of his weapons, leaving him defenseless. he doesn't care for the majority of them but for the few that he truly does, it breaks his heart to feel their pokeballs being ripped away from his body.

a question is asked but he can't respond with words. instead, he looks up with his half-open, vision-blurred eyes and stares at the man who decides his fate. still, in the face of death, he smiles.

there's no resistance left to give but he'll be damned if he dies without his dignity.

DRAMPA (BESERK) - PROTECT | SAFEGUARD | HYPER VOICE | DRAGON PULSE | FLY | PLAY NICE

FERNANDO SILPH

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NIKOLAI

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TWENTY-FIVE

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enivré

POSTED ON Oct 23, 2018 5:39:38 GMT

warmth doesn't come from the liquor that coats the back of his throat, that flows through his veins, no; warmth comes from the feeling of her fingers intertwined with his, of her body close against his, of her hiccuping laugh that livens the gym. it frees him from the shackles of his past and for moments he's allowed to live in the moment.

here, with her.

laughter comes way too easy to a person who normally doesn't have that luxury. "did you? i can't remember." drink after drink, shot after shot, all he does and all he cares about is pouring because appeasement comes when there's liquor in her glass.

"it's fine, it's fine." he holds off on his shot and watches her take hers. he might be in the lead but he needs her to catch up. "stay close to me and you'll be fine. the league can't touch me." his hand finds her waist if only to pull her closer but somehow it's still not enough. he craves more. he needs more.

shot. refill. the cycle continues.

@sveva

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NIKOLAI

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deplorable [c]

POSTED ON Oct 23, 2018 4:33:02 GMT

she's more tamed than he is with her drink. he watches how she carefully drinks and notices how the burn of of the liquor affects her: it's unfamiliar, though not unwelcome.

her question tells him she's not a local or at least she pretends like she isn't, though there's an air of innocence in her voice that doesn't lead him to believe otherwise.

"you're in my city, min." a shot warms him up. "nikolai, sootopolis gym leader. welcome."

another gesture at the bartender refills his glass and hers if she wants. "why are you here, min?" he leans closer. "in my city. it's not to challenge the gym otherwise you'd know of me."

@min

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NIKOLAI

HE/HIM

TWENTY-FIVE

CYBER BOY

GYM LEADER

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i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.

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241 posts

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NIKOLAI PETROV

VICTORY [ CLOSED | FREEFORM | FUTURE ]

POSTED ON Oct 22, 2018 19:37:46 GMT

TELEPORT never comes into play. the trio he has waiting on the other side of victory road is never utilized, and the moment the TELEPORT fails, the psychic-types relay the message on as they combat the onslaught they're been subjected to from the SHADOW TAG. the SPIRIT SHACKLES renders whatever little hope they have left of escaping in one piece. like nikolai, they are now at the mercy of fernando.

gardevoir: a fake TACKLE into FEINT ATTACK stumbles the psychic-type but it doesn't do nearly enough. her HELPING HAND is still strong as she turns to aid the gallade with a DISARMING VOICE. she surges forward, DOUBLE TEAMING to help combat the four sacred beasts that trot forward. her illusions are enough to disrupt as they take garchomp's DRAGON CLAW.

gallade: the flames lick away at the bare surface of his skin PSYCHO CUT engulfs his arms as the surge of energy looks to redirect some of the heat, and even though he's aided by gardevoir's HELPING HAND, it's not enough to negate all of the damage. but that's not what he's trying to do.

the redirection of the flames give gallade a split moment to shift everything off to the side, PSYCHO CUTTING the magneton. it's not enough to stop the LOCK-ON but it's enough to disorientate, to buy time. gardevoir holds the dragons off long enough with DISARMING VOICE to allow gallade to shift, positioning himself in between the ZAP CANNON and nikolai. the attack flies straight into him; electricity surges through his body and renders him paralyzed by the end of it, dropping him to the ground, but his duty is complete: nikolai is safe, at least for now.

they're all just buying time.

FERNANDO SILPH

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NOODLES

NIKOLAI

HE/HIM

TWENTY-FIVE

CYBER BOY

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i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.

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NIKOLAI PETROV

VICTORY [ CLOSED | FREEFORM | FUTURE ]

POSTED ON Oct 22, 2018 8:43:48 GMT

persephone amavi likes this

there's nothing he can do. there's no reaction except for pain but even that doesn't last forever. numbness overcomes him with each punch, each blow that's dealt until he's at the brink of death. he edges close to it, dances on it but an alien force refuses to let him cross over. beheeyem's RECOVER refuses to let him die. by the time fernando's exacted his rage, nikolai's barely breathing.

hushed, pained breaths escape his bloodied lips as he lingers on for his dear life. words are barely heard and go unrecognized. he can't give a reaction. all he can do is breathe and wait.

charizard approaches.

his eyes are barely open at this point but he knows what's coming. he's still alive for a reason. he might not be able to speak anymore but his mind still functions. his mind's infested with knowledge from the life he's lived, from the things he's experienced. one doesn't become a rocket beast by pure chance. the title is earned.

fernando's mistake is assuming he's won. fernando's mistake is letting complacency fill him. fernando's mistake is not letting him die.

his body might be broken but his soul will never break.

'now.'

in a blink, the very fabric of nature is ripped apart, opened and from it comes salvation. gallade's WIDE GUARD blocks charizard's hungry jaws from crushing nikolai's manhood only to follow it with a precise PSYCHO CUT to shove the charizard away. gardevoir is there with a HELPING HAND and a DISARMING VOICE that shrieks across the whole vicinity, immobilizing as MAGICAL LEAVES are sent slicing across at everyone.

all it takes is a second of precise planning and coordination.

there's nothing to stop their TELEPORT out.

the title of rocket beast may be stripped but nikolai will never shed himself free, and maybe that's not such a bad thing. it's a part of him and it makes him who he is today. it takes him for too long to realize that he's not alone anymore.

queen's confiscated gardevoir. the league's gifted gallade. persephone's team. he might have lost his team today but he's alive, and that's all that matters.

the TELEPORT take them to the edge of victory road, nearing the pokemon league because he had a feeling he would end up there. from there, he'll make his escape with the help of persephone.

zebstrika carries his body on her back as she WILD CHARGES towards the pokemon league, not willing to stop for anything or anyone.

drampa carries his body on his back as he FLIES towards the pokemon league, not willing to stop for anything or anyone.

there's only one real body but which is it? zoroark's ILLUSION hides the truth and allows for their escape. gallade and gardevoir are assigned to each method of transportation. their defenses are set up, their escape is all but confirmed.

celebrate, for fernando is victorious on this day. but he won't ever taste it again:

victory.

FERNANDO SILPH

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i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.

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spiral lul

POSTED ON Oct 22, 2018 8:43:31 GMT

persephone amavi likes this

borrowing:

gardevoir from Queen - confiscated by league.
zebstrika, drampa, zoroark from persephone amavi - given bc qt ilu.

taking:

gallade from valentine besoras - sorry gk ilu will miss u.

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NIKOLAI

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serré [ wild ]

POSTED ON Oct 22, 2018 4:50:23 GMT

shiv and persephone amavi like this

"break."

it's two versus one but it's not armaldo who's at the disadvantage. lunatone and solrock do their best to combat the fossil-pokemon but their efforts are useless. STONE EDGES that burst out of the ground are easily dodged as armaldo swivels left and right, quick on his feet, practically bouncing as his speed is unrivaled, unmatched. his CRUSH CLAW downs solrock. PROTECT shields him from lunatone's PSYCHIC before X-SCISSOR slays it.

armaldo is victorious.

@fk u spiral

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NIKOLAI PETROV

VICTORY [ CLOSED | FREEFORM | FUTURE ]

POSTED ON Oct 22, 2018 4:45:05 GMT

HEAT WAVE takes far too long. it manages to successfully thaw out his trainer but it leaves the aerodactyl susceptible and vulnerable, like bait dangling in water just waiting to be eaten. fernado's dragon latch on in an instant: DRAGON CLAW and THUNDER FANG immobilize the dinosaur. retaliation doesn't come because he has nothing left to give. he's done his duty. nikolai's free.

everything's numb, and cold, and hot—all at the same time and it's then that he comes to. he awakens from his frozen slumber practically gasping for air but when he inhales, nothing comes in. the water in his lungs refuses to let anything else in. he chokes and shivers, trembling as he struggles for air. water is exhaled, spit out, but he still can't regain his bearings.

panting, choking, it all mixes together as he's slumped over on the ground. his hands trace the bare surface of the ground, feeling the grooves and the smell rocks that litter the ground. everything is unfamiliar, everything is foreign; he's left stranded, dazed and confused, on an island far too cold with no air to breathe.

when he finally finds some form of stability, he spits out the remaining bit of water and opens his eyes, though not nearly in time to even react to the kick to his face. it cracks his nose, that's not new, but what's new is the lack of control of the situation. he's not used to it.

his body flails from the kick, falling back down to the ground. he manages to stop the fall with his hands but the disorientation overcomes him. he scrambles on the ground, shifts so he's on his back. eyes open to see fernando towering over him, looming and threatening, but there's nothing he can do to stop him.

he spits blood and raises his hand in a worthless attempt to defend himself. "stop—" nikolai doesn't surrender. he never has and never will. but in that brief moment of death, he contemplates it. his hands are trembling and it's not from the cold. the realization is sickening:

fernando is in control.

in the background, aerodactyl continues to get eaten alive.

FERNANDO SILPH