[attr="class","beck"]MAT BLOCK covers them, keeps them safe, and it allows theo a brief moment to glance around the vicinity to better gauge the situation. as the ground starts to tremble and shake, spirits of past pokemon start to rise, floating through surfaces. that, coupled with interference from trainers, makes things difficult.

a sharp whistle, tone precise, pierces through the air, calling to one in particular. the moment merlino turns is when theo starts signing.

'don't be stupid.' the ground begins to crack. 'focus on the objective.'

the moment the ground cracks, crobat has already latched onto its trainer, and they slowly descend while everything else around them falls.

he brings a quick hand to his blazer, calls out a malamar that immediately wraps itself around theo. he clicks his tongue twice, pointing in a direction.

a HYPNOSIS flies towards @archon.

summary //
tells merlino to focus lol
crobat latches onto theo and they descend as opposed to fall
calls out malamar that wraps around theo
malamar uses HYPNOSIS on archon

As the ground shakes and rocks cascade around them, a sharp whistle cuts through the din of battle — as it's meant to. For a moment, he's back in Kanto again, standing in a different sort of graveyard, in the blood-soaked grass of a town destroyed.

His gaze snaps toward Theo. Like a dog, trained.

But this dog has become a wolf, leader of its pack, and the amber eyes that lock upon those of his former mentor narrow.

'Know your place.'

A Corviknight shrieks upon release, shedding steel as aerial autotomize takes effect. Smaller, quicker, the metallic avian swoops with extreme speed to catch its master as he falls. Corviknight's cry is not alone; it echoes through a crumbling graveyard, the haunted wails of the dead disturbed howling in their ears.

Gavin steadies himself upon Corviknight's back, whistles.

Eelektross, snared by its own shadow, levitates above. A signal and a click of tongue behind teeth; the coiled eel shudders with a sickening gurgle, reeling back before it spits up gastric acid toward the owl.

Spirits hiss their displeasure as tombstones crack.

The white mists of Mt. Pyre form the shape of a Pokémon long passed: a Sandslash leaps toward the underboss' mount.

"Carter!" Gavin signals. "Fire!"

[attr="class","pokesprite pokemon lugia"][attr="class","pokesprite pokemon aerodactyl"][attr="class","pokesprite pokemon eelektross"][attr="class","pokesprite pokemon roserade"][attr="class","pokesprite pokemon corviknight"][attr="class","pokesprite pokemon tyranitar"]

tl;dr:
see my exhibit for shadow pokemon info
watch it, beckett :monkaknife: (gavin communicates w/ sign language)
corviknight is sent out; actives its aerial autotomize and snatches gavin with extreme speed; they're currently flying
eelektross uses gastro acid on angelo's decidueye
gavin tells @fay to exorcise a spirit that's tryna gank him

[attr="class","beck"]caldwell disappears in a flash, blurring into shades of orange, but it's exactly what theo expects. it's what he conditioned, after all.

kill.

a click sounds right as dragonite's fat fist appears, drenched in a THUNDER PUNCH. he tilts his head to the side, reacts quick enough for malamar to slither its tentacle up before pushing its trainer's head away. it takes the impact instead, electricity cracking. the brief lull allows for an exchange.

"too slow, caldwell."

something slithers across his back.

"try again."

malamar's other tentacle bursts forth, its scythe-like fin drenched in the same electricity, except much more volatile. it aims straight for caldwell with a FOUL PLAY.

summary //
malamar takes the THUNDER PUNCH
malar uses FOUL PLAY on archon

It's the words of gym leader Billi Marsh that focus Gavin's attention away from bloodlust. Until now, it had not been clear the those present were here as anything but unfortunate mourners caught in the crossfire.

@archon has already ensured that his name will be known to the League — so Gavin does not hesitate to reveal their allegiance in turn.

"Rocket: secure that Pokémon. No matter the cost."

A feral snarl forms upon the lips of the underboss as his Corviknight swoops sideways to dodge a thrown tombstone. It carries them far enough from THEO BECKETT that they cannot intervene when the thunder punch is thrown.

Beckett's Pokémon jumps to his defense; Gavin isn't so lucky.

Like thunder, the boomburst cracks through the confined space with the force of a deafening storm. As if the sound had been its herald, the dark legend that was Shadow Lugia emerges from from the smokescreen with an answering shriek. Though Gavin's ears ring, the telepathic fury of his patron comes through clear as ever.

'YOU DARE ATTACK WHAT IS MINE?'

Its powerful tail whips through the air, shattering the graves thrown by Billi Marsh's Pinsir. But it's angelo vestri who has earned the legend's ire, red eyes burning as they stare him down. The stale interior air of the graveyard fills with the foreboding scent of ozone moments before a violent shock of thunder crashes through the ceiling above. An immense pressure builds under Lugia's furious presence.

In spite of excruciating pain, blood in his ears, Gavin whistles, sharp — it calls to THEO BECKETT just as Beckett had called to him.

'Can't hear; translate. Stop him.'

He clings to his Corviknight, clicks to command and points. It caws, then hurls its steel wing feathers like projectiles not toward Billi Marsh's Pokémon — but the man himself. Above, Eelektross coils once more.

[attr="class","pokesprite pokemon lugia"][attr="class","pokesprite pokemon aerodactyl"][attr="class","pokesprite pokemon eelektross"][attr="class","pokesprite pokemon roserade"][attr="class","pokesprite pokemon corviknight"][attr="class","pokesprite pokemon tyranitar"]

tl;dr:
see my exhibit for shadow pokemon info
lugia is exerting its pressure
lugia attacks angelo vestri with thunder
everyone can hear what lugia said, it's very upsetti spaghetti
corviknight used steel wing on Billi Marsh; aerial autotomize makes it a ranged attack
eelektross uses coil
gavin's ears are ringing; he tells theo to relay the command to stop billi