[attr="class","matias"]another roar sounds, piercing through the air, this one more desperate than the last as charizard rapidly approaches the ELECTRIC TERRAINED ground. it struggles to regain feeling in its wings, still unable to redirect itself.

matias watches on with a sense of ease that almost seems out of place. his hand holds a pokeball, expanded and ready, but he knows he won't need it. he trusts his team as much as they trust him.

as a bolt of lightning flashes behind him, he grins.

"he'll be fine."

thunder cracks right as charizard regains some semblance of control. it extends its wings out, catches its entire weight, and tilts just enough to send it into a rough glide just inches above the ground. it shakes, roaring as it takes back to the skies.

meanwhile, electricity surges across the ground the moment tapu koko's encased shell makes impact. again, his hand pops open a pokeball and the PROTECT that forms is instantaneous. yellow bolts of energy pulse against the invisible shield.

but matias sees it.

"blade!"

this time, however, it gives to the pressure and cracks just enough to allow bits of the DISCHARGE through. he raises an arm, takes a strong zap as it stuns, but he's immediately looking towards eva.

[attr="class","noodles"]Eva Morales

After the HYPER BEAM, Knox takes a sharp turn up towards the clouds, concealing himself to avoid being an easy target for Tapu Koko when it inevitably seeks revenge.

Eva’s relieved to see Ash make the recovery, a smile creasing her lips. Soon after, Tapu collided with tis ELECTRIC TERRAIN. A pulse of electricity washes across the ground like a tidal wave. Blade moves to intercept but the Cloyster reappears, casting another PROTECT. The hum of angry energy cracks along the barrier, finding the weak points.

Blade sees it too, but a bolt snaps against his shoulder, causing him to falter and miss his opportunity. The electricity seeks something to ground itself on, and a strong bolt strikes Eva in the chest. It felt like getting hit by a Rhydon along with a sudden heat and searing pain. The shock resets her body, and the paralysis is instantaneous as all the nerves release at once. Her heart stops, only for a moment, but it’s long enough to send her to the ground like a limp noodle. Residual energy cracks over wet skin from the raw burn left but the bolt.

MATIAS SILPH

[attr="class","matias"]suddenly, the battle fades into the background, both aerodactyl and charizard left to fend for their own as urgency takes over.

"eva—"

through the thundering rain, he swiftly closes the distance, lowering himself to a knee before reaching for her. blade stops him, however, and it's only then that he sees residual energy dancing along her skin.

fuck.

"eva."

his mind races back to basic training, to the few things eva taught him. remembering, he waits and watches as energy leaves, leaking into the ground, before reaching a hand out to feel for a pulse.

"eva."

[attr="class","noodles"]Eva Morales

Tapu Koko isn’t finished quite yet. It rises from the crater in the rocks and shakes dust from its battered shell. It claps its shell together like thunder, hellbent on retaliation. It shoots up into the clouds on a burst of AGILITY, seeking retribution.

Blade’s lack of urgency is surprising. After recovering from his strike, he hovers over the doctor expectantly. He can feel her, after all. Feel her consciousness, her heartbeat, however erratic it is for a moment. He waits, watches, takes notes of Matias’s concern behind judgmental eyes. He should have just let Blade cast the PROTECT.

Another surge of cortisol kicks her body into gear. She shoots up just as quickly as she fell with a large, gasping breath. Wide eyes spell confusion for a moment as she registers her surroundings. She clutches her chest with a hand in an effort to still her racing heart, wincing at the raw burn. Her breathing is quick, a bit shaky, but overall, she seems alright.

“I’m ok,” she nods when she feels Matias beside her, “I’m fine,” she reassures as Blade creeps closer, the start of a HEAL PULSE dances across his fingers, “Are you ok?” she asks, glancing between the both of them.

MATIAS SILPH

[attr="class","matias"]whatever judgment blade casts is ignored, not even noticed as his attention stays on her, watching for a reaction. she gives it eventually, surging back to consciousness with a gasping breath.

matias exhales a held breath as relief settles.

"can't feel my arm, but i'm fine."

he's been through worse. they both have.

the dark clouds that hang overhead linger, refusing to subside. rain continues to splatter down, making it difficult to see much else. still, he turns his head, peering up to search for signs of a battle.

and he sees it high up in the clouds. shades of yellow pulse from behind clouds, and though he can't see exactly what's happening, he knows their pokemon don't stand much of a chance up there, given the environment.

a laugh escapes him as he returns his gaze.

"tapu koko's tough. i'll give it that."

[attr="class","noodles"]Eva Morales

Eva registers his words, glances at his arm then back up at him. Alright, he’s fine. All good. Pushing herself up to full height she follows his gaze to the clouds. That must be where Knox went after the Hyper Beam.

An unnatural pulse of electricity draws her attention. It’s not long that the loud, high pitched scream of the Aerodactyl conflicts with the thunder. Eva wipes rain from her face and watches as a shadow come tumbling down from the clouds. It’s Knox, but he’s not alone. He seems to have latched on to Tapu Koko with a strong CRUNCH and is taking the Legendary with him. Electricity from a DISCHARGE pulses painfully across amethyst scales and over his partially paralyzed wings.

MATIAS SILPH

[attr="class","matias"]shadows part clouds as they fall, descending at an unnatural rate. another shadow bursts through a cloud — the charizard hot on their tail as its wings tuck in. it barely avoids the powerful DISCHARGE that lashes out towards it, shifting just in time.

their shapes seem so minuscule from a distance. matias watches the battle unfold, contemplating their next move as a finger twitches, paralysis beginning to fade. too slow for his liking, however.

charizard shows its desperation. it opens its maws, breathes out a FLAMETHROWER that's weakened by the rain. it looks to engulf both tapu koko and aerodactyl, damaging one more than the other.

[attr="class","noodles"]Eva Morales

Eva regains her bearings, recognizes what’s happening and curses under her breath. Stupid. Knox shouldn’t have latched on to the electric-type. It gave Tapu Koko a direct line to fry him with super effective moves. That was evident by the yellow sparks flashing across his body as they tumbled through the sky. Still, Knox was resilient in his attack. Powerful jaws CRUNCH down harder on its shell, seeking some sort of softer flesh to do more damage which he never finds.

He’s surprised when flames engulf them from the Charizard’s FLAMETHROWER. The flames are dull in the rain, and even more dull against his rocky scales. His hold on the Tapu’s shell keeps it open for the fire to bathe the legendry’s more vulnerable body. So, he doesn’t let go. He can see the ground rushing towards them through the heat. When he thinks he readjust, moments away from the ground he releases his prey. Paralyzed wings splay out, bringing him to a jerking halt but not stopping his collision. Both the Aerodactyl and Tapu Koko roll across the rocky ground.

MATIAS SILPH

[attr="class","matias"]the rough collision sends dirt and debris scattering into a cloud that soon spreads over them. charizard rapidly approaches the ground, then spreads its wings out at the last moment to catch its weight. the resistance sends a gust of wind flying across, dispersing the dirt cloud just enough to reveal tapu koko on the ground.

charizard soars over, landing with a foot on the legendary before it lets out a sharp roar. flames catch in its throat as it prepares a FLAMETHROWER should tapu koko have any fight left in it.

from afar, matias watches the scene unfold, knows that the collision wasn't soft, not in the slightest. he turns, knowing eva well enough to guess her reaction.

[attr="class","noodles"]Eva Morales

The heavy claw pressing Tapu Koko into the ground is enough for the legendary to concede. It’s beaten, tired, and out of practice. It glances up at the Charizard, giving a nod of recognition, respect.

Eva’s anxious. Her gaze is fixed on the still amethyst body of Knox against the dark rocks. When there’s no movement from beneath the Charizard, she wastes no time recklessly running across the dissipating ELECTRIC TERRAIN towards the group of pokemon. Tapu Koko is also in her charge. Although it needs battle, it needs to remain healthy enough should the League call upon it.

A wave in the legendary’s direction sends Blade towards it with a HEAL PULSE ready to perk it back up and speed along its recovery. He’ll do the same for Ash. A flash of light releases another support pokemon, Althea the Blissey, beside Knox. Eva kneels near the fossil pokemon’s head, placing a gentle hand on his neck, “Yeah, that was stupid, wasn’t it?” guess It got the job done, though. It could have been cleaner, more strategic. Knox purred softly, snapping his jaws in jest. As Althea starts a HEAL PULSE she inspects him for more serious damage, “How’s everyone over there?” she asks, running her hands over his massive wings.

MATIAS SILPH

[attr="class","matias"]and just as he guessed, she sprints across the moment it's safe enough. or less dangerous, rather. he quickly recalls cloyster then follows after, heading over to his charizard instead.

"let it go, ash."

it's only then that the charizard relents its hold and takes a step back, freeing tapu koko from under its heavy foot. the legendary drifts up, finding vitality through blade's HEAL PULSE. matias meets its gaze, then bows his head slightly to show it respect. oddly enough, he regains full control over his arm after.

"we're all good here."

he gives charizard a good pat on the back before stepping away to approach eva.

"how's knox?"

[attr="class","noodles"]Eva Morales

The HEAL PULSE is enough to perk Knox up. He stirs, lifting his head to look around. Paralysis still restricts the movements of his wings, “He’s fine, beat up but fine,” Knox growls, snapping his jaws in resentment before he disappears into his pokeball, “He’s just gotta rest,” won’t be flying him home today.

Blade finishes with Tapu Koko and offers Ash the same treatment should the Charizard accept. Eva steps past Matias to inspect her charge. The Tapu is quite beat up itself from slamming into the ground several times. Overall though, it seems healthy. It just needs rest as well, “Hell of a fight, buddy,” she compliments, giving it a pat on the shell, “Rest up, someone else will be here next week,” Maybe her, maybe another AQUA member. Who knows. Tapu Koko nods in appreciation for the challenge and promptly leaves to rest in its cave.

The rain begins to lighten up, but it doesn’t stop from stinging the raw skin where the lightning struck her chest. “Well shit,” she mutters, peeling back charred fabric to inspect the wound. She really liked this top.

MATIAS SILPH

[attr="class","matias"]still, his mind lingers on the battle, reflecting on it as he watches eva tend to tapu koko. even now, remnants of the ELECTRIC TERRAIN remain. he can drag his foot across dirt and feel static. to think that a pokemon contains this much power is exciting. frightening.

he'll try to return next week.

as the rain starts to lighten up, matias turns, remembering the wound on her chest.

"how bad is it?"

his own arm sports a burn that's nowhere as brutal as hers. being closest to the PROTECT, it had reduced most of the damage before it got to him. he takes a step towards her, reaching a hand out.

"let me see."

[attr="class","noodles"]Eva Morales