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There's a moment where Alfric's Decidueye shackles one of the Darmanitan to the ground, and Ivanov's Weavile attempts to take it down. But, what Emma really notices is Cole's Kingdra's attack on the immobilized Darmanitan, and how the beast covered it's clear eye. This definitely has something to do with what Ivanov said earlier, surely.[break][break]
The water from Cross' surf laps at her ankles, soothing the sting of the small burns she's likely collected in her race up the stairs. The water is taming the raging hellfire, preventing it from swallowing them all whole.[break][break]
But they're too slow, she can feel it. The Darmanitan are in a rage, anger and distrust apparent in their actions. They're here to kill, and they'll stop at nothing to do so. It seems as though they have a mission themselves, to stop them all from making it any further.[break][break]
Lycanroc stands poised, his eyes darting to and fro as he watches with even breaths for any sudden movements. The Darmanitan, for the moment, seem to be distracted and not bothered with him or Emma. [break][break]
There's a devastating crash like stone exploding, and Emma catches the last second of the right Darmanitan fall. Its leg has been crushed by Nightingale's Banette. Coins fall to the ground all around them, and they somehow manage to land in her shoes. She has no time to deal with this, unfortunately, due to her desperation to keep her attention on what's going on around her.[break][break]
It's then that she turns back to Nikolai to ensure he's still standing, and he is, but he's looking at her with the most painful smile possible.[break][break]
She immediately closes the distance between them, offering her hand to his good hand should he have one that isn't charred away. Her grip is tight, unrelenting. She isn't going to let go.[break][break]
"I won't leave you behind, I promise."[break][break]
Emma watches as his Pokemon take action. Nidoqueen stands before them, protecting them with her body. She's a beautiful specimen, and Emma revels for a moment in the fact that one day she, too, will have a Nidoqueen. [break][break]
Gardevoir attempts to captivate the two, and Emma feels herself take a step, her heart lurching as the right Darmanitan is edged away from the entrance. It's not until the water pulse from Rhode's Pokemon pushes it further does the exit open up completely. [break][break]
Another crunch reverberates around the room as Nidoqueen's superpower takes off the arm of the right Darmanitan. [break][break]
Fire spurts from the ground as a previous attack from one of the Darmanitan opens up a hole in the ground. The floor below is an inferno, anyone who falls through may not survive.[break][break]
Emma squeezes Nikolai's hand, her eyes difficult to read at the moment.[break][break]
The woman doesn't even fully register that Alfric is also standing back to help Nikolai. Part of her wants to tell the girl to get lost and get to safety, that Nikolai isn't worth her suffering. But, the woman is also the slightest bit grateful for the extra help the girl might be able to offer later.[break][break]
Ivanov speaks up once again, this time sounding more excited and anxious for help. At the mention of the remaining, slightly mobile Darmanitan who hadn't been blown to smithereens' eye.. she narrows her eyes to get a better look at it. The other Darmanitan's eye seems to be covered by mud, does this mean the beast has been calmed somehow? Is that why it isn't fighting?[break][break]
Wait, did it's eye just spurt molten lava? [break][break]
Lycanroc, and maybe Nidoqueen's protect, attempt to shield both Emma and Nikolai, and maybe Cait if she's close enough. Emma's hound uses his rock slide to block damage, while also using it to try and push rocks and debris to fill the hole in the ground in some way, like a cork. [break][break]
"We have to run."[break][break]
Unfortunately, Emma wasn't willing to risk the lives of her Pokemon in an attempt to stop the Darmanitan's eye. Not only that, but she really didn't have anything to effectively snipe the creature anyhow. Her Pokemon would be incinerated immediately in the flames, and that was a fate she didn't wish on any innocent being.[break][break]
Suddenly though, just as Ivanov ordered his Magmortar to thunderbolt the blank eye, Emma looks to Lycanroc.[break][break]
"Use odor sleuth, make sure that the beast can't evade."[break][break]
The Lycanroc, while staying close to Emma, his steps matching hers and his arm brushing up against her with protective ferocity, stares hungrily into the eyes of the immobile Darmanitan Ivanov is targetting. The move ensures the fire beast has no evade, which may help the Magmortar land his shot.[break][break]
Otherwise, Emma and Lycanroc stay close to Nikolai and probably Cait while they try to bolt across the room and
hopefully not fall into the floor thanks to Lycanroc's rock slide.[break][break]
tldr:[break]
> basically takes a mental note of everything that just happened[break]
> a little irritated there are coins in her shoes[break]
> grabs hold of nikolai's hand and promises not to leave his side[break]
> lycanroc uses his prepared rock slide to hopefully plug the hole in the ground somehow[break]
> lycanroc also uses odor sleuth to eliminate the immobilized darmanitan's evade[break]
> makes the attempt to - as a group of her, lycanroc and nikolai
and maybe cait if shes there still - to run past the flames and through the exit[break][break]
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