The feeling of being watched is overshadowed by the pain, by the dip of his body sinking into the sand. Chu-e is so dazed he almost lets the berry escape, slurped into the ground, only some type of narrative instinct having him grab it as he forces himself up. His ass will be sore later, which will suck for Leon Vercetti . Thankfully he's nothing if not hardy.

The gore of the sand feasting does also not bother his as much as it should. He grips for purchase on the rough stone of the wall that had just assailed him, using it to find purchase even as the sand rises. The ink spreads but this, too, is not uncommon for Chu-e; as the ink leeches across his skin, it's followed by a thin streak of black crystal.

Chu-e doesn't entirely feel like himself. It's not like when he loses his damn mind but the hunger is pressing on him more sharply than before. Something about all this just feels wrong but also familiar and he can't place why, it's like two lines he just can't get to cross no matter how hard he tries. Frustration rises.

It feels like a short circuit, like something else is in control, but Chu-e is still aware of himself. Almost out of instinct that dried up berry, covered in the ashes of some dead man, in crunched between his teeth. Acid spreads on his tongue and crystal solidifies. His injuries and pain bloom into a passion of fury, protectiveness, and hunger.

Chu-e does not use his pokemon. Instead he will grab life by the dick, unlike the meeting before. He fights the rising sand to throw himself at the monster.

His own inky blackness will claw and grasp, try to dig inside the creature and drink.

How fucking dare this thing attack him, his friends, and his kid.

---

hOY8JZY|
+65

-Escape the rising quicksand (+10 Red)
-Attack the monster recklessly (+20 Red)
-The ink pattern spreads (+10 Black)
-?? + 25

Hideo nodded, letting Cardamom Bliss take a look at his injury. It wasn't a deep cut - his Meowstic already saw to treating it, but the bandage was a welcome assistance. "Thanks," he said as he was taken in his pursuit of the Persian.

Hideo quickly found a lot of tree branches in the way, but he had the solution for that. "You can lead the way, Sharpe," he said to his Krookodile, "You can Protect us from the branches. I already got hurt by one tree, and I don't want us to get hurt by another."

His Krookodile nodded, moving ahead and using a Protective barrier to keep the branches away from her trainer. The little group moved along, trying to pursue the Persian. But with their slowed pace, they struggled to keep up.

Not to mention the group got distracted: the first thing was Hideo noticing his Oranguru lagging behind, her attention caught by strange symbols on the trees. "Something up?" Hideo asked, confused by her Telepathic message about something strange on the trees. He tried to touch them with his bandaged hand, to see if he could recognize any, but it was hard to understand a shape by feeling what he hoped assumed was paint.

As he was trying to feel out the symbols, his Oranguru grabbed his hand. "Ow!" he exclaimed, slightly hurt by how quickly she'd moved. The thought of something else about to bite him came to mind, but that was dashed when he felt his Oranguru take the bandage off his hand.

"What was that for?!" Hideo asked. His Oranguru made some noises, and his other Pokemon converged on him. He could practically feel them staring at his hand. "What, is it looking bad?"

The answer he got from his Oranguru was unclear.

The Meowstic tapped Hideo's hand, right where the cut was. Hideo winced - it only hurt a little, courtesy of his Meowstic being a Healer - and he felt his Meowstic's hand travel over his hand, touching his fingers, then moving back down. His Meowstic pulled his sweater sleeve down a bit, stopping a little bit below the boy's wrist.

"Is it infected?" Hideo asked. He received another unsure answer from his Oranguru, before hearing his Pokemon chatter amongst each other. Once they went quiet, his Oranguru informed him it was similar to the tree he'd just touched. "Wait, you mean my hand has a mark on it now?"

Confirmation, followed by his Oranguru lightly tapping his hand, her fingers spreading along up to where his Meowstic had touched. "So the mark is spreading?" He received confirmation.

"Great," Hideo sighed. He lifted his hand, moving it around and stretching he fingers. Apart from where he got the cut, he didn't feel anything out of the ordinary. "Hey Cardamom, this look like anything to you?"

His question would go unanswered. "Cardamom?" he asked again, and once again he got silence. "Hello?" No answer, other than his own echo. "Anyone? Ruby? Kaida? Melody?" Nothing.

"You guys see anyone?" he asked his Pokemon, only to get disconfirming grunts. "So now we're lost too. Great. Anyone know the way back?" Another round of no. "Dammit. What's a forest doing in a basement any-"

Hideo tensed up. For a second, he swore he heard something move by. His Pokemon did too, his Oranguru and Meowstic sticking close to him while his Krookodile moved in front. "...Hello?" Hideo asked aloud, hoping it was one of the other trainers or their Pokemon.

And not something strange watching them.

MnUsV4KZ +105

+30 reCreation

+20 Get Lost

+10 Strange Markings

+10 Matching Ability+Attack (Healer+Protect)

+10 Ink Spreads

+25 ?

@ooh nice tats

YMCA

AAAAAH MY FRIENDS MY SANITY MY MONKEY WHAT THE FUUUGG.

He barely had taken a single step towards the hallway when his skin crawled. Suddenly every nerve felt like it was standing on end.

His knees had locked up, trembling as primal fear settled in his chest. He wanted to scream, but his lungs felt as though they had no air, and his jaw was loose and unresponsive.

Something was looking at him. Burning holes in his back- and every single cell in his body refused to look back. Every effort, reduced to a pathetic tremor.

(Un)fortunately, fear remained a foreign concept to Kong.

The moment the Mankey realized its trainer was not walking besides it, it swiveled in place to look for him-

And then it immediately screeched in shock, eyes growing wide and arms flying up in the air at the sight that awaited.

The sound was like a starting shot for Doug. His body swung about while simultaneously attempting to scramble back, arms raising in a feeble attempt at defense as wide eyes turned to look.

"[jesus equivalent]!!!" Screamed the youth, falling on his ass, suckling in a deep breath before raising a waving fist. "Dagnabbit, woman!"

chryssa glasgow's somber, crimson, gaze gave no response... but it still felt like its smug aura mocked him.

Where there had been three canvas paintings before, now only a single, large one was to be found, painted solely with shades of red and crimson and actually hung on the wall in a copper frame.

She, too, was dressed like a nun.

Slowly, the youth's waving fist lowered to point a finger at the painting, his eyes squinting.

"... This better not awaken anything in me."

Down on the floor on his butt, the youth's breathing was slow, but deep while he was leaned back on his palms, relief slowly beginning to flood his body as he realized just how silly the past few seconds must have looked.

Just another painting, and of his favorite person too. The hell had he been so scared of?

... It still felt as though something was crawling under his skin, though... Quite literally.

Where the heck had the painting even come from, anyway? And where the heck were the other three? Where had those come from?

"... Where's the urns?" He realized as he looked around, his Mankey yanking him to his feet as his brow furrowed. "... And my blood?"

His gore, too, was gone, for that matter.

His eyes were inevitably drawn back to the Crimson painting, the youth beginning to walk back inside the chamber as his knees regained their strength, the subject of the painting peaking his artistic curiosity.

Clearly.

Like a very dumb moth to a pretty flame, he carelessly approached, coming to stand before the painting with a creased brow.

He didn't understand what was going on, but the painting(s) felt important. Why these four specifically...?

"What did you do this time...?" The youth questioned the girl who was not there, before proximity made him realize something was dripping on the canvas' surface. Wet paint? His hand reached out without much thought, touching against the surface.

He recoiled almost immediately after... having seen the back of his hand.

"What the-?!" He shouted as he reached for the glove, ripping it off his hand, eyes growing wide as he found himself staring at a web of black tendrils flowing under his skin.

He yanked back the sleeve of his jacket to reveal his forearm, breath hitching as he saw the tendrils reached far back, seemingly wrapped all around his arm and dipping further into his sleeve than he could roll up.

Without pause, he suddenly reached for his shirt's collar before yanking it harshly, the top buttons popping off to reveal the upper parts of his chest.

It was there as well. All over. Was he getting pale?

Whatever calm he had managed to gain before, it quickly fled him.

He began to run- and almost immediately fell on his knees. Without him realizing, the floor beneath him had turned to sand- and had somehow risen to wrap around his ankles.

"Shit, shit, shit! Move, move!" He screamed at himself as he tried to force his way out. His struggles just seemed to sink him deeper, however, and even as he advanced towards the exit, he found himself getting more and more acquainted with the feeling of sand around his bloody torso.

Luckily, he wasn't daft enough to completely forget about his pokemon.

"Kong! Stomping Tantrum!" He screamed as the sand reached his upper chest.

The Mankey, who had (wisely) remained out of the room, leapt through the air before bringing its arms crashing down unto the sand, a shockwave spreading outwards and throwing Doug as well as several particles in the air.

His ankle was caught by the Mankey as his body rose, whoo then swung him out and into the hallway, his back slapping solidly across the cold stone wall.

A (relieved) wheeze left his lungs as his body slowly slid down the wall, his face coming to rest down on the floor where he would remain still as a corpse for the next several seconds, glad to be alive.

Then his Mankey began poking him worriedly.

"Leave me alone. I'll stay here until everyone else solves the problem." Came his muffled, sensible answer.

The mankey made some very reasonable sounding monkey noises in response.

"You are right, I gotta find Eris and Andy and get the others outta here..." He accepted with a groan, pushing off the floor while his Mankey wondered what the heck he was talking about.

Just then... the sounds of conflict™ came roaring down the hall.

"Goddamn it!"

He broke into a sprint towards the sound against his better judgement, his Mankey hot on his heels- before it quickly overtook him, short legs proving little impediment to the agile little ape.

Kong rounded around the corner and Doug was only a single step back- and they were both stopped in their tracks by the sight.

He should've stayed on the fucking floor.

"Oh no."

Heat. Fire. And...

"ERIS! PAINTING DUDE!"

And eyes. So many eyes. Everywhere. Looking in every direction. Specially at his Mankey, bless its stupid soul, as it sprinted towards the monster, bold as brass, ready to throw yet more hands with the eldritch abomination... which naturally, responded by opening up a gaping, fanged maw yet again.

Damn it, damn it, damn it!

His hand flew under his jacket as he ran forward, yanking out the gun inside his shoulder holster and pointing it squarely at the maw before-

BANG BANG BANG!

Would it do anything? It had better, cause he didn't have any other options; So he thought as he continued advancing recklessly, throwing himself at his stupid Mankey in an attempt to tackle it out of harms way.

While this was happening... Andy Blackadder crashed the party.

Oh thank whatever gods were out there, some good news. About bloody fucking time!

"Took you bloody long enough, AndyyyYYY?!" Doug's elated reaction swiftly transitioned into a scream when he saw the state the other boy was in.

If he hadn't known any better, he would have thought he had gone for a second round with Mauville Hill's Caverns.

"Shit, shit, SHIT!" He panted, breathing in and out quickly, his mind yet again in disarray as it attempted to weigh in who needed his most immediate attention- 'out of it' Eris Halla or 'needs to go back to the hospital' Andy.

He had terrible timing for these episodes of hard thought. The monster was right there-

Which made his Accelgor's conveniently timed return all the more fortunate.

Having spent the bulk of its time there tracking Andy, and having found little, it had returned to its master only to find its target nearby, the Hive King, about to get mawled/decapitated/headshotted/possibly horribly murdered.

In a blur of motion, Kong the Mankey found himself being tackled out of harm's way for the second time that minute, his Accelgor pal slamming directly into Doug's gut, who slammed directly into Kong's, sending all three hurtling over to Locke Jamison's and Eris side, bouncing along the floor.

Doug wheezed, but tried to stand immediately after regardless, even as his stomach protested vehemently. He had heard Andy say a bunch of stupid shit.

"NOT WITHOUT YOU, JACKASS!" He shouted back at the other boy, trying to throw himself back in there to grab his friend.

Only for his Mankey to throw its powerful arms around his waist, cutting his suicidal path short.

"Let go! We gotta-!!!"

---

mI0htRY|+125
reCreation (+30)
The ink pattern spreads (+10)
Reference you/your Pokemon's Injury (+10 Red )
Escape the rising quicksand (+10 Red)
Attack the monster recklessly (+20 Red)
Save one of the targeted Pokemon (+10 Red)
Use a move AND an ability of the same color (+10) (Stomping tantrum + Defiant)
? (+25)

TAG: @

For a moment, on the ground, feeling she was on the verge of passing out, Kaida thought she was hallucinating the black ink spreading under her skin, or the ragged Perish Song that ravaged the air. Her Houndoom, Ulf's whimpers, and Luka's efforts to help her jerked her back into wakefulness, enough to turn towards the helping woman luka chêne, eyes down in almost shame, "S-sorry...I thought I would make it. I did it." She produced the berry, still feeling a twinge of pride at her success. They were closer to escape. At the same moment, she weakly pushed the Houndoom's snout away from the driven in splinters, "Don't pull them, not now." They had no idea where the piercing wood had cut or penetrated, and better to leave them in than bleed out.

It only took a short flex of her legs to confirm one thing, as she winced at pain arching across her veins. She couldn't walk, not alone, anyhow. "U-Ulf, I'm sorry, can you help me?" Tears gathered in her eyes as she embraced the Houndoom's neck, scrabbling at the ground until she was, barely, standing. Taking the initiative, Kjoll used Protect to defend his helpless trainer from any more harm. even with his Sturdy, however, he creaked from the Perish Song, the song gradually winding the rock snake down. They had to go. Absent-mindlingly, her hand rubbed at her wounds and the Shinx egg, blinking eyes barely noting the way black shapes continued to infect skin and egg shell. About the only worry she had was trying to scratch the markings off, what if they got in the way of Odindottir hatching?

As if in response to their plight, Luka's song opened up a portal, and Kaida gaped before pushing her Houndoom forwards, closing her eyes against the feeling of pain scraping at her bones...or was it eyes focusing in on her injured back, or even those markings on the trees that send nausea throughout her being? "Wait! Don't leave without us!" She was more desperate than ever. Her Pokemon would fall soon, and she risked passing out herself, as soon as the adrenaline wore off, she needed to get them a way out now.

Doubting her Onix could get through the portal easily, Kaida made to return him, and bade Ulf forward, "Find the cat, we need him now." Gasping out such an order, Kaida still had no idea how the Houndoom would manage such a feat...but she tried. Ulf's eyes glowed a deep crimson, awaiting her own fainting, the hound used Destiny Bond, reaching out for signs of the white feline, to find it, to grasp it. No doubt, the beast was key to their escape.

Xqb6Vjbo (+85 WHITE)

TLDR: Kaida is very hurt. As the Perish Song goes on, she has Onix Protect them until luka chêne opens a portal, whereupon she returns Onix and struggles to follow her, hugging her Houndoom to walk. Her Houndoom uses Destiny Bond to try and help Luka and her find Pangur, knowing its gonna faint soon anyway. The egg and her have spreading black marks, as do the trees, and she helplessly scrubs at them.

Do not return a Pokemon affected by Perish Song (+20 White)
Notice strange markings on the trees (+10 White)
The ink pattern spreads (+10)
Use a move AND an ability of the same color (+10)
Try to hatch one of the eggs (+10)
? (+25)


(Shiny!)
(Shiny!)

Burning shrapnel scatters and scratches, bright beads of blood springing from fresh cuts on his arms as Gavin lifts them to protect his face. He swings around with teeth bared in a snarl.

"Are you trying to fuckin' kill us all?"

Chu-e Choi might've received a similar lashing if his own explosion hadn't thrown him into a wall. Concern overpowers anger as he bites back the urge to call the other's name. He steps closer only to stagger back when he sees streaks of black ink spreading across his friend's skin. It's too much like Not-Chu-e for his liking.

His attempt to retreat from his Rocket counterpart is slowed by the sand that pulls at his ankles and he notices, horrified, that the bright spots of blood have turned ink-black. It spreads like corruption across his skin.

Finally pulling free from the sucking quicksand, Gavin braces against one of the alcoves for support and makes the mistake of looking up.

Eyes. Thousands. Watching.

He is afraid. Not only for himself, but for Eris Halla who was too young to be caught up in all this, for Chu-e Choi who'd thrown himself at the beast, for Rowan Wrynn whom he'd lost sight of when their paths had split.

And Niamh, his Lucario, senses that fear.

Without his prompting, the jackal snarls at the monster and adjusts the headband she'd found before copying those who had bound their destinies to the beast.

She doesn't hesitate. She lunges, reckless, and aims a fist straight for one of its many eyes.

---

- Gavin gets sprayed with burning shrapnel and is pissed about it, calls out Kano Iyona in particular
- He goes to check on Chu-e Choi when he's thrown into a wall but backs off when he's reminded too much of Necrozma, fuck that
- Notices the ink spreading on his arms and sees the monster watching them when he looks up
- Sensing his fear and wanting to protect her trainer, Niamh the Lucario copycats a Destiny Bond and lunges recklessly for the monster
+25 for ?
+30 Found last round's codeword, reCreation
+10 The ink pattern spreads
Lucario used Copycat -> Destiny Bond.
+10 Escape the rising quicksand
+10 Use Destiny Bond on the monster
+20 Attack the monster recklessly

UXvkja__ +105