"melody." his voice comes before he does, forming in front of her like black static. he gives her a warm, welcoming smile. "how the turn tables." his gaze falls onto the two pokemon, only widening his smile, before turning back to melody. "non-traditional challenge, right? you've been briefed on the rules — any questions for me before we begin? if not..." he nudges his head in the direction of the door nearby.

Melody Miro

please check the SPOILER TAGS below to read-over the rules for how this challenge will go!

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melody's voice is one in a dozen, but for what few that do hear her, they're quick to turn tail and haul ass as far away from the legendary as possible. but, that's more life potentially saved, and that's what counts.

heading towards the YELLOW FLARE leads melody down a side-street, adjacent to a sparkling river. here, people are as in just as much of a hurry, though in a more, IMPOSSIBLE TO CONTROL fashion.

a piercing screech bugles the legendary invader as it flies over the area, a torrent of powerful winds following in it's wake. it fires off a glob of pink energy, striking a nearby bridge. it SHATTERS, crumbling into the wide river, carried by the DOZEN or so screams from those still on.

as lives hang in the balance, melody's next choice could prove FATAL.

Melody Miro

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sitting atop one of the nearby roofs, greyson watches from a small television. he'd expected melody to excel in this challenge, and wasn't surprised to find her experience shine through. his hand reaches over, humming, to dip a piece of celery into nearby peanut butter. the zoroark nearby does the same.

it was a good show, thus far.

quick and reactive, melody jets into high-speed. eased, quick commands have her two pokemon pushing through rescue efforts, while she races towards the bridge to put herself to work. of those that pass, some are injured, most are covered in dust and debris, and all are terrified. commanding the situation, befitting of her station, but with her tell-tale kindness, many listen.

only when she thinks her job is done, does something catch her attention. a car teeters on the shattered edge, an unconscious, bloodied woman behind the wheel, with the soft cries of somebody much younger emanating from the backseat.

before her very eyes, it teeters over the edge and splashes into the water below.

Melody Miro

ROLL to potentially determine an outcome.

Under melody's guidance, and experience, nearly all lives are saved. It's a respectable number. Casualties are understandable, expected even. No one would blame you for saving those you can. No one at all.

But, do you choose to continue guiding efforts, and saving those you know you can? Or, take a risk and strain yourself, and your pokemon, to ensure everyone makes it home tonight?

DECIDE.

☉

icy water rushes into melody's lungs, and her heartbeat quickens in an instinctual response to fight off the cold. before her, the car sinks rapidly, weighed down by heavy metal. the soft cries of the child become muted, and perhaps a spike of fear pulses through the fellow gym-leader.

than, in a combined effort between her pokemon, it slowly begins to rise. quickly, melody tugs on the door, and water begins to spill out from the vehicle. the cries are silent, and the mother in the front seat remains still, her body slumped against the wheel. melody notices what appears to be a chunk of the bridge sitting idly on the dash, a large hole in the windshield.

time is precious, even more so than earlier.

Melody Miro

ROLL to potentially determine an outcome.

Quick to react, you're able to save the car from sinking too deeply. But water still finds its way in, and two lives hang in the balance. Does melody prioritize the child, or the mother? Does she try to save both?

Can she save both?

DECIDE.

☉

like it was performing delicate surgery, the rillaboom exerts its will into the fines. pressing out every ounce of fine control it could into them, the grass-type slithers the vines through the confined space of the car. after a moment of thought, it rips the door from the side and wraps around the woman, carrying her out.

once safely out (and presumably on the ground!), she lies still. a deep gash is on her forehead, and her pulse is weak and thready. her complexion is pale and hair pressed damply to her forehead, coated in the same sanguine liquid that marks her wound.

luckily for melody, the child was relatively easier. but, despite being soaked in bone chilling water, the small child doesn't even shiver. eyes lay closed, complexion tinged a soft blue. like their mother, the pulse is thready and weak.

for what would not be the last time today, melody comes to a crossroads.

Melody Miro

You've saved both mother and child from a fate beneath the dark, cold waters. Both cling to life by a mere thread, each with different root causes and wounds.

Use the resources at your disposal and your experience to solve this crisis.

Save one.

Save both.

Save none.

Decide.

the silence around melody and her pokemon causes her compressions to echo loudly. a crowd gathers, small but steadily growing, many with injuries or simply nearby bystanders that jumped in to help.

collectively they hold their breathes as melody begins her chest compressions. seconds pass. then more. beneath her touch she could feel a rib crack, but does she dare stop? she can't.

finally... a breathe.

it's weak, pushing past an injured esophagus and through the water that rises back up. melody quickly realizes she needs to set the child onto its side or else her efforts up to this pain were in vain.

behind her the breathing of the unconcious woman settles, color flourishes back into her face, and the wound slowly closes. blood still cakes her face and clothes, but the injury? no where to be seen.

from the crowd a pair of EMS push through, asking the gym-leader for an update on duos situation. they work while they speak, taking care over for melody.

it's clear they're not out of the woods quite yet, but for now... they're alive.

they were alive.

a round of applause pulses through the on-lookers, cheers and congratulatory yells echoing. it's deafening. but even through them and your own thunderous heartbeat, the explosion of flares in the distance in unmistakable. one RED and one BLUE.

the city was still under attack, after all.

Melody Miro

Your actions have resulted in many lives being saved today, including the mother and her child. Melody has proven herself to be someone to place others before herself. An admirable trait, if not a dangerous one.

Still, you've SOLVED THIS CRISIS.

But more remain. What will you do?

DECIDE YOUR NEXT COURSE OF ACTION.