The wind at his back. The engine's rumble beneath him. The rhythmic "To-to! To-to!" coming from the sidecar to his right. And in front of him? Nothing but the ashen green and clear blue skies of Route 114.

Days like this, Isaac never felt more alive.

Not that he was riding for pleasure. Well, not entirely, that is. If Isaac tried to say he wouldn't enjoy what came next, he'd be lying. How could anyone not enjoy the chance to run some messed-up doomsday cult out of the region? The way the bright skies above turned a touch too bright, the grass before him started to wilt and wither, Isaac could already see the havoc they sought to wreak upon his home. And this was just them getting started! He shuddered to imagine what would happen if these zealots had it their way.

He looked to his sidecar, where Watson was currently hopping from foot to foot in time with his raspy cries. A snort escaped Isaac at the sight, and he reached over to give the Totodile a little scritch on the back of the head. "Pretty sure you can't whip up a Rain Dance, buddy. Even if it'd be just the trick right now," he said. "But if you're just amping yourself up for a fight, I've got some good news for you."

He turned back to the route, kicking his ride into high gear. Its roar of agreement couldn't be more satisfying. Together, human, Pokemon, and ride charged forward, the mob of cultists becoming clearer over the horizon by the second. It was almost showtime; just a few . . . more . . . seconds-!

Bad news. It was showtime, but not for Isaac.

In the blink of an eye, the space before the cultists had gone from full of Nothing to full of Something. A being Isaac had never seen before stood before them. It was like that one viral picture of a shaved Espeon, except for two important details; one, it stood on its hind legs, and two, there wasn't anything hilarious about it. The being carried itself with one parts regality and two parts rage, and it stood so tall that it cast the cultists before it in shadow.

For a second, Isaac froze, pulling the brake on his ride in a futile bid at avoiding attention. Had the cultists summoned this thing, in case anyone was pulling any funny business? No, their whole deal was, like. Dirt. And heat. Weird hairless man-cats weren't on the menu. If there was any remaining doubt in Isaac's mind, however, it was promptly answered by none other than the man-cat itself. The massive crater it left in the ground with its mind alone left no doubts as to whose side it was on.

And then it spoke.

Thought, more like. Yet whereas your average psychic Pokemon might communicate simple feelings or ideas, this creature's thoughts were as clear as any human speech. Two voices, neither Isaac's own, intertwined within his mind: where is the titan? It wasn't a question. No, a demand sounded much more accurate.

For a second, he considered taking advantage to press the attack. Then the rest of his brain cells decided to mob that one until it stopped giving awful advice. Busting up cultists was a fun and good time. Getting the psychic crap beaten out of him by The Cat Without A Hat over here just because he didn't know Groudon's home address? Not so fun. At least until he knew what was going on, he decided to lay low, bailing from his bike and using it as an impromptu piece of cover. Surely everyone'd be too distracted by this psychic rampage to notice the high-horsepower elephant in the room.

Right?

RUBY

THE SEARCH FOR GROUDON

CORRECT! no one notices the inclusion of two others. their pokemon and vehicle is given second thought to the mysterious pokemon that’s actually attacking them. however, their fear and astonishment is shortly lived.

this is hoenn after all. as per tradition, when some unknown pokemon attacks the proper response is to attack back. that’s what the ULTRA BEAST WAR has taught them. and, if they’re lucky enough, they may even capture this odd pokemon.

FLAMETHROWER, FIRE BLAST, and HYPER BEAMS of all sort are launched against the single target. some strike a sudden BARRIER it erect but most manage to break through it with their superior numbers and combined fire power. the pokemon is sent sprawling backwards, into the air, as it floats toward them, covered in soot and scratches.

where is the one you seek?

when penelope aims her camcorder at the pokemon, it appears perfectly fine to her. should she play it back later, its image is distorted, undoubtedly due to the psychic interference. however, the sight of PSYCHIC fluctuations and purple blasts make up most of what she is able to capture.

a dazed numel lands right behind isaac and his bike. up close, he can notices a faint blue PSYCHIC outline that forced the pokemon to float up before being throw back into the ground head first as its tossed around against its control. the outline fades soon after, noticeably as the pokemon tries to handle taking on so many foes.

where is it?!

[attr="class","spiralpee"]
PENELOPE LIVY Isaac Merlo

Cat was strong. Nobody could deny that. But was it strong enough? The cultists stopped rearing and started returning fire, and their efforts were enough to overwhelm its defenses. Granted, it was a (presumably?) Psychic type that had been denied its best advantage, namely its focus. There were just too many cultists for it to keep an eye om at once, even as it thinned their ranks by flinging Pokemon around like ragdolls.

Maybe it was time to even the odds.

"Watson, break left and give these Fire types a hell of a drenching. I'll start trimming the herd from the other side. Got it?" Isaac whispered. Watson nodded, excitably slamming one fist into the other. The two darted out from behind the motorcycle, each breaking in an opposite direction as they aimed to encircle the cultists.

Once they were on opposite sides of the mob, Watson kicked into action. The Totodile opened his mouth and let out a deluge of rushing water, putting everything he had into a single forceful Hydro Pump. He swept the attack across the mob, aiming to hit, and agitate, as many enemy Pokemon as possible.

If all went well, the din of battle, the echoes of rushing water, and Watson's gurgling would give Isaac all the cover he needed. He whipped his remaining Pokeballs out, two in each hand, and tossed them on the ground. "Dhelmise, grab the nearest cultist. Vivi, follow his lead. Kiryu, Duster, intercept anyone trying to stop us," he commanded, making his callouts as soon as his team hit the battlefield.

Dhelmise was quick to act, its Power Whips snaking from its mossy body like a pair of tentacles. Isaac could barely gauge the ghost's mood, but even he knew that it was attacking with more gusto than usual. Were it able to get a hold on the cultist it targeted, its Power Whips would wrap around them in a death grip, aiming to pin their arms to their sides. From there, it would drag the cultist over to Isaac's side, caring not a bit for the bumpy ride the poor cultist would be going on.

Vivi was a much more gentle sort. Her grip wouldn't be nearly as tight, even as the same Power Whips protruded from the fluff around her neck. Her approach wouldn't be so hostile, either. At the very least, she would drag the cultist slowly and security, even taking the extra effort to steer them away from any rocks in the path. It was always fascinating to Isaac how two completely different Pokemon tackled the same exact task. As his team and his responsibilities each grew, that'd be important to consider.

But for now, he had who he had and he took great pride in them. Duster and Kiryu waited in the ready, the former preparing a Mud Slap to douse any incoming flames and the latter waiting to intercept incoming attacks with her body. A Metal Burst counterattack would do just the trick to make them fear further approach.

If all went well, two humans would be ripped away from the frontlines, their Pokemon would be left without command, and pandemonium would be sowed across the cultists' ranks. If all went poorly . . .

Well, he'd figure out his next steps from there.

RUBY

THE SEARCH FOR GROUDON

MEWTWO PLUCKS THEIR NUMBERS LIKE FINE HAIRS, one at a time as it tries to trim the battlefield bald. it’s inability to handle so many pokemon at once is what turns the tide in the cultist’s favor. at least until someone else joins in.

the hijinks of isaac finds welcome success with the element of surprise. his totodile is able to drench several pokemon before they turn their attention onto the source as well.

attempts to bind the trainers works to various degrees. but in success there is also a response which in this case means retaliation. surges of fire and flames spill from open maws, looking to burn at the very appendages that both pokemon use to ensnare others.

other attacks come, some able to adjust to the new opponent, but all pale to the spectacle above them. pushed back from multiple attacks, the injured mewtwo crosses its arms, pushing forward as bolts of PSYSTRIKE rain down on the field indiscriminately. unfortunately, for all his heroics, the pokemon does not recognize isaac and his intentions. him and his pokemon are recognized as potential targets as the attacks spill from above.

[attr="class","spiralpee"]
PENELOPE LIVY Isaac Merlo

RUBY

THE SEARCH FOR GROUDON

IT WOULD NOT. for the battlefield proves too tumultuous to focus on anything except battle. those able to juggle both will find vast openings in their defense, a privilege the pokemon cannot spare when faced with such great numbers.

but isaac’s action, unnoticed as they are, do not go unanswered. as their presence divides the attention of the cultist forces, the opening grants mewtwo a chance to channel a different attack.

fierce winds start to swirl around them. the start of a HURRICANE suffocates still burning flames as the field gets torn asunder. should penny’s grip loosen, she just may lose her most treasured tool.

[attr="class","spiralpee"]
PENELOPE LIVY Isaac Merlo

RUBY

THE SEARCH FOR GROUDON

THE HURRICANE PROVES SUPER EFFECTIVE. harsh gales do more than just dislodge penny’s camcorder. opposing pokemon and loose terrain is upheaved, tossed around in the turmoil of a blender like concoction.

as the battle comes to its inevitable conclusion, the mewtwo seems to come out on top. it’s injured, charred, but more than willing to fight until the bitter end.

isaac’s eevee finds itself mostly unscathed. without actively attacking mewtwo, the pokemon flies under the radar. however, weird grey splotches of flesh start to crawl toward it.

suddenly, they lunge, looking to swallow the pokemon whole in a slime like substance.

[attr="class","spiralpee"]
OOC NOTE: if successful, the eevee will not die.
PENELOPE LIVY Isaac Merlo