well… it felt like a vague insult to the rangers, for the councilman to still question the capability of one ranked just below the top rung. he had spent a year, now, in charge of strategizing the protection of rustboro communities and ecosystem from increasingly powerful and diverse threats, and the city was still standing.

was this about what had happened at the temple? their inability to contain the situation, and the deaths… would anyone have been able to prevent what had happened, though? he’d spent many nights wondering about it, thinking of moments he might’ve done things differently.

he wasn’t sure what to say about the first part.

”oh.” and he meant to say other words, but he couldn’t find them at first. was it a disrespectful response? probably. oops.

he looked out at the valley. after missing a couple of beats, then, he looked over at the councilman.

”yes, sir. how do we get in?” or was that also part of the test?

GABRIEL BLACK

☉

gabriel swats aside the vague implications, focusing solely on the present. while boruta maher was no doubt capable as a ranger, what he had in mind required something more.
[break][break]
"there," gabriel says with a point, indicating a rather unimpressive section of the wall. he walks towards it, and only when they're nearly on-top of it, does the seamed edges present themselves.
[break][break]
"SAM, open the wall."
[break][break]
"Understood, Councilman Black."
[break][break]
the voice fades back into his pocket, and the councilman turns to look in boruta's direction.
[break][break]
"from here on out, you will give the orders." and then he steps inside.

[attr="class","notes"]boruta maher[break]

[attr="class","wizzcredit"]☉

he followed through the door, marveling at the other side. a bright green valley running through the water-routes, something like a natural arena. an oasis setting for head-to-head throwdowns with the league’s most hotheaded deity.

”wow. i didn’t know all this was out here…”

as a ranger captain who had lived in hoenn his whole life, it amazed him some of the things that the region managed to keep secret from him.

the councilman’s command drew the smallest smirk. he knew the move. he did this to a lot to people nowadays. you take the wheel, kid.

”understood, sir.”

now, how did one summon tapu koko? perhaps the same way as any easily rousable fighter. initiate a pissing contest. taunt them with an attempt to best them at their specialty.

a pokéball was palmed in his hand before he tossed it up.

”guess we gotta get it here first.”

a tyranitar roared in front of him. the wind began to pick up, carrying a sandstream with it.

”sorry ‘bout that, councilman,” bo excused. his gold eyes scanned the edge of all he could see before he gave his command.

”thunder.”

with a sharp bang, it ripped through the sky like a violent electric flare.

GABRIEL BLACK

☉

"nor will you tell anyone else," he says simply, making way for the ranger captain, "if rocket figures out the location of one of our legendaries, we will lose a valuable asset." boruta maher 's familial connections aside, he doubts the man had much love for rocket.
[break][break]
hell, maybe not even then.
[break][break]
his eyes narrow at the SANDSTORM, but the curd nod that follows is leeway to continue. this was boruta's show, and he could conduct it how he pleased. even if it meant needing to dry-clean his clothing multiple times to ensure every grain of sand was gone.
[break][break]
the clap of THUNDER echoes, then only the roar of the sandstorm around them can be heard. the dull scratching makes way for something else, something new. the sound a thousand singing birds trickles in slowly, before finally, it creates a defeating, screeching pitch.
[break][break]
tapu koko appears riding lightning, before descending into the pit with them. its expression is unreadable, especially through the hazy murk of sand, but clearly the challenge had been accepted.
[break][break]
gabriel looks over to boruta once more, voice rising above the storm.
[break][break]
"orders, captain?"

[attr="class","notes"]boruta maher [break]

[attr="class","wizzcredit"]☉

”got it.” the mention of rocket threw him off the tiniest bit, but there was a quick recovery. ”you don’t have to worry about me, sir. that’s the last thing i want to happen.”

the sandstorm was just part of the maher flare, maybe. CIAN MAHER would know.

through swirls of sediment, the electric-fairy-type descended towards them. he could almost feel a tingle in the air from its presence, making the hair on his neck stand up straight.

”figured that might work.”

time to take this fucker down.

tyranitar would do good against electric attacks, but the fairy typing could prove to be an issue. oh, well. he had backup, and some tricks up his sleeve.

”feed it ranged attacks. i’ll need a distraction to get it out of the air.” it was too quick to react otherwise.

GABRIEL BLACK

☉

"very well, captain."

[break][break]
gabriel retrieves two pokeballs, releasing their contents onto the earth beside him. two duraludon appear, each coming up to about gabriel's mid-section each.
[break][break]
"spread out: stagger artillery."
[break][break]
fast, despite their appearances, they move an equal distance away from gabriel. there, both lean forward, placing their oddly-shaped appendages down and onto the earth, rotating them to form grooves of leverage.
[break][break]
satisfied, they both open her jaws, the left-most one charging its FLASH CANON first. as it unleashes, a small shockwave pushes dirt and debris up. with the artillery in the air, the other begins to charge. the pattern begins to repeat, each strike guided by a LASER FOCUS.
[break][break]
"you have your cover-fire, captain."

[attr="class","notes"]boruta maher[break]

[attr="class","wizzcredit"]☉

it was pretty funny looking how the councilman could dwarf two duraludon like that. bo was by no means a small man, but gabriel was almost no longer a man at all at his stature.

”thank you, councilman.”

as the attacks ensued, bo looked for the right opening to launch his own. if the tapu koko turned to take the bait, they would capitalize without hesitation.

”knock it down!”

a strong focus blast fired towards the island deity, aimed unevenly towards one side, at its shell (?). not a super effective move against it, but its purpose wasn’t so much for heavy damage as it was to try and bring it downward. it wasn’t a flying type, after all.

if it proved difficult, he had others that could match it better in the sky.

GABRIEL BLACK

☉

the FOCUS BLAST pulls the diety's attention, and with a loud thump, almost like a door being slammed, it shuts its shell close around it. both FLASH CANONS impact first, rocking the legendary. then the fighting-type move slams against the shield, staggering it, and forcing it to rocket back down to the ground. it lands with an impact that sends dust flying upwards.
[break][break]
both artillery pokemon search the debris, their vision LASER FOCUSED, but they find nothing. and for a moment, just one, silent holds...
[break][break]

[attr="class","notes"]boruta maher[break]

[attr="class","wizzcredit"]☉

their efforts were enough to ground the tapu koko, presumably, at least for a moment. or did they?

the captain squinted at the dust cloud to try and find the deity, but wasted no time regardless. their attack would cover all ground in the close vicinity, if it was still there.

”now, tyranitar!”

the ground shook, an earthquake ripping through the valley. earth split in places and smashed together again. typically, bo held back on moves like these, but he figured they were outdoors for a reason. he would use what he had around him, and there was a whole lot of dirt.
they would wait to get eyes on tapu koko before launching any further attacks.

”hold back and be ready!”

the titan of a pokémon before him steeled itself, prepared to protect if necessary.

GABRIEL BLACK

☉

smoke still hissing from their barrels, the patience of the skyscraper pokemon was commendable, if perhaps foolish. having their opponents on the backfoot meant keeping up the pressure - easing up on their assault could prove to be a dangerous tactic. nevertheless, they wait, even as the earth shudders beneath the force of boruta maher's attack, they keep their composure.
[break][break]
then, like a thousand cicada, a crackling, hissing like noise erupts from the debris. a pink, steam-like mist, pulses out, and from it, a gathering of energy. the NATURE"S MADNESS fires out in a shockwave, washing over the dome in violent power.
[break][break]
having no real means of defense, the two dragon-types take the blow, suffering a loss of half their stamina, grunting beneath the pain. but their training holds true and, in seconds, they barrage the spot of the attack, littering it with hellfire.

[attr="class","notes"]boruta maher[break]

[attr="class","wizzcredit"]☉

it was a tactic that had made sense to him in theory, but in execution, it didn’t quite hold up. they needed to stay on top of it. tyranitar had been a great idea to get its attention, but tapu koko’s dual-typing put them at a disadvantage. the attack did little to reveal it from where it still hid in the dust, and now the smoke. he’d hoped it would fly out to fight.

he held out a pokeball to return his tyranitar, and release something better. something with speed, and the ability to chase the tapu into the air. ”not gonna wait forever. chase it out and let's stay on it!”

an aerodactyl tore through the air with a loud shriek, a powerful meteor beam ripping through the obscuring debris.

GABRIEL BLACK

☉

from siege-pokemon's attacks, gabriel is buffeted by intense winds and pressure. their barrels burn a bright scarlet, smoking rising from their tips before another explosion rockets outwards. gabe's silent, calculating expression, watches as the METEOR BEAM disappears into the smoke filled debris.
[break][break]
it'd be too easy, to simply be finished off by that though.
[break][break]
the form of the small legendary creature becomes silhouetted in the smoke, before finally becoming visible in its ascent upwards. its entire body thrums with power, crackles of electricity arcing off it's body in a gentle rage. A scorch mark that still pulsates with red hot energy is visible on the creature's shield, most likely from boruta maher's attack. with a pointed expression, tapu koko locks eyes with the two men across the arena.
[break][break]
then a HEAVY RAIN begins to fall.
[break][break]
and from the center of the legendary's own body... a DISCHARGE of energy that seeks to consume all within' the dome.

[break][break]

[attr="class","notes"]boruta maher[break]

[attr="class","wizzcredit"]☉