The more Penelope stared down at the spirit, studying its erratic movements and distressed shrieks, the more her quivering heart drew to one single conclusion: Eva Morales was wrong. This was Moltres.
[break][break]
The frill of hope had only decayed, leaving behind the shriveled threads of overwhelming DREAD and a familiar, yet untouchable emotion Penelope hadn't found the strength to approach.
[break][break]
The flash of flames twinkled in her eyes, as both Eva Morales and MATIAS SILPH' attacks brought forth a flurry of responses, each one empowered by the flames of Mt Chimney. Throughout this, the councilwoman kept clung to her Charizard, directing her Pelipper to aid the others in the pooling effort against the hellish inferno before them.
[break][break]
"because i fought for it. i did what no one else could do and found it. brought it back from another world."
[break][break]
MATIAS SILPH' words resounded against her own thoughts. Back then, pretentious was the only word that came to mind at the response he'd given her, but now? It evoked an enigmatic whirl from her.
[break][break]
Moltres was soon pushed back by Eva Morales's sweeping SPRINGTIDE STORM. At first, it only shrieked in frustration, but as it fell further into the swallowing pit of the cavern's dim inners, its wings began to dissipate, dismantling the phoenix cell by cell, until it had whither down to nothing more than a clump of flickering lights.
[break][break]
Glory had melted, and with it, the vision of hope she'd seen near the peak of Mt Pyre.
[break][break]
"Huh?"
[break][break]
Penelope's frigid fingers dug into the rough scales of her Charizard, as in that moment, she'd noticed what Melody Miro had been referring to. The clump of spirits Moltres had dissolved into hadn't just vanished the same as Victini's did. Rather, it fluttered back down, magnetized to the pull of this other creature -- one Penelope couldn't recognize.
[break][break]
The reds of Moltres' vanquished spirit absorbed into the curvature of the fish's tail, while the burnished orange left to its body. The only colors left untouched were the spheres of liquid black and the crown of jade around them.
[break][break]
"MATIAS SILPH!" Like an unfaltering whish of wind, Penelope called to the elite four member. As she descended back down from the skies, she continued, "The jades! Doesn't it---Doesn't it look the same as the ones we found?"
[break][break]
Maybe this was a further example of foolishness raking her decision-making, or maybe, for once, her tattered instincts had finally latched onto the thread that'd been dangling in front of her face since their expedition to Mt Chimney.
[break][break]
Regardless of how Matias responded, Penelope lept off from her Charizard and gave her pocket a tousle through. She secured the jade piece at the center of her palm, then displayed it for not only herself, but for the fish to notice as well.
[break][break]
At first, it paid no mind, black eyes more interested in the dwindling spirits of Moltres than the ones who conquered it, but once it did, and its emptied eyes caught sight of Penelope's, the once faint remembrance of a familiar emotion had solidified back into its original form.
[break][break]
ENVY.
[break][break]
Penelope took a step forward.
[break][break]
"Do you think it recognizes it?"
[break][break]
The fish made no other movements. It only kept to its place near the broken seal, blank eyes staring back into hers, emotionless as a sheet of paper. It was a stark contrast to the sheer pulse of ENVY it was emitting out toward the group, and just a few moments ago, Moltres.
[break][break]
Penelope took another step forward.
[break][break]
"because I fought for it. i did what no one else could do and found it. brought it back from another world."
[break][break]
The words returned, this time amplified by the roar of emotions flooding her heart. Was this it? Like a moth cradling a flame, Penelope felt pulled to the mysterious pokemon. Power, strength -- while it all remained unconfirmed wishes, the flicker of flames offered a whisper of hope to them. And, if it were true, maybe she'd finally be able to bridge that gap she'd always found herself stuck behind. Maybe, she'd find herself able to accomplish the hefty goals she'd set out for herself. Maybe, she'd be able to amount to the giants that surrounded her, and through that, gain the respect she'd been craving since the first curl of their tone.
[break][break]
Slowly, VALOR crumpled to ENVY. LOYALTY into IMPULSE. HOPE into DESPERATION.
[break][break]
Once near enough, the fish would finally begin to move, inching closer toward Penelope with a decisive flick of its tail.
[break][break]
But it didn't offer strength or promise the change she yearned for. Rather, it acted no different than the specter before it. It attacked.

[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] Eva Morales MATIAS SILPH kyle lopez Melody Miro[break][break]

TLDR [break]
- moltres goes BYE BYE takes to eva's SPRING TIDE STORM [break]
- Moltres' spirit gets absorbed into chi-yu[break]
- Penny realizes the jade of chi-yu's eyes matches that of the bead she and MATIAS SILPH holds[break]
- she inched close to it, pulled by the ENVY [break]
- has angsty moment POG[break]
- CHI-YU USES DARK PULSE NEAR HER NOT POG

what kyle lopez says is true: someone else as ho-oh's avatar might have been more useful. someone less conservative. less passive. the briefest flicker of ENVY lights as he considers what he could do with ho-oh. how he'd essentially be immortal.[break][break]

"tch. fine, i'll take care of it."[break][break]

it seems to be the only way to absolve them of these emotions, after all. but when he looks back at MOLTRES, it soon disappears only to be replaced by something else entirely.[break][break]

something familiar. PENELOPE LIVY only confirms his thoughts when she calls down to him.[break][break]

his own jade bead is pulled out as he looks between it and the spirit. by the time he looks back up, PENELOPE LIVY's already started her approach.[break][break]

"be careful!"[break][break]

he senses the attack coming before she does. a small flick of his wrist causes a chunk of earth to shoot out of the ground. it slams into her side, looking to knock her out of the way of the DARK PULSE.[break][break]

the jade bead is held tightly within his hand as he makes his approach. the spirit turns its attention away from PENELOPE LIVY then, focusing on matias.[break][break]

a flick of its tail summons an INFERNO. heatran's EARTH POWER propels it up and over matias, landing with a thud in front of him to shield him with its FLASH FIRE.[break][break]

as the torrent of flames roar over him, he looks back at his party, yelling out of frustration.[break][break]

"what the fuck are you guys waiting for?"[break][break]

it never occurs to him that they might be preoccupied with another threat. unseen ones, perhaps, that take the form of their SHADOWS.[break][break]

CHI-YU uses DARK PULSE on PENELOPE LIVY[break][break]

MATIAS SILPH attempts to shove PENELOPE LIVY out of the way using his avatar powers[break][break]

CHI-YU using INFERNO on party[break][break]

MARSHADOW messing with the party

[attr="class","ooc"]kyle lopez Melody Miro PENELOPE LIVY Eva Morales[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-heatran"]

The jade beads? Eva’s takes a step closer behind Penelope, her own curiosity making it impossible to heed the part of her logical brain demanding caution. She peers past Penelope, her eyes fixated on the familiar jade acting as eyes, tumbling in gentle circles around the fiery fish. She’s never seen anything like it. Fascinating.

Of course, it’s not friendly. Eva is barely able to dodge out of the way of the INFERNO, separating her from Blade and Penelope. The rush of heat blows by so intense she can feel it beneath her SYGNA SUIT.

That was close.

In the smoke of the Inferno, Eva struggles to see the rest of their party and with the distraction of the strange pokemon, it’s not surprising if they don’t see her . . . or the dark hand that reaches out from her own shadow to snatch her mess of blonde hair. She screams as she’s dragged away from the party.

---

MATIAS SILPH & PENELOPE LIVY & kyle lopez & Melody Miro

For a split second, everything blurred with color, radiant in one way or another, and then in the next, it all faded into a pit of blackness. A blank sheet of concentrated nothingness.
[break][break]

When Penelope's consciousness returned to her, so did her vision, only that was regained through small spurts blocked out by patches of gray static. A hand instinctively moved to patch the hole that felt burned into her head. It was hot, throbbing with an intense sear reminiscent of being burnt alive.
[break][break]

"What happened," she murmured to herself.
[break][break]

The whirl of action around her was dull and incomprehensible, like a foreign language she could not interpret. When she did try, the throbbing would only increase tenfolds, forcing her to retreat back to her ignorance.
[break][break]

"God, it hurts."
[break][break]

The spat of INFERNO meeting Heatran's FLASH FIRE went unnoticed, reducing its achievement down to a simple buzz of static with some warmth attached to it. The only thing Penelope could focus on was herself, the pain, and the now noticeable flickering of her own shadow. Like a sheet of paper coming to life, the shadow unstuck itself from the ground, first gaining legs, then arms. It finally finished itself off with a small head and wisps of ghoulishly dark curls.
[break][break]

She tried to reach out to it, maybe to test its friendliness, but the shadow only stepped backward. It looked to detest physical touch. When she reached out again, she was stopped. But, this time, it wasn't the small shadow that moved, but herself.
[break][break]

A set of jaws had bitten down on the collar of her shirt, dragging her backward a few inches before letting go. It was forceful with its intentions, unwilling to abide by her yelps for freedom, but it was never overly rough. Far from it. The second she was placed back down, Penelope scrambled to glimpse up at the creature who'd dragged her, and from what she saw, it was something from out of the storybook.
[break][break]

"What...?"
[break][break]

There was no time for questions. The strange pokemon had already moved onto the offensive, striking down the shadow with a swift THUNDERBOLT. Penelope wanted to stop it -- to save the shadow from this unknown beast --- but the swelling pain was too much to bare.
[break][break]

During this time, the battlefield had taken a turn for the worst. While the spirit's INFERNO had successfully been absorbed by the HEATRAN, the malicious embodiment of ENVY was not looking to back down. Not without a proper fight.
[break][break]

The decades worth of pent-up envy sparked around the spectral in the form of black tendrils outlined in green. They twitched and flick with spiteful hostility; a warning sign of what was to come.
[break][break]

Then, without indication, the jades surrounding the spirit's black liquid eyes flashed with a sharp brilliance. From it, the tendrils lunged forward, looking to infect and reclaim those who'd taken from it.
[break][break]

PENELOPE LIVY and MATIAS SILPH -- without hesitation, the darkened lashes would aim for its targets. If struck, the tendrils would wrap themselves around its victim, multiplying at the seams, until it was completely engulfed by the overwhelming sensation of ENVY. The longer the target is exposed, the further these feelings would rot the victim's insides, until they were consumed by the effects of the dark pulse.
[break][break]

Penelope barely evaded the vengeance of the spirit. If it hadn't been for the ashen Raikou, who had provided her transport with EXTREME SPEED, the woman would've easily succumbed to the move's ferocity. Now on top of the yellow beast, set beside kyle lopez , Penelope clung tightly to its purple cape, face still left twisted from the throbbing pain that persisted.
[break][break]

"Charizard," she called, voice unsteady, "Pelipper."
[break][break]

The two pokemon arose without question. It was clear they'd been waiting for further directives up until that point, not trained to do much without being told to do so.
[break][break]

With her lead, they took aim, the Charizard sending forth a series of razor-sharp AIR SLASHES and the Pelipper aiming to impale the fish with its HYDRO PUMP.

[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] Eva Morales MATIAS SILPH kyle lopez Melody Miro [break]
- penny hit her head and it HURTS [break]
- her marshadow says hullo o.o [break]
- RAIKOU SAYS NO AND DRAGS PENNY WAY FROM MARSHADOW >:o [BREAK]
- RAIKOU USES THUNDER ON MARSHADOW[BREAK]
- CHI-YU USES DARK PULSE ON PENELOPE LIVY AND MATIAS SILPH (cause jades) (read paragraph for flavor and what move does if hit pwease)[BREAK]
- penny evades the move thanks to raikou carrying her away with EXTREME SPEED

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-ditto"]

"—!"[break][break]

pinned down by the roaring INFERNO that continues to flood the battlefield, he's unable to help Eva Morales. he may flick his wrist to try and conjure up earth in an attempt to stop her from being dragged away but it's useless.[break][break]

it's then that his SHADOW finally returns to him. the moment it makes contact with the sole of his foot, a dark shape materializes, forming a pokemon he does not recognize.[break][break]

but it does not matter. he turns to throw a punch at it only for it to slip right by as though it had read his movements ages ago. its face warps into a mirroring grin before an inevitable sound escapes its mouth.[break][break]

"tch."[break][break]

"what the—"[break][break]

like a SPECTRAL THIEF in the night, the shadow returns a hook that squares across his jaw. he's knocked back, though he catches himself from going prone. just in time, too, for the DARK PULSE to fly straight at him.[break][break]

a flick of his wrist summons enough earth to shield him from the attack. the shadow isn't as lucky. it's knocked back by the attack, hit by the DARK PULSE only for its shape to weave and bubble into a MARSHADOW.[break][break]

"TCH."[break][break]

choosing to ignore it, he stands, rising as a particular pokeball bursts open.[break][break]

"LIVY."[break][break]

the sword of justice comes to PENELOPE LIVY's aid. virizion rushes forward in a green blur, and just like it had done back in littleroot against DIALGA, its MEGAHORN shines bright as it pierces through CHI-YU.[break][break]

the spirit fades after, though the SHADOWS remain.[break][break]

matias wastes no time. he looks for Eva Morales.[break][break]

MARSHADOW bullies MATIAS SILPH[break][break]

VIRIZION uses MEGAHORN on CHI-YU[break][break]

CHI-YU fades away[break][break]

MATIAS SILPH looks for Eva Morales

[attr="class","ooc"]kyle lopez Melody Miro PENELOPE LIVY Eva Morales[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-heatran"][attr="class","pkspr pkmn-virizion"]

She looked like a fool getting overtaken by her own shadow. If she wasn’t feeling such INTENSE FEAR she may have had a moment to consider the situation and help herself. Lost in the abyss that is adrenaline, all she could do was fight. She kicked and screamed and clawed at the nothingness that had a hold of her.

It felt like she had been dragged a mile when a BLIZZARD engulfs the professor and her assailant. A sharp hiss brushed past her ear as the ghost releases her hair when struck by the attack. Suddenly, she’s free, and she wastes no time scurrying back to her feet. The fear is and worry is palpable, her Sygna Suit pulsing frantically to both stave off the oppressive effects of The Border and call Blade to her aid.

She doesn’t stay on her feet long. Another hand trips her. This time, her attacker isn’t shy. From the shadow a familiar figure rises. It’s . . . too familiar.

Eva freezes in shock as she stares back up at . . . herself?

The imposters lips slowly curl into a disturbingly wicked smile, the emerald in her eyes growing dark, sinister. This Eva seems violent, hateful, cold, everything Hoenn’s Eva is not. A dark blade in the Shadow’s hand strikes down, parried away by the flash of the Gallade's magenta PSYCHO CUT.

---

MATIAS SILPH & PENELOPE LIVY & kyle lopez & Melody Miro

The world was a blur; watercolors splattering across the canvas with sloppy precision.
[break][break]
Fingers digging into the wrinkles of the ashen beast's purple cape, the councilwoman blinked against the haze overtaking her mind. It was hard to maintain focus. To keep her wits sharp. Especially with that fish of flames and envy flickering out before them, daunting black eyes staring back at her.
[break][break]
ENVY -- it pulsated from the foreign Pokémon in waves, bellowing out one singular thought: return the beads. It was speculative, it wasn't exact, but at that moment, during the spur of combat, that is what Penelope felt carved in her bones. That was what rattled her, what kept her breathing hitched, and what numbed the persistent throbbing of her head.
[break][break]
"Matias wa--"
[break][break]
Words couldn't prevent the spear of flair (?) from piercing through. In one fell swoop, what was once a culmination of a plethora of unspoken thoughts had dissipated completely, leaving only shattered fragments behind for them to collect with their memories alone.
[break][break]
Penelope had to blink herself awake just to turn away from the scene.
[break][break]
Turning, the marshadow from the before -- the one who mimicked her expression like a mask -- reappeared, balancing off one foot with clear intentions of luring the unguarded in.
[break][break]
"Charizard," clear as a knife, she called for the draconic beast, to which flames bore at his lips, searing the creature with the final blaze of heated INFERNO.
[break][break]
To finish it off, she tossed her own pokeball at it. If this were the shit they were forced to deal with, might as well get a consolation prize out of it.
[break][break]
"I'm okay," she returned Melody's question with a hard answer. Her hand still cradled the bump rising from the back of her head. "Let's get the fuck out of here though."
[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] MATIAS SILPH Eva Morales Melody Miro kyle lopez[break]


[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-ditto"]

"VIRIZION."[break][break]

too far to intervene on his own, he's left to rely on the sword of justice to save Eva Morales. after dealing with CHI-YU, virizion arcs around, u-turning to rush past matias. a LEAF BLADE cuts through eva's shadow, dispersing it instantly as remnants of it scatter into the wind.[break][break]

breathing a sigh of relief, he looks back just in time to see his SHADOW returning to him, only this time he's quick to step on it even before it reaches him.[break][break]

MARSHADOW squeaks before it shapes up, curious in the way it peers at matias. following the lead of his team, he tosses a pokeball at it, then steps away.[break][break]

"everyone okay?"[break][break]

he jogs over to help Eva Morales before nodding.[break][break]

"let's get out of here."[break][break]

HkhwE3Fd

[attr="class","ooc"]kyle lopez Melody Miro PENELOPE LIVY Eva Morales[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-heatran"][attr="class","pkspr pkmn-virizion"]

Blade’s PSYCHO CUT was enough to shatter the dark blade in the shadow’s hands, but that didn’t stop her advance. The ghost of Eva seemed envious; hell bent on taking her place in their world. The professor scrambled backwards from the shadow’s lunge, driving her heels into the dirt. Before Blade could dispose of the shadow, VIRZION came to her aid. The Sword of Justice easily blew through the darkness, shattering Eva’s doppelganger.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” she mumbles, accepting Matias’s help to get up. She was just a little embarrassed by getting attacked by her own shadow. She always seemed cause some sort of an unnecessary fuss. Eva dusted the dirt off her ivory and green Sygna Suit as she scanned over the rest of their party. No one seemed to have been injured badly, though kyle lopez’s face was starting to bruise for some reason, “Thanks, Virzion,” Eva smiled, resting a grateful hand on the sword’s side.

“Yes, let’s get out of here,” she’d be back, she was sure of it. Now that she knew what The Borders entailed, she would be more prepared. Between The Borders and the Mechanical Kingdom, she did find herself more drawn to the later. It required further exploration. With The Borders mapped out, maybe she needed to return to the Littelroot rift to do the same.

---

MATIAS SILPH & PENELOPE LIVY & kyle lopez & Melody Miro
WjHFi8eX