[attr="class","icon"]

The swelling of the mist captivates the Malevolent, forcing her to halt in her tracks as she bears witness to declan walsh's materialization. She is briefly reminded of Lulu Flint, but the memory is easily discarded—her focus maintained on the Boss instead. She, too, makes no effort to close the distance between them. A fiery stare meets an icy one, conviction present in both.
[break][break]
"Boss," she greets him like an old friend and with a ghost of a smile, "I accept challenges in an elite four chamber these days. I thought you knew."
[break][break]
The capsule in her hand remains closed. Her digit threatens to press a button to unleash a Pokemon—but she dares not precede her opponent. It's a sign of weakness. A sign of fear. "Mm. Truth be told, I thought you didn't like dirtying your hands..."
[break][break]
"..Oh. You don't trust your pawns to handle me anymore, do you? They've let you down too many times."
[break]
[break]

---

[break]
+ 50 MP for participation in a Postdormitum Battle/Mission.[break]
+ 10 MP per IC post in a PD battle/mission.[break]

[attr="class","bottom"]declan walsh [break]

[break]

"no, no. i'd rather take the pleasure of eliminating you for myself."[break][break]

the rocket boss lobs his pokeball gently. before it hits the ground, a gliscor emerges onto its scorpion tail. its leathery wings burst wide in a haunting spread.[break][break]

"why not come back?"[break][break]

around them, shadows begin to coalesce and murmur against the realm's coarse sea stone.[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] Katherine Fairburne[break]
TL;DR: walsh summons gliscor; shadows begin to gather.[break][break]
+10 MP (IC POST)[break]
+10 MP (IC POST)[break]
+10 MP (AVATAR POWER)[break]
[break]

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

[attr="class","icon"]

"Aw. I'm flattered. In that case, please, do continue."
[break][break]
The Pokeball she throws ahead is one the Rocket boss should be familiar with-- after all, he was the one to hand it to her. Her Blacephalon materializes in a showy twirl, clearly elated to be chosen. It was a performer through and through, and who better to perform for than an old friend?
[break][break]
"You remember Blacephalon, don't you? I never got to properly thank you for it. It served me well," taunting her opponent comes naturally to the Malevolent still. The League hasn't changed that much about her, it seems. In an effort to mimic its trainer, the Ultra Beast TAUNTS the Gliscor in turn.
[break][break]
"I could," she's teasing him, clearly, "I would for the right price," what a revelation.
[break][break]
"Cough up a few plates for me, and I'll consider it. Throw in a shard like this," the GRISEOUS SHARD attached to her necklace gleams when her palm rises to touch and gesture at it, "and I'll start tomorrow."
[break]
[break]

---

[break]
+ 10 MP per IC post in a PD battle/mission.[break]

[attr="class","bottom"]declan walsh [break]

[break]

"if your loyalty was already that tenuous," the rocket boss says, "then consider the deal off. i much prefer to buy new anyway."[break][break]

by the blacephalon bravado, his GLISCOR is TAUNTED. such a performance throws a wrench in the boss' initial strategy: to aim for katherine from the beginning.[break][break]

though, he surmises he can still accomplish what he has aimed for:[break][break]

"EARTHQUAKE." [break][break]

the gliscor slams its sharp tail on the ground, forcing the earth to tremble and fissure toward the malevolent and her clown.[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] Katherine Fairburne[break]
TL;DR: gliscor taunted; uses EQ.[break][break]
+10 MP (IC POST)[break]
+10 MP (IC POST)[break]
+10 MP (IC POST)[break]
+10 MP (AVATAR POWER)[break]
[break]

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

[attr="class","icon"]

"Hah!"
[break][break]
His misplaced accusation earns a chuckle from Katherine, hearty and loud. He couldn't be any more wrong. "Despite what you and other Rockets may think, my allegiance never wavered," her loyalty to Giratina was unmatched and could never be contested. The League and Team Rocket will forever be a means to an end.
[break][break]
The Malevolent is whisked away by a SHADOW FORCE when the earth begins to tremble, leaving the clown behind to endure it. Through the quakes and in spite of the treacherous terrain, the jester still manages to hurl its head towards the Gliscor. The MIND BLOWN explosion is guaranteed to follow.
[break][break]
No direct attempt on Declan's life is made, however. Katherine knows better than to mistake Darkrai's avatar for an easy picking.
[break]
[break]

---

[break]
+ 10 MP per IC post in a PD battle/mission.[break]

[attr="class","bottom"]declan walsh [break]

[break]

loyalty. allegiances. it takes a brief breath for declan to realize she may be talking of herself and the renegade patron. though he wonders if that bond is as fragile as the rest.[break][break]

one hand slides into his suit, beneath his overhanging cape and remains there.[break][break]

"fold your wings. brace yourself."[break][break]

the MIND BLOWN erupts and though the gliscor attempts to shield itself, it is still hurled back from the overwhelming detonation. scorch marks score its leathery wings.[break][break]

as the smoke of battle whisks past their ankles, shadows surge forth to replace it. the boss commands his gliscor to the air:[break][break]

"hide in the shadows. NIGHT SLASH." [break][break]

the shadows obscure the soaring gliscor's movements as it attempts to NIGHT SLASH the ultra beast's lithe form.[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] Katherine Fairburne[break]
TL;DR: gliscor uses night slash; hurt quite a bit![break][break]
+10 MP (IC POST)[break]
+10 MP (IC POST)[break]
+10 MP (IC POST)[break]
+10 MP (IC POST)[break]
+10 MP (AVATAR POWER)[break]
[break]

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

[attr="class","icon"]

"You know..."
[break][break]
Although Katherine's scarlet gaze maintains its focus on the shadow-obscured Gliscor, words continue to spill past her lips, her voice soft and joyous. "It really isn't fair that you didn't get to see me during the attack on Sootopolis. You missed out on all the fun!"
[break][break]
Blacephalon attempts to nimbly evade the NIGHT SLASH and succeeds in doing so - but only for the first of them. The second catches it, easily drawing blood. "Let's rectify that, mm?" Without warning, the jester's head grows in size. Each breath it takes causes it to grow further; each drop of blood drawn fuels it with more power.
[break][break]
When it throws its head, it becomes clear that this is no mere MIND BLOWN. The Z-Move version of the move is meant to punish the boss and its Pokemon, just as Katherine's powers are harnessed to pull the Gliscor towards its trainer-- where the bomb had been thrown to.
[break][break]
The Blacephalon, naturally, succumbs to its injuries during this exchange. Katherine recalls it then and there, watching the explosion illuminate the area through a half-lidded stare.
[break]
[break]

---

[break]
+ 10 MP per IC post in a PD battle/mission.[break]
+ 10 MP use a z-move in your thread.[break]
+ 50 MP for getting your Pokemon knocked out.[break]
notes: z move details here

[attr="class","bottom"]declan walsh [break]

[break]

when the blacephalon's head expands by its first increment, a flash of distress crosses walsh's face. [break][break]

there is no time to recall the gliscor. the ensuing explosion tears across the scorpion and its trainer, razing the sanctity of their silhouettes by sheer force. [break][break]

in the aftermath, the gliscor is knocked out cold. but walsh is no where to be seen. [break][break]

however, the boss rematerializes in a tendril of shadow near katherine. [break][break]

"you have an affinity for ultra beasts don't you?" [break][break]

walsh says as he tosses another pokeball; this time, more angry. more disturbed. his cape burns and frays. [break][break]

"just like them, you'll remain forever out of place with the league." [break][break]

a NIDOKING lands on the earth. briefly, declan walsh is reminded of a THEO BECKETT in celadon before the behemoth summons a SLUDGE WAVE to crash upon her.[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] Katherine Fairburne[break]
TL;DR: gliscor fainted + nidoking summoned[break][break]
+10 MP (IC POST)[break]
+10 MP (IC POST)[break]
+10 MP (IC POST)[break]
+10 MP (IC POST)[break]
+10 MP (AVATAR POWER)[break]
pkmn knocked out
[break]

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

[attr="class","icon"]

Of course he's alive, Katherine complains silently, cursing both Darkrai and the man he chose for its avatar. Knowing how difficult Declan Walsh was to kill only served to further demotivate the Malevolent from committing more tools and Pokemon into this battle.
[break][break]
It would be an agonizing battle to have and an even harder one to win. By the end, she'd likely regret participating in it, even if he were to die.
[break][break]
"Mm. Maybe," Katherine agrees with his assessment, mimicking the movement of his hand to free a Pokemon from a capsule in turn. Stakataka cubes fall into place around her, forming a fortress to protect her from the SLUDGE WAVE.
[break][break]
"But it doesn't matter. When I've gathered all I need, there won't be a single universe where I'm out of place. You and the rest of your pawns will bear the same insignificance as you always have," neither a threat nor a warning, it's a promise. A prophecy.
[break][break]
The cubes form a small flight of stairs for her to climb, leading her to a position at the Stakataka's core whilst its MAGNET RISE is executed. They rise into the air, clearly still undisturbed by the poisonous sludge.
[break][break]
"You've set your eyes on something as small as Hoenn, Walsh. I've set mine on something much bigger."
[break]
[break]

---

[break]
+ 10 MP per IC post in a PD battle/mission.[break]

[attr="class","bottom"]declan walsh [break]

[break]

there is a part of him that admires katherine's ambition. declan's own ambition is a different kind: a quiet creature that he feeds slowly lest it become spoiled.[break][break]

"hoenn is but a single tier of many." the boss says, eyeing the stakataka staircase with disdain. "careful that you don't make a misstep, katherine."[break][break]

with a loud roar, the NIDOKING fires a barrage of boulders (ROCK SLIDE). as each second passes, it is clear a stalemate is beginning to claim dominion over their time.[break][break]

finally from beneath the boss' suit, his gloved hand retracts. in between his fingers, a suspicious griseous shard remains pinched.[break][break]

"take it." he tosses it toward katherine before recalling his fallen gliscor that had remained on the field. "consider it an invitation."[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] Katherine Fairburne[break]
TL;DR: nidoking rock slides; "griseous shard" tossed[break][break]
+10 MP (IC POST)[break]
+10 MP (IC POST)[break]
+10 MP (IC POST)[break]
+10 MP (IC POST)[break]
+10 MP (IC POST)[break]
+10 MP (AVATAR POWER)[break]
+50 MP (PKMN KO'D)[break]
+50 MP (PARTICIPATION)[break]
+100 MP (CONSIDERING IT A CLASH FOR ME SINCE I HAVE ELIJAH)[break]
+250 MP (TIE)[break]

[break]

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

[attr="class","icon"]

The fired boulders collide with a barrier of PROTECT issued by the Ultra Beast. It acts on its own accord, not requiring a command in the slightest. This was its job, after all. It was a Pokemon built and best equipped for defence, not offence. Much like Wlash, Katherine reluctantly accepted that victory was beyond reach.
[break][break]
"Exchanging advice now, are we? Mm, I suppose it's only fair if I return the favour..."
[break][break]
"You should seriously consider tightening the leash on your people," how vague and ultimately unhelpful, "more plan to leave you. More plan are trying to emulate me." Of course, it's about her.
[break][break]
Then, a familiar glimmer of a GRISEOUS SHARD catches her eye. Katherine recognizes it, indignation already burning within. Avarice coils around her heart, sinking its fangs into her. And just like that, Logic is thrown to the winds. Giratina threatens to free itself from its vassal-- until Walsh speaks again.
[break][break]
She's in disbelief at the sound of his words, and her mouth opens slightly when the shard is tossed to her free of charge. "I'll sleep on it," is all she says at the mention of his invite, opting to keep her answer to herself.
[break]
[break]

---

[break]
+ 10 MP per IC post in a PD battle/mission.[break]
+ 150 MP for completing a Postdormitum Battle.[break]
+ 250 MP for "tying" a Postdormitum Battle/Mission.[break]
total: 570

[attr="class","bottom"]declan walsh [break]

[break]