[attr="class","skullimg"]

[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skullbody"]Water filled Isaac's lungs. Panic was quick to follow.[break][break]

He didn't have time to think. Every second he spent not-escaping was a second he spent getting closer to death. It didn't matter that he could hear a distant splash and feel Pressure mounting closer, closer, closer still. It didn't matter that he had no idea if Caleb was okay. It didn't matter that, in the cold, uncaring depths of the Sootopolis basin, nobody could hear him scream.[break][break]

The only thing that mattered was getting out, and Cil was not making that easy for him. Had this been any other Pokemon, he would be pulling on their arm, clawing for their eyes, and using every dirty trick in the book to force himself free. But this wasn't just any Pokemon. This was a Dhelmise. It would be like trying to score a cheap shot against a handful of moss.[break][break]

He was going to have to make a choice and pray.[break][break]

Three Pokeballs released into the surface of the water, bobbing away into the shadows. They were gone now, but their payload had made their way out; a Water Breed Tauros, a Ralts perched on the crown of his head, and little more than a nexus of swirling shadows.[break][break]

Buffaloman was the first to take action, steam tearing from his nostrils as he bellowed a challenge Eurydice's way. His Swagger was a risk; Cil's control over his shadows was immaculate, and he'd be able to fight against the effects with ease once he arrived. He wasn't here yet, though, and Buffaloman didn't need a long-term game plan. He just needed the chain around Isaac to loosen ever so slightly.[break][break]

It would give Echo the opportunity to pull back with all of his Psychic might. Metal would rake Isaac raw, tearing through a uniform he'd soon have no right to wear, but it didn't matter. Isaac would rather see his own blood billow out from him in crimson clouds than be a corpse at the bottom of Sootopolis' basin. The second he was pulled onto Buffaloman's back, the trio would speed off, Buffaloman's tail spinning like the propeller of a speedboat as he dashed towards Sootopolis' central island.[break][break]

The third Pokemon had yet to make its presence known, but he wasn't an idiot. He knew that Cil would prefer if Isaac was dragged back into the depths before he could make landfall. For this reason, he waited beneath the seas, prepared to counter any Anchor Shot, Power Whip, or Phantom Force interception with his own mirrored move. It would be a great risk, but Isaac would just need to buy a few seconds to make landfall.[break][break]

There, it would be time for his final stand.

[break]

[break]

[attr="class","skullimg"]

[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skullbody"]Isaac's coughs were limp and frail. Had Buffaloman been even moments slower, or Eurydice been even slightly more composed, he would have blacked out like a drowned rat. Echo scooped him up, giving him a few hard whacks on the back to try and help him spit up water. Buffaloman's tail thrashed at immense speeds to try and push ragtag patrol onwards. Sanford shadowed them from beneath the depths, keeping an eye out for any and all funny business.[break][break]

Unfortunately, there was nothing funny about Cillian Quinn.[break][break]

Two shadows passed overhead, predators of the sky trailing in opposite directions. They moved like clockwork as they passed one another. Lugia was the hour hand; a slow, inexorable titan, gliding overhead without a care in the world for the vermin that scrambled below. It brought freezing rain and northern winds down on the group as they approached, even such a distant attack chilling them to the bone.[break][break]

This slowing chill was a problem, for in the wake of the hour hand the minute hand descended. The Aerodactyl was like a bat out of hell, and its Agility meant it would only get faster from here. Buffaloman's muscles stiffened from the cold. Echo was reduced to cuddling up to her unresponsive trainer and shivering for warmth. Worse still, glacial ice was starting to form in the wake of Lugia's wingbeats. Would Isaac be run aground before he could even make it to shore?[break][break]

An Anchor Shot erupting through the ice saw to it that he wouldn't. If they couldn't clear a path themselves, Sanford would gladly oblige. The Dhelmise made his presence known, lurking just below the water's surface. He did his damndest to play Reverse Titanic, each crash through the ice bringing Buffaloman all the closer to his reprieve.[break][break]

It wouldn't make a difference. The Aerodactyl was too fast. He'd snatch them up in his talons just before they could make it to the land's surface. Buffaloman let out a furious bellow, pushing with every shred of might he could muster, but he could feel the chill deepen and his stamina fade. At this rate, he'd never make it. He was too slow to speed up. The Aerodactyl was too fast to slow down.[break][break]

Maybe that meant slowing it wasn't the answer.[break][break]

Echo's horns pulsed as he reached a pair of hands out towards the Aerodactyl, trying to seize it in a psychic grip. If successful, he wouldn't try and push the Aerodactyl back. Instead, he would turn its natural momentum against it and pull it down faster. As he attempted this, Buffaloman leaped from the water, fur bristling out from him in all directions. Whether to ensure a safe landing after Aerodactyl changed course, or to try and careen into it in mid-air on a successful pull, a Wild Charge exploded from around Buffaloman.[break][break]

Jolted out from his daze by the force of the attack, Isaac sat up straight. The feeling of terra firma beneath Buffaloman's hooves was a relief, but a fleeting one. They'd gotten him out of the frying pan, but it wouldn't mean a damn thing if they couldn't get out of the fire. Two more Pokeballs rained down, a Scolipede and a Hisuian Typhlosion emerging from each. "San, Buff, Dora, Hearth. I'm gonna need you guys to hold the line," Isaac said, voice grim and focused. "Soon as you're ready, get us out of here, Echo!"[break][break]

Fresh and ready to fight, Pandora and Hearth took their battle stations. Pandora's ponderous bulk tightened up into a firm Defense Curl, while Hearth prepared a Flame Wheel to start warming the air around Isaac and his Pokemon. No longer chilled to the bone, Echo held his hands high, horns attempting to resonate with the frequency of the universe. He stood behind Buffaloman and Sanford, trying his damndest to work up the strength for just one last Teleport.[break][break]

Until he could find it, they would just have to face the world's most overwhelming odds. No pressure.[break][break]

Except for all the Pressure.

[break]

[break]

[attr="class","skullimg"]

[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skullbody"]Ancient birds of terror once snatched cattle out from the sky, dashing them against the rocks to feast on the marrow within their shattered bones.[break][break]

The thing about being airborne was that you had next to no body control. The Aerodactyl was able to weather the storm of the Wild Charge just long enough to dig its claws into Buffaloman's flank. The Paldean Tauros thrashed furiously in its prisoner's grip, sparks flying in all directions from its mane. It wouldn't be able to score a direct hit on the Aerodactyl from such a poor position, but perhaps its dead weight and relentless fight would force an early drop.[break][break]

"We can't-" The idea of leaving without Buffaloman filled Isaac with dread, but before he could voice his doubt Sanford slapped him upside the head. Cil was hot on their tail. The air was growing colder by the moment. Even Buffaloman looked down, bellowing as if demanding to know what was wrong with Isaac. He was already dead, and the idea of it being taken in vain offended him.[break][break]

"You're right." It was agony, but they were right. "Echo, Tele-"[break][break]

Sometimes, just a moment of hesitation could make a world of difference.[break][break]

The tip of a rusted anchor, nearly as big as Echo, pierced clean through his body. Letting out an agonized shriek, the Ralts could barely muster enough of a Teleport to pry itself off of the anchor's hook. He landed, crumpled and agonized, his robelike flesh already stained crimson. There he fell, the glow in his horns slowly subsiding to a pale pink.[break][break]

"ECHO!" Agony bled through Isaac's voice. Since he caught the little Ralts, the two of them had been inseparable. When he wanted to wander the region, Echo always knew the perfect spot to warp them to. When he was adjusting to his missing eye, Echo's psychic powers helped him learn to adjust. He was an earnest and dorky little thing who wore his heart on his sleeve, and one of the Pokemon Isaac most hoped he could spare from the horrors of this war.[break][break]

Now, he had to pay its final price.[break][break]

Hearth didn't even hesitate. Orbs detached from his neck, swirling around Eurydice's chain like a cyclone of vengeful wraiths. They didn't need to sear the main body; so long as this Infernal Parade could make the chain white-hot, the colony attached to it would suffer.[break][break]

It was an admirable effort. However, Isaac knew it would be futile. There were only three ways out of Sootopolis. Under was a death sentence; Buffaloman was no diver, and Rocket ran these trade routes. Isaac's best shot at around lay motionless on the floor behind him, and attempting to jaunt through the Phantom Plane would put him at the mercy of its most well versed traveler.
That left but one distant hope at making it out in one piece.[break][break]

Up.[break][break]

Lugia was the skylord. So long as he was present, it would be impossible. Isaac didn't need him knocked out, though. He simply needed him out of the way. He'd need to disable the looming shadow with but a single strike, and he'd have to make sure no matter what it wouldn't miss.[break][break]

Against all odds, he had just the option.[break][break]

Rocket's own cruelties would be turned against them. Their own attempts at indoctrinating Isaac would come back to haunt him. MUGEN emerged in a final crimson flash. "Right out of the sky, MUGEN," Isaac hissed, knowing they had not even a moment to waste. "Just one shot. And then we're outta here."[break][break]

The Genesect's cannon unfolded from its back, lightning sparking at the tip. His eyes pulsed from red to green, matrix code dancing across his vision. The most advanced targeting computers the world could build fired off in every synapse, calculating the Lugia's wingspan, its velocity, the winds it crested upon. Soon, it had Locked On, all the insurance Isaac could ever need.[break][break]

He'd planned the shot that would save his life. Now all he'd have to do is make it.

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[break]

[attr="class","skullimg"]

[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skullbody"]Cil and his team were getting too close for comfort. The icy winds were growing harsher and harsher, no matter how brightly Hearth's violet flames burned. Buffaloman crashed to earth with a thud and a crack, the stone beneath him shattering from the sheer force of impact.[break][break]

If Isaac didn't leave, right here and now, this cold, cramped island would be his grave.[break][break]

Unfortunately, Cil had finally arrived, and he was hellbent on not making this easy for Isaac. Without even saying a word, he whipped out another Pokeball, a Luxray tearing out from the light and immediately lunging for Isaac. He flinched, fearing the worst, yet the crushing fangs never came. Pandora, her Speed Boost undaunted by the winds, swooped in to catch the Luxray on her Megahorn. The miasma would make landing a fatal blow nigh-impossible, but Pandora wasn't aiming to kill. She simply needed to toss it aside.[break][break]

This new addition to the team wasn't the only threat. Eurydice retreated to the island's edge, but its algal colony tried its damndest to make new roads inwards. Hearth was quick to snap into action, spinning up another Flame Wheel to drive its tendrils back. He shot Pandora a weary glance, the bug nodding tiredly in response. The fight had only just truly begun, and yet Cil's Pressure made the situation feel hopeless.[break][break]

Nonetheless, they stood. So, too, did Buffaloman, bellowing an infuriated challenge as he shuddered to his feet. The man who had given them everything needed them now more than ever, and that meant they refused to falter.[break][break]

While they took the front, Sanford tried to play defense. His wheel spun as he fired a column of water towards Cil and his team, a Whirlpool aimed right by the water's edge. With any luck, the swirling currents he created would be enough to hold Cil and any further additions to his war party back. It wouldn't be much, and it would do nothing to prevent the Aerodactyl's next hateful swipe, but if he could just stop the scales from tipping any further they might stand a chance.[break][break]

After all, the flow of the Icy Winds was second nature to MUGEN now. The perfect shot was ready. Isaac hopped onto his back, pointing towards the Shadow Lugia. It didn't matter that Cil knew about his plan now. It didn't matter that Isaac knew about Cil's. Their intentions were written in plain sight, the time for any deception long since past. "Open fire and blast us outta here, MUGEN!"[break][break]

MUGEN watched. MUGEN waited. And then MUGEN's lavender claw snagged around the rim of Isaac's uniform coat.[break][break]

Before he could say a word, the Genesect reared up. Isaac was no longer inches away from freedom. He was now in the merciless clutches of a Pokemon he'd once thought he'd forged a bond with. MUGEN's impassive red eyes bore down on Isaac as he hoisted him high. His collar dug into his throat, only finding reprieve after a full-force chokeslam into the ground.[break][break]

Hearth's normal composure vanished in an instant, the mellow Typhlosion's eyes widening in shock. Immediately, he turned around to run towards his trainer. Sanford followed, his normal hovering seemed more strained and agitated. Buffaloman and Pandora, once holding the line as part of a quartet, were now forced to step up to the plate themselves. All the while, their trainer could only bring himself to stammer out one question.[break][break]

"W . . . why?"

[break]

[break]

[attr="class","skullimg"]

[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skullbody"]Even the sparks popping off of Cil's Luxray in its retreat were enough to singe Pandora. Just how powerful were the Pokemon Cil had at his disposal? Just how many of them were there?[break][break]

Just how much had he been holding back in the past?[break][break]

Isaac would to have loved to ponder these questions, but he was a little preoccupied with trying not to die. He scrambled back on his hands and feet, desperate to build up distance between him and the eerily still Genesect looming over him. Crystal, rain, and miasma ate at his vision, making it increasingly hard to make out what was going on.[break][break]

The last thing he saw was a stinger, the length and thickness of his arm, slowly unfolding from MUGEN's abdomen.[break][break]

Isaac tried to push himself back into a sitting position. Perhaps he did so just in the nick of time. Had he been a second slower, the stinger that slammed into the ground before him would have gone clean through his stomach. Instead, it hung uncomfortably close to the space between his legs, fear and adrenaline leaving his chest heaving.[break][break]

There was only one Pokemon that could reasonably give MUGEN trouble, and Cil knew it. The whirlpool on the battlefield was hijacked in an instant, growing into a tempest that threatened to consume damn near half of the island. Its goal was simple; stop Hearth from interfering with MUGEN's kill command through any means possible. Hearth tried his hardest to scramble away from the water's edge, but it was to no avail. Second by second, he was dragged closer to the riptide, the force of the tempest threatening to overwhelm him entirely.[break][break]

Just as he shut his eyes and prepared to embrace his fate, heavy hoofbeats crashed through the darkness.[break][break]

Buffaloman had arrived just in the nick of time, sheltering Hearth with his massive bulk. A protective bubble of water danced around him, the force of his Aqua Crash dampening as much of the incoming whirlpool as it possibly could. With each swirl of the whirlpool, more water was sheared off of the attack; before long, spurts of thick fur and crimson blood took its place.[break][break]

Vines wrapped around Hearth before he could try to intervene. Buffaloman's fate had been sealed since that damned Aerodactyl first dashed him against the rocks. Hearth had a far more important role to play than that of a mourner. Their understanding, while unspoken, was unanimous. Hearth curled into a ball, wisps of purple flame building around him as Sanford spun him 'round and 'round.[break][break]

Whirr. Crash. Whirr. Crash. Plunged in the darkness as he was, only the sound of servos straining and metal crashing let Isaac know that his former Genesect was on the prowl. Occasionally, its stinger shot out through the darkness, each time missing Isaac by mere millimeters. His outfit was torn. His breathing was ragged. All he could do was count the footsteps, each attempt on his life coming quicker and quicker than the last. If he didn't act soon, they'd count down to a quick and brutal end. But what was he even supposed to do at this point?[break][break]

He was out of options. But that didn't mean his team was.[break][break]

A brilliant violet fireball careened through the darkness, smashing into MUGEN's back with enough force to send it stumbling. The Genesect's eyes pulsed hatefully as it turned to face the new threat; Hearth, caught in Sanford's vines and spinning up for another pass. This time, its Flame Wheel wouldn't go unanswered. MUGEN folded into its jet form, crimson flame erupting around its body as it engaged its Flame Charge.[break][break]

Their collision was enough to shine a light through the black crystal. For a brief moment, they seemed evenly matched, their flames licking at each other as they pushed back and forth. However, MUGEN had no interest in lingering on this test of strength. Its jetlike body unfolded, the Genesect balancing itself on its hands so it could donkey kick Hearth up and away.[break][break]

MUGEN folded back into jet mode, prepared to pursue, but found itself stopped in its tracks. Sanford's Anchor Shot dug right into its carapace, the Dhelmise's entire body straining as he tried to hold him back. Once more, MUGEN retaliated; unfolding back into his combat form, he grabbed Sanford's anchor chain, swinging him back and forth to dash him against the unforgiving Sootopolis stone.[break][break]

Their fate was mercy compared to what Buffaloman was forced to endure.[break][break]

The dark sandstream stung Buffaloman's eyes and engulfed the outside world. He could never see his fate coming. The icy winds bit at his joints and devoured his body heat. Even if he could, he could never avoid it. That meant, when the rush of power surged down from on high, he could only turn to his demise and face it with dignity.[break][break]

His front-left leg, already on the edge of breaking from his heavy impact with the earth, shattered as he was pushed into the Sootopolis stone. His mane, thick and luxurious, was incinerated by peal after peal of pure energy. His horns began to crack. His stance began to waver. Even as he lowed his head to try and brace himself, he was pushed back hard enough to leave a scar in the surface of the earth.[break][break]

Buffaloman lay their, agonized and trembling. Despite that, despite everything, he shuddered to his hooves and let out a furious bellow.[break][break]

Had he beaten all the odds? Or had he only delayed the inevitable? The longer he shouted, the more his last challenge turned from defiant to mournful. His breath became strained, almost smothered, as if the air in his lungs was starting to freeze solid. Permafrost died what little fur remained a pale white. His proud, muscular frame began to warp and distort, his own body threatening to rupture his own biochemistry turned against him. The swishing of his tail died down, its enraged thrash becoming the last feeble ticks of a dying metronome.[break][break]

Sound, motion, even those final, feeble heartbeats. It all drew to a close as Buffaloman died on his feet.[break][break]

Plunged into the darkness, almost none were there to witness his last stand. One, however, did. Pandora had fought side by side with Buffaloman in the most difficult leg of Isaac's gym challenge. They battled to a draw, only Isaac's good nature claiming their badge in spite of coming up short. She'd always believed they'd be back to give it another go. Now, the heart of a champion stopped beating before he could ever claim his crown.[break][break]

A hateful screech tour through the air, so loud that it threatened to deafen Lugia's storm. Rainbow energy shimmered around Pandora as she stared down the Hyper Beam's final, fading wisps. Her eyes narrowed with pure hatred, every ganglia dotted along her body screaming in unison;[break][break]

She craved revenge.[break][break]

Pandora's body curled into a tight ring, her Speed Boost finally powering through Lugia's bitter chill. Each rotation sped her up, faster and faster, the ice beneath her coils starting to melt from the friction. Each rotation tightened her coils, closer and closer, her carapace becoming as hard and heavy as stone.[break][break]

Pandora had always been somewhat of a trickster, using her speed and cunning to befuddle her opponents. Her dear Buffaloman had always preferred the direct approach, goading opponents into a direct confrontation and careening into them with a single, overwhelming blow. Perhaps, in his memory, she could try doing things his way.[break][break]

[break][break]

The sound of rolling chitin on melting ice practically screamed as Pandora launched herself skywards, prepared to smash the predator who killed her greatest friend clean out of the sky.[break][break]

It almost felt pathetic. Isaac's team was out there fighting for their lives - for his life - and all he could do was cower. Yet in Cil's looming shadow, the Miasma clogged his lungs and the Pressure squeezed his heart. A part of Isaac wondered if he should just lay down and die already. At least it might spare the rest of his team from sharing Buffaloman's fate.[break][break]

He shook the thought as quickly as it came. Hearth was peeling himself off the ground after that nasty kick. Sanford was continuing to do his damndest to wrestle MUGEN to the ground. Pandora was taking vengeance into her own hands. They didn't keep fighting the good fight so he could throw himself a pity party. Even as his leg trembled and his chest heaved, Isaac forced himself to join them.[break][break]

"I'm only still here 'cause I was stupid enough to trust you!" His voice cracked shamefully. His body refused to rise to its full height. Even on this heavily obscured battlefield, it was clear he was shaking like a leaf. Despite this, Isaac forced himself to settle into a fighting stance.[break][break]

Was it admirable? Or was it just another form of suicide?[break][break]

TEAL DEER;[break]
Hearth is body blocked by Buffaloman, allowing him to fall back and challenge MUGEN directly. His Flame Wheel is his greatest, and maybe only, weapon in this confrontation.[break]
Sanford spends his time playing playmaker; dragging Hearth out of harm's way, slinging him into MUGEN for extra momentum, and grappling the big bug with his Anchor Shot to stop it from going on a rampage.[break]
MUGEN fends the two of them off by himself with relative ease. However, they're keeping him far too busy to close in on Isaac and go for the kill.[break]
Buffaloman body blocks the whirlpool and endures a dead-on, ultra-powered Hyper Beam. However, the Freeze Dry is too much for him, and he is left dying on his feet.[break]
Incensed, Pandora unleashes her Z-Move, putting her own spin on her fallen friend's headlong charge strategy to blast his killer out of the skies.

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[attr="class","skullimg"]

[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skullbody"]Did that cold, passionless bird dare think it knew the meaning of vengeance?[break][break]

Pandora showed no fear as the Corviknight descended from the skies. Instead, wheeling around to face it, she tightened her coils and shot towards it head on. Her Rollout wouldn't be quite so powerful as her Z-Move, but she would make sure the Corviknight faced the brunt of her fury.[break][break]

The clear fluid leaking from her side as they collided only confirmed what Pandora already knew. She would have to make the most of what limited time she had left. Silently, she vowed to kick up a furor such that even the vengeful god of the sea and sky would know her hatred.[break][break]

Perhaps, in her own way, she had succumbed to the Pressure.[break][break]

Even the frozen ground beneath Pandora seemed to spark as she banked one final hard turn. Her destination was clear; Cillian himself, the eye of the gathering storm. His death would free them from this hell. His blood would answer for Buffaloman's. His pain would be her last laugh.[break][break]

Yet at that final moment, her vengeance was denied.[break][break]

An anchor buried itself into the wound in her side, worsening its severity with each rotation. Slowly but surely, Pandora's rollout began to draw to a close. Slowly but surely, her tightened coils began to unfurl. It didn't matter that she was leaving herself wide open. All she knew was that the object of her loathing was so close.[break][break]

So close that she could hear him snarl at her trainer, his hatred almost as deep as hers. Isaac's, in turn, was frail and hollow. "Don't act like this place hasn't changed!" he shouted, a pale imitation of the genuine hatreds on display. "Even you didn't know what to think of Meteno. And you know there's a better life than this! We were both there, in Gal-"

A furious bellow cut Isaac off. He looked to the shadows, a smile of relief spreading across his face. Pandora's heart surged as she remembered the heart of her dearest companion. Together, they'd end this evil, and send their poor, misguided fool of a trainer home. Every hoofbeat she heard was a step closer to their triumph.[break][break]

The last thing Pandora ever saw was the bloated corpse of Buffaloman charging towards her, head lowered.[break][break]

Horns dug first into, then clean through her side wound. The force of the charge was enough to shatter Pandora completely in half. Her upper body staggered forward, clear fluids dripping behind her as her freed up momentum finally let her finish her charge towards Cil. It stopped as quickly as it started, her horns lightly brushing Cil's leg in the pathetic remainder of a Megahorn.[break][break]

"What the fuck is wrong with you?"[break][break]

If there was any lingering love or affection for Cil, it vanished in that gruesome display. Fists balled, eye stung by tears, and throat raw from his screama, Isaac charged at Cil like a bat out of hell.[break][break]

He barely made it two steps before the Earthquake turned his legs to jelly. He dropped to one knee, but caught himself on a hand before his second dare hit the ground. Gritting his teeth, he wrenched his neck up, determined to stare Cil right in the eye.[break][break]

He never had a chance. Instead of Cil, Isaac found himself face to face with MUGEN. Sanford's strings had been cut, forcing the Dhelmise into retreat. Hearth's brawl with the killer snowflake, a Drain Punch aimed at its flank, was the least of Isaac's problems right now. The Genesect's eyes lit up with a menacing glow as it kneed Isaac clean in the face.[break][break]

Isaac hit the floor like a sack of bricks, clutching his shattered nose. He tried to worm back, but black glass stung his arms as he tried to push his frostbitten muscles. This time, nothing could stop MUGEN as his Fell Stinger gored right through Isaac's guts.[break][break]

For once, Isaac had nowhere to run. For once, Isaac had nothing to say. All he could do was grab whatever he could find on the ground next to him, throwing it at MUGEN's head with increasingly weak force. The first few rocks bounced off without notice. By the third, MUGEN was peeved enough to catch it. Perhaps he'd crush it to show Isaac what could be done to his skull.[break][break]

The rock flsshed once, then twice, and then it was a Pokeball.[break][break]

MUGEN's own Pokeball opened like a vortex, the renegade Genesect being dragged back into containment. Sanford chose now to emerge from the shadows, his Switcheroo gambit bearing fruit at this last, desperate moment. Immediately, he fell upon the Pokeball, his algal blooms forcing it closed. It trembled like a leaf in a hurricane. Peals of red light erupted from attempts at forcing it back open. Algae launched everywhere, shed pieces of colony fallung inert.[break][break]

Finally, the Pokeball stilled, encased in a shell of algae and chains.[break][break]

Sanford's usual hovering was wobbly and off balance. The icy winds left his wheel and anchor brittle. The onslaught from Cil's team left his colony shorn and patchy. Forcing MUGEN into submission took what little energy he had to spare. Despite this, he hovered over the first and only human to understand him, refusing to leave his side without a fight.

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