they were really after her today. she wished to be off the water. however, several ships carried scientific equipment, some of which had suffered from the blasts of battles or experienced mysterious errors from the strange energy emanating from the landmass. for a stretch of time, she found herself playing maintenance.[break][break]

she’d been drilling screws back into the side of a small machine at breakneck pace when a sharp whistle caused her to drop the tool and rise from the deck. her gaze cast up into the sky, following the index finger of someone on watch.[break][break]

a dragonair. not low enough to be an immediate threat but not far enough in coordinates to rule out, either.[break][break]

”think it’s league?” the guard asked.[break][break]

lulu watched another moment before shaking her head, fed up with the interruptions. ”not sure, burke. let me know when you find out.” then to herself, as she lowered back down, ”otherwise, shut up.”[break][break]

a honchkrow perched on the roof also watched, though its eyes were out at sea, seconds away from detecting the others not yet seen.

[attr="class","ooc"] Josh Devlin [break][break]
- 10 MP per IC post in a RT Battle/Mission.[break]
- 50 MP for participation in a RT Battle/Mission.[break]
total: 60 MP[break][break]
[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-honchkrow"]

someone looking through binoculars pointed out at the waves. ’shit. it’s josh devlin!’[break][break]

too late. the hydro pump hit at just that moment, knocking the binoculars into the ocean and sending everyone on board into a frantic scramble. water sloshed onto the deck and pokeballs rolled.[break][break]

a couple of rockets leaned over the railing to assess the hull, which was badly dented, but not quite punctured. lucky them.[break][break]

meanwhile, honchkrow’s large wings lifted it off its perch and into the air. its voice carried over the whipping wind, a loud ’caw!’ announcing its charge towards the gym leader and his kingdra. as it approached, it sent a dark pulse spiraling through the air to meet them.

[attr="class","ooc"] Josh Devlin [break][break]
- 10 MP per IC post in a RT Battle/Mission.[break]
total: 70 MP[break][break]
[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-honchkrow"]

she watched to see how her honchkrow would fare. it was only there because it had become weary scouting the sky. ”lazy bird,” she criticized to herself, realizing how sluggishly it was moving along through the air.[break][break]

two fingers came up to her lips and she whistled. in the sky, the silhouettes of bats could be seen in the distance. a gliscor came closer into view, clearly looking to join the battle. it dove, looking to inflict a poison sting if it managed to get close enough to josh and his mount.[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] Josh Devlin [break][break]
+ 10 MP per IC post in a RT Battle/Mission.[break]
total: 80 MP[break][break]
[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-honchkrow"]
[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-gliscor"]

the dragon pulse met, eliciting a screech from the gliscor as it was knocked out of the sky and into the water. there, it skipped along the waves, trying to regain altitude and failing. it had clearly been weakened by battle already. still, it tried to fight back, careening towards the dewgong and putting everything into a sky uppercut.[break][break]

meanwhile, honchkrow swept back around the other way, eyes fixing on the dewgong. it did not attack yet, still. would it attack at all? lulu wondered, glaring at it. josh was approaching their vessel quickly.[break][break]

”look alive!”

[attr="class","ooc"] Josh Devlin [break][break]
+ 10 MP per IC post in a RT Battle/Mission.[break]
total: 90 MP[break][break]
[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-honchkrow"]
[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-gliscor"]

strength in battle was not everything. there was also the power of will, brilliance of mind, pureness of heart, and plenty of other qualities that had surely set avatars apart to their patrons respectively. while it could not be certain what exactly darkrai had seen in lulu, it had not been her prowess as a warrior.[break][break]

that did not mean she was an easy win. luckily for josh, her team was on their last legs and their luck had run out.[break][break]

swept up in the aqua jet, gliscor was sent flailing into the water where it fell unconscious. without its pokeball to return it, lulu would need to fetch it from the water. it was left there, floating for now.[break][break]

as the gym leader got close enough to board, lulu drew one final pokeball. a houndoom was released onto the deck, snarling, waiting for their arrival. lulu pressed a trigger at her belt and the dog glowed, horns lengthening as it mega-evolved.[break][break]

meanwhile, the honchkrow circled, watching something else in the water near the floating gliscor. before anything could be done, the teeth of a sharpedo snatched the unconscious off the surface. it was gone. dead.

[attr="class","ooc"] Josh Devlin [break][break]
+ 10 MP per IC post in a RT Battle/Mission.[break]
+ 10 MP for mega evo.[break]
+ 200 MP for pokémon death.[break]
total: 310 MP[break][break]
[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-honchkrow"]
[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-houndoom form-mega"]

when the blinding light of infinity energy faded, she was surprised to see him on a vaporeon, and wielding a honedge no less. though she had no intention of letting them aboard, she backed away from the edge of the boat, just to safe.[break][break]

”dark pulse,” she commanded. fire would be too easy for the water-type. her dog knew other tricks. black rings glowed magenta through the air, spiraling from the houndoom’s maw towards the vaporeon and its valiant rider.[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] Josh Devlin [break][break]
+ 10 MP per IC post in a RT Battle/Mission.[break]
total: 320 MP[break][break]
[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-honchkrow"]
[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-houndoom form-mega"]

their leaping directly into the attack gave lulu hope that she might not have to abandon the ship after all, as others were already doing through the air. all equipment on the ship could be replaced; rocket certainly had the funds. however, something made the former head scientist stay. perhaps it was her old competitive spirit, awakening briefly from a rest.[break][break]

”tear him to shreds,” she encouraged her dog, who growled and snapped ferociously, daring josh to come closer. however, the strong water pulse elicited a yelp as the dog was blown back across the deck, sustaining confusion.[break][break]

lulu watched her dog stumble with uncertainty. the rock of the ship was too much, but he lunged forward anyways–right off the deck, leaping over the water towards josh and his vaporeon with jaws wide. rows of sharp teeth glowed magenta around the pair, as big as they were, before psychic fangs snapped shut around them.[break][break]

if they did not dodge, lulu’s confused dog would land right on top of josh and his mount.[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] Josh Devlin [break][break]
+ 10 MP per IC post in a RT Battle/Mission.[break]
total: 330 MP[break][break]
[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-honchkrow"]
[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-houndoom form-mega"]