the shadow over the water really does look like a shadow, with the black-scaled charizard and its masked rider, similarly cloaked, atop it. though she can't judge for gaudy - or, more apt in his case, moody - attire. her gloves are fashioned into claws, for gods' sake. 

keen eyes and a warning snort from lyune make freya flatten herself against his neck. he tucks both of his wings and the arrow glances off of his armored chest with a shriek. 

she turns her head and spies the projectile, lips curling into an amused grin.

one hand twists lyune's reins around her arm. the other reaches for the devon tech quiver at her side. a press of a button and an arrowhead drops into her waiting palm. she pinches it between her fingers; it clings securely to the grooves in her clawed gloves. 

the salamence overtakes them with a few more strokes of powerful wings. the aerialist in her has already calculated the distance, the turning of his wings. the flat of her foot finds the release for his left wing and it's drawn in. the other launches them in an overhead somersault. 

freya's hair whips down and around her as the world tilts on his axis, the rocket no longer below, but above her as she draws back her own shot. silver gleams and the yellow-tipped arrowhead arcs through the air. 

before it reaches him, it implodes and sends out a sparking wave of electricity. 

BARNABY FINCH

thunder wave arrow
3/15 total raid arrows used

☉

black scales fall towards the water and lyune rights himself. gravity's weight settles once again over freya's shoulders and she watches with cold satisfaction as the paralyzed charizard plummets from the air. 

though she knows not to turn her back on an enemy. 

energy pulses and lyune's claws flex, muscles rolling in anticipation of the fight. the charizard's awakened dragon-typing makes it an entirely new threat, but that doesn't stop lyune from meeting the pokemon head-on. blue flames lick around his fins, scorching his face. embers spark over freya's cheeks and she grimaces through the heat, ducking her chin down, pressing palms to lyune's shoulder blades as his claws glow with matching blue light. 

in close quarters, he attempts to score a slash across the black dragon's hide. 

BARNABY FINCH

salamence uses dragon claw
3/15 total raid arrows used

☉

the thunder punch lances over the salamence's armored belly, crackling as it seizes the muscles in his legs. his throat swells and freya realizes quickly that this situation has not given her the advantage.

the waters below them continue to roll. dragonair wait in their depths, hungrily eyeing the prey battling an apex predator of the sky.

with one fluid movement, freya strings the bow over her back and tugs loose the straps keeping her legs in lyune's saddle. she crouches, snarling in a hissing, guttural language to her dragon, and when an opening presents itself, she takes it. 

the cape of her sygna suit flutters in the wind as she launches off of lyune's swinging body, arms outstretched to grapple the rider off of his charizard. 

BARNABY FINCH

freya uses tackle!

☉

it would have been easier if he'd fallen. but king's always told her she doesn't have enough weight to move foes head-on. there's a reason he still wins most (99.9%) of their hand-to-hand spars. she's impatient and reckless. but she's also ruthless. 

and quite adept at aerial acrobatics. it takes all of her concentration to stay on top of the charizard. fingernails sink into barnaby's thigh, one boot scrabbles for purchase on the charizard's hind leg, and the other swings uselessly in the air. 

gold eyes flicker up at him. it wouldn't matter if she fell - lyune would catch her or, worst case scenario, her dragons would greet her below, but she is nothing if not tenacious. 

and that .1%?

he twists a hand down at her and she does not think, just reacts. he grasps for her throat, but rather than finding satisfying purchase on her windpipe, he's greeted with canines and the snapping of her jaw on the webbing between his thumb and forefinger. 

BARNABY FINCH

freya uses bite!

☉

copper hits the roof of her mouth and viscous blood smears across her lips. a blow comes down on her head and stars daze over her vision, flinging her back to a time where she craved this. where she stood in front of the mirror and stitched scales into her skin with pink thread, flashing teeth until they were sharp as daggers. 

venom is spat at her face, an insult hitting reddened ears, a tightening jaw. lyune swings towards the mega charizard and they're jerked. 

and then they're in freefall. 

she releases her hold, clawing and grappling at him instead. her own face is a half-bloodied mask - a haunted, exhilarated grin - as she swipes uselessly for the notched wood covering his own.

BARNABY FINCH

☉