[attr="class","icon"]

the sky streaks with blood-red and purple, as a terror from the past descends atop dewford's beaches. ollie's eyes widen.

[break][break] "you - "

[break][break] he remembers him from the ULTRA DEEP SEA. the monster that wouldn't say his name.

[break][break] since then, ollie had found out who he was. he'd read the reports, he'd —

[break][break] "fuck."

[break][break] ollie scrambles back but he's not fast enough. the SHADOW MIASMA spreads across the beach in unforgiving black waves, shadow slipping as swift as a pile of snakes. it slips and slides across the sand, as a violent SHADOW STORM tosses the head ranger skyward and slamming against a piece of rock.

[break][break] shadow slides around his ankles like cuffs, just as suffocating miasma claws up his throat. hand trembling, he reaches for his pokeball. it slips from his grip, across the sand, as his eyes widen with panic. the fog grows thicker, and THE HARBRINGER'S taunting shape reflects behind sheets of emerald glass.

Some trainers are gifted from birth with instincts rivaling their own Pokémon. Others are gifted with intuition beyond compared. And finally, most, if given the resources, are able to hone in their strengthens, sand down their weaknesses, and whet their talents.
[break][break]

Penelope was none of the above. Through training piled onto her by multiple members of the league's elites she'd been able to grow her skills on the field. But it was clear that time hadn't been enough.
[break][break]

Gashes raked her body in multiple forms; some biting into her torso, others strangling her legs. But like oil commanding gears to churn, adrenaline commanded her to continue through the arching dunes and straggling pieces of shrubbery jutting out from the central cut of the island.
[break][break]

It wasn't until a familiar scream rend the air that she looked up from the sand, and took notice to a tragedy about to unfold.
[break][break]

"No," denial blew out her lips, and in that moment, the scorch skies kicked into the ground, swallowing her whole world into a wash of bubbling red.
[break][break]

It all happened so fast: numbness tethered her screaming joints, allowing her to leap across the sand, her hands scrambling to make use of the frilly contraption wrapped around her body. One click was all it took for the infinity energy to pulse through her, crafting a new ending to the story being told.
[break][break]

"Blaziken, go!"

The fire Pokémon roared to life, erupting out from slash of scarlet that spat out from her side. It made no effort to wait - time was of the essence.
[break][break]

Quickened by JOLLY, empowered by a SPEED BOOST, the fire type sliced through the distance, just barely making it to the entangled head ranger in time. He scooped Ollie into his arms and continued forward, evading any follow up attack with DETECT.
[break][break]

By the time Penelope arrived, the relief that flowed through her was all but evaporated at the sight of the perpetrator.
[break][break]

It was The Harbringer of Hoenn, Cillian Quinn.
[break][break]

Fear stirred inside her like a whirlpool of embers, begging her to turn away. To run. But how could she?
[break][break]

The Coveted solidified her answer with a sneer.
[break][break]

"Should've known you would make an appearance."
[break][break]

Wind drilled holes into her braid, turning it loose and flimsy, and her stuck bangs left a smear of red across her forehead. She looked like the vortex of a hurricane: eerily docile, encircled by chaos.
[break][break]

"Still trying to win a losing war, Cillian Quinn?"
[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] ollie morales Cillian Quinn[break]

[attr="class","icon"]

"— ngh! "

[break][break] death was coming for him. ollie knew it. the head ranger didn't consider himself a fearful person, yet as the shadows climbed further around his throat, choking him, he could feel dread crawling up in his chest. his heart pattered uselessly. this was it, wasn't it?

[break][break] 'i'm going to die here. i'm going to die, and —'

[break][break] before he could finish the thought, a familiar voice called out.

[break][break] 'penny!'

[break][break] flames licked the air around him as a blaziken sweeped him up in it's swift embrace, taking him away from the shadow so he could suddenly breathe.

[break][break] he jostled himself down from the fire-type's grip where it was safe, but even after his feet hit the sand, he still couldn't quite shake the tremors from his arms. adrendaline raced through him, his fingers gently placed against his throat from where the miasma had almost claimed him. green eyes flickered to his savior. penny. immediately, ollie ran up behind her, eyes pinning fiercely at their perpetrator.

[break][break] Cillian Quinn.

[break][break] 'that wasn't - '

[break][break] but ollie didn't really know. he'd only read the reports after, of the ULTRA DEEP SEA. he'd only asked around, a little bit, of who it could've been who'd attacked him in that cave. a monster. but he'd come across that article, and it had only said two names.

[break][break] so this was him.

[break][break] "give up. you can't take on both of us!"

[break][break] PRESSURE squeezes him, but now that PENELOPE LIVY's by his side, ollie's not willing to give up. at least, not so easily. he reached for his belt and his yamper resurfaced. nugget growled, electricity sparking around him, even as it began to rain.

[break][break] "nugget! go!"

[break][break] electricity enveloped the yamper as it WILD CHARGED at Cillian Quinn and his pokemon.

[break]

Words held no place in the battlefield controlled by titans. So despite the relief that oozed from her tightened shoulders, ollie morales's appearance at her side was regarded with no more than a knowing nod.
[Break][break]
The rest would have to wait til later.
[Break][break]
A torrent of raindrops poured out between them, turning sand into sluggish clumps of mud. The PRESSUREof it all sought to extinguish her flame - to smother her embers into ash.
[Break][break]
"You scare no one," her voice, loud and raw, rend through the whipping winds, "your words are as meaningless as your organization."
[Break][break]
With one lash of her voice, the councilwoman spared no effort in tipping the scales, returning her blaze of flame and feather for one more suited to fight in the mud.
[Break][break]
A Garchomp was released with a flash of scarlet, then a roar.
[Break][break]
"Sandstorm!"
[Break][break]
The dragon type let out another cried before calling upon its own strength. Soon enough, sand populated the wind and skies, matching the unrelenting rain. Together, it further drenched the field in clumps of mud.
[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] Cillian Quinn ollie morales [break]


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

[attr="class","icon"]

the WILD CHARGE crashes into a familiar beast, one that ollie recognizes almost instantly. it's the same tyranitar in that cave of the ultra deep sea.

[break][break] before he can think of another attack, they are immediately consumed in a pool of miasma and stinging obsidian shards. the PRESSURE is suffocating, nearly enough to flatten him into the beach's hard sands.

[break][break] "back off now," ollie pushes through, emerald shards glinting in the dark. he reaches into his LEAGUE communications, silently sending a warning towards the other agents in the area for back-up.

[break][break] in the meantime, his yamper leaps forward in an attempt to PLAY ROUGH at the intimidating tyrannitar to aid his companion.

[attr="class","bottom"]Cillian Quinn PENELOPE LIVY[break]
SHORE (3/3) [break]

A TERRIFYING chill ran down the ground shark's scales, and without notice, his speed and ability of escape was reduced to nothing. This even went unnoticed by the very trainer that sent him forward, into the bear trap that now clung to this ankles, as her attention was rapt onto the disappearing angel of darkness.
[break][break]
"Stay close," she rasped, just loud enough to reach ollie morales. Separation would mean death for either one of them. "Garchomp, use twister!"
[break][break]
Without a target in sight, the shark lowered it's body and made play with the spinning sand. First in small arcs, then in grand sweeping circles, twirling faster and faster until roaring tornados tore through the shoreline, aimless, but deadly all the same.
[break][break]
In the meantime, Penelope could hear only her own heart beat. It pounded against her chest, like curled fists hurling against the door, begging for escape. Bravado was grand, but it could only go so far.
[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] Cillian Quinn ollie morales[break]


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

[attr="class","icon"]

"nugget!"

[break][break] his eyes grow wide as the pup races along the sand with relentless effort. his loyalty to his master and the battle itself precedes any amount of fear that he could possibly feel. ollie leaps forward, almost as if to stop him, but there is something that pulls him back.

[break][break] as if an invisible string pulling taut against him, her voice that has always tethered him to her.

[break][break] 'stay close.'

[break][break] "but - " his words are cut off though with a roar, as ocean crashes around the yamper. the canine gargles his last breath, swords stabbing into ollie's death as he witnesses the relentless death of his pokemon. the DARK SANDSTREAM persists, lashing into his skin. but his eyes can't look away. he can't — "nugget!"

[break][break] the strings snap.

[break][break] ollie sprints, straight into the sloshing darkness, as he covers himself over the crumpled body of his pup.

[break][break] it was too late.

[break][break] nugget was dead.

[attr="class","bottom"]Cillian Quinn PENELOPE LIVY[break]
SHORE (3/3) [break]

When the string snapped, Penelope felt it. It felt it in every fiber that sang, every nerve that crackle, and every muscle that twitched.
[break][break]
"Ollie!"
[break][break]
Her arm lunged forward, looking to grapple, but the only thing that met her palm was sand and broken promises.
[break][break]
This small sway of attention was all that was necessary for the tides to finally shift. Before Penelope could react, the conjured wave made light of garchomp. Its impact forced him to the ground and made muddy weights out of the sand around him. The only thing that gave notice to this was the eventual howl that broke through.
[break][break]
Before her, a path forked off into two possibilities: one in which she could save her own and continue the fight, and one in where she could ensure the safety of the ranger so distraught with his own loss that he'd allowed himself to become vulnerable.
[break][break]
Her answer was simple.
[break][break]
Penelope kicked into a sprint, rushing past her garchomp that snarled out in pain and the creeping shadows behind every rock she sped by. All to grab Ollie by the collar of his neck and force him back onto his feet.
[break][break]
"We can't stay here," she urged, pulling them behind their own form of cover. "He'll only outpower us if we keep fighting."[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] ollie morales Cillian Quinn[break]


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

[attr="class","icon"]

nugget's limp in his arms, just like pepper was. his heart squeezes with pain with the memory of another pokemon fallen. yet again, brought back to mt. pyre; yet again, having to swallow his fears about the cruel reality of war.

[break][break] ollie has but a moment to watch the light die from his yamper's eyes, before PENELOPE LIVY is drawing him back to the present. she tugs him up from his collar, and he jerks into wakefulness, reminded of where he is.

[break][break] of the pain cutting through his skin thanks to the shadow storm.

[break][break] his hands tighten around his dead yamper even as they escape to their own cover. but penny is right. they have to come up with an exit strategy or else face certain doom. "you're right. we have to - "

[break][break] ollie hadn't noticed.

[break][break] he hadn't noticed the way the shadows curled around his dead yamper like a snake, hadn't noticed the way Cillian Quinn brought his friend to life. he didn't notice until there was movement in his arms and there was a brief look of hope.

[break][break] only to be dashed away by sheer agony as those fangs dug into his arm.

[break][break] "AGHHH!"

[break][break] a hand fumbled for his belt, mocha released in a flash of light. the wyrdeer's antlers glow as a PSYCHIC attack attempts to pry the shadowed yamper from it's death grip on ollie.

[break]

[attr="class","bottom"]Cillian Quinn PENELOPE LIVY[break]
SHORE (3/3) [break]