MARCH UPDATE

POSTED ON Oct 23, 2023 5:21:02 GMT

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[attr="class","omgentop"]THE WILDS:[break]MECHANICAL KINGDOM

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ONGOING EVENT

EXPLORATION

LITTLEROOT[break]↻ MECHANICAL KINGDOM

[player]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/1035423510278979624/1054889526239170630/the_game_is_afoot.mp3[/player][break]
Partners ~ The Game is Afoot! - The Great Ace Attorney 2
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WHETHER IT WAS DISPLACED BENEATH LITTLEROOT DUE TO DIMENSIONAL ENTANGLEMENT, BROUGHT BACK TO FUNCTIONING ORDER DUE TO DIALGA, OR BOTH, can not be determined. However, this kingdom made entirely out of intricate mechanisms is void of human life. Clockwork gears, iron tunnels, and curious domes make up this kingdom that continues to function like an animatronic music box.[break][break]

Mechanical Pokemon like Magearna, Volcanion and others present in the kingdom seem to be robotic, set to a rhythm or programming like an animatronic figure.[break][break]

Several clock towers loom above the entire kingdom, though their machinery seems to be in disrepair.

PROMPTS

LIST OF PROMPTS

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19 involve an elevator ride that goes horrifically wrong.
21 experience the kingdom's song lowering tempo, causing all mechanizations, including soulless pokemon, to slow dramatically.
33 enter the throne room of the castle, which will summon song-like alarm. waves and waves of mechanical volcanion/chesnaught will be sent to deal with you before the alarm stops. curiously, the resulting mechanical scraps will be pulled back by a magnetic force.
34 in the castle, encounter several books of music. within the books, several songs can be learned: one that can repair machines, one that can cause rust, and another that can cause the automations of the world to pause briefly.
🗺️ utilize z-moves in an advantageous way.
🗺️ SPECIAL HUNT: jack wainwright will be able to encounter a VOLCANION that can speak. This is the same Volcanion that destroyed a humanmade tower and encountered Alexei Ivanov in an underwater cavern. You must win its trust in some way, for it is wary of humans due to an unknown reason, but perhaps related to the events that have transpired in this kingdom a long time ago.[break][break]

It guards several SOUL-HEARTS that it is attempting to repair. It will manage to repair one Soul-Hearts by chance as it transfers some of its INFINITY ENERGY to it, shortening the Volcanion's life. The Volcanion is doing this in an attempt to find the MAGEARNA it had sworn to protect a long time ago, believing itself to be the last surviving "knight" of the royal guard.[break][break]

Bringing one SOULLESS MAGEARNA to the Volcanion will allow Paxton to open a hatch on the Magearna's chest to install the Soul-Heart in order to grant it "life", which then can be captured.

EXPEDITION TREASURES

AT THE END OF EACH EXPEDITION THREAD, all characters must ROLL for their final post. The HIGHEST FOUR ROLLS will be counted for what TREASURES are retrieved from the location. These treasures will be returned to each faction for future use...

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[attr="class","boxName"]YOUR HAUL

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RULES

PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING GUIDELINES. A more comprehensive list of rules will be published in each event thread. These rules are also subject to change.[break][break][break]

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Your character can only be in ONE EXPEDITION THREAD at a time.
You may participate with all of your characters; however, be aware of your ability to post.
If a thread partner has not posted in awhile, please skip them in this event. Momentum is important for engagement.
Since these threads may feature combat, please be reasonable with your battling. Discuss with your group if you'd like one move per post, how many Pokemon are allowed to be brought, etc.
Try to keep posts short for clarity and speed.
Please be trusting and open to communicating with all of your thread partners.
Please INCLUDE WHICH PROMPTS you are using in your expedition thread.
Please have at least FIVE POSTS PER CHARACTER in your expedition thread.

IN YOUR FINAL POSTS, PLEASE ROLL.

Aurelie Lefevre jack wainwright

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POSTED ON Oct 24, 2023 2:51:00 GMT

[attr="class","aurelie"]

[attr="class","aurelie_lyrics"]A world of metal and magic

[attr="class","aurelie_body"]At first, Aurelie was too rapt with astonishment and awe as she looked at the revived Magearna to do anything but stare in admiring, almost adoring silence. The doll-like Pokemon was a creature of delicate, remarkable beauty, so gorgeously detailed and faultlessly constructed that it was hard to believe it was truly a living being. It took her a moment—and a well-timed cough from Jack—to bring her back to her senses and remember she could catch it now, if she chose.

And she did so choose. Reaching for a Poke Ball, Aurelie claimed the lovely Magearna whose Soul-Heart had been restored to it with a disbelieving, almost fearful awe. She released it almost immediately, and the Magearna gazed at her with gentle, shining eyes. Then it regarded its surroundings with wonder.

"It's amazing, how different it looks and acts now from..." she started to say, turning toward Jack. She nodded thoughtfully at the unconscious Magearna he was still carrying in his arms, similar enough to the restored Magearna to be its doppleganger.

"Well, from that," she said softly, looking back and forth between the two artificial Pokemon. Then Aurelie's face brightened as she craned her head to look into the water at the second Soul-Heart, still shimmering crimson.

"Two Magearna, two Soul-Hearts," she exclaimed excitedly. "Perhaps we can repair both of them and return them both to life!"

Enthusiastically, Aurelie dipped her arm into the water to reach the second Soul-Heart. Then, abruptly, she let out a groan of frustration and banged her other fist against the rocky bank when she found that the ruby gemstone was stuck fast, secured firmly beneath the water—surely for safekeeping by the Volcanion. Too safe.

"I can't get it out! I can't believe it!" she cried out at last, shaking her head. Even if she couldn't match the strength of the legendary Volcanion, she would've thought her hands and arms were strong enough to pull a gem out of the stone...but apparently they weren't. Aurelie waved Jack over toward her, even with his burden. "Here, you try. But I wonder if that Volcanion's the only one who could get it out..."

Biting her lip in frustration, the red-haired smith abruptly swung around to gaze into the mist into which the Volcanion had disappeared earlier. Impulsively, she swung her arms wildly through the air and raised her voice in a forceful shout.

"Hey! Sir! Monsignor Volcanion! Please come back!" Aurelie called out. Her voice echoed off the stony walls of the deep underground chamber, resonant and ringing with resolve. "There's a second Magearna that needs your help! It needs a heart too! Please..."

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[attr="class","cred"]VEL OF PIXEL PERFECT

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jack

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august 12

Hulbury

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POSTED ON Oct 28, 2023 21:53:49 GMT

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Jack glanced back and forth between the remaining Soul-Heart and the broken Magearna he still held in his arms. Thinking of the Volcanion's hope that the restored Magearna might know love, joy, and life yet this one remaining soulless and lost filled Jack with a deep ache of sadness. As the Volcanion slowly returned at Aurelie's beckoning, the hopeful balloon in Jack's chest soon deflated.[break][break]

"I ALREADY KNOW WHAT YOU WILL ASK HUMANS, BUT I HAVE NOT THE ENERGY REMAINING TO PROVIDE ENOUGH FOR THE SECOND HEART," the Volcanion spoke in its deep, vibrating voice.[break][break]

A feeling of tightness crept into Jack's muscles as he held the body of the doll pokemon. He kept his spare mega shards in his apartment so had nothing to provide to the Volcanion as Aurelie had. Sensing his despair, Rayth hovered next to him, her ghostly lanterns burning even brighter in the darkness below the castle. As the Chandelure's violet flames flickered in the corner of his vision, Jack felt hope well up within him again as he opened his phone, flicking through his pokedex app until he found the entry he needed.[break][break]

"I think I can help you," Jack told the Volcanion somberly before placing the Magearna next to the pool and leaning in to whisper to Rayth, keeping his voice low so that Aurelie wouldn't hear and put a stop to his plan.[break][break]

As he finished whispering, he reached out and grasped one of the Chandelure's lanterns. Rayth's ghostly flames flickered and faded to the smallest possible ember as Jack felt his lifeforce being pulled from him by the ghost pokemon. Jack locked eyes with his pokemon, unwilling to look at Aurelie as waves of exhaustion crashed down on him. With a soft grunt, Jack broke the physical contact with his pokemon and collapsed to he knees beside the pool.[break][break]

Just as Jack had asked, Rayth obediently floated toward the Volcanion that was now watching Jack with an inscrutable expression. "I SEE," it rumbled as sparkling infinity energy flowed out of the Chandelure and into the Volcanion. Jack pressed a hand against the cold floor as exhaustion prickled against his consciousness while the Volcanion returned to the pool, lifting the second Soul-Heart and pouring their combined energy into it. The Ranger remained motionless as the strange Knight trundled over wearily to install the heart into Magearna lying near him.[break][break]

"Are you ready for your next adventure, little one," Jack said kindly as the Magearna's eyes opened to reveal that deep golden color, even as Jack's eyelids weighed heavily over his own eyes. He pushed himself to his feet as the Magearna looked quietly up at him.

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NOTES

✦ Special Hunt prompt completed.[break]

SPOILER: Click to show

🗺️ SPECIAL HUNT: JACK WAINWRIGHT will be able to encounter a VOLCANION that can speak. This is the same Volcanion that destroyed a humanmade tower and encountered Alexei Ivanov in an underwater cavern. You must win its trust in some way, for it is wary of humans due to an unknown reason, but perhaps related to the events that have transpired in this kingdom a long time ago.[break][break]

It guards several SOUL-HEARTS that it is attempting to repair. It will manage to repair one Soul-Hearts by chance as it transfers some of its INFINITY ENERGY to it, shortening the Volcanion's life. The Volcanion is doing this in an attempt to find the MAGEARNA it had sworn to protect a long time ago, believing itself to be the last surviving "knight" of the royal guard.[break][break]

Bringing one SOULLESS MAGEARNA to the Volcanion will allow Paxton to open a hatch on the Magearna's chest to install the Soul-Heart in order to grant it "life", which then can be captured.

BY GUNSMILE

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played by

dreamflower

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December 12

Anistar City, Kalos

Bisexual

Blacksmith, bladesmith

Associate

5'7"/170 cm height

A keen mind cuts deeper than even the sharpest sword.

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1,025 posts

DOLLARS

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TAG WITH @aurelie

POSTED ON Oct 31, 2023 2:53:38 GMT

[attr="class","aurelie"]

[attr="class","aurelie_lyrics"]A world of metal and magic

[attr="class","aurelie_body"]Aurelie watched in silent awe as Jack found his own way to empower the second Soul-Heart. While she had merely offered the Volcanion knight a shard of stone infused with Infinity Energy, Jack poured his own life-energy—perhaps literally his own soul—into reawakening the soulless Magearna. No wonder he collapsed afterward in exhaustion, his legs giving way for a moment beneath him.

Instinctively, the redhead stepped to Jack's side to support him, sliding an arm around his waist even as he rose back to his feet. To Aurelie's amazement, the Magearna that he'd revived came over to help too, followed a few seconds later by the Magearna she'd awakened. Both Pokemon placed delicate hands on either side of Jack's legs as if attempting to prop him up.

"I think they like you," Aurelie marveled aloud. "To be fair, you are pretty incredibly adorable! But...I almost wonder if they know just how much of yourself you put into granting them life. And this is their way of saying thanks."

As the Volcanion withdrew once more into the distant reaches of the cavern, its movements slow and tired, she began looking around for a way out. Even with the Magearnas' help, Aurelie didn't relinquish her hold on Jack as they turned back toward the underground clockwork tunnels. Though she wasn't as weary as Jack, she hoped they could find someplace where all of them could rest a while.

Then she turned toward the Magearnas, who were skipping along almost excitedly through the tunnels. "Do you two remember this place?" she gently asked them. "Do you...know a quick way to leave these tunnels?"

After a moment, both Magearnas started nodding their heads vehemently. "Lead on, then!" she exclaimed, feeling immensely relieved. They nodded again and began tugging Jack and her along a particular tunnel, ending in a bright light.

"…an elevator?" she breathed in surprise. For at the end of this tunnel was an elevator shaft with an ornate birdcage elevator with intricately filigreed wrought-iron doors. One Magearna pushed a small lever, and the doors slid open with a loud screech. "I...I hope this thing is safe."

At the Magearnas' unspoken, eager urgings, though, they got inside. With another pull of a lever, the elevator slowly began to ascend at a halting, erratic pace, sometimes lurching to a stop, only to surge upward at an alarming pace. Aurelie peered curiously through the doors, not noticing as the grinding gears along the elevator began throwing off showers of bright, fiery sparks.

She did notice, though, when one shower of sparks landed on the sleeve of her shirt and the fabric lit suddenly on fire. "Mon Dieu!" the red-haired smith cried out, whirling around and beating at the flames with her hands. "Jack, help!"

Is there water nearby? Or sand? Aurelie thought, trying not to panic too much and end up setting Jack on fire too, even as she flailed frantically at the flames climbing along her arm. Or do I just have to lose this shirt so I don't end up with serious burns?

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jack wainwright

Completed Prompt 19: Involve an elevator ride that goes horrifically wrong.

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jack

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Hulbury

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POSTED ON Nov 4, 2023 20:44:43 GMT

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As Aurelie's arm slipped around him with her strong smith's muscles supporting him, Jack gave her a grateful smile. He listened absentmindedly as she spoke with the Magearna, his mind buzzing with the strange exhaustion of pulling an all-nighter in college where things seemed to be both in and out of focus at the same time. As they ventured further and boarded the beautiful elevator Jack bumbled along with them, allowing himself to be steered by Aurelie. His eyes took in their surroundings as the lift jerked into motion but nothing seemed to process through the haze of his exhaustion.[break][break]

A pinprick of heat blossomed on his neck as Jack jerked awake standing up, the shower of sparks from the elevator burning the exposed skin of his neck where his head had tilted forward. Another fire bloomed in their elevator car as the sleeve of Aurelie's shirt caught fire. The Magearna buzzed frantically back and forth along the floor of the car, avoiding the hot sparks as they rained down on them. Without thinking, Jack ripped off his Ranger uniform, the buttons popping off and shooting out into the elevator shaft. He rushed to smother the flames with the heavy canvas material, flattening it over Aurelie's arm like a fire blanket while more sparks fell onto his tight undershirt, burning holes in it.[break][break]

"You alright, love?" he asked, breathing heavily as he gently peeled his uniform from her arm. Her shirt had burned to ash in places and the skin underneath was an angry red but to Jack's limited first aid skills, it didn't look like the heat had gone deep. Fishing the bottle of Burn Heal from his bag again, he sprayed it onto Aurelie's arm as his gaze searched her face for signs of shock or distress.[break][break]

As he ministered to her burn, the elevator came to a halt and the two Magearna rushed to open the grille and let them out. Picking up his uniform, Jack slid it back over his shoulders though it now hung open across his chest and abdomen without the buttons to keep it closed. He gazed around in wonder at the expansive chamber the elevator bay opened onto. Rows upon rows of polished metal shelves lined the walls, thick with both dust and tomes that seemed ancient even from a distance. Beautiful metal filigree held panes of glass in place where light streamed through clerestory windows to illuminate the library.[break][break]

"Wow, look at this," Jack said with a grin to Aurelie as he delicately pulled a book from a nearby shelf and glanced at the first few pages, "This one is a book of music that can cause metal to rust!"[break][break]

Jack placed the book gently on a nearby table and pulled up a chair, leaning down eagerly to read before immediately falling asleep with his head propped up on his hands.

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[break]

NOTES

✦ Prompt 34: in the castle, encounter several books of music. within the books, several songs can be learned: one that can repair machines, one that can cause rust, and another that can cause the automations of the world to pause briefly.[break]

BY GUNSMILE

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dreamflower

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December 12

Anistar City, Kalos

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Blacksmith, bladesmith

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POSTED ON Nov 8, 2023 0:34:30 GMT

[attr="class","aurelie"]

[attr="class","aurelie_lyrics"]A world of metal and magic

[attr="class","aurelie_body"]"I'm...I'm all right," Aurelie murmured a little shakily, grateful beyond words for Jack's quick thinking and razor-sharp reflexes, which had most likely saved her from second-degree burns or worse. Weakly, she chuckled, "I definitely appreciate you finding new reasons to rip your shirt off in a manly fashion around me every time we meet."

She caught his hand and kissed his fingers, whispering with a wry smile, "Thank you…again."

Of course, as a smith, Aurelie was no stranger to fire and burns. But she too was both tired and on-edge after the many exciting, nerve-wracking events of the day, a combination that made it much harder to think quickly and clearly when something unexpected happened. Still, she hoped she'd stop running into trouble soon and ending up as the damsel in distress yet again.

Thankfully, Jack's quick thinking and action, though, the fire was quickly put out. She sighed with relief when he applied a second Burn Heal to her skin, effectively mending the burns. Both of them ended up with ragged, singed shirts as they staggered out of the elevator together after their Magearnas, who scrambled to let them out.

In contrast, their doll-like Pokemon seemed full of energy and excitement as they ran forward ahead of the two humans. They led Jack and Aurelie into a high-ceilinged, stunningly beautiful library, set with towering clockwork columns made up of huge, clicking gears stacked atop each other.

Among the metal bookshelves, the two Magearnas flitted and danced about happily. Aurelie watched with wonder and pleasure, smiling at their antics and marveling at the library. The clerestory windows glowed in the sun, set with jewel-like panels of stained glass in amber, emerald, garnet, and sapphire. Countless ancient tomes and metal-wrought treasures filled the shelves, strange and wondrous, pitted by time and rust.

She peeked over Jack's shoulder at the book of songs he'd found, before chuckling when he drooped over the table, fast asleep before he'd read more than a few words. Sitting down in the chair next to his, Aurelie gently pulled the book out of his limp fingers. She paged through it curiously, grateful she still remembered a little about how to read bars of music.

Her single eye widened in shock when she happened upon another fascinating song: one that could slow down the mechanical creatures of the kingdom or even cause them to freeze in place. There's no way this really works, Aurelie thought, trying to quietly hum the notes.

When Jack didn't stir, she then tried singing it aloud, softly and experimentally. "La la la-LA la la laaaaa," Aurelie sang, feeling a little silly vocalizing to herself in this empty library. "La la la-LAAAAA la la LAAAA."

Out of the corner of her eye, to her surprise, she saw the Magearnas suddenly fall still while playing and dancing together. It was only for a moment. But it was enough to convince Aurelie that the song really did have the power it claimed: it could stop the mechanical Pokemon here in their tracks.

To her dismay, though, she also noticed Jack stirring. My singing must have woken him up! Aurelie thought regretfully. She gently stroked his cheek and sighed contritely, thinking about all the stress and excitement they'd been through today and wishing she hadn't interrupted his well-deserved rest.

[attr="class","aurelie_tag"]

[attr="class","cred"]VEL OF PIXEL PERFECT

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jack

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twenty-six

august 12

Hulbury

travel blogger

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Travel is the great leveler, the great teacher, bitter as medicine, crueler than mirror-glass.

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TAG WITH @jack

POSTED ON Nov 15, 2023 1:34:00 GMT

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[attr="class","text"]

A thick haze seemed to press in all around as Jack floated in a dreamlike nothingness. Flickers of images gone too quick to be recognized and snippets of conversation seemed to drift past, too muffled to be understood. He opened his mouth but no sound would come out and a sadness grew within him that he didn't quite understand. He floated for what seemed like an eternity until a beautiful song tickled his consciousness, wordless but filled with warmth as it reverberated within the haze of his mind. His dream began to dissolve like fog beneath the bright sun until he could feel the heaviness of his eyelids in that strange state between sleeping and waking, all while the song swirled in his head.[break][break]

Aurelie?[break][break]

The gentle touch brought him fully awake and a smile tugged at his lips when he saw the red-haired smith with the book of music he had found. He attempted to covertly wipe some drool onto his sleeve, thankful that she had kept him from ruining the book while he slept.[break][break]

"I'm sorry love but I need some real rest before we do any more exploring. Let's see if the Magearna can lead us out of the castle, yeah?" he said as he stood wearily from where he had been sitting, his buttonless shirt exposing his abdomen to the chill air of the library. Noticing Rayth hovering tiredly nearby, he returned her to her pokeball so that she too could get some rest.[break][break]

The doll pokemon seemed only too happily to oblige, and Jack blinked blearily as he followed them along a long corridor and down a spiraling staircase, unable to take in much detail in his exhausted state. He plodded along behind the two pokemon, barely noticing when another corridor led them into a massive throne room within the heart of the castle, though a klaxon alarm blaring brought his senses back to him in a panic as mechanical Volcanion and Chesnaught soldiers emerged from hidden alcoves, rushing toward them in a wave of ferocious metal.

[attr="class","ooc"]

[break]

NOTES

✦ Notes go here.[break]

BY GUNSMILE

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played by

dreamflower

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December 12

Anistar City, Kalos

Bisexual

Blacksmith, bladesmith

Associate

5'7"/170 cm height

A keen mind cuts deeper than even the sharpest sword.

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1,025 posts

DOLLARS

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TAG WITH @aurelie

POSTED ON Nov 17, 2023 5:08:35 GMT

[attr="class","aurelie"]

[attr="class","aurelie_lyrics"]A world of metal and magic

[attr="class","aurelie_body"]Nodding in agreement with the still-weary Jack's suggestion to follow the Magearna out of the castle, Aurelie laid aside the book of songs and left the library with only a few backward glances of curiosity. It really had been a very long day: memorable and exciting, but also tiring.

Being a little more awake than Jack was, Aurelie did frown and ask aloud why they were heading in this direction. Unfortunately, with her poor sense of direction and her own tiredness, she wasn't sure where else to go. As the Magearnas happily led them inside the vast, magnificent chamber that she belatedly recognized as a throne room, a deafening alarm rang out, and dozens of Volcanions and Chesnaughts emerged to surround them.

"Oh, Arceus, what the hell," Aurelie breathed, her heart pounding and all her senses on high alert.

Instinctively, Aurelie moved to put herself back-to-back with Jack, facing outward from the middle of the throne room. Gritting her teeth, she pulled out a long-bladed knife with one hand—useless though it probably would be against the huge Pokemon attackers—and reached for a Pokeball with the other. She summoned a recently evolved Pokemon that had become a fast favorite: her Charizard.

The great dragon-like Pokemon raised its head proudly and roared, making even the oncoming wave of Chesnaughts pause for a second. That second was all Aurelie needed to say, "Use HEAT WAVE!"

The Charizard drew in a deep breath and then released it in a furious, fiery blast that sent the first ranks of Chesnaughts reeling backward. Still, more kept on coming after them, pushing mindlessly past their singed and burned comrades.

"Keep going! Keep lighting them up!" she urged her Charizard, thinking regretfully that if they made it out of this dilemma, she should really have it pick up a Flying-type move. For now, though, lighting the attacking Chesnaughts aflame seemed to work.

"Jack! How are you?" she gasped out over her shoulder, risking a peek at him. "Are you holding up okay? This ought to make a good story for your blog if we ever make it out of here ali... Aaaah!"

Turning her attention back to her side of the throne room, Aurelie swiped swiftly at a Chesnaught that had gotten too close, parrying the long claws jabbing toward her. Another surge of flame ensured its downfall, much to her relief. Out of the corner of her eye, Aurelie spied the two Magearnas taking shelter behind Jack and smiled briefly in relief, before shaking her head in wonder.

"How in Arceus' name did we ever end up in a situation like this," she marveled in gasping breaths, readying her knife again as more Chesnaughts approached. "Get away, you madmen! We didn't come here looking for a fight! Please, snap out of it!"

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jack wainwright

Completed prompt 33: Enter the throne room of the castle, which will summon song-like alarm. waves and waves of mechanical Volcanion/Chesnaught will be sent to deal with you before the alarm stops. Curiously, the resulting mechanical scraps will be pulled back by a magnetic force

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jack

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twenty-six

august 12

Hulbury

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Travel is the great leveler, the great teacher, bitter as medicine, crueler than mirror-glass.

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POSTED ON Nov 18, 2023 19:56:57 GMT

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Things seemed to be happening in slow motion as Aurelie and her Charizard fought the hordes of mechanical pokemon. Jack's head spun as he tried to respond, though it felt like his brain was soaked in molasses. Beyond that, the mechanical pokemon collapsing from the Charizard's onslaught before some force seemed to pull their shattered parts into hidden alcoves to leave the floor clean was disorientingly strange in Jack's beleaguered state. It was the feeling of tiny tugs on his pants as one of the Magearna hid behind his legs that jerked him into motion.[break][break]

He released Harpe from his pokeball, the Aegislash springing into action with his shield at the ready. Responding to Jack's command, the pokemon swept in front of Aurelie and raised it's king's shield. Sparks scattered as hulking Chesnaught beat against it while Volcanion fired projectiles into the barrier. With concussive force, the energy from the shield exploded outward in an aegis ignition that blew apart the front ranks of the Chesnaught. Sluggishly, Jack noticed that the unseen force again pulled the shattered remains of the mechanical pokemon across the floor and away, leaving the swamp of metallic Volcanion facing them across the throne room.[break][break]

"I'm not sure how long I can keep this up," Jack slurred to Aurelie as his eyelids began to droop.

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NOTES

✦ Special Prompt: use z-moves in an advantageous way.[break]

BY GUNSMILE

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Anistar City, Kalos

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A keen mind cuts deeper than even the sharpest sword.

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POSTED ON Nov 21, 2023 4:29:40 GMT

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[attr="class","aurelie_lyrics"]A world of metal and magic

[attr="class","aurelie_body"]"All right, if we ever go on another of these adventures, we better bring plenty of espresso with us," Aurelie quipped teasingly, even as she pressed closer to Jack to keep him upright. Her muscles burned with exertion and her reflexes were slowing, reflecting her own weariness.

Even her Charizard was starting to look tired and overheated, despite its evident enthusiasm for battle. Still, when Jack's Aegislash protected them with its KING'S SHIELD and then unleashed its extraordinary AEGIS IGNITION attack, both Aurelie and her Pokemon celebrated—her with a cheer, it with a burst of flame and a renewed series of attacks against the Chesnaughts.

Still, the onrushing waves of Volcanion and Chesnaughts seemed never-ending, and it didn't help that her Charizard was much less effective against the former than the latter. The Aegislash fought alongside them, but it too was starting to look outnumbered. Every now and then, the Magearnas even helped with CRAFTY SHIELDS, and Aurelie did her best to help fend off the Volcanions with her knife, but they could only do so much against such powerful foes.

She was losing hope, and a sense of futility and despair was replacing her hope of getting away.

"I don't...I don't know if I can...keep this up either," she panted, parrying away another Volcanion. "Maybe...maybe what they want from us...won't be that bad?"

Her eye slid wearily over the mindless Pokemon, who reminded her so strikingly of the poison Pokemon from memory-Galar. Somehow, Aurelie didn't believe that they intended any good for her and Jack, any more than those other Pokemon did either. But her knees gave way beneath her, and she toppled to the floor, letting out an agonized grunt of pain as a blast of Volcanion steam caught her in the arm.

And then—suddenly, miraculously—the Volcanions and Chesnaughts…slowed. The cacophony of their onslaught abruptly softened from a deafening clatter to almost nothingness. To Aurelie's tired eye, they looked almost like they were suddenly moving through thick honey, instead of air.

"Wait, what in Arceus' name..." she started to say, before her gaze fell on the Magearnas beside Jack. They had frozen in place, almost like when she had started singing that song from the book.

Thinking of the song, Aurelie became aware of the omnipresent song that always echoed throughout the kingdom—a song so prevalent, so pervasive that she had almost stopped being conscious of it. It had slowed in tempo, going for a lively allegro to a leisurely, almost languid adagio. She tilted her head to one side, listening and then looking at the equally languid Volcanions and Chesnaughts.

"I don't understand," Aurelie murmured, "but you know what? I'm not going to question it!

"Both of you," she cried out, turning to the Charizard and Aegislash, "hit them with everything you've got left! Don't worry about defending us. Just use as much offensive power as you can!"

With a faith and confidence that moved her jaded heart, the two Pokemon did exactly that. Their surge of fire and steel leveled the motionless Volcanions and Chesnaughts, scything through their ranks like a harvester through rows of autumnal wheat. Now it was their two Pokemon advancing forward, trying to clear away the last guardians in the last precious beats before the kingdom's song sped back up.

When it did, there was only one Volcanion remaining. The Aegislash swept forward to dispatch it. And then, finally, to the slumped-over Aurelie's exhausted astonishment and gratitude, there were none.

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jack wainwright

Completed prompt 21: Experience the kingdom's song lowering tempo, causing all mechanizations, including soulless Pokemon, to slow dramatically.

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jack

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twenty-six

august 12

Hulbury

travel blogger

elite ranger

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Travel is the great leveler, the great teacher, bitter as medicine, crueler than mirror-glass.

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POSTED ON Nov 22, 2023 23:04:34 GMT

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Motion and sound blurred together as Jack struggled to remain upright, the battle sapping what little energy he had remaining after transferring so much to the Soul Heart. He felt more than saw Aurelie collapse beside him as the battle dragged on, though his brain struggled to push his body into motion.[break][break]

Strangely, as the kingdom's haunting song began to slow, Jack's mind began to speed up. The events of the battle replayed in his head like he was watching a movie, and before he knew it Harpe had struck the final blow. Again, the shattered mechanical remains slid across the floor and out of sight, pulled by the same invisible force. Inhaling suddenly, Jack jerked his attention to Aurelie.[break][break]

"Oh love, are you alright?" he asked with weary concern as he knelt down and dug the bottle of burn heal from his pack again before spraying it on her scalded arm.[break][break]

Calling Harpe over, he grasped the Aegislash's pommel and used the sword as leverage to return to his feet before batting away the pokemon's cloth as it attempted to wrap around his arm. Once standing, he offered his hand to help Aurelie up through he wasn't sure if he actually had the strength to assist her or if she was just humoring him.[break][break]

"Looks like both of us are out of steam now. Let's stick to the shadows and get out of here," he said, businesslike even while panting from the simple exertion of standing up.[break][break]

Their escape from the Mechanical Kingdom came to Jack in only snippets of action that broke through his exhausted state: Aurelie pulling him into an alcove as a patrol of mechanical Chesnaught passed, exiting the dim castle into the grey light of the day through a small gate in the side wall, winding through the alleys and side streets of the town, and passing quickly back through the wormhole to their own reality. After that, he remembered only the soft embrace of Aurelie's bed and the distinctly warm smell of her apartment.

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