As decorations and deer alike were flung forth, there was a rush to counter-attack. After all, the power of the Terastal phenomenon was poorly understood, even among the most gifted intellects in Hoenn. If they didn't take care of this thing soon, then who knew what it could do? It could even bring ruin to Hoenn itself!

...Okay, well, that wasn't very likely, but still!

At the very least, the new Ghost-typing provided new opportunities too. Sneaking through the flurry of projectiles, Eris Halla 's Wooper, Kazimir Wynter 's Incineroar, and ana fell 's Furret all launch supereffective attacks, a Shadow Sneak from behind and a Darkest Lariat and Sucker Punch from the front. The twin attacks sandwich the spectre, like crushing an empty tin can, before it falls back to the ground like litter. Meanwhile, Tempest Quinn 's Kommo-O prepares a Belly Drum, ready for what comes next.

And what comes next is the impact of the Poltergeist. Some get off light, avoiding the flurry of trash thrown in their direction. Others get a metaphorical slap on the wrist, like the Wooper that gets bonked on the head by a stray present. And then there's the poor, poor Furret, who gets hit head-on by a fully grown Stantler. And then there's Aidan Hereford , who--

...Chuggachuggachuggachuggachuggachugga--
CRASH!
--Chuggachuggachuggachuggachuggachugga…

--Gets struck by a runaway train, the crashes through the abandoned market and proceeds to hit him head on, carrying him away as it crashes deeper into the mall. That's worrying, but there's a Gengar and a Lopunny chasing after it, so surely, it's handled? Nothing to worry about. Probably.

Or at least it would be, had the haunted Iron Bundle not performed a second Poltergeist. Ghostly energy gripped the very last train of the car, ripping it free from the rest of the train before brandishing it high in the air. With the help of its mystic power, the Paradox Pokemon was now armed, and it reared the caboose of the locomotive back, it was clear it wasn't afraid to use its right to bare arms!

---

The next deadline for this raid is 8PM GMT, 14TH DECEMBER 2023.
Tempest Quinn ana fell Kazimir Wynter Eris Halla
ana fell has missed one round, and if they miss another, they will be kicked from the event.
Aidan Hereford has missed two rounds, and been kicked from the event.

As the train was readied, there was an effort to stop its swing. ana fell's Gardevoir tried to wrest control of the hefty weapon, but its psychic prowess could not break the ghostly grip of the Terastalized terror. Similarly, Eris Halla's Wooper tried to blind the phantom with a Muddy Water, which might have worked, had it not been targeting a creature with the most advanced optical systems known to futurekind. No, a little dirt wouldn't stop its unrighteous crusade.

And it would direct that rage towards Tempest Quinn's Kommo-O. The full power of the Poltergeisted train would clash with a +6 Thunder Punch, a scene never before seen in the history of Pokemon. And the result? At a glance, it seemed like a draw, but soon the truth of the matter became apparent, as the caboose practically crumbled to pieces, leaving little but detritus behind. Truly, that could not have been calculated.

Now that it was disarmed, the Iron Bundle had no defense against what came next.

SLAM! The full force of Incineroar's Flare Blitz impacted the Paradox Pokemon, sending it falling it falling to the ground for the second time in however many seconds. This time, however, it did not hit the ground, but phased through it. An irritating but not surprising ability. After all, it was a ghost.

Thus, the final problem was revealed, the critical factor that would decide victory from defeat: Would they be able to find the Iron Bundle before it was too late?

---

FINAL DEADLINE FOR THE EVENT IS 8PM GMT, 20TH DECEMBER 2023
Tempest Quinn Kazimir Wynter ana fell Eris Halla

Three powerful attacks hit the ground in quick succession. Tempest Quinn’s Kommo-O, Kazimir Wynter’s Incineroar, and ana fell’s Mega Gardevoir launch a Dragon Tail, a Max Malicious Moonsault, and a Moonblast respectively, completely blowing the floor of the mall to smithereens.

And sure enough, in the midst of all the rubble and the wreckage they’ve made is the phantom body off the Iron Bundle. Yet, in the rush to reveal the ghostly Paradox, they’ve left no firepower to put it down. They’ve revealed it, but in the fleeting moment that they have to hurt it, they have no means to do so.

Thus, the moment passes, and before long, the Iron Bundle dives back down into the ground, even deeper than before. This time, however, it will not come back, and no amount of digging will catch it.

But, on the bright side, it is gone. They might not have been able to exorcise the spirit, but they certainly managed to force it away. Christmas may be ruined, but at the very least, it won’t stay ruined.

…Shame about all the property damage, though. Whose going to pay for all this?

IRON BUNDLE #13, ERROR: HAUNTED
RETURNED FROM WHENCE HE CAME

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ana fell Kazimir Wynter Tempest Quinn Eris Halla