"You can't stop me."

He never could. Nobody ever could. No words could change your mind. No action could sway your heart. Even if Arceus himself descended from the heavens and commanded you to halt, it wouldn't stop you. Not after what they've done to you.

They're here. Both of them. Palkia's chosen and that bitch of a councilwoman, they're within your reach. Revenge is within your reach. And this time? This time, there's no flock of League sheep to interfere in your business. Your burns ache in anticipation. There's nobody here but you and them. Nowhere to run but to death. Nothing left to do but get even.

You couldn't have imagined a better situation. Everything is perfect. There's just one last thing you need to do.

"Get out of here, Howard." You dismiss him without even sparing him a glance. It's not a decision you make lightly. Unfortunately, however, it is the right one. "I can't win this if you're here. You're dead weight. You'll just get in my way... So, go. Now."

---

howard slayte illeana reyes PENELOPE LIVY
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"I cannot." Despite the ominous forthcoming of divine wrath, the archaeologist's solemn demeanor gives away to that of a casual relaxation. "You cannot stop me, either. This is my battle, too."

He watches the Palkia and Heatran grow closer. His cape fluttered as he remembered rage. Ileana, the woman who had pushed academics further than most. The one bound to a god who would force the weight of the world onto her shoulders.

Hopefully she didn't bend and break before this was all over.

"You say I'm dead weight. You're dead without my help." Howard smiled from beneath his gleaming helmet. "We didn't bring you back so you could die. We fight together."

A tall order, given the foes they were fighting. Two Avatars versus none. Luckily, being chosen didn't necessarily make you strong in a fight, right? All it meant was that they had to keep a healthy distance, and keep each other covered. Palkia's chosen had likely bestowed spacial abilities unto its chosen mortal, but still...

They'd win this time. They'd draw even, at least.

"Here they come!" Howard shouted as a Magma Storm swirled their way. Shred would need to carry their offense here. "Light Screen!"

A glimmering veil appeared over Howard's Sigilyth and Shred's Pokemon. It was a barrier that would temper the might of Heatran and Palkia.

"Shit!" Howard dodged the pink energy blast narrowly, eye watching it as he did so. As it flew past, Howard pointed at Illeana. "You missed!"

He was awfully proud of that one dodge.

---

Sigilyth using Light Screen on Rocket squad
Dodging Illie's fucked up wizard magic hopefully it doesn't bite him in the ass haha
Shred Zeppelin PENELOPE LIVY illeana reyes
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"...Fine. But if you get yourself killed, its your own fault."

Despite your best efforts, it seems you can't protect Howard from himself. You really do bring out in the worst in him, don't you? In a different time in a different place, you might've mourned that fact. But that time and that place isn't here and now, because you're staring down two people who bring out the worst in you, too.

Illeana Reyes. Penelope Livy. Even the sight of them is enough to make your blood boil. The ashen taste in your mouth begins to burn. No more waiting. It's time to show them how frightful the monster they made really is.

As the divine blast rushes forth, so too do you, dodging past it as you charge forth in a frenzy. The Magma Storm is a considerably more difficult obstacle, but it'll take more than that to stop you. Tossing out a Pokeball, you send forth your Great Tusk, who immediately curls up within its natural armour and breaks into a Rapid Spin. The Paradox Pokemon effortlessly tears a hole through the roiling lava, which you take the opportunity to slip through before it can be resealed.

It seems that the chosen of Palkia has decided to focus on Howard first. That's more than fine with you. After all, it means you've plenty of time to deal with the empty suit. You take a few steps towards Penelope, standing level with your Great Tusk. Bloodshot eyes glare daggers at her from behind pitch black sunglasses. Bared teeth gnash against one another behind a veil of banadages.

"Are you ready to die, cunt?"

There is no wit to the threat. No second layer, no clever pun, no double meaning. It shares more in common with the roar of a wild beast than anything of the human language.

It's the most honest thing you could ever say to somebody like her.

---

howard slayte illeana reyes PENELOPE LIVY
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Penelope Livy thought she was clever.

She was, in fact. All politicians were sly, and the councilwoman who sat at the pinnacle of the League with her two colleagues was no exception. It was her job to root out flaws in Team Rocket and rip them apart, root and stem. A ruthless bitch who wanted them dead burned, with nothing but ashes to bury and salt to ensure not a single flower grew on their graves.

Vile.

Unfortunately, Howard was a historian. He studied the past, and he knew what happened last time he raised a sword against Penelope Livy. He would learn from that mistake. It was up to historians to learn from the past to make a brighter tomorrow, and it was time that he applied that to himself.

The Hyper Beam flashed before his eyes. Screaming pounded in his ears. Not this time. He would help, not harm. Until he absolutely had to, he would not fight. He would only support.

Like now.

"Beast, get ready!" Howard barked as his Sigilyth soared upward and began to flap its wings as it summoned a Whirlwind. Blasting back Palkia or Heatran would've been nice, but the Sigilyth found itself focused on Shred and his Great Tusk.

Flames were fanned as the Great Tusk rolled off course, crashing into a wall while Shred faced the windy storm alone. A vast improvement over a Hyper Beam to the face.

"What the...?"

As Illeana tore through reality, Howard found himself peering at the pink gash several feet ahead. It took him a few seconds to calculate what was going on, before he connected it to Palkia. Multitasking wasn't his strongest suit. As the Spacial Rend came through, Howard narrowly dodged to the side as his armor's cauldron was severed.

"Fuck!" Some people had insane powers, like the ability to bend reality or manipulate fire. Howard had nothing like that. He had a Regice that was lacking a power core and a bumbling drug addict as his only ally. When he had an opportunity to strike at the professor as she crawled through space, Howard used what he had.

He reached for the ground and picked up a rock. He tossed it up once, gauging its weight, before throwing it at the Alchemist.

---

Shred Zeppelin illeana reyes PENELOPE LIVY
Using Whirlwind on Shred/Great Tusk via Decoy
Howard uses SPECIAL MOVE: ROCK THROW on Illeana Reyes
I hate politicians
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The Burning Jealousy makes contact with Great Tusk, and despite its best efforts, the beast can't spin these flames away. No, they scorch the scaly skin of the Paradox Pokemon black, melting it away and leaving pitch-black burns behind. Even the sight of them is enough to make your own wounds ache. The elephant might be tough, but it's not going to be able to fight at full power as it is.

Was that intentional? Your teeth grit and your eyes narrow. Doesn't matter. You'll make her pay for it all the same.

As you prepare your next move, you're interrupted by a strong Whirlwind from behind, sending Great Tusk veering into a wall as you're left struggling to keep your footing. What the hell? Is Howard insane? You're in the middle of a battle of life or death, so what the fuck is he doing?! Why would he...? Unless...

"...You're not as smart as you think you are, Livy."

You step to the side, and right on cue, a gash of rippling pink energy soars right past you.

And now comes your counter-attack. With one tap, you recall Great Tusk to his Pokeball, and with another, you send out your Golurk. She wants to pull her little tricks again? No. You won't play her game. Not again.

"Golurk, Earthquake."

"WARNING: The structural integrity of these caves are highly suspect." The colossal construct replies to your order, its tone the same cold, colourless, emotionless analysis it ever is. "Damage to the walls and ceiling is highly likely to--"

"EARTHQUAKE, NOW!"

"...AFFIRMATIVE."

Slowly, the automaton raises its stone-carved fist up high, its knuckles scraping against the very top of the cavern. Then, like a falling star, it smashes down the ground below at mach speed, causing a devastating Earthquake to echo through the ground below. Penelope, Heatran, Illeana, Palkia, Howard, nobody is safe from the sheer destruction of the shaking earth, not even you.

But you don't care. Even as the stones shatter under your feet and the rocks smash into your legs, it doesn't matter. You'll take as much pain as you have to, as long as it hurts her worse.

---

howard slayte illeana reyes PENELOPE LIVY
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There's a bark of static laughter from behind the helmet. Whatever face behind it is deriding Illeana, mocking her, as if the world was some jape that only it understood.

"Illeana Reyes. Chosen of Palkia." Despite the battle being waged, there's nothing but respect in his tone. The voice is solemn and reverent as it bears witness to the Avatar and her deity. There is no derision, no mocking tone. Only respect and awe.

Then his tone shifts.

"It's our job to be clever. You more than me, but we're both smart people." His tone shifts again as Illeana rages while Penelope already begins to fall back from the Earthquake. Shred had realized that this fight was unwinnable, and had decided to flip the game board rather than continue to play.

That had always been his issue. Shred never knew when to quit, or when to stop being emotional. When he had died on that battlefield, what had come back was a violent specter.

"Control yourself. You are chosen, and it's your job to save us from annihilation. You made history, Illeana! If you can't control yourself... then you're no better than half of our Avatars!" Howard let out a laugh as he gestured towards Penelope. "Or her!"

While Shred dodges the Spacial Rend from Illeana, Howard's Sigilyth is not so lucky. The light in its eye immediately dulls as it folds under the weight of divine severance. As it falls, Howard audibly groaned. The Light Screen's protection was nice, but it couldn't deflect all damage.

A rock crashed by Howard's foot.

"We've learned plenty. We'll improve, and one day we'll beat you." Howard's Claydol began to rotate around him and Shred, protecting them from falling rocks as the cave threatened to collapse.

"Let's get going, Beast!"

If his choices were to deal with Shred's rage in a few moments or deal with Palkia, he'd pick Shred every time. At least then he had a chance of coming out alive.

---

Shred Zeppelin illeana reyes PENELOPE LIVY
Using Rapid Spin
Sigilyth knocked out by magic wizard powers
'change da world palkia'
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