[attr="class","nikita"]Just like that, another combatant has fallen. Nikita nods to his ailing Glalie. Ignatius nods back though there are frozen tears in its eyes. Its jaw is shattered until the transformation ends. But for this temporary pain is enough. Unfortunately, it seems this has wreaked havoc on their battlefield of choice. Ice now coats once-warm rocks.

There’s a nasty, broken stalactite from his earlier actions. Even the ground beneath them is pockmarked like one with leprosy. And there is a clammer as rocks fall off the bridge’s edges. This is amplified as a Poison Jab from the Nihilego almost sends Nikita pitching over the edge. “Nngh.” With a sneer, he fires a bullet at the jellyfish.

It jerks back as strange, purple ooze hisses to the ground. “!?” As Winters turns to his master, the ghost dog is slammed into by the anchor’s Phantom Force. Though it would be an opportune time for a Crunch, all he receives is the ringing of teeth on metal. In a panic, he lashes out with a Play Rough instead. “Hold it.”

Tearing his eyes away from the hound—trusting his partner to do what is necessary—Nikita turns his attention to the Corviknight. Those knife-like feathers are sharp. But he waits. A second and a few more. Hopefully, his timing is correct. “Ignatius! Blizzard!” With a pained noise, the Glalie unleashes a Blizzard upon all in front of it, even the Walking Wake.

The feathers are slowed by the screaming gales. They bury themselves shallowly in the dragon’s hide. It roars as it spits steam into the air around them. The cavern is suddenly muggy.

From Nikita’s pocket, a little laser light emerges. It settles on Cillian’s chest. “Aqua Jet!” With a snarl, the beast turns away from the bird and charges the human with a burst of jet-powered water.

[attr="class","samjerpoke"]

[attr="class","nikitatag"] Cillian Quinn

[attr="class","twtgm"]

[attr="class","nikita"]Though he has more bullets, Nikita stops firing. The jellyfish may not be fully cognizant, but it is his Pokemon. It also still has utility, even as a puppet.

Nikita staggers forward as the daggered leaves rip into his skin. Angry lines open across his back and spine. He watches in concern as Winters struggles beneath the beast. His dear friend is struggling. But Nikita forces his attention to divert. Focus on what you need to do.

As super-powered leaves bite into bone, Winters forces himself back to his feet. If he had lungs, he’d be gasping for air. As he gives one last, half-hearted Play Rough, Nikita returns him. The last thing he needs is another Nihilego incident.

If Nikita is disappointed by Cillian’s dodge, his face doesn’t show it. Instead, he takes advantage of the proximity. “Cervantes.” The beast snarls upon hearing its name. Nikita’s order is simple and frank. “Hydro Steam!”

Heated water erupts from the beast’s muzzle as it seeks to capture everything in a superheated mist.

Then, Nikita smirks. “Ignatius. Freeze them.” Ignoring the Corviknight, the Glalie follows up with another Blizzard. And, as he does, the ice in front of them superheats with an audible POP!. It seems the goal is to use H20’s malleability to his advantage.

As its move finishes, the Walking Wake roars.

But, when it echoes back, it’s in far too many voices. It seems their brawl—meant to be a simple arrest—now has an audience. The man turns to see LED lights blink back at him. They are as numerous as Zubat in an aerie. And, on the other side, the Pokemon of pasts to never come.

[attr="class","samjerpoke"]

[attr="class","nikitatag"] Cillian Quinn

[attr="class","twtgm"]

[attr="class","nikita"]The Nihelego’s collapse earns an irritated glance from Nikita’s sapphire eyes. Any thought of returning it is fleeting. It was not as if its presence at his belt would make a difference. As the detective catches the other man’s eyes, his fingers tighten around Winter’s ball. It’s a scratched Great Ball, nothing special. But, in many ways, it is the last sign of his former life.

Nikita is fortunate his attention span is wide. The chaos of this battle is stretching him thin. As the icy explosion fades—leaving a ringing in his ears—he is forced to narrow his eyes into the fog. The crimson seaweed stands out like blood on fallen snow. The susurrus makes him shiver. A savage, territorial beast, the Walking Wake refuses to move from the attack. Fine.

“Ignatius!” The ice-type, brimming with energy, dashes in front of the dinosaur. Its broken jaw is stuffed painfully full as the energy is drained. “Strike.” Its blocky teeth slam shut on the seaweed in an attempt to nail the Dhelmise in place. There’s obvious pain in the ice-type’s gaze as shattered bones grind against one another. But he summons enough strength to summon a Blizzard.

Even the Walking Wake seems cowed by the fury on either side of the chasm. It roars at its contemporaries, the noise tiny among the ”It seems we have an audience.” Their eyes fixate on the shattered crystal above them. Some of them stare at the humans with an indescribable hunger.

As the paradoxes gather, Nikita’s face twists in a sneer. The gun in his hand seems equally as useless against the mob.For a moment, the two men’s minds converge on the same idea: tossing the other to the wolves.

Nikita’s skeletal fingers slip back toward his belt. Before they close, the Paradox Pokemon charged..

[/di



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[attr="class","twtgm"]

[attr="class","nikita"]Just like that, the battle is over. The detective’s adrenaline soon fades to its standard void. “Bastard.” Nikita murmurs this to himself as his opponent vanishes in a swirl of darkness and steel feathers. It is not as if he is in hiding. We will just have to try again.

Fortunately, the impenetrable darkness is as much of a boon as a bane. As the past forms reach it, many of them stop. A few swipe at it in confusion. A Roaring Moon snaps at it with dark teeth, irritated by its ability to grab hold. A few steps behind, the future ones do the same. The lights of their panels are rendered startlingly dim. For a moment, there’s an almost palpable darkness.

When the detective speaks, it is in a whisper. A hand reaches for Ignatius’s horn in the darkness. His Alakazam erupts in a burst of light. The pair had the same thought of departure. His old age had just made him slower. “I believe it is time to depart.”

Lighting a cigarette, he turns to watch as an Iron Thorn reaches for his Walking Wake. It bellows in rage. Large feet charge forward as it moves to taste the march of progress. “Come, Cervantes.”

Psychic energy bursts outward as Nikita, his Glalie, the savage Paradox, and his Alakazam vanish. Even the Delphox is granted a reprieve. With stormy eyes, Nikita watches the silhouette of a Corviknight fade into indistinguishability.

[attr="class","samjerpoke"]

[attr="class","nikitatag"] Cillian Quinn