[attr="class","emapkmn"][attr="class","emapkmn"][attr="class","emapkmn"][attr="class","emapkmn"][attr="class","emapkmn"][attr="class","emapkmn"]

The brightness of the Dynamax Cannon blinds Cass for the moment, and she barely manages to close her eyes and avert her gaze in time. She doesn't witness what's happening, but hears it.

A moment of silence, where the world stills, before everything rushes into movement.

"What ... thank you-," Cass says breathless to Eris as she dares open her eyes again, trembling from what she thinks just happened. "Is everyone okay-?" She can't think too much about it - the heat still lingering in the air, the energy of the blast and the ... shield? The reflection. In the middle, the Lake Trio - Azelf's floating lower than before now, its Ralts illusion broken in the effort. However, as she looks at Eris, she halts. "Eris...?"

And right next to her and Hideo, a Sigilyph floats.

Hanna who had been ahead of Cass. Who would've been in the blast. Her head whips around to see, did Azelf-

Effie is already next to the beaten body of Saude, who managed to slam Hanna out of the blast, but has been caught in it instead - just at the edge. Her Fletchinder signals her quickly that he's okay - just fainted. Another mix of emotions, and another time where you can't just stop and take a breath. Instead, her pokémon slowly start moving - Hanna carefully floating next to Cass now, Jon actually wiggling out of her arms to find Saude's pokéball and recall him in her stead. Removing his knocked out body from her sight, as Effie and Martin settle next to her.

Hideo Kino Eris Halla
MP +10
saude the emolga k.o.ed

MP TOTAL: 760

Uxie poured everything it had into its Mystical Power, to help repel the Dynamax Cannon. And as it did, it realized it may have spent too much with its earlier antics; it was the first time in a while it'd used its power so extensively. Its Ralts Illusion faltering would be the more obvious sign - albeit one Hideo wouldn't notice.

Hideo just held onto his Beheeyem, protecting Elga from any potential harm. It was the first thing he thought to protect, the one here that was closest to him.

He couldn't handle losing Elga.

Only once he heard the attack go back where it came from, did he release his grip on his Beheeyem - only then realizing just how tightly he held the Pokemon, his own arms bearing a slight soreness.

"I…we're alright," Hideo answered, doing a quick inspection to make sure his Beheeyem was fine. It was only after confirming Elga was unharmed that he realized Elga was already telling him there was no harm.

But it did tell him about Uxie's condition - the pixie floating over to Hideo, undisguised, plopping itself right on Hideo's head. "Really earned your pizza budget there," Hideo joked, trying to diffuse a little bit of the adrenaline that ran through him.

Uxie just told him it'd need a breather for a bit - to put it back in its Pokeball for now. "You must be really tired," Hideo noted, doing as he was asked and recalling the pixie into its ball. His Beheeyem could serve as his eyes for now - as it usually did.

"...the hell was that beam anyways? Came outta fucking nowhere."

Eris Halla , Cassandra Kubrick

[attr="class","emapkmn"][attr="class","emapkmn"][attr="class","emapkmn"][attr="class","emapkmn"][attr="class","emapkmn"]

Cass breathes out quietly, before smirking slightly at Hideo's remark, "You know, I thought there was a suspicious amount of pizza cartons with Jon, too ... think Azelf also took a liking, at last." Speaking of the Pixie, Cass frees herself from the static and takes a decisive step forward, scooping Azelf up so it would be in the arm that's not holding Jon. "Rest, Azelf."

She raises an eyebrow, as if saying, Well isn't it good that you got that move now, huh? Azelf stares, maybe even glares and glowers a bit, at her. However, it actually caved or maybe planned to do so anyway, and fell asleep to recover.

At least one she could've helped - stupid Saude, but she needs to move on. Effie moves on, her wingbeats careful as to not fan the flames around them. Hanna retreats to her ball for now, too, her floating not being fast enough with her mass, but she nods at Cass. As much as she wants to protect her place ... as Cass doesn't have any hands free, she bonks Hanna unceremoniously before she disappears in a red beam, taking a deep breath.

They both have to abandon homes today, but eventually ... she hopes desperately they'd be fine. Having a home in each other - faith and trust in each other that they'd be around.

She takes another breath to choke down the tears that threaten to blur her vision and nods. "We gotta go," she repeats.

"I have no idea-" she says to Hideo, before starting to run as well. She tries to keep close to Eris, wanting to take the lead but also not knowing the woods as well as she does. There's still conflicted emotions, but right now, she's also just scared - scared of what might happen now, scared of what's happening right now. Just one goal to keep her mind focused, instead of straying into the various directions they could take ... "It seemed like a Dynamax Cannon ..."

Hideo Kino Eris Halla
MP +10
pokémon symbolize/represent the condition of your character: hanna and cass both have to abandon their "home" in war
MP TOTAL: 820

"Pizza just agrees with pixies, I guess."

The levity didn't last, though; his Beheeyem warned him just how much damage that beam did to the area around them. The fire around them was intensified, and the trees were starting to go down (though that fact, he could hear well enough himself). The rest of the Lake Trio was just as exhausted as Uxie was - still out, but down for the count. One of Cass's Pokemon was knocked out, while one of Eris's was marked by the attack.

Not a good shape to be in. By most means, this would be when Hideo would advocate for them to head back and get out.

But Eris was already running ahead, further into the flames.

He couldn't let her go in alone.

"Whatever it was," Hideo said, gripping his Beheeyem's hand and running to follow Eris - his Beheeyem serving to make sure he stayed on the right path, "I'm gonna guess Rocket were the ones that fired it."

They're the ones that cared so little about collateral damage.

Eris Halla , Cassandra Kubrick

[attr="class","emapkmn"][attr="class","emapkmn"][attr="class","emapkmn"][attr="class","emapkmn"][attr="class","emapkmn"]

The heat is scorching, and a constant reminder that there is no relief to be found. Cass can only hope that someone would do something about it - helpless as she carries two wounded pokémon, with one pokéball being quieter than it ever has been before.

Only fainted. He only fainted, she keeps telling herself as she fixes her gaze forward. "Yeah," she replies Hideo and lets out a low exhale. The wildfire around them made her almost forget for a moment, forget that this is a targeted attack - forget the taste of betrayal in face of danger, forget purple hair just so very much like her own.

Forget to wonder what the hell has happened to Eris before she's come here where she is now.

Forget that she used to empathise with Rocket. Maybe part of her still does, a cold and persistent feeling. But her home. She isn't that far gone yet - or her selfishness not yet that shallow. Her home's personal.

"I hope they won't do it again. That seemed stupid," she murmurs, trying her best to see the burning trees as hindrances, obstacles and not burning memories. She remembers Dermot, her Grafaiai, and the time he's been drawn here, to the woods with the Grafaiai around. She met up with Knight that night, who somehow wandered here, and then ... home. Home, always that.

And home is in front of her now, but not hers. A creaking mess, protagonist to the background of a crackling inferno.

"Eris-" Cass says once more, a hand reaching out - but she can't find herself to actually grab Eris here, not sure if she might be wanted now, and looks at Hideo with a helpless look he wouldn't catch. "Hideo..."

(Her house has been safe. Even then, she turned out to be so goddamn lucky.)

Hideo Kino Eris Halla
MP +10

MP TOTAL: 830

The further they got, the clearer the signs that whatever they found at the end would not be what Eris wanted. Hideo's Sygna Suit and Cass's Safeguard helped protect from any burns, but he knew it was a bad idea to stay here.

But forward he went, quietly following Eris as his Beheeyem guided him through the safest routes it could.

"Doing stupid, destructive shit is Rocket's thing," Hideo told Cass. "Hoenn would'a been a crater a while ago if we didn't fight against them." The prospect of having to deal with another one of those giant beams wasn't very endearing: the only Pokemon they had to stop it were either exhausted or sleeping now.

Only once Eris stopped, did Hideo stop as well. He could take a guess at why she stopped so suddenly, but his Beheeyem enlightened him on the cottage's condition.

Hideo held little love for his own home, a place he always knew more as a cage - but he knew even he'd be horrified to find it in this kind of condition.

"Eris..."

If it were him standing there, in front of his own destroyed home, he knew what he would've done.

"Be careful."

He would've gone in to find what could still be saved.

Eris Halla , Cassandra Kubrick

[attr="class","emapkmn"][attr="class","emapkmn"][attr="class","emapkmn"][attr="class","emapkmn"][attr="class","emapkmn"]

Azelf twitches occasionally as the Safeguard it put around the others still lasts, but otherwise it remains quite peaceful in its sleep. From experience, Cass knows it can be a bit of a loud sleeper - which is why she'd gotten him a tank to mimic the lake feeling and numb the noises, should it want to nap outside its ball. (And now ... she can't think of her room.)

Hideo's words sting slightly, let Cass shrink without him knowing the cause of it all. "Yeah, it's ... all so dumb," she agrees, but it sounds a bit more flat - a bit resigned as she faces herself with the reality she was willing to ignore.

A reality that creeps up on her so fast.

Cass' head whips around with disbelief as he actually just tells Eris to be careful- but she only opens her mouth with no words coming out. Hideo would know what's best for Eris, she believes, so she trusts him. At Reiner's quiet plea, Cass nods almost immediately, standing guard by Mesprit and the Woopers with her pokémon following suit.

She needs to trust right now.

A deep breath, and she almost chokes on the smoke.

She manages just in time to halt the coughs- almost choke on the noise building up inside her throat that can't escape. Because there are voices now. Talking. Talking about Eris' brother and her ... "Hideo," she whispers over the crackling flames, "What should we do?"

She tenses up, nodding towards her pokémon. Effie would stay by her side for now, readying herself for whatever might come - while Martin and now Hanna again rise up, ready to follow Hideo's next movements.

Eris Halla Hideo Kino
MP +10
spotlight hideo's strengths: let's go good friend and gym leader uwu

TOTAL: 890

Hideo could have chosen to follow Eris in, to make sure she'd be safe in her own home. There could be someone waiting in there, a Rocket perhaps. But it just felt wrong to do it. He'd let Eris go in alone, while he waited outside with Cass.

He wouldn't disrupt her in what was probably her last time at this home.

Hideo knelt down, both to rest and to get out of the worst of the smoke. "Worse than dumb," he said, "they're suicidally destructive." If their goal was to take the place over, they'd be ruling over ashes at this rate. "They think-"

He stopped himself the moment he heard voices he didn't recognize. He could hear their words over the crackling flames, and knew exactly who they were after - and who they'd use to get after him.

And they were getting closer.

"Hide Azelf," was the first thing he thought to say, an ordered whisper. He already had Uxie hidden in its Pokeball, but Rocket could potentially spot Cass with Azelf - and then they'd really be after her. He couldn't risk that.

It was only a matter of time until they got here. And by his Beheeyem's description, this house wouldn't stand up to a fight. He didn't know if they were just going to pass by, or enter the house searching for Eris - who he knew was not in the right state of mind for a battle.

"I'm…" He carefully thought through the team he brought; his Beheeyem could fight, but if it went down, he'd be running blind. His Hatterene could Mega Evolve, but she was the only Pokemon he brought that could heal. His Zoroark could fight, but was better off as a distraction or in an ambush. His Shadow Alakazam still hadn't returned - so much had gone on that he'd only just noticed. Uxie needed to rest.

His last Pokemon…he only wanted to use in the most dire emergency.

"I'm gonna draw them away." He took out his Zoroark's Pokeball, letting the Pokemon out. It was no longer flying - Uxie's Skill Swap had to be let go as well, which meant it could now resume its usual Illusion. "Zorro, let's go with metwo."

The Zoroark nodded, its illusion covering its body - forming an identical image of Hideo, down to the clothes that he wore.

"Try and send them in the other direction, then regroup with us," he ordered, the Zoroark nodding as it ran off towards the voices.

With that, he turned to Cass. "We…I'm gonna try to take down any that don't take the bait. If you don't wanna join me, I'm gonna need you to watch out for Eris."

It was risky - but it'd be riskier waiting for the Rockets to bring the fight to them.

Eris Halla , Cassandra Kubrick

[attr="class","emapkmn"][attr="class","emapkmn"][attr="class","emapkmn"][attr="class","emapkmn"][attr="class","emapkmn"]

The slight stabbings of Cass' consciousness are interrupted by a new threat - Rockets still lingering around the place. She lets Hideo take the wheel and nods, deciding to recall Azelf into its pokéball for now. A necessity they thought, as they started their journey together. Risky, but at least she could do something, recall if needed like now. Azelf continues to slumber, but she sees it stir - it might wake up soon again (and what a relieving sight this is).

She doesn't manage to leave, however, before the Rockets are already appearing. So many of them, too ... She tenses up, Jon landing on the floor unceremoniously and with a fierce look on his face, as she reaches for the two injured "Woopers" (Nessie and Mesprit), to drag them a bit farther away from the battle that is sure to ensue. She knows Effie already squared up next to Hideo, ready to fight as well as Jon.

Azelf's Safeguard persists enough still, though it's rapidly fading, for her to feel the drowsiness without actually falling asleep- There's something wrong. Her mind's trying to figure something out, but she feels so sleepy ... ... "Martin," she murmurs, her headspace suddenly finding herself at her desk.

Home. Uncomplicated, just accompanied by the feeling of safety. It's late. She almost falls asleep, but there's still this stupid homework to do ...

"Martin ..." she murmurs another time, and notices the gentle touch of him resting on her shoulder. That's really nice. ... ... Almost by reflex, he starts letting out a refreshing scent in this crackling inferno. Oh my god they're in the Woods and it's burning. While the Aromatherapy's clarity isn't fast, it's at least enough to wake or shake any drowsiness - hopefully not too late.

Hideo Kino Eris Halla
MP +10
TOTAL: 900