BATTLE OF PETALBURG

The Thick, cartoonish clouds of the faux-Misty terrain had blanketed the area. So far, those at the epicenter had not been affected much.

Save for howard slayte

What he saw was special.

It would've been familiar to those present at the HsT coronation— but not to him.

Though there was mist, it was not Tapu Lele's crude interpretation— the mist within had a... dreamy quality to it. Almost as if he had been briefly pulled into a space outside of regular space.

A dream world, where one's hopes became real—

The curtain parted violently as a pixie surged through, backhanding Howard Slayte right across the face, just over the hole on its right side, several feet away with enough force to rag doll.

A hot, neon pink glowed, crackled and sparked over the man's cheek, slithering like an open current of lightning beneath his eye patch.

Due to failing to deliver on the feast, HOWARD SLAYTE and his KEYSTONE have been CURSED by TAPU LELE.

The mist briefly cleared, revealing the scene. Tapu Lele stared down at the Admin, eyes glowing with a future promise before dream mist began to pool around her once more.

It surrounded her, and her avatar in distance, seemingly dragging the youth into the soil as they both disappeared into the mist.

---

TL;DR:
-This whole thing was discussed with Magnetic.
-Tapu Lele has cursed howard slayte.
-If allowed by Shiv, Tapu Lele has taken her toys (read: Doug) and left the playground pissed.

[attr="class","silpc-pkmn-img"]

This was new.

He had felt anger before.

That red hot emotion that lit his soul on fire. This however....

This was different. Rather than a hot burning fire, it was more like a simmering ember, and it was growing.

Frustration was this feeling, and he felt it intensely to the point that his Hound could feel the Malice radiating out from him.

Finally he had discovered an Apex Opponent, someone who could potentially sate his thirst, and then they did the unthinkable.

They summoned fodder....

Bait....

Sheep....

His glorious battle was interrupted before it could truly begin because of this mans actions.

Malice leaked out of every pore of his body, and to his Hound he was encased in red.

There was only one course of action that the Lucario could take, and it surrounded itself in it's own blue aura. Feeding off the emotion of his trainer, it began to charge up an Aura Sphere, and without warning it would begin to unleash the torrent of attacks on Monroe (shiv ), Hawkins , Yamaguchi Himiko , Eduardo Hisakawa , and PETRA MONROE .

They were all the closest to him, and as far as this pair were concerned they were no better than the sheep that had been summoned. Ball of energy after ball of energy was let loose, and perhaps some would crash into the horde of rockets behind, but it was obvious that the Spectre, and his Hound were in a berserk state.

"You....Ruined everything! He roared at them all like a caged beast trying to escape it's fate.

|v03RHXf

TLDR
Gaius is pissed that Monroe acted like a noob, and summoned his sheep rather than having glorious combat!
Lucario is feeding off of the berserk, and malefic aura that Gaius is emanating, and unleashing volley after volley of Aura Spheres at Monroe, Hawkins , Yamaguchi Himiko , Eduardo Hisakawa , and PETRA MONROE !
Gaius is not in a state to be reasoned with, however this might create an opportune moment for people to escape mayhaps!
Salaac x2 used

Isaac Merlo and Eris Halla are continuing to fight - and yet, there is also the encroaching swarm of Kanto Rockets spilling out into the battlefield. Things are becoming so much more volatile - and though El would want to be able to grab their family and leave, they are cursed with having the most stubborn siblings in existence when you got down to it.

(Granted, perhaps they got their own stubborn moments from Isaac, in turn.)

As Knuckles appears at their side though, they give the Lucario a sympathetic smile. "Things have really become a mess." They speak, reaching over to briefly squeeze her paw in a comforting gesture. They had to do something, but...

... "Do you still know Copycat, buddy?" With given confirmation, El's eyes lit up a little. Okay - okay, they had an idea!

Though Kiryuko is reluctant to return amidst such danger, she glances to Knuckles and gives the fellow Steel-type a gentle nod - knowing that El won't be alone with two pokemon to help. In her place, Bibidi is sent out.

And here, El gestures with their Mega Cane. "What do you think, Bibidi?" They ask softly. "We need to get as many people out as possible; do you think that Mega Evolving would help you Teleport others out? Do you think you can handle it again?"

Bibidi considers. She'd probably be hurting the morning after for it - but if it meant that she could save a few more lives in the process...

... She nods. She could do this - especially if they could remain out of direct combat. Teleportation moves were practically second nature to her at this point, for how much she used them in day-to-day life.

Thus, she'd once more wreathe herself in the bloom of Infinity Energy as she took up that strange and relatively-new form once more. She could already feel a bit of the strain - but at the same time, her power bloomed. Her psychic awareness sharpened, and in turn she was able to reach out further and more powerfully with those abilities.

El glances to Knuckles. "Copycat Bibidi - We need to Teleport as many people out as we can." With their expression softening a bit, they'd add "Don't worry about me - I think Bibidi will notice pretty quick if I need help, and I've got more pokemon on my belt."

And the Alakazam in question would waste no time, before she Teleported away - prepared to ferry as many people as she could to safety.

TLDR/NOTES:
- Sticking to L4 for now
- El switches out to and consults Alakazam about Mega Evolving to ferry people out more efficiently. Follows through when Alakazam agrees that it'll help.
- Alakazam might be hurting in the morning after, but her feelings on the matter summed up are 'Worth It', especially since teleporting normally is basically everyday for her. Uses the heightened psychic sensitivity + reach to begin Teleporting about to evacuate Leaguers.
- El asks Isaac Merlo 's Lucario to Copycat Alakazam's Teleports to help evacuation.
- El sticking under the radar where they can, prepared to fall back on their other pokemon to protect themself if need be.
- (If I don't post again, you can assume that Alakazam teleported them out and/or they left on Togekiss)
5VRA3A|q

KO'd -

In most other cases, the Hatterene would've rejected Roze Falkner 's Clefairy's aid, content to do the work all on her own. But a more extensive look at Hideo's condition told her he needed better care than she could give on a battlefield.

The Clefairy's Life Dew would at least help, and was quickly supplemented by the Hatterene's Heal Pulse. The weariness in the boy's body gradually lifted away, and his mind grew clearer.

But not fully. He could better perceive what was going on around him, and he was steady on his feet, but he was mentally catching up to everything going on.

And there was a lot going on, in the absence of a Telepathic Pokemon to explain it for him. Uxie told him nothing, focused on recalling the time Hideo found one of those strange statues - and deducing those may be responsible for the Loyal Three's resurrection, information it would once more impart to Roze, Andrea Vaneau , and the Ogerpon. Breaking the chain may not be enough.

Hideo could hear the countless boot steps filling the air - a lot of people rushing in at once.

And his Hatterene was pulling him away from them.

Hideo could think clearly enough to realize just what the sudden horde was: Rockets.

He considered what Pokemon he still had on him: his Beheeyem and Zoroark were knocked out, there were too many eyes to use Uxie again, his Shadow Alakazam was unaccounted for, his Hatterene probably didn't have it in her to Mega Evolve again.

He still had his Type:Null…

No.

He wasn't going to let that out here. It wouldn't hold back against a horde.

He didn't want any more blood on his hands.

And with this many Rockets, he didn't see any chance of turning things around.

"We-" he said, with only Roze close enough to hear him, "we gotta get out of here."

But how? The only direction he wasn't hearing a ton of boots from was where a whole lot of fighting was happening. And none of the Pokemon he had on hand that he could trust were particularly fast.

He turned to Roze. "Do you-"

The sudden hand on his shoulder - his Shadow Alakazam's hand - silenced him. It'd Teleported next to him.

It looked towards Roze, giving her a chance to get close if she wanted to come along.

For a moment later, it'd Teleport Hideo and his Hatterene out, over to Littleroot.

It was where Hideo needed to be, where he wanted to be. He'd bore witness to what strength Rocket had brought in its invasion, and Littleroot was only two routes away.

He had to prepare.

Combined healing efforts lets Hideo think clearly for a bit (but he still needs proper medical care)

Uxie tells Roze Falkner , Andrea Vaneau , and Ogerpon about the effigies

Shadow!Alakazam Teleports in

Will Teleport Hideo, his Hatterene, and Roze Falkner (& her Pokemon) out to Littleroot (discussed with Snowy)

Bro it's a canon event you can't salac

4f3WvCCS

""There is no such thing as destiny. There is no such thing as fate."

He meets Isaac's eyes as Hunu barrels down on the Liberator like a freight train. The mercenary is a fool. Despite Isaac's peaceful heart, he will stop at nothing in face of Eris and Petalburg being threatened. Even if his body shattered into a thousand pieces, Suicune's chosen would keep going through broken fingers.

He reminded Howard of Navy.

"I love you." He meets Isaac's gaze through breathy gasps, his body refusing to function properly in the face of the Nihilego toxin coursing through his veins. It will kill him soon. Painfully. Slowly. Yet there are words that must be uttered. "As a brother. If we were in Rocket at the same time, if I had met you sooner, I would have followed you to the end."

There is a pause. Hunu closed the gap. The man was broken too. He had disobeyed the admin's orders and counted down. Tangaroa would face the consequences of that.

"But." Through the helmet, a wearier, aged face stared back at Isaac. Rocket had taken everything from them. Their bodies. Their minds. Their souls. They were not the same people anymore. "We didn't. So I will offer you the same ultimatum that Navy offered me: fight or die. If you want to become the League's beacon of hope, then give them a leason to look your WAY!"

Regice let out a bellow of Dynergy, knocking the Liberator in Tangaroa Emzar's general direction. The mercenary deserved to be humbled.

Howard rose, unsteadily. His eye locked with Priam, and the two shared a mutual understanding. Cogs in the machine, marching forward. They would fulfill their obligations on this battlefield. This victory did not feel like one. They were merely putting down a pack of stray dogs.

"Two." His voice rang out over the radio. Hoenn's Rocket would not act like Kanto's. They would count to three. Their hand would be stayed. Kazuya Yoshida's loyalty would be rewarded.

"And now-" Howard turned to face Tapu Lele, a malignant grin on the on its mouthless face. It mocked him slyly, before backhanding him towards Regirock's leg. He struggled to rise, rage bubbling up once again. Guardians. Guardians. GUARDIANS.

"GET OUT OF MY WAY." Howard groaned, his vision wavering with visions of the Tapu. Regirock responded quickly, releasing a Hammer Arm onto the guardian as it disappeared into mist. As the stone golem raised its hand, there was no blood.

Doug had escaped.

Yet Lele persisted in his mind. It mocked him from behind Oscar, then Priam, and then the distant Tsubaki. Nobody reacted. When it appeared before him, Regirock did not react.

A phantom. It had cursed him.

"I'll kill that fucking spirit, I swear to Arceus." Howard spat as he looked around. Meanwhile, Regirock turned its massive body towards another on the battlefield, recognizing the admin's latent grudge and attributing it to another.

Seven red eyes found Elisabeth Fiorelli.

They found Wo-chien.

They saw.

And they hated.

---

Yaps at Isaac, tosses him to Hunu
Yaps at Priam
Gets cursed by Lele, starts having a fit because of the poison and Dynergy
Regirock uses Hammer Arm on the vanishing Lele, but fails to hit it
Turns to find the snail, smelling it

Through the toxic sand, the admin emerged, limping. He had not fared as well as the Scorned, for his body refused to knit itself back together beyond a desperate cobbling of possibilities into a vaguely human form.

"Your order has been superseded. Monroe announced its seizure. Walsh demanded its capture. I do not balk to an underboss when Hoenn and Kanto stand at my back." His eye flashed red, as malignant and derisive to Wo-chien as Regirock was. Above them, Regice stood as a frozen obelisk, scraping the dome of the world. "You deny Monroe. You deny me."

He closed the gap. Regirock lumbered behind Howard, its body massive even without the boon of Dynamax or the Wishing Star that Ting-Lu had denied it.

The terrain died as the two stepped forward. Elisabeth stripped the land of its vigor, salting it and ensuring that nothing grew again. How fitting a power for such a woman, now that she had turned her back on him at the pivotal moment.

"You always hated me." Regirock groaned an approval, stone scraping against stone as sounds impossible for life to produce erupted from the sapient mountain. Flashes of being locked in a bathroom and dying in a hospital bed erupted through his mind. Tapu Lele danced in the background, a mystic specter that was not there.

"And if I must preserve the world by stopping whatever it is that it sees in you, I will." Howard stopped as Wo-chien struck Regirock, sending it reeling back. Its pattern flashed sporadically, its movement hindered, though it did not fall.

Howard slowly turned to Elisabeth. She had always been different from THEO BECKETT and Cillian Quinn . Something had always been off. It finally clicked. She was like him.

A traitor.

"Treason." His voice was soft, his meager strength getting sapped by the terrain at his feet. "Attacking a Rocket asset? That's your plan?"

Regirock marched forward, flint in its form sparking into a Fire Punch as it swung a mighty fist.

"Then I strip you of your rank and sentence you to die."

---

Elisabeth Fiorelli
Howard marches towards Elisabeth, gets fucked by terrain
Regirock EATA da Giga Drain and malds, responds with a Fire Punch
Come outside.