She falls. He waited for Genevieve to catch herself, but ultimately she does not. As she does, a small part of him curdled and died. This woman believed in something, and he was crushing her for the simple fact that she was not strong enough to oppose him.

Instead of looking at a lifeless woman fighting for what was right, he looked up at the sky. A fringe of snow dusted his armor as he did so.

"It's a beautiful day." Regice paused its attack to follow its owner's gaze, before looking up at at faint rays of sunlight that broke through the storm and filtered onto the Grassy Terrain below. "And this world is a beautiful one. I just wish that you could see it."

In this final serenade, he spoke to the Tapu.

The moment of solidarity with the tin soldier that held a heart ended quickly. The Max Thunder continued to charge. It fired, meeting the Max Overgrowth with aplomb. It's a ferocious contest of wills, and it looks like Tapu Bulu is actually going to win the battle. Red energy crackled like lightning, lighting up the sky from Petalburg to Rustboro.

Yet there is a crack of a crystal in the admin's palm as his Z-Crystal shattered.

A shadow loomed over the fallen Pokémon Ranger, blotting out what remained of the sun. Rocks rattled past Genevieve, accumulating at the base where the largest part of Regirock had landed. It grew higher and higher, before sucking in the power of the crystal. From Regirock's stone arm, an oddly carved fist smashed into the immobile Tapu Bulu from behind.

The gentle caress of ice and snow is replaced with the grating nature of sand.

ROYAL DECREE: EARTH-CRACKING FIST

Manifesting the will of its creator, Regirock's fist shatters the land, causing a shockwave that pierces defenses, leaving a sandstorm in its wake.

"This world is a paradise." The admin said as Genevieve was attacked from two sides. "I will protect it."

He looked up at Tapu Bulu, gauging its reaction to a Z-Move from behind. A large part of him felt immense satisfaction, waiting for its eventual reaction to the joint assault. After being cursed by Tapu Lele and mocked by Tapu Fini, this felt... just. Deserved. Yet Bulu had actually faced him, instead of scheming in the dark.

Genevieve had as well.

"Challenge me again as often as you like, Genny." He spoke like they were close friends, his eye somber yet kind as he spoke. "I will battle you as many times as you need to truly become strong. I promise you this:"

He smiled.

"I will never bore you."

---

Genevieve Cromwell
+90 (Post)
+10 (Weather/Terrain)
+50 past thread
+50 tag a character
+50 respect another character
+50 (cast shade on Genny's loyalties)
+50 (KO)
+50 (Z-Move)
+50 (dynamax)
+50 (use a legendary to reflect your character)
+50 (rock bottom)
+50 (weakness - refusal to leave rocket)
+50 (strength - double regi)
+50 (get wounded by an attack)
+50 (regrettable decision)
+50 (pokeball 'throw')
+25 (music)
+25 (three barriers)

The Dynamaxed Tapu Bulu shrunk. It had fought with the ferocity of a fickle spirit that ruled the land for centuries, and it had lost. There was no shame to its defeat. It had simply been brought down by engines of war that had long since optimized the Tapu's strengths while eliminating its weaknesses.

In exchange, Hoenn's royals had long since lost the personality demanded of gods. Howard considered it a fare trade for stalwart defenders of home.

"I should kill you, you know. It'd be a better fate than you deserve. You let this region go to shit and did nothing. Tapu Fini and Tapu Lele don't care about humans. Why should you?" The admin snapped in annoyance, before visibly recoiling as it nodded its head to him. "Guh..."

He visibly recoiled. Regice shrunk down to normal size. From another Pokeball, an Illumina Skarmory fluttered out, landing on Regice's head. He chirped at the admin, though the cry was ignored.

"Wait!"

"Do..." He swallowed, his mouth dry. "Do you actually care about that woman?"

Was it even capable of such a feat?

---

Genevieve Cromwell
+100 (Post)
+10 (Weather/Terrain)
+10 (illumina)
+50 past thread
+50 tag a character
+50 respect another character
+50 (antagonistic exchange)
+50 (earn respect)
+50 (cast shade on Genny's loyalties)
+50 (KO)
+50 (Z-Move)
+50 (dynamax)
+50 (use a legendary to reflect your character)
+50 (rock bottom)
+50 (weakness - refusal to leave rocket)
+50 (strength - double regi)
+50 (get wounded by an attack)
+50 (regrettable decision)
+50 (win)
+100 (complete)
+50 (pokeball 'throw')
+25 (music)
+25 (three barriers)
+150 (Rocket v. League)

FIGHT THROUGH EVERY PAIN NOW

GENEVIEVE X HOWARD

DID TAPU BULU CARE FOR GENEVIEVE? A potent question. One the Island Deity takes time to contemplate as the last vestiges of dynergy dissipate.

In the short span of time they've spent together, the Tapu has witnessed Genevieve live through much. Survive through much.

In spite of their defeat— Genevieve had won, this Bulu believed, yes. And the Bulu believed in her.

[attr="class","chosen"]YOU ARE WORTHY

[attr="class","chosen2"]
tapu bulu has chosen Genevieve Cromwell, the arbiter, as their avatar.[break]

Genevieve Cromwell receives the following perks:

• genevieve is able to manipulate plants lightly. For example, she can bendi trees and vines to restrain foes and assist with vegetative growth. though this power is not as potent as xerneas' given blessings, genevieve possesses the ability to create empowering flower fields. within flower fields, genevieve gains a tremendous amount of strength and can heal continuously.



• even without the presence of flower fields, genevieve can bolster her strength temporarily, signified by the sound of a ceremonial bell.



• genevieve is able to "force negotiations" with a target, enclosing them in a flowery field domain. in this impenetrable and impassable domain, physical violence can not be enacted. however, the domain is temporary and can not last for long. when the domain nears its end, a ceremonial bell will ring.



• genevieve can regenerate and heal quickly, especially in the presence of plant life/her flower field. although this power is not as potent as xerneas' given blessing, she is also able to heal others with physical touch.



• genevieve's avatarship may be temporary, depending on how kiwi decides the rest of genevieve's narrative.



• genevieve may place tapu bulu in her personal computer and choose its moveset like a gachapon pokemon.

When one Tapu gives its blessing, another Tapu feels it. Thomas Benoit's TAPU KOKO stirs, eager to see how its companion will fare in the days to come.

When one Legendary gives its blessing, it always seem to happen before howard slayte. The man has witnessed the imbuing of this curse on several. Whether he is good luck or an omen is uncertain. However, he seems to be the living manifestation of DYNITE ORE. No matter where he goes, he warps the fates of those around him. Like dynergy metamorphosing minerals into mega stones, the Admin of Petalburg finds that whatever he touches turns to into a scourge.

Genevieve Cromwell howard slayte

He could follow. There was nothing stopping Howard from leveling the forest and crushing the world under colossal legs of ice and rock. The temptation is there, admittedly, yet what ultimately staunches the admin's pursuit is the land spirit's response.

"What...?"

A spark of Dynergy traveled through his system as he, Regirock, and Regice looked on. Regirock did not move an inch as the Tapu passed it, its pattern blinking as it gave Tapu Bulu a modicum of respect that it hadn't deserved. That too was a curiosity, a reminder that Eris Halla had modified ancient programming with a spark of genuine sentience.

Perhaps it was for the best. There was no need to kill this woman who had been proclaimed as worthy. Was it to defend her? To prove a point? Was it nothing more than a mere microcosm of fickleness that every single Tapu shared.

"I don't understand." He collapsed against Regice's leg, suddenly weak. An anomaly. "Was this just to spite me? To prove something?"

He let out a weak laugh.

"Or is this proof that Legendary Pokémon can change?" He looked up at two golems, his eye flashing through the helmet. He scanned them both, searching for an answer. "What do you two think?"

⠞⠓⠑ ⠟⠥⠑⠎⠞⠊⠕⠝ ⠽⠕⠥ ⠁⠎⠅ ⠊⠎ ⠊⠗⠗⠑⠇⠑⠧⠁⠝⠞

⠊ ⠙⠕ ⠝⠕⠞ ⠅⠝⠕⠺

"Nevermind. I asked a meaningless question. You two can't answer it anyway. I gave you both hearts, but I can't do more than that." Naomi Sato was proving to be right about these two. He was supposed to care about them. Why was it so hard? "Yet that I guess that explains why..."

In the meantime, he'd send his dog to go fetch. Howard took off his helmet, lines of red circuitry connecting to his missing eye, where Tapu Lele and John Sullivan had cursed him. His Key Stone remained dormant, an unused trinket of an era long gone. Howard put his hand on his breast and listened closely.

Silence.

"...I haven't felt my heartbeat in a long time."

---

Genevieve Cromwell
+110 (Post)
+10 (Weather/Terrain)
+10 (illumina)
+50 past thread
+50 tag a character
+50 respect another character
+50 (spotlight their strengths)
+50 (antagonistic exchange)
+50 (earn respect)
+50 (cast shade on Genny's loyalties)
+50 (KO)
+50 (Z-Move)
+50 (dynamax)
+50 (use a legendary to reflect your character)
+50 (rock bottom)
+50 (motif or symbol)
+50 (weakness - refusal to leave rocket)
+50 (strength - double regi)
+50 (get wounded by an attack)
+50 (regrettable decision)
+50 (win)
+100 (complete)
+50 (pokeball 'throw')
+25 (music)
+25 (three barriers)
+150 (Rocket v. League)
1380 total