"dead? dead? i'm not fucking dead. at least not anymore."

but she means nothing to him. she is but another face in the crowd of the nameless he had spent years terrorizing, striking fear into their hearts.

she is another victim.

the STONE EDGE pierces through him, causing him to fade away.

"i'll find you eventually," he says with his last breath.

francie myrtle BARNABY FINCH

everything seems to hang in the air for the longest of moments; a second stretched into an eternity. but, eventually, the form apparates, shifting to another figure.

one not as familiar to francie myrtle, perhaps.

"you're right."

he spits, running his hand through his blond hair that decays to black at his touch.

"i'm not your barney. that fucker's dead."

francie myrtle BARNABY FINCH

[attr="class","beck"]lucario's ping sweeps across the area, stealthy and undetected, returning with prized information — the same information is reflected in thomas' scan as well.

there are four in the group that just left the building, which is a mere single-story that doesn't boast much. its value lies in its position, which gives them a decent vantage point over lavaridge.

inside, eight presences await them.

[attr="class","noodles"]Thomas Benoit

[attr="class","beck"]she snaps at him but what use is there? chained and defeated, he doesn't even bother stepping away.

he sneers in response, voice lowering only in volume, but never in intensity.

"did you really think you could stop me?"

[attr="class","noodles"]Calliope Marks

[attr="class","beck"]"CALLIOPE MARKS."

footsteps sound, approaching.

"CHAMPION OF KANTO."

a pokeball cracks open with the power of something deadly. electricity dances, charging.

"DEFEATED."

the blindfold's ripped off. blackwell stands in front of her, wounded, scarred, but alive. he spits.

"how pathetic."

[attr="class","noodles"]Calliope Marks

[attr="class","blackwell"]"you were there to stop me."

the earlier SNARL makes the AURA SPHERE bearable. it impacts, curling yellow and black fur, but it does little to stop the two POWER-UP PUNCHES from being thrown, both stronger than the last as zeraora closes the distance once more.

"you won't be this time."

[attr="class","noodles"]FERNANDO SILPH

[attr="class","blackwell"]"AGAIN."

the muscles in zeraora's arms start to bulge. it throws two more POWER-UP PUNCHES, one a straight left, the other a right cross.

"verdanturf was mine to claim. i almost had it."

[attr="class","noodles"]FERNANDO SILPH

[attr="class","blackwell"]blackwell practically SNARLS when their attack is countered. he expects more. he demands more.

"ATTACK."

zeraora maintains its close distance, quickly recovers from the FAKE OUT, and lands back with a SNARL that pierces through the air. it wastes little time to leap again for another POWER-UP PUNCH.

"wanted to increase my hold over the region. dewford gives me nothing."

[attr="class","noodles"]FERNANDO SILPH

[attr="class","blackwell"]to bend and conform to laws beyond his control is demeaning. he tenses as he's forced back with the rest of the mist. it swivels and clouds around him, slowly fading to reveal narrowed eyes.

"i can offer you victory."

to his surprise, he's able to catch the pokeball, and he grips it with so much vigor that it almost cracks under the pressure. it pops open, releasing a pokemon that's met with a look of confusion.

"what the fuck is this?"

but it doesn't matter. if this is his only path to revenge, then he'll make do. he'll overcome. he'll crush.

a whistle escapes out of instinct, but the order comes after, strict and absolute.

"attack."

the zeraora bounds forward, leaps when close and throws a POWER-UP PUNCH.

[attr="class","noodles"]FERNANDO SILPH

[attr="class","blackwell"]for once, blackwell is conflicted, and it shows in the way he doesn't immediately respond. he pauses, thinks for moments, then allows anger to take over as it always has. he spits mist and venom.

"i don't fucking know! stop playing games, silph. how long until you actually do something?"

[attr="class","noodles"]FERNANDO SILPH