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The frenzied sprint-and-roll to avoid a lethal DRAGON CLAW sweeping down towards Derek would bring him further from his team. Even the Aggron he fielded, who is soon forced to retreat by a pokeball in it's trainer's hand.
[break][break]

This substitution would bring forth his Machamp, which began drawing power from the mega-stones shared between them. "...Fucker took a swing at me and missed! Can you believe it, Randal?!" It's no pep talk for a fight against a giant dragon, but it rallies his pokemon to battle just the same. Maybe even the rest of those around, who might feel emboldened by the notion that fortune favored them in this fight.
[break][break]

The ranger rises to a stand, albeit lazily, with a stagger in his step.
[break][break]

"But you never miss... Right?"
[break][break]

A command at this point was a needless waste of words. Every battle that it had mega-evolved, there was only ever one thing to do. A sudden leap out towards it's foe would bring the Machamp close enough to deliver a blow with it's GMAX CHI STRIKE.

bngzIT_Y

[break]
tl;dr[break]
- derek switched out aggron for machamp[break]
- machamp undergoes mega-evolution (1/3)[break]
- mega-machamp uses gmax chi strike (no guard) to disrupt the foe (critical strike increase in-game, freeform aspiration to disrupt the flow of it's chi tera energy(?); GM decides)[break]
- using 1 of my 2 rerolls

[attr="class","bottom"]THE CICATRICE[break]

While others press into unknown domain, the ranger stands back to assess whatever is to come next. Resistance is expected, and his hands quickly work to bring out a more favorable champion when the glimmora make their move.

The mortal spins go everywhere, and he doesn't bother trying to determine the trajectory to dodge. Or even defend from it. Instead a device summons forth his flygon once more, looking to overcome the hurdle with a breaking swipe.

8ozBjTKn

---

tl;dr
- path 2 baybeeeeeeee
- also eyeing vacant (tagger what do you see boy)
- switches out grimmsnarl for flygon in the backro
- uses breaking swipe to bludgeon glimmora
- derek might be hit by the poison idk (roll check or smth i guess)
- salacing once to replace 8

BLOOD, MUD & IRON

☉

Remarks about not letting oneself be consumed by their emotions is reassuring, though he could never relate. Does she takes everything this seriously?

It wasn't a bad thing. In fact, it allowed Derek to think about his past. What was once spontaneous for the male ranger has become routine. Risking his own safety (and that of his pokemon) was commonplace and to be expected. It was only others, cheery people like Genny, whose suffering weighed him down at this point.

That's what happened when you could no longer chase your own dreams. You had to fight for those of others, or one might as well not be around to draw breath.

"You think so?" Amused by how she seemed to be observing him, Derek casts his gaze towards the Impidimp eating dirt to avoid the subtle break in his features. Whether she intended or not, it felt like a compliment of sorts.

...Is that good for them?

Thoughts about eating dirt in any context never felt like they panned out well. Regardless, he wasn't going to start lecturing on what was right or wrong with how one allowed their pokemon to behave. There was nothing to suggest he had it figured out anyway...

"I guess these missions just don't matter to me like they used to." After operating alongside the league's powerhouses, and still failing, this sort of thing had no pull on his conscience. "Burdens of tenure, I suppose."

---

tl;dr
- 50 MP for PARTICIPATION
- 20 MP for POST (2)

SUPPLY: DG | Genevieve Cromwell

☉

"What's to mind?" There is a certain etiquette to Remiel he doesn't understand. A Galarian politeness that is beyond him, because the ranger was always a lesser man. Someone to be ordered around because he would never appreciate politics. "It's all a job in the end. Doesn't matter how we execute. Just that we get it done."

The fact such a person regarded him by name was deserving of some form of acknowledgment. Praise surpassed his intentions, and so Derek offers a hand towards Remiel hoping they'd return the gesture in kind.

"Let me know if there's any way that I could help."

SECRET: DR (RESURFACED TREASURES: 80 MP will update actual MP values later)

☉

"c'mon! c'mon! c'mon!" skirting around the room hurriedly, Varoom ensures everyone has offered up their samples for the caustic concoction by supervising their every regurgitation. "vrmmmmm! *shiftsound* VRMMMMMM!!!"

those who don't, such as the nidoking they were now waiting on, would find it's foot being pursued by the little asshole racecar drifting towards it with a bucket in tow.

skrrrrrrrrt!

locking it's brakes and drifting into the nidoking to stub it's toe, the little guy was quick to make demands. "sample! sample! sample!" to show him how it's done, a glob of sludge shoots out from his exhaust and into the bucket, with a little getting on the nidoking's foot...

PP(94)

☉

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Acknowledging their emergence from what may as well have been considered it's elaborate traps, the party seems none too surprised to find a horde of Charizard advancing upon them. While some had a moment to speak, others such as Derek simply found themselves giving into their urge to resist.
[break][break]

The Grimmsnarl that stepped up from the depths alongside him is exchanged for another. This time his Aggron is primed to attack, unleashing it's power at will in the form of a hyper beam that seeks to cut a swath through their ranks, saving the big one for last.
[break][break]

5okGBW0y

[break]
tl;dr[break]
derek's charizard fainted[break]
derek's grimmsnarl is switched out for aggron upon regrouping[break]
derek's aggron uses hyper beam to cut a swath thru the charizard

[attr="class","bottom"]THE CICATRICE[break]

Rogue coins ricocheting across the cave strike Derek upon his head, causing him some grief as he looks to those who caused it. The urge to lash out at those he doesn't know is there, but as tempting as it is, he doesn't wish to cause a scene.

Instead the ranger chooses to follow those going down the darkest of the two paths, reluctant to get his jacket wet a second time. Whether or not the services of him or his Grimmsnarl will be required remains to be seen. The others appear better prepared to deal with the vegetation.

zXoZbo39

---

tl;dr
- glares at the coin fuckers
- fuck dem coins i take disadvantage (eat me megs not rly) o shit 29
- derek follows those opting for path two (sorry i aint doing more tryna be quick ig)

BLOOD, MUD & IRON

☉

With something of a foothold an island away, those of the league were preparing to set out on various missions. Many ranking members were among them, and many who were not. Likewise, Ranger Hoffman found himself paired with one of his kind.

Well, not really.

There is an obvious distinction to be made. It's obvious by the furled brow of scrutiny he wears as he approaches Remiel Calcifet. At one point in the past two years, Derek would've found this guy on the other side of enemy lines.

But it doesn't effect his trust. He knows a little about the individual's exploits. The status and titles they held. His character wasn't what was currently in question. It was the experiences he had on the other side.

"You're Remiel, right?" Derek poses the question to be doubly sure about who he's talking to, rather than making the mistake of assuming he knows the face well.

SECRET: DR (RESURFACED TREASURES)

☉

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Sweltering heat and dehydration are peril for the cognitive mind. The ranger hardly manages to keep one foot marching ahead of the other, this steady rhytmn the only thing saving Derek from collapse.
[break]
[break]

Thankfully the sound of Jack Napier is quite distinctive over the calm molten flow. How they managed to get singled out from the group was beyond him, but the FIRE BLASTS coalescing at the tip of their wands was something he could manage. Well, should be able to manage.
[break]
[break]

"Shit! Crota, SHIELD!" Very much a close call, it's trainer should be so thankful that the prankster is able to erect a protective screen in time. The Grimmsnarl's power even manages to REFLECT the attacks, exploding upon the group of Delphox and volleying one or two towards the CRYSTALLINE TUBES.
[break]
[break]

Derek motions for the Gardevoir to fetch it's trainer, glaring at the sudden shift in the magma's flow. Some part of him was worried it would start creepings towards them, at which point... Yeah, he wasn't sure what they'd do. Fortunately it didn't seem to be coming to that.
[break]
[break]

cDk_Uwc|

[break]
[break]
tl;dr[break]
- uses REFLECT to neutralize the delphox attack[break]
- the reflected FIRE BLASTS spiral away, one towards the delphox and two towards the crystalline tubes[break]
- derek tells jack's GARDEVOIR to grab him (teleport)[break]
- (completed) encounter thick, translucent, crystalline tubes filled with magma. A strong fire-type attack can redirect the magma flow away from the path to the summit[break]
- can we go home now CRYGE

[attr="class","bottom"]THE CICATRICE[break]