Johanna’s haggard breath made time move slowly, painfully. Inching closer by the years rather than seconds. The pain was bringing along with it a weakness that threatened to put her on the ground, and she wasn’t certain she would get up again if she fell, especially so if she fell on her back.

She had no intention of falling. She needed to get out of here. She needed to survive this. She needed to get home to Megan Whitmore. No matter what she had to do at this moment to do so, she needed to get home. Realistically there was little she could do. There was no time to ask others for help or medical attention, as she had wasted what precious moments she had to find her Pokéfriends.

Luckily for her Retnauh her Gengar was there to support her, keeping her upright as much as it could, though even it was pondering if it wouldn’t just be better to take its trainer into its arms.

Even Andrea Vaneau had gone. Left her to deal with the ogre. Johanna hadn’t even checked if that endeavor succeeded, but either way it left a bitter taste in her mouth. All the help she had offered, all the energy she had spent, and Andrea didn’t even bother to check if she was okay. Perhaps Andrea had her own worries at the moment, but that didn’t sweeten the bitterness any less.

Luckily there were new targets for the bitterness and anger festering and taking hold. Their wardens so graciously offered them their presence. And as Johanna laid eyes on the Munkidori the memories of all the misery and pain she had felt welled up as she strained her voice with an angrily roared command to the Claydol.

"VAPORIZE THAT ONE!" She pointed toward their former-dummy-warden.

The Claydol who had been readying its Z-move fired it all too eagerly at the MUNKIDORI.



The beam of condensed psychic-energy flew fast, melting anything in its path too weak to survive.

TLDR:
- Lots of inner monologue about her desire to get home to Megan Whitmore. As well as feeling alone and abandoned while the others, Andrea Vaneau especially, are understandably busy. Bitterness ensues.
- Wardens appear and she picks target.
- Claydol Fires the Z-MOVE: ANNIHILATION.

XgCpM0we

MISC OOC:
- INJURIES: Several STEALTH ROCK's embedded in her back like knives. (Using Gengar to keep herself upright standing)

@tag

Johanna laid still through Megan’s rummaging. Though admittedly curiosity was slowly getting the better of her, but luckily by the time she was about to ask about it Megan’s proximity grew even closer disrupting her train of thought long enough for Megan to reveal her plan.

The answer blurted out of her before she had even given it a single thought. “Of course!” Johanna smiled brightly. It made her all giddy with happiness to know that they had reached such closeness.

“Mind if I make a new wallpaper too?”

Johanna’s sole focus had been on helping Andrea Vaneau. Perhaps her desire blinded her. But how could it not? She could feel how close they were getting to being able to help. All she needed to do was reach out and grab the opportunity.

Then her right side erupted into a cascade of pain before her vision picked up what had decided to strike her down. She might have cursed FERNANDO SILPH had she known he was the cause. But in that instant she only cursed her own luck and prayed that Andrea could take it from there.

Before she could get back up the floor beneath her crumbled and she fell. She fell fast and fell hard. Her landing wasn’t smooth and if the gut wrenching pain that it caused didn’t do enough, then the debris that fell upon her like a stony rain certainly did. Sharp pieces of broken STEALTH ROCK dug into her back giving her the appearance of a sandshall-fanatic, and the few parts of her not stabbed were showered in blunt rocks that broke or bruised the remaining skin.

For a brief moment she was certain the rocks would be the end of her. Her body certainly felt like it wanted to give up. But while her body might have been broken her spirit had yet to bend. She had friends she needed to save. Dying could wait until then, after all she had already done it once. She pushed herself up, made herself stand on painfully wobbly legs. Her back screamed in searing pain as it begged her not to do anything. But she did not heed her back’s weakness. She made her way alongside the rest to the fleshy tubes that held her Pokemon.

The moment she laid eyes upon the sight of her friends floating in green liquid inside those tubes, she jumped at them like she had in the dreamworld. Desperate to get them all out. But it was only when Azelf did its thing that her wish was granted. It mattered not to her that she felt herself drenched in the liquid. She hugged them all, each and every one of them, and Retnauh especially. She felt tears of happiness flow freely down her cheeks.

But happiness was short-lived. Johanna and her Pokemon knew it. But the only one out of the group to have the willpower to break the moment was Claydol. It wiped away Johanna’s tears and with its Claydol gesticulations reminded her that things weren’t over yet.

“Right. Reunion celebration will have to wait until we get home.” Johanna forced a sniffled painful smile. They all nodded in agreement. “Let's go find your Pokéballs and my equipment…” But she fell to her knees before she could take another step. Both Claydol and Gengar were quick to try and catch her.

“I am okay, the injuries are just catching up.” Johanna reassured them. There was no reason to lie about it; it was quite obvious. She could feel the jagged pain in her back, several things had gotten stuck in there. She couldn’t see what it was, but she wasn’t certain that it was a good idea to remove it. “I just need a moment.”

While Johanna took a moment to recuperate, Gengar rushed out into the room quickly following another group there that led him to the RESUPPLY room. He got in there, got her things and rushed back. By the time Gengar returned Johanna was bathed in sweat and breathing heavily. But she pushed herself to stand up and re-equip all of her things. Gengar’s ghostly grip stabilized her in the process.

By now she could hear the violence coming closer. She retrieved all Pokemon back into their Pokéballs save for Claydol (The to-be attacker) and Gengar (it’s ball was destroyed). Others were starting to make preparations to fight, and she would be one of them.

“Clay, the moment whatever it is that is coming breaks through I want you to use ANNIHILATION on it full force. Do not worry about me or anyone else.” They did not have the luxury of considering how to minimize collateral damage.

And so Clayold aimed toward the ceiling, a small shining sphere of condensed energy held between outstretched arms, ready to fire at a moments notice.


TLDR:
- Johanna is swiped away by Nihilego, curses her own luck.
- Johanna falls as the Feeding Pit floor crumbles.
- Rocky debris showers onto her, broken STEALTH ROCK stabs her in the back giving her a hardcore sandslash-cosplay.
- Johanna's Indomitable human spirit lets her continue, and she reunites with her Pokemon.
- Injuries are catching up, and so Gengar searches for and brings Johanna's equipment back to her.
- Claydol is ordered to fire the Z-move: ANNIHILATION on the approaching enemy when they break through.
- Claydol readies the Z-MOVE: ANNIHILATION.

nhHtIP1z

@tag

Surprise captured Johanna as she gazed upon Shalin’s stunt. To ride a Floatzel like that had never even crossed her mind as a possibility even for some sort of stunt. Yet right there Shalin was breaking the boundaries of possibility once more.

Johanna found her pulse racing with excitement at the sight. Excitement which edged her on to speak, to step closer and proclaim how awesome it looked.

She refrained from speaking, afraid she might cause an accident in the process. Instead taking quiet steps to approach the group as to not disturb what she presumed to be some sort of training session for a new trick. All while her eyes were glued to Shalin’s trick.

“Yeah they didn’t.” Johanna replied, a small sigh formed at the mere memory of it. But she quickly pushed that aside to think on Megan’s question.

She had to think a fair bit, since she had never given those regrets much thought. “Hmmmm, I regret never getting to see the Azure Bay in Kalos.” She spoke.

“It’s supposed to be a really scenic place, great for photographs and such. And supposedly you can even find rare pokemon there.” She doubted that, but it was what she remembered of that single tourist brochure that she had read.

Before Johanna could yell a warning, a tri-attack flew from the Hydreigon. And as the fiery part of the attack graced the weird gas it ignited and turned into a huge explosion.

All Johanna could do to stay on the Hydreigon was cling tightly, pray and ignore the screeching sound within her ears from the explosion.

At least the explosion worked on the Celesteela as well, throwing it off course downwards while it tried to regain control.

At least it gave them an opportunity to escape from all of this.



PROMPTS:
- 12 involve being ambushed or trapped.
- 23 involve the classic trope of running/fleeing through a bamboo forest/fields.
- 26 involve the classic trope of a swordsman's showdown or duel, the training of the blade, to intrude and explore a bamboo fortress heavily guarded by kartana.
- 21 involve deadly, incendiary gas from celesteela that can suffocate or burn down stretches of land/flora/you and your pokemon.
- 🗺️ LASCIEL ELIS will be able to capture a CELESTEELA or KARTANA during this expedition. he may consider capturing an infantile celesteela or more a docile kartana; however, catching one may incur the wrath of more mature ultra beasts in the realm and cause multiple earthquakes, eruptions, or celesteela launches toward your location.

Johanna had an unusual pep in her step as she walked through the Romping Grounds within Petalburg Woods. Excitement smeared across her face. Was this what people felt when they walked into Joyland? Johanna certainly prayed it was.

So many Pokemon of various unusual sizes and knowing their trainer they were all ready and willing to provide rides of their own. But speaking of Shalin, where was she?

Johanna found her at the Lake shallows beside a large shiny Floatzel. Before Johanna could say anything she noticed what might possibly be about to happen and stayed quiet, for no other reason than to see what Shalin was about to do undisturbed.

Johanna found herself blushing slightly as Megan made swimsuit comments. She wasn’t quite certain how to respond to that. But luckily their topic moved on.

“I have been to Sinnoh and Kalos a few times, but that was mostly just generic vacationing, no real exploration outside tourist traps.” Johanna explained as she thought back to the few vacations she was forced to go on with her family.

“I got this little friend here in one of those Rifts.” Johanna explained. Though moving her focus back on the adventure they were about to embark on.

“As long as we don’t get TOO hurt, the one I brought should be able to.” Another explanation given. She had figured it good and proper to give the little Slowpoke some experience.

“But while we are at it. What did you bring? Besides - “ She gestured toward the Steel Serpent.

MISSION: THE GREAT CHASM OF HOENN
TEAM: