The battle was reaching a fever pitch. The end was in sight. One Iron Bundle was down, and one more was on the ropes. But that didn't mean things were going to get any easier. In fact, if anything, their last opponent seemed to be fighting even harder than before.

Jack Napier's Lucario rushed forth with Extreme Speed, only to get caught by the Hydro Pump and sent flying back, crashing into Elise Calcifet's Ampharos and sending the both of them tumbling to the ground. Then, it proceeded to scramble away, entering back into the post office to avoid the Mismagius' Thunderbolt and the Rotom's Hex. Was it trying to get away? Trying to make another hasty escape?

They couldn't worry about that right now. Not with the Magnet Bomb still ticking in their midst! With Hyakkaryōran Tsubaki's Nihilego busy gathering powering, it was left to Momo Sakai to get rid of the bomb! With little time to spare, her Cherrim summoned forth a Petal Blizzard, forcibly pushign the bomb down the path of destruction left in the runaway train's wake. It was just in the nick of time, too, because just a few seconds later, BOOM! The bomb exploded, sending debris and detritus flying. It wasn't pretty, but it was dealt with. Now, all that was left was to deal with that last Iron Bundle... Where had it gone, anyway?

VROOM VROOM! The sound of a van's engine roared out, and before they knew it, a postage truck came crashing through the post office, barrelling forth. And sure enough, if one looked at the driver's seat, they'd see the Iron Bundle, driving with all the elegance one would expect of a robotic penguin. It was then that a realisation would dawn on those gathered - Just what was in the back of that van? How many bags of illegal contraband could it be trying to escape with?!

As the truck tore away, there were only a few precious seconds left to stop it before it got away for good!

---

The final deadline for this event is 8PM GMT, 20TH DECEMBER 2023.
Hyakkaryōran Tsubaki Jack Napier Elise Calcifet Momo Sakai

You suppress the urge to sigh as you accept the glass of whiskey you've been given. It's too early in the night to be annoyed. You have to save it for when it counts, like when you open your gift later tonight. Knowing your luck, you'll get some dogshit like a literal white elephant, or green slime, or an armed bomb. Arceus, you REALLY hope you don't get green slime. If you get green slime, you'll go fucking nuclear on the dumb son of a bitch who foist it upon you. You'll fucking KILL them.

Yeah, you need to save your righteous anger for that. So instead of biting back at Xenon and her stupid comments, you push your irritation aside and take a sip of your drink. Then, the conversation of topic turns to your plus one for the party.

"Hello big lady! :D My name is Meltan and I come from Meltan Village but I left so I could become the strongest Meltan ╰(▔∀▔)╯ and to do that I need to--"

This spiel must sound completely incoherent to literally everyone else in earshot, huh? That's probably for the best. The knowledge of Meltan Village is a heavy burden to bear, a festering and all-consuming brainrot without cure. It is a treasure none can possess, a paradise none can enter, a Mel none can tan. The fewer people that are forced to carry that weight, the better.

"--Mel Mel Meltan Mel Mel Meltan Meltan! Mel Melt (´꒳`)♡ Mel Mel Meltan!"

"...Yeah, he's Meltan."

---

Xenon Antheil

"...What?"

To clarify, you heard him perfectly fine. It's more the contents of his words that are confusing you here. The government of Hoenn has a hot pirate chick working for them, and nobody told you about this? Shit, man, you've always wanted to be a pirate! If you'd known that, you would've signed up with the League instead of Rocket! Fuck's sake. Well, it's too late now. If Navy has the right of, then she's dead, and her gigantic whale is coming to kill you. Your dreams of a romance dawn on the high seas are dead. That's one less reason to get out of bed in the morning.

But now's not the time to mourn your lost life as a modern day buccaneer. No, now's the time to buckle up, hunker down, and fight for your life. If this fish thinks it's going to drown you, then it's got another thing coming.

Navy and his Roaring Moon rush in first, and you and Golurk follow close behind. Of course, your stonewrought automaton is far slower than his Paradox dragon, but that just means you get to be the main event compared to the sheriff's opening act. The Breaking Swipe momentarily opens up Kyogre, and that allows Golurk to come crashing down and land a Dynamic Punch right on the beast's head.

And yet, it didn't even flinch.

"SHIT!"

Another Water Spout bursts forth, and both you and your golem are blasted back by a relentless torrent of water.

---

Navy

It's been about thirty minutes since your ill-fated encounter with Lulu Flint , and needless to say, IT'S SO OVER.

But just because you've ruined everything forever doesn't mean you get to slack off forever. No, you'll have plenty of time to lament your own poor decisions later, but right now, there's work to be done. This dangerous unknown parasite isn't going to track itself down. You've got to pull some strings and lay the groundwork, just like you said you would. Granted, you're still not quite sure what you meant by that? You're a fresh-faced Beast with no connections nor resources. How can you possibly pull strings that are out of your reach or lay groundwork when you have no ground to work with? Maybe if you were an Admin, you could make it all work, but...

...Oh, yeah, right. Duh.

"Howard! I need a favour." You announce, entering into the office of "The Galarian" without so much as a knock. Then, you proceed to immediately make yourself at home, taking a seat on his couch and kicking your feet up on the coffee table. "Can you give me a million Pokedollars so I can go hunt down some aliens?"

---

howard slayte

As the great leviathan emerges from the deep, you can feel a change in the air. The crack of thunder roars in the distance, the clouds above you turn grey, and rain begins to fall upon your face. Just like what happened back on the Sea Mauville, when you first encountered the bastard... Yeah, no doubt about it: Kyogre is here.

"On it!" You practically leap out of your seat, rushing forth to the prow of the ship. You're not screwing around. No, this is your chance to get even, and you're sure as shit not going to squander it. As soon as you spot the shadow on the water, you grab a Pokeball from your belt and hurl it forth without a moment's hesitation. "Dragapult! Lock On!"

"10-4, we have eyes on the target." The dragon growls in response, bursting out of the red flash and soaring closer to the lurking legend. "Arming weapons, ready to fire in ten, over."

You curse under your breath. Ten seconds to fire? You don't have the luxury of waiting ten seconds, and judging by how the whale is barrelling towards your ship, it doesn't seem polite enough to pause until your attack is ready. So, with no better options, all you can do is grip the railing and brace for impact.

---

Naomi Sato

"--Promoted!"

Besides the exclamation point at the end of that declaration, there isn't much fanfare to the announcement. Personally, you'd have preferred a big orchestral sting and a shower of confetti, and maybe a crowd to vigorously cheer for you, too. Alas, this is not a massive auditorium, but an alleyway behind a Pokemart. Your musical accompaniment is the wind, your confetti is the occasional drip of rainwater from the gutter above, and your audience is Howard Slayte and Grigori Sokolov, so you suppose you can't expect too much.

But, c'mon, you expected a little more than this! This is supposed to be a celebration, but Howard looks like he was just told that the interest rate on his student loans would be doubling. Do you really have to rely on Grigori to carry the good vibes? Grigori, a man who you've never seen any amount of excitement for anything for as long as you've known him? Sure, his back is broad, but it's not THAT broad.

Still, even the dour mood of your peers can't rain on your parade, and it. Arceus knows it won't stop you from bragging about it, either. You take a quick puff of your cigarette, clear your throat in an obviously theatrical manner, and pick up where you left off.

"That's right, you're looking at Rocket Beast Shred Zeppelin." You point a thumb towards yourself, grinning your most Beast-like grin. "I've fuckin' made it, boys. I'm moving up in the world, boys! Money, women, fame, drugs, respect, everything that I could possibly want and more. Hell, before you know it, I'll even be able to afford a real house to live in!"

Truly, you're on top of the world.

---

howard slayte Grigori Sokolov

Man, you've never performed a séance before, but surely it would be better to start off bigger than this, right? Like, bigger than mice? Sure, there's four Maushold in this household... Er, well, technically, you think it's actually just one Maushold? Like, there's four of them, but they still only count as one Pokemon? And you're at Mount Pyre, which isn't really a household... Look, that's neither here nor there. The point is, why specifically Maushold? Wouldn't some kind of Psychic or Dark type be better for this?

Well, you're not the scientist here, so you suppose you shouldn't be so cynical. Then again, this isn't exactly science, is it? This is more occultism than anything else, and neither of you are channelers or mystics or sages, so... Fuck it. You're sure it'll all work out! Somehow.

"Ready?"

"Ready as we'll ever be!"
"Alright kids, it's time to talk to the dead!"
"Yippee!"
"Hurray!"

And so, with the same cheery attitude as though they were on a delightful summer picnic, the four mice would saunter forth and place their paws upon the planchette.

---

Alba Evovae

The Xurkitree was not happy to be here. It wanted to be back in the Ultra Plant, frolicking amidst the thunderstorms and drinking its fill of electricity. Instead, here it was, acting as a glorified power cable, holding an angle grinder and cleaning the detritus off the hull of a submarine. Ugh.

Stupid humans. It missed the Megalopolans. The Megalopolans knew what they were doing. But the humans? Idiots, every single one of them. Especially its owner. If that neanderthal made it charge his mobile phone one more time...

Still. Not like it had a choice. So.

Whirrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...

Mildly irritated but nevertheless obligated, the Xurkitree carried out its work, silently seething as it set about polishing off the thick layers of dirt and grime clinging to the hull of the submarine. Ugh.

And again. Ugh.

And one last time. Uggggggggggggggggh.

---

Mirabella Fontaine

As decorations and deer alike were flung forth, there was a rush to counter-attack. After all, the power of the Terastal phenomenon was poorly understood, even among the most gifted intellects in Hoenn. If they didn't take care of this thing soon, then who knew what it could do? It could even bring ruin to Hoenn itself!

...Okay, well, that wasn't very likely, but still!

At the very least, the new Ghost-typing provided new opportunities too. Sneaking through the flurry of projectiles, Eris Halla 's Wooper, Kazimir Wynter 's Incineroar, and ana fell 's Furret all launch supereffective attacks, a Shadow Sneak from behind and a Darkest Lariat and Sucker Punch from the front. The twin attacks sandwich the spectre, like crushing an empty tin can, before it falls back to the ground like litter. Meanwhile, Tempest Quinn 's Kommo-O prepares a Belly Drum, ready for what comes next.

And what comes next is the impact of the Poltergeist. Some get off light, avoiding the flurry of trash thrown in their direction. Others get a metaphorical slap on the wrist, like the Wooper that gets bonked on the head by a stray present. And then there's the poor, poor Furret, who gets hit head-on by a fully grown Stantler. And then there's Aidan Hereford , who--

...Chuggachuggachuggachuggachuggachugga--
CRASH!
--Chuggachuggachuggachuggachuggachugga…

--Gets struck by a runaway train, the crashes through the abandoned market and proceeds to hit him head on, carrying him away as it crashes deeper into the mall. That's worrying, but there's a Gengar and a Lopunny chasing after it, so surely, it's handled? Nothing to worry about. Probably.

Or at least it would be, had the haunted Iron Bundle not performed a second Poltergeist. Ghostly energy gripped the very last train of the car, ripping it free from the rest of the train before brandishing it high in the air. With the help of its mystic power, the Paradox Pokemon was now armed, and it reared the caboose of the locomotive back, it was clear it wasn't afraid to use its right to bare arms!

---

The next deadline for this raid is 8PM GMT, 14TH DECEMBER 2023.
Tempest Quinn ana fell Kazimir Wynter Eris Halla
ana fell has missed one round, and if they miss another, they will be kicked from the event.
Aidan Hereford has missed two rounds, and been kicked from the event.

The power of the Z-Move, performed by such a ruthlessly efficient machine and bolstered by the festivities, was a sight to behold. Every strike is like being hit by the full force of Father Christmas himself. Even the efforts of schuyler tate's Ditto Bundle and Goodra could not stand against it, and both would be swatted away by the force. So, too, was luka chêne thrashed in an attempt to shield her Togepi, though at the very least, she was given a Life Dew to soothe her wounds. virgil roach was similarly unfortunate, but at the very least, robin coello's Snorlax provided some cover to help shield the others from pain.

But just because it was relentless, that did not mean the attack was unstoppable. So, summoning their resolve, those gathered prepared for one last attack to try and put a stop to the Iron Bundle.

It begins with trinity beckman's Zoroark, releasing a Bitter Malice to temporarily blind the machine. As its visual processors glitch out, that provides the window for luka chêne's Sylveon to unleash a Light of Ruin, nailing the penguin right on the shoulder joint. As the motors momentarily sputter, schuyler tate's Pangoro finds a window to toss the Christmas tree at it, hitting the other shoulder. For a precious few seconds, the Iron Bundle is unable to both see and attack.

And for the Cubone Coalition, those seconds are all they need.

virgil roach's Cubone unleashes a Bone Rush that swats the Iron Bundle down to the ground, and then, amidst a barrage of trash thrown by trinity beckman's Cubone, she's able to smuggle a thrown Pokeball through it all and hit the Paradox Pokemon, causing it to be consumed by a flash of red light.

Wobble... Wobble... Wobble... CRACK!

The Pokeball shatters, and the dazed and damaged Iron Bundle emerges once more. But the damage has been done - The failed capture was enough to disrupt the flow of Z-Energy, and all of a sudden, the machine has been left totally helpless, trying to recover from a half-dozen different malfunctions. Now's their chance to strike back!

---

The next deadline for this raid is 8PM GMT, 14TH DECEMBER 2023.
schuyler tate robin coello trinity beckman virgil roach luka chêne

The Beak Blast was launched forth, and there was a rush to defend against the highly destructive attack. Some chose to hunker down, like Elise Calcifet and her Ampharos, using Protect to try and soften the blow. Meanwhile, others counter-attacked, strike back with the offending Iron Bundle. In short succession, Momo Sakai's Rotom, Elise Calcifet's Mismagius, and Hyakkaryōran Tsubaki's Nihilego fire off a Shadow Ball, a Thunderbolt, and a Power Gem all in quick succession. This time, however, the Iron Bundle is still reeling from the recoil of its own attack, and left utterly unable to dodge. First, the Shadow Balls hit it, sending it stumbling back. Then, the Thunderbolt zaps it, leaving it to momentarily malfunction. Finally, the Power Gem punches a hole right through the Iron Bundle's Bundle, causing what little remains in its bundle to slide out.

With a beep and a boop and a prolongated groan of pain, the smaller of the two Paradox Pokemon finally collapses in a heap, its blue eyes darkening as it shuts down. Before long, it is still little more than a still shell of its former self. The cause of this chaos is no more.

Ironic. He wanted to save Christmas, yet he could not even save himself.

Not that he's dead, mind, simply powered down. Besides, his parting gift is still flying free, as the Beak Blast continues to surge forth. Here, Jack Napier's Lucario steps forth, Countering the projectile. While it cannot fully stop it, it can redirect it, sending it high into the air before it falls down... Right atop the fleeing John Sullivan.

BOOM! The explosion sends the misfortunate man and his Pokemon flying into the distance. It seems he finally got his wish - He'll be troubled by the penguins no more. Well, no more after he hits the ground, anyway.

But though they had taken down one opponent, there was still one more they had to face. Fuelled by a desire for vengeance, the remaining Iron Bundle turned towards its foes, and though it was not programmed for hate, one could certainly feel it radiating from the machine. Reaching down, it plucks one last gift from the burst sack of its fallen peer - A Magnet Bomb, and one that seemed particularly potent, too. With a single tap, it armed the grenade and tossed it forth towards the assailants, before letting loose another burst of suppressing fire with a Hydro Pump!

---

The next deadline for this raid is 8PM GMT, 14TH DECEMBER 2023.
Hyakkaryōran Tsubaki Elise Calcifet Momo Sakai Jack Napier
John Sullivan has missed two rounds, and been kicked from the event.