• player/ooc name: Nemu
• character tags: Saki Shitachi
• ic posts for characters: Here.
• are characters in directories?: Y

SHIV NOTE: linked post replaced with one made in july

Whatever choice words Saki would have repsonded with were lost to time, the wind raging too loudly for her to catch Violet's comment. They were still embroiled in in a horrific struggle to survive anyway; philosophy could wait until the after-party.

Although, Violet's advice was a different matter. If Kyurem indeed planned to leave violently, vigilance remained a necessity. Given its apparent command of space, the only way to be certain it had left was the deactivation of the simulation. Trying to run, too, seemed rather pointless; an ability like that would let it pursue them with ease, in theory. In practice, perhaps range and speed limitations could shelter them, but banking on those was a very desperate strategy. As such, rather than flee on her Metagross immediately, Saki kept a close eye on Kyurem, trying to anticipate its next move.

She failed to. The sheer simplicity of its attack served only as proof of its divinity, as the hand of God plucked Amor from the Earth like a pitiful, delicate little flower. Had their team name been an ill omen?

"Marisa, pursue! Meteor Mash..!"

No empathy or concern went into her decision. If Kyurem was fleeing, and only taking Amor as a consolation prize, then it would probably still flee if he was rescued. He was a good trainer, she knew that much; no sense wasting him like this.

And if Kyurem weren't fleeing, then they needed him all the more.

Yet, no Meteor Mash came.

Her Pokemon groaned and lumbered forward slowly, its joints coated in too many layers of ice to adequately move. Even if they caught up with telekinetic flight, Marisa had no usable arms left to punch with, no adequate method of attack. No adequate method of defense or escape, either. Perhaps Amor's lingering Pokemon could assist, but Saki couldn't even catch a glimpse of either of them, and had no reasonable way of calling them to her side.

At this stage, then, the only option left was to hunker down in attempt to weather the storm. Saki hopped off her frozen mount, slipping underneath it for shelter from the wind, and did her best to curl herself up to stay warm. It seemed no attack was coming, although the environment was deadly enough all by itself. She tried to make a beckoning gesture to Violet, but conserved her energy and her breath by making no sound.

---

Saki's Metagross becomes Frozen.
Saki hides under Metagross for some warmth and an emergency shield.

Saki shook her head dimly, though the raging snowstorm obscured the gesture. "The higher ups aren't cruel, not for this. They weren't the ones to bring Kyurem into existence, only to recreate it. The only sadist here is life itself." Not that pointing fingers like this was going to get them anywhere.

"Speaking of the cruelty of life, though... Marisa, up." Saki clutched herself in desperate attempt to stay warm, levitated telekinetically onto her Metagross. "'Neutralise or escape Kyurem or be defeated'. If the plan to annoy this creature fails, we should lose in the most acceptable form for Rocket. Meaning one of us should survive, to report on what happened."

She glanced at Violet with a poignant stare. Amor's Dragonite was likely fast enough, and Marisa was already humming and glowing blue with the power of Agility. If one of them had to be the decoy, the choice was obvious. Scattering also meant its prize for toughing out the Curse was a smaller meal, and thus less appealing...

A loud growl dominated the entire space they were in, brimming with naught but hatred. In spite of Saki's schemes, the choice was only ever Kyurem's, not her own. With a harrowing, nauseating sound, one more chilling than the air around them, a thin fracture broke open in empty space. That was the only warning any of them received, as a few seconds later the rift sharply widened. Perhaps Kyurem indeed found the three trainers a nuisance to fight, and had thus elected to leave, but that hadn't deterred the Legendary completely.

---

Saki says some depressing stuff.
Saki suggests final backup plan: make sure one of them survives to report what happened. If this were real, that's the ideal way to be defeated, for Rocket.
Implicitly singles Violet out as the decoy due to her lack of mount.
Kyurem opens a dimensional rift in front of the party.

The air flowed feebly past Saki's pursed lips, creeping and crawling into her lungs like a line of ants. She held her index and middle fingers together against her mouth, restricting her intake further still. She didn't smoke, but the gesture was calming. It forced her to breathe more slowly, more calmly, more deliberately. By having something to focus on, it helped her mind go quiet, in similar fashion to meditation.

"...Haaaaaaaa..."

Pulling her hand away, she exhaled heavily, forcing out all the air she'd painstakingly accumulated, casting aside the results of her efforts as though they were trash. At least, that's what she felt it was, in her heart.

"Why are we here? Do you remember?"

She continued staring up at the cloudy sky, and took another deep breath, a normal one this time. She stretched her arms out to her sides, closed her eyes, and focused on the world, spinning beneath her.

"You should. It's nice, that's why." She giggled, turning her head to the side and playing with the grass beneath her fingers. "Lonely, are you? Does a play just need its actors?"

With a quiet huff, she turned her head the other way, opening her eyes with a dull frown. "Impatient, fickle, and flighty... you're your own worst enemy. Put in some more effort and wait it all out."

Her expression softened, and she turned to look back up at the sky. On her back like this, with it all sprawled out in front of her, it felt like she could just suddenly fall right in...

"...Maybe later, hehehehe."

Yakumo - Saki - laughed happily at Sergei's comment. "Now how could I ever imagine doing something like that?" Gone completely was the serious, ruthless attitude from before; this time she was her seemingly-usual carefree self. The other two may have prepared for this endeavour, but Saki's preparations were all internal. She'd thought about how last time had unfolded, she'd considered what her plans and strategies could be, and now that she'd done that, there was nothing more to worry about. Having a few extra Pokemon in her belt was a comfort too, although the new additions were hardly ready for intense battle.

"Oh, wow." She pinched her nose and walked over, giving one of the Megalopolans a couple of kicks. "So we won't have to worry about these guys, huh? There might be more elsewhere that aren't like this, though." She crouched down low, casually scrutinising the metallic growths. "I think I've seen this stuff before a few times... I don't know much, but I think it's dangerous. Although you could probably tell that just looking at the blue people." In spite of her ditzy demeanour, she still had enough sense to not name Necrozma. When Remiel did so regardless, she whispered the name under her breath, as if in awe.

No time to talk about that though, it seemed. Saki scurried along in stealth, imagining herself as Koga or Janine. If only she'd worn her kimono. Then again, she didn't have any of the training necessary to really make that work. Though she tucked herself behind the buildings to hide, Saki peeked out at the street they'd just been in. This was dangerous territory, but they weren't in so much danger that she couldn't sate her curiosity... no, wait, instead of that, she was scouting out the situation to assess the danger! Just blindly running from any little noise probably wasn't smart, plus, also, it was better to understand what the dangerous thing actually was, first. Whatever was in the area was as sneaky as Malenia though, allowing for only fleeting glances.

"...Some sort of colourful snake Pokemon...? It doesn't seem that big or scary..."

Narrowing her gaze and furrowing her brow, Saki took a moment before nodding again. She'd been considering this as a test of how they'd handle the real situation, but ignoring those limitations in favour of immersion probably wasn't wise. The strategy Violet now opted for was a good one, too.

Glancing over to Amor though, she clicked her tongue with a look of uncertainty. "There are downsides to a strategy like that. Coordination is much harder. Even so, it's our best shot..." With her stiff, icy fingers, Saki retrieved her other two Pokemon. "Touka, Mud-Slap. Marisa, stick close and use Iron Defense."

Her Annihilape gave her a look and gesture of abject exasperation, as if asking what she was supposed to do in this situation, but after a moment of growling took off into the storm regardless. Thanks to the sheer size of Kyurem, melee attacks were at quite the disadvantage, requiring traversal through the blizzard just to reach the thing, and of course the monster before them faced no such issue. It let out a demonic roar, but whether that was from pain or malice was impossible to tell.

The wind suddenly kicked up with a loud, violent howl, reducing visibility further and buffeting everyone with hail and snow. Her earlier strategy proved ineffective yet again; either Kyurem had passed over Iroha's duplicates, or had chosen to attack everything all at once to bypass the dilemma. Infernum and Touka were no doubt to face the worst of the Blizzard given their proximity, but the intense whirlwind of ice washed over the entire battlefield. Due to the sudden nature of the attack, Saki had no time to order Wide Guard from Iroha, who found herself buried under snow in short order. Though she clearly tried to crawl out, the thick layers of ice coating the Iron Valiant's joints prevented her from moving or functioning to any meaningful degree.

"...future sight next time, then," muttered Saki in a feeble voice as she recalled Iroha. Even the Metagross by her side needed a moment to break the thinner layer of ice clinging to it; it had at least acted as a wall, protecting Saki herself from the worst of it.

---

Saki reluctantly agrees with Amor's strategy; sends out Annihilape and Metagross.
Annihilape tries to use Mud-Slap; runs off into the storm as glorified cannon fodder, not fast enough to close the gap.
Kyurem uses Blizzard, lashing out with wide-spread destruction.
Iron Valiant becomes Frozen; Saki recalls her.

A spectacular battlefield lay sprawled out before her. Once upon a time, this would have sparked something in her heart, made her daydream about what stories could unfold here, and how she could twist them. That Saki hadn't drawn breath in many years, a casualty of their time spent in Galar. An inner child that had gotten lost in the woods along the way. Perhaps that child was still waiting, back in Hoenn.

Only one way to find out.

Saki held back, patiently observing the flow of the battle at first, leaving her allies to face their own struggles. If they couldn't handle themselves, this war was lost regardless of her actions. She and her Pokemon were strong, but not omnipotent, so they needed precision and strategy to make a difference. Patience proved to be a virtue in this case, giving Saki the perfect location and opportunity to strike. Folding her arms in front of herself, Saki wreathed herself in shadows, fading away into nothingness. She emerged across the battlefield, appearing safely behind cover, where she retrieved a Pokeball and sent out her partner.

The Electric Terrain created by Isaac's and Julia's Max Lightnings surged through Iroha's circuits, pumping into her core engine and fully activating her systems. The Paradox Pokemon didn't Dynamax yet. Her trainer thought to conserve that advantage for later in the fight. Furthermore, with all the other Dynamax Pokemon stomping around the battlefield, hopefully a smaller target like her would be able to sneak around and hide, ignored in favour of the more imposing targets.

Whether those hopes manifested or not, Iroha valiantly threw herself into the fray. The poisoned army was none of her concern; she wasn't suitable for such a task anyway. Instead she disabled her limiters and defensive algorithms, employing the full extent of her offensive weaponry against the colossal Inteleon.

---

Saki uses Phantom Force to go past the army and get to Gigantamax Inteleon.
Saki sends out Iron Valiant.
Iron Valiant's Quark Drive activates.
Iron Valiant uses Close Combat on Gigantamax Inteleon.

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The years that followed were tiresome for Saki. Was it right to say that life moved on in a world that felt so devoid of it? It had been pleasant, haunting Hoenn as she once did, but this Galar was more like purgatory. Nothing here inspired passion, and passing pleasantries could only sustain one for so long. No matter how much time passed, this wasn't the setting for any of her stories.

As the poison receded, freeing her from the cage of Circhester, Saki began to roam the land. The wilderness had become her home over the many years here, although on some level it was home to all trainers. Perhaps many here no longer considered themselves such. Of course, survival all by oneself in this land was far from easy, but it wasn't impossible with healthy caution, avoiding conflict, and regular breaks. She traveled from city to city, taking in each of their cultures and unique features, observing how the people had been twisted by their time spent here. Not that she really knew any of them beforehand. Maybe all of them had come in this twisted. Perhaps that, in fact, was why this world was so corrupt.

As the Solstice drew near, Saki grew serious, for the first real time in years and years. Her Pokemon were steel and spirit, as resolute and ready for battle as they'd been on their first day in this world. With her logical side resurfacing, it was obvious in retrospect.

But a prophet would never dare interfere when matters unfolded according to their prophecy. Seeking out the Skeleton in advance of the promised day could range from unwise to disastrous. So, all Saki did was prepare for that moment, ensuring no physical or mental rust could be found on the members of her team.

She'd spent more than enough time in this subpar reality. It was high time to get home and stop by Liberty Burger.

---

Saki starts wandering as soon as the poison goes down, travels from city to city and spends time in the wilderness, prepares for battle.

0FhVaih4

The First Month
Everyone struggled in their own ways to adapt to this new life. Most fought to return home; some succumbed swiftly, whilst others stubbornly or admirably held on. Saki did not. With no attachment to her life in Hoenn, neither fondness nor resentment, she readily took to life in Galar. It seemed a boring, slow life, with no room for excitement, merely suffering and misery. Perhaps some would consider fighting and combat to be inherently exhilarating, but Saki was not such a person.

Still, a boring and slow life... that wasn't a bad one. It meant peace and relaxation, for a girl unconcerned with what fate awaited them all. Despite their heroic arrival, Saki faded into the background, even changing her attire and blending in amongst the peasants, as if she'd never been from another world at all. Though while that was how she acted, nobody would forget such a thing so easily, and she was always given that slightly different treatment. Nevertheless, she persisted with that persona, resolutely immersing herself in the role of a humble peasant.

The First Year
Until the prophecy. That seemed to be the only thing that lit a spark of excitement in the girl's heart. How could it not? It was exciting. Saki threw herself wholeheartedly into it, seeking everyone's thoughts and musings, reaching for all manner of texts and tomes. History had never been a subject Saki held interest in, but, well, any port in a storm. She flitted back and forth between that newfound obsession, and between regular ordinary life.

Gradually, the former overtook the latter, and she distanced herself from society, taking on the role of a hermit. She stuck to the outskirts, keeping to herself, aside from the times she crept around town to spend time around the power spot. Though she assisted with every battle, as time passed on, that became the extent of her involvement with other people, save those who had a reason to seek out such an eccentric.

The sky. That was the most prominent theme, arguably almost too obvious, yet it was still the stars up in heaven that captured Saki's time and attention, more than anything else in what was left of this world.

The First Decade
As time passed further, Saki remained static. This was her choice of role, and she stuck to it resolutely. Though she did not demonstrate eternal youth, her appearance also did not suffer major changes, for better or worse. It certainly did make her come off creepier, which was both fun and amusing. She grew, in that time, also, coming to play the character she'd written with greater intensity and fervor. Her reputation grew somewhat infamous, as the odd person would sometimes come seeking her guidance. That guidance, over time, grew more personal, as she discovered a knack for divination. As with any would-be or wanna-be prophet, her advice was abstract and mysterious. Hers in particular led others astray more often than not, yet in their struggles to get back on track they often found themselves with fresh perspectives and outlooks. All were welcome to partake of that poisoned chalice, yet not many were in desperate enough need of advice to. That didn't matter much to Saki. Her fixation on the prophecy never once waned.

The battle against Necrozma was harrowing, yet inevitable. Saki did try to talk it down, in her own roundabout way, yet to no avail. A battle they endured, and a battle that gave her the chance to wax lyrical about what lay in their shared future. Useless though that may have been, it also was a chance to harvest valuable material, an act Saki too profited from. Though, of course, for her it was devoted solely to her research and to her 'magic'.

---

Saki becomes(?) a weirdo and gets totally immersed in the LARP of being a peasant.
Saki gets totally fixated on the prophecy and makes studying that her hobby/life. Spends a lot of time on astronomy and astrology.
Hands out the occasional divination of her own - when asked or when she spots someone interesting - and ends up giving the kind of questionably-malicious faerie advice that pushes recipents to grow and mature.
Her weapon is a set of vambraces styled like raven wings, that grant the move Phantom Force.

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Saki wore a wry smile as she returned, taking note of Remiel's gruesome handiwork. An odd, small comfort. She motioned to have Marisa touch down, but the others were in the air before she could even call out to them. Convenient. She closed her eyes, firmly clapping her hands against her face a few times, then smiled broadly before opening her eyes again with a sleepy gaze.

"I'm back in both senses! You two didn't join the spirits, that's nice. Oh, I guess we should probably be quick though, huh!" She made a beckoning gesture, then flew off at a slower pace than before, glancing over her shoulder to make sure the others were following. Though it had taken her some time to find, it took much less to fly over to, now that she knew where it was.

"Phew, it didn't close while we were gone... better be quick just in case, though! Hurry, hurry." With a breeze-like laugh, she dashed through.

On the other side of the portal, Saki lay curled up in a ball atop her Pokemon, groaning softly. "I forgot... I find the way out lots worse than the way in... or maybe the portals to this Ultra Space are just worse than the other ones...? Looks like we're back in Hoenn after all though... hahah. I don't know about you two, but... I think the sun is warm enough... for an afternoon nap..."

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Saki merely nodded in response to Violet. An expected conclusion, yet, opportunity cost was only a concern for someone with opportunities. For the time being, she and her Pokemon were left with only the chance to duck and cower behind Aegislash, weathering the literal storm behind that meagre shelter. Well, the fact that it worked proved it was far from meagre, despite its appearance... an impressive trainer, despite her unassuming demeanour.

[player]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/281968126810128394/1119140477116100688/xTH8RG8I7QU.mp3[/player]

At Amor's command, Saki ran, although the cold eating into her flesh made it hard to move at full speed; Orira's fire only offset that so much. Where they were running, neither Saki's eyes nor Iroha's cameras could make out. It was just an endless expanse of ice.

...special moves, was it? Immediately, Saki spoke over her shoulder, her voice loud but calm. "Double Team." Her Pokemon split into multiple copies, which rapidly spread out; only a couple were visible in the storm, but hopefully Kyurem could see them all. Hopefully, also, it was a stupid enough creature to get distracted by such a desperate gambit. A lot of hope was necessary, for any one of their actions...

"I've no such thing. Unless you count mere Future Sight or Magnet Rise. I did say to stick together, as it won't offer a combat advantage, yet there might be merit in splitting up. It's better if one or two survive than none of us."

As they ran, Kyurem's silhouette faded into the distance, and the blizzard howled louder. With its prodigous size, it could catch up in one or two steps, yet it gained the advantage of stealth by waiting, rendering its attacks impossible to read.

---

Saki runs per Amor's plan; the COLD WEATHER inhibits her speed.
Saki says she has nothing, though notes her Metagross can fly.
Iron Valiant uses Double Team, sending out clones to distract or lure Kyurem.
Kyurem fades into the snowstorm with the LOW VISIBILITY while it recharges, ready for a sneak attack once it's recovered.

Their effort was bearing fruit. Though a seemingly uphill battle, it was not an unwinnable one. Although Saki knew well that there was no guarantee of victory. There was always something unforeseen that could turn the tide and rip every lovingly crafted plan to shreds, and crush every hope and dream one's heart could ever hold, until one's feelings were an eternal sea of ash. Of course, the enemy reinforcements did fit that description, but that much seemed par for the course. That didn't preclude the arrival of something else terrible, something even worse. Nothing ever could.

Though Cillian Quinn had given his orders, and Saki fully intended to follow them, there was more front they needed to concern themselves with. Marisa could do with some rest, and that Kingler was looking rather concerning, especially with almost none of their number headed towards it. Actually, Saki herself could do with some rest too. Her monster took off with great haste, losing its magnetic levitation but retaining its speed, paying no heed to the damage inflicted on the pavement as it scrambled to the north. Its trainer, meanwhile, took the chance to close her eyes.

She awoke to a loud splash and the sensation of water seeping into her clothes. Warm water, almost enough to send her into shock, instead merely shocking her back to life. Rather than circumnavigate the Hero's Bath, her trusted partner had simply gone right through, walking along the bottom of the hot spring after unceremoniously throwing Saki into it. As the Metagross began scaling the wall to continue its charge towards the stadium, Saki recalled it, then flung a different Pokeball over the wall. She'd probably die of cold if she went out while this dripping wet, so the trainer took her time finding ways to dry herself off.

The Pokemon that emerged did not know where she was, nor why she was here, to say nothing of what was actually going on. She'd long forgotten even things like who or what she was. All unnecessary thoughts, emotions, and memories had been burned away in a calamitous blaze, leaving no room in her body or soul for anything other than grudges, malice, and hatred. That was all she had, and all she could think about. So in this moment, all Touka knew was that an enemy stood before her, and that she had to kill it. There was no other choice. With silently burning rage, she charged, lunging straight at the enormous Kingler and striking with relentless blows, blending wild fury with focused precision.

---

Saki goes to the hot spring. Metagross spends brief time in the water. Saki spends a while in the water.
Saki switches Metagross to Annihilape.
Annihilape uses Cross Chop on Gigantamax Kingler.
Saki attempts to get dry.

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