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So he was still standing after taking the fist. Impressive. Although in a sense, that also shows what state Balder was in. Clearly not in a state to go after Mateo and try to pry him from a bunch of tentacle freaks. As the man went to do his speech, he heard the words of Stormy, but preferred to ignore them. Getting an argument with her now would be counter productive. He had to remain cool-headed here, to hopefully make people see that the safe route is the best option currently.[break][break]

A man in full armor, in cosplay even, approached Balder and said he was ready to join them. A faint smile on his face, the man could only nod to approve the aid. But then, a young boy decided to rush him, in the same manner that the gym leader rushed Kyle, and attempt to punch him. As Balder was about to evade the hit, to make sure the kid didn't shatter his fist, the armored man stopped the assaulter and told everyone that they would have to go through him first if they needed to do something. Balder sighed and placed his hand on the Pokenger to have him look at him.[break][break]

"It's fine that you want things to stop, but don't get involved in something that I started. Plus, you might not have the power to stop everyone here from coming at me. Know that your support is appreciated, and we'll take all the power we can get to go save Mateo." As the kid started screaming at Balder that his speech on self control was pure shit, he leaned forward and stared at him right in the eyes. "So you're saying that letting this man step into a portal alone and die was the better option? That me punching him to try and knock his senses and make him see reason is a lack of Self-Control? That's an immature way of seeing things, kid." Balder then turned to watch Kyle as the man was processing his grief. With a more calm voice then before, Balder decided to reply.[break][break]

"Let's be real Kyle. Right now, Mateo has more chances of surviving alone. If we had opened a portal right now and rushed in, weakened by all those events? We'd be hitting a wall of those monstrosities, waiting right on the other side of the portal. And we'd get massacred before we could even get a glimpse of the man. If they wanted him dead, they would've done so already and wouldn't have captured him. So playing it safe, and assuming that he was captured to bait us? That's the safest course of action. And I don't need anything that you own, only your patience and that you recover from tonight as well. We will save Mateo, alive. I guarantee it."[break][break]

Then, someone tugged onto his pants (He's still topless). The giant alolan turned around to notice one of the person that challenged his gym, Annie, was offering him money. He then looked at his lack of shirt and shoes and couldn't help but chuckle before looking at the girl. "You can keep it Annie, I don't need to go buy anything. My body is different from everyone here, it's similar to steel. So I'm practically impervious to anything I could step on while bare feet."[break][break]

And thus, Fernando appeared, trying to understand everything that happened while also trying to order things around. Definitely not something that Balder wanted to handle right now. Standing his full height, he stared into Fernando's eyes. "There are better ways to ask someone to explain a situation Fernando. But I'll agree to explain everything if you can do something for me: Get a gag order out and don't let the media announce Mateo's disappearance and the rescue attempt we'll form. I'd rather not get a repeat of the pokeball episode we just had, since it might involved a certain group. If you want to include stuff about how Dahlia was rescued or Ruby is the Saint of Slateport or something, that's fine. But we got enough despair going on and announcing an Elite Four's disappearance is bound to cause more chaos."[break][break]

Balder looked at Stormy, who seemed quite tired and weak. After vomitting on hie shoes and trying to deal with this situation, it was to be expected right? With an apologetic smile, Balder decided to tell her a few words. "Hey, Stormy. Go home. I know you had a rough night, and it seemed like something happened to you when I covered you from those tentacles. Make sure Wadjet and the others are fine, and check on Kyle to make sure he doesn't do anything stupid. When you're up and about, call me. We'll meet up for the rescue." Hopefully with this, she would be able to take her leave and make sure her team recovered.

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[attr="class","niknik6"][break]

[attr="class","niknik3"]IT'S TIME TO D-D-D-D-D-D-DDDDDDD-DUEL!

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Everything happened so fast. Everyone was getting involved, both in the portal closure and on defeating the slimy bastard. And luckily for everyone, they prevailed without another casualty... Well that was said too fast. A casualty was added when everyone was feeling their victory. A huge tentacle emerged from the portal, only to drag Mateo into it and leaving a shoe behind.[break][break]

Wide-eyed, Balder couldn't help but stay immobile, as he stared at the closing portal. A warrior that he knew, one that was quite powerful at that, gone in an instant. Because of the portal he had forced open at first. The golden glow around his hair and body dissipated as Balder clenched his fist and gritted his fist. If he hadn't opened that portal at first to get that clown's ball, maybe Mateo would still be with them.[break][break]

To add insult to injury, a specific young lady that shall remain anonymous (*cough* Stormy Silph *cough*) vomitted upon his legs and shoes. In a normal situation, maybe the alolan man would be mad. But with what had just transpired and the events of the night? The man essentially ignored her actions and simply removed his shoes, leaving them in the dirt.[break][break]

But then... one man. Seemingly the one most affected by the absence of his friend: Kyle. The man from elite four decided to bark orders at Balder, telling him to open a portal right now and he would head in. And then proceeded to practically threaten Annie. Bad timing for that Bro... As Solgaleo returned to his tamer, looking somewhat depressed too, he only saw the Alolan Man sprint off towards Kyle, his fists ready to strike. "KYLE! LET'S SEE YOU GRIT THOSE TEETH!!!!"[break][break]

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Balder's fist sliced through the air as he got close to the dog trainer and hopefully landed upon his face, hitting him at full force. Wether the man was on the ground, or was strong enough to still be standing after taking a full hit from a tired man of steel, Balder did not care and stared down at the man. "Do you think your behavior is allowed in such a case?! You're not the only fucking person who lost something or someone here! Plus, it ain't even your own fault that we lost Mateo! So learn some self-control. And no, I'm not opening any fucking portals tonight. I did enough casualties as it stands."[break][break]

The Alolan Gym Leader turned around and went to stand on one of the rock spikes that was still standing, hoping to be visible to everyone. The man's hair lit up once more, hopefully to get most people's attention. "Everyone, listen up. For all of those that are here, the nightmare might seem over. But one of our comrades, Mateo, still has a lot of those fuckers to handle. And he's all alone. If you think you have what it takes to help him, to save him even? Then rest up. Once your wounds are healed and you feel strong enough, gather at my gym in Sootopolis. This time, we're bringing the fight to those bastards. This. Is war. And we won't lose anyone here again. No more."[break][break]

Solgaleo roared in reply, hopefully to encourage people around them. Balder's light died down and the man descended from the rock spike. Would people gather up as he wished? Maybe. But even if they were only Kyle and himself, they would go. Mateo couldn't be left alone in this universe, especially since there may be more creatures they do not know of yet.[break][break]

Seeing the girl he saved earlier crying, Balder decided to head towards her. The young man gently dropped a hand on @nicole 's shoulder, hopefully to appease her sadness a bit. "You did your best, young lady. Don't beat yourself over what happened and what could've happened. Just focus on what you can do from now on."

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[attr="class","niknik3"]IT'S TIME TO D-D-D-D-D-D-DDDDDDD-DUEL!

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The portal was now a warzone. Kept open at first because Balder wanted to throw the Nihilego in there, the creature had now called its brethren from within the portal to try and assist him and take over the city. Needless to say, this was quickly becoming another total mess. Most people began assaulting the portal, trying to fend off the invaders.[break][break]

Seeing the tentacles try to emerge from the gate he had protected, Solgaleo couldn't help but swear in lion language. He should've seen this coming, sense the invaders arrive from behind. But no, he had to focus on defending and making sure the stones don't reach it. Had he knew things would go this way, he would've just moved away from there...[break][break]

Nonetheless, what's done is done. Now, a counterattack was needed. As all the wannabe heroes pitched in, the Lion decided to fly out of their attacks, letting them strike the portal and its surrounding. Since the sun was out, the creature decided to use it to his advantage. Harnessing the power of the sun, Solgaleo's mane turned into an emerald green color. His maw opened wide, allowing a sphere of green energy to appear before it. Moments later, a gigantic Solar Beam emerged, heading towards the portal and the slimy monstrosities held within.[break][break]

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---

On Balder's end, things were just as chaotic. Following the Axe kick, the man had observed the actions of the slimy creature that had captured Dahlia previously. That was, until the bomb exploded, making the man cover his ears instantly and hope for his eardrums to hold strong. While his body had acquired quite a tenacity, seems like that did not apply to his eardrums, and possibly the rest of his innards.[break][break]

During that time where the man was recoiling from the explosion, the Nihilego began to try and assault others with its tentacles. Luckily for Balder, the damage was kept to a minimum by other people intervening, including a... Pokenger? Seems like someone has watched too many power rangers and decided to be a hero in armor. Yet... that guy had the gist of it. Balder decided it was time to go all out, calling upon the energy of the sun and releasing it all at once. The man took a deep breath and unleashed the biggest scream, almost similar to the roar of his lion companion, as light emerged from his body.[break][break]

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His hair seeming longer and a frown upon his face, Balder observed where the poison and tentacles were spreading out. It seemed like most of them were handled, except one that was extending to... Wait was that... Stormy Silph ?! The light-imbued warrior lunged forward, sprinting at maximum capacity to try and grab the tentacle before it reached his friend.[break][break]

Assuming he had successfully grabbed the tentacle, the man would hold it tight. He would then glance behind him and usher a simple "Don't move." to Stormy. Focusing all of his Alolan and Avatar strength, the man began to rotate his body on himself, swinging the Nihilego around while yelling "WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK I AM SWIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!"[break][break]

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And then, if everything worked perfectly, the man would slam down the creature upon the ground, in front of him. Unexpectedly, from the shock of the hit and the sudden stop from his moves, a pokeball would slip out of his pockets and roll towards the head of the Nihilego, colliding with it... and opening. Could this be a possible capture attempt?[break]

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Xmq3Hxr9

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[attr="class","niknik3"]IT'S TIME TO D-D-D-D-D-D-DDDDDDD-DUEL!

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So the Lombre was able to resist the Hypnosis. No matter. If things were to be ruined so easily, Balder wouldn't have become a Gym Leader. The man observed his pokemon for a second, seeing it get faster thanks to its ability Speed Boost. The more time passes, the faster the Yanma will get. Hopefully this will play in their favor later on.[break][break]

"Glad to see it won't be that easy to win." Suddenly, the Lombre started dancing, calling forth the rain into the arena. Solgaleo looked at the sky when the few droplets of water fell upon it, visibly irritated that he'll be getting wet. But voicing his opinion now or acting to get rid of the rain would be unfair to the girl. Thus, the lion laid his head once more on its paws and waited.[break][break]

Balder held back his laugh as he noted Solgaleo's attitude. The Solar Lion definitely preferred a weather without the rain, and surely he would've asked to return to the pokeball if he wasn't mindful of where they were and wanted to see how this went. Balder brought back his attention to the fight, pondering what should be done now.[break][break]

"Ok Buzz, let's play it safe! Use Air Slash from a distance!" The Yanma rose into the sky as its wings began to shine with a sky blue color. Reaching a good enough distance, the insect Did a quick 360 degree turn in the air, allowing the creature to send 2 blades made of wind and light to go and meet the Lombre.

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[attr="class","niknik3"]The Sun Supremacy

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A flash of red sliced the air, hitting the Rhyperior before making it vanish into a pokeball. The pokeball returned to its owner, slowly descending the stone stairs that went around the central spire. "It's been a while since I saw a challenger who has such a flair for the dramatic. I do hope this will be a fun challenge."[break][break]

The head of the Braviary on which the announcer sat on lifted as it heard a certain man's voice. His true owner had shown himself at last: Balder Schwartz. "LADIES AND GENTLEMAN, THE MAN OF THE HOUR: BAAAAAALLLLDEEEEEEERRR SCHWAAAAAAAARTZ!" Cheerings and applauds erupted in the crowd as Balder made it's way towards the challenger, wrapped in a white cloak that covered most of his feature.[break][break]

The gym leader stopped a few steps away from the challenger and stared at her for a few seconds. Then, a smile drew itself upon his face. "We're going to fight right here. No use going back to the top of the tower. Have your pokemon ready, challenger. It's time I showed you the power of Alola." As the crowd kept on cheering, Balder removed the cloak covering his body, revealing his bare chest. He then took two pokeballs from his belt and threw them in the air, releasing a Crobat and an Hippowdon.[break][break]

"And here we go everyone! Eager to fight, the Kahuna has decided to have the battle right here in front of everyone! And he's starting with Koga the Crobat and Sandy the Hippowdon! Sit tight, this promises to be quite heated!" "I'll let you do the first move, but choose wisely. I'm not going to hold back!"

---

OOC:Battle against Balder! Format: 2v2, 3 pokemon each. Field: Cloudy, no effects.

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[attr="class","niknik3"]IT'S TIME TO D-D-D-D-D-D-DDDDDDD-DUEL!

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A single yet direct order from Kyle. The Arcanine didn't even hesitate, going all out into its assault, the characteristic blue flames of the move Outrage surrounding its body. Who would've thought that a dog could use the trademark moves of dragon types so faithfully? As the hound charged forward, the Dragon Pulse collided with it, but it seemed like the attack was almost ineffective. Mayhaps in his raging mode, the dog didn't feel the pain?[break][break]

And sadly, that was also Shell's downfall. As the pokemon thought the Dog would slow down in its assault, he expected to have enough time to switch into a defensive stance and use Shell Trap. Yet the dog was much faster and reckless then expected. Because of that... The turtle was overwhelmed. The giant dog collided, sending the dragonic turtle high into the air. Before he could hit the ground, however, Balder recalled it into the pokeball.[break][break]

"Guess all good things must come to an end. Congratulations, Challenger. You conquered the Spirit Realm. You've got the makings of a King that can govern over other trainers. Although that should've been expected, since you're an Elite Four. Nonetheless, here's your reward: The Totem Badge. Normally, for someone that does the regular circuit, it would be the 8th badge. But I think you got way too many at this point. You might want to try shooting for the Champion's seat though. It would bring you a whole new challenge."[break][break]

As Balder said those words, he approached Kyle and handed over the Totem Badge that the man earned. Another one to add to his infinite collection of badges, of course. Just how far would this man go, with his party of dog and wolves?

---

OOC: Gym Battle ended! Winner: Kyle! You're free to continue RPing past this point if you want more interactions with Balder or to request a thread closure after taking the badge, it's up to you.

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[attr="class","niknik3"]IT'S TIME TO D-D-D-D-D-D-DDDDDD-DUEL!

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The bear had fulfilled his role. Not only had he damaged the biggest of the two, the smaller hindrance decided to go down with it. With this, Teddy's role as the Vanguard was now complete and he could now get a good rest. A flash of red sliced the air before wrapping itself around the hulking body of the pokemon and making it vanish.[break][break]

Now, the turtle stood, like David against Goliath the giant hound. Yet, even though both were wounded and most likely unable to proceed much more, they seemed more then determined to push even further. And this sounded true for Balder as well, who had the biggest grin upon his face. "I knew you wouldn't let me down, Kyle. Not only as the first challenger of this gym, but as a fighter. It's been a long time since I was able to let loose like this. From one trainer to another, I can definitely say this: You deserve all my respect. Now, let's see you pass the final hurdle! Shell may be small, but that doesn't mean he'll go down easily!"[break][break]

The turtle pokemon puffed some black smoke as he heard his tamer mention his name. The Turtonator stared down his opponent, evaluating its chances of winning. While it did take some hits from area-wide attacks, the Turtonator was in a somewhat better shape then the Arcanine, but this could change any second, depending on what Kyle decided to do.[break][break]

"Shell, we're going on the offensive! Dragon Pulse!" The pokemon took a deep breath before releasing a beam of purple energy from its beak, slicing through the air to try and collide with the Arcanine.

---

OOC: Current field: Sunny Day (caused by kyle). Sky dome: Closed. Stat boost: Defense Up, Special Defense Up[break]
OST: www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwJZbUfmsec

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[attr="class","niknik3"]IT'S TIME TO D-D-D-D-D-D-DDDDDD-DUEL!

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"Ah fuck, here we go again..." Were the only words that emerged from the man's mouth when he saw a creature of darkness emerge and assist someone in acquiring the mysterious pokeball containing the clown. Now why did he say those words? Even the man himself couldn't say, it's like his subconscious said it for him. The man observed the battle for the beast ball before noticing the attacks from Fernando and the others had pushed the bomb back, buying them a few moments.[break][break]

The acid rain was slowly starting to diminish, yet Balder couldn't help but notice that his shirt was now full of holes because of it... The man tugged on his shirt, ripping it off his body. No use keeping it now that it was filled with as much holes as some suisse cheese anyway. Now topless, his hair and fists still shining bright with a golden ray, the man turned to see what was happening with the commissioner.[break][break]

... And just in time too. As the man turned his head, he noticed that Dahlia wasn't in the creature's body anymore... But that the creature was now trying to attack everyone. But mainly his direction. The avatar looked behind him to see the target of such an assault, only to notice the portal that Solgaleo had opened earlier was now expanding, and causing the creature to go berserk.[break][break]

A devious smile drew itself on Balder's face. "Leo, protect that Portal with Wide Guard. I'll go get our new friend and send him home!" Balder started stretching really quickly before going off on a sprint, not giving time to the solar lion to be vocal about his opposition to such plan. Nonetheless, the legendary pokemon sent a message telepathically to his chosen one, requesting him to stay safe.[break][break]

As Balder jumped in the air to avoid a spike emerging from the ground, he showed a thumbs up to Solgaleo to confirm he received the message. The lion sighed and setted up Wide Guard before himself and the portal, hoping to block the incoming spikes and avoid a burial. As for Balder, the man deftly jumped around the numerous spikes emerging on his path, making sure to not take any heavy hits (Even though his body is as hard as steel). Surely no one could've imagined him being able to move this well on such a field?[break][break]

Getting close to Nihilego, the man used one of the biggest spike as a step to jump in the hair, high over the rampaging creature. As he reached the highest point of his jump, the alolan gym leader began to do front flips, extending his right leg as he grows closer to the monster to deliver an Axe Kick. Assuming the attack worked and did some damage, Balder would then proceed to try and grab it, hopefully to drag it by force into the wormhole.

---

ISZLZYsQ

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[attr="class","niknik6"][break]

[attr="class","niknik3"]IT'S TIME TO D-D-D-D-D-D-DDDDDDD-DUEL!