Even with his understanding of how powerful the golem's beam was, Oscar had greatly underestimated how much destruction it would wreck across the battlefield. As the blast hit the brave pokemon that brought themselves up to shield their trainers, the heated impact would still send Oscar flying backward. He skid against the sand, bouncing and rolling until a dune would kindly catch him in its entombing embrace. Once again, Oscar would find himself consumed by sand.

Oscar felt himself clinging to consciousness, so engulfed by pain that he found it far too difficult to move. For a moment he considered just letting go, to allow his body to rest beneath the cool sand. He might suffocate, but at least he would not have to deal with this struggle any longer. However, the desert had other plans for him. The dunes shifted, exposing Oscar to the surface all on their own. As fresh air once more graced his lungs, the urge to live would spike Oscar's energy.

He scrambled to his feet, nearly tripping more than once on the shifting sand. As he regained his balance, he suddenly became aware of two very important things. Firstly, the golem had fled. A great pit was left in its wake, likely causing the sandy migration that had just saved Oscar's hide. Secondly, as the sandstorm died down and the Dynenergy storm dissipated, Oscar would notice how few of the fighters were still standing. In fact, from his vantage, he was one of only five.

It was a miracle he came out as well as he did, from the pain he felt while lying in the sand Oscar had assumed he broke a bone or something. Instead he discovered his battle fatigues to be torn and first degree burns clung to his exposed skin. Had he been closer, he may have faced far greater consequences. Speaking of, it was time to examine that pit. Oscar stomped his way through the sand toward the mysterious sinkhole, picking up minerals and Necrozma bits as he went.

The enemy's retreat had come at a very bad time for Babayaga. As he was coming in to land another fateful strike, he would instead find his target to have completely vanished. How very anticlimactic, what was he going to use all of this momentum on now? As he dived in closer and the dust settled, Baba's sharp eyes caught the silhouette of a falling figure. He had no reason to save this stranger, but if he did not get a pay off to his current blinding speed Baba was going to be grumpy for the rest of the day. He continued his dive into the ruined pit, flipping his body to deftly snatch up the figure in his talons. The sudden stop would not feel very comfortable, but it was better than splattering on whatever awaited them below. Flapping his wings to ascend, Baba would end up throwing the figure to rest at the edge of the pit before landing close by.

Only then would his fatigue set in, swaying as his body cried out for relief. He had been fighting all day, poor Baba needed a break. It was around here where Oscar entered the scene, grinning as he hobbled up to Baba. "You fuckin' legend, I can't believe we survived this." Baba held up his head proudly, attempting to look regal despite how tired he was. Oscar glanced at the body nearby, having to study it for several seconds before he realized that he had seen this sygna suit before. He dove toward the figure, his collection of minerals scattering around him.. "Fuck Howard, are you alive? You better be alive you bastard!" He shook the body, his panic causing him to forget basic first aid.

howard slayte Shred lam logan onyx straub

Mint and his flareon came closer to Oscar, and as the beast commented on his stammering Oscar could not help but blush. Oscar felt himself getting warmer as Mint fumbled for something within his pocket, though that was probably thanks to his flareon. Still, he could help but stare, fixated on Mint's every motion as he set up the sensors. He was like an oil painting in motion, absolutely captivating.

Then sensors were placed into Oscar's hand, and as Mint moved away the spell was broken. Oscar chastised himself internally, chalking his momentary infatuation to the cold compressing his brain or something. How infantile. Oscar began to place the sensors in blind spots, chuckling as Mint brought up post-mission hot cocoa. "Yeah, and pancakes."

As he placed the final sensor, Oscar tucked his hands under his armpits and faced Mint. "Alright s-s-so I hope you know the way back because I've been too b-b-busy being cold."

mint frost

Oscar was looking up at the sky, the memory of his time in the Toxic Prison still fresh within his mind. He could still feel the aches within his strained muscles, having not yet fully recovered from his time there. Oscar had in fact been here before that day, but the entire experience had soured his view of this majestic ruin.

He scowled, adjusting the collar of his Ultra Space exploration suit. "fern delaney and I spent some time here not too long ago, though I wouldn't say it was exactly thorough." They had not gotten too far before running into some trouble, but the trip did convince Oscar that the once glorious Megalopolan city was worth revisiting--though this time by choice.

Oscar placed his hands upon his hips, looking to the now General Zev for instruction. "Where to first, general?"

Zev Harcourt

Joined by Theo and his pokemon, Oscar continued his pursuit of Zapdos. The legendary bird was fast, but the damage it had sustained so far had greatly diminished its ability to fly swiftly. Meanwhile, Oscar's Dragapult was more than capable of closing the distance. As the storm keeper came within range, the Dragapult would unleash a volley of its own young upon its prey (Dragon Darts).

As the first few pierced through Zapdos, it would scream in enraged pain before turning toward its attackers. Zapdos flexed its limbs, unleashing a arcing array of Thunder Bolts toward its foes. The dragon darts that had yet to reach their destination were quickly incinerated by the bolts, but Oscar and his steed were able to nimbly maneuver around the lightning to avoid harm. Unfortunately, dodging lost them time as Zapdos quickly resumed its desperate flight toward the growing storm above.

Oscar yelled out to Theo, "I'm catching up, don't let it breach the clouds!"

Oscar was too busy to notice, but the perch had begun to collapse entirely. The majestic tower crumbled into a jumbled heap, smashing through the power plant below. Large chunks of debris spread destruction, only increasing as more and more of the building was felled. This proved to be both a blessing and a curse, as huge chunks of stone and steel would crush the Infinity Generator entirely, causing a grand explosion that would spell the end of Oscar's pride and joy.

Yet this was the best possible outcome. Mauville would face an unprecedented power outage sure, but the generator's destruction would prevent the meltdown that would have destroyed not only Route 110, but all of Mauville. Nevertheless, the New Mauville power plant had once again been turned into a ruin.

THEO BECKETT

Perhaps attracted by the scent of death that surrounded the garden's guardian, a Banette has foolishly wandered where it does not belong. Luckily for its fortunes, the decidueye Babayaga was far too fatigued from its recent battles to properly perform its duties. Thus, the wily puppet pokemon would not be killed (again) today.

Not so luckily though was how the owner of the garden, one Oscar Clayton, would be on site today as he nursed Babayaga back to health. On his normal commute to assist his wounded avian, Oscar would spot the Banette browsing his berry trees. At first he thought it was his own--until he remembered that he did not have a Banette. Well, no time like the present.

While the ghostly marionette was distracted, Oscar would sneak up behind it and throw a pokeball at its bulbous head.

shiv

The darkened sky lit up once again, though unfortunately it was not due to the arrival of anything helpful. Oscar looked to the titan, jaw agape as it unleashed a blinding Cannon blast more powerful than anything it had unleashed before. Oscar knew these ancient golems were strong from his time with howard slayte, but personally witnessing such raw power sent chills down his spine. He would have been amazed if said blast was not hurdling toward him.

Oscar turned away, kicking up sand as he ran off toward nearby silhouettes. Outrunning such an attack was a joke to even consider, if Oscar wanted to survive he would need to find a meat shield. Luckily, many pokemon were purposely putting themselves in harm's way in order to protect their fellow fighters. Oscar baseball slid behind a Meganium providing such protection, realizing shortly thereafter that he had slid next to priam conrad. Oscar awkwardly looked up at his friend. "Hope you don't mind if I camp over here. I don't wanna die."

Babayaga sailed overhead, watching in abject horror as the titan unleashed hell upon its fellow combatants. Unlike his master, Baba would suddenly feel a sense of hopelessness as hundreds of trainers were suddenly snuffed out. Was there any chance of victory at all? Baba shook its head violently, discarding such weak considerations. Whether victory was possible or not, Babayaga would give this his all. If he was going to die here, he might as well go out in a blaze of glory. This was the warrior's way.

Babayaga flew straight upward, a gleaming Trailblaze increasing his speed as he prepared for a desperate attempt to end this battle.

QDsZxyNM
+10 SHIFT

tl;dr
--Oscar is hiding behind Priam's Meganium as it SHIELDS.
--Babayaga used trailblaze to prepare for the final exchange of attacks.

Trailblase: BOOST

Using BOOST action.

BOOST: Moves that increase offensive stats add a +20 modifier to the user’s next move in the following round.

As Oscar appeared, he would attempt to stylishly wait for his fellow units to join him. He had no idea how long that would take, but he could hold a pose for minutes if he had to. Except--no one else showed up, and eventually he just felt silly. Oscar looked up at the sky, unsure if priam conrad was pulling his leg. Was he really that expensive?

Eventually Oscar had to face facts: he was on his own. What a drag, he was really looking forward to some squad-based shenanigans. Oh well, that was what he got for bringing along a tricked out cybernetic killing machine. As Oscar took in his surroundings, he quickly realized that the city of Mauville was in dire straits. The tempered steel of Mauville's architecture was straining from the unnatural heat that radiated around it. With such temperatures, Oscar pondered how Genesect would fare.

"Guess we'll find out." He said to himself as he released his faithful companion. As Genesect looked to him for order,s Oscar could not help but notice that Prime's simulation did not keep his iconic paint job. What a fucking disaster! Oscar groaned, "Priam is gonna throw a fit. Whatever, let's look for anyone in need of help--or something."

Oscar and Genesect ran off, two 'league heroes' on a mission.

SPIRAL

Notes:
+10 FP for referencing another character (must include tag).

+10 FP for referencing city defenses.

The Titan's onslaught continued, and Babayaga was running out of patience. This--thing was unbelievably durable, and Baba was not used to such long periods of combat. It dived and whirled between his opponent's electric volley, sparks singing his feathers as he attempted to avoid a nasty fate. With every near-miss, Baba's rage would grow.

Eventually he could hold back no longer, twirling in mid-air to fire a vengeful Solarbeam at the monster's weak spot! Surely this time some headway would be gained!

Far below, the explosions of the electric orbs would spray sand in every direction. The buried Oscar would be ironically saved by one such explosion, which sent the sand that was covering him sailing. Oscar sat up, even more sand pouring from the top of his head. He did not wish to, but the dusty scientist stood and brushed himself off.

"I'm never coming to the desert again."

6XbBidR0
+10 SHIFT
+10 RIDDLE

tl;dr
--Babayaga used Solarbeam, aiming for Registeel's Weak Spot.
--Oscar has been exhumed.

Riddle Guess: Titan

Solarbeam: BLAST

Using BLAST action.

BLAST: Moves that require charging, recharging, or act as one-hit knockout moves will receive a +20 modifier if the roll is an even number after modifiers.

Oscar's dream seamlessly shifted, and he would barely even notice. At first he found his location strange, until he set his eyes upon what was undeniably a young Raziel Beckett. His fellow Rocket grunt was--was--

That bastard.

He was eating Oscar's sandwich! Oscar had spent 10.99 on that beauty, and even labeled it before putting it in the fridge. Had this man gone insane? Who just eats another man's sandwich? Oscar even thought they were getting along too, but now? No friend would ever eat a friend's sandwich without permission.

Oscar wanted to throttle him, but he just watched. He would probably be kicked out for attacking another grunt, especially over something as petty as food. Ugh, what a disaster. priam conrad would never eat his sandwich without permission, he was a true friend.

Wait where was he?

Oscar's eyes narrowed at Theo, straining as he tried not to roll them. "Well yeah, go as in--away from the falling building not like, entirely." Oscar quickly mounted his dragapult, which hovered upward to avoid Theo's Sludge Wave. The sickening riptide flowed across Zapdos's body, jolting it from its delirious fatigue. Zapdos screeched as the toxins soaked through its feathers, flapping its wings to rise above the wave.

The furious bird sought to retaliate at last, the air around it rippling as it prepared to unleash a Heat Wave. Oscar saw through this preparation, and Zapdos would be interrupted by his dragapult slamming its head into its face (Sucker Punch). Zapdos reeled, mirroring Oscar's glare before realizing that the odds were not in its favor. It turned away from its foes, attempting to fly upward into the safety of a gathering storm.

Meanwhile, The Perch's tower continued to tilt, threatening to crumble entirely within a matter of moments.

THEO BECKETT

Oscar's head nodded slowly as Theo spoke, his eyes still fixated on the writhing Zapdos. His smile grew larger inch by inch, his lips quivering as a euphoric joy overcame him. He let out a light chuckle, which gradually increased in volume until Oscar was hysterically laughing. Even still his laughter pushed through his body, until the sounds that escaped his mouth sounded more like painful sobs. Yet his smile never faded.

"I spent years garnering its favor--" He abruptly shouted, more-so at the suffering bird then Theo. "--only to discover that there was none to garner." Oscar's knees buckled together, his chest heaving as his rage became uncontrollable. "I thought it was a god! I would not have admitted it, but I did! But now I remember, and I will not let anyone else forget!" Oscar hobbled forward, now speaking directly to Zapdos. "It's just a pokemon, and all pokemon exist for the glory of Rocket!"

The Infinity Energy extracted from Zapdos had to go somewhere though. Just as Infinity Energy had been sent up to the perch from the Infinity Energy Generator within the plant, now would Zapdos's energy be sent back into that very same generator. Yet the energy of a legendary pokemon was far stronger than the Mega Stone core that powered Oscar's generators. As the generator received this new energy, it began to heat up faster than it could be cooled down. If Oscar did not turn off the extractor, the generator would become overcharged and risk melting down. Unfortunately for the plant and the city of Mauville, Oscar would not even get the chance.

Zapdos refused to die here, it was too powerful to allow such base creatures to overwhelm it. It pushed through the pain, seizing up every one of its strained muscles. Then it would stretch out in every direction, screeching as electricity flowed out of its body and into the perch. Lightning blew apart the pylons and ripped up the wiring. Oscar held up his arms, looking away from the bright flashes of the swirling lightning. The machinery that held the perch walls together was splintered apart, causing the foundations of the 'bowl' to crack violently. Electricity sparked through the pipeline that lead to the generator, speeding up its overheating exponentially and sending it into a full melt down.

Sirens began to sound throughout the plant, and red lights placed within every inch of its layout began blinking rapidly. GMH's workers abruptly ceased their work, and began fleeing from the site in a panic. The generator pipelines began to burst, sending explosions across the entire shaft of the perch's tower. The perch itself began to shake and rumble, gradually tilting to one side. Oscar's initial confusion faded into fury as he saw Zapdos relax, its suffering forcibly stopped by its own power. Luckily for the two Rockets, the great bird was too exhausted to immediately retaliate--though that would not be true for long.

Oscar ripped open his insulator suit and pulled a pokeball from his belt. He released his dragapult and looked toward Theo. "We need to go, now. Need a ride?"

THEO BECKETT

STEEL CHEF 2024 SIGN-UPS

Character: oscar clayton [break]
Pokemon: Eclipse the Staryu [break]
Favorite region: Alola[break]

Oscar thought the steel titan's bass cannon was going to be the worst of its arsenal. Of course, Oscar would once again be proven wrong as the horrific golem began thrashing across the battle field with its limbs. It would seem that its greatest tools were also its simplistic, what cruel fate.

An impact sent Oscar flying through the air, enveloping him within a TOMB of sand and rocks. As the desert grains trapped him within a small mound, Oscar would pause to contemplate his life choices and ponder the benefits of staying home next time adventure called.

While his master was being buried alive, Babayaga prepared a follow up strike. With his Trailblazing helping him to pick up speed, the brutal owl would once again attempt to slash away at the titan's arm with his Leaf Blade. With his blinding momentum, maneuvering around the titan's flailing arms should be a simple task...in theory.

fSaR8S7x
+10 Shift
+20 BOOST

Riddle Guess: TOMB

Leaf Blade: Strike// Snipe

Using SNIPE effect

SNIPE: Moves with high critical-hit ratios can add +50 to their roll if they achieve 100 or more after modifiers.