System Admin
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Administrator
Posts: 1,474
Player Name: System
OOC Username: M00K
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Post by System Admin on Jul 18, 2023 22:01:02 GMT 9
Flaming spirits lash Zapdos again and again as he is forced down in a roar of flame and fury. His body tears the clouds beneath him like wet cotton.
"It would be so easy for you if I just gave in, wouldn't it?"
Zapdos is unmoved. You have delivered a pretty death sentence in a painstakingly-wrapped package, but it is his choice whether to accept.
"What a weight off your conscience! What a relief! 'Ah, because Moltres and Articuno say it's fine, I'll follow suit!' You think my life is a majority vote? You think infants fainting from the stress of battle hold a flicker to MY sacrifice?"
Streams of condensation whip past the players and through the blur of clouds and wind they see the Duraludon Cannons for the first time.
Sleek blocks of skyscraper steel stab into the sky from below like a mile-high spike trap. Fifty angular heads jut from a pool of crimson Dynamax energy so wide and thick that it blots out the ground and dyes the underside of a the clouds a sickly red.
The Duraludon are in formation. A block of silver monoliths, identical in form and function. Their jaws click open, like a firing squad turning off their safety, and as one they track the falling bird. Held in each of their jagged sets of teeth is a massive modified cannon, a magnetic battery that will tear Zapdos from the sky with undeniable force.
"Moltres burns her life because death itself brings her joy, if she can but die in battle. Articuno gives his that he might have worth again, trapped and powerless as he is in the realm of Dreams."
Zapdos carries on, blind to the danger as he fights for his right to live on.
"I get no joy from conflict— I fight only to live. And my life has value— far beyond that of a weapon. I have worth! I have value! I am worth the weight of my own life! How dare you ask me question that?"
He arches his neck, feathers bristling as he utters his final declaration. Alive, or dead. No matter how heartfelt, any compromise that includes the latter is no compromise at all.
"Your 'inspiration' is just another set of claws in my back. Try to take my life. Try to sap my fighting spirit. But I will not yield."
Just then, a voice cuts in, speaking to you directly from your User Interface.Not for you, anyway. Ash has sacrificed something today, and she knows in her heart it’s the right thing to do.
Maybe you shouldn’t be the Professor.
One way or another, Ash knows there’s no coming back from this mistake. But that does not mean walking away from those who need her. Not when it matters most.
“We will not ask our most powerful allies to take their own lives for the safety of our operation. Humanity has weathered the proximity of the Corruption until now– we’ll double our borders, block off Mistra for now.” She knows very well she may not be the one in charge anymore after this mission fails, but she hopes her successor will be true to her promise. “The Corruption readings in the Area have been stable– I do not believe it will cross over anytime soon, especially if Zapdos is willing to guard the Northern Steppes.” That was a gamble, but perhaps they could work something out. “If Zapdos will agree to a compromise, I will meet with him on the ground and proceed with interpreters.”
They had a chance to change things. Her mind was already spinning, going over all the new possibilities. New tactics. New questions. New ways Pokemon– speaking, sapient Pokemon– could enable her research. In some ways, the world was brighter than ever before.
“Professor, I’m afraid it’s too late for that.”
Ash stiffens. “What do you mean?”
A sound is growing outside. A rising whine of magnetic power. Cygnus has to shout over it. “I said, it’s too late! You can’t un-beam a beam. To cancel them out I’d need some sort of inverse-polarity-unmagnetizing beam. I can’t just pull these things out of thin air, you know, they require time and testing!”
“Cygnus, seriously?”
“We’ve got fifty full-power Mega Duraludon seconds away from a full magnetic Discharge! If we try to return them to their Pokeballs now, all that Dynamax energy will cascade outwards and level this whole area!”
Ash’s voice bursts back into your ears, hard-edged and grim. “Trainers, heads up. The cannons have not been deactivated. Repeat, they are still online. I’ll need you to take them out manually, or they’ll force Zapdos to the ground and force-trigger the Shrine Activation sequence.”
There is a pause, then the voice returns.
“Trainers, I have trusted in your skill, ability, and judgment since we first landed in Asper. For what may be the last time, I must ask you to trust mine.”  THUNDERFALL: CYCLE 5As you from crimes would pardon'd be, Let your indulgence set me free The cannon battery explodes in a barrage of light and grating sound. Beams of harsh silver light slash upwards, tearing past Zapdos like long, radiant bullets and punching into the rainclouds above.
"Enough of this!"
Zapdos slams his wings against the air, throwing up slick, glassy shields of reflective light. The first shots bounce off the shield, but Zapdos doesn't stick around to test his strength against the firing squad. Before the second volley can begin he's off, cutting through the skies like a scimitar, his wings whirling in great slashing, hopping waves. He rides the currents up, buoyed by the roasted air from the cannon battery. At the peak of his climb he pulls in his wings and dives, plunging like a lightning bolt before snapping back to a level flight. The trainers on his back are thrown around, their Pokemon battered by turbulence, gravity, and lasers that get too close.
Zapdos banks, reluctantly showing his broad side to the cannons as he puts up more reflective screens. The air is filled with slices of Psychic energy, hanging in space like sheets of glass frozen in time.
This isn't war for Zapdos, this is survival.
A frantic, furious bid for survival in the face of his own premeditated destruction.
"You three who returned my wings, I ask you what you would have me use them for." He snarls over his shoulder to Verai, Kazuki and Aero. "You asked what I wanted. I cried for you to leave. I would fly you to a distant land, across distant seas, carry you on my back to the corners of the world, if you would leave me be."
Beams of steely light burn through the air, ricocheting off the Light Screens and shattering some of them in bursts of shattered light.
But Zapdos can only evade for so long.
Finally a beam strikes the Shrine. Upon contact with the metal the Giant Shrine sticks in the air, now caught in the middle of a titanic tug of war.
"Humans, I am not your weapon, I am not your friend, but neither am I your enemy," Zapdos rasps, struggling against the impossible weight. He is borne down, inch by inch, foot by foot. "I would aid you as no others can, of my free will. I would fight with all my strength alongside you, as I have against you. Do not be so foolish as to kill what you cannot control, as your violent kind have always done!"
The manacles at his ankles strain, iron bindings drawn down towards the deadly light. Always the prisoner, even when his chains were broken.
Will you set him free at last?
"Aid me now. Reverse what you have wrought."
Time slows.
Zapdos, struggling to pull the Giant Shrine away from the beams that ensnare it like spiderwebs of light. Ash, shouting over the speakers. The roars of Duraludon. The whine of charging lasers. It all fades, replaced by the calm rush of wind in your ears.
Music fades in, alongside a visual popup that hovers before your eyes like a double-sided leaflet. Two images. One choice.
Ten breaths pass, deep and slow, before time resumes— and the world calls for your answer.
 |  | [tangent= CLEANSE MISTRA IMMEDIATELYATTACK ZAPDOS/THE GIANT SHRINE- The Legendary Birds will be destroyed and the three Asper Shrines will be permanently depleted.
- Area 2: Mistra will open for play, entirely cleansed of Corruption and with new wild Pokemon.
- Trainer Subclass: Parasite and Corruption Effects from Bunya's Lab will no longer be obtainable.
- Professor Ash will resign her position on moral grounds, replaced by Dr. Bunya
- "Safety and known variables take priority over all else. Zapdos's individual consent to use his power is not necessary. He is only one voice, and the majority rules."
] CLEANSE MISTRA IMMEDIATELY[/tangent] | [tangent= FIND ANOTHER WAYDESTROY THE DURALUDON CANNONS- Zapdos will be spared and will fly players across the Western Sea to the mysterious Area 3: Ostellia, where answers may be found.
- Players will unlock Zapdos DNA.
- Area 2: Mistra will remain a dangerous Corruption Zone for now. Players may continue researching Corruption, for good or for ill.
- Professor Ash will be dismissed from her position on grounds of failure, replaced by Dr. Bunya.
- "We do not have enough information to justify condemning our most powerful allies to an early grave. Mistra is a passive threat for now. There may still be another way."
] FIND ANOTHER WAY[/tangent] |
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System Admin
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Administrator
Posts: 1,474
Player Name: System
OOC Username: M00K
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Post by System Admin on Jul 18, 2023 22:04:01 GMT 9
RAID GOAL SUCCESSFULLY REACHED!MECHANICAL COMBAT HAS ENDED. ALL PLAYERS PLEASE PROCEED ON FREEFORM!
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Verai
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You Can't Take Me
The Creed
Posts: 877
Trainer Class: 
Player Name: Miyagawa Tarou
OOC Username: spibe
Arena Points: 38
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Post by Verai on Jul 18, 2023 23:36:11 GMT 9
This wasn't the arena. Zapdos wasn't some wild animal brought in, no recognition or understanding in flat eyes. He did not merely scream, unable to be reasoned with, forced to be put down.
This was the arena. Zapdos had no choice or will to be here, and was just fighting to stay alive. The same as Verai. The same as Tarou.
"I get no joy from conflict— I fight only to live. And my life has value— far beyond that of a weapon. I have worth! I have value! I am worth the weight of my own life! How dare you ask me question that?"
“Trainers, heads up. The cannons have not been deactivated. Repeat, they are still online. I’ll need you to take them out manually, or they’ll force Zapdos to the ground and force-trigger the Shrine Activation sequence.”
"You three who returned my wings, I ask you what you would have me use them for. You asked what I wanted. I cried for you to leave. I would fly you to a distant land, across distant seas, carry you on my back to the corners of the world, if you would leave me be."
"Humans, I am not your weapon, I am not your friend, but neither am I your enemy. I would aid you as no others can, of my free will. I would fight with all my strength alongside you, as I have against you. Do not be so foolish as to kill what you cannot control, as your violent kind have always done!"
The screams all came at once, powerful, deafening. Verai closed his eyes against then, pressing closer to the Shrine, feeling the heat and emotion wash over him.
My life has value- far beyond that of a weapon.
I have worth!
I have value!
I am worth the weight of my own life!
"Fuck," Verai rasped, rubbing the heel of his palm over his face, doing nothing to stop the flow of tears. He had been so certain, and then- So certain in the opposite direction. Had he let himself be led astray?
No, he chided himself, as gently as he could. Caring about others- the majority, Kazuki- that wasn't wrong. That wasn't a bad thing. He had more pieces, now. Revising his decision, in light of new data, was good. It was how people grew, and stayed alive.
"Zapdos!" He cried. It didn't matter if the great bird heard or not- the words, as most were, were only for the speaker. "You've given me more than you know. I pray this is a fraction of it returned."
He ducked, putting both hands on the Shrine- on Zapdos- It was not something he had ever done, before, wary of pushing himself too far, knowing the consequences thereof-
But was there ever a better time than now?
Gritting his teeth, he Surged again, feeling the lightning crackle through his body on the way to the Shrine, no longer passing through harmlessly but something sharp and wild, clawing at him as it returned to where it was meant to be.
His grip slipped, energy utterly spent, and his wings gave out. Was that worth it? He could only pray so-
And everything froze. Verai took in a breath of air, feeling some of the old wounds abate- the attacks from Zapdos, from the Steelix, though the raw, charged pain remained. The world was splayed out before him, not a vision but a narrative, some fanciful story read to him.
The skies black and blood with smog and power, the malice whirring in the duraludon canons. The pull of Zapdos' chains, even now, even after everything.
An offer for Mistra, with gentle snowy mountains, the clear next path forward.
And one for Ostellia, the overgrown ruȋ̴̡ṇ̴̼̎̎̂š̴̩̣̃͊ ̵̬͗͗̆o̷͉̓̐͆͜f̸͖͒ͅ ̴͈̥̈́̈ȁ̴̝̹ ̶̧͔̑c̸̜͊i̵̪͍̺̓t̸͎̜̖̑͂ý̸͒͜
The darkness returned, bringing it with context. Verai could only lay there, in the slow waiting. Was this- something he knew? Was this the right call, or something else misguided, without enough to drive him forward?
Time surged forward. He twisted, in the air, forcing himself back up to height- and grabbed hold of Kazuki by the shoulders, a mirror of the last round. "Kazuki-" He gasped, trying to ensure the other knew, could understand- this was important. "We have to go to Ostellia. I- I saw it. The visions- We go to Ostellia. It's the right call. We- We can do both. We can save everyone, the Prince and the players."
The Prince had offered- a Sacrifice willingly given. A path not to Mistra, but to safer lands. An opportunity, one they just had to grab.
They had to. They had FOUND ANOTHER WAY.
He just held Kazuki, searchingly. He had to convince him. What-
"Miuu," He commanded, and in a flash of light gentle paws fell atop one of the Light Screens, red eyes watching Kazuki. "Where is the threat?"
With a mournful cry, she twisted- looking no longer at Kazuki- not even at the Prince- but at the Duraludon, the ring of thorns that surrounded them, threatning to pull their hope to the ground and shatter it completely.
<Get up.> Sphinx was there, eyes bright as Kitten's body reformed, coming back in an explosion of light.
<Whoah- Dizzy... Purrai! Clawzuki! WAFFLE! Hi!> Kitten sang, tail lashing. <What's going on? What're we fighting!!!>
Verai reached again, taking Kazuki's hands in his own. "Please come with me."
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Kazuki
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You Can't Take Me
The Creed
Posts: 883
Trainer Class: 
Player Name: Himura Atsushi
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 113
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Post by Kazuki on Jul 19, 2023 4:32:20 GMT 9
Kazuki grits his teeth, snatching Waffle by the scruff and bracing against the shrine, his fingers cutting themselves on jutting metal. He doesn’t hear the kitten squeak against his chest, his ears battered by the deafening howl of their descent and Zapdos’ declarations. The wind is a thousand swords tearing into his bare skin.
It has been a long and grueling battle. Both sides giving their all, racking up casualties with every wave.
"Your 'inspiration' is just another set of claws in my back. Try to take my life. Try to sap my fighting spirit. But I will not yield."
And he has to hand it to him, Zapdos knows how to put up a fight. But the finish line is within reach—a massive, metallic venus flytrap with its jaws wide open, ready to feed. All they have to do is push him in.
Professor Ash’s next announcement joins the cacophony, and it only stirs the rage brewing in Kazuki’s gut.
Stand down? After all that—after everything, they were meant to just throw in the fucking towel?
It’s another victory wrenched from his fingers. Another battle that could have been won with a few more hits, a little more time – only for everything to fall apart before his eyes. The whine of the beams reminding him of feedback on high speakers.
He has already been burned trusting the Professor. She had led them this far, convinced them this would be the answer, only to rescind it right at the most crucial juncture.
Kazuki does not know what to trust, and he doesn’t have time to think.
The first volley of beams is released, forcing Zapdos into safety maneuvers that slam into the teams in harsh swathes of air and light. Even protected, Kazuki feels the light screens smash into his back, Waffle screaming as they jet past the beams.
And then Zapdos calls for one final gamble. Of all things, an offer. Because of the boon?
Kazuki chuckles breathlessly, his forehead pressed against the cold iron of the shrine, the shrine he has never once prayed to, never once felt beholden to—including its owner. He had only been involved with the Prince because he’d been pursuing someone else. He had made a mockery of him. He had saved him, merely for his own selfish curiosity.
And here Zapdos is, asking for his help.
“You must be truly desperate to ask me, Princey,” Kazuki growls, every muscle of his body aching, his blood boiling with frustration as he holds on for his life. “I’m not some big damn hero.”
The choice arrives, and it’s as simple as a pop-up.
The decision is simple too. Kazuki has only wanted one thing out of this, after all.
To cleanse Mistra.
But he hears a familiar voice cry through the chaos. It is the final bell. It’s the sound of Verai’s answer, followed by the blinding light of his blessing. Kazuki curses, swinging to avoid the lightning that blitzes back into the edifice, the shrine glowing as Kazuki opens his eyes and sees – Verai, floating away, wings limp. Is there no end to the betrayal?
And is there no end to his own foolishness? “For fuck’s sake!” Kazuki lets go of the shrine, Waffle clinging to his shoulders. The antigravity belt keeps him afloat, and by kicking off the shrine, he maneuvers down to Verai, hands reaching to grab him before he’s lost to space.
Only for him to be grabbed in turn.
“Ver?!” Kazuki tries to steady him. The man wakes as if surfacing from the deep waters of the underwater cave. His eyes are clear and wide, red-rimmed – he’d been crying?
His hands grip his arms, brows furrowed as he tries to take in his stammered words. “Ostellia,” his face twists. “You still want to save him. After what I told you, you still—!”
But Verai continues on. His grip on his shoulders is tight, as tight as when Kazuki had taken hold of him before, trying to stop him from defending Zapdos – a wasted effort, in the end.
“How do you know?” Kazuki insists. “How are you so sure?” The visions, the professor, Zapdos himself – how could Verai trust any of it? They had never heard of Ostellia before. Kazuki knows that uprooting everything to move across the ocean does not guarantee a better future; more often than not, what haunts you at home will haunt you everywhere else.
And what haunts him here and now feels as if it’s bearing down on him, slowly dripping out of his wounds, even with his best attempts to hide it.
But the rest of Verai’s crew pop out of their pokeballs. Even Kitten – who he’s fairly sure he saw faint on top of the world’s fanciest scratch tower – emerges in full, bright health, with a very valid question:
What are they fighting?
Two hands squeeze his own. Clad in gauntlets, they are not warm, they are not soft, and the metal pinches his scraped fingers, but they ground him. They feel secure.
"Please come with me."
There is hesitance. His reservations – they’re hard to let go. The fear Mistra implanted in him is rooted in his bones, and denying this perfect chance to solve it for a possibility feels like taking a hammer and nail to his own coffin, and many others. It feels like spitting on the blood they’ve shed.
“You really asking me that?” He murmurs, staring at their hands intertwined. He’s high in the air, holding hands with his rival and traitor, being asked to deny victory right as it stares him in the face. It is ridiculous. It goes beyond reason. Kazuki huffs, squeezing the twin grips.
“I've always followed you, haven't I?”
<Oooh they’re holding hands!> Waffle whispers loudly, predictably pressing up to Kitten the moment she returned, and also predictably ruining the mood.
Kazuki sighs, ducking his head. “Can’t believe I’m doing this. Can’t believe I’m about to 180 after talking all that shit!” He is a goddamn sucker!
“Zapdos! You are one lucky as hell bird with one devoted as hell follower!” Kazuki yells up at him—no longer the Prince, no longer some target to beat into the earth. Just another shmuck trying to survive and asking for help like the rest of them.
“Take your boon! You need it a lot more than we do!” He lets go of Verai’s hands as he activates the BOON OF SURGING, black sparks weave across his skin. “Shit, will this even work?” He curses. But he had attacked Zapdos with it on the first round, there hadn’t been signs of corruption. Now to just pray it doesn’t infect the shrine.
The corrupted lightning shoots past his hand, slamming into the shrine. As it separates from him, entering the shrine’s threshold, the electricity reaches a harsh glow — white-gold, as it’s meant to be. Seeing this, Kazuki releases the rest, his body engulfed in that same searing, blinding light, a feeling as if his nerves have been set on fire.
The shrine glows ever brighter in Zapdos’ grip, absorbing the surge seamlessly. It’s not quite strong enough, still missing one boon. Kazuki’s eyes dart about, trying to find that kid from back then, he’d spotted glimpses of her during the fight — Aero. “Cap us off, kid!” He calls.
With that, he exhales, slumping against Verai. His body feels like lead but still, he clings to consciousness. “Not done yet,” he grumbles, eyeing the skyscrapers under their feet. The sight makes him laugh. He almost wishes M'Foxy was here. “Good thing I got a lot of practice killing Duraludon.”
He’s down to the last three members of his squad. He releases the only member still in her ball.
Mudsdale blinks, red light subsiding for her to be greeted with chaos, and the whole sky once again beneath her hooves. The tar dripping off her body goes plummeting a thousand feet below. Ah shit, here we go again. <Really?> She blinks. <Is that the Prince?>
“Yes, and he’s about to be pancakes if we don’t act now, so less backtalk, more backhoof. Get rid of as many Duraludon as possible, you know the drill. Waffle, the bazooka?”
Waffle squeals in excitement, moon-hopping over. <Locked and loaded! Let’s go again! Let’s go again!> The boon is gone, but energy flows from him, invigorated by the will to fight. Mudsdale shakes her head, getting into position. Her hooves are rearing to once again pulverize some giants into glitter.
With his team set to go, Kazuki beholds, once again, the destination that awaits them. A massive jaw. Red, red, red. He knows how this will play out: Crashing with full force and ricocheting off reinforced steel, smashing metal and taking strain on an already-battered body. His eyes remain on his feet as he squeezes Verai’s arm.
“This is going to hurt like a bitch. Have my back this time.”
All that’s left after is to fall.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 19, 2023 22:49:40 GMT 9
Here was what Comet realized in the past couple of minutes: Kimchi was alive, and by extension, that meant every Pokemon here, everyone that moved and breathed and felt pain, they were alive. No matter where they originated from, they were here, present. Moving, fighting, wanting to live. And Zapdos' cry, a thunder of fury, a desperate clinging onto his life, his perception of life - the young man, shy of sixteen years of age, felt that a valuable lesson that unfolding right before his eyes. Was it right to call Zapdos selfish? Should he fall for the sake of the majority? That seemed to be the case for many back at home; this idea of sacrificing one's self for the greater good, and being fucking proud of it, but was it just words being shoved into a dead man's mouth? What were the people really feeling in their last moments?
In truth, war and conflict was so far removed from his reality. He was a musician; someone who performed in front of hundreds and thousands of fans. There was no bloodshed there, no call for him to give up his life for his fans. Would he do that? Hell no! His life was his own, and he performed because he wanted to.
This was a world that operated on the logic of a game, but contained life, just like him. He was mistaken, he was wrong, and he needed to do what he felt was right.
Easy to say, of course, but difficult to do with the broken bones rattling in his body. What was worse that was as they descended, he couldn't even twist his body around to see the cannons that waited for them below, but he knew that they were there. That was what the Professor announced earlier, after all, that was the original goal of this whole farce.
His Cinderace had called out his name and rejoined him quickly; a pained look on his face. <We need to leave, NOW!> Comet couldn't even say that he still couldn't move before his Pokemon took him into his arms and carried him, holding him close. Beams of light had then surged past them, either breaking through the Light Screens that Zapdos put up or were able to slip through the cracks. With his movement, Kimchi struggled to stay on the wings, but the jagged feathers were painful, and soon there was a maneuver that was impossible to stay on, and they felt the air rush through them.
They were falling.
But Kimchi was not one to give up easily. A Light Screen shattered nearby, giving him large chunks of psychic pieces to bounce off from, creating a path that led them to a more stable screen below, functioning similar to the platform that was destroyed not long ago. Other players that had been on Zapdos also had the same idea, finding ways to land smoothly (or not) on a level plain closer to the ground, but still sitting above very terrifying Duraludon. Comet made sure to wrap his arms around his partner's neck as they descended, but pain still wracked his body, and he was still very much useless right now. Noise and chaos hummed in the air, and looking up, a beam was able to actually grab onto the shrine, turning the frantic fight into a tug-of-war.
Then things quiet, at least for Comet. The world slowed. Kimchi's expression was stuck with panic and concern. For once, the wind wasn't pushing onto him and whipping him senseless - it was a breeze, and in front of him were two buttons (two pills, not red and blue though. White and green, a mountain and a ruined city. Mistra or Ostellia, a name he had never heard of before, mentioned nowhere in the research that he did).
Choose.
Well, with everything that had happened, and all that he realized, his answer was staring right at him. Kimchi was alive, and so was Zapdos. What right did he have, as someone who had just arrived in this world, to take that away from him? Why not find another way?
Time surged back to its normal flow, and his hand was still raised at the button he had pressed, the way he chose.
<Comet, what--did something happen?>
He let out a weak laugh. ❝Hell yeah. Kimchi, mind if you could do one more thing? We're at the endgame now.❞
<So long as it means that we'll be getting out of this together.>
Ah, what did he do to earn such loyalty? ❝We need to knock out the cannons. I think that you won't be alone with this. Help out the trainers who are focusing on the Duraludon. That way, Zapdos won't have to die.❞
<You...we're letting him go?>
❝Not exactly. He said that he's going to help. But you didn't want him to die, right?❞
<No.> for a moment, he looked at the legendary Pokemon that was fighting for his life. <But what about you? I can't just-->
❝You did a while ago, I'll be fine. You need to act now before the shrine gets taken!❞
<But--!>
❝I can't die, Kimchi, but Zapdos can and will! Now go!❞
The yell visibly shook the Cinderace, yet it was enough to convince him, letting him rest on the Light Screen before running to the edge. Perhaps he had solidified that they were different for certain this time, but he would deal with the consequences later. He watched as Kimchi, now with a clear view of the Duraludon, used his remaining strength to gather what hadn't been doused by the storm. Eyeing the cannons, he built a ball of flame, and took aim.
❝Fire.❞ |
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odile
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The Tempest
Round 2
Posts: 125
Trainer Class: 
Player Name: Claudia Kingsley
OOC Username: mar
Arena Points: 20
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Post by odile on Jul 20, 2023 0:44:37 GMT 9
#s://cdn~donmai~us/sample/95/e8/__surtr_arknights_drawn_by_qinglan805__sample-95e81f745373257226c39f19a2e6433c~jpg I get no joy from conflict—I fight only to live. And my life has value—far beyond that of a weapon. I have worth! I have value! I am worth the weight of my own life!
Isn't that all that needed to be said? It doesn't really need to be said at all, if we're going to be honest with each other. Zapdos did not need to exclaim about the value of his life again and again, because that should be clear. It should be understood that he does not want to die, despite what anyone else would say on the matter. It should be understood that subjugation was wrong.
Something burns in Odile's throat as Zapdos screeched about his desire to live. She was about to open her mouth to let that fire out when Ash spoke.
Shoulders slumped, her lips parting without consent. Oh. Oh. Okay Ash. She was actually... going back on what she had said? Sacrifice is not necessary. How glad she was to hear such a thing, and from the very person that had asked them to do this all in the first place. Speaking of compromise, of that little ray of hope. Odile had never pegged Ash as some tyrant, as some cold-hearted killer. She did not know her well enough to begin to throw those words at her. Perhaps a bit misguided if nothing else. Looking back, maybe Odile was just a bit... overeager. A bit too much adrenaline in her veins. Looking at Kallisto with that touch of sympathy in her eyes, she let go of his hands and that warmth. Her fingers worked fast, faster than she can think as Odile brought up the appropriate menu. "Professor Ash, I..."
Never accuse me of not caring.
I'm sorry.
"Thank you. Thank you for listening."
There was so much more that needed to be said, but that seemed best for a face-to-face conversation. When there wasn't a storm over their heads and the threat of someone's life ending. Maybe Ash could forgive her.
"Kallisto, we gotta..." The world exploded with light and sound as the Duraludons began their barrage, firing shot after shot of burning energy. Odile can see her reflection on a screen of light for a brief moment before Zapdos began to truly move, speed at a breakneck pace as he attempted to avoid the the assault. Arms flailed about, grasping onto the first thing she could; the finely dressed friend beside her. "Oh, sorry! Sorry! It looks like it's gonna be a bumpy ride!"
Bumpy didn't even begin to cover it. She saw some folks fly off; either by their own accord or by the g-forces throwing them off of Zapdos. Pokemon battered from it all. Giselle and Aurora clung over to her, the Glaceon biting her tights for dear life as her Mareep wormed her way in between her legs, static electricity mildly zapping her. Gripping Kallisto tight, a hand wormed itself free, grabbing her Pokeball and touching Aurora's head, recalling her back. "Hey! And me?"
"I'm going to need you for this Giselle! I know you've been out here the whole time, but I need you to hold out a bit more!"
Well, who could argue with that? She was the most dependable wasn't she? "I didn't want to go back anyway!"
There was a tug. Not from Kallisto, not from Zapdos, but from the beam that caught him. It was dragging him in. A fish hooked and reeled in. Odile closed her eyes for a moment, and when she opened them again, there was a pop-up on her screen.
The option was so obvious, she was almost offended by the fact it was giving her a choice at all. As if all of her words were show.
FIND ANOTHER WAY.
"Kallisto, you're going to call me crazy but—" She looked down, to the skyscrapers firing below. The Light Screens were getting blasted, but some still remained. She was agile enough to jump on one, right? "I'm going in. Stay safe, okay? Giselle let's go."
"Oh you are crazy!" Giselle exclaimed, looking towards where she was thinking. But this was the crazy lady that came to get her. "Let's get it!"
With that, it was just a leap of faith. Air rushed around them both, howling like mad dogs. She could just barely hear the electricity whirling in Giselle's horns, the Mareep yelling as she fired off Thunder Shock after Thunder Shock. The streaks of lightning were not much in comparison to the blasts of the Duraladons, but she saw one enter where the Duraladon had been firing. There was the sound of something; another blast, an explosion? She wasn't actually sure. Her body made impact with the clear Light Screen, gasping out in pain as she felt her body immediately begin to slide down; this one had been at an angle. Digging her shoes in, Odile stopped right at the edge, huffing, trying to keep her own heart from exploding.
Giselle landed not too far from her, braying as she had an easier time not sliding around. Climbing back onto her feet, the little lamb let out a impressive roar, before already beginning to move into position. She didn't quite understand how she could keep going sometimes, but maybe that was just how a tank was. Never stopping, always finding a way back up. Always taking a hit so that others didn't have to.
There was still time. They could still save him. Odile wouldn't give up until then, even if he did give in. Zapdos's life was worth fighting for. As all life was. |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 20, 2023 10:41:54 GMT 9
#s://cdn~discordapp~com/attachments/1114138222038106173/1129698069999525939/kallisto16~jpg >>> A related thread for context
Kallisto had thought at first that this was between whether Big Bird was alive or not, but that wasn't correct, he realized. Players could see him as alive but still think his sacrifice was necessary, for the greater good, it would be. And it wasn't like they were wrong - if this meant eradicating the Corruption here for good, then why shouldn't they take that chance and give the world a happy ending it deserved? But things held him back from thinking that way. After all, even if he hadn't been here long, to rid of the Corruption for three lives seemed...too easy. The beings in this world already proved that 1) they were not in the habit of giving all of the information the players needed, and 2) it was also because they didn't know either. According to what the Professor recounted with Beta Isle, the Corruption was pushed back, not cleansed entirely. Who was to say that this wouldn't do the same? Then were they actually making progress, or paying too much for something so little?
It seemed the Professor had reached her decision. To Kallisto's surprise, she was the one who bent first (surprise because he expected neither to yield, but it turned out that their verbal assault was effective in changing her mind). The Corruption is stable, she said, and it seemed to be true. While corrupted Pokemon were a possible encounter on Asper, the thick of the void itself only settled in Mistra, and it was he who walked in there willingly and paid the price, the scarring, the nightmares resurfacing.
Kallisto wouldn't know why Odile looked so happy at the Professor's turnaround, but he was happy for her nonetheless. She was about to say something to him before light bursted into their vision, temporarily blinding him. It took him a moment to realize that it wasn't a stray lightning bolt that got too close, but a beam from below. The cannons were firing. Just as he cursed under his breath, Big Bird moved violently, dodging the barrages of light from scalding his wings. He did not ask any questions about Odile clinging to him; if anything, he made sure to hold onto her, because it wouldn't be long before their feet would be truly off ground, and he wasn't sure how long the flying contraption on his back could hold two people, especially since he had been using it quite a lot throughout this fight already.
❝Aegis, I'm returning you for a bit!❞
<O-okay!>
Kallisto quickly pulled out the Poke Ball and clicked for the beam to hit his starter. Once he was safely back in the device, he locked it in his belt, making sure to keep one hand on Odile as her Pokemon were also thrown around in the aerial acrobatics. She returned one of her Pokemon (no idea what it was), but kept the wooly sheep out; thankfully, it was small enough not to make the contraption chug too hard. The trainer considered flying off to one of the psychic barriers further away from the beams, but he still wasn't sure if they could make the trip unscathed. That was when a beam managed to land on the shrine below them, and it was pulling Big Bird in. He gave his final plea then - a bargain, a deal. Just let me live.
And then the world slowed unnaturally. His ears momentarily given a break from explosion after explosion, rain and thunder and wind. It was almost painfully quiet with the exception of foreboding music, and in front of his eyes were two choices. To cleanse Mistra? Or to find another way?
For the first time since the raid started, he felt a chill within him, nothing like the dipping temperatures that they were fighting in, but one that he had already felt before. In his periphery, a toothless smile, an outline of a mouth, a whisper, faint and dangerously inviting. Look, child, an option to give you the closure you need. You can take me away for good. Isn't that what you want?
But Kallisto scoffed, even if he was trembling in this strange alternate moment in the world. ❝Can't you read, dumbass? It said that it'll cleanse Mistra, but it doesn't mean I'll be rid of you. You will not fool me here. And besides...❞ he pressed the button, locking in his choice. ❝Taking the easy way out isn't closure at all. I want to take you down with my bare hands.❞
Laughter suddenly filled his hearing, at first mocking before it grated him, scratched up his insides. I̴̼̒'̷̧̀d̷̮̀ ̴̘̈́l̴͓̃i̵̟͂k̵̩̽e̵̛͇ ̴̼͘ẗ̵͕́ó̵̱ ̵͉̈s̶̨̄ë̷͔́e̴̜̽ ̷̹̾y̶̪̓o̴͈͒ụ̶̇ ̴͉̍t̷͈̕r̸͚͑ý̷̡.̷̘̃
Time started again, with a crash of thunder shocking him back to his senses. Odile was still in his arms, right? Yes. But she was saying something, what? His hearing was muffled, from the parasite? ❝What? Wait, I can't hear--❞
And then she pushed him away. And fell. Deliberately. He couldn't--❝ODILE!❞
The blaring noise of silence creeped up on him; he was deaf at this point, he realized, temporarily, he hoped? But it disoriented him, unable to keep his balance, and Big Bird's desperate flight also disrupted him from moving to her in time. He thought that his heart stopped, but when he saw her on one of the psychic barriers, seemingly safe and sound, he let out a sharp, shaky exhale. She was alive. And he should trust her to stay that way. Finding a much closer barrier that had yet to be destroyed, he felt he should follow suit - that was what he chose, after all. He too needed to help take down those cannons, in hopes that it would lead him to the future he wanted.
Feeling his hearing slowly come back, he pulled out all of the Pokemon he had with him. Aegis, Ballista, Pierce, Yucca, Arrow, and Blade. Most of them weren't even sent out because he didn't want to put them in danger, and it wasn't like they could do much against what was going on. Now though, they stood a chance to contribute, to take a shot at the Pokemon below. ❝We're taking down the cannons to help Big Bird! Direct whatever ranged attacks you have on those things shooting out beams of light! Got it?!❞
They all nodded, seeing the gravity of the situation; everyone trying their best to fight for what they stood for. And for their trainer's case, this was where he stood.
<Wait a minute, I don't have a projectile attack! Thank Arceus I got my leek back, but how are we going to hit that thing?!>
So much for a dramatic moment. ❝Uh, I'll fly you in! Arrow, Blade, with me!❞
<Good idea, Meowster. I'll just stay here so I won't get hit.>
❝You can do that throwing money trick again can't you? That counts as an attack right? Anyway, go take down a cannon!❞
He held the fish on one arm and the bird on the other as they descended quickly, dodging the beams of light along the way. God, he wished that he was like one of those players that could actually attack with themselves right now, but that would be for another fight. He promised himself that next time, he would be prepared. He wouldn't be a sitting duck, just relegated to disrupting and defending. He will be strong.
❝Arrow, use Aqua Jet! Blade, Fury Cutter!❞
And all hell broke loose both above and below. |
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Kath Ulu
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Hard Mode Survivor
Round 2
Posts: 171
Trainer Class: 
Player Name: Heather West
OOC Username: kathulu
Arena Points: 10
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Post by Kath Ulu on Jul 20, 2023 17:48:26 GMT 9
www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdAlLitm2HM
Inside Treecko's pokeball, things were calm.
The sofa was just the right temperature. It was green and soft and little pink flowers were embroidered on its fabric cover. Treecko only sunk into it a little bit, because she wasn't very big.
She drummed her webbed fingers on her knees, waiting. She hoped everything had gone well out there, especially knowing Grookey had gone out in her place. Despite her pro-pokemon activism, there weren't a lot of pokemon Treecko actually considered friends.
Grookey was certainly the first that came to mind. She and her had been through a fair bit. Ups and downs,  and  . She still remembered what he did for her in the deleted zone, when all seemed lost. It had just been the two of them, disintegrating together, sinking beneath the waves.
Even after that, she'd been at odds with him. His peculiar loyalty to Kath was unwavering, and his incessent optimism was in direct conflict with Treecko's own, constant need to criticize the world around them. Treecko grit her little teeth. She'd only ever wanted to make the world better.
Treecko's curtains were drawn, all around her room. Her pokeball didn't actually have windows, but it felt nice pretending that it did, and that it was her choice not to open them up. Kath, despite her oppressive flaws, had done a lot to make Treecko's pokeball (and all of her peers' pokeballs) feel somewhat like home.
At least there was that.
The sofa faced a green wall with a painting of UNOVR. It was framed by the beach, the steppe fields, and the player made settlement buildings. Kyogre was in the distance, but the canopy filled most of the frame, filled with all sorts of wild pokemon.
Bulby had titled it "Home".
The ivysaur had painted it for her, not long ago. Treecko had watched as Bulby weilded several paintbrushes at the same time, one in each vine. He'd always been the most creative of Kath's pokemon.
Sometimes, Treecko wished she saw the world the same way they did. Bright, colourful, and full of imagination. But she couldn't.
She saw things for what they were. A world of terrifying, violent transference of power, and subjugation. She suspected, so did Zapdos.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdeEIEgo4D4
Then, in the distance, Treecko heard it: the call.
Kath's voice, echoing through the walls of the pink pokeball, a rallying cry that Treecko was incapable of denying.
Except this time, it was exactly what she'd been waiting for.
The maelstrom whipped at Kath Ulu's hair. She was weary, wearing a hard expression of necessary determination, and she had one hand on Zapdos' wing to steady herself as he banked left and right in an attempt to avoid the magnetic beams of the Duraludon beneath him. She held Treecko's pokeball up in the air.
"Treecko! I choose you!"
In a burst of floral light, the little green pokemon leapt from her pokeball.
She landed on Zapdos' wing and looked around, ready for anything. She was immediately relieved that the torrential water was gone; the rains were uanble to keep up with Zapdos' attempts to escape the beams.
"Treecko!" Kath yelled. She crouched before the pokemon. They were eye to eye.
"What is it?" Treecko said, her webbed hands ready. "What do you need? Healing? A revive?"
Treecko's eyebrows were arched, ready for whatever dumb bullshit Kath was about to say. Ready for a ridiculous order to throw herself into Zapdos' mouth in a last ditch effort to make him too-full-to-fly, ready for a request to help Kath run the hell away and abandon everyone in the fight to their fates, ready even for a string of insults, blaming Treecko for everything.
Instead, Kath made a little whine. Treecko frowned. She looked at the human's face, her broken expression, and realised that although it had stopped raining, Kath's face was pouring.
"You were RIGHT, Treecko!" Kath sobbed.
"I was?"
"You are," Kath sniffed. "You're right about me. About pokemon. About trainers."
"I am?"
"We're a bunch of bastards, Treecko, and I should have listened to you! And I'm so fucking sorry!"
"You are?!"
"Pokemon have lives, Treecko. They matter. They're just as important as humans. They're just as important as other people, fuck, they're even as important as me!"
Treecko blinked. "REALLY?!"
"Yes!" Kath wiped her face. "And now nothing else matters but saving the life of ONE pokemon who's about to die. ONE pokemon who's about to die for NO reason, just some professor's stupid research grant, and my stupid attempt to help her."
"Oh…" Treecko nodded, understanding. "Okay. You want me to help you save Zapdos. Okay. We can do that-"
"What?!" Kath cried. "No! Who cares about Zapdos?!"
She pointed over the edge of Zapdos' wing.
"We need to save Grookey!"
Treecko didn't need to hear another word.
She slapped Kath in the face. It was a soft little wet slap, and didn't even move Kath's face an inch. But it was enough.
Kath stopped crying and looked at Treecko in shock.
"Then stop crying and let's save him!"
TREECKO used ASSURANCE!
"Yeah!" Kath stood up. "Yeah, fuck yeah!"
The two types leapt toward the edge of Zapdos' wing. Thick roots grew involuntarily from Kath's converse shoes as she was spurred into motion, and Treecko ran up them using the small hooks that grew from her own feet.
Kath skidded to the edge of Zapdos' wing, but her branches kept going, and Treecko used them to propel herself further. She stretched out horizontally from Kath's forest, hovering over oblivion as Zapdos' was pulled lower.
"Grookey!" Treecko called.
In the chaos, and the swirling winds, it was nigh impossible to see him, but despite it all he heard her.
"Hey, baby!" Grookey called back from his freefall. "How you doin'?!"
"Grookey, I'm here to save you!"
"Really? But I'm about to save the day!" Grookey grinned, as a beam of psychic magnetism shot into him.
He was rocked to the side and knocked into a spin.
"Oh no!" He said. "I'm gonna die!"
"Hold on, Grookey!" Treecko shot vines from her hands. They stretched down toward the spiralling pokemon, but it wasn't enough.
Treecko grit her teeth and tried harder, but it still wasn't enough.
Why wasn't it ever enough? It wasn't enough to fight against the trainers, they were too strong. it wasn't even enough to fight against Zapdos. She was always fighting something, and she was always losing. She would always lose when she was fighting the world.
Suddenly, she lurched forward.
She looked back in concern, worried that Kath's branches had broken, but they hadn't; no.
Kath had leapt forward instead. The roots in Zapdos' wing held true, and Kath was hanging in the air, holding onto a single vine with one hand and Treecko's legs with the other.
"Go on," Kath encouraged. "You got this!"
Treecko turned back to Grookey. She sent her vines out again.
She thought of Bulby.
She thought of Home.
Grookey was spinning. He threw his poking stick in a wild attempt to slow his descent, and it flew directly into the WEAK POINT of a Daruladon, BLOWING IT UP.
"Whoops!" He yelled.
He looked down. The  was rushing up to meet him, with no intention of slowing down. Gravity, once again, was Grookey's number one enemy. This was it.
This was the end.
Grookey closed his eyes.
And then, in a peaceful cessation of motion, he was embraced.
He opened his eyes. Treecko had her arms around him.
"Baby?"
"That's right, baby. I got you."
As they flew beyond the steppe fields, over the coastline, and across the ocean, Grookey held her back.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-kSApnETE8
Kath pulled her pokemon back onto Zapdos' wing, and the three of them collapsed.
Zapdos was alive. The magnets had ceased. He stretched his wings and soared West, to the land beyond.
Clear skies were all around them.
"I think the storm's behind us," said Treecko, looking back at the dark maelstrom that hung over UNOVR.
"No it isn't," said Kath, looking ahead at the land to the west.
Treecko reached up and held Kath's hand.
Grookey, wordlessly, held Kath's other hand.
Kath looked down at her friends and squeezed their hands.
None of them knew where they were going, only what they had done.
They'd started something new. A new way to treat pokemon. A new way to know them.
Together, they took a deep breath. Ready for a new world.
It appeared on the horizon. An oasis? A city?
No matter what it was... at least there was .
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Aero
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Hard Mode Survivor
Mythstar
Posts: 282
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Alyce Ellery
OOC Username: Spinner
Arena Points: 38
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Post by Aero on Jul 20, 2023 17:56:00 GMT 9
Aero screamed as soon as the blast from the cannons was fired. One of her jetpack's wings was burned off, and she fell. With her Orthworm fainted, there was no way she was able to survive the fall.
"NOOOOOO! I'm too young to die!" But before she thought she would do so and respawn somewhere else, she landed something hard. She looked down and gasped that she landed on a transparent platform, which probably came from one of Zapdos's Light Screen attacks. She would have sighed in relief, yet she wasn't out of danger just yet. Not only the Zapdos refused to back down despite their all-out attacks, but the Duraludon Cannons were ready for another round with no way of stopping it. What was worse was that Professor Ash realized too late of this mistake. It's not like Aero would change her mind now that it already happened.
Then just as she screamed in frustration, a new pop-up window appeared in front of her. It told her she needed to choose to change the world. To cleanse Mistra immediately or to find another way.
Upon reading this, Aero smiled. Seeing this made her decision without any hesitation. Consequences be damned, all she cared about was to calm Zapdos and save them. Cleansing whatever was plaguing this Mistra place would be suitable for everyone else, but whether the legendary Pokemon was made of data or fiction didn't matter to her. Zapdos would die if they choose to put the shrine down so hastily. There has to be an alternative. They needed to Find Another Way to save Mistra from whatever was plaguing the lands.
Just then, she heard Kazuki calling out for her. Right, she has to do something to help Zapdos first. She already knew what it was, but she knew they couldn't destroy the cannons alone.
"In a second, guys! I gonna need some backup." Aero took out the Poke Balls and released her active Pokemon on the field. "Alright, everyone! This is the last stand! This time, we stand with Zapdos!" She then pointed to the Duraludon Cannons wielded by the Dynamaxed steel dragons below them. "Use your best attacks to deal with the cannons! Crystal, you take care of the support!"
All of her Pokemon cried in determination, ready to follow their trainer's orders.
"Okay, time for Operation: Apologize to Zapdos by Destroying the Big Bad Cannons! I'll join you guys as soon as I can."
Her Pokemon then started firing on the cannons with Coco's Incinerate, Rocky's Sand Tomb, while her Snom spewed out an icy wind that somehow increased the strengths of their attacks due to his Support class. While they continued their advancements against the cannons, Aero rushed to Verai and Kazuki's side right next to Zapdos.
"Alright, I know you're not in the mood for sudden apologies, Prince. But consider this as my way of saying sorry for attacking you too much!" Aero started to scream as loud as she could as she released her Boon of Surging once more. She then direct the electricity onto the Electric-type legendary bird as much as she could. "I-I get you're not going to be happy with my sudden change of heart. B-but... I'm trying my best to understand you. To make sure you won't die! So Prince Zapdos, I'm not gonna attack your shrine anymore! No, we're gonna protect it! I swear it!!! So take the boon you gave us and help us stop those cannons!"
She then turned to the men next. "Before you say anything, I would like to see Mistra, but I don't like it when we're given a choice that seems too easy for us to do in exchange for Zapdos's life! If we want to save UNOVR from this Corruption, then I rather go into a hard route without sacrificing anyone!" |
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Laguna
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World Traveler
Mythstar
Posts: 514
Trainer Class: 
Player Name: Abigaelle Gauthier
OOC Username: Magnere
Arena Points: 0
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Post by Laguna on Jul 20, 2023 19:30:33 GMT 9
As Zapdos slices through the skies, wings whirling great slicing winds, she's nearly toppled from her flying board, clutching down as her HP is visibly low. Her body aches, exhausted, struggling to keep up. And poor Glacia had fainted, giving everything to protect her from the worst of the winds. She's been blown far away from the wings, from Zapdos, even far away from Bergamot Gristleborg , as much as she would have wished to remain close to keep helping.
Far from the immediate conflict, Laguna had a clear mind to listen and watch as everything unfolded. Zapdos's words held merit, and Ash had suddenly agreed. With all the new information she had, it seemed only reasonable. There was no need for any more violence.
Sacrifice was not necessary.
Perhaps sometimes there was no other way.
But this time, there was one.
Before she could fully dwell on the moral complications of everything, the challenging questions left before them, the pop-up began, and she froze as time did. Before them all laid a choice, and not just which area to take. A choice of how the future of UNOVR would handle its expansion. The easy option of just fighting everything in their way, sacrificing Pokemon after Pokemon, legendary after legendary, until the world was pure of corruption but littered with corpses and empty shrines.
Or they could find another way. A path filled with mystery, unknowns, and fear, but a path she could live with.
She imagined Glacia would be proud of her for making her choice so quickly. Even if Ash lost her job, even if Mistra remained covered in corruption, the only path she could live with was the one of less hurt.
For all involved.
As a lonely support low on HP, Laguna's head whipped around as she fought to find someone, anyone, that she could assist in the same goal. She had no idea what choices other players would make... Except Bergamot Gristleborg , she was pretty sure she'd be 'evil' about it.
Her eyes finally locked onto a familiar face, plummeting down, and she didn't even hesitate. Running to the end of her board, Laguna leaped off into the air.
"By the power of the Sun-" She chanted, twirling as she descended at rapid speeds. Flames formed around her, leaving a trail as she dropped down at terminal velocity. "May our future burn as bright as my burning passion-"
"SUNSTEEL STRIKE"
Flames exploded everywhere as if an asteroid just entered orbit. Laguna's direction suddenly shifted course in a fraction of a second. Suddenly flying like a rocket through the skies, blasting toward her falling friend.
orioncayge would only have a few seconds to notice the magical girl on fire flying towards him before her arms scooped him up bridal style. The empowering warmth of the sun overwhelms the two of them, patching up their wounds, restoring their strength, and for Laguna, a wide smile spreads across her face, despite her pained heart.
"Well? Last time, we danced against each other. I presume we made the same choice, so... may I have this dance?" Music slowly began to play as Laguna would land the two of them atop one of the Light Screens.
She'd allow him to drop to his feet, only to hold out a gloved hand with a faint smirk. "Come on, bandana boy. Let's finish this battle together, dance with me. The sun and moon, you and me." Heat radiated off of her, burning like the sun on their own personal dance floor in the sky.
Despite the fear of the future, decisions left unknown, and the struggles that lay before them, Laguna's smile refused to fade.
She wouldn't be going through it all alone. |
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orioncayge
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Bandana Guy
Round 2
Posts: 770
Trainer Class: 
Arena Points: 20
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Post by orioncayge on Jul 20, 2023 20:17:35 GMT 9
“For what may be the last time, I must ask you to trust mine!”
Orion’s heart sank as Pythia took the brunt of the blast, dissolving into red light as she flashed back into his pocket. Before he has a chance to draw out another mon, the choice is presented to him. Once again he is given a chance to help steer their course forward, though this time it will not be him alone. Everyone will be voting on this, and the consequences are laid bare before them. The first thing he notices is that Ashe will be leaving the expedition one way or another, and Bunya who’s been meddling with powers beyond their understanding will be put in charge.
You know, the one who lost all the starters.
One path would see Zapdos slaughtered like a lamb to open up Mistra, free of corruption. The other leads across the sea on his wings, no sacrifice needed, but straight into the unknown. One stops Bunya’s dangerous studies into corruption, the other allows it to continue unfettered without the potential oversight from Ashe.
On one hand, a large den of corruption would be cleansed righteously and immediately, bringing light back to the land immediately. Yet, if they didn’t find a way to purge the corruption on their own this would continue as a cycle of finding and slaughtering legendaries to free the land of the blight, returning the light, but at what cost? The other side offered a CHANCE to find another way, but it didn’t guarantee it. What would happen if they got there and found nothing? No tools to combat the blight, what would they do then? Return to finish what they started, sacrificing all of this work for nothing?
Despite any and all apprehension Orion may have had, this wasn’t really a choice. The professor wanted to find another way, to forsake their folly in forging this path forward. How could he refuse her desire?
She was asking for his trust, but it wouldn’t be for the last time.
And then the fucking sun streaked down from on high at him, washing away all of the doom and gloom of the storm around and inside of him. His anguish and pain dissolved in the glorious radiant might of Laguna’s sunsteel strike, and soon he found himself being set down on the glimmering dancefloor, as if Zapdos had set the stage for this glorious finale. He’d never been manhandled in such a way, but he could see the appeal now.
“Well well well!” Orion called out over the rushing wind and the slowly surging music. “I was beginning to think you’d snubbed me.” Taking her hand he would give her a quick twirl before pulling her closer. “But now I see you were just saving the best for last!”
Seeing as she was bringing the heat, he would take a few jaunty steps, pivoting and giving his hips a saucy wiggle as he led them through a spirited salsa. Years of fiestas at Tio Gio’s house came rushing back to him as they took this one moment, at the end of all of the suffering and hurt to relish in a celebration of life. Like Jeff Goldbloom said in Jurassic park.
Life finds a way.
They didn’t have to go killing every legendary pokemon they ever met. They didn’t need to bring Zapdos low, he could take them higher, and farther than they ever could alone. Together they would go to Ostella and figure out a way forward. The would forge a weapon, or a team strong enough to beat back the corruption without compromising their integrity. After all, this was UNOVR, where pokemon talked, where the line between real and unreal became so blurry it didn’t matter. If there was ever a place that such a future could exist, it was here.
After all, if they could make Jorts that made his ass look this good, they had to have something up their sleeves, right?
He would release the rest of his mon waiting in the wings, Hades, Ares, Argos, and Morpheus came streaming from his pocket as flashing fireworks to accentuate their dance, and without even saying a word it was like they knew what to do. Hades let out massive gouts of flame, burninating the massive Duraldons. Argos the yanma helped coordinate the team with his birds eye view, calling out target coordinates that Ares would follow up with flamethrowes. Morpheus for his credit Morphed all over the place.
“It’s Morphin time!” The type null called out as he buffed Hades.
As Orion and Laguna continued their dance, Orion felt the passion of everyone’s hearts alight. As far as he could tell they were all unified in finding another way, a better way, and his heart soared. Everyone in unison, all working for something more than them, all unwilling to sacrifice one being for an easy out.
“I’ll always be there to light up the night blue! Together we can make the world brighter, any time, any place!”
Normally Orion wasn’t one for repeat moves, but how could he refuse a request from such a wonderful dance partner. He would twirl away from her, arms outstretched as he would turn his head away and let out a massive cerulean beam. Twirling with her as the moon might orbit the earth, Orion made a full rotation nailing the ring of Duraldon with his attack.
It wasn’t going to be easy, they were essentially spitting in the face of months of work and preparation. But nothing worth doing was ever easy, and he had one hell of a team to work alongside.
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Wolf
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The Tempest
Mythstar
Posts: 452
Trainer Class: 
Player Name: Genesis Fox
OOC Username: Outcast
Arena Points: 80
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Post by Wolf on Jul 21, 2023 10:20:52 GMT 9
There was so much going on, more than Rhaenyra could comprehend at the moment. One minute, everyone was attacking the zapdos with all they got to save the shrine. The next, the Professor was calling off the attack in favor of another solution to the problem. Which was it? Attack or not.
As soon as Zapdos was within range of the beams, they activated. Beams of light shot into the heavens, breaking through any thing that stood in their way. Zapdos summons up his defenses, the barriers providing little to no stop of the many beams that want to take it down. And as a beam breaks through the screens, the thunder bird attempts aerial acrobatics to dodge them. With Rhaenyra and her team on his wing, this might she had to hold on for dear life. The hybrid cursed under her breath, struggling to herself balanced on the avian’s wing. “Lagertha. Jethro. Keep close and hold on.” Kneeling down, the woman grabbed clumps of feathers between her fingers to hold onto.
Zapdos soared through the sky, dodging beams as they broke through the light barriers. It cried out for them to hold him, save his life and understand him. That was until suddenly, the music fades and something popups on her screen by force. Two options. Pick one. She read them as carefully as she could, knowing there was probably a time limit to it. And after weighting her own views and how she would like the game to progress for her story, the wolf girl choice FIND ANOTHER WAY.
Abruptly, the music blasted in her wolf ears. A new objective prop, telling her to aim for duraludon cannons instead. “Ohhh…” the wolf girl spoke softly in surprised, moving carefully to peak over zapdos wing to see the beams. Just as she did, a beam blasted towards her. Rhaenyra falling back while zapdos shield attempted to block it. “How in the h3ll is she to do that?!”
In the corner of her eye, she sees people jumping off zapdos and using the light screen shields to aid their descend. “Are they crazy? H3ll no! I'm not jumping.” Pale golden orbs fell upon her pokemon, giving them a nod. What is they just caused chaos below them? “Just aim for any of them within range. Lagertha. Twister. Jethro. Earthquake.” Surely, that should mess a lot of them. Right? |
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Lucille
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The Tempest
Player Character
Posts: 88
Trainer Class: 
Player Name: Lucille Whitehall
OOC Username: Riri
Arena Points: 10
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Post by Lucille on Jul 21, 2023 10:57:52 GMT 9
The sound of rumbling thunder filled the air like a starving beast, a deafening pound of her heartbeat and the roaring wind filling Lucille's ears as time slowed to a standstill. Zapdos' words pierced the atmosphere as the titanous creature drops closer to their initial goal. Screeching its displeasure, the thunder-titan's final assault on the three remaining Zones begins. A fierce howl of wind slices across the air of Zone B, battering Pokémon of all shapes and sizes including Aymr, who had finished smashing into Zapdos' shrine-gripping talon with the last of his strength and one last Rollout before succumbing to his injuries.
The battered and bruised Cyndaquil let out a cry as he tumbled through the air, his form splintering as ones and zeroes flickered leaving trails that dissipated after a few moments. The ghostly shape of a purple-flamed evolution briefly taking over the unconscious Cyndaquil's form before enveloping the fire-type in a blinding light. Limbs elongating and body shape growing and growing until reaching a slightly larger than average height for Hisuian Typhlosion. The light surrounding Aymr looking similar to a comet falling from orbit, glistening sparkles trailing behind him as he fell as the light slowly faded from his body.
Without a second thought, Lucille's body reacted faster than her brain could catch up, rushing and leaping from the wing of the Big Bird after her partner, her voice filling her lungs and threatening to spill from her mouth as she began freefalling, an utterly gut-wrenchingly visceral scream ❝AYMR! AYYYMMRRR!❞ She stretched her arms out as far as they would go in order to try and reach her newly-evolved starter. He seemed so far away and yet so close but she just... needed more! Her hands ached as she strained her fingers in desperation. Bitter winds biting at her skin, her clothes whipping around her frame wildly while water flooded her vision. She couldn't lose Aymr, not here. Not after coming so far.
Byleth's body shuddered as she stared with wide-amber orbs at the place where her mother figure had been <H-Huh? Ma--Mama?!> She choked out, moving to peer over the edge of Zapdos' wing. Her little heart was racing in her ears as she watched her trainer plummet along with her friend, her breathing full of panic as she whipped her head back and forth. Think Byleth, think! If she didn't do something now, she would lose them both, she couldn't bear the thought of that. A surge of heat built up in the pit of the Dreepy's stomach as she sucked in a deep breath and dove over the edge of the thunder-titan's wing. As straight as an arrow yet still too slow to reach her mother-figure or Aymr, inwardly cursing her small stature. A desperate struggle setting her blood ablaze as she grit her teeth, closed her eyes tightly and willed herself to go faster... she had too!
A blinding light enveloped the Dreepy, surging forth like a rocket at breakneck speed, the light elongating and growing larger before dissipating and leaving behind the form of a Dragapult. The large draconic lizard closing the gap between herself and Lucille, hooking her arms around Lucille's waist <Someone call for a lift?> Byleth chittered proudly, looking quite pleased with her new form.
❝Byleth? Is that you?❞ Lucille lifted her head and blinked as her eyes settled upon an unfamiliar Pokémon <Who else? I wasn't going to let you do this alone.> Lucille gave a brief nod as thanks and lowered her hand down to the pokeball clips on her belt, taking Aymr's ball from it and reaching out with the ball ❝I know you're not gonna like this but return!❞ A red beam of light shot out of the centre of the sphere, hitting the Hisuian form and sucking him back into his Pokeball. Lucille breathed out a sigh of relief and held her starters pokeball close to her chest ❝Thank you, Byleth. Care to bring us down by the Duraludon?❞
Byleth nodded her head <Sure thing, hold on!> Byleth steered towards the towering Duraludon, gliding towards the metallic dinosaur skyscrapers <Don't be getting used to this, I am so not going Skydiving like that again.>
❝You know what? That is completely fair.❞ Lucille replied softly, the duo slowly descending until reaching solid ground, much to Lucille's relief.
A notification flashed across Lucille's UI, pulling up a decision to make, listing pros and cons between the two. Her eyes scanned the words carefully. Professor Ash was to be replaced in both scenarios. A frown settled across her lips, she hadn't met Bunya so she couldn't exactly weigh in on that but she knew that she liked Ash. As for the topic of Corruption, perhaps it was possible to Find Another Way to cure Mistra. Tapping her decision, Lucille nodded as a look of determination settled into her features, her gaze settling on the towering skyscrapers as they unhinged their jaws and began to fire magnetized beams at the titanous thunder bird. Her gaze dropped to Aymr's Pokeball briefly, gritting her teeth for a few moments ❝Byleth. Dragon Pulse.❞ On command Byleth leapt over her trainer, a growl settling into her throat as she began to gather draconic energy, waves of purple rippling across the ground around the Dragapult's form before she let out a guttural roar and unleashed the gathered energy in a gigantic pulse hurtling towards the Dynamax'd Duraludon. |
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h0lyn3v1l
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Thunderstruck
Player Character
Posts: 45
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Jacob Harrison
OOC Username: GreySquid
Arena Points: 10
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Post by h0lyn3v1l on Jul 21, 2023 12:06:29 GMT 9
“Ughhhhh what’s with all these cutscenes? What kind of MMO tries to put a storyline?” H0LYN3V1L groaned and stomped a foot. Really who did they think he was? Just some scrub here to read or like, learn a lesson or something? That was for babies and nerds, and he was definitely neither of those things. H0LYN3V1L passive aggressively picked at his nails and kept sighing very loudly to make sure everyone near him knew that he was too cool to listen.
Finally, after what felt like a million years, a new popup appeared.
CLEANSE MISTRA IMMEDIATELY or FIND ANOTHER WAY
“What kind of lame ass question is that? It’s literally just pixels, I’m gonna kill it, be the hero, cleanse the world, and then get like, a big ass gold statue made of me.” H0LYN3V1L said as he went to select his choice. Right before he could select, though, a new popup appeared.
H0LYN3V1L IS OUT OF USEABLE POKEMON!
“Wait. What? What does that even mean?” H0LYN3V1L dismissed the notifications to look around and sure enough, Fletchling was further along Zapdos’ wing, knocked out. Capsakid was no longer on his shoulder. His knocked out form was in a pile on top of Snivy’s body. “Oh I forgot Snivy was even here. Well that’s dumb, I don’t need them to make a choice!” But the wrong message popped back up
H0LYN3V1L HAS NO MORE POKEMON THAT CAN FIGHT!
“I don’t care! Lemme finish off Zapdos!” H0LYN3V1L tried to dismiss the message again, only for another one to immediately take its place.
YOU WERE OVERWHELMED BY YOUR DEFEAT!
“Defeat? Defeat! I wasn’t defeated, just my dumb pokemon were and it’s not like it was even fair! I was nerfed, you can’t do this to me!”
H0LYN3V1L tried to dismiss the message, but it just shifted into a final message.
H0LYN3V1L HAS WHITED OUT!
And with a final swear, H0LYN3V1L’s vision flashed white and he was teleported back to the Giant Shrine. “What the... No, seriously. That’s not fair! This is bull, I was doing a ton of damage and they had to get rid of me for the other people! I’m the hero! Just because a bunch of no life losers glitched their pokemon to be, like, stupid high levels, I shouldn’t be punished for that!” H0LYN3V1L collapsed onto the ground next to the shrine and rubbed at his teary eyes. “This is so not worth the grounding I’m gonna get.” |
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Tuesday
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Battle Legend
The Creed
Posts: 1,602
Trainer Class: 
Player Name: Martín 'Mars' Marzán
OOC Username: Stells
Arena Points: 138
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Post by Tuesday on Jul 21, 2023 13:35:03 GMT 9
#s://cdn~discordapp~com/attachments/1011703533558566924/1129184093414895667/00TA00~jpg She had come here for the thrill of the fight; for a battle against an impossible opponent and for the ultimate challenge that UNOVR can offer a player like this Alchemist knight. On a deeper level, she had come here because of a grudge she no longer holds. And, even deeper than that, she had come here for a promise that is no longer what the person she had made this promise to wants. Professor Ash doesn't want this fight. Zapdos didn't want this fight. No one else seems to want this fight, and yet—..."Articuno told us lots. He said he was stuck and seemed really sad. But he said that you and him PLAYED PRETEND WITH KINGS AND PRINCES. But- I think, it's time to stop playing pretend. BUT NOW, YOU CAN BE TRUE HEROES! Please, don't be mad. We all just want to help this world... As much as the land hurts, it's the best world I know!"While fighting, Tuesday hears Rose Garden's words to Zapdos, amplified by speakers even when she's so close. The little girl that now bears cat ears like her own had chosen to come along, she had chosen to fight, and it is clear now that in doing so she had had her own reasons. A child who thinks this world full of dangers, strife, and conflicting moments, is better than the real one... Mars would have thought the same back when he was a boy. The battle is ceaseless, a thousand things happen all at once, but at that moment, if only for a handful of seconds, for Tuesday everything slows. She understands, she sees the thinly veiled truth, and the moment she understands, the choice appears as a popup: CLEANSE MISTRA IMMEDIATELY | FIND ANOTHER WAYThere is not even a second of hesitation, but there instead something much different than that: "Rose! Listen... We're all in this world to play pretend. We're all here to be things we can't be without our WorldScreens. Many here want to be heroes of this world, and if that's what you want to be too, then you should, but don't make your choice based on what others want. It's okay to do what you want! It's okay to do what makes you happy! I know you care for this world, so if you do want to help it... just remember that a hero's path can be the most difficult and most painful."When Mars was a boy, he had grown enamored with the Greco-Roman heroes his father often told him tales of, only to later learn that those heroes never had the happy endings of fairy tales. The Greeks really didn't fuck around when it came to make people suffer for their deeds, and consequentially, the Romans also didn't. "You don't have to be a hero, Rose. I'm sure that you can find another way to help this world be what you want it to become." She gives the girl a slight smile... one that shifts to a sharp smirk when she turns to face Zapdos and summons her immovable spear — Tyrfing having gladly and gloriously fainted during her last attack. Her next words are but a mere whisper in the raging cacophony of the battle. "I'm not a hero either... but I'd endure more than just a little pain for the sake of getting what I want." Mars has done so many times before, and Tuesday has too. What does Tuesday want now, though? A battle? No, not really, it's not even about that anymore. It's finally about Mistra. It's about the Corruption that had toyed with her mind and Sarah Lee's, forcing them to look into themselves. It's about the suffering starlitlover had to endure, and all the hatred and animosity that now exists between them. It's about Ancile and Chariot being taken from her. It's about revenge. It's about putting an end to that horrible place. It's about selfishness. And, as seems to be a bit of a pattern for dear Tuesday, it's about sacrificing others for the sake of her own desires. "The battle is not ov—!" The game has different plans. Standing on the Giant Shrine as she is, clad in armour as she is, Tuesday becomes magnetised. Her whole body is pulled towards a magnetic beam with an aggressive tug, but while many would think that would be enough to stop this woman who often thinks herself an unstoppable force, those many may not know that she's also in possession of an immovable object. "ALEXA!"The command word is spoken, and in a split second, the spear responds, frozen. The world moves all around Tuesday, people and Pokémon alike attack the enormous Duraludon that rise as if dozens of skyscrapers, but in this makeshift skyline of theirs, the Alchemist stands her ground always. She holds onto her spear with all of her strength, and the spear remains in place. "BARTÓK! IT'S TIME!"Ever graceful, the armoured Sawsbuck jumps down to meet her, allowing the Alchemist to climb onto his back once again. She whispers the spear's command in order for it to release its immovable hold, relying on Bartók's strength as she points towards Zapdos: "ONE LAST STRIKE TOGETHER! BEFORE THAT BEAM PULLS US AWAY!"What comes next is a war cry. What comes next is a smile. What comes next is, as always, gold and ice.Bartók jumps, air freezing beneath his steps, and the moment they're close enough to the gargantuan bird of legends, a cold and sharp spear that grows golden in the hands of an Alchemist strikes alongside the double edge of gelid antlers. To the bitter end, Tuesday and her Pokémon fight together.
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[NPC] Professor Ash said:
