[ti]location[/ti] THUNDERFALL SHRINE

This trip to the shrine all the way out here was—was—

There was blood pouring out of the side of his forehead and he had no way to quell or staunch the bleeding—just why did he have to run out of bandages and disinfectant at the worst possible time?!

“Cazzo, cazzo, cazzo, cazzo!” he hissed as he pulled away his right hand—now soaked with very wet, very crimson blood that refused to let up despite him pressing against the bleeding wound as hard as he possibly could.

He… he really looked like a mess. The belated realization that the hand he’d pressed to the fresh wound on his forehead was his right hand didn’t even register until he caught sight of the roughly-wrapped bandages turning red the moment he’d slapped his right hand on the electrified piece of jutting metal—

“Fuck!”

oh look the scar origin story

Arthur remembered fire, a lack of eyes, and a thirst for blood that was not his own. There was also the little matter of that brief moment when he felt something nick his neck, though nick was just underplaying it.

As he gave his mind time to process what happened, he knew that he whited out. It was a familiar pattern: breathe in deep, like he was resurfacing, panting, tasting the air - this time he had more energy to look around frantically, feel the remains of fatal wounds that had been healed with sparks, and to his utter relief, his Vulpix and Poochyena by his side, whimpering (they had awoken before him and were waiting for him to stir).

He gathered the two into an embrace, muttering, thank God, you're still here, before quickly checking his box to see if anyone had been affected. No, it was only Gou. It was a mistake that only he was punished for.

He let out a withered sigh and grimaced. That was too careless, but he supposed it was good to know(?) that facing them alone was not going to work out at all. He also noted that there was a notification that the battle was already finished. That was fine, he hoped that the two players that were there (one of them was...Alicia Westfield, wasn't it?) were able to make it out fine and get their prize. He had mixed feelings if he was given the choice to catch it. He wasn't sure what he would do.

In any case, he lied back down on the cold, hard dirt for a while, his eyes on the wide metal spire where supposedly Zapdos rested in wait, his arms still around his two Pokemon to ensure he wasn't dreaming.

"You know, I am just now realizing how much faith you have in us," Laguna spoke up softly as she gazed upon the shrine. She laid back against the very ground as her eyes scanned up and down the massive shrine.

"You know what we were originally going to do with it. And yet, you have granted us free use. All the while you continue the mission in your own way, fighting against the corruption along the edge of Mistra." If only Moltres joined them in the fight, actively, even if Articuno was too weak to leave his realm.

"I know your power is here, and not simply, you. So I don't know if this means anything to you. But-" Laguna paused, a sheepish smile on her face. "I wrote you a poem I hope you enjoy it.."

Beauty is unseen
with the eyes of selfish men.
Only seen with love.

Laguna laid flat on a ruined road near the shrine a few seconds after pressing her palm against the shrine, letting out a long sigh as she allowed the feeling of the shrine's energies flow through her. It had been a long day, dealing with public transportation nightmares, and she just needed a moment to unwind and destress.

Her skin crawled with the pressure, that gut feeling of raw power. It was like a rush of adrenaline, in a positive way that caffeine could never compare. No amount of energy drinks or sleep could compare to the raw flow of energy from Zapdos himself.

"Hoo!" Shouted our Brragon, after briefly touching the shrine and feeling the power overwhelm the Frigibax. "Hah! Hooo! Yeeaaah! Feel the power flowing through me! I'm like a monster!" They roared out, an adorable squeal, moving to pick up a small rock and chuck it to the side where it shattered, and they roared again.

Laguna couldn't help but immediately laugh, turning over from where she laid to look over at her Pokemon. "Having fun playing destruction over here?"

"Yeah!" Brragon pumped his arms upwards, as if trying to will more power of the shrine into him. "One day, I'll be as tall as these buildings! And then I can destroy them all!"

She laughed right away, giggling to herself. "Not all of them hon. You don't want to destroy the place we worked so hard on, do you?"

"I- Well- No... But some of them!"

"We can work with some of them."

Torino picked herself up. "A new dog," she mused, "It needs a cute face. Maybe Bella?" she opened her map and paused, finger over the icon for the Dune District. "No! Bello!" she smiled. The male Growlithe had a much more distinguished and squishable face. He would be perfect!

But then her face fell with realization.

"Oh no! But it will be wearing a helmet!" she slumped. "So I cannot push his beautiful face. Maybe I should pick for personality then..." she clicked the button and disappeared in a flash of light, still undecided on the face of her new friend.

It wouldn’t take too long for him to make an unscheduled return trip to the Thunderfall Shrine—a look of surprise would cross his face as he saw that there was a particular section of the shrine had a familiar-looking stain still visible on its face.

“What the…” he trailed off, blinking at the familiar hand print that was there. It hadn’t rubbed off? Despite the entire metallic structure emitting static electricity and keeping the place clean?

“Huh.”

He would blink and touch the shrine at the same spot where his blood had unceremoniously painted the shrine, back then.

how is that still there?!