Bergamot Gristleborg
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Muddy Girl
Mythstar
Posts: 403
Trainer Class: 
Player Name: Chryssa Glasgow
OOC Username: M00K
Arena Points: 37
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Post by Bergamot Gristleborg on Oct 11, 2024 11:31:06 GMT 9
ZONE 3: HEARTEATER
Chryssa found grief a curious thing.
Not anger. That, she understood. Anger at fate, at God, at the cruel world which tosses and mixes mortal lives on the back of its changing tides like flotsam. A side-effect of existence. She understood revenge, spite, resentment.
Chryssa wondered if she had ever experienced grief. She was always the one people were grieving for.
What did people feel, when their Pokemon fainted? Nothing rational. Bergamot felt nothing in particular. It was a game mechanic, nothing more painful or unusual than consuming a single-use potion or using your 'get out of jail free' card in Monopoly. Surely instant oblivion was more pleasant than surviving the hit, assuming they revived.
Then again, she remembered what it was like to die. To have your head served (or surfed) on a platter, to see the light in someone's eyes vanish, never to exist again. The panic. The seconds, ticking down. Knowing (but not knowing) whether you would wake up again on the other side of that final screen.
β¦
Still, she suspected it was not empathy for their Pokemon which drove people to kneel by their bodies, cradling them in their arms. Some players shed tears. Some bellowed fury. Wretched emotions rooted in past trauma, manifested by the WorldScreen in each player's personal reality.
There was something beautiful in the way each person experienced UNOVR. This world was different than the one outside. That world was designed to hurt them. Through indifference, through isolation, through accidents and rare disease and bitter twists of fate that left you mouthing Why?
Why me? Why us? Why them?
Not this world. Everything was planned. Everything was intended. And at the end of the day, it was intended to make Morgana happy.
She wondered why people always forgot that.
β¦
"One Max Revive, coming right up~!" sang Morgana cheekily, twirling around. Her eyes were a little colder than usual, a little sharper. She had lost two Pokemon in the Eat the Rear assault, and her once-plentiful bouquet of battle options were dwindling like petals on a wishing-daisy.
Krony 2012 the shiny male Salandit, who had been sent out when Kartana fainted, scurried forward, healing Alicia's Hydrapple and Coalossal as he did with a squirt of sweet-smelling liquid. The lizard seemed relieved to have the chance to leave the battle early, perching on Alicia Westfield's Bayleef's shoulder with his tail twitching excitedly.
"You know I'm an Alchemist, right?" Morgana asked, stretching her fingers out in front of her. The knuckles cracked. "Let's just call this an expensive revival. Bippity! Boppity! Boo!"
BONGG.
A deep bell-tone resonated across the battlefield as Krony's tail stiffened, he and Tikani suddenly frozen in a monument of perfect gold. The gleaming statue of the Salandit and the Bayleef stayed for just a moment before the gold shattered in red light as Krony disappeared, recalled to Morgana's Pokeball. Bits of gold fell away like eggshell to reveal the restored Bayleef, conscious once more.
"I'll be back to collect the favor," said Morgana, distracted, turning away. She was already scanning her minimap for more red skull icons. They marked the respawn points of fainted players, and there was one a short distance away marked Kyukon. "Jack, you remember what that Team Apex Guillotine boy smelled like, don't you?"
<Peep! Uh, yes.>
"Good. Would you mind reviving him? I have⦠something to do."
While Mudkip bounced away, already trailing drooly Protect bubbles (some of which popped on orioncayge's Buzzswole as he passed) Bergamot turned to HEARTEATER.
The grotesque bat was seated on a white marble casket, almost completely hidden beneath the drooping folds of flesh and skin. Bergamot crept up next to it. Hearteater was busy tormenting randos with personalized alien dialogue snippets: it had no idea she was there.
"This is it," she whispered, opening her inventory. Her glossy eyes reflected stars and void as she lifted up her Cosmog Egg, missing only a single requirement to hatch. Expose the egg to a relevant item, element, or location.
What better than a Lunala?
Sneakily lifting up Hearteater's tail flap, feeling like Indiana Jones swapping a bag of sand for a bag of gold coins, she slipped the egg into the boss's fleshy pouch. "There you go. Should be nice and comfy in there," she whispered, "Assuming Hearteater doesn't crush you."
But she had a feeling it wouldn't. Fate worked in strange ways, but even the fattest Lunala wouldn't smash its own species' offspring by mistake. Like giving a lost kitten to a nursing mother cat, like a cuckoo chick hatching in a foreign nest, Hearteater was made to incubate this egg.
It was destiny.
[tangent=...WHAT ARE YOU DOING?]...ββββ βββ β¬ββ β
ββββ?[/tangent]
"Nothing, goodbye~"
{CYCLE 5 OBJECTIVES}Copy+paste this section from the person above you!
HEARTEATER: 3483/7100 (This total is counting DOWN from 7100)
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Alicia Westfield
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Player Character
Posts: 693
Trainer Class: 
Player Name: Helen Rose
OOC Username: AzureGhidorah
Arena Points: 12
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Post by Alicia Westfield on Oct 11, 2024 14:08:06 GMT 9
ZONE 3: HEARTEATER
As she scanned the area for someone who could help Tikani, Alicia also paid attention to what was happening around her. Orion had snatched up her lent weapon and moved in.
But just before that a girl made like a certain half-saiyan against a bio-android. Aero βs sudden scream drew attention like nothing else, and Alicia smiled at the sight. It was always the small and quiet ones that had the most fire in them it seemed. She didnβt recognize the buff, but given the electricity she was fairly certain it came from Thunderfall somehow. Another veteran of prior world eventsβ¦
But then her attention was back on orioncayge , watching intently as the man made his choice. She nodded to herself as he nailed the wicked coffin shut with her phantom stake, before manifesting chains to bind it. It was a good thing that she had seen the decrepit husk that was the Lunala first. Seeing it in such a sorry and rundown state had cooled the flames of rage. Embers were still smoldering there. The crimes still had to be answered for. She would still strike with all she had, once someone came forward.
But had Orion mentioned that he was only aiming to seal Hearteater before she saw the beast, her rage mightβve boiled over with a tint of frustration. The same bloodlust he had chosen to throw away had been burning bright in her up until the batβs emergence. But now she could only pity it. Defeating it was merely a duty now. One she would enjoy all the same. But it wouldnβt have the same visceral satisfaction of triumphing over an overwhelming foe would have had.
It was one thing to climb over a seemingly insurmountable wall. It was quite another to kick over a withering husk. Hearteaterβs menace was only palpable while it had minions and couldnβt be touched. Could it even fight back after possibly exhausting itself with its Z-Move?
Bergamot suddenly chimed in, and Aliciaβs heart hammered. A Max Revive? She only asked for a regular one, but if someone could offer that much she certainly wasnβt going to say no! She and Sylvene swung around back to where her team was huddled, appreciating that she was also expending some effort to top up Fumar and Yggdril a bit as well. Everything was appreciated at this point.
βThanksβ¦β Alicia replied, smiling as Tikani got herself back up.
βUghβ¦ that was unpleasantβ¦β Tikani grumbled out.
And the pinkette froze, ice sliding through her heart. She mightβve promised she would do damageβ¦ but seeing Tikani be nearly destroyed by an attack she wouldβve normally survived made her hesitate. She couldnβt. She could not ask Tikani to do that again. In fact, she needed to get the Bayleef out of Sweeper at the earliest opportunity. She needed to get rid of this wretched ability after this was all said and done so itβd never bother her and her team again-
She double took as she went to flick Recoil to βoffβ for the Bayleef. Once she had, it had immediately flipped back on by itself. Slowly, she looked to her partner. The pinkette gazed into Tikaniβs eyes, hardened and determined. Unyielding, unrelenting. Passionate beyond compare. βTikaniβ¦?β
βLetβs finish this. Donβt you dare hold back on us now.β Tikani declared.
βWe stand ready, whatever may happen.β Fumar agreed.
βYour concern is appreciated.β Sylvene added. βBut weβre built to fight. And you have personally seen that weβre armored and armed to fight. So weβre going to battle with every mote of strength we have.β
βYou have no idea what it was like!β
βWe want a piece of the bat ourselves!β
βPayback time!β
βSo let us fight without any restraint!β
βAnd if we fall, we fall. As long as YOU win in the end!β
Alicia closed her eyes. Her lip trembled as she tried to control the flood of emotions. Suddenly the din of war was so far awayβ¦ It was just her and the Pokemon sheβd gathered. Whatever means brought them into her company, they were all with her now. All willing to lay everything on the line.
I donβtβ¦ deserve this dedicationβ¦
The light of Z-Power ignited in her glove. Recoil flicked on in her menu for Sylveneβs status. Specter was engaged, as she spread her phantom tendrils towards all four of her Pokemon. Infusing them with the power she needed them to have in order to Hunt The Bat Down. How could she not answer such resolution?
From her position in Sylveneβs saddle she sway in place. Eyes fluttered wildly as she mimed her own puppeting motions with her fingers, as if strings were attached to them. Everything was primed. It was time for the final counterattack. Alicia pointed to Hearteater, and uttered a one-word command to her team. βStrike.β
She then regarded Hearteater, closing her eyes. [tangent=βAs every moon waxes, so too do they all inevitably wane. Time for your blood moon to set at last.β]βββ βββββ¬ ββββ βββββ, ββ βββ β
β ββββ¬ ββ°β° βββββββββ°β¬ ββββ. ββββ βββ β¬βββ ββ°βββ
ββββ ββ βββ ββ β°βββ.β[/tangent]
Fumar hissed, sounding like a train whistle. The coal titan stomped forward, hammering the earth. As the pile on his back flared red, yellow, and even a blueish-white, he marched.
Yggdril let out an uproarious, bell-like cackle. Borrowing from their time in Midas Corp, they pushed over and began to roll, crashing through anything in their way to Hearteater.
Sylvene shrieked, her cry piercing the air. At Aliciaβs nudging, she rose. Then she snapped her wings shut against her body and dove towards Hearteater, picking up speed.
And Tikani yelled, as golden power flowed from Alicia into her. And as the power invigorated her, her body also flashed white.
[tangent=βBecause the only immortal thing is the soul each being is infused with.β]ββββββββ βββ βββ°β¬ ββββββββ° βββββ ββ βββ ββββ° ββββ βββββ ββ βββββββ
ββββ.β[/tangent]
The Coalossal arrived first, roaring. βFOR ALL THE SOULS YOU TWISTED! THOSE WHO YOU DISGRACED WITH YOUR SELFISH DESIRES!β Fumar pivoted, his enflamed body heating his blades. They flashed with spectral might as he spiraled into the Lunalaβs body, rending flesh and tearing mist from the bat.
Yggdril bounced themselves back up, biting wildly at Hearteaterβs right wing. Thrashing angrily. Each head had something to say as they adjusted.
βCURSE YOUR WICKED HAZE!β
βTO THE DISTORTION WORLD WITH YOUR MAD HUNGER!β
βALL OVER FOR YOU NOW!β
βYOU MESSED WITH THE WRONG FOLK!β
βPAY FOR EVERYTHING YOU DID!β
Sylvene let another piercing shriek as she reached speeds befitting Quick Attack. With Alicia astride her, the Pidgeot was able to crash through Hearteaterβs body because of the ghostly essence surrounding them. She immediately pivoted, striking through Hearteater again and again. βFOR EVERY OUNCE OF PAIN YOU CAUSED OUR TRAINER, SUFFER IT FOR YOURSELF A THOUSAND FOLD!β
And then the star of Aliciaβs show was ready. Her body swelled. Leaves spread, split, and replaced by the petals of a flower in full bloom. To Aliciaβs surprise, the newly-minted Meganiumβs armor seemed to also be catalyzed by her evolution. The leg sections of her armor had hints of bridge supports, and pin-strip highlighting went along her neck armor. As if the armor, sourced partially from a Duraludon as it was, had swelled and become the hide of an Archaludon in response.
Multiple vines, still tarry black like strands of the Void itself, were launched from Tikaniβs body, racing towards Hearteater and binding the bat. The Meganium let out a cry as light gathered, in which she infused Aliciaβs spectral gift to transform its type. βTAKE YOUR HORRIBLE HUNGERβ¦ AND CHOKE ON IT!β
The Meganium launched her specteal blast, tinged with Solarbeam ever so slightly as it was, and planted the spectral beam dead center into Hearteaterβs chest, searing and shredding the bloated beast.
[tangent=βYou're not even truly living. Not anymore. You're just existing, a curse upon both your own self and everything around you. You've confused waning for waxing...β]ββ¬ββ'ββ βββ ββββ ββββ°β¬ β°βββββ. βββ βββ¬ββββ. β¬ββ'ββ ββββ ββββββββ, β βββββ ββΏββ ββββ β¬βββ βββ βββ°β βββ
βββββ¬βββββ ββββββ
β¬ββ. β¬ββ'ββ ββββββββ
ββββββ βββ ββββββ...β[/tangent]
It would be done soonβ¦ but she still pitied the bat. And so she directed Sylvene silently, flying just over the Lunala. And she back-flipped off of her avian mount. The Pidgeot was understandably stunned. βAlicia!?β
The pinkette landed on Hearteaterβs shoulder, reading its reactions and shifting in time with them. And she rested a hand on the beastβs cheek, melding and mingling with their enemy for just a brief timeβ¦
Alicia pulled away at that, fixing Hearteater-β¦ noβ¦ [tangent="Ansumirox... The devourer of purpose... Think on what I've said. We may talk again after this. And... I hope the next time I see you, you'll have a new purpose of your own instilled in your heart from your rumination..."]"βββββββββ... βββ β
βββββββ ββ βΏβββΏβββ... βββββ ββ ββββ β'ββ ββββ
. ββ βββ¬ βββ°β βββββ βββββ ββββ. βββ
... β βββΏβ βββ ββββ ββββ β βββ β¬ββ, β¬ββ'β°β° ββββ β βββ βΏβββΏβββ ββ β¬βββ βββ ββββββ°β°ββ
ββ β¬βββ βββββ ββββ β¬βββ ββββββββββ..."[/tangent]
She gazed at her, disappointed. And then she leaped away to not interfere with any other further attacks.
{Cycle 5 Objectives}Please delete Pokemon and move types from the list as they are completed!
Copy+paste the updated list from the person above you.
HEARTEATER: 1101/7100 (This total is counting DOWN from 7100) |
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Josh Devlin
•
Beginning Trainer
The Creed
Posts: 1,136
Trainer Class: 
Player Name: Josh Devlin
OOC Username: RaikouRider
Arena Points: 28
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Post by Josh Devlin on Oct 11, 2024 14:20:02 GMT 9
ZONE 3
The boss music override caught Josh's attention, Solgaleo's sacred melody playing as though it were an oath to order. All action seemed to freeze as the chromatic lion bleached the surroundings with the most vicious SOLAR BEAM he had ever seen. Mirage's, Pazuzu's, and even Josh's skin turned so tan that anyone who didn't know them though they may have been different breeds; Josh's in particular was colored so much that he looked like he was a different race entirely.
Time still remained stopped for Josh and his PokΓ©mon as the red mist coalesced into a crescent-shaped bat. Not one he was familiar with the color scheme of, either. Resembling the holy PokΓ©mon Lunala only in shape, this was no PokΓ©mon. It was a monster. An amalgamation of Corruption, hatred, and gluttony. Too fat to fly.
It was impossible for Josh to comprehend the myriad of images he saw through Hearteater's eyes. Through them, he saw his friend Nero , as well as himself. Himself as an adult. He felt Hearteater's bottomless desire for food. With every cycle, the blood red vermin's hunger only multiplied. It had devoured Kyukon 's heart in a bloody mess thanks to his gore settings being sufficiently high.
"Go back to The End of the World, you heart-eating vermin!" Josh spat at Hearteater, both physically and verbally. That fervor turned into uncontrollable laughter, not just from him, but from Granmarg, Pazuzu, and even the normally all-serious Mirage, too. Given how rotund the Lunala's rear had to be from how much she had gorged herself after hundreds, if not thousands of years, there had to be an awful lot of juicy fat in there. He would leave orioncayge to making a meal out of it.
The picky eater was not terribly fond of bat meat.
Driven to unbridled vitriol, the Lunala shrieked again, the letters flying toward Josh, Mirage, and Pazuzu. Mirage zipped behind the Pidgeot in the wake of the Z-MOVE: MENACING MOONRAZE MAELSTROM, Josh letting go of the reins and embracing the giant, Mega Evolved bird's back as closely as he could. His decision to hide behind the flying-type with wings spread wide saved his life, shielding him from the most powerful ghost-type attack in UNOVR. And the two no-sold it, a red zero bouncing near the bottom of both their models.
The Ninjask suffered a massive blow, cracking his exoskeleton and threatening to shatter it completely with the next ghost-type attack that hit it. Too upset to register how much pain he was in, Mirage buzzed close to his attacker. "MURDERER!!" the disciplined bug screamed toward Hearteater with a terrifying voice that made Josh's skin tingle, the boy able to feel in his words the immense physical and spiritual pain the Lunala had afflicted him with. The passion that came from his voice was unlike anything he had heard from any of his PokΓ©mon. "Is your hunger so insatiable that you will devour the heart of the HELPLESS?!" he continued to bark as his trainer's heart floated toward the disgusting-looking bat. "There is no place in UNOVR for one as vile, as reprehensible, and as beyond contempt as you. I HEREBY SENTENCE YOU TO DEATH!!"
The Bolter's mount screeched as well, drawing on Z-ENERGY floating from the glove on his left hand. A whirlwind formed around the Lunala as the Pidgeot and Ninjask sped around it in faster and faster circles. It was that Z-Energy that allowed Pazuzu to keep up with, and eventually overtake, Mirage. With a sickening twist that would have ripped Josh's unconscious body from the saddle had his pain thresholds not been so low, the bird's wings turned a yellow-white. "THIS IS FOR ARES! AND ULYSSES! AND ALL THE OTHER FRIENDS YOU'VE TAKEN AWAY FROM ME!!" the boy clamored as loudly as he could.
Shining bright as a Zapdos, the avian charged directly toward Hearteater, a dust cone forming around him and his trainer. A thunderous boom and shockwave flew out from them in the fastest charge the racer's PokΓ©mon had access to. The Z-MOVE: BREAKNECK BLITZ. Moving faster than a tornado, a dust corona formed around knight and steed. The air displacement was massive enough that even Mirage was forced to raise his wings to a shrieking frequency.
Five illusory copies of the Ninjask appeared around Hearteater as the ultra-fast bug started up a brutal series of passing claw strikes fueled by EXTREME SPEED. It looked like not one, but six Ninjasks were electrocuting the flightless Lunala. Mirage pushed his speed to his limits, the images multiplying. Six became eight. Became twelve. Became sixteen. Twenty-four.
As the number of false bugs grew, so did the pitch of his buzzing. A pitch the species was never designed to emit. Circumstances pushed that boundary beyond what conventional wisdom deemed possible. Mirage looked like hundreds of floating wingless bodies, half facing toward Heartester and half facing away from it, oscillating too fast for even the highest refresh rates to properly render.
Even while Josh and Pazuzu jousted back and forth with each drilling beak motion of the BREAKNECK BLITZ, the two unable to hear a word anyone else was saying, he could still feel the vibrations from Mirage's invisible wings rippling over his skin. Vibrations so powerful that they would have rent the Ninjask himself asunder were it not for Josh's work in crafting armor tough enough to absorb attacks yet lightweight enough to not impede him. He was going too fast to notice anyone but Hearteater. Too fast to notice that Sarah Lee had been freed and was no doubt preparing a finishing blow of her own. Too fast to see anything but countless Mirages circling and eventually converging upon Hearteater in a blitzkrieg that may have been painful to look at from the electric death it sought to wreak upon Hearteater.
Too fast to feel anything other than venomous disdain for the being responsible for sending Josh's first PokΓ©mon to the Everworld.
Though it would not inflict any additional HP of damage due to not selecting himself as a PokΓ©mon during raid setup, the Ironsmith drew his electrical sword he bought from Armarouge's Armaments alongside Alicia Westfield . A blade that made him feel like a hero. Perhaps it would inflict emotional damage as its business end sliced through Hearteater's wing with every pass. If she couldn't fly before, she definitely couldn't fly now.
It was not nearly as impressive as Josh's more well-trained PokΓ©mon, but Branmarg wasn't going to idly stand by either. The freed ground-type galloped behind Hearteater at a much more sensible pace, reared high, and STOMPED with his giant hooves... right into the ghost-type's butt cheeks. In any other world, none of the attacks the rider and his team used would have pierced the legendary PokΓ©mon's defenses. In the hands of a master Bolter, though, those attacks were NEVER NORMAL, webs of electricity exploding everywhere beneath the skin Josh's team's hooves, claws, and talons tore up.
Once the vicious blows had been rent upon Hearteater's spirit, Josh gradually slowed from his incomprehensible pace, able to see his allies clearly despite his wooziness from going supersonic. His PokΓ©mon were woozy, as well, both exhausted from their RECOIL. Out of respect for his Pidgeot, the boy dismounted and immediately fell to his knees, buckling under his weight. Perhaps it really was as Alkaid insisted: they didn't work as well as they should have because they rarely touched the ground.
"Did we... do it?" the beleaguered knight heaved as he got confirmation that they, indeed, had won. From Hearteater's writhing body floated an icon familiar to those who had played another wildly popular JRPG series:
( ( ( OVERKILL ) ) )
{CYCLE 5 OBJECTIVES}Copy+paste this section from the person above you!
HEARTEATER: -300/7100 (This total is counting DOWN from 7100) |
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Altair
•
Sky Trainer
Mythstar
Posts: 496
Trainer Class: 
Player Name: Evert Steilsson
OOC Username: Akivili
Arena Points: 49
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Post by Altair on Oct 11, 2024 16:49:51 GMT 9
ZONE 3
Why did this entire thing feel like it was the final part of a boss raid in Eorzeaβthe way that they were pulled down into the thickest of the mist; the Greninjaβs eyes widening in alarm at the sight of what lay up ahead; most everyone else who had taken their time was literally pulled down here, to the rubicon, right where everything would endβ¦
βWhat a mess,β he would mutter sadly, shaking his head. βCan you understand any of the strange language?β he would confer with Hanzo the Greninja.
βUnfortunately, not a thing. Would it be too late to summon Kaguya now?β the amphibious PokΓ©mon inquired, and a curious smile quirked on his lips.
βWell, youβve been here the entire time, and weβve made it all the way down here. You knowβ¦β
βWhat?β
βIβm sure he wouldβve enjoyed this game,β he would hum wistfully. The amphibious PokΓ©mon could only wonder what he meant by that, all things considered. However, Altair (or in this case, Evert) knew.
He knew that the bluenette had a hard time figuring out Eorzean tactics (and that was with him helping the other along the way; so he ended up continuing the journey alone) but when it came to Pokémon⦠boy, there was a reason why the two always played these games together.
How⦠how many years had it been since then?
βWhat do you mean?β the Greninja hummed, watching as more and more players literally came out of the gate screaming with their attacks; while they waited their turn.
βSomeone I know wouldβve loved this version of the franchise. I just know.β
βWho?β
βYou wouldβve enjoyed his company, Hanzo,β he would continue in that quiet, wistful tone. Either way, there was an opening for them to come in with their attack and he would look at the amphibious PokΓ©mon, who would nod back at him.
βI am yours to command.β
βNot command. We go through this, together,β the elfin hummed; taking the next open chance and activating the Aviatorβs Double Jumpβwhile it was not true βflightβ yet (boo, let him really fly!) the Greninja would jump up after him, before he pointed forward; straight at the βHearteaterβ (eat the rear, or was it eat the rat? The jumbled letters disappeared way too fast for him to properly catch them upon their belated arrival in this area).
βYour trail of destruction ends here!β he yelled, just for the theatrics before whistling a very sharp note exactly once.
βI call on the shinobi of legend, Hattori Hanzo, to bring down justice on your wretched soul!β
Thatβ¦ that was the cue for the Greninja to come out from seemingly nowhere, βscreamingβ in midair. Instead of throwing Water Shuriken at the bat that looked absolutely ready to destroy them all, the resulting projectiles were instead Night Slashes that were shaped to resemble shurikenβhey, creative liberties and all that!
HEARTEATER: -534/7100 (This total is counting DOWN from 7100) |
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Alkaid
•
Player Character
Posts: 524
Trainer Class: 
Player Name: Laurence Anderson
OOC Username: Akivili
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Post by Alkaid on Oct 11, 2024 17:44:50 GMT 9
ZONE 3
This was going to be it, huh?
The moment everyone had been drawn into the last zoneβwhere the boss layβhe thought he felt a ripple of apprehension course through him. At least this time around, it wasnβt like back then at the final stages of the Precipice Crown back on the European servers, where everything had literally gone dark at the very end.
This was going to be a different ending.
Wasnβt that why he jumped servers across the ocean and started from nothing, worked his way up? Without the burden of being called a βguild leaderβ, that at least shed some of the weight he had carried back βhomeβ.
So he was basically free to act the way he wanted to.
(Shame he didnβt have Ironsmith unlocked yet. But his mind had gone to plans; rather than a battle axe, he had a different idea in mind for a weaponβ¦ or weapons, motif allowing.)
βWhat do you want me to do?β the not-a-Grookey rumbled from somewhere around his knees and he looked down. The dual-type had their arms crossed, eyeing the strangeβ¦ bat that was obviously speaking nonsense.
(Eat the rear? That was cute.)
βWell,β he breathed out wiping his mouth with the back of his hand (at least there was no blood; though the inside of his mouth still tasted of thick iron) before returning his attention to the madness that was happening, ββ¦I need you and the Kartana to help me out. I donβt think Muninn can right now, because ofβ¦ you know.β
βMultiple eyeballs, right. Got it,β the Thwackey hummed. While they lamented they no longer had a stick to carry around, they at least didnβt have stubs for arms now, so that was an improvement.
βWasnβt expecting you to evolve back there, though. What made you?β he would ask the Thwackey curiously.
βYou were in danger. And I figured, since Muninn isnβt able to help at the moment because of them almost getting swallowed by that strange muck, I had to step up.β
βGrazie,β he would hum quietly; returning his attention to the battlefield. He would gently poke the corvid that had returned to the nest in his hair, but he got no responseβinstead he would hear the quietest of slumbering noises.
βSee? Whatever got them, tired them out. What do you need us to do?β
The Kartanaβs tiny little βclawsβ would dig for a few moments into his shoulder, before alighting from the perch and spinning in front of his view.
βAlright, soβ¦ bear with me here. I am not still used to being a Sweeper. It goes against my normally defensive way of handling things, soβ¦β
They would bide their time; waiting until another opening presented itself.
For once, for fucking once, he would indulge himself a little. Glaring at the bat, the bloodied, tattered, devourer of a creature that had tried to eat them allβ
[tangent=βYou will not bring darkness to this side of the world! I have seen it happen, where I come from. Not today, Hearteater. I will not play helpless witness to what had happened back home!β]βNon porterai l'oscuritΓ da questa parte del mondo! L'ho visto accadere, da dove vengo. Non oggi, Mangiacuore. Non sarΓ² testimone impotente di ciΓ² che Γ¨ successo a casa!β[/tangent] he would yellβbut not in English; he would say it all in Italian.
(Because some dialogue just sounded way better in the mother language, am I right?!)
With that, he would then seemingly reach behind him; but instead of pulling out the battle axe he wore as Benetnasch, guild leader of βCapolavoroβ back on the European serverβhe would pull out a seemingly minuscule, folded little thing.
Said βlittle folded thingβ would actually unfurl themselves to be the Kartana that had taken permanent residence on his shoulder, spinning through the air and shrieking bloody fucking murder in that high-pitched, chirping language as the Ultra Beast propelled themselves forward from the force of the throw; Night Slashes spinning from the razor-sharp limbs; aiming to strike true.
Not long afterward, the Thwackey would follow the Kartana forward, screaming in an unintelligible mishmash of simian languageβwait, was the Taunt actually turning into a diss track of the Thwackeyβs own?!
Either way.
[tangent=The sun will not set today.]Oggi il sole non tramonterΓ .[/tangent]
HEARTEATER: -871/7100 (This total is counting DOWN from 7100) |
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Buzzster Hooperham
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The Quizmaster
Player Character
Posts: 152
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Buzzster Hooperham
OOC Username: D-Bug
Arena Points: 70
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Post by Buzzster Hooperham on Oct 11, 2024 23:40:10 GMT 9
FALLING INTO ZONE 3
The secret to success in a World Event was constant vigilance. Keeping track of players, enemies, attacks, objectives, and of course your own team and their health.
UNOVR did a lot of the legwork for you of course, with UI elements and holistic design choices. Sound design. Strategic use of light.
This was all lost on Buzzster however, because he was afk.
After falling unconscious in the first cycle he had stepped away from his Worldscreen to get a snack, leaving his character slumped bonelessly in the Sundial Entrance.
While waiting for his microwave lasagna he had been CPR'ed, dragged, chased by clowns, exploded, tossed through Corruption, trampled, and gripped by claws of red mist.
The lasagna was mediocre.
Buzzster logged back in as his limp body crashed down into the Zone 3 pit.
He pulled himself up, blinking his eyes one at a time.
He looked around at the mess of fighting and the bulbous form of Hearteater that towered over them like the Vegas Sphere.
"What the hell is happening?" he asked a passerby. "Where's Petal?"
"R-right here!" said his Chikorita.
"Petal what's that bloody thing? Is it one of those DPS people keep talking about?"
"No, sorry, it's a boss. It's name is Hearteater. It's a Pokemon."
"Hearteater?" Buzzster said with a smirk. "You didn't tell me my ex-wife was in this game!"
"You had a wife?" Petal asked, her genuine shock overriding her usual demure attitude.
"More like she had me!" Buzzster said, and he shook his head knowingly. "So what's the deal? Do we have to divorce it?" he asked, rolling up his sleeves.
Petal grimaced. "Yes. Do you want me to attack it?" she offered.
"Yeah! And we'll get that blade guy in here to. He loves attacking things."
Buzzster's Kartana emerged in a flash of steel.
"How's it going. You in a better mood today?" Buzzster asked.
[tangent=You dishonor me with your presence.]"β¬ββ β
βββββββ ββ ββββ β¬βββ βΏβββββββ."[/tangent]
"Oho! Call me the weatherman because I can feel a chill in the air! You know what? I'm gonna call you Snippy!"
[tangent=How dare you. My line will remember you as 'The Giant Slaver'.]"βββ β
βββ β¬ββ. ββ¬ β°βββ βββ°β° ββββββββ β¬ββ ββ 'βββ βββββ ββ°ββββ'."[/tangent]
"Petal, what's this guy saying? Can you understand him?"
"N-no..." Petal lied.
"Yeah me neither. He's a computer thing like you right? How do I switch him over to speaking American?"
Something exploded nearby, and Zac swore. "No time for this now! We'll localize him later. Petal! Snippy! Attack!"
Kartana zipped off, effectively leaving Buzzster for the rest of the battle.
Petal focused on the boss. She set her little feet in the pale ground and closed her eyes.
She felt ambient sunlight in the air. The remnants of Solgaleo's powerful attack. Shining motes of energy drifted towards her, settling on her thick, waxy leaf.
Her leaf began to glow.
Petal opened her eyes. She glared at Hearteater. Her head hummed with sunlight.
"This is for Buzzster!" she said, her little voice ringing out.
"Thanks!" said Buzzster.
"Petal.....BEAMMMMM!" she squealed, and a laser of gorgeous white light shot out of her leaf and crashed against the body of the bat.
HEARTEATER: -902/7100 (This total is counting DOWN from 7100) |
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Kyukon
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Lone Wolf
The Creed
Posts: 402
Trainer Class: 
Player Name: Arthur Wright
OOC Username: Peony
Arena Points: 0
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Post by Kyukon on Oct 12, 2024 8:55:14 GMT 9
ERROR!
ZONE 3: Hearteater
Like the first time Arthur experienced whiting out, he took a deep breath, like he was underwater for the longest time, only to find that he was covered in some kind ofβ¦viscous liquidβ¦again, it took a bit for his thoughts to catch up, but one thing after another, things fell into place, especially since there was a fainted Mudkip beside him.
It's the same like what happened with Buru β Damn, wasn't this [tangent=Bergamot Gristleborg ]forehead girl's[/tangent] Pokemon? β Shit, that meant he owed her a big favor β Thank God he had Swimmer equipped
Then the rest of his senses were shocked back - an explosion rocked the cavern as attacks came in waves against a singular target, and it was only then that Arthur realized that he was looking at a completely formed Hearteater, only this time it was closer, eclipsing him, but it was not awe that struck him, it was an overwhelming sense of revulsion. The monster couldn't even move its wing to swat away a [tangent=Aero ]fire-cloaked Buzzwole[/tangent] while continuous barrages of ranged attacks pelted its dull red body.
What of his own Pokemon? He quickly checked his UI and breathed a sigh of relief when all of them were safely back in their Poke Balls. They were not affected by Solgaleo's light, and in effect (a silver lining) they had dodged the most devastating wave of desperate, cornered fury from the Hearteater. A glance at the System Notifications was already enough for him to get a grasp of how many fell from the blast as well as a growing respect for those who remain standing despite it all.
The window to lift the curse grew short. Another beam that was thankfully not classified as a solar move burst from the left. There was nothing Hearteater could do but take the hit, and most decided to focus on its chest, like driving a stake with each hammer swing. Good, he thought, he had the same idea, and he could see the void at its center growing bigger.
βBuru, Banko!β there was no need for healing here. It was an all-out assault, and every player in the room seemed to have come to the understanding: the boss, for all its bark, was a one trick pony. The beams that it unleashed from here on out were puny in comparison to what he had missed, and most importantly, they could be avoided.
His Pokemon came out of their Poke Balls, clearly shocked and confused about what had just happened the past few minutes. The Mudsdale sputtered, <There was this light, and I thought, we thought-->
<Y-you looked like you died!> the Granbull wailed, stepping up to him before hitting him (softly) with curled paws. <What were you thinking?! Why didn't you hide?!>
βI--β because he knew it would be futile? but he also knew it was stupid. He didn't have a fallback on how he got back, and only really made it because of the charity of a self-proclaimed villain.
A battle cry from Josh Devlin pierced through, once again reminding him of urgency. βI promise I'll explain later, but we need to get in that battle, now.β
<Aren't we 'ready in the thick of it?>
Arthur did not reply; instead, he made sure to pick up the Mudkip and hold him close to his chest so that he wouldn't slip off his grasp. He then asked to climb up Banko, to which the Mudsdale relented even with the question hanging in the air, before giving orders. βI need to be in striking distance. Buru, go with the others and try to get some Bites in there. Banko, we'll rush in with High Horsepower, but we're splitting upon contact. Got it?β
There was no space to argue; the Mudsdale nodded once, and Buru huffed but seemed keen on ending this long battle once and for all. The Granbull moved to join with a group of Pokemon aiming to get close for some melee attacks, but the horse moved faster, rushing past players, Pokemon, and Ultra Beasts. Arthur strained to remember what he had learned from Josh (what seemed to be a lifetime ago), as he also learned that the damage players were sustaining in their assault translated into mist he could gather for himself. If there was no clear path forward to the heart, he would make one for them, giving the mist enough solid structure for the moment the Mudsdale would jump on it; enough force to propel him forward and upward.
An orange aura soon enveloped Banko, and Arthur could see the gaping hole from the concentration of attacks. This was the moment, it all boiled down to the jump, the health bar ticking down, down, down--
Electricity appeared in bursts. He made the jump then, getting nicked indirectly by a stray Solarbeam on the way down, but that wasn't going to stop him. He was here, a singular story amongst dozens.
He would make his own claim here.
The mist on his right swirled, covering much of his arm before forming into something akin to a spear. The form was hard to hold, but adrenaline and sheer willpower kept it from slipping away. Would the world align for him at this very moment? If it were real, perhaps it would have been easy to mess up somewhere, anywhere. A second too early, or a second too late--but he had something like faith (or fate), whichever the dice rolled...
βHarden!β
From the very tip, the mist solidified, trailing upward before it shone like steel. With the target right in front of him, there was only one thing to do.
ZONE 3: Hearteater
Ah, he had this option, did he? He wondered if it could even hear him, it had been awfully quiet ever since he came back.
If there was one thing he could say he learned about UNOVR, it was that every single life in it can change. Can grow. But that was only if they were willing to do so, if they were willing to go past what they have become.
βRight now you are nothing more than an allegory, butβ¦maybe once this is all over, you can be something more.β
For all the hurt it caused, Arthur knew that it was not only by its hand, but someone beyond. Only time would tell if Hearteater too could move past it.
The mist spear fell apart after striking true; he registered a screech that filled his ears, but was apparently not loud enough to wake the dead (aka one knocked out Mudkip). Without a proper wedge, he started to fall downward, but another trainer's flying type caught him and safely helped him land. He thanked the trainer and their Pokemon before looking back at the Hearteater; attacks still flying in, but at this point, he was not sure if they were hitting more of a husk than a living thing.
{CYCLE 5 OBJECTIVES} Copy+paste this section from the person above you!
HEARTEATER: -1115/7100 (This total is counting DOWN from 7100) |
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Morpheus
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Weekend Warrior
Player Character
Posts: 148
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Shiro Kuroda
OOC Username: Spinner
Arena Points: 20
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Post by Morpheus on Oct 12, 2024 9:06:01 GMT 9
ZONE 3
Morpheus was surprised to witness a chain of events that led to the Hearteater's grand entrance. First, he didn't expect a shiny version of Solgaleo to appear once all of its colors were restored. He barely closed his eyes and grabbed his Poipole in time just as it fired its Solarbeam at the mist. He couldn't see anything else for a while. But when his vision was restored, he gasped to see what was behind the mist that somehow drove all of the alien Pokemon and the colorless mad. A large red bat-like Pokemon remained on the ground despite its large wings. He could tell from its appearance that it was the Pokemon Moon mascot. Yet its red coloration creeped him out as it glared at him and the players in the room.
Then there was a cutscene flashed in his mind. He saw how the Hearteater spied on them during the Zapdos raid, how it brought the creatures called Ultra Beast into the UNOVR world to feast on the Corruption, and how it abducted the Pokemon in Ostellia, including the players'... He finally got the context behind the brainwashed Pokemon from the previous zones. Morpheus was disgusted at this and he realized how much he missed the story enough to know the threat of this monstrous Legendary.
But now, things were different. He befriended two of the Ultra Beasts on his trek to the raid boss and now, he was with thousands of players facing against the flightless bat with other Pokemon sided with them. Unlike what happened with his Poipole, his Celesteela remained themselves the moment they stepped right next to him during their stare down and it didn't seem to speak anything ominous in their language. It seemed that Solgaleo's Solarbeam managed to completely break the Hearteater's control on the Ultra Beast. He wasn't surprised considering it was the antithesis of Lunala (at least to his understanding of the Sun and Moon games from the playthrough videos).
Then, a humorous twist occurred as he saw the words HEARTEATER in the air. To his shock and confusion, the Ultra Beast rearranged to nonsensical and embarrassing "names". From "A E AETHER RAT" to "EAT THE REAR", it garnered some laughs from his Pokemon and a sniffled chuckle from Morpheus. <<HAHAHA!!! That one is more funny than "Aether Rat"!>>
Unfortunately, the brief levity ended as the enraged monster let out a large red beam not just at the letters, but also at everyone in the zone. It wasn't like any other beam moves he witnessed as it contained pure malice made of spectral energy he watched almost everyone be consumed by the beam. Just when it was his turn, all of his Pokemon, including Poipole and Celesteela, rushed in front of him and used their bodies to shield their trainer.
It was all too fast for him to process what happened. He couldn't see what happened to everyone from the red light blinding him. Instead, there were several images flashed in his mind. One was a swarm of Poipole overseen by a larger version of themselves playing by firing colored goo with their stingers at each other. Everyone was smiling and laughing unaware of the aurora sky turning red. Then, another showed a familiar bamboo Pokemon flying in the sky near the stars. It was also smiling as they were enjoying the stars surrounding them.
He was confused as to why he suddenly shown the Ultra Beasts' memories at this time. But he could feel the pain and loss after seeing their smiles in the past.
He knew who was responsible for taking their homes away.
-----
As the light disappeared, Morpheus opened his eyes and saw them in burns and bruises. While his Celesteela still stood their ground, Flapple was on the ground with his body almost covered in burns as it struggled to fly again. But what shook him the hardest was the sight of his remaining Pokemon on the ground with no signs of life in them. "Dammit... Genki! Poipole!" He quickly rushed to their side as he gingerly raised his Snubbull's head. She didn't seem to breathe or let out a growl, yet her smile remained as if she was relieved to protect her trainer. Poipole, on the other hand, wasn't so lucky. Its purple eyes were still open, yet there were also no signs of breathing on them. He recalled that they unknowingly used Recoil to deal with the wire Pokemon earlier, so they must have taken the beam the hardest.
"I can't believe you guys sacrificed yourselves to protect me," Morpheus muttered. "But what am I going to do now?" He turned to his remaining Pokemon, who were still weakened from the attack as they tried to stand up. "We have to end this monstrous Pokemon and end this raid before it could hurt anyone else! But I don't have anyone who could attack without risking the strain..."
Morpheus was getting desperate. With his support out of commission, the only option for him was to take the risk with Flapple and have his Celesteela protect him. But just as he could consider any reckless option, he heard a cry below him. He looked down and to his surprise, it was a Snom. It was all alone and it stared at his seemingly unconscious Poipole. He initially thought it might be one of the formerly colorless Pokemon until the same armored girl approached them and grabbed the Ice/Bug-type Pokemon while scolding them for running off on their own. But then, there were a few exchanges between her, Snom, and the Buzzwole that seemed to be joining her party. Some of which became a bit heated as he saw tears coming out from her eyes.
After that, a miracle began to happen. The girl named Aero gasped to see her Snom evolving into a beautiful white moth and to Morpheus's amazement, it flew to his Poipole in his arms and began spreading ice crystals and scales when they flapped their wings. This caused the Ultra Beast's body to glow green as a new window popped up.
Your Poipole has been fully revived.
He couldn't believe his eyes. The girl's little white worm evolved just to revive his Poipole. He watched their eyes glow once more and cried happily the moment they saw Morpheus again. It flew out of his arms and around the trainer, much to his delight as he hugged them and Celesteela, who was also relieved to see them okay. However, he turned to the Frosmoth again, who was now as lifeless as his Snubbull. Aero was crying as she carried them in her arms, saddened at their sacrifice. It seemed like she was devastated to lose her Pokemon like this. So it wouldn't be fair for him to leave her like this.
"Don't be disheartened, young lady." Morpheus gently put his hand on the girl's shoulder and smiled. "It's thanks to your Frosmoth that my Poipole will be fighting once more by my side. I will make sure his sacrifice won't be in vain."
And he intended to fulfill it. As he watched the girl take out with a sudden burst of electricity similar to the Zapdos raid, he recalled his Snubbull back in her ball. "Thank you, Genki. I'll make up for the knock-out once we're finished here." After that, he turned to the rest of his team. "Malum, stand down. You won't be able to fight in that condition. Leave the new faces to finish the job."
<<I... understand.>> Malum stopped struggling and turned to the Ultra Beast. <<You heard him, guys. Please don't waste this chance and avenge us!>>
Both Poipole and Celesteela nodded sternly, knowing how serious this battle had become.
[tangent=Big meanie bat is gonna pay for hurting new friends!]<<βββ ββββββ βββ ββ βββββ βΏββ¬ βββ βββββββ βββ ββββββ
β!>>[/tangent] Poipole cried out.
[tangent=Their tyranny ends here. I will defeat you, monster! So I can fly with my new companions into the sky!]<<Their tyranny ends here. I will defeat you, monster! So I can fly with my new companions into the sky!>>[/tangent] Celesteela screeched in determination.
"Right..." Morpheus smirked as he narrowed his eyes at the boss. "Poipole... Celesteela... No... Pica and Kaguya! Let's end this! Take Hearteater out with your full power!"
Accepting their new nicknames, both Ultra Beasts are a few off to attack the red Lunala. With a screech, Pica the Poipole summoned black paintbrushes from its mind. At the same time, Kaguya the Celesteela summoned vines from its bamboo and threw them to the monstrous Lunala's wings to absorb its energy. When it did, Pica flew in and threw their Nasty Plot-induced constructions at it. [tangent=Painting, painting~ Hope you like painting~!]<<βΏβββββββ, βΏβββββββ~ βββΏβ β¬ββ β°βββ βΏβββββββ~!>> They moved the manifestations of paintbrushes to paint Hearteater's body with various light colors while it snickered mischievously.
As Morpheus watched, he could see its HP going down by the negatives. He felt like this might be overkill, but it didn't matter. This monster needed to go down and there was no hope for redemption. He hoped it might be enough to get the ending in the players' favor and the fate of the next season ahead.
HEARTEATER: -1645/7100 (This total is counting DOWN from 7100) |
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Wolf
•
The Tempest
Mythstar
Posts: 429
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Genesis Fox
OOC Username: Outcast
Arena Points: 80
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Post by Wolf on Oct 12, 2024 9:33:52 GMT 9
ZONE 3
Wolf and the team was teleported by the last minute escape thanks to Izumi, materializing into the next zone ready for whatever chaos they were about to enter in. But just as the hybrid and her team appeared, it seems the front team had already done their work. Color returns to the majestic solagleo once more, showering everyone with heated stardust. He speaks, Wolf still unable to understand what was being said. But judging by the ways others reacted, it was a good thing. Maybe?
A series of chimes rang and lights flashed, the mighty beast emitted a solarbeam that nearly blinded Wolf if she didnβt look away and shielded her eyes. By the time the player turned back, there was little left of what was the parasite Hearteater. It bellowed out in agony and desperation, fading out into a cutscene she was being forced watched.
β-
It was hard to see at first, the many different imagines seamlessly almost appearing as one. But soon, the game forces her to focus on one. It was zapdos, flying with humans on its back. The sense sensation of curiosity filled her, followed by a desire for want. For taste. It sends a shiver down her spine. It wasnβt a good sensation to her.
Then it shift once more, seeing a group of players in another scene. They dance almost carefree, seemingly unknown to their watcher. But as the controller of the many eyes demands for its minions to grab a snack, something blocks them. Deep anger and frustration bubbles within her, the desire for whatever the exotic food grows in intensity.
It shifted again, showing another scene of what the controller thought was normal and wanted more. It was a scene Wolf really didnβt want to see. Yet, she couldnβt bring herself to put the skip cutscene button. In the end, she did want to see. Wolf wanted to see why? Why this hearteater was here, and why does this want became greater the more it eats.
Time passes, the monster revealing pokemon it has stolen in order to force them to come. It was all a trap. The player knew this yet, here she was facing it. And in that moment of deepest desires, the cutscene ended and it was back to the trap.
β-
It clung onto its life, howling at them in that same language Wolf didnβt understand. For the moment, forgetting she had an ultra beast herself that could try and translate for her. Yet, she was too engross to think about things like this. Pale golden orbs watched the word hearteater come up, the creature speaking while the letters shift. It read another. Wolfβs brows scrunched, puzzled. It seemed frustrated, attempting another time. Failing. Does it hate rats? Again. Fail. Wolf stifled a chuckled. Eat the rear. Thatβs just gold.
It shrieks, unable to translate into the human language so we the players can understand. And as such, it lashes out at everyone in rage. βDuck and cov-β It was too late, the dark mass of energy came out like an unstoppable tsunami force. It hit everyone, leaving no one without critical damage. Wolf braced, feeling nothing herself but hearing the screams and shouts of many others. Including, poor Izumi.
Pale golden orbs shifted widely to her Braxien, frowning as the fire fox was out for the count. βNo! Izumi,β Wolf called out, rushing and kneeling down next to her support creature, βAre you okay?β She prayed she was only knocked out, and nothing more. βI think sheβs just knocked out,β Ziryan grumbled through his helmet. Wolfβs shifted to him, digits no longer the deep red like before. Instead, a strange teal color has changed them. Was that the corruptions fault? βAre you okay?β The creature casted her a look like βduhβ. The player looked up at poipole whom seemed to also take damage, but not out. βAre you okay?β It nods. Her gaze fell upon her poor little start, recalling her as she mumbles softly in her pointed fox ears. βRest my girl. You did well.β
Just as the creature disappeared, the ground beneath their feet collapses. Wolf inherently screams, only for an ultra beast to stop her fall along with her creatures. βThanks,β she whispered breathlessly to the ultra beast as it safely places on her the ground. It nods, only for all eyes to be on Hearteater once more as it shouts bitterly.
Words and shouts erupted from all players around her, Wolf quick to summon her greninja whom has been tucked away safely in her pockets for this moment. With her team ready, the player turned to Poipole whom seemed no longer fighting the control of the Hearteater. She motioned for it to come to her, embracing the creature before giving it a firm nod and turning back to the boss. βLetβs go team. Ziryan, use Air slash. Cragen, Night Slash. And Poipoleβ Nefarious, Venoshock!β Much like in those last big fight in the movies, her creatures responded all at once. The type null leaping into the air. Head swung wide, sending several blades of sharp air at the boss. Cragen shifted his weight like he was pulling out a weapon only to send out a dark energy slash. And last but not least, her new befriended poipole aimed its tiny stringer at the ex boss and fired several toxic balls at it.
The question is, will it be enoughβ¦.
HEARTEATER: -1968/7100 (This total is counting DOWN from 7100) |
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eddiecayge
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Player Character
Posts: 23
Player Name: Eddison Cayge
OOC Username: Fred
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Post by eddiecayge on Oct 12, 2024 20:59:32 GMT 9
Zone 3 Escaping to a brighter future
A lot had all happened at once, and frankly Eddie was stunned trying to process it all as it unfolded before him like some sort of...incredible drama. It was just like the finale of any big videogame, Sora declaring that Kingdom Hearts was light and burning Ansem away. Senator Armstrong saying "nanomachines son" and then having a big sweaty punchout with a cybertwink, but these were people he had come to know as of late, one of them was his fucking COUSIN for fucks sake. Factor in the spooky spectral figures of his dead family members and well...
Eddie had no clue what to think.
It was something he'd never dreamed of in his life. Sure, he'd played pretend with the cousins when he was little, but he knew that was all it would ever be, pretend. He'd resolved himself to never be some sort of protagonist hero, called to adventure and dragged off to secret worlds to do amazing things. He'd never contemplated what sort of super hero he'd be growing up, because he'd always known he was just Eddison Cayge, runt of the litter, serial coattail rider who would live and die in his fathers pizza shop.
But now he was hungry for more.
Maybe this was why Orion could never shut the fuck up about UNOVR, about all the wild stories punching porygons and dancing on ice. Bombastic ballads about Bee and the Bay, or Blue and a sandy parade, they'd all been real, they'd all been probably just as exciting as this moment in the here and now, and when this was all said and done they would be off to the next chapter to explore more.
He'd have a chance to play a greater role in the next act.
So with a wild grin he would slap the weathered bricks of his new beastly bro and let out a loud whoop, hooking one arm around an errant pillar. "LETS GO, JERICHO!" He would point at the massive bat with a dramatic flourish. "HIT EM LIKE A TON OF FUCKING BRICKS MY GUY. FOR YOUR HOMEWORLD!"
The walking fort trembled and vibrated, raising up on its hind legs as it began to amass some of its bricks into a large ball. Bits of unearthly dust swirled around the redhead, and for a moment he wasn't standing atop his new friend, but he was ankle deep in pure white sand. Before him, shrouded in an ethereal dustcloud was a massive fortress of stone, lumbering with large titanic steps as a myriad of various fortresses of varying sizes trundled across the horizon like a heard of elephants.
They were both from the desert.
"OH YEAH BAY BEE!" Eddie howled, "HIT EM WITH A SICK ASS ROCK-" The creature would bring down the hammer and...miss by a country mile.
"...Throw." He trailed off, watching as only shrapnel from the attack managed to bonk the beat down bat on the beak. After a long moment he would pat the pillar reassuringly. "You still gottem bud, and that's what counts."
They would need to work on aiming later, it would seem.
-1987/7100 (This total is counting DOWN from 7100) |
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Nero
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Lone Wolf
Player Character
Posts: 261
Trainer Class: 
Player Name: Jack Montague
OOC Username: Vay
Arena Points: 68
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Post by Nero on Oct 13, 2024 6:31:49 GMT 9
ZONE 3
There was... way too much going on down here.
The creeping sense of dread that Nero had been mostly ignoring until now was suddenly far too grand to blot out anymore, a sudden switch flicking from manageable to too much with no obvious way of turning it back. As all the other players rushed into the final battle, Nero backed away, wishing he could crawl back up the sand pit he'd just descended down through and get back into the earlier zones that had somehow been within his threshold.
If the WorldScreen hadn't felt so realistic, perhaps he'd have moved straight into taking it off, logging out of the game despite the urgency of the current moment to protect his sanity that seemed to be slipping away, but something about the whole set up made him forget that that was an option. This felt too real, but not in the immersive and fun way he'd praised before - in the inescapable, crushing, all-consuming way he was dealing with now.
He felt something solid behind him, though by this point he had no idea if it was the edge of the Hearteater's den or the wall of his bedroom that he couldn't figure out how to get back to. Arms pulled in against his side, shoulders hunching, his whole body trying to escape backwards through whatever solid structure was behind him, to press himself into it, to disappear within it, but to no avail. He couldn't even figure out where the 'too much' was coming from - was it the noise? All of the cheers, the shouts, the battle cries, the empowered speeches? Or the battles themselves, the bangs and crashes but also the flashes of lights and shocks of colour? Or was it neither of those, was it the atmosphere itself, the intense pressure and the foreboding presence of the immense Hearteater that had drawn them all down into this inescapable prison? Which part was the problem? And why did it fucking bother him?
He'd been in clubs louder and brighter than this? He'd been packed into crowds busier than this? There was no individual aspect that he hadn't handled before, and arguably no combination that was entirely new either. But in the moment, his brain wouldn't let him decipher any further than that, the sirens drowning out any chance of thought as he lost the last of his concentration to the attack that was taking over him entirely. Sliding down the wall, he ended up hunched on the floor with his eyes closed as he tried to ground himself back into some sort of reality.
His Yanmega noticed him first, the buzzing of her wings up close loud enough to drown out a lot of the other noise around him - a helpful single point to focus on as he pulled himself back to the present again. It disappeared after a moment though, and as he opened his eye to see why, he realised that she'd moved back inside her Pokeball in order to allow his Quilava to jump out instead. The smaller Pokemon immediately put his paws on Nero's legs, nuzzling against his suffering trainer and letting out a loud purring sound as the heat of his flames tickled against Nero's skin. Another sensation to hone in on, the harmless touch of the fire against his maxed Kindler class avatar, and that too seemed to pull him back from the brink. He stayed huddled with his starter, thankful that these bunches of data seemed to know how to handle this situation better than the actual human facing it. Maybe they were more real than he gave them credit for... after all, everything else in here felt 'too real' now, didn't it?
As the rush of noise eventually fizzled back into comprehensible voices, Nero realised he'd missed the majority of what had been happening around him. Hearteater's words had rushed past him unprocessed, as had Solgaleo's, and those of all the other players around him too. He had no idea whart was going on, what had already happened, and what he was supposed to do, so when his Kabutops padded back over to him to see what the problem was, he offered her a sad smile. "They don't need us, Tops. We can just leave them to it."
That was probably true if one wanted to focus on the word 'need', but since when had any of this been about 'need'? This was a game remember, just a game, and he'd told himself he was going to enjoy it today. He wasn't going to let other people stop him, nor was he going to let himself get in the way either - an enemy he hadn't seen coming and that he'd have to examine in greater detail later, but one he could overcome for now. So when the Kabutops whined at his answer and nodded towards the boss in the middle of the room, he found himself letting out a quiet little sigh to himself. "Okay. Sure. Let's... yeah, go join in."
It was a very vague command, but it was enough for Tops it seemed, who leapt towards Hearteater without any further encouragement, coating herself in water as she raced towards it to deliver a simple Aqua Jet towards the enemy. Nero had long since lost track of health levels and damage quotas, but Tops looked so happy launching her attack and then racing back to stand in front of Nero, ready to protect him if he should need it, so maybe that was all that mattered. His Quilava had remained pressed against him, protecting his trainer in his own way, and the little trio stood huddled away from the rest of the players, safely away but still together with them, in the midst of the battle but off at a safe distance, a strange paradox of apart from it all and a part of it all at the same time.
HEARTEATER: -2032/7100 (This total is counting DOWN from 7100) |
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Laguna
•
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 Oct 13, 2024 8:00:49 GMT 9
Zone Three
Light.
It was all she could see for a moment as the Solgaleo ripped apart the mist with such intensity that it was like stars were being plucked from the night sky and placed amidst the sun in the daytime. It was glorious.
Too bad the Hearteater was absolutely hideous in comparison.
It was bloated and twisted, an undeterminable amount of time spending life in gluttony. A powerful creature need not be beautiful, even if they used to be. But now, their body matched the beauty of their soul, a hideous twisted mass that gorged itself on the evils of this world. She caught a glimpse of Glacia making a twisted expression, like she wasn't supposed to judge people's appearance but they were visibly disgusting.
And then- A glimpse of the past that had her eyes widening. It's intelligence was undeniable, using their PokΓ©mon as bait, abducting them by the dozen solely to draw everyone here as bait, because the Game would not allow it to simply grab the Players themselves. Somehow, it had knowledge on the Game Itself. It understood its limitations, and that above anything else, was more terrifying than how the beast looked.
A twisted malevolence, lurking between its flaws in the code, and pouncing as soon as it could. If it could understand, what else could? What else did it know? What did it recognize about its existence? How could it see beyond? As soon as the flashback ended, however, another realization dawned on her, even as it shouted in that alien language, twisting about as it readied its response, sucking energy from it's mind controlled pawns to prepare.
"You bitch!"
She'd shout from behind her Holiday Substitute. "You just ruined the memory of my first virtual kiss!" She had such good memories of that night parade, too. Dancing without a care in the world... and now it kind of made her sick.
The Menacing Moonraze Malestrom ripped apart Pokemon, fainting many, but her Pokemon and their tanky nature kept them alive. Her substitute popped, the air deflating from it like a sad mall decoration that had gone long overdue, but it kept her safe as well. And then chaos erupted across the battlefield again, as everyone struck out with equal vengeance. For their fallen friends, for their virtues and morals, or perhaps simply because the game was fun. But in her mind, Laguna just smiled, the Ultra Beasts were finally free.
"Roxanne, Glacia, you two know what to do, don't you?" Laguna spoke, twirling on her feet to glance back at her Pokemon, checking over their injuries.
"This... Thing, is going to taste the the power of my kick!" Glacia bounced back and forth, readying their jump. "We are not bait! We, are powerful!" They'd shout as loud as they possibly could, genuine anger building up in them. The tiniest hints of flames at the tips of their spikes like candle flames grew as the Iceberg launched itself forwards with a powerful High Jump Kick, moving to smack their bloated face. Except, it did nothing. Frustration boiled inside them, but alas, it seemed they were going down anyways.
She'd then glance over at Roxanne, who had an unreadable expression on their stone face. Silence, staring forwards at the combat.
"Roxanne, you okay?" Laguna would pause her dancing for a second, looking up at her Pokemon with concern on her face. "You can join in too."
"Auntie," Spoke the Onix, their deep, sultry voice seemingly growing more emotional as they glanced down at her. "I have been with you, for a good long while. I have been strong, but am I strong enough? This is one I wonder. And yet, then I think of you. I think of my Mom." She'd nod slowly before standing up straight. "I think of our journey. Of restoring the Ferry, of defending against corruption, of exploring this new land. You have brought my soul such peace, even as the world knows no rest."
"I think I am ready for another challenge."
A brilliant light erupted from the Onix, pouring off their form as they grew. Icy stone was replaced with cold steel, stretching and growing across their whole body. Their maw widening into that of a powerful grin, letting out a roar of their own. "Their power, is not their own. It is stolen from their subjects. Allow us to show them what power we have, freely given for a good cause. That the bond between family is stronger than anything else." Said the Steelix.
Tears could not help but spill down her face, watching Roxanne grow. Her Pokemon, her friends... They all grew so fast.
"Let's dance. For you, for me, for Solgaleo, for a new world." And with that, she started to dance. The music for Solgaleo, her Starlet Partner, built and built up in volume as she slowly twirled. It wasn't a grand rock opera or metal concert, nay it was something that seemed far more fitting.
A song that represented the rising sun. A new day to form across all of Ostelia, with its own occasional flute sounds, this time, for hope. A cold wind would wash over Solgaleo to enhance his strength, but further it would carry, directed by her wand to friends nearby. Morpheus's Poipole was awash with a cool chill to assist their painting, and Kyukon's Granbull too, ice sharpening their bite.
Roxanne pulled on the power of her bond as a yellow glow began to surrond her. Lingering darkness began to pull together in long wisps, dragged out from the shadows and twisting into a tenebrous orb above the Steelix's head swirled, and then condensed tighter and tighter, before-
Black Hole Eclipse.
It exploded outwards towards the bloated bat, expanding once more and as it attempted to rip away the protuberous flesh of the beast.
"May darkness never be your ally, and may the light reveal your sins."
{CYCLE 5 OBJECTIVES}
HEARTEATER: -2352/7100 (This total is counting DOWN from 7100) |
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Ruby
•
Player Character
Posts: 174
Trainer Class: 
Player Name: Dr. Ruby Walker Ph.D.
OOC Username: Magnere
Arena Points: 60
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Post by Ruby on Oct 13, 2024 8:17:57 GMT 9
ZONE THREE Ruby smiled in awe watching Solgaleo reform to his true colors. The brilliant crimson hue, the heroic hue shone bright. His eyes so blue, so deep, she never had gotten a chance to look so intently at him before. But now, he was as beautiful as the rising sun, a powerful presence that rivaled the sun in the sky.
They were beautiful.
When they spoke to her, Ruby's own heart swelled as she smiled. Her collar of fluff resembling the lion's own mane, feeling pride for what used to be the small Litten. "And I didn't come alone. I brought family, friends. I brought an army of Dreamers."
Her eyes shut tight as the light flashed across her vision, only to immediately watch as the Hearteater itself began to reform. The vile, putrid flesh. The face of the enemy. She had seen it once, but to see it again now, the light was different, she could truly see the horror for what it had become.
The flashback caught Ruby out of complete left field, not expecting anything such as this. To see the beginning of it all, wandering between worlds, only to find a land filled with corruption. And then it simply, fed, and fed. Everything was food to this beast, nothing was off limits.
It was horrific. It understood things about this world, that others had no concept of. It couldn't simply claim people... It had to lure them in, like an intelligent animal setting a trap for its prey.
She was quite lucky that the villain had subtitles, otherwise she'd never understand them speaking.
"We are not cattle!" She shouted back. "You have never met anything like us, and yet you in your ignorance declared that we must be food! You live to satisfy your hunger, that you have known nothing else!" Even when the letters were rearranged, all she did is laugh. "Even the ones you forced to obey you, no longer fear you!"
Sure enough, her Celesteela stood strong by her side, having aleady given out most of her Z-Energy to Ruby, even as the blast rocked across the zone. The two stood strong side by side, the massive bamboo rocket being harmed, and nearly struck down by the force of such a blast but their smile refused to fade, especially seeing the powerful blast completely fail to harm the Mega-Eevee form their trainer had taken.
Finally, after all this time, free, truly free, the Celesteela smiled as she watched everyone damage the beast formerly known as Hearteater. No coffin's blessing could stop people from challenging their authorty. For they have already admitted their defeat. That they could be slain, and that admittance alone was enough.
[tangent="To be all my own.
It is a blessing to be.
And yet, I have you."]"ββ ββ ββ°β° ββ¬ βββ.
ββ ββ β ββ°ββββββ ββ ββ.
βββ
β¬ββ, β ββββ β¬ββ."[/tangent]
Ruby glanced up at the Pokemon, a wide smile on her own face as she'd suddenly move to press her intense fur up against their side. She was no combatant, she disliked violence. And yet? This felt right. No longer would she be caught unaware, or drop into situations unprepared.
She'd be ready for every other Tyrant that threatened the peace of this realm.
Glancing up at the Celesteela once more, her own eyes damn near sparkled as she returned some words of her own.
"To be side by side,
With a friend far from this earth,
A blessing to be."
The Celesteela's eyes damn near sparkled in response, grinning ear to ear. A deep, gutteral laughter echoed from the creature. A blessing to be, indeed.
[tangent="You honor me, Queen.
To speak as I do, my home?
It is now with you."]"β¬ββ βββββ ββ, βΎββββ.
ββ ββΏβββ ββ β β
β, ββ¬ ββββ?
ββ ββ βββ ββββ β¬ββ."[/tangent]
Ruby blinked, seeing a glimpse of a memory from her friend. Now was perhaps, not the moment for this, the time for bonding was short, but still she spoke up once more.
"Go forth, Haiku, fight.
The beast that chained your body,
let it know your might. "
With a wide grin, Haiku let out one more chuckle. Arms would raise up, glowing with a bright, powerful light. It was barely still able to fight, but it would not back down, not now, not ever. It had something to prove.
[tangent="A title is new.
This one has had no need then.
Now? I am, Haiku."]"β ββββ°β ββ βββ.
ββββ βββ βββ βββ
ββ ββββ
ββββ.
βββ? β ββ, βββββ."[/tangent]
A Flash Cannon erupts from their arms, blasting the Eat The Rear with a powerful burst of light. They were exhausted, drained of power, and yet, even with as little as they could, they smacked it with everything they had. All the while, a small burst of light would linger upon Nero's Kabutops, enhancing them.
[tangent="Children of all worlds.
This world has declared new truths.
Freedom comes for all."]"ββββ°β
βββ ββ ββ°β° ββββ°β
β.
ββββ ββββ°β
βββ β
βββ°ββββ
βββ ββββββ.
βββββ
ββ βββββ βββ ββ°β°."[/tangent]
Final words would be spoke, before Haiku moved no more, eyes closed, body slumped.
"Rest well, my friend. We'll take it from here."
{CYCLE 5 OBJECTIVES}HEARTEATER: -2407/7100 (This total is counting DOWN from 7100) |
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Shalin Nariya
•
Cowgirl
Mythstar
Posts: 394
Trainer Class: 
Player Name: Dawn Gorsuch
OOC Username: RaikouRider
Arena Points: 26
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Post by Shalin Nariya on Oct 13, 2024 10:15:56 GMT 9
ZONE 3
The crash from the Z-MOVE: MENACING MOONRAZE MAELSTROM rocked the rotund bat's lair with such force that Shalin and her team tumbled through the red abyss and into... a giant chamber not as misty as she expected. Among the myriad of battered and bruised trainers and PokΓ©mon were several familiar faces fighting for their lives. Too many to name. Despite their grievous wounds, they poured all they had into sealing Hearteater away in orioncayge 's coffin prison. Another attack like the one the foe unleashed, and every single person in the raid would white out.
Shalin, helpless as she was compared to her powerful allies like Kyukon , Alicia Westfield , Josh Devlin , and Aero , couldn't let that happen. She had to do her part, too. Reynir touched her horn to the spindly Ultra Beast's wing near where Shalin typically sat, a FAIRY WIND invigorating the bug-type but leaving the Ponyta on death's door. "You've done a marvelous job. Come back," she consoled the wounded horse in appreciation. Even with the healing, Nymris' model was still blinking red: a danger that he would not survive combat for very long.
Once Shalin was alone with Nymris, she stood in front of him and gave him a great big hug. With a smile, the Ultra Beast returned the affectionate gesture, even rubbing against his trainer with his long antennae. "Hey, that tickles!" she laughed, letting go to communicate that the heartwarming reunion needed to end early. There was still a legendary bat to banish to her prison.
Without Hearteater's control over him, Nymris let Shalin saddle up. Shalin expected a buzzing ride unlike anything she had ever experienced, hut Nymris had other ideas. In addition to being excellent runners capable of making mountain-splitting noises with their wings, they were some of UNOVR's most talented dancers. Spreading his arms and wings wide, the Ultra Beast began to twirl in circles, making his rider dizzy. With a leap almost all the way to the ceiling, the Pheromosa soared while spinning in circles, a whirlwind forming beneath his legs. "Now, Nymris!" she cried, bracing herself for the worst.
Nymris tucked his wings and arms in, the whirlwind expanding to surround his entire body. Twirling faster than a Rhydon's drilling horn, the Beta Tester let out an unearthly scream from being a passenger on the wildest ride she had ever experienced. She was spinning too fast to see clearly, a green blur surrounding a white one. A wave of green and white pixels masked Shalin's body as her mount began to bore into Hearteater's midsection with the fastest RAPID SPIN she had ever seen. Those with elevated gore settings may have been able to see Lunala blood flying in all directions like a ruined smoothie from its cook failing to put the lid back on.
Shalin herself was having the time of her life. As alien as what she did with Alicia Westfield in the Whimsical Woods was, this was a completely different, yet equally foreign, experience. Her vision oscillated between two specific angles at the Ultra Beast's peak torque. After the duo worked together to tear into Hearteater, great dizziness overcame Shalin, causing the girl to tumble onto the Lunala's back and slide down the Corrupted legendary vermin all the way to the floor.
{CYCLE 5 OBJECTIVES}HEARTEATER: -2535/7100 (This total is counting DOWN from 7100) [/quote] |
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Big Bee
•
Bandana Guy
Round 2
Posts: 677
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Bryan Nautilus
OOC Username: Ladybug
Arena Points: 49
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Post by Big Bee on Oct 13, 2024 11:10:43 GMT 9
ZONE 3
Big Bee shuddered at the sight of the once-grand Hearteater. It was undeniably evil, a monstrous form congealed from hundreds of years of unfettered hunger. A beast so thick with stolen meat that it was now unable to take to the skies.
It had ceased to be an object of fear and wonder and instead become a vast red mirror for player reflection and rejection.
So what did he reject?
Consumption. No. The need to consume was as natural as the need for breath.
To consume, disperse, reintegrate into your form. To eat and grow and learn and eat again. The world existed to be consumed. And yet consumption without purpose showed a lack of understanding. A misalignment with the natural purpose of life.
Hearteater had traded flight for fat. Exploration for expansion. It had grown in size without growing in spirit.
He looked over at Guzzlord, another creature focused on consumption. At first Guzzlord only ate for survive. Its whole life had been bent on eating the world around it, and yet now it had a firmer grasp on the leash of its hunger.
It wasn't hunger for the sake of hunger. It was hunger for more. Hunger that had been honed into a drive for something beyond the land and the skies and even the stars.
Guzzlord had proven that in the Everworld.
No. Hearteater wasn't consumption. It was true, unfiltered Gluttony. It was Greed for the sake of it.
"You're full," Big Bee said. "Full of hoarded vigor and stolen centuries, and yet you've gained nothing. You are a cautionary tale, and in that you have finally become something of value."
Bee looked around at the other players. each of them was learning something from this battle. something about themselves or their partners or a deeper truth about the world itself. in a way, the dispersal of Hearteater was feeding the minds of the masses.
They were growing in spirit in a way Hearteater never had.
Guzzlord rose into the air, displaying the power of flight that Lunala had now lost. It was ready for battle. Ready to push its limits and learn more about itself. [tangent=Feed me.]"ββββ
ββ"[/tangent]
Big Bee smiled at his partner. "Let's eat."
{CYCLE 5 OBJECTIVES}HEARTEATER: -2535/7100 |
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/Kyukon13.png)
/kyukon10.jpg)
: secondary type
180 DMG to Lunala
(Oops, he's immune. No Damage done! Glacia got excited.) 0 DMG.
20 + 10 Buff +15 All Bonus Prompts = 45 DMG
