Pokemon Gijinka: The Fallen God [IC/PG-16/Not Accepting]

[Admiral_Stalfos19]

 
"I um..." Cabrakan took a deep breath and prepared to shell out something that he'd been keeping inside, but was spared from the notion by the ship slowly coming to a stop. This wasn't right. Despite no longer living there, Cabrakan practically knew Fryst like the back of his hand; there was no way they could've reached port yet, which could only mean that something happened to the ship itself. His suspicions were confirmed as he and Scarlet had been dragged onto the deck, and it turned out that S.S. Showdown was under attack! Cabrakan knew better than to try and take on Water-types, but Ice-types on the other hand...

“Trava get into the fray, Taiga, Scarlet, Cabrakan, get your asses back down below. This is my ship, my fight, I’m not letting my guests come to harm. And that’s not a request damn it!” Captian paused only to dodge a couple of incoming Ice-type attacks, “Jane, get down to the rooms, it’s time to pull the red rope.”

 

So she did, and Scarlet followed her. As Cabrakan walked in their direction too, he lost himself in thought as to what the purpose of this sudden attack could possibly be. Were they merely being territorial? Had they intended to assassinate Captain, Clyde or any of the Rotoms? Or were they sent by...?

 

This last thought spurred him to move faster, using his telekinesis to pick up any spikes he encountered along the way; no doubt whoever it was that dared lay them down these hallways would soon have a taste of their own medicine. Eventually he found Scarlet and Jane, only to witness the latter being struck down by a Froslass' Shadow Ball and falling unconscious. He imagined the two Glalie cronies that were with her would be ordered to attack Scarlet and Cabrakan, but before they even had the chance to make a move, Cabrakan launched every single one of these spikes he collected at all three of them, pinning their arms and legs to the walls of the hallways. He doubted they'd stay like this for long, but at the very least it bought him enough time to get Jane out of the danger zone.

 

"I've got you, Jane; you're safe," he told Jane calmly, before slowly retreating, extending an arm and preparing a Supreme Fireball Deluxe, just in case the Froslass or the Glalie broke free prematurely, "Now, I'm gonna ask you one time only; Why are you here, and what do you want with us?"

 

Of course, by "us", Cabrakan meant Captain and the whole crew, as well as all three guests aboard the ship that was S.S. Showdown.

[Asriel Dreemurr]

Was it strange that Whisper had gotten used to this sort of thing from Asriel? The way he always seemed to expect her, or know that she was some place before she made herself known was a strange thing indeed. All the same, she was unsurprised when the door opened before she could even knock on it. With a slight bow of her head, she made her way into the little room beyond. 

 

The room reminded her of the little hideaway the order maintained in the city, though there was a bit more decor here than there. The scent of lavender was strangely calming, more so than she would have expected it to be. She didn't find much of interest there in that place, though a particular image on the wall caught her attention. Asriel, this same Gijinka who promised to help her remember a technique that she had forgotten, was depicted with what looked like a bunch of kids. Upon closer inspection, who else was there in the picture with him than a quartet of familiar individuals. A proud looking Karrablast, a Shelmet close behind her, a dirty-faced smiling Zangoose, and rounding it out was a gloomy Seviper who didn't look like he wanted to be anywhere near there. It was almost comical to think those four had been close and ended up this way, and she was about to comment on it when Asriel spoke.

 

"It's really quite simple, child. To bring out one's memories. However I must let you know, this can be a painful experience. Not of the body, but of the spirit. Delving into memories can bring up feelings, experiences, that you have forgotten. Or those that you do not realize the importance of until you experience again. This is all needed, however, to relearn that which was forgotten." A nod of the head, and Whisper made her way towards the one of the two cushions the old man motioned towards her. He had only just begun to coach her through clearing her mind when she did just that, the technique something that the Order had instilled deep within her. Her breathing slowed, her mind went blank, and at Asriel's coaching she allowed her heart to reach out from where she was sitting...

 

It was a jumbled mess at first. She was bombarded by an amalgamation of recent memories. The image of the Godslayer standing surrounded by corpses, combined with the hustle and bustle of the festival grounds. The sight of the Charizard falling out of the sky, and the cool sensation of standing in the shadows. Even stranger still was when the memories meshed more chaotically, giving her strange and impossible sights sounds and smells. Eventually, all of it blended together until she was practically overwhelmed. Her ears blasted by the phantom sounds, her eyes assaulted with the myriad of images, every taste and smell from the last week washing over her at once. It was painful, horribly physically painful, and unimaginably confusing. She screamed in protest, the sound lost to the chaos of the sound, and thought for a moment that she might go mad.

 

Then, sudden as a thunderbolt, the first complete memory cut through the insanity. The clear recollection of the last meeting of the Order's new council in Alpha, where she had asserted that she needed to pursue their masters' killers. She saw the longing in the others' faces, knowing they wanted nothing more than to follow her but that their new duties prevented them. She was, in fact, the only one among the order at present who was not bound by any such duties. Her masters had no direct connection to the council, and so there was no line of succession from it to her.

 

The second memory cut through the first. She was laying in her bed at the temple, having been preparing to sleep after a fruitful day of tracking down a mark, when the sounds of violence roused her. Bursting out the door in such a hurry that she almost forgot to don her robes, Whisper had rushed down the halls only to come face to face with Sylph, her mother. She had been charged with gathering up the junior members of the order and the apprentices, and seeing them off to a safe place. It took her some time, but she had roused and gathered the other juniors and then turned in an effort to join the fight but was stopped. Another assassin, a Gallade by the name of Medraut, had stopped her and reminded her that their duty was to see the others gone. She recalled that now he was sitting at the head of the council, and that she thought it suited him to do so. As they fled, a portion of the tunnel they were running through had collapsed and would have crushed them were it not for the strength with which she cut it. 

 

Several other memories flashed before her now, each of them assassinations she had carried out. Each one cut down from afar, many of them never knowing that Whisper had even come for them. The invisible blade she projected each time became clearer and clearer, until she could see the aura from which it was formed as clear as day. Whereas much she did with her techniques was darkness, this one shone like the sun to eyes that knew what to look for. As she recalled that it was strange, another memory took hold of her.

 

"But it's too bright!" She exclaimed, the sound of her own voice telling her that she was much younger than she was now. She stood in the subterranean training grounds of the order, a dummy directly across from her cleaved in half. The intensity of her disappointment astounded her, but then she remembered clearly what her mother had said to her in that instruction.

"My dear whisper," she'd begun, her voice as serene as death itself, "you have always sought to be as shadow in shadow. Quiet and invisible, but still there all the time." She had barely understood at the time, but over the years Sylph's words had made more sense to her. "But do not worry that you are too bright with this, in fact you should be happy for it! If you are too bright, you will blind your opponent, and then everything is shadow to them! How do you think Richter can catch anyone by surprise? He blows fire in their eyes first!" The two had laughed and laughed after that, but whisper did not want to laugh right now. It was only occurring to her now that she had spent so long acting, and had never quite appreciated what was lost... not even quite appreciated that it had been lost. Even as reality began to fade back into being she clutched at that moment as hard as she could, not wanting to forget her mother again.

 

When she opened her eyes, she saw the floor. It took her several seconds, but she realized that she had fallen forward and curled up as tightly as she could in that awkward position. Her knives, super potions, and healing items had fallen across the ground and left quite the mess indeed. Sitting up, she took a moment to collect herself... and to wipe the tears that had gathered on her face. The whole time that memory remained present to her, slowly fading back into the past but not leaving her completely. Not entirely sure what she was feeling at that moment, she rose to her feet and prepared to leave. A bow was all she left the old man with, before turning about and exiting the room to step into the burning sunlight.

[LordCowCowCowCowCowCowCowCow]

Asriel's House

 

Asriel watched patiently as Whisper went through the process of remembering. He knew there would be painful parts, but pain was a part of life. A part that helped remind us we were still living. He'd not interrupt such an important aspect unless he had very good cause. When she finally returned to the physical world, she seemed out of sorts. Something, Asriel knew, that not many bore witness to.

 

Before she could leave, he wanted to speak with her one last time. "Whisper hold. I cannot say if we will meet again. I hope you found what you were searching for...And more importantly I hope you found what you weren't searching for, but truly needed. Go and do what you will, child. But do it with your own heart, your own mind..." He smiled softly. "I believe there is a young man searching for you. He, too, doesn't know entirely what he seeks. Perhaps together you can find it. That's enough from me, ignore or heed this old man's words as you will. And may Arceus smile down upon you."

 

As Whisper left the room, the door silently shut, with a powerful sense of finality. Were she to try to open the door, she would find it impossible.

 

Asriel stood, and walked to the painting. He brushed a finger across each of the people depicted. "No, no regrets. If this is the end, so be it. If not, so be it as well. Even in their current state they still have such a bond. I am happy to have been able to witness it...Perhaps I will be lucky enough to witness it again. Haha, this old man has earned a few selfish dreams I think." He turned towards the door, or rather what had been a door. "She will walk her own path. I only hope it is a path that leads to a long life."

---

Dorian's House

 

"I... U-understand it's a sacred place, and honestly, if you don't let us in, it's not the e-end of the world...We could always go find another place where a Legend is...But now... Y-you got me really curious what's I-inside the cave...C-call it the Chaser inside of me... But now I wanna know what secrets the cave holds...,"

 

Dorian stared at the young Dragon. He didn't say anything, but then he laughed. A short, unintentional, sound. "You're a strange one. Let me give you some advice, if you want something, stick to your resolve. I wonder..." Before he said more, Ari responded.

 

"I'm going in to prove my strength. To show my family I'm good enough. And...for a man who shouldn't have had to become grass yet."

 

"I ain't have any idea what you mean by grass, kiddo. But that's certainly the right attitude." He patted Ari on the head with his huge hands. Given how small Ari was, this was quite the forceful motion.

 

He looked over at Kah, who hadn't responded, but seemed to be listening still. "You asked earlier why I stay here. This life I have here, it's simple, steady...Strong. Life in those cities have many good things, but bad too. There's strength in simplicity, power in focus. You all could use to learn this lesson, and maybe...that's one way for you to learn. And then...there's...A promise, I made. This place needs someone to watch over it, might as well be me." He seemed to be contemplating something. All the while he didn't realize Mac was standing up, on top of the table, to be closer to his height. He only noticed when she jabbed him with a finger.

He glanced down at her. "Yeah?"

 

She looked up at him, staring with intensity. "We're going to go in there. We're gonna beat the tar outta that Legend, and we're gonna keep on beating Legends. I don't gotta convince you of anything, I'll show you by doing! If you got a problem with that, well, just try and stop me!"

There was a moment of silence as Dorian frowned at the girl, glaring back at her.

Then he laughed. "Well now. Lookie here." He glanced around the room. "You're a weird lot, but, you got guts. Even you Sandman. In a way." He said to Kazo. "I guess nothing more to say then. Wash up, rest up, tomorrow morning I'll bring you back to the cave...Trust me, you don't want to meet the one who guards that cave at night."

 

The next morning they were patched up, fed once more, and given some extra supplies. Debbie hugged the two children extra long, and even gave a quick hug to the other two. "You all be careful out there...and that means you too, numbskull." She said, waving her finger at Dorian.

 

"Well that's that. Let's head on out." Dorian said, and they set off to the cave. It wasn't a huge entrance, and in fact it looked like Dorian wouldn't be able to fit if he tried, but it looked like it got more spacious as it went on. "You're gonna want these." Dorian handed each of them torches. "Good luck in there, you'll need it."

 

Mac lit her torch, and rushed in ahead of everyone. "C'mon guys we gotta go go go!" She seemed in an extra excited mood, going at a face pace through the cave. After a while she stopped. Turned around. And turned around again. "Uh...where do we go?" The cave seemed to end after only about a hundred feet before stopping. "Guys? Any ideas?" She waved her torch around but it didn't seem to show anything important. At least none she could see. She growled in frustration. "So not cool, cave."

[Mr. Hyde]

Road to Deku

 

Team Dark was on the move.  They were on a mission to find Sada now, the job that Wes was offered by an official of Juyu.  "The White Fury", they called her...she was likely going to be a tough adversary, should she put up a fight.  This road to Deku had been devoid of anything of interest for quite a while.  Wes was patrolling the trees above while he and Fawkes stood grounded.  They happened to stumble across a bandit camp, without a single sole survivor among them.  Sid glared at the woman each time she messed with a body of the deceased.  

 

"No respect for the dead.." he chuckled jokingly.    

 

"Oh well. Com'on, Rascal let's check the bodies for loot then keep it pushing... These guys are going to start stinking soon."

 

"Shame...bandits never have anything good."  It would've been strange if Sada had caused this to happen and not have looted any of the bodies herself.  The evidence was clear that Sada was further ahead of the team.  Since the bodies weren't fresh, it mus've happened a few days ago. 

"Hurry..." he said, picking up his pace.

 

 

S.S. Showdown

 

Not only had a big commotion occurred topside of the boat, but now she was stuck bottom-side against three strong looking gijinka.  Lucky for them, Cabrakan was able to lift every single hazard that lay on the ground, and repel them back at their new aggressors.  She was also able to save Jane, who was struck by the Froslass' shadow ball.  Scarlet also took a fighting stance, and Taiga took her lead.  Cabrakan prepared an impressive looking attack as well.  

 

"Now, I'm gonna ask you one time only; Why are you here, and what do you want with us?"

 

"Yeah!" Taiga joined in.  Looking at the gijinka in front of her, she couldn't help but shiver.  She never did well with the cold.  "What business do you have with the S.S. Showdown huh?  The only business we know is takin' down clowns like you!"  Taiga bared her teeth.  It took every ounce of her not to go all out on the Froslass in front.  Ghost-types didn't taste good anyway.  She grinned her terrifyingly toothy grin.  She readied up a runners stance, and let her tongue hang out of her mouth.  

 

"Hurry up and tell us before we have to show you our business!"   

[LordCowCowCowCowCowCowCowCow]

S.S. Showdown. Team Showdown.

 

The Glalie were caught by surprise. They had been focused on the Scizor that came in and were too slow to react to the Spike storm. Though, oddly, the Froslass didn’t seem bothered. In fact, as one, then two, Gijinka started questioning her motives, she still didn’t react much. She turned her head to the side, watching the two. And then she started to crack.
The body lost all features, turning into a simple doll of ice, and then shattering.

“This one does not need to explain. It is a fool who expects the world to be only as it appears."
The voice came from behind Cabrakan. There was a flash, and Cabrakan felt a strange tingle in his mind. The power he had previously employed to lift the Spikes, the knowledge of it, slipped from memory, and were he to try and use it he would find it...Disabled.
“This one will show you the truth of this world.” She placed her hand on his back and fired a Shadow Ball directly into his back.

Meanwhile the Glalie had pulled themselves free in the confusion. Though only the one on the right had been alert enough to move after doing so.
In his hand a Shard of Ice formed and he threw it swiftly at Scarlet, then bull-rushed and Headbutted Taiga, letting out a roar of challenge as he did.

---

Juyu. Team Karaoke.

“Oh gosh I really gotta find her, hurry hurry hurry!” A young Drapion girl was running through Juyu, looking flustered and worried. Every person she passed by she looked at, checking their identity, so her head whipped back and forth constantly.

Finally she spotted something familiar, and she went right for it. “E-excuse me! Excuse me, Miss Altaria? W-wait!” The Altaria seemed to not notice her, so she picked up her pace, panting with exertion. “H-hold please!” She shouted, nearing the Altaria. She was getting closer, closer...

And then she tripped and fell flat on her face, with a loud squeak of surprise. “Ow ow ow ow...” She got onto her knees, her face covered in dirt, her eyes starting to water. But the Altaria had stopped, finally. “Excuse me...” She said again. “U-um. I don’t want want to be any trouble but....IsawyousingingtheotherdayandIthoughtitwasreallyamazingandIwouldreallyreally...like to...um....come with you.” She blushed, looking at the Altaria.

“I’m not very strong...I only evolved cause my friends helped me...But I always wanted to try and travel and stuff and...Oh what am I talking about you don’t want someone like me...”

[Maeriberii Haan]

---

 

Team Karaoke, Alleria

Juyu

 

Without seeing the old man around, after the Mismargius and the Rotom accepted Alleria's offer to form a team, and with Himiko not appearing so far, the Altaria bowed out from the group to return to the Chimencho's place. While she's quite ecstatic about the prospect of having new teammates (despite still not understanding why all of them seemingly had known about her before), her mind now was focused on Himiko, and why she didn't come to the festival grounds just yet. Alleria was sure earlier that the foreign girl was really excited about going there along with her, but was busied but something firsthand. With how long she didn't appear, the Altaria worried that maybe something happened to her. Each steps she took increased the bad feeling she had, and impulsively, the girl dashed towards Himiko's house.

 

Knock knock, Alleria knocked the door.

 

Several minutes passed, and no answers. She started to get impatient with her worry, and knocked the door harder. This time, it seemed to work and Alleria didn't have to bust in with force as Himiko's aunt, the elegant Espurr, opened the door. She then invited Alleria to come in, recognizing her expression of worry.

 

"You are looking for Himiko, right? She had just left not long ago. A mail came a bit after you left and mentioned how her parents was really ill now. So I ordered a carriage to help her go-"

 

"...Marriage? She's getting married this soon and at this time? With who? Isn't it a bad time? Why can't I-"

 

"Carriage." With one word, the Espurr silenced Alleria, who now retreated to her seat in shame after her impulse acting up with the misheard word.

 

"A-ah. Sorry."

 

"You will be going soon too, right? Dear, it'll be quite lonely here without you or Himiko. You sure about not staying here for longer, Alleria?"

 

"I really need to continue my journey, Lady Crescente. I'm really grateful for all of you and your niece's generosity to me, even tending to my wounds after yesterday. But I need to deliver something to Adarid, and continue my search for Rayquaza too along the way.

 

Once again, thanks for everything."

 

"Sigh...well, perhaps it can't be helped. Your belongings are in Himiko's room, and there are some new set of clothing for you from both me and Himiko. Don't ruin them too much in a rampage again, ok?" Crescente giggled a bit while Alleria was flustered when hearing about it. It would be a real shame if she went off and do those things again, indeed. She bowed to the Espurr before leaving immediately to HImiko's room to finish packing up.

 

"My, my. Quite the person Himiko had brought here. I wonder why she couldn't see anything wrong with this...?

 

Thankfully this storm will subside soon without Himiko being harmed with it. Although, something like this would just rage on somewhere else later on."

 

---

 

"A-ah! Are you alright?"

 

Going on her way towards the border of the city to meet up with the rest of the group, Alleria was approached by a Drapion girl...who fell flat on the ground not far away from her. The Altaria's mind was still focused on how she couldn't get Himiko to go along with her group, but the gloomy feeling temporarily stopped as she tried to help the girl before her.

 

. “Excuse me...”

 

"Who are you...?" Alleria had a gut feeling that this would probably be anothe-

 

“U-um. I don’t want want to be any trouble but....IsawyousingingtheotherdayandIthoughtitwasreallyamazingandIwouldreallyreally...like to...um....come with you.”

 

Knew it.

 

So apparently she had a legion of fans that she's not aware of having. Who would've thunk? Perhaps she's already quite the top idol now. But either way, Alleria just smiled at the girl when she stated her request to come along with her. She would still wish that Himiko could magically and suddenly be alongside her right now, but perhaps taking this girl here wouldn't be bad.

 

“I’m not very strong...I only evolved cause my friends helped me...But I always wanted to try and travel and stuff and...Oh what am I talking about you don’t want someone like me...”

 

"Actually..." Alleria's smile become wider. "I'm looking for people to go alongside me. I'm chasing a legendary, you see. And it'll be fun traveling with friends!

 

So of course, you can cu...curses, I mean, come alongside me."

 

It still felt weird how fast she's gathering new teammates, but Alleria didn't think much of how weird it was, and continued her way alongside the Drapion. As she reached the border, she noticed the Mismargius floating around, and waved her hands at her.

 

"Heey! Miss Margius, lookie here! I found another teammate!"

 

Well, that was the moment Alleria realized she had no idea about the name of her teammates. Oh well, details like that aren't important.

 

---

[King K. Azo]

Kazo looked around the cave, a confused look on his face. Why did the cave stop this soon? There was something wrong. Kazo leaned against a wall to think to himself. Maybe there was a secret passage... that was the only explanation he had. There was no way Dorian would just stay out here, guarding an empty cave. He put his ear to the wall, and started to tap. There was a distinct difference in sound when a wall was hollow compared to when a wall was solid. So, if there was a difference, then he would be able to hear it. It was especially easy for him to hear since he dug all the time, so he knew the subtle differences in the sounds rock and dirt made.

[Sethera]

Cave

"I ain't have any idea what you mean by grass, kiddo. But that's certainly the right attitude." Ari winced at the forceful pat he received afterward. From then on, Dorian explained something about lessons. The way he spoke...reminded the Litleo of his father. He would always speak in riddles as well. It took Ari forever before he understood the concept of the Circle of Life. Even now, he wasn't sure if he had it right.

 

And when Mac chipped in with her own words, Dorian laughed and finished with, "I guess nothing more to say then. Wash up, rest up, tomorrow morning I'll bring you back to the cave...Trust me, you don't want to meet the one who guards that cave at night."

 

Why, who guards the cave at night? Ari wondered.

 

The next morning, Debbie hugged him goodbye, and Ari returned the hug with a bit less reluctance than expected. This place...is making me miss home, he thought. Thoughts of Leah, his mother, and Richard, his father, filled his mind. Because of that, when they arrived at the cave, he felt comforted. It looked like the cave he had explored so often as a child.

 

They walked in, but the cave reached a dead end after a short way. "Uh...where do we go?" Mac asked. "Guys? Any ideas?" The yellow girl waved her torch around. "So not cool, cave."

 

Kazo started tapping on the walls. Why he was doing that, Ari had no idea. Still...it must be a super important Chaser trick! The Litleo followed suit, tail wagging unconsciously. So cool! I wonder what we'll find here?

 

Juyu

As Easter peered around, ready to leave the vicinity and continue the search for the masked woman (or, if he couldn't find her, the nearest sweetshop). However, just as he stepped away from the house, the neighboring house opened, and a woman with a bow appeared.

 

The first thing Easter noticed about her was that she was an Absol, which meant dark. The second thing he noticed was the poise she carried herself with. Guileless blue eyes sharpened. Hmm...could she be...?

 

Whether she was the same person or not, he decided to approach her anyway. He could never pass up a chance to interact with a dark type. "Why, hello," he greeted. "Have we met before" sounds so trite but it could work in this case. However...let's try something different. Looking her up and down, he smiled. "Nice outfit, but it seems incomplete. Perhaps a mask is in order?" Of course, if this was the same person, then he might be biting off more than he could chew, especially given her actions from earlier. Not that he ever let the potential for danger stop him before, though.

[Asriel Dreemurr]

Asriel's words brought about a nod from the woman... who felt very very much like a little girl there at the moment all things considered. It was... curious, but somehow she felt strangely close to this man even though they had known each other for so very little time. Perhaps that was just a side-effect of the process of remembering what she had forgotten, or perhaps it was something more. All the same, she took the time to bow her head to him.

 

"Th...thank you for what you have done." She was about to turn and finish leaving, when she felt the need to speak once again. "The Godslayer will be coming here. I do hope that I can return, strong enough to kill him, before he does, but if I do not... I wish you luck." Those were the last words she had to say to him, a terrible sense of finality to them that was frighteningly hard to accept. It did not make stepping out that door any easier, but she managed somehow. There, for a few moments, she stood standing in the dazzling light of the Juyu sun with little idea of where to go or what was happening around her.

 

"Why, hello," it was the Sylveon from the night before, apparently the one that Asriel had said was looking for her. "Nice outfit, but it seems incomplete. Perhaps a mask is in order?" Yup, definitely the Sylveon from the night before. If she were in any mood aside from the one she was in right then, she might well have spewed poison on his face and pinned him down until he died a slow necrotic death from the toxin seeping into every part of his body. As it was, she found herself strangely in no mood to lift so much as a finger to harm another being. Not now, not when she was caught up in remembering her mother. So, instead of striking him down with great fury, she lifted her hand to wipe away her tears on the sleeve of her jacket and managed a bit of a smile.

 

"You must have been hanging around Gwen to pick up on puns like that." She found herself reaching out to pat the young man, who was a full foot shorter than her, on the top of the head. "It's kinda cute, honestly. So, now that you've found me what do you plan to do?" There wasn't any real need to affirm what he already knew, or at least suspected strongly enough to approach a random stranger on the streets. All that she needed to know was what his purpose in finding her was.

[mitchermitcher]

Juyu

Team Karaoke/C.C. Wallenstein

 

After the team formation was settled on, Wallenstein, without much else to do, dropped by the bar once again.

 

"...Right, I still haven't paid my tab yet, sorry 'bout that. Money's here, should be enough." She handed over some money to the owner while trying to force a friendly grin. The owner accepted the pocket change, and without bothering to count, shook his head.

 

"This is nowhere near enough...but I'll let you go this one time, Miss Wally."

 

"Gee, thanks! Guess I'll let you go for calling me Wally as well! Hahahaha!" Seeing she was forgiven, she started to laugh for real.

 

"You can pay for the rest next time you come by."

 

"Huh?"

 

"I'll be waiting." The owner smiled. It was a patient smile that allowed no arguments.

 

"...Alright, I'll come by sometime. Yeah." Wallenstein sighed, then reciprocated the smile. By far this was her favorite bar in all of Juyu. She'll drop by again without a doubt.

 

Afterwards she left the bar and headed to the town exit. Seeing Gwen was nervously waiting there alone, Wallenstein lifted her hand up and waved.

 

"Heey! Miss Margius, lookie here! I found another teammate!"

 

"Gwen! Did I keep ya waiting!"

[Yui]

---

Location: Road to Deku (Team Dark)

Poke: 700

Inventory: Dusk Stone, Moo Moo Milk x2

"Hm, this one is in pretty bad shape too..."
 
Three dark-types along the road to Deku. The scene the trio had found for themselves wasn't exactly a pleasant one. Death. It was something Fawkes was well aware of, but never something she was comfortable in the presence of. Even so, Wes had the common sense (or lack thereof maybe?) to check the pockets of the deceased for anything of value. Sid didn't seem very comfortable with the idea, but it wasn't like they were going to need this stuff anymore anyway, right? Whenever there was a body whose hands weren't too close to their pockets, Fawkes checked in there. Touching those cold, dead hands wasn't something she wanted to do anytime soon. Creepy...
 
"They were bandits that's for sure. Must have tried to rob the wrong person, cus every bone in this one's body is broken..." So this was what happened to a person if they broke the code? Thievery was a much more frighting career path than Fawkes initially took it for if this kind of thing could happen. Didn't mean she'd give up though. However, even more interesting than the "what" of this was the "who". It was a shot in the dark, but Fawkes had a vague idea, based on everything she'd picked up on these last couple days. The person Team Dark was chasing, the place they were headed, and the state of these bandits gave her one idea in particular.
 
"Maybe it was The White Fury," the rascal suggested. She'd recounted the stories over the last couple of days on the road; that she was a powerful young gijinka that rounded up and protected the orphans of Deku. In some parts of town, the stories had died out, but in those bottom-of-the-ladder alleyways and broken warehouses the orphans of today's Deku sheltered themselves in, the stories of The White Fury lived on. For the longest time, Fawkes thought they were just legends to inspire the young folks of Deku, but it seemed she was mistaken and that The White Fury was very much a real person. And her partners were chasing that very legend.
 
When they found their target, Fawkes made a mental note to ask for an autograph.
 
"Oh well. Com'on, Rascal let's check the bodies for loot then keep it pushing... These guys are going to start stinking soon."
 
"You got it." Using the technique she was most skilled at (besides lying or running away), Fawkes split up into a team of herself plus two clones to get things done effectively three times as fast, at least for her. For the most part, nothing really noteworthy was to be found. A few of them were carrying some pocket change Wes had missed, but other than that, not much to be found.

Items Gained: 50 Poke

---

Location: Cave (Team Oasis)

Poke: 350

Inventory: Poke Puff Bag, Berry Case (contains one Haban Berry and one Sitrus Berry), Breast Pad x2 (C-cup, equipped)

"Uh...where do we go?"
 
This was not how Kah expected the trip into this cave to go. The lot of them were given torches before entering, and sent on their way...but the cave was not only empty, but surprisingly short as well. Not even worth guarding. The people of this desert must have let the heat get to them too much if they thought this cave was nearly as big a deal as it had been made out to be. How disappointing. Kah had come all this way for nothing.
 
"Guys? Any ideas? So not cool, cave."
 
Then Kazo started tapping on the walls. Kah thought it strange, until remembering that some types of dragons liked digging. More likely than not, Gabite was among them. Looking for something in the walls via sound then? Well, if it would get them further into this cave, Kah would gladly help. Of course, subtlety was never her strong suit. Eyeing one particular spot on the wall as though it had just insulted her ancestors, Kah built up her power. With any luck, Kazo would be able to hear really well what was behind this wall, if anything.
 
"I've got a good idea," the Hydreigon grinned, stepping up to the wall with what nearly looked like an inferno of purple power drawn around her arm. "If there isn't a tunnel or passage..."
 
Rearing back her fist and subsequently shooting it forward, the girl roared "Then we'll MAKE one!" As she proposed her idea, her fist slammed into the wall. Hopefully this worked. Otherwise, the timeless Hydreigon philosophy of "if you can't eat it, punch it" would end up failing her for the first time in a while.

[LordCowCowCowCowCowCowCowCow]

Team Mac, Inside Cave

 

In response to Mac's query, her teammates decided to answer by...tapping on the wall and then attacking it.
She started to wonder if perhaps she had made a mistake in choosing to let these guys follow her around. Still, she didn't know what to do either, so she watched them go at it. "Yeah you guys go and...touch stuff, you're the best at...hitting walls!" She didn't even believe herself.

 

The girl leaned against the wall, knowing that she was missing...something. And then one of Kah's attacks caused something to happen. She barely noticed it but something fell to the ground. "Hey, hey guys. guys....STOP!" She shouted the last, yelling at the top of her lungs. It was enough to give pause, during which she dashed forward and picked up the strange object.

 

It had come from... Mac looked up, and realized that their torches didn't extend that high up. "Hey, Kazo, get over here." She ordered the Dragon to let her on his shoulders and, once, she was lifted up, more of the wall was revealed.

 

And with it, a strange sight. A bunch of objects, similar to the one in her hand, were laid out in rows next to an oval of indents in the walls. She placed the one she was holding under the leaf shaped object, and scratched her head. She looked down at the rest. "Is this like...a puzzle?"

---

Team Karaoke, Juyu exit

 

Fiona was skipping, literally skipping, with glee as she followed Alleria. She stayed close, very, very, close to the girl, practically holding onto her arm while they went to some Ghost girl hovering near the exit. She hadn't seen this one before. She decided she'd wait to introduce herself, and tried to hide behind Alleria, despite being larger.

 

Gwen's face lit up as Alleria and a new friend came towards them, and lit up even more as Wally joined. "Oh goodie, glad I didn't have to go Seaking you out! And no I wasn't waiting long, don't you worry." Gwen beamed at them, and then floated towards Fiona, keeping a distance. "It's nice to meet you, friend of Alleria. My name's Gwendoline, though everyone just calls me Gwen, what's yours?"

 

Fiona stared at Gwen, then at Wally, who she vaguely recognized from the other day, and then back at Gwen. "My n-" she coughed, her voice cracking. "My name is Fiona...um...I guess we're going to be teammates?"

"Seems so! Isn't that wonderful? Now, I wonder where young Lok went off to..."

---

Deku

 

BGM

Map

Deku, a land where thieves prosper, but not for long. For when your city is full of thieves, you can be sure that your stolen goods will be, in turn, stolen. It's a vicious circle that everyone seems to be used to. Strangely, no one has ever tried to break this cycle. The dream of most of the inhabitants is to strike it rich at the Gambling Den which is the heart of the city, literally and figuratively, and bailing before they lose their not-so-hard earned cash.

Buildings were made haphazardly, barely holding together, and crowded close together. In some cases one building might be built literally inside of another partially. This means that Deku is full of alleys and nooks and crannies. Much can be bought here for a good price, though one needs to be careful as most of the goods are fake. For the people of Deku don't make their money off the merchandise, but picking the pockets of travelers before they can get to the stores.

Nonetheless it's a lively town, full of lively people. Including one young Aipom who decided to be the first to "greet" the three newcomers.

 

"Hey hey hey, welcome to Deku! I hope you're ready to have a good time cause that's all that there is here!" He tilted his head as he looked at the group, scratching the top of it with his tail. He stared at Fawkes intently. "You look...familiar..." He got closer, leaning in. "Yeah, very...familiar...Have I robbed you before? Or, have you robbed me before?"

[👀 REP 👀]

Juyu

Team Karaoke

 

Once the team formed, each one of the members departed to resupply, agreeing to meet up in front of the road to Adarid. Lok rushed to his room in the Inn to pick up anything he might of forgotten. He spent far too long trying to find his Spell Tag. Eventually, however, he found it deep behind one of the drawers underneath some towels. Without questioning how it got there in the first place, Lok headed out.

 

. . . 

 

When Lok had arrived, it seemed that the whole group had already met up, alongside someone he didn't quite recognize. He arrived in front of the group, panting. "Sorry I'm late! I had to find my lucky Spell Tag." He pulled out said Spell Tag from his pocket before putting it back. He then turned to the Drapion "Hello! I don't think we've met before! I'm Lok!" he pointed to himself with his left thumb while sticking out his right arm for a handshake. "I assume you're traveling with us? That's awesome! The more the merrier, right?"

 

---

 

S.S. Showdown

Team Showdown

 

Before she knew it, one of the Glalies had broken free, and threw an Ice Shard at her. Acting quickly, seeing as she was in position to fight, she fired off a Bullet Punch at the ice, completely shattering it and leaving her with minimal damage. "Is that all you got?" The one that had fired off the Ice Shard was heading straight towards Taiga, while the other one was still dazed from the attack. Scarlet decided that it would be best to take advantage of her situation and attack the other Glalie before it could move. She swiftly dashed at the Glalie that hadn't attacked and, before it could react quick enough, she fired off a Bullet Punch, upper cutting the Glalie in the jaw.

[Maeriberii Haan]

---

 

Ah, so the Drapion's name is Fiona, and the Mismargius that almost killed Alleria with the pun earlier was named Gwen. The Rotom's name, who had just arrived on the scene, seemed to be Lok, according to Gwen. Which left the Empoleon. She seemed to be the strongest member of the group as of now, and probably would lead the group in a pinch in the future. However, with everyone here seemingly being her fan or conspiring behind her for a practical prank, and being in here half due to her anyway, Alleria felt like she would need to lead the way when they continue. She waited a bit with a smile on her face as the group chitchated with each other, and when they're done, she spoke up.

 

"We're here and finally would leave this city to our destination, Adarid. It seemed that most of us are chasers too, which would make things even more fun! So now, let us continue with our path, and stick together!

 

Don't let any opportunities or infos slip by too. The faster we can figure out a target and get to it, the better for us!"

 

It's something pretty self-explanatory, obvious, and something most of them would know already, except maybe Fiona. Alleria still felt the need to state it though, mainly to keep everyone pumped up. The nuggets she needed to deliver was stored inside of her bag. It's been a while, but even she forgot about who told her to deliver it, or why. She only remembered a name. Although it should be enough.

 

Altera Ellaila. Was it really the name of the one she needed to deliver the goods to? That name felt familiar...

 

But that shouldn't matter until they all reach the capital. Initiating the group, Alleria walked out of the border cheerfully.

 

"Come on, don't waste more time, and let's start our adventure together!"

 

---

[Sethera]

Cave

Ari had been surprised when Kah slammed a purple fist into the wall. Maybe tapping hadn't been the right thing to do after all then? More was better, right? And it seemed to do the trick, as something fell down from the wall. Mac yelled at them to stop, and then had Kazo lift her to look at what it was more closely. "Is this like...a puzzle?"

 

"Is it? I can't see," the Litleo complained. "Lift me up next!"

 

Juyu

It was only after he spoke that Easter noticed tears rimming the corner of the Absol's eyes. Oops...perhaps this is a bad time? he thought with a trace of guilt. The woman brushed them away with her jacket sleeve and quirked her lips into a small smile.

 

"You must have been hanging around Gwen to pick up on puns like that," she patted him on the head afterward, and just like that, all guilt was gone. Easter frowned, not bothering to act cutesy around this person, who would probably see through it anyway. Gwen... the name sounded familiar. It took him a second, but he was able to match it with that Mismagius from earlier. Her puns were positively lethal. "It's kinda cute, honestly. So, now that you've found me what do you plan to do?"

 

At that, Easter shrugged. Plans...who cared about them? He was what one might call hedonistic. He acted on whims, and let them be the wheel to his ship. If he wanted to eat, he ate. If he wanted to talk to somebody, he talked to them. Beyond that, he had no plans, no goal, aside from getting stronger, beating down legends, and continuing to live the carefree life. He hadn't planned for what would lie beyond approaching this person.

 

"I don't really have any plans," he admitted. "I just wanted to confirm you were who you are, and now that I have, well," normally, he would say he wanted to test their strength, but he had already seen a demonstration of hers, so that wasn't necessary at this point. The Sylveon finished with a laugh. "Now I did what I wanted to do." Well, that was enough of that. Moving on. "What do you plan to do now?" She was an interesting person, enough to stir his curiosity.

[mitchermitcher]

Juyu Somewhere along the way to Adarid

Team Karaoke/C.C. Wallenstein

 

It was a while later after all five of them including the newcomer Fiona joined up and left town. They were on their way to Adarid. It was still the same day, just a couple of hours after lunchtime.

 

"You know, I was wondering. With five of us hanging out together, it'd probably be for the best if we were all aware of how each of us fights, or something." Wallenstein let out a thought she's had for a while now. "Things like what sort of techniques do we have or our combat preferences or what can we expect each of us to do in a group battle, you know?" She stopped the group's progress and decided to sit down and discuss. The more she thought about it, the more it was important after all. In case a group of bandits or some overly strong Gijinka(or even a legendary!) attacked them on the way. She observed the other four members carefully.

 

"Well, I guess it's only fair that I go first. Of the five skills I have, the main one I use is my Water Pledge. It's the water gun thing I keep spamming. You've experienced it first hand, Alleria, heheh." Wallenstein lifted up her finger and shot a stream out to nowhere to demonstrate. "It's great at both close and mid-range due to how fast it comes out, although it doesn't reach far enough that I can quite snipe with it. Next is Metal Claw, turns this coat of mine to steel, I mostly use it for defending but its steel typing works well for me sometimes. Those are my two general combat skills."

 

She paused before continuing.

 

"My next two skills are Rain Dance and Mist and I understand they both don't sound like useful moves but they're my ace against people who are way stronger than I am." She didn't specifically mention legendaries. "On their own they have their uses but if I spread both out to cover the entire battlefield, even people who are stronger than I am will struggle to navigate or even hit me. In a way the two moves are more practical for war or large-scale battles than individual scuffles. Although Mist is also great for creating cover and lowering visibility in general."

 

She lifted a finger up again and shot a Water Pledge. As it traveled in an arc towards the ground, it quickly froze and became a solid projectile.

 

"My last skill allows me to turn water I create into ice. With Water Pledge it just means I have a more solid projectile to use in conjunction with. I can hit things with Water Pledge first and then freeze them, or I can just shoot solid icicle spears in the first place. It's a pretty flexible skill and there's some other cool stuff I can do with it I guess. I call it 'Crazy Cold Crown', sounds cool, doesn't it?"

[Maeriberii Haan]

---

 

Team Karaoke, Alleria

Midway to Adarid

 

"You know, I was wondering. With five of us hanging out together, it'd probably be for the best if we were all aware of how each of us fights, or something."

 

Alleria's guess wasn't wrong it seemed. The Empoleon of course would be the one to take the lead on this topic. They're now resting at the side of the road, all seemingly eager to explain their capabilities. Alleria didn't have much issue with what they're doing, mainly since she knew that knowing more about her team would be necessary. Of course, the explanation starts with the Empoleon.

 

"Well, I guess it's only fair that I go first. Of the five skills I have, the main one I use is my Water Pledge. It's the water gun thing I keep spamming. You've experienced it first hand, Alleria, heheh."

 

"Huh?" Alleria put a questioning look towards the Emp..uh, Wally. Although, she decided to not ask about it more - it's better if she just continue with her explanation. Wally continued by describing about Water Pledge in detail, before continuing with telling the group about Metal Claw, then Mist and Rain Dance. Alleria hated rain, and mist would be worse, but she didn't say anything. Lastly, she described about her special skill. It looks really fun. With Wally done, Alleria decided to be the one that'll follow that one up with her own exposition.

 

"I guess it's my turn. Honestly, I quite disliked fighting...i mean, idk, I don't see it as really appealing for me. But either way...

 

My first skill, as an idol singer is of course Sing. I can attempt to lull anyone nearby to a sleep by singing. Used to only be able to do it by singing a lullaby, but I can sing anything and still do this. Having my audience asleep when I'm singing really sucks...but I guess at times it's quite necessary. It can affect anyone that hears my song when I invoke it, but the effect weakens the farther you are. I guess no need to do a demo now, right?

 

Next one of my skill is Dazzling Gleam. It's how I can..." Alleria stood up, and flicked her fingers. From the skies, spotlights shone towards her, creating sparkle effect around her for a few seconds while she posed. "...do this any time I wanted to. I can also use it to blind my opponent and harm them somewhat, but as of now I'm not sure on how to effectively use it as a weapon.

 

Then, I can also do a certain skill named Dragon Dance. It...basically just me tapping into my dragon ancestry with a dance, and thus I can punch or slap harder, and move a lot faster. No need to demo it now.

 

As for my only proper way of attacking...I can do..." Alleria paused from a bit and moved her body into a sort of stance. And then, she closed her eyes and starting to move around. The Altaria started to dance to her own rhythm, channeling the energy around her with her hands as her motion flowed. It was an oriental dance she derived from what Himiko taught her back then. Then, feeling the buildup on her hands was enough, she then aimed her fist upwards, and as she opened her eyes, she sent the built energy to the sky. It emerged as a dragon head made of flames, and flew upwards until it dissipated into the air.

 

"I'm still learning on how to do it properly, but that's what I call as Dragonbreath. Of course it doesn't have anything to do with how my breath smell, so don't worry about it. It's basically just firing a burst of energy regulated by my movement and my breathing. It is a series of moves effectively flowing like a dance, but that's the gist of it.

 

Oh, other than that, I can also manipulate weather and float a bit above ground. I kind of dislike anything outside of a clear sky, so that's what I usually do when I'm around. It sucks to have a performance ruined by a freak rain. This...is also why the weather is almost clear when I'm around. Really feels like we're in Cloud Nine, no?"

 

---

[Mr. Hyde]

Deku

 

Not short after the team had made it to Deku, they were greeted by a aipom gijinka.  It's tail bounced, and they seemed full of energy.

 

"Hey hey hey, welcome to Deku! I hope you're ready to have a good time cause that's all that there is here!  You look...familiar..." He said as he moved closer to Fawkes.  "Yeah, very...familiar...Have I robbed you before? Or, have you robbed me before?"

 

His tone was starting to grate on Sid's ears.  Cheerful indeed, but surely a thief as well.  This was all probably just a front to catch newcomers off guard.  He pushed Fawkes behind him.  Even though he knew that the clever Zorura was way more than anything but helpless, he didn't want to take his chances.  He looked the Aipom in the eyes, his cold glazed gaze met the others...Sid couldn't get a read on him.  

 

"No good times."  He said coldly.  " 'specially on that road."  Sid pointed towards the road that they had been travelling on.  Whoever killed those bandits probably holed up in this town, that was for sure.  If it had been the White Fury...all the better.  He unzipped his collar to show his eerie grin.  It was a good tool for intimidation.  

 

"Now...where's the White Fury?" 

 

S.S. Showdown

 

Now it was on!  

 

The Glalie's had gotten free, and the Froslass had appeared behind Cabrakan.  

 

"Why I outta'!"  She turned around to try and preemptively take a bite out of the ghost, but was met with a roar, and then a powerful force from behind.  One of the Glalie's had rushed her down and planted his head straight into her side.  Her breath slipped away from her for a second, and smacked into one of the walls.  Trying to get back on her feet, she desperately gasped for air.  After regaining her footing, she looked at the big icy dolt who had caught her off guard.  Scarlet was already in a fight with the other.  

 

"Fufufu...big boy thinks he's got what it takes huh?  Well...you picked on the wrong shark!"  With her mouth opened slightly, a gleam could be seen coming from inside.  A grin crept across her face as she started running at the Glalie.  She launched herself into the air and onto a wall momentarily before launching herself again from said wall.  She lunged at the Glalie and opened her mouth wide.  She would be sure to Crunch down on any part she made contact with.

 

She was faster now.  

[LordCowCowCowCowCowCowCowCow]

Team Karaoke, Juyu-Adarid

 

An awkward moment passed where Fiona was trying to ignore the hand offered to her, while also trying not to be rude, before Gwen clapped her hands together and expressed joy they were all together finally. After setting forth onto the road they had been fairly silent until Wally offered up a topic of conversation.

 

Gwen listened politely to the two's explanation of their abilities. It was quite fascinating to see how talented her companions they were. Though... "You all have such amazing abilities. I wonder...what would happen if you used them for something more?" She chewed her bottom lip, thinking intently. She wasn't sure how to get her thoughts across. Fighting came natural in this region, something seemingly ingrained in their souls. Even something like singing could be weaponized... "A-anyway. As for myself, I don't have very impressive skills. But they can come in handy. My most common attacks the gijinka's aura directly. Another that can launch leaves that are hard to avoid, the most useful is probably my ability to share my health with others, or take it away from them to heal. Lastly I can inflict various...curses on people when I touch them." She stopped, not wanting to talk about that other ability. The destructive one, which she would prefer not using if she could help it.

 

Fiona looked uncomfortable with the situation. "I can't do much...But I can shoot projectiles and...I've learned how to knock off various items...that's...really it."

 

Gwen patted her shoulder, smiling encouragingly. "It's okay Fiona, you don't have to know how to fight."

 

The next several days passed by fairly uneventful. Gwen realized something about Fiona and carefully brought it up after a couple days. "I thought I recognized you, you were in the singing competition for a while, weren't you? You did very well, though, you left halfway through..."

"A-ah well, I'm not a great singer, nothing like Alleria." She paused for a moment, looking at the Altaria with admiration. "And the song was...a really strong one, I shouldn't have picked something so unfitting just because if sounded pretty..."

Gwen took her time trying to build Fiona up again after this, encouraging her enough so that the next day she decided to

for them. And immediately hid her face and refused to talk for the rest of the day.

 

Finally, they reached Adarid. It was a fairly smooth trip, the road to Adarid was kept especially safe by the Emperor.

Map

 

Adarid City. By far the largest city in the region of Adarid, as well as the least creatively named. What can you do. It would take several days just to cross from one end of the city to the other. And there were many, many, distractions to be had. The markets are massive and filled with many different items. From typical to exotic, large and small. If you have enough Poke you could buy nearly anything you wanted here. The entertainment district is dominated by the Arena, a massive structure that tests the might of many Gijinka, all who have a strong craving for victory. Though beyond that there are many other forms of entertainment. If knowledge is your goal, you won't find a more complete collection of books, of both factual and fictitious nature, looked after by a most eccentric guardian. The emperor himself lives in the center of the city, his home raised high above the rest, overlooking his people. Raised walkways bring you high above the crowds, and allows for easier travel across. There are even rest stops on these, for those who simply wish to cross the city. Soldiers patrol the street, and Adarid is home to the largest concentration of battle trained Gijinka in the world. Truly it is a place well protected, in a world so dangerous.

 

The Adarid Gate was a massive structure, made of steel, though the opening the group walked through was much smaller and more manageable. It slid horizontally into the rest of the gate to allow access. They immediately found themselves in one of the cities many guard stations. This one being a large but squat building, with a single walkway down the middle. Guards stood behind windowed walls, ready to fill the hallway if any threat is noticed. A pair of soldiers greeted them and checked them for anything dangerous. Upon finishing this inspection, they were let into the city. With a warning to follow all laws strictly, or else.

 

Gwen stared around at the city, watching the massive amounts of people milling about. Gijinka of all shapes and sizes went about their business. Similarly assorted buildings crowded the areas just off the roads, though there was a rigid order about them that was impressive. She could tell this was a city that ran on a strict plan. "It looks even bigger than last time I was here...Careful everyone, don't get separated. If any of you must go anywhere please let everyone else know, lest we lose each other. Now...what is it you all want to do? The choices are Absolutely numerous...no wait I used that one already..."

[Admiral_Stalfos19]

Team Showdown
S.S. Showdown

 

It looked as though Cabrakan wasn't going to get an answer from any of them, as the Froslass started to crack and eventually shattered. Then it hit him. Cabrakan never managed to hit the real Froslass at all(!); it was only a Substitute that took the brunt of the Spikes that he launched.

 

"Damn it, I should've known," the elderly Chandelure cursed. There was only one thing for it. He had to get Jane as far away from here as he could.

 

Cabrakan used his telekinesis to send Jane's body on its way out. But suddenly, the body started to decline much earlier than he intended, dropping to the floor and sprawling across it uselessly. Initially wondering what was going on, Cabrakan looked at his hand... only to realize that it was no longer deploying the telekinetic power that he was just using to guide Jane away from harm. He couldn't understand. First his fireballs continued to miss their intended targets, then his Ancient Curse wouldn't trigger when he needed it to, and now his telekinesis of all things had failed him? What in Yveltal's name was going on?!

 

Cabrakan tried his best to remain vigilant, but regardless of his efforts, the Froslass appeared behind him and launched a Shadow Ball straight onto his back. Thinking on his feet, Cabrakan repositioned the arm that he was charging a Deluxe Fireball Supreme with and detonated said fireball behind him. Although it propelled him into the other wall, at least it managed to mitigate the effects from the Shadow Ball so it wouldn't outright kill him where he stood. A part of his mind was also hoping that the Froslass had taken damage from the sudden detonation of the Deluxe Fireball Supreme... but he had to be realistic.

 

"I'm too old for this sheet," Cabrakan murmured as he coughed up blood, "I really am..."

[King K. Azo]

Kazo sighed to himself. Mac had yelled at them to stop, and then made him lift her onto his shoulders to look at something that apparently fell off the wall. It was a strange thing... All the symbols must have represented the types... But it seemed... Random...

 

"Is this like...a puzzle?" Mac asked. Kazo just nodded in response, lost in thought.

 

"Is it? I can't see," the Litleo complained. "Lift me up next!" The tall dragon scooped up the Litleo in response, placing him on Mac's shoulders, making a three man ladder.

 

"D-do you needed lifted to, K-Kah?" Kazo attempted to joke. Sadly, his nerves were getting to him, and he was sure he botched it. So much for getting comfortable with these people. He looked at the wall. "Ice is super effective against ground...," he muttered, looking at the two symbols. "It could be a super effective circle... Except... Dragon is only super effective against Dragon... Maybe it's supposed to be in the middle... If so... Then...," he paused, "Okay, Ground is super effective against Electric... But then Electric is super effective against Flying and water...,"

 

He felt like he was on to something, but he wasn't sure... "If we put flying there, then we could place bug type... Which would then put in grass... Then water... Then... No, no..., that doesn't work...," he noticed the one circle outside of the others. It looked lonely... He could relate... Wait... If this was super effective circle... Normal was super effective against nothing... Then what was next to it could be ghost, since they don't affect each other... He started doing some calculations. He had a frustrated look on his face for several minutes before he had an idea.

 

"Okay... Ari, Mac, try this. Starting from ground type and going clockwise... Ground, electric, flying, grass, water, fire, steel, rock, bug, psychic, poison, fairy, dark, ghost, psychic, and fighting. Normal is on the outside, and dragon is in the middle," Kazo suggested. He only hoped it worked.

[LordCowCowCowCowCowCowCowCow]

Team Showdown, S.S. Showdown

 

The Glalie took the punch to the jaw...not well at all. His head rocked back and slammed into the wooden wall of the ship. He was dazed for a moment, but still lunged forward, his jaw extending and his teeth covered in frost as he attacked with an Ice Fang, biting down on the Scizor's shoulder. As he did this an icy mist seeped from his back, and a wave of Sheer Cold began to creep towards Scarlet.

 

Meanwhile the other had put up his arm just in time to avoid having Taiga sink her fangs into his neck. She bit into his arm and drew blood, but he merely grunted in response. He opened his mouth and blew out an Icy Wind, the attack wouldn't hurt too badly but the ice forming around the shark would slow her down some. He shook his arm wildly and threw her to the side, into the wall. Then he readied himself for the next attack, prepared to Protect from whatever she threw at him.

 

Froslass cringed from the heat as her attack met the Chandelure's. It would be an unpleasant end to die from fire, and she didn't appreciate this at all. "This one does not like you. But this one must thank you for helping this one's work." She smiled eerily at Carbakan and gestured around them. The flames, while they had singed her, had also hit the walls of the ship, catching fire to the wood. Froslass began to laugh dryly. "Fire at sea, a most fitting end for such a blasphemous vessel." She then launched another Shadow Ball at Cabrakan.

---

Team Mac, Cave

 

Mac laughed as Ari climbed on board as well. "It's good you're such a little guy, otherwise Kazo would have some trouble, eh?" she said, before focusing back on the puzzle. She had no idea what was going on, and it was frustrating her. Finally Kazo, despite Mac's insistence that Electric should totally be on top, figured out an order. Unfortunately it didn't work. "Don't worry Kazo, we'll get it!"

Then it hit her. Mac grinned as she ran it through her head a few times. "Oh Arceus! I got it! Look look look!" She switched the order up a small bit, giggling as she did. Rock to Ice to Ground to Electric to Flying to Grass to Water to Fire to Bug to Psychic  to Poison to Fairy to Dark to Ghost to Psychic to Fighting to Steel, with Rock at the very top, in between Steel and Ice.

There was a sudden click as the last was placed, and a grinding noise. "Kay lemme down now." As Mac's feet hit the ground, the wall slowly slid downward, revealing that the secret doorway was five feet deep.

"Ha! The great detective, Mac, strikes again!"

 

Mac, without further ado, strode boldly down the path. It was yet another long path, though wider and taller than the previous.

It eventually opened up into a massive cavern covered in stalactites, which had a strange, soft, glow to them that slightly lit up the entire thing.

 

"Whoooa, cooool." Mac said, her loud voice echoing off the walls. As she spoke there was another noise, and at the far end of the cavern it looked like the wall was crumbling, bits of rock falling off and hitting the ground. Slowly at first but then at a rapid pace as something started to stir. Mac started forward, seemingly automatically, her heart pounding as she got closer. Once she reached about the middle, the thing in the wall fully emerged.

 

 

It was a Gijinka of massive size. Nine feet tall, exuding a feeling of great power. As he stepped forward the entire cavern rocked, and nearby a couple stalactites fell to the ground with a crash. He loomed over the group, looking at each of them, taking his time on each. When he reached Mac she shuddered and her face lit up in an amazed smile. "Regirock" She whispered. Suddenly the order of the symbols for the puzzle made much more sense.

 

Bits of rock fell from the Legend as he shifted backed and forth. Finally, he spoke. A voice that was strong, rumbling, solid. "Why...awaken me...mortals?"

[👀 REP 👀]

Juyu --> Road to Adriad

Team Karaoke

 
The Drapion seemed to be very uncomfortable. Eventually, Lok put his hand away, giggling a bit. "A shy one, eh?" The group started their trip.

 

. . .

 

It was a quite trip for the most part. "You know, I was wondering. With five of us hanging out together, it'd probably be for the best if we were all aware of how each of us fights, or something." Suddenly, Wally had broken the silence. She had a good point - it would be in the best interest of the group to know what each one of them could do. Naturally, Wally was the first one to go, showing off her impressive water-and-ice based techniques. Then came Alaria, who had weaponized performance - using the power of sound and lights. She finished her showcase with a very beautiful dance and a release of dragonic might. Then Gwen started. She had an array of ghastly moves, some of which Lok recognized, as a lot of said moves were similar to the ones that he'd seen other Gijinka use in Alpha. Then Fiona went on with...well, it wasn't a very impressive display of power. 

"Oh, me next!" he shot his hand up a bit after Fiona finished her speech. He started to levitate in front of the whole group. "Well, the more obvious of my powers is the ability to shoot lighting." To demonstrate, he stuck his hand up, his index and middle finger pointed upwards. Out of these two fingers a bolt of lighting shot out. "I can also use these ghastly orbs to attack." Opening his outstretched hand, a trio of small, purple orbs started circling at his palm. He then aimed his arm to the side and fired off the three orbs, hitting some nearby rocks. "I probably shouldn't show this technique, but I can also fire a Confuse Ray. Don't want to confuse anyone here!" He chucked, flipping around mid-air and landing on his hand. Suddenly, a clone of Lok spawned right next to him, in a different position - a more up-right one. Just as quickly as it spawn, the clone disappeared in a puff of cyan smoke. "And, I guess this isn't really an offensive ability, but..." He grabbed a nearby rock, and threw it up into the air. Suddenly, he seemingly transformed into pure cyan energy, aiming itself straight at the rock while it was in mid-air. As the rock plummeted towards Earth, it slowly stopped before hitting the ground, levitating in mid-air. Successfully possessing the rock, Lok started to fly around, before finally stopping. Blue energy seemed to ooze out of the rock before Lok appeared above it. "I can possess inanimate objects! Cool, right?" 
 

---

 

S.S. Showdown

Team Showdown

 
The Glalie didn't take the hit very well at all, his head slamming hard against the wood behind him. However, the Glalie seemed adamant to fight, lunging forwards and catching her by surprise, despite the hard blow. He sunk his frozen teeth into her shoulder. "Gah!" She let out, stumbling back a bit, Glalie still firmly pressed on her shoulder. A cold mist was also spreading from his back - without even touching her, she could already feel the intense coldness of said mist. It was clear that she had no business getting hit by this. "Didn't your mother ever teach you..." she began, as she started to shift her weight in a way where the Glalie had his back in the other direction. "...how to treat a lady?" Taking advantage of his dazed state and lack of focus, she used her dashing skills to slam the Glalie that was on her shoulder to the ground, his chest taking the full impact of her dash. Hopefully the ground itself would stop the icy mist from freezing her.

[Asriel Dreemurr]

Whisper made a motion for the Sylveon to follow her, before turning away from where he had met her just outside of Asriel's door. Her course took her to the edge of the festival grounds, where a few vendors here and there were still set up. Asking around, she was pointed towards one of the stalls nearer to the road leaving the city where she set about purchasing food for a fairly long journey. None of it was of especially high quality, but it was packed full of nutrients and was the sort of thing that wouldn't spoil. Of course it didn't look all that appetizing, but it was what she needed.

 

"I plan on making my way to Adarid. There's something there I need to get, and hopefully I'll be able to come up with the Poké to get it on the way." The boy had asked her, so she answered. Continuing along, she made her way to one of the many above-ground reservoirs the citizens of Juyu drew their water from. She spent a few moments making sure that she'd filled her canteen with enough water, and then turned away from it. "I don't really have anything else to do here in Juyu after all. You're welcome to come with me if you like." It would be nice to have some company for the journey, even if he wasn't one of the order as she would have preferred. 

[Admiral_Stalfos19]

Team Showdown
S.S. Showdown

"This one does not like you. But this one must thank you for helping this one's work. Fire at sea, a most fitting end for such a blasphemous vessel."

 

So that's what the Froslass was trying to accomplish; not so much the assassination of Captain, Clyde or any of the Rotom crew, but the capsizing of S.S. Showdown itself. Why she wanted the beautiful ship sunk down to the bottom of the ocean, and what exactly her Arceus-damned problem with it was to begin with for that matter, were both unknown to Cabrakan at this point of time. Perhaps the Froslass memories would tell him... after he extracted them from her soul. However...

 

"O...K? You've got me curious all of a sudden," Cabrakan stated nonchalantly, dodging the Shadow Ball that was launched at him with ease, "But if you'll excuse me,"

 

He turned his attention to the flames that had been brought forth by his own attack, as they'd inflict heavy damage to the vessel if they were left alone, if not do the Froslass' job for her. Of course, this reminded him of the incident with the lone tree of Oasis; but although he couldn't do anything about that then, he most certainly could do something about this. The sapphire on top of Cabrakan's head glowed brightly, drawing all the flames on the walls of the ship into it. Now that the fire was no longer a threat...

 

"Now then," Cabrakan snapped his fingers, activating his Ancient Curse. He had noted earlier that the Froslass had been caught in the blast of his Deluxe Fireball Supreme, so he was expecting this Ancient Curse to inflict a lot of damage.