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 Posted: Fri Dec 13, 2024 5:25 pm
Tsuki landed at the outskirts of Artazon City, still saddling his dragon Pokemon for the moment Brassius was convinced to hop on and head back to the Academy. Seeing no one he recognized, he had Terra bunny hop and glide them over in front of the gym. “Heyo,” he called out to the attendant once he had jumped off his Flygon and entered. “, I’m looking for Brassius is he here? There’s a situation back at school. His drive turned to impatience when she told him that the Gym Leader was not here. “Some kids have a fungal infection that’s affecting their minds and we need his expertise.”
Artazon Lake. Wood cabins. The Artazon Commune of Artisanal Grass Channelers. A hand hit his forehead as Tsuki realized the fate of his classmates likely rested in the hands of hippies. “Right…” he said, crossing his arms and nodding along. It was better than nothing, especially if the Gym Leader’s sudden absence was related to whatever was happening at school. Tsuki ran back to Terra and hopped on her again.
“We’re heading over to Lake Artazon. GRAY, can you use one of our satellites?” He asked once they took the air again and left the city. “We’re looking for a Grass Channeler and if he’ll be any kind of help then he’ll be the strongest signature in the area.” Tsuki reasoned. He didn’t really know the specifics of channeling at the moment, but if everyone had chi then you had to be able to map out any stand out ones.”
Funnily enough, that wasn’t too dissimilar from what Mitsuki had done at the Radio Tower, but he wasn’t aware of his variant or her actions.
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Posted: Sat Dec 14, 2024 3:23 pm
Crystal would begin to tear through the Reflect and Light Screen combo walls, the constructs shattering upon contact with her Psychic Fangs. While it was easy to see what he path to Reno was, thanks in part to these walls being invisible, the coming Poison Gas would prove helpful as she could now see the walls, several of which were now newly forming. Now with the walls visible she was able to tear a more efficient path to Reno, time not on her side as the Ziton closed in on him.
Blizzard and Sol would have the same idea as their Pokemon began to execute Brick Break attacks to tear down the walls so that they may create open paths for their trainers to launch their respective attacks. The two hybrids would get their paths as they launched their Ice Beam and Flamethrower respectively, the two blasts reaching the Ziton at the same time, along with Sarlaac's Shadow Ball, the opposing elements clashing together as they did creating a steaming hot explosion of energy which caused the elemental to squeal in pain, a hole left behind, but alas it did not relent on Reno.
Apolla would manage to physically knock Reno's Alakazam out of the Ziton's grip, not that the monster was particularly concerned with the Psychic, instead it was virtually drooling over Reno as its tentacle passed through its own wall constructs. With the Alakazam now on the board Apolla would manage to psychically pull the spoon off from around its neck, allow the Pokemon to breath again.
While Crystal made her way to the Psychic Channeler the man would instead use what time he still had, should everything go wrong, to cause more problems for the Ziton. The Thunderbolt would zip around the Ziton, piercing and cutting its energy form causing it to grumble before it found its way to Harleen herself and was then sent flying off the Wynaut at double the force, destination being the chi converter Valdemar was still holding.
Seeing the Thunderbolt coming their way Sub was initially surprised but quickly caught onto what this was about and pulled back on Valdemar causing the Hydreigon to reel back so that the Thunderbolt had a clean hit on the chi converter. Sub would jump and grunt in pain slightly as he and Valdemar received a bit of a shock but not much since most of it went into the chi converter and Valdemar's Dragon typing softened a good portion of the rest. Most importantly though the chi converter was now humming to life and pretty soon it was going to drain the nearest source of energy which was his Hydreigon. He had to chuck this thing and fast and he had only one target in mind. "Valdemar, get ready to fling this thing!"
Crystal would make it to Reno just in time, the Ziton but inches away from Reno before she smashed through the last wall between her and him, now capable of physically grabbing the man and pulling him back and away from the Ziton. The Ziton would immediately react to this in anger as it 'stomped' on the ground with what could only be called a foot that it had just formed. Immediately the Psychic Terrain fog on the ground would begin to swirl around violently beneath Crystal and Reno before a tremendous geyser of Psychic power erupted beneath them as it executed a terrible Expanding Force. While this did send its meal further away from it the Ziton wasn't exactly a logically thinking entity, the more they interacted with this thing it was becoming apparent it just reacted emotionally or instinctively a lot of the time.
"Now!" Sub shouted, seeing his opportunity as Crystal and Reno were sent flying Sub would command Valdemar to drop down and roll backwards, hurling the chi converter in that same moment, sending it soaring down the path Crystal had just carved through the walls. The machine would crackle with power as it sucked up the Poison Gas it passed through and some of the Psychic Terrain before it flew straight into the middle of the Ziton's form, coming to an abrupt halt at its center as it began to spin around.
Faster and faster the machine spun before its details were no indiscernible as it spun so fast. With the chi converter at its center the Ziton began to wail in agony and shift its size and form erratically, taking on all kinds of shapes as it seemed to destabilize, sometimes splitting into pieces. From the machine would come smoke-like billows of Dark energy which lazily rose up into the air with nowhere to really go, the device converting the Ziton into Dark energy which it was unable to touch, let alone utilize.
"Jackpot!" Sub cheered as he and Valdemar regained their place in the sky, watching as the Ziton distorted and cried out in pain. This victory was short lived though as Sub noted the Psychic Terrain swirling wildly again. "Move!" He shouted to his teammates but it was too late, numerous Expanding Force pillars would shoot up out of the ground all over the place, exploding from the Earth with tremendous amounts of Psychic power, the Ziton retaliating wildly, like a toddler throwing a tantrum. However this toddler possessed enough power to blast a grown man to smithereens. Just a few seconds of this rampage would be enough to wipe them all out and it looked like the chi converter was not going to be able to take it down quick enough.
Poe however was quick to defend Aden, throwing up a Protect dome around them, asking Umbreon for a Helping Hand aid to reinforce the Protect coupled with their Dark energies to protect Aden from the Ziton's rampage. In spite of all that cracks would form from just the first hit.
The pillars of energy resulting from the Expanding Force had a secondary aspect to them, that is they carried the agonized voices of those minds that made up the Ziton. For most of the Snagems they were too busy fleeing or being assaulted to really focus on what the wailing minds had to moan about, maybe catching bits and pieces, but Aden was in position to hear all their cries and grievances clearly, to sample the misery they were suffering, their pain unending.
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Posted: Sat Dec 14, 2024 6:20 pm
Aden would take a brief moment sitting there before he tried to stand, but his effort wouldn't come quickly enough to matter in the moment. The others were surely doing everything they could, but the Ziton kept up its chase and was closing in fast on Reno.
Blizz and his dad had the right ideas too; the combination attack of Ice Beam and Flamethrower wasn't something the Ziton cared much for at all with its cacophony of screams the Shadow Ball from Sarlacc adding even more fuel to the assault. More attacks kept coming too, but his doubts didn't cease. In fact, he was hearing even more. The misery, cries, everything the voices of the Ziton lamented. He could hear them clearly, each one drowning out the other and the pain they were feeling as the attacks landed...
The thing had no real form either, so was anything actually hurting it enough to matter, to make it properly flee? That was when the Psychic Terrain's energy began to swirl violently and a geyser formed, and he watched on in horror. "What kind of..." Time all but seemed to stand still for him, only for him to snap out of it a second later. "Everyone, watch out!" He screamed as loudly as he could, desperately trying to warn them. The attack looked like it'd shred through everyone if given the chance, they needed to escape here and now.
But they didn't.
They couldn't, even if they tried to.
Without Sub and the chi converter, the fight might be lost here and now. The swirling and geyser were localized where Crystal and Reno were, but it certainly wouldn't stay there with the rest of the terrain's fog reacting in kind and the chi converter further exacerbating it. More pillars started shooting up too. Aden's words alongside Sub's came too late, and he'd watch one of the pillars form underneath Sol and Arnau.
"What's forming...? And what am I hearing- Arnau, get away!"
It'd be too late for them as the geyser flung both of them away, screams from both of them being heard in the process. In instant, Sol was left on the ground and his sword sent even further away, still alive but there was no way he'd survive another like that. He almost wished the attack had taken him out then and there, the resurrection might've meant a chance to keep fighting. His Gallade didn't fare much better, knocked out from the immense power blasting him all at once. In that moment, Aden would watch as the blade landed in the ground next to him. "Dad!?" He started to shake; even knowing Sol could cheat death pretty handily, it wasn't a good sight to take in. And he'd only get to watch another pillar of Expanding Force form, the voices crying out yet again.
This time, it was where Cera and Apolla were, right as they got the spoons off Alakazam so he could breathe. Cera sensed the energy immediately, eyes wide as the terrain swirled. "Apolla, move us away, NOW!" She remarked before trying to pour psychic energy into the lightboard, trying to strengthen the Reflect and Light Screen that made it up to protect the two. She worried an attack like that would just shatter the board, they needed to avoid that. But she could pick up on the voices, a little clearer than she'd like, and her focus would falter for it.
Aden had no way of knowing if they'd be safe or not, all he saw was a geyser completely obstruct his vision as more and more shot up. "Cera, no! Everyone..." At this rate, there'd be no way to ensure the converter finished its job in time. He'd finally see the fog around him swirl and the ground glow, yet another geyser forming. The voices only got louder.
This time, it was underneath him. Poe and Umbreon would have a better chance with it, Poe quickly throwing up a Protect dome to defend him. Umbreon's Helping Hand bolstered it even further as the geyser crashed into it, its flow stopped... but it wasn't long before a cracked form. Then another. And another. The Protect wouldn't be enough, the power the Ziton was quickly overwhelming it, and it'd be a matter of time before it'd break. More time needed to be bought, and there was no way he could orchestrate things. It'd take more energy he didn't have after barely managing to survive. He looked to the sword in the ground again, then at the Ziton as he did everything to force himself to stand, a hand on the hilt the brace himself. "No. We need more time!" As he got to his feet, he'd pull the sword out and grip its hilt in both hands. He felt a rush of power as he did, or... something. He felt something, having never wielded it before now. It's almost like it glowed with the heat it gave off. Was this what it was like for Sol?
He didn't have time to comtemplate anything about that, he needed to buy a little bit more for the team if they were going to escape this with their lives and minds intact. He needed more power if he was going to have a chance at that, and right now, it was his time to force the rainbow he knew the iridescent blade for. "And I'll buy every second I can while I still stand!" His body seemed to move on its own as he rushed out of the Protect dome and away from the geyser still trying to break through. The sword's blade dragged along the ground as he rapidly approached the Ziton, flames starting to dance along it as he started to charge energy for Heat Wave. He wouldn't notice or care that he was feeling a lot more fire energy than he was used to, his target and his cause were far too important. "Hey, Ziton! You forgot someone!" He screamed as he got close and leapt into the air, sword overhead and poised to strike. "I thought you wanted me, so come get your prize! So our future will keep burning bright!"
Sol would manage to watch Aden as he rushed forth, wishing he could've warned his son. "Aden? Aden, you need to drop that, it's..." He trailed off, knowing there wasn't any stopping him. He knew more than anyone there was a danger to wielding that blade, but this fight was already one where that kind of caution meant nothing if it meant everyone fell here.
As soon as Aden got close enough, he'd let every bit of fire energy he and the blade had and plunge it into the Ziton as his Heat Wave erupted into an explosive force that threatened to set everything ablaze rather than just the burst of energy it was known for, wings spreading wide alongside. He'd soon realize his mistake, being so close to the voices and the Ziton's reach. The voices were the loudest and clearest they've been, and they wanted him alright. They wanted him to see their despair and join them, be company to their misery, united in their pain, as one with their goals. They became impossible to ignore, quickly becoming his own and feeling like he understood it.
"We..."
"We will..."
"We understand. We will join- agh..."
His hands would tighten their grip on the blade as even more fire poured out, screaming in pain alongside any of the voices. He had to focus on what he set out to do. But the voices were clawing at his mind, trying to eat at it and claim it as their own. They could feel their grip, it was time to join them. But at the back of his mind, something else screamed in defiance. Somewhere in there, Aden was still fighting back, and they had to break through it-
No.
He had to break through it.
"We will... no, I will exist! And so will all of us! AAAAAHHHHH!" He tried to dig the blade in deeper, in as much defiance towards the Ziton and its voices as he could muster, screaming from the fires rapidly overwhelming him and in unison with the voices in their own pain and misery. If he couldn't succeed in stopping the Ziton and breaking free, then he'd make sure he wasn't going through the door alone today. After all, he'd certainly have plenty of company one way or another.
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Posted: Sat Dec 14, 2024 9:23 pm
I constantly bombarded the massive blob with the harshest Ice Beams I could muster, only stopping for a second once Sol’s and my attacks had a rather adverse reaction to the abomination. Weavile had to scramble back lest he got caught up in the fire-water chaos that was being wrought. “Weavile, careful there!” I shouted to my Pokémon. Unfortunately, despite all manner of elemental havoc being unleashed upon this thing, he still wasn’t backing down in any capacity, nor did it look like Sub was getting any opportunity still. I was left to wonder what the hell else could we actually do? We’re throwing everything we had at this thing and its shrugging it all off. “Weavile! Try using-“
I stopped myself once the Expanding Force was unleashed by the Ziton in response to Crystal. “Crystal!? What’s she doing here!? Ugh…last I checked the more psychics here, the more of a bad thing that is.” I said, not really expecting any sort of response out of anyone. But with her arrival here, it caught my attention…was this thing getting erratic? Was it…unable to handle all of this? We might actually…have a chance. I continued on the Ice Beam assault once the Thunderbolt attack was let loose again, trying to make sure that I kept the pressure on, and with the combined efforts, Sub actually managed to get his end done. The converter was set. I could feel that dispersal of dark type energy getting let out and this thing was not happy for it. Its wounded. Its bleeding. We had to finish it. I then perked up once Sub started to yell, trying to warn everyone. My senses tripped and I went completely wide eyed. The Ziton was also trying to end this as fast as possible…
“Weavile! Move!” I shouted, quickly stopping my attack and trying to get away as Sub tried to warn, unfortunately, another psychic blast literally sent us flying hard well into the air. While the attack itself did nothing to Weavile, just the sheer amount of upturned, launched earth was more than enough to scour and bombard Weavile, making the poor icy dark type wail out. The two of us hit the ground only a few seconds later. After taking such a desperate, devastating attack, as much as I tried, I had trouble getting back up on my feet, as did Weavile. The most I could do was turn over and try to push up off the ground, my proverbial world got rocked hard. The wind completely knocked out of me. “Blast it…of course it was not going to be that ‘easy’.” I growled out, coughing a few times while I was at it. “Weavile, are you okay!? Weavile!?” Weavile weakly cried out a response. He probably felt as rough as I did. He wasn’t getting up. “Son of a…”
I then looked over, past the pillars that were still trying to erupt from the ground…it was…Aden. He was standing. He was defiant to this psychic entity. “What’s he…doing?” I said. He had Sol’s blade for some reason…I never figured him the kind to even use that thing. A last stand? He was struggling either way. We all were. “Blast it…I got to get up…” I said, trying to push myself up again. As I managed to get on one knee, I then looked back once Aden made a hard yell of rebellion, seeing Aden not only drive the blade into the Ziton, but unleash the biggest fire attack I’ve ever seen out of him. That…couldn’t be his Heat Wave, could it? That was insanity…and such an inferno is bound to get out of control. I managed to stagger up, if only a couple of seconds, stumbling then falling down, covering up Weavile to try to protect my Pokémon from the insane pyrotechnics.
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Posted: Mon Dec 16, 2024 7:50 pm
Reno barely had a chance to even assess a plan to try and take advantage of his newfound freedom before an Expanding Force powerful enough to launch Crystal slammed into the pair of them. So naturally, Reno rapidly found himself flying for the distance as he took a moment to assess his current status. As much as he wanted to leap right back into the fray, he needed a moment to actually see everything and figure out a plan beyond simply rush headlong. Focusing his gaze onto the floating form of Phemes, he was about to try and communicate a plan to come over and catch him before he crashed to the ground when a sudden connection reasserting itself told Reno exactly what he needed to do. Beginning to glow pink, Reno would teleport himself on top of the Metagross. And while he would still impact her with a little bit of force and possibly disturb a few of the occupants, it was certainly an easier time than if she had been forced to commit to a running intercept.
Turning towards where the Ziton was, Reno would see Harleen currently doing her best to run away from where the entity was as it began to unleash its little tantrum. But usually she'd have stuck around to try and reverse these easily known attacks, why was she running away from the thing?
The sudden glow would alert him to what exactly she was getting clear of. Aden, armed with Sol's sword and absolutely dancing with fire, was mid-jump as he aimed to stab into the Ziton. And as he saw the sudden ignition, Reno knew that he couldn't get close to that or even attempt anything cheeky with a teleport. That amount of heat, even if he had Aleister out for regeneration, would fry him to a crisp even if Aden was removed from the area. He was trying to overpower the damned thing, but it was impossible to judge exactly whether that was going to be something he could do or not. And what could Reno accomplish to aid him in this effort?
As a few faint, familiar whispers began to vaguely reach his mind, he realized that this tantrum was doing more than just firing off attacks everywhere. It was trying to assert itself into the minds of everyone here passively. What would it be doing to its intended prey? Connecting to Aden's mind with his telepathy, Reno could feel the voices immediately increase in clarity and amount as they were fully directed towards their intended target. There was no way he could punch through for any words of encouragement with that level of volume, he just didn't have the power. And even if he did have the sheer power for that maneuver, wouldn't be better spent trying to bolster Aden? He could feel Kaiden right at the edge of his mind, the Alakazam thankful for his rescue and now attempting to gain a seat on the lightboard. But channeling was only between Pokemon and partner, it needed a bond to connect through.
Wait.
Didn't he end up getting a few of Aden's feelings earlier through some sort of bond?
And didn't he currently have an active bond with his telepathy to him?
'Kaiden, activate Tranquility right now. I'm about to try something real crazy.' Reno informed his Alakzam, waiting a second as his Alakazam assumed a floating meditative pose and shut his eyes for the sudden rush of power and focus began to attempt to assert itself in Reno. And rather than let it do so, he simply made sure his connection to Aden was the next destination for it. The hybrid would feel a sudden blossoming power along with all of the power of Arcoiris and his own Heat Wave, attempting to bolster the Heat Wave with even more power to fry away any attempt to reach Aden by the Ziton. Hopefully this would be enough to make sure that things went their way.
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Posted: Wed Dec 18, 2024 7:00 pm
Crystal was sent into the air after freeing Reno. This was a strange feeling to say the least. She landed hard on the ground, groaning as something she recognized reached her ears. They were whispers at first, but she immediately recognized them, especially as her attention was drawn to them and they grew louder. The voices of the Ziton. Notably, they weren’t aimed at anyone else but Aden right now, the Ziton’s prey, but she still heard them, and that was enough to begin something of a panic attack. “Light, no, no, n-” The hybrid froze however when one of those voices rang way too familiar for her own comfort. “...What?” Her attention was drawn to it, trying to figure out why that voice, female sounding, was familiar to her. More familiar than the standard cacophony of voices she remembered from the Ziton’s previous attack on her, at least.
How? Why? This shouldn’t have happened. Come back to us!
Suddenly it clicked. That’s why it was familiar. She knew she didn’t get out of the Ziton’s grasp the first time unscathed. But that was her voice. No, that couldn’t be. It had to have been a trick of the mind. Or the Ziton. Either one. But it was not her voice, it couldn’t be, there was no way. That couldn’t be a thing!
The local space catwoman would begin to glow brightly as she began to try and draw on more steel chi, inadvertently charging for a Sunsteel Strike in the process. Mostly, she was trying her damnedest to bring shields up as much as she could, try to dampen the voices. She wasn’t going to fall for the Ziton’s trap.
—------
Apolla would widen her eyes as the Expanding Forces would begin to come out, heeding her trainer’s warning and sending themselves up at a rapid clip. Though, while it wasn’t nearly as loud as it would have been in Crystal’s head, she, too, heard a familiar sounding voice. She had bigger priorities, though, like making sure Pokémon didn’t get eaten by this thing also.
—--
Everyone was starting to bring the hurt to this thing, but it wasn’t going down still. Aile sighed and brought her flesh hand to her head, closing her eyes to think. Then she began to feel something, welling of power in the earth blasting out not unlike Earth Power, but… different. Not the same energy. She opened her eyes again and noted Reno and Crystal blasted away, the Psychic Terrain settling back down. She felt the same feeling elsewhere, with Cera and Apolla on the lightboard, realizing that this wasn’t any earthen attacks. It was the Ziton choosing where the next attacks were going to be, and it was almost random. Was this… some sort of back door? It felt like it blended into her usual tremorsense, but now… Whatever, she wasn’t going to look a gift Ponyta in the mouth right now. “Sarlaac, Shore Up!”
Sarlaac would immediately summon sand as Aile hid herself behind her Palossand, the sand castle building herself up to block the incoming Expanding Force aimed at them. Peering out from behind one of the towers she’d calculate where she could sense the next one beginning to form, eyes widening when she noted where one was starting to well up- next to the growing firestorm that was Aden. “”I… Is he insane? Merde…” She wasn’t going to stop him, though. At the very least he was going out on his own terms. However, the Ziton was going to try and assimilate Aden, despite the Protect and any other barriers people or Pokemon put up. …What if one of those barriers were curved to deflect the blast, though, instead of merely blocking it? Like Sarlacc building herself up as a wall, but curving it away?
Aile would start to get up, only to stop before really moving. It was already getting warm near them, it would be dangerous by Aden, probably. But she needed to get over there. Closing her eyes again, she would think about other ways. She could use the beach sand somehow, that would be the wall, but-
She felt rushing around her, like she was going fast. She opened her eyes, or, maybe more like her senses, as she realized she jumped over to a large stream of sand that was rushing over to Aden. Now that she was thinking about it, this felt familiar enough, close to a few instances where she had some sort of spontaneous channeling spike, back in Black City and the Fairy Realm against Shadow Mewtwo. But this was just a bit different. Maybe it was how that Shadow Nincada wasn’t in her staff anymore, maybe it was because she understood her artifact better and something clicked, or maybe this whole event became a trial by fire event that finally kickstarted it all. Whatever caused it, she recognized that this was similar to when she channeled with Sarlaac back then, though this felt clearer, in a way. And that, unrelated to the channeling mostly, she couldn’t think hard on this link as she only had one chance to get this right.
Aile and her stream of beach sand would arrive where the eruption was going to happen, forming a vague feminine body as she reached out to form the wall. The base would form just in front of the blast area before angling inward, curving upwards and back out, trying to launch the energy away from Aden. Though, she did make a note that she could feel the heat coming from Aden and it was indeed more intense the closer she got. And it seemed to still be growing, too. Time to see how long this would last!
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Posted: Thu Dec 19, 2024 7:09 pm
"Aden no!" Sub called out to the hybrid as he watched him leap straight for the Ziton, sword drawn and cloaked in flame. It was no good though, he had made his decision and that was to take the pain to the Ziton itself. Sub would watch as Aden closed in, blade pointed down at the monstrosity. A second before impact the Misty Terrain would begin to swell underneath the boy, Sub's stomach dropping as he knew instantly what that meant, that the Ziton would blast him before he got a chance to sink his blade in. That was when a bunch of sand was conjured underneath Aden, the geyser of Psychic energy slamming into it and being redirected away from the hybrid allowing him to continue his trajectory towards the Ziton.
Aden would land on the abomination and in the same moment sunk his blade into its nondescript form, the flames sweeping over the creature as he landed. As Aden attempt to sink the blade deeper he would find a large amount of energy swelling to life within him as Reno gave his own boost to Aden, allowing him to tap into power unknown. The blade would also drawn upon his power and so Aden would unleash such intense flames that they began to turn from orange to a pale yellow.
The Ziton's many voice would wail in agony and the construct would thrash and flail itself, attempting to snatch Aden up with one of many tentacles it was forming but alas it could not direct them correctly, simply madly swinging them around in vain, having any sense of direction or even coherent thought. It was now nothing more than a flopping fish on land.
The flames would get hotter and larger as they continued to draw on Aden's power, the young man's clothes being burnt away as well as parts of what looked like his Celebi side such as his antenna. Then, as if his attack had reach a critical overload, the sword would let off a tremendous explosion of energy and flames, like a massive bomb just went off, sending Aden flying as well as anyone nearby which included the airborne Sub and Valdemar, the two tumbling in the air again for a bit before the dragon righted their position yet again.
Once everything had settled down it would be seen that large crater was formed in the ground below where the Ziton once stood, the aforementioned monstrosity nowhere to be seen, the only evidence of its presence the drifting mass of Dark energy, Sub and Valdemar now hovering next to it.
It was gone, Aden did it, he really did it. If any of the Psychics tried to mentally scan the area they would sense no sign of the thing. Was it actually gone?
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Posted: Thu Dec 19, 2024 8:36 pm
It happened all too fast it felt like. The instant that I managed to cover Weavile with myself, I found myself getting flung off a short way from the blast that Aden unleashed. That was more than a Heat Wave, I realized, but I had not the slightest as to what that could have been. Or how he was able to conjure up that sort of level of fire. That went well beyond I knew Aden to do, even with the likes of Calm Mind. I didn’t pay too much attention, more concerned with Weavile’s safety than how Aden bolstered his pyrotechnics, clutching my Weavile close to my body trying to be that shield for my Pokémon, my face in the ground and eyes closed. Once it was all over, I coughed a bit, smoke filling the air a little bit once the assault was over. I managed to pick myself back up, looking around, and I went completely wide-eyed, seeing the crater where the Ziton once was. I knew for a fact there was no way in hell that level of power out of the blue without any manner of extreme training for that wasn’t without a price. Even then, it was dubious.
I shook my head, looking back down under me, seeing Weavile safe and sound for the most part, though still out of it from Ziton’s retaliation by any means necessary. “Thanks, Weavile. You did good today.” I said to him, recalling him back to the ball for the time being. He was going to need to be looked over soon. He deserved the rest. I pushed myself off the ground and then managed to stand back up to take a look around at the devastation there was. “Ugh, unreal…” I said. I then started to try to take a mental roll call here, senses on high alert. I didn’t sense that abomination, that I can tell. The pressure was gone. I’m pretty certain it retreated though…still thinking back to Celcius. As much of a spectacle that was just now, if it was anything like him, it’ll be back, and probably more pissed than ever. I looked up as the presences started to trip my senses…Sub was there looking down from above on his dragon. He seemed to be fine, if albeit rattled probably from the blast. But what of the others…?
Wait, now that I am not in mid-eldritch crisis right now…I started to realize something. I started to look about the Snagems here once more…now that I thought about it, I didn’t sense Tristen even when I got here. He wasn’t even here this entire time. While I am glad that he wasn’t around for this, I was a bit surprised to not see him here. Last I heard, this all started back at the academy and I didn’t get the update that the fighting was all the way out here until I managed to get to the Pokémon Center. Tristen was at the academy last I checked…what the hell happened? Why wasn't he here? For that matter, where was Freth, too? Probably just as well she wasn't here either. Didn't need that abomination get a hold of her either. I then shook my head…one thing at a time. Just have a bit of faith everything was fine with the both of them. There are more pressing concerns here…
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Posted: Thu Dec 19, 2024 9:04 pm
Aden barely had any time to sense the energy welling up beneath him, the Ziton poised to blast him while he was too caught up in his attack to get away. He'd look down as the ground beneath him began to glow, only to soon be covered by sand as a ramp formed and directed out of his way. That alone would've been enough to see the flames of his rebellion through, his scream and plunge getting the chance it needed to happen in the first place. The intensity of the flames were the first thing he'd notice in the process, and he wasn't ready for the wildfire that sparked and burned in turn. For one of the first times in his life- certainly the first he'd remember- he felt warm.
Uncomfortably warm.
His entire being felt like it was ablaze, from his body right to the very core of his soul. Like the fires burned completely out of control, but despite this, he also felt... calm. He was certain at this rate, the attack would very well reduce himself to cinders alongside the Ziton. Sensing the others around him, he knew the others were doing what they could. Some in pain, some concerned for what they were witnessing from him and a desire to stop him before doing something so reckless.
"Aden? Aden, you need to drop that, it's..."
"What's he...doing?"
"I... Is he insane? Merde..."
"Aden, no!"
He couldn't afford to falter now, a trade of one for the rest was far better than its opposite.
But falter he did, it was when the grip on the blade loosened for but a moment. Long enough that the Ziton and its voices had become their most clear, long enough to take hold in his mind. It almost felt easier then to give in to them, understanding their pain as the flames from Arcoiris licked at him. Even his clothing began to ignite, their resistance totally overwhelmed. Had anyone been able to see, it would look like he was being burned alive. A part of him continued to resist, though. Continued to rebel. Continued to scream that if he stopped now, his literal blaze of glory would be for naught.
Memories flashed before him alongside that screaming, alongside the Ziton's own moans and screams. Some were as clear as the day they were made, like many from his journeys with Blizz through Johto. But some parts weren't. He thought he had a glimpse from a moment near Celebi's shrine in Ilex Forest, remembering how he wound up being whisked to the past to help an anomaly... he thought? Past that, the details left his mind in a haze. Surely he had to fight back somehow, but that was escaping him too. Much of the training he'd done during the travels were even worse off, his mind completely failing to recall if any of it happened in the first place.
The whole series of events of events at Realgam Tower, too. He remembered saving many of the others, he could remember how he'd done it too. But events leading up to that rescue, his travels after leaving the team in a huff because he felt he couldn't contribute well enough when the World War started, and even bits following that, were harder to recollect at best.
To some fortune, this fared better with events that Crystal and Reno were involved in, though he wasn't sure why. But, those remained clear. The trip through Ultra Space, its apparent aftermath, the travels in Paldea over the last few days... the realization of why the Ziton was bad news for him alongside both of them.
As the memories otherwise resumed flashing in and out of his mind, one final one hit him as the immense heat he was feeling gave way to a sudden, intense cold. It didn't feel like the coldness he felt after being stabbed, somehow warping back right when he should have, by all accounts, died then and there. It was more like his natural warmth had vanished in an instant, and what vision he had of the ground he was standing on distorted and twisted into a multicolored void, much like a certain Unown-fueled adventure in the Ruins of Alph.
Before him were two others. The first, a Ho-oh hybrid that he practically mistook for Sol if not for several things not lining up. Their height was closer to his own, their mannerisms closer to his own too. The other was a Celebi hybrid, looking closer to himself. But their muscles were lithe, and a pale pink enveloped their entire form. Gone were the feathered wings, transparent fairy-like ones in their place. Wait... last time he saw those, they lacked the color he saw now.
Or, the rest of what he felt, for that matter. He could feel a strength from the Ho-oh hybrid that, only now, did he ever feel like he matched. The fire energy, too, he'd never felt a link this strong apart from the celestial, psychic energies he'd been more keen on tapping into. Or the more pure state he knew from time traveling. Or... did he? Aden practically only felt fire, maybe some psychic. But that was it.
Then he looked at the Celebi hybrid, seemingly in fire themselves. Their features burned and melted away, their antennas becoming ashes and their wings becoming increasingly tattered and torn before they turn burned into nothing. Then, they began to vanish before him, the link he felt becoming increasingly faint before becoming non-existent. Only then did they speak, in Aden's voice no less.
"A caution scattered to the winds..."
Then, their form entirely vanished. Aden couldn't feel a hint of them anymore, not even the barest hint of pure energy. But then the Ho-oh hybrid spoke, also in his voice, before vanishing in turn.
"...will fan the flames until their hunger consumes the soul."
Rapidly, the distortion righted itself, just in time for Aden to tighten his grip and the final explosion of power from a Heat Wave that was anything but. Being at the epicenter, he'd be sent flying straight up from the blast, Arcoiris firmly in the ground, landing only a moment later in the crater left behind. His body would be sprawled out, left in whatever state it managed to land in. His clothing had entirely burned away, and many parts of him were singed and otherwise burned. Both antennae were gone; no way they'd survive the fires. The colors in his wings had dulled considerably, practically drained out and showing many of the same burns that ravaged his body. There'd be a stark lack in fire energy able to be sensed from him, as if the attack burned it right out of him alongside his consciousness... and, for those who could, a noticeable lack of grass energy, too. What kind of attack had he unleashed back there?
Sol managed to eventually get to his feet afterward, his first priority as soon as he didn't feel the Ziton's effects being to race into the crater where Aden landed. What he did, for now, wasn't as important as confirming if his son was even alive after that. The second he got to him, he'd check for a pulse... and give a sigh of relief. For the moment, there still was one, but the rest of what he saw would make him grimace. "Gracias al cielo, he's alive..."
Cera would be grateful for the pressure and voices from the Ziton ceasing, unable to sense anything about it now. Somehow, she was mostly safe. But it didn't take her long to sense Aden. Or rather, what he lacked. "With hardly any energy in him, though... we need to get him out of here. Now." She held her tongue on any further details; making sure he'd live was far more important.
Sol would give a quick nod at the mental broadcast, taking out his SNAG to start contacting GRAY to send Claydol over. "We'll get Claydol to get him back to HQ with Tristen and Doc. I picked a fine time to have my Xatu in storage..."
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Posted: Thu Dec 19, 2024 9:51 pm
Hot. Hot. HOT! WAY TOO HOT!
Aile could feel the heat of Aden’s attack effect her form, notably how it seemed to be getting harder and harder to control it. It registered something as pain before she felt herself ripped away, flinching and curling up into a ball as her connection to the sand was broken. She was still thankfully behind Sarlaac, and Tati would even come up to cover her as well when the explosion happened. When the dust settled, She’d look up behind her shield wall of a sand castle, Tati following her lead. She would see glass strewn everywhere, which would explain how she lost control of that ability. Kind of hard to control sand when it wasn’t sand anymore. “Right… Damn, that still hurts. On some level that isn’t my body, at least.”
“Goooon.”
“Sure, cool. Until people get maimed by it. Hey, everyone-” she’d start to ask, standing up and looking over to Aden, who was now being held by Sol. he looked like he was alive at least, there wasn’t a grieving Sol. Or insane heat, like the previous times she had killed Aden. Thank Arceus Aden had gotten that part right, at least, but he did not look great now. Didn’t he have antennae? “Oh, Arceus.” She could feel the color drain from her face as she thought about the chain of events that led them there. It still led back to her. If she hadn’t jumped into that fairy circle, they wouldn’t be here. In this scenario and in this location. They would have been safe with friends. She wouldn’t have shanked Aden four times, all the while her vision had insisted it was Malva. Aden wouldn’t have gone all out to burn away that entity. If she had just decided to report it to Sub, instead of deciding to jump in…. Dammit all!
Aile collapsed back down, using Sarlaac again as a support for her back, who finally decided to shift her face around to look at her trainer. “Guys… This might be nice, but I’d give up this knowledge of how my damned artifact worked for Aden to not be in that condition.” The channeller looked between her Flygon and Palossand, both of whom were looking at her with concern. Their trainer was blaming herself for all of this, and they at least knew at least a little better.
—---
Crystal would drop down to one knee as the explosion from Aden’s gigantic attack happened, wincing slightly as the heat was honestly beginning to get to her. The steel typing was nice against psychics, but it did come with its downsides as well. Massive heat was never kind to the steel type. Shaking her head, she looked around, the glow around her fading as she noticed something. Where was the Ziton? There was a giant crater now, but no eldritch being of all mind consuming… ness. Where did it go? It couldn’t have been that easy… could it? She scanned briefly, and rather lightly as well, still scared of actually touching the thing. At least in part. She was noting that her body felt like it didn’t want to move, like it was stiffening up. She felt exhausted before, but this was something else. Light… Think we’ve spent a bit too much.
“Crystal! Are you okay?” Apolla would fly the light board down to her trainer, looking her over. “You don’t look good.”
“We just spent too much, between being drained, panicking, and then just half blindly charging through to Reno,” She sent, notably replying mentally instead of verbally like she normally would.
“Right… Are you-” the Espeon’s train of thought would cut off as Crystal let herself fall down and hang over the lightboard, Apolla blinking rapidly. “Yeah, no, you’re not fine.”
“Aden’s worse. I can’t sense anything psychic about him. We’ll recover, he…” Crystal would let the thought hang there, the both of them looking at Aden and Sol with concern.
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Posted: Thu Dec 19, 2024 9:52 pm
It would have been foolishness to try and stop Aden in his headlong charge against the Ziton. Honestly, Reno had been hoping that the unique approach to assailing the thing would be surprising enough to at least do some damage. And it would've been pure hypocrisy after he sacrificed a leg last time to take out the thing that it would somehow be an appalling affront to their skills and powers to perform a sacrificial move on this scale. So, without any moral or actual ground to stand on for attempting to stop the assault that wouldn't have had things end up worse than they were already going, he had taken the one option he had seen open to himself: his own desperate play as they sat with their backs against the wall in order to push the odds in their favor. After all, he had decided on a whim through about three context clues and belief that he could turn the additional power and control granted by Tranquility to someone besides himself. He knew exactly what kind of aftermath awaited after this all happened. It was impossible that this maneuver wasn't going to leave a mark.
So why did the sight of Aden collapsed in that crater he had created gut Reno so much?
Was it the fact that he had been, whether intentional or not, a push behind him to keep going, to let the fire burn brighter and higher as had been Aden's initial desire? He knew he couldn't speak without it being drowned out in the wave of voices that had been erupting out of the Ziton. And he hadn't been intending to eavesdrop on his last thoughts. But Reno had been worried about whether the worst would have to come to pass again and he could see him faltering as his memories...fought themselves, all of the time manipulation turning them into fuzzy images. So a few of his own memories, of Aden, Crystal, and Reno on their little side adventures, may have been pushed out by Reno into Aden to try make sure he had a clear picture.
Maybe it was the fact that he knew that Tranquility didn't just bolster your power, it also amplified your senses? After all, a greater sense for the minutia of your directed power and any inefficiencies in that channeling made it easier to make your attacks more powerful alongside the direct input of actual power that it also did. But it also amplified your normal senses, including your sense of pain. Reno tended to be forgetful of that aspect with how used he was to getting smacked around and with how much that tended to be dulled when he was at full Channeling might due to regeneration. But that would've meant Aden felt the entire process of that immolating backlash hitting him in full clarity.
But on top of all of it was the continuing sensation, no matter the lack of any physical evidence or other evidence to suggest as such, that the Ziton wasn't gone. Because no matter what had been done, it had always managed to find some way to survive. And there was still everything around that 'lion tamer'.
But no matter what, it wasn't going to keep him from rushing over to where Aden had fallen alongside Cera and Sol. A few telepathic thoughts to his channeling partners got Nalu, Phemes, and Harleen watching the perimeter while Kaiden would teleport himself to join Reno at Aden's side. "Oh god, did I help do this?" Reno muttered, assessing what he could with very limited first aid knowledge.
He would only snap to attention when he heard Sol preparing to call in the Claydol. "Hey. No. We don't need to bring in any other Psychic types until we're absolutely certain. Kaiden can teleport him back to base." Pointing to his Alakazam, Reno added, "You can call it paranoia all you want but between how previous encounters have gone with it and the fact that it was almost definitely summoned this time instead of just stumbling across us, I don't want to risk anything."
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Posted: Sat Dec 21, 2024 2:33 am
"...what did you do?" Sol asked, a tone of genuine confusion mixed with the concern already weighing him down. He couldn't very well be mad at Reno's actions when he had his own faults for the outcome. "The feeling's mutual, regardless. I should've warned him sooner..." Now it was his turn to swallow the bitter pill of failure. He wished he could've done more, should've done more. He should've been the one flat on his face in the crater. Paternal instincts told him to just get Claydol here now, get himself and Aden back to HQ, and stay by his side as much as he could until he recovered- if he did. The slightly more rational side told him that someone who's actually dealt with the Ziton before would have a much better idea how to ensure everyone's safety. He'd cancel the call he was about to send, putting his SNAG away with a sigh. "I'll trust your judgement here, you know more about that thing than a lot of us do. Knowledge I'll ask you to share with the rest of us, should we ever encounter anything like it in the future. Especially if you're suggesting the encounter Aile and Aden had was planned... for now, I just want my son to see another day."
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Posted: Sun Dec 22, 2024 9:02 am
Sub would observe the aftermath of Aden's attack from the sky, on the back of his Hydreigon. He watched as everyone swarmed Aden, to check on the man that just put his entire being into one fiery attack against a horror of unspeakable proportions, and won. It wasn't on his own though, no, not even Aden could pull out that much power, at least not with years more training and figuring out how to push yourself beyond your own limits, limits which are there to ensure you don't bleed yourself out of energy. Glancing to Reno he assumed what happened, in fact Sub had done something similar for the team in Black City so if anyone knew what went on in that moment, and what Reno might be thinking, it was him. He didn't need to be a Psychic to read his mind in this moment.
Looking away from Aden, who is already being tended to and he trusted his teammates would get him medical attention immediately, the Dark One set his sights on the lingering mass of Dark energy right next to him, what used to be roughly half of the Ziton. Or rather what they assumed what was half, hard to gauge the volume of something that defies physics. When before it was the lingering consciousness of countless minds it was now black silent mass, harmless to them and useless to mad psychic entities. For a brief moment Sub pondered why the energy didn't just dissipate, why it had gathered together like this and lingered. The only answer he could think of is it was just an effect of the chi converter, technology they still didn't completely understand. More of Ein's mess.
Before the Dark One could consider the situation he was looking at further Griswold, his Spiritomb, would slither out of the man's shadow, up to the mass of Dark energy, and stretch its gaping maw and body incredibly wide and ate the mass of Dark energy in one bite. "What the-...why?" Was all Sub could say to his Spiritomb as it returned to normal size, turned to face him, 'burped', and then laughed devilishly. Sub would just let out a sigh and shake his head. "I guess it's...fine? Are minds and souls different things? Can the keystone hold more than one-hundred and eight? Were they even still minds after being ran through that device? I have a lot of questions now..." He said as he stared at his Spiritomb. Deciding he didn't have the energy for this he commanded his ghost back to his shadow before beckoning Valdemar to take him back down to the ground to join the others.
As his Hydreigon landed and Sub got off he noted that the Star grunts had fled at some point and with them so did Ortega. They would need to find him in time and giving him a good grilling but for now he was comfortable letting the Star Boss flee, especially now that the Ziton had destroyed his base and from the looks of it his Starmobile got caught in the crossfire as well, Sub noting the steaming pile of scrap it was reduced to. "I'll need to bring in the clean up crew that for that one too..." He said to himself aloud before turning his attention back to the Snagems.
"GRAY, could you scan the area for any anomalies?" He asked the AI as he heard Reno and his concerns that this wasn't over. Sure, they didn't know exactly what they were dealing with when it came to the Ziton but since the last encounter GRAY was able to discern something of an energy signature for it so it was better than nothing.
"The only anomaly I can detect is the faint remains of Fairy energy similar to the Fairy Realm from the former Fairy Ring. But even that is quickly fading. Any remains of the Ziton is completely gone, as if blinked out of existence." GRAY responded in kind. It was gone, at least for now. Part of Reno knew it for certain it wasn't defeated but if he mulled it over for a second longer he'd assume it retreated, to recover and heal. They dealt it a blow, a heavy blow, but it wasn't defeated, not that easily. It would slink away into whatever corner of the universe it retreats to, consume more minds and restore its power and then come for them another time. With how it was acting in the end one thing was sure, it could feel fear. Animalistic instinct driven fear but still fear. It wouldn't bother them for now, it was too scared to.
"Teleport Aden to HQ. I think that's the best confirmation we're going to get." Sub said as he pocketed his SNAG.
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Posted: Sun Dec 22, 2024 5:01 pm
"I don't think that will be necessary. You have two perfectly good eyeballs, don't you?" GRAY responded and in that moment Tsuki would note in the distance the front door to one of the cabins would open and stepping out from behind it was a gorgeous man. Tall, tan, long dark hair done up in a pony tail, wearing what was clearly handmade garments of raw material, part of his chest exposed from the deep neckline in his raw cotton shirt. It was Arturo, the head custodian of the Artazon Commune of Artisnal Grass Channelers, known to some as one of the top ten sexiest men in Paldea. Behind him came Wren, a fellow Snagem, though Tsuki may or may not recognize him. Didn't matter though, GRAY would be quick to point out who that was exiting behind mister hunk. "Looks like your teammate, Wren, got to mister handsome first. I don't think Wren is aware of our fungal 'fun' back at the academy though."
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Posted: Sun Dec 22, 2024 5:30 pm
Wren stepped out of the Commune's building, holding a hand up to block the incoming sun for a brief moment. They'd been inside for a bit longer than he realized and his eyes had adjusted to the interior lighting of the building, leaving him momentarily blind as he walked out. The barefoot Channeler took a few careful steps to make sure he was stable and then lowered his hand so that he could let his eyes adjust to the natural light outside once again. "Thank you so much for your help, Arturo!" He told the man who had helped him on his quest. This had been far more successful a quest than he had dared dream it might be when he'd first left Mesagoza to come here.
It was about this time that Tsuki would approach, Wren blinking in confusion for a moment as the boy stood there, before he had a chance to speak. "Uh.... You're probably looking for him, aren't you?" He asked, pointing to Arturo. The man ran his fingers through his brunet dreadlocks before giving Arturo a goofy grin. "I think I'll head back to Mesagoza, then." He announced to Arturo, not recognizing Tsuki as a member of Snagem. Had the two of them ever actually met?
Back in Mesagoza, Clare was aggressively knocking on a hotel room door, receiving no answers. "Mr. Wren! We need your help at the academy! Where are you?!" They called out, grabbing their SNAG and trying to call Wren. His SNAG was ringing inside the room but where was he?
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