Wargle recalls Ferno and returns the pokéball to his belt. Rather than pick out another one, though, he calls across to Metallica Fanboy that they ought to be moving on now. The other trainer concurs at the top of his lungs in order to be heard over the sound of sirens and raging flames, but while both he and the referee move to produce pokéballs and release their aerodactyl, Wargle remains where he is standing. When asked why, he assures them that his own aerodactyl will come to his aid.
Metallica Fanboy is quite surprised when, true to Wargle's word, a streamlined form rockets out of the smoke, dipping low over the grass and snatching Wargle up in its talons. He turns to watch as the aerodactyl ascends at top speed, squinting watering eyes in order to watch it depart and feeling faintly jealous of Wargle's timing and sense of style. He is brought out of his reverie by the referee yelling at him to hurry up and follow her. When asked why, she responds, "Because Wargle doesn't own an aerodactyl." And, as any good referee knows, the temporal isntability that sometimes allows ASB pokémon and trainers to exist in several battles at once should never be tested.
Metallica Fanboy is only starting to work out the implications of the referee's statement as her own aerodactyl leaps into the air and takes off in the same general direction as Wargle did a few seconds ago. Suddenly aware of the possibility that he might be left behind at the edge of a tremendous fire, Metallica Fanboy urges Megatherium to climb onto his back, where the vigoroth hangs like a furry backpack, paws slung over the trainer's shoulders. Metallica Fanboy in turn boards his own aerodactyl, Dextrous, and commands him follow the two that went before.
Dextrous kicks off, and in a matter of seconds the burning park has fallen away far below. By now both the other aerodactyl are far ahead, though, and Dextrous is laboring under more weight than either of them. The old pokémon's blood is up, now, and he is determined not to be left behind by a couple of whippersnappers. With a defiant screech, he soars off in pursuit, gaining slowly but surely.
By now, Wargle has realized that something is definitely wrong. "His" aerodactyl doesn't seem to be responding to commands, and he has no idea where it's taking him. He tries calling out to some rescue workers on the wing for help, but they are preoccupied with their own problems and none take up pursuit. There are fewer and fewer of them, too, as the aerodactyl carries him away from the fire--that, at least, is an upside to this mess.
Meanwhile, the referee's aerodactyl is edging up behind, and at her urging tries calling out to the one flying ahead, asking it to land somewhere and put down the human so they can get this mess worked out. The aerodactyl carrying Wargle, already confused and out of its element, understands only that it is being pursued, that another one of its species is trying to steal
its prize. It puts on another burst of speed, and Wargle yells as his world abruptly tips, the sides of skyscrapers swinging past his shoes as the aerodactyl whips through a tight turn and starts to dive. The referee's aerodactyl follows, her trainer clinging grimly on, and behind, though not so far behind, Dextrous does likewise.
Metallica Fanboy has come to discover that Megatherium does not like flying, and the vigoroth's mood is not improved when they go into a sudden dive that threatens to pitch him into empty space by flipping him up over his trainer's head. Metallica Fanboy chokes as the vigoroth's embrace tightens around his neck and Megatherium's back paws crush into his sides. The vigoroth's weight throws off his balance as well and makes it all the more likely that he will get thrown from his own ride.
Dextrous is falling behind again, the cumbersome burden on his back making it hard for him to maneuver in the same tight turns that the two aerodactyl ahead are making as they weave in and out around skyscrapers. Now and again he catches sight of one of their reflections flashing in the mirrored windows of an office building as they disappear around a corner, but that's the best he can do.
He has no idea that, far ahead, the mystery aerodactyl has at last spotted the ideal place to make its stand. An elevated car park brings back distant memories of a cave-pocked hillside, and the aerodactyl angles down towards it, tucking in wings and legs and shooting into the narrow open gap between two levels, slamming Wargle's feet against the concrete barrier running around the lower deck in the process. It drops the trainer none too gently, heedless of his groans, and whirls around, stretching wings wide and preparing to defend its prey against the interloper. When the referee's aerodactyl comes shooting through the same gap that the rogue one did scant seconds earlier, it is to meet a hyper beam head-on.
The pokémon takes the brunt of the blast and plows unceremoniously into the concrete, but her trainer is still thrown from her back and slammed into the side of a van by the force of the attack. Fortunately, she doesn't need her trainer's direction to pick herself up and charge at her opponent. The two aerodactyls meet in a vicious scuffle, teeth and talons scoring at rocky hide and the occasional burst of energy blooming between the two of them as they spar. In the background, Wargle tries to crawl away and hide under a parked car, as his shins are protesting after being banged against the barrier. The referee is moving slowly as she tries to get her wits about her.
Naturally, this is the time that Metallica Fanboy's aerodactyl arrives and throws everything into confusion again. At the sight of the fight, Dextrous forgets completely about the human hanging onto his back and charges full into the fray, not bothering to distinguish between friend and foe in his excitement. Metallica Fanboy hastily releases his grip on Dextrous' neck and slides to the ground, then retreats from the vicious flurry of violence that has engulfed the aerodactyl.
The referee manages to get a pokéball off her belt and release her espeon, which grabs the mystery aerodactyl with her mind and drags it loose from the other two, then slams it into the ceiling until it stops fighting. As she lets it fall unceremoniously back to the floor, the aerodactyl reflects muzzily that it simply isn't fair. One moment it's laboring away from a volcanic eruption on a damaged wing, and the next thing it knows it's in some strange, white cave where everything is too bright and weird creatures are milling around and chirping at it. Mere hours later, a huge fire consumes the cave, it manages to break free of its cage and escape, and when it does, it just happens to spy one of those funny little creatures in the patch of trees just beyond the odd place. Being hungry, it decides to grab a snack, and what happens--these other aerodactyl get all worked up for no good reason. With that thought, it passes out.
The two other aerodactyl have been calmed down now, and the espeon has disappeared into her pokéball. Wargle is back on his feet by now, as is the referee. She leans against the side of the van, one arm wrapped around her ribs and giving Wargle a glower that says,
This is what you get. "Are you going to send out your last pokémon or what?
Metallica Fanboy (XOO)
Megatherium (M) <Vital Spirit>
Health: 20%
Energy: 40%
- Resolved never to let his feet leave the ground again, ever. Burned (3%/round). +2 Attack
Terrain Notes
The new place of battle is a car park. It's mostly empty, but there are a few vehicles sitting unattended. Fluorescent lights shine from the ceiling overhead, but the place is overall quite dim. A concrete barrier behind the referee separates the parking deck from open air and a drop of about four stories. A fair amount of the floor has been torn up and scorched as a result of the aerodactyl's battle. The fire has been left far behind (seven more rounds).
Final Notes
- It wasn't a very relaxing round, but Megatherium did regain some energy on account of the fact that he wasn't really *doing* much. On the other hand, he still took burn damage.
- Got a little carried away on this one. Sorry about the length and liberties taken.
- Wargle sends out
- Metallica Fanboy attacks
- Wargle attacks