Landsverd Continental Rail, East Commonwealth

[Jackie Cat]

Some random fucking object charged with energy flew by Brisa's shoulder and hit the stronger Croagunk full-on in the head. He dropped like a pile of dirty rags. Huh. Jade was a pretty good shot, then.

"Thanks," she said, looking around for the leader. The foot-soldiers would've been a distraction, weak as they were. Though not so weak they couldn't have poisoned her, or taken out Jade...

Cloaked Assailant's Water Pulse dealt 48 dmg to Brisa! Confused!

"Shit!"

Brisa frantically wiped water from her eyes, vision swimming. It had come from fucking nowhere, somewhere she hadn't had eyes on – there, he was visible again, a tall pokémon in dark clothing, utter disdain in his eyes. She prepared to lunge, electricity crackling around her snarling jaws – then a coiled tail struck out at her, and he was gone, out of reach.

Cloaked Assailant's U-Turn dealt 17 dmg to Brisa! Cloaked Assailant retreated to the rear car!
Brisa looks tired...

"That's on me for not takin' cover," she spat.

Brisa's eyes narrowed. She couldn't fight the sonofabitch head-on. She couldn't chase after him and still protect Jade – and she'd be running straight into a trap, besides.

"Jade!" she barked. "He's too strong. Get to the next car, I'll hold him off."

 

[Chibi Pika]

Jade jumped to her feet, grabbing hold of the seat as the train's wobble threatened her balance. She darted out of the compartment, nearly tripping over one of the fallen Croagunk and stealing a glance back at the cloaked Pokemon leering at them from the rear car, taking aim again.

He was faster than them. There was no way he wouldn't catch up immediately, even if they ran for the next car. Not unless they could slow him down or kill visibility. Sand Attack, Smokescreen--none of her usual tricks would work here, not without Swift or Firestorm. There was just Brisa, and--

...and the nagging feeling that this new body could do something with not just its own power, but with Brisa's.

Spoiler: Something...

Operating on pure instinct, Jade braced herself against the wall and spun around, reaching out one paw toward Brisa, as if she were grabbing hold of something, some energy just out of reach. Her other paw snapped toward their assailant and--

Jade's Assist called Electroweb! The Assailant's Speed was lowered!

Spoiler: Full Turn

 

[Jackie Cat]

How the fuck—? Brisa glanced at Jade in astonishment, but adrenaline took over – had to fight, get to safety – and she yowled menacingly as she flung her own net of electricity at their pursuer.

Jade's Electroweb dealt 5 dmg to Cloaked Assailant! It's super-effective! Speed was lowered!
Jade's Electroweb dealt 14 dmg to Cloaked Assailant! It's super-effective! Speed was lowered!

That'd hold him, at least long enough for what Brisa had in mind. Her eyes flicked to the windows – yeah, they were headed in the right direction...



She growled furiously and lashed out at the overhead luggage racks, knocking suitcases and trunks and bags down to the ground. That'd slow that bastard down. She turned and followed Jade along the narrow walkway that connected the carriages, half expecting to get jumped by more Croagunk foot-soldiers...

Brisa created difficult terrain! Train Car B's mobility cost is now 2.
Brisa walked to Train Car C.

 

[Chibi Pika]

It took Jade a few seconds of staring stupidly at her own paw to process what had just happened. Electricity. A web of it. Flying at their attacker. Drawn from Brisa?

Brisa had immediately followed up with a second web, thoroughly tangling their pursuer in the rear car, and then Jade finally snapped out of her trance, bolting down the hallway as quickly as her new legs could take her. She heard a huge clatter behind her and resisted the urge to look, instead focusing on hopping the small, shifting gap between the two cars (would've been nothing with human legs). The thud of paws behind her signaled Brisa hopping the gap as well.

Jade turned to face her. "I... I don't have any clue how I did that," she admitted.

 

[Jackie Cat]

"Probably you used Assist," she replied, automatically, not really thinking. "Hang on."

Brisa stood at the door to the next train car, looking about herself for enemies, for information, for anything that could help. It looked like the passengers in this car had turned and fled into the next one along at the sound of fighting. That was, if the passengers hadn't already been cleared out of the way by their pursuers. The leader of which was rapidly freeing himself from his restraints and clambering back into the middle car.

She wasn't sure she could beat him.

She was sure she wasn't gonna let Jade stick around to find out.

[ ] Main Objective: Escape
[ ] Secondary Objective: Protect Jade

"Jade," she said, the rest of her mind only now catching up with her own plan, and what it would mean. "Listen to me."

The Luxio grabbed the Meowth's shoulder and made eye contact – and a decision.

Here went nothing.

"I'm gonna put my faith in you. You gotta head west 'til you get to Frontier Town, or anywhere near it. Stay outta trouble, keep that bag hidden, don't draw attention. If you find the Escarpa – my people – they'll protect you. Show them this—"

Brisa reached up to her ear and pulled her earring loose with a wince. She pressed it into Jade's palm and closed the girl's paw around it. It was just a small thing – a pale blue feather and some wrought dungeon gold. A good luck charm.

"—and tell 'em I gave it to you."

 

[Chibi Pika]

Jade blanched. "We're splitting up?"

Flashes of memory from the S.S. Anne. Cornered by Rockets, Nine staying behind to fend them off. Escaping, leaving him behind, letting them take him, and it made her want to refuse, not again, not another person risking themselves to save her when they barely knew each other. Why, why, why--

But this was the only thing that made sense to do. And Brisa knew what she was doing. So in the end, Jade's paw tightened around the earring.

 

[Jackie Cat]

"Yeah. I'm sorry, Jade. Wish it were otherwise."

Brisa looked back towards the middle car. He was coming.

[] Main Objective: Escape.
[] Secondary Main Objective: Protect Jade.
[ ] New Objective: Hold him off.

"I gotta go," she said, simply. "See ya 'round."

Brisa jumped back onto the walkway between the cars, slammed the door between her and Jade's frightened face, and wrenched the handle closed so hard the metal twisted in her paw. Then she charged energy in her paw and brought it down on the coupling mechanism, and again. The walkway shuddered, but eventually the connection gave out, and the train, with Jade's car still affixed, accelerated away from Brisa, the detached carriages, and him.

She turned to face him.

"Let's see what y'got," she spat.

"Why, certainly," he hissed in reply.

<><><><><>​