Lethe

[Jackie Cat]

Laura laughed madly, silently, her chest aching, as Betel transformed. Somepart of her had been waiting for this ever since the revelation that they were a real pokémon, and before that – since the moment they'd all arrived on Forlas. Their... little apotheosis. Relief and triumph filled her with something similar to adrenaline, and she pushed her miserable body forwards.

Dragging herself to the side of the sorriest-looking hepa of fur she ould find, she slung her satchel to the ground, and let its contents roll out. Hardly anything left, just a leaking elixir bottle and some berry pulp. She offered the bottle to Dave, putting her paw on his shoulder as if waking someone, or supporting herself, or both.

She felt like she was drunk, or up at 4 AM to catch a flight, or seeing the dawn after an all-nighter of mediocre studying, her energy drink-fuelled heart pummelling the barred prison of her ribcage. Some part of her was still calculating a win, running numbers on autopilot, but she was just watching. Detached; separate. Dissociating? Maybe she should care that she was dissociating.

But whatever happened... she'd done her part already, really. If she collapsed, if she barrelled over the precipice, Betel would catch her. That was what they'd secured for themselves with their achievement. Betel's self-actualisation. She could let loose and not care if she disintegrated from the effort.

"Everything I have left," she mumbled, through bruised lips. "Oblivion..."

She'd had her fair share of close encounters with oblivion. Crossing the street without looking both ways and leaving it up to fate. Cracking one too many pills out of their blister pack and changing her mind halfway through. Sleeping rough with not enough cover if it got cold and not caring if she woke up. It wasn't that she wanted it to go wrong; she just couldn't be conscious through the pain any longer.


No more. She wanted to see what happened next. She wanted to be there for it. To be part of it. To win.

"Let it fucking hurt, then!" she yowled, taking a step forward and rearing up as her Awakened self once more. "If that's what it takes to WIN!"

They would win. They were going to, for real. She actually did believe it.

Spoiler: turn

Laura (109 STM, 30 TMP, +4 SPD, +0 ACC, 40 SHD, 56 RAD)
- Walk to Arid Saltbed
- Interact @ Dave, elixir (-3 TMP)
- Activate ability (Moody) @ +2 Acc, -1 Mag
- **Act:** SHADOW Focus (Awaken) (+5 TMP)
- Activate ability (Undeterred)
- SHADOW Helping Hand @ allies (ACTIVATE: Support Feat) (-16 STM, -8 TMP, +2 TMP, +11 SHD)
- Shining Clarity (-40 STM, +2 TMP, +28 RAD)
- CRITICAL RADIANT Stored Power @ Powehi (ACTIVATE: Sure Hit) (-80 STM, -10 TMP, +2 TMP, +56 RAD) [320 Mag]
Net change: -102 STM, -12 TMP, +11 SHD, +74 RAD
Net totals: 7 STM (111 after regen), 18 TMP, 51 SHD, 130 RAD

Malachai (Aux)
- Caster @ Powehi [Radiant]

 

[Chibi Pika]

Everything felt lighter now. The oppressive weight pressing down, inward, from all sides, had lifted, and when Jade pulled herself to her feet, the bone-deep ache of the preceding battle was a distant echo. She'd feel it afterward for sure, but for now, she could put it off just a little longer. Long enough to lend Betel her power.

And so she reached for that awakened high once more, and felt the rush of the sea's raw power filling her aura, the untamed winds and waves at her paws. Jade inhaled deeply, practically tasting the salt on the breeze, and as she glanced up at Virga towering over her, she didn't feel small at all.

"Come on. One last attack, it's gotta be all of us."

"You have a lot of faith in that one," Virga observed, neutrally. The Corviknight's eyes flickered over to the Porygon—no longer a Porygon, but something new—the avian being glowing with a light that was practically divine. A fully-realized Voice of Life.

"I know you don't, but I need you with me on this one," Jade said, taking her place as the pair of them took to the air.

Virga was silent for a long moment, wingbeats carrying them higher. "Your faith will suffice for both of us."

The unspoken sentiment rang clear: I have faith in you.

She had a lot of faith in Virga, too. That wasn't something she would have thought of as true. Definitely wasn't something she would have said, even to herself. In fact, she would have denied it under any other circumstances. But it was sort of self-evident, wasn't it? The sheer number of times she'd thrown her life on Virga's wings without a second thought, same as she would have with Swift, or Firestorm. It didn't make any sense. It was maybe a bit insane, given where they'd left off back home. She couldn't feel any of the bitterness from that right now, though. Maybe that was Betel's influence, the weight of the Shadows unable to burden her mind. Maybe she'd feel it afterward, just like the pain and exhaustion that was waiting for her after all of this.

But for now, she could leap into the open air without worrying about the fall.

"I know you'll catch me!" Jade called out. Whether it was aimed at Betel or Virga didn't matter, the sentiment rang true for both,

Spoiler: Jade & Virga Turn 7

Jade (102 STM, 15 TMP, +1 SPD, +4 ACC, 20 SHD, 0 RAD)
- **Act:** Focus (Awaken) (+5 TMP, -30 SHD, -40 RAD)
- CRITICAL Shining Freefall @ Powehi (-40 STM, -15 TMP, +10 TMP, +32 RAD) [+Freefall]
- Activate ability (Magician) @ Powehi Res
- RADIANT Soul's Adversity (ACTIVATE: Shining Aura) (-30 STM, +3 TMP, +24 RAD)
- CRITICAL RADIANT Aeroblast @ Powehi (-28 STM, -10 TMP, +7 TMP, +22 RAD) [+50 BP]
Net change: -92 STM, +0 TMP, +10 SHD, +98 RAD
Net totals: 10 STM (73 after regen), 15 TMP, 30 SHD, 98 RAD

Virga (Aux)
- Brawler @ Powehi [RADIANT]