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Welcome to The Cave of Dragonflies forums, where the smallest bugs live alongside the strongest dragons.
Guests are not able to post messages or even read certain areas of the forums. Now, that's boring, don't you think? Registration, on the other hand, is simple, completely free of charge, and does not require you to give out any personal information at all. As soon as you register, you can take part in some of the happy fun things at the forums such as posting messages, voting in polls, sending private messages to people and being told that this is where we drink tea and eat cod.
Of course I'm not forcing you to do anything if you don't want to, but seriously, what have you got to lose? Five seconds of your life?
"Finally," Mhynt said exasperatedly. "Something straightforward."
Mhynt kicked off the ground and disappeared, reappearing atop Gerome's head. "Everyone! Distract the guards! Let's have our team dive in and take the mayor down quickly!"
"Was this planned?" Gerome asked, keeping his head still.
"Anticipated." She leaned forward to get a better look at the mayor. What was he holding...? If only to be sure of what they were dealing with...
Nova felt like he had suddenly skipped over three chapters in a book he was reading. Or gone from the season premier to the season finale of an EV show after skipping the middle twenty-two episodes.
He glanced at Gladion. "Still got a raging hate boner for this can opener? Cuz now's the time to use it."
The null sauntered toward the bisharp, nudging Silver in the process. "Get ready to go for his defenses when that damn ward wears off."
Nova picked up his pace... slamming into Rin. Though the result was more like... a flirtatious hip-check. "Hey there, big gal~ You know, my old flame said public displays of affection make people uncomfortable. But you're unflappable steel, so you should be fine, right?"
He winked at the bisharp.
Nova (22 STM, 10 TMP, 0 SPD, 0 ACC)
- **Bonus Action:** Call @ Silver
- Tackle @ Rin (-4 STM, +2 TMP)
- Cosmic Power (-14 STM, +2 TMP)
Net change: -18 STM, +4 TMP
Net totals: 4 STM (13 after regen), 14 TMP
Nova's Tackle deals a reduced # damage to Rin!
Nova's Cosmic Power boosts his defense and resistance!
Nova -> Arctozolt -> Prim aux (fighting caster) / Tarahn aux / Jade aux -> Kimiko -> Gladion -> Silver -> Remaining auxes.
Jade's support grants +1 def to Gladion
Tarahn's Call gives +3 TMP to Kimiko
Prim's fighting-type Caster strike deals # damage to Rin!
Clover's Spotter Intel goes for Rin's Ability!
Aige's Defender gives +1 Protect to Arctozolt!
Kalas saw the Ignatius head up and quickly took flight to try and keep as much as possible eye level with the Empoleon as possible, to try and discern what was he truly up to now.
At least this was something that was more in line with his initial expectations of how the whole scuffle was expected to go. He just hoped the rest of the group had cooler heads, before Ignatius made them into cooler heads.
"Hey, everyone?" he shouted to his current 'partners in crime'. "Lets calm down and take our time, even with all this mess we can do this one right."
Corey didn't move from his seated position, continuing to stare blankly at nothing of note. Broken by his attempt to just be a decent individual who happened to abide by law leading to nothing but disdain and misfortune, he seemed ready to accept whatever fate would come for him. Perhaps the actual heroes would benefit in the end without him.
Corey (27 STM, 14 TMP, 0 SPD, 0 ACC)
Net change: +0 STM, +0 TMP
Net totals: 27 STM (43 after regen), 14 TMP
(TAKE COVER)
(FULL REST)
Ignatius scoffed. "Is this your idea of professionalism, Ms Bellatrix? I don't recall you having so many scruples when you agreed to work for me." He shook his head scornfully. "No, I have every confidence that these accusations will wash out in the due course of time, and I will simply have to find more reliable personnel in the future. Your services are no longer required."
"Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Surely, someone like you would be well acquainted with the saying," Bellatrix replied, betraying no semblance of surprise nor concern. She shifted back into a battle stance. "I wonder. How much bounty will you accrue when all this is said and done."
Her tail lashed. "Because mark my words, you will not escape this night."
Bellatrix (42 STM, 27 TMP, 0 SPD, 0 ACC)
- Walk to North Mezzanine
- Dash to North Mezzanine (-2 TMP)
- Quick Attack @ Ignatius (-6 STM, Sure Hit, +2 TMP)
- **Spotter T0:** Intel @ Known Moves
- Hone Claws (-18 STM, +2 TMP)
- Scratch @ Ignatius (-4 STM, +3 TMP)
- **Bonus Action:** Dash to East Mezzanine (-2 TMP)
Net change: -28 STM, +1 TMP
Net totals: 14 STM (25 after regen), 28 TMP
Shit, what was happening? He’d zoned out for a minute there, and now they were fighting the mayor apparently. Well, he supposed this wasn’t an entirely unexpected turn of events, though maybe a lot sooner than Archie thought it’d happen. Oh well, he didn’t exactly have a lot of time here to muse on what was happening, everyone around him had exploded into a flurry of activity and the mayor seemed to want his hired help, specifically, dead.
Oh and Corey was just sitting there. He gave the Ralts a rough pat on the shoulder to try and jar him out of his stupor, before shouting: “Look alive Corey, Mayor’s about to make popsicles out of us!”
And then he ran like his life depended on it – because it probably did! – following Bellatrix up to the East Mezzanine.
Archie (28 STM, 2 TMP, 0 SPD, 0 ACC)
- **Bonus Action:** Call @ Corey
- **Bonus Action:** Dash to East Mezzanine (-2 TMP)
- Walk to East Mezzanine
Net change: +0 STM, -2 TMP
Net totals: 28 STM (43 after regen), 0 TMP
(FULL REST)
He scratched the back of his head, his feathers drooping. “Hey, huh, if I upset you… Hm, I’m sorry, okay? I was trying to mediate, and…” He groaned loudly. “Ugh! I’m so not good at this! I’m more action and less talk, y’see? So, huh, sorry again… Go ahead, I’ll catch up.”
Kimiko acknowledged the sneasel with a nod and a small smile - just enough to show she heard and appreciated his words, but still convey 'no time to discuss it now'.
They burst into the manor's grand ballroom. Lots of chaos, lots of accusations. Kimiko found it difficult to follow (her own fault for not keeping track of this ridiculous petty dispute from the beginning). Indeed, Kimiko spotted the Floragato she'd seen on the wanted posters floating around town, confirming the rumors.
Clearly Kimiko was missing a lot of context here, and from what she gathered from the loud accusations being thrown about by nearly everyone - including her own teammates - it still sounded like some petty internal political dispute between the floragato and the empoleon... except now the empoleon had directly called them out. So, for better or worse, it looked like they'd be fighting the mayor of all people. And siding with the bandits.
As Kimiko sunk back down into a battle stance, she couldn't help but wonder (not for the first time)... what the fuck had they gotten themselves into here??
Kimiko (44 STM, 15 TMP, 0 SPD, 0 ACC)
- **Bonus Action:** Focus (+5 TMP)
- CRITICAL Magical Leaf @ Bisharp Rin (-8 STM, Sure Hit, -20 TMP, +3 TMP)
- Vine Whip @ Bisharp Rin (-5 STM, +2 TMP)
Net change: -13 STM, -10 TMP
Net totals: 31 STM (42 after regen), 5 TMP
(TAKE COVER)
Sonora knocked the Poochyena flat, and for a moment he lay horribly still. Wes bounded over and let out a breath of relief as Dave stirred and groaned.
“Gods, man,” he mumbled as he helped nudge the canine to his feet, “You could probably afford to have a little more self-preservation, yeah?” Not that he was one to talk, exactly, but…
Then he spotted Sonora making a break for it. “Take a minute to catch your breath and leave her to us,” he said to Dave before bounding after Sonora. It occurred to him that Dave wasn’t in the loop on the plan. Probably for the best he was out of commission for now.
"I'm fine," Dave repeated to Wes as the Rockruff bounded off. Leave her to them? The squad that, last he heard, was planning to capture her and then cross their fingers?
Honestly, at this point, he might. If Sonora was anything, it was determined not to be helped. On her own fucking head be it. He fired off an irritated Sand Attack but then just sat, recovering from his wounds, waiting for the ache in his muscles to go away.
"Yeah, you got that right. Ain't it funny, though? Y'know, how nobody ever seems to report any missin' goods when I hit your goddamn caravans, Voclain? You'd think I'd have a higher bounty by now... But you don't set 'em, do ya? And you can't raise mine without admittin' what I stole..."
Dave's ears perked at that, but then she just moved on without addressing it further. Could she just cut the foreplay and get to the fucking point?
But then, without whatever fucked-up mess of Poochyena hormones had just pushed him to physically fight this girl (what the ever-loving fuck), it sounded increasingly like Sonora was just fucking stalling.
Sure enough, a Mabosstiff soon barged in, yelling about intruders on the upper floor. There it was. Soon Bellatrix was making a whole speech to Ignatius (wasn't she the one who was so determined they should capture her and suck up to the mayor?), Ignatius was being even more of a dick by declaring a bunch of civilians were criminal accomplices, and the Ralts was yelling about how Sonora might kill someone, until...
"What in the Saints' sight are you fuckin' talkin' about?" she demanded. Not of Ignatius – of Corey. "You lot attacked me and my crew first! And Pokémon can't fuckin' accidentally kill each other usin' battle techniques! Not unless they're a fuckin' human, or near enough! I don't know how the fuck it works on your Saintsforsaken world, but on Forlas, we don't keel over at the first stiff breeze! 'Miserable excuses for pokémon'?? You aren't a fucking pokémon, dipshit!"
Heads turned and guests gasped. Were it not impossible, one would think they'd rehearsed the reaction.
...What the shit. Pokémon couldn't kill each other? Had people seriously blabbed the human thing to Sonora after everything? Jesus. Dave looked around, wary, surveying the crowd's reactions; were they impressed or horrified? [@Jackie Cat]
"Hey!" called the Meowth. "Everyone, listen up! We have hard proof that the mayor is using blackmail and fraud to take control of this whole town—" here she glanced at Odette, only just registering what the fuck the Mawile had said "—and his guards just attempted to burn the evidence! This whole event is a racket! We—"
The cloud-voice was back, naïve as ever, but this time it did have some useful things to tell them, like that Ignatius was preparing some kind of big attack headed straight for him. Dave heaved himself back to his feet at last - honestly, that berry really had worked - and prepared to cross the room to the east.
Dave (31 STM, 10 TMP, 0 SPD, 0 ACC)
- **Bonus Action:** Focus (+5 TMP)
- **Bonus Action:** Dash to East Mezzanine (-2 TMP)
- Walk to East Mezzanine
Net change: +0 STM, +3 TMP
Net totals: 31 STM (46 after regen), 13 TMP
(FULL REST)
"That's quite enough of that," came Ignatius' raised voice. The Empoleon shot a querulous glare at Mabosstiff about that stray word 'attempted'. "I won't stand here and be slandered by a band of agitators! Bisharp Rin, Mabosstiff Raul – arrest this rabble. All of them."
"Really?" Oh no. He was not going back to jail again. Especially since he literally didn't do anything wrong this time! "I knew something was rotten here, and I'm not going to be pushed around!"
Nip (29 STM, 12 TMP, 1 SPD, 0 ACC)
- **Bonus Action:** Dash to North Mezzanine (-2 TMP)
- Scratch @ Ignatius (-4 STM, +2 TMP)
- Rock Smash @ Ignatius (-11 STM, +2 TMP)
- Walk to East Mezzanine
Net change: -15 STM, +2 TMP
Net totals: 14 STM (26 after regen), 14 TMP
Nip (29 STM, 12 TMP, 0 SPD, 0 ACC)
- Walk
- **Bonus Action:** Dash to East Mezzanine (-2 TMP)
- **Bonus Action:** Focus (+5 TMP)
Net change: +0 STM, +3 TMP
Net totals: 29 STM (50 after regen), 15 TMP
(FULL REST)
"That's quite enough of that," came Ignatius' raised voice. The Empoleon shot a querulous glare at Mabosstiff about that stray word 'attempted'. "I won't stand here and be slandered by a band of agitators! Bisharp Rin, Mabosstiff Raul – arrest this rabble. All of them."
"̶a̷R̷r̶E̵s̷T̵ ̷t̵H̸i̴S̶ ̷r̵A̵b̸B̸l̸E̸.̸ ̸a̴L̷l̷ ̴o̵F̷ ̷t̷H̴e̵M̷,̶"̴ Jawile mocked back. Suddenly, Odette was regretting taking off the chains. She reached up to grab them again, but they wrestled away easily and laughed maniacally. "̴Y̸o̶u̸'̸r̸e̵ ̴n̶o̴t̵ ̶g̸o̸n̷n̷a̸ ̸b̴e̷ ̶a̷b̶l̴e̷ ̵t̶o̸ ̵t̴a̷l̶k̵ ̸t̷h̸a̴t̸ ̷d̷e̵e̴p̵ ̴w̸h̷e̸n̸ ̶I̶ ̷b̶i̸t̶e̸ ̴t̷h̵a̵t̵ ̷b̴i̴t̷c̸h̴ b̴i̶r̴d̴y̸ ̶b̷u̴s̵s̵y̷ ̸o̴f̴f̷."̸
"We're not going to be able to bite anything on him until we get through that--" She stopped, her brow furrowing as she shot a look at Jawile. "What the fuck did you just say?"
And there it was. They were all criminals now, because the guy in charge had decided they were inconvenient. Jade had really, really hoped that that wouldn’t have to be the case here too. (Would they have to leave town? Would they have to start over? Would they—)
But first they had to fight their way out. Bisharp was gunning right for them, blades flashing.
“Gladion, on your left, brace yourself!” Jade yelled.
"Wait!--" started Espurr, before her sense stopped her--what use was it trying to argue against the 'mon who'd just declared them outlaws based on convenience? Good lord, that overgrown penguin wasn't worth a single one of his snobbish frills! Which were way too classy for him, by the way.
The nearest enemy--a large, bearlike dog 'mon--was charging for her group with the zeal of somemon who wanted to kill. The sight made her tremble and sway a bit where she stood. Oh well. If they were going to fight again, then so be it.
"Hey! We beat your mooks; what makes you think just three of you stand a chance against all of us together?!" she questioned Ignatius angrily, preparing an attack.
Eyes glowing, she clapped her paws together, sending a pink whirlwind of telekinetic energy billowing out towards the massive guard chief.
"That's quite enough of that," came Ignatius' raised voice. The Empoleon shot a querulous glare at Mabosstiff about that stray word 'attempted'. "I won't stand here and be slandered by a band of agitators! Bisharp Rin, Mabosstiff Raul – arrest this rabble. All of them."
The security chiefs nodded and barked their assent, and each advanced on the nearest group of heroic spirits. Rin scraped her blades together with a hideous noise, and Raul menaced his targets with a belly-deep growl. Ignatius swept up the northern staircase with surprising speed. Facing the exhausted Las Picaras and the 'mon who'd just fought them to a standstill, Ignatius cast his cloak back with one wing stretched wide, and activated a wonder orb at his hip.
"Aw," Gladion said, a cloying disappointment in his voice, "So much for getting more lemmings to do your job. Guess even shit bosses have shit bosses sometimes. Honestly didn't expect anything'd get you to do something other than look for someone else to hide behind. Blink twice if he's blackmailing you, too!"
Gladion partially-suppressed a laugh and had to stop himself dropping his guard. "Ack— phrasing, please," He couldn't help but laugh a bit more "If I get run through while distracted by you saying things like that I'm haunting you from the grave."
Alright. He had to fight properly this time. If he was a safe distance back watching Hazel fight a Bisharp he'd be feeling pretty optimistic. There was a distance around him that was dangerous to be in, particularly in front where he had the helmet between the Bisharp (Rin, was it?) and himself. Keep that area between Bisharp and himself and they can't close for an attack. Hazel'd probably be be able to block and follow up, and he was gonna try it but realistically they were going to be trading hits and he was willing to settle for that.
If they tried to ignore him and focus on someone else, that was his chance to push the danger zone into them— If they weren't willing to fight directly like that, he could use his effective reach to try to zone her out of range of his allies. There were lots of them, and one of her. It simply wasn't going to be possible to avoid all of them.
Gladion (13 STM, 12 TMP, 0 SPD, 0 ACC)
- Receive Call (+3 TMP)
- Receive Helping Hand
- **Bonus Action:** Item (Leppa Berry) (+40 STM)
- Body Press @ Rin (-16 STM, +2 TMP)
- Tackle @ Rin (-4 STM, +2 TMP)
- Helping Hand @ Silver (-8 STM, +2 TMP)
Net change: +12 STM, +9 TMP
Net totals: 25 STM (36 after regen), 21 TMP
(TAKE COVER)
Lyle wasn't sure why on earth he'd been so worried about getting into trouble after coming here to Forlas. Trouble had found him just fine, and whatever happened, he could tell that nothing would be the same again in Frontier Town.
Though for now, he had to not get torn to pieces by this damned penguin and his goons. He dove out of the way of an incoming attack when he noticed the Mabosstiff near him and distracted in battle.
[[OOC: also some previous flavor edited in here bc why not ig!]]
"You don't understand. No, you really don't understand, do you? Look at what's happened because you're too selfish to think before you rush in. No consideration for how reckless—"
Focus. Focus. Don't listen, it's not relevant. She's not even here, god damn it. Just get Sonora to move, draw her out, make her leave. You can figure this out when everything isn't fifty-seven different kinds of on fire—
Sonora's strike slammed into Leaf's jaw and her vision went confetti cannon. Leaf kicked out half-blindly and sprang back, half-remembering that she'd wanted to lead Sonora away, half just to take a second and stop the world spinning. Just as the kaleidoscope was settling another bandit sprinted past, splattered something into her face, gross, why— why... huh.
Well, the good news was that everything seemed to be slowing down, at least. God, she was tired. Why was she tired? All the thrumming and singing of battle energy was going quiet, and... everything... else? No, no, everything was quieter, slower, it wasn't just her. Leaf blinked the haze of adrenaline away (and hopefully some of the sleep, maybe, please, why was she tired, ugh). What was going on?
...a standoff? There was a standoff now, that was a thing that was happening. Quieter—not quiet, Sonora and the mayor were arguing plenty loud enough, but not so much fifty-seven kinds of on fire, anymore. (...was someone in the background shouting something about a fire. Okay, maybe one kind.) The more they spat at each other, though, the more it felt like something was crawling in her chest. Sonora had just been what? Why the hell hadn't Koamaru told her? No, why hadn't anyone told Koamaru? Why was this—
"Now do you see what you've done? Or do I have to explain it to you again?"
God, why wouldn't she shut up, this wasn't helping— no. No, you know what? This was fine, actually. The anger was just what she needed to stay awake while she kicked Mayor Murderbird's smug beak in.
Leaf (45 STM, 17 TMP, 1 SPD, 0 ACC)
- **Bonus Action:** Focus (+5 TMP)
- Dash to North Mezzanine (-2 TMP)
- Quick Attack @ Ignatius (-6 STM)
- Trailblaze @ Ignatius (-15 STM)
- CRITICAL Double Kick @ Ignatius (-9 STM, Sure Hit, -20 TMP)
- **Spotter T0:** Intel @ Ignatius's AI
- Walk to East Mezzanine
Net change: -29 STM, -17 TMP
Net totals: 16 STM (27 after regen), 0 TMP
lmao doesn't matter, go with whatever's easiest, use this one again if it's simpler
As she faced down Ignatius' guard dog, thoughts raced through Isidora's head. The situation had flown wildly out of control. What were the consequences of all this? Once the dust settled, where would it leave them? Would it even be worth it, in the end? Truthfully, though she knew she should care, she didn't. Isidora wanted to put that empoleon in his place, that's all she cared about. But first she had to make sure his pet didn't get in the way.
Isidora prepared her Ice Shards, and while the mabosstiff was distracted by one of her allies she dashed in and ran one through his side. She twisted around and threw the other as he turned to face her, the attack providing cover for her Feint Attack aimed right at the same wound.
"Come on!" she taunted as she backed off. "I've fought far worse than you!"
