Sojaveña Wilds Silver Riverside

[Weazel]

Shit. He’d been beat down, this was it for him. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t go down swinging. The Buizel grit his teeth and growled at the little bird.

“Your power, huh? Sorry, guess you’re not as special as you thought you were,” he said, then gave the Rookidee a toothy smirk. “I fought for it. From the fields of Amp Plains to the depths of Silver Trench.”

He couldn’t pull up that power again, spent as he was, but he gave the bird a parting Water Gun, and then fled to the far riverbank, daring her to follow. That should give Anubis a little breathing room, at least.

Spoiler: Dustin Turn 3

Dustin (20 STM, 11 TMP, +0 SPD, +1 ACC, 0 SHD, 0 RAD)
- **Act:** Focus (+5 TMP, -20 SHD, -20 RAD)
- **Act:** Item (Cacnea Spike) @ Virga
- Water Gun @ Virga (-4 STM, +4 TMP)
- Walk to SW Riverbank
Net change: -4 STM, +9 TMP, +0 SHD, +0 RAD
Net totals: 16 STM (31 after regen), 20 TMP, 0 SHD, 0 RAD

 

[Chibi Pika]

Anubis's STRONG Flamethrower dealt 23 damage to Virga! Burned!
Anubis's Cacnea Spike dealt 4 damage to Malachai!
Dustin's Cacnea Spike dealt 4 damage to Virga!
Dustin's Water Gun dealt a CRITICAL 21 damage to Virga!

Virga was hurt by its burn...
Malachai was hurt by his burn and poison...

Jade blinked at the blast of wind that tore across the river. Was she just imagining things or did that look a whole lot like...? Not that any particular wind attack looked all that different from any other, but... that really looked like—

And then a sudden spike of alarm dug into the back of her head as Virga dove at Dustin and Jade got her answer. But then, did that seriously mean he was—

Virga's feathers burned, and her stamina was waning. A blast of flames from the pup had brought her to the brink of falling, but she held fast, her mind racing.

He'd fought for it? What did that mean? The Buizel rattled off a list of locations that were utterly meaningless to Virga, and then a jet of water struck headlong. Her vision swam, stars flickering in her peripheral vision, and then the Rookidee was falling...

 

[Jackie Cat]

What was this? Everyone reacted to this outburst as if it held special meaning. Malachai narrowed his eyes and clicked away to himself, building a mental map of every body in the field. Laura would doubtless have the encyclopaedic knowledge of moves to identify this particular one. Perhaps it was an obscure signature move, although he wondered why—

Oh, was that it? How intriguing.

"I'll hear the truth of this after the battle," he said, half to himself. "Now, let us come to a close..."

Even in his diminutive form, there was some elegance and drama to be had in descending in a whirl on Dustin to finish him off, sucking the energy from his aura and kicking off his body to rise back into the air. Now for the hound.

Malachai spewed water at Anubis, mostly just to provoke him.

"Come, Anubis!" he challenged, spreading his wings as wide as they would go, willing the boy to give him something to make his blood run hot. "Show me what passes for battle-fervour in your world, if you have any!"

Malachai called out to Anubis!

Spoiler: Mal T3

Malachai (42 STM, 10 TMP, +0 SPD, +0 ACC, 0 SHD, 0 RAD)
- Walk to SW Riverbank
- Absorb @ Dustin (-2 STM, +3 TMP)
- **Act:** Dash to NW Riverbank (-2 TMP)
- Water Pulse @ Anubis (-13 STM, -2 TMP, +3 TMP)
- **Act:** Call @ Anubis
Net change: -15 STM, +2 TMP, +0 SHD, +0 RAD
Net totals: 27 STM (41 after regen), 12 TMP, 0 SHD, 0 RAD

 

[Tetra]

Steam sizzled from Anubis coat as he stoked his inner fire to burn off the dampness. Truly a frustrating little bat, more so than the honey bat back home. Not as fast but definitely tough, even now. Back home he would have easily triumphed, but here... Here he had only his own paltry flames.

But more than his powers, he longed for his pack. Flurry's ice could have brought his opponent low, or the Thunderbug's electricity. Even to say nothing of the Tyrant's stone.

"Not bad for such a small bat! Very well, I will show you the strength of my flame." He had a responsibility here to be strong, to help Alpha, and he would not go down like a cowering pup. Nor would he allow himself to look poorly in front of his trainer.

His pack was far away, yes, but his training with them remained. Hours of drills and repetition that lingered, even in this body. Darting forward, he executed a series of well-practiced feints and a splash of misdirected mud to close distance, then unleashed a torrent of poison tinted flames upon his opponent.

 

[Jackie Cat]

Ah, there it was. The hound had some fury after all, then. Malachai deflected the splash, and let the flames come. Come on, boy! More fire! More fury! Send all you have at me!

He took a breath, and felt bright fury of his own rise in his throat, felt the crackle of flames and hot air beneath his wings, felt the flow of muscle and the stamp of paws on the arid ground, and at last— he felt himself again.

What? Malachai is evolving!

Malachai ripped free of his tiny frame, his shadow growing to cover Anubis as he spread wide his true wings, and roared. First sound, then swirling mauve-and-magenta dragonfire, leapt from his jaws.

Malachai used Dragon Pulse!

 

[Tetra]

Malachai'd been here for all of two days and he was evolving? Koa swallowed his bitter resentment and did his best to feel happy for him. "Anubis, dodge!" he called frantically, recognizing the telltale glow of building power in the now Noivern's jaws.

He sensed more than saw Anubis bristle from this distance, hackles rising as he braced. He clearly had no intention or desire to dodge. To draw out the inevitable. Malachai's evolution gave him the high ground, running away would be a blow to Anubis' dignity. No, Anubis had to meet this head on.

'Dark Pulse.'​

Anubis braced, faced the oncoming storm. In his mind, or perhaps his soul, he could feel Alpha's will blending with his own determination. It was not just his own pride on the line, but that of his trainer, and on the second account he would never fail. Something within him clicked, memory and tenacity and the unspoken command from his trainer.

Anubis used Dark Pulse!

Pure darkness met draconic light and the two warred for dominance.

 

[Chibi Pika]

Jade had been crouched next to Virga currently sat dazed, one paw inside her bag (she knew better than to offer a berry until requested) and her eyes trained on the remaining fighters. She squinted up at the tiny winged shape flying overhead, and the white light that had overtaken it. Was that...?

The wings unfurled outwards, many, many, many times their original size (it was) and when the light faded, a stark navy blue Noivern had landed on the riverbank, a heavy thud shaking the earth. Virga stirred, shaking her head in a daze before looking down at herself as if to confirm—still a Rookidee.

Then her eyes narrowed at the Noivern, processing.

"The bat has evolved and I am still stuck like this," she said flatly.

 

[Jackie Cat]

Malachai's blood thrilled with the unique high of evolution, that he'd thought never to feel again. His eyes widened and his blood rushed all the louder to recognise defiance in the pup – a clash of powers, yes! Exceptional! So what if the trainer-dog interfered? All the better to challenge him, to let him soar, to feel something real!

Purple light met midnight darkness, and each attack pressed into the other, whirling, storming, rising! He put all his will into his own attack, extending it, pushing unto his utmost spark of energy—!

Malachai's STRONG Dragon Pulse won the clash and dealt a CRITICAL 27 damage to Anubis!

The others would have to wait for the dust to clear, but in Malachai's silvery echo-scape of sound, he could detect the outcome already.

Anubis toughed it out at 1 HP to show his best side to Alpha!

The Noivern laughed – in his own voice, deep and resonant – and landed with an impact that sent up a fierce backdraft of dust.

"Marvellous," he declared, stepping forward. "That was tremendously enjoyable. You have my appreciation, Anubis."