"
C'mon!" roared Seth. "You've been hunting me for
years. D'you think this could be the day you
finish me off?"
Seth snarled and posed and held the attention of the Cipher admins and their peons as best he could. He had his paws up, punching and ducking and sidestepping like a human in a wolf's skin. His body wasn't so different, after all.
He glanced at the Wayfarers – several with faces flush with anger, rushing the route to Ein – and grit his teeth.
"Stay frosty, you lot!" he barked. "If
I can keep my shit together down here, so can you!"
There was fear in the wolf's voice – this was a place he'd barely escaped, alone, without his pokémon partners, and newly halfway-Shadowed. He was facing off against his own nemeses in battle, without Betel's network to make sense of the chaos, but he kept control of himself just the same. Maybe his time in the Sanctum helped. Maybe it was the Radiance. Maybe just his sheer
need not to lose his shit when it really counted...
"So don't mess this up!"
Those who knew Seth would know by now that from
him, this meant "
Good luck!"
Ghaspius's Tailwind helped everyone along!
Ghaspius's triple Helping Hand boosted Wes!
Ghaspius's RADIANT Metronome dramatically boosted Mhynt!
Ghaspius attempted an Interact...
"Is this
marionette a fighter...?" Dakim asked nobody in particular.
"It's with the
rest of them, isn't it?" said Venus, coolly. "Don't fret,
I'll unstitch the horrid thing, darling. Do be a dear and chase after those pesky mutts for me, would you?"
Dakim scoffed. "I'll crush
my share. Just don't expect me to do your work for you, woman."
The Darmanitan charged off after the bulk of the offworlder party, while the Milotic turned her serpentine attention to Ghaspius and Seth.
"You'd make such lovely playthings," she crooned, "but I'm afraid I'll have to break you, first."
Interact result: Dakim and Venus were unmoved...
Isidora's Ice Shard dealt 24 damage to Hallway Door!
Isidora's Ice Shard dealt 26 damage to Hallway Door!
Isidora's Rock Smash dealt 20 damage to Hallway Door! Broken!!
Archie's Brawler Skill! He dealt 42 dmg to Control Room Door! Broken!!
Bellatrix's Quick Attack dealt 0 damage to Venus!
Bellatrix's Bitter Malice dealt 13 damage to Venus!
Bellatrix's Quick Attack dealt 18 damage to Security Door!
Bellatrix's Iron Thorn dealt a grazing 5 damage to Venus!
Bellatrix's Spotter Feat! Venus' behaviour:
Venus is strongly disinclined to chase anyone around. She expects them to come to her. If left alone, she'd likely call on auxiliary Cipher peons and exhort them to attack with greater fervour. Her vanity may be an exploitable weak point...
Koa's Rogue Skill! Koa paralysed Venus!
Koa attempted an Interact...
Koa loosed his Flash into the Control Room, and though the light careened off every computer screen and polished surface, the Manectric at the controls was unconcerned. He smiled coldly, and pushed his tinted glasses further up his snout.
"My, my. Here come the riff-raff," he observed, punching in a final command at his interface. "I'll have to punish you for your trespasses personally, then."
The dog dismounted from his seat, and whistled a command. The shrill whirring of fan rotors started up as an airborne drone ascended into position at his side, humming with Electric energy. It superficially resembled a magnemite, or something like it...
As Wes charged into the room, it swooped down to block his attack – and then his next.
Ein smirked coldly. "We have no need for a
second brutish Lycas," he scoffed. "That vacancy has been
filled."
Wes'
next attack struck true.
Interact result: Ein wears shades indoors! And Koa doesn't know Knock-Off!
Wes's Accelerock dealt 8 damage to Ein's drone! It's not very effective...
Wes's Accelerock dealt 9 damage to Ein's drone! It's not very effective...
Wes's STRONG SHADOW Stone Edge dealt a CRITICAL 55 damage to Ein!
Mhynt's STRONG SHADOW Toxic badly poisoned Ein!
Interact result: Mhynt's Blast Seed dealt considerable damage to Ein's hardware!
Wes' attack drew blood, and while Ein balked, Mhynt landed her innervation – and her improvised sabotage. Screens shattered, components caught fire, and cooling fans spun wild.
Ein kept his cool, but the smirk was gone.
"At worst, you've done me an inconvenience," he spat. "I shall not forgive your
audacity."