Pokemon Gijinka: The Fallen God [IC / PG-16 / Complete]

[Chaos Sonic 443]



"thanks Randy. I was planning on asking you to do this anyway, because well. But well, besides what her dad said, I've gotta be there when she wakes up to properly lecture her, you know?"

Randy only smirked and gave a nod to Marie. "Great minds think alike, they say." he said, lugging Allie off towards the direction of Trevor's place. "Honestly, if there's a way to get Trevor to meet us halfway or something, that would be gr-..." He stopped suddenly, seeing Trevor himself making his way towards them.

"Don't let her sisters see her like this. I'll take her from here."

"Yeah, to be honest I was hoping you'd meet us half way." Randy nodded, before noticing the anger in the Flygon's eyes that was definitely directed towards him. He slowly did his best to slide Allie off and towards Trevor, before clearing his throat. "Tell me something, Trevor...what's with that look? It's one of anger...and I'll be honest, I took you as one who didn't fight or get angry, so this is a bit of a surprise."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Trevor's tone sounding neutral.

Randy sighed heavily, shaking his head. "I think you do. I deal with a lot of fighters myself on a constant basis back on Alola...but only recently have I seen the anger in some's eyes...but that's only here on Adraid that I've seen em." he explained. "And yours, they're geared towards me. Now why is that?"

"You have another place to be. I'll deal with her."

Randy looked at Trevor again, sighing as he did his best to have the Flygon grab the Tyranitar. "...if your basically telling me and the rest to leave, then we are..." he simply said, shaking his head slightly. "...just wanted to at least bring her this far. She deserved that much, unlike what some of those Trailsauians were suggesting."

"You don't have to leave." he said, sounding surprised. Beginning to start back, carrying Allie with little trouble, " Just leave her to me."

Randy looked at Trevor, sighing yet again as he shook his head. "You are a difficult Flygon to read, Trevor..." he said, shrugging. "Regardless, we aren't leaving Trailsau yet. We'll be here at least a night...or two. Gotta restock on supplies." He only saw the Flygon nod, to which Randy sighed again and began to head off back towards town. ...weird guy...

[yui 576]

Location: Trailsau (Team Alola, day 27)
Inventory: Good Rod, Antidote, Kasib Berry

"Y-yeah. Yeah, I did, so what? But it was kinda sandy and stuff, so I might not have seen it very clearly. I couldn't have. No face looks like that, I mean, no, of course not. Never mind. I didn't see anything."

"I'm asking just out of curiosity," Nani clarified, as she continued the work on her hood. "Whatever campfire stories you've heard about what we do to people that see our faces, they're not true." That would be a terrible way to live. Not to mention inconvenient! "You were the only other one who could have seen it besides Allie, and it's not like anyone will believe her if she describes it anyway." A bit here, a bit there. Almost done! Just a tiny patch job for the mesh over her left eye, and... done! It certainly wasn't the prettiest job, but it was fast, and it was functional. It sure looked better than what would be underneath it, anyway. Aside from the patchwork of green thread now sprawled out across it, Nani's hood looked very much the same as it did before the fight, in all its Pikachu-like glory.

"They say our kinds are connected, you and me. It's just a myth as far as I know, but the short version is the first Mimikyu was a different and unknown species at first. It was horribly disfigured in a fight with a Pikachu that put a curse on them, so badly that it became something different entirely, and crafted its costume after the person it hated most afterwards. Like a voodoo doll, almost, but it also kept their twisted body hidden." Or at least, those were the stories Nani used to hear up on the mountain with the Marowaks. She had no idea how much of it was true or false. Not to mention they never clarified how the story was supposed to end. One way or another, Nani was pretty confident that the story was just something people told each other around campfires. Something like that couldn't have possibly happened.

"Honestly, I think we're all compelled to model our costumes after Pikachu because they're generally popular and well-liked by people around them," Nani suggested, turning her costume back around and pulling her hood back up. It wasn't until her head was properly covered that she finally lifted it back up. "Like going trick-or-treating as something people like, so they'll compliment your costume." Stop talking now.

"That's how it was when I grew up anyway; there was this very popular Pikachu girl."

Nani. Stop. Where are you even going with this?

"I'd like to find out what causes us to look like this under the costume though. Something crazy like an ancient curse seems a bit absurd."

Please me, I'm begging you. Just stop talking.

"Er... the important thing is, I'm more concerned about you if you saw it than I am about me. I'm used to it because it's my face, but I know it can be a shock for others. That's why we wear these in the first place." In order to forcibly shut herself up, Nani took another large bite from her food. One that would take a bit to chew and swallow, giving Keanu ample time to change the subject if he wanted.

[reparoni 161]

Deadlands Team Karaoke

"Wow..." Lok said as Shaymin finished speaking. Hearing about what she was keeping away was, well, terrifying to say the least. Even if she seemed meek, whoever was sent as the messenger for the gods had to be at least somewhat powerful. Plus, he had seen what her other half could do live. "...I didn't know you were so cool!" He said, grinning However, his grin faded. "But it sounds like you have your hands full." He said, crossing his arms. "I know you're scared of... that. Honestly I... kinda am too..." He paused for a second, relaxing his shoulders. "But... but we have to stop this thing. For everyone's sake."

 

---

 

Skuldafn Team Showdown

The elder confirmed what Scarlet had suspected, both in that Rayquaza hadn't informed them much of anything and that this task wouldn't be easy. Scarlet followed the group up towards the hill, in front of the temple. Waiting for them was a tall Haxorus, who gazed at the group. While it took a bit of convincing from the elder, the Haxorus did reluctantly open the path into the temple. Scarlet was in awe as she watched the stone shift and slide as the dark hole opened up. "Well... no time like the present, right?" She said after the elder assured them they wouldn't need light. She walked towards the darkness without any hesitation.

The inside of the temple was awe inspiring; floating chunks of stone and water soared above them as they walked on a path that seemed to be made of pure light. The cave defied all logic and reason. Annoyingly, it seemed as if they hadn't moved much at all despite walking for what felt like a good couple of feet. "What in the..." She muttered as Isole asked what in the world was happening. The cave seemed to answer as the light shifted into words.

"A single path can only lead to a single destination."

"...what..." A puzzle of sorts, it would seem. Before Scarlet could even start thinking of a way to get out, Taiga had taken initiative, clearly frustrated with the lack of progress. "Wait...!" Scarlet shouted, but it was too late. As Taiga took a step into the abyss, Scarlet watched as her friend plunged. "Taiga!" She shouted, dashing towards where Taiga had walked off the edge, and reached down to grab her. Much to her dismay, her pincers had just barely managed to grab the girl's hand, as she lost sight of her in the abyss. She paused for a second, the message given by the lights still mocking her. She froze for a second, the thought of having just lost Taiga to the abyss slowly dawning on her. She took a deep breath, a tear rolling down her face. However, she stood up. She couldn't just stand there not doing anything - she had to see this through.

She was going to do this for her.

She turned to Isole, wanting to tell her something. But she found it hard to speak, feeling her throat getting stiff. She sniffled a bit, turning towards where they had been going. It was clear that going this way was doing nothing for them - this path was leading them back where they had started. She turned around, facing where they had came from. If going forward on this path was leading them to the same place, maybe going backwards would change things up. Worse comes to worse, they'd just be where they are now. Without saying a word, Scarlet slowly started walking towards the other direction, her head hung low as she had her pincers extended.

The image of seeing Taiga disappearing into the void was all she could think about.

[Skaia 578]

Nine put a hand to his chin as Shaymin described what it was that they were going up against. At first, from the description the Enforcer had given, Nine had felt that at worst they would be going up against Yveltal. The legend that presided over death, he figured would be the thing that forced an eternal state of death into this land of ghosts. He didn't quite know how the vulture of legend stood up against the other legends he had fought so far, but he figured that given their domain it would be nothing to scoff at, even amongst legends. However, what they were actually against appeared to worse. Much worse. 

The legend Giratina. A legend so terrifying and so blasphemous that Nine could tell that he was likely on another level from others. Amongst all of the legends that had ever existed, amongst all of the powers that had helped shaped the world and amongst ever name that had ever appeared across history, Giratina stood out amidst all of them. After all, it was a legend that Nine had never heard of. Knew nothing about other than what he had just been told. To have to face off against such an existence that little people knew of and even less had seen, it was a thought that Nine couldn't help but be excited about. 

With a smile on his face, the man joked to the rest saying, "I don't suppose he's the talking type?" As Lok voiced both his concerns and resolve, Nine nodded saying, "well, there's nothing to do about it but face him right?" Shrugging he said, "we've already had our fair share of showdowns with powerful foes, and honestly it sounds like we haven't reached the top yet, so we'll be in great shape if we can stop someone like this. Besides, I can't turn down a meeting with a legend like this, nor could I stop myself from helping out your and Gwen's home," he said to Lok, before looking to Shaymin saying, "and well, if we win here that means you can work towards your old job right? Sounds a lot more enjoyable then what you were stuck with now."

Marie watched as Randy handed off the Tyranitar to Trevor, feeling a bit awkward as the two exchanged their conversations. While it seemed to be resolved, Marie still couldn't help but feel a bit out of place between the two. All the same, as Trevor began to leave, the girl cleared her throat and waved to him. "Thanks for your help Trevor. We'll be back later!" Turning to face Randy she said, "well, let's leave them alone for now. I am pretty hungry after all, so let's meet back up with the others." With that, Marie began to make her way back towards the town proper, beginning her search for Nani and Keanu. 

[Saikazo 241]

They had escaped the kids, all running at their full speeds. He was surprised Mac was as fast as she was, why didn't she use that speed to do something more useful? Like running the hell away? Finally however, they managed to reach Trish's house, where she was waiting for them. That was really nice... Kazo could get used to that, but... that wasn't the road he was taking right now.

"I bet I would've won if I had been by myself!" Mac's voice dragged Kazo out of his thoughts. He shrugged and placed his hands behind his head. He didn't really have an answer that would satisfy her, so better to just not answer at all.

"Hi again, Mrs. Kaz--I mean, Trish," Ari greeted, causing Trish to chuckle softly. "The wedding was...fun," he finished.

"Yeah, it was... an experience," Kazo added, to which Trish nodded.

"Judging from the rumors and the high winds, you all met the Great Green One, right?" She stood up and smiled. "Even living in this town, we don't get to see him too much, so that alone is a call for celebration, but then you fought along side him? I proud of you kiddo. You're growing up really fast," She said, giving Kazo a light punch on the shoulder. "Denku probably would be throwing a fit right now, but, still, you did a great job.... I can't believe my baby boy is growing up...," She wiped away a tear from her eye before bending down and fussing over Ari, straightening out his clothes and dusting him off. "So, did you all get to eat?" She asked. "Do you want to have dinner here and rest for the night?" She offered as she continued to fix up Ari.

"Well, what say you, Mac?" Kazo asked as he turned to look at the leader. It was up to her in the end after all, but he was feeling like staying here for one night at least.

---

The air was tense as Denku waited for the guard to make his decision. Surprisingly, he seemed to be considering the words he was given very seriously. "I...no, that can't be right. Even if someone like that comes here we can stop them. There are many of us. We know this place, the palace cannot fall...unless we bring them inside ourselves. Someone like that...wouldn't be allowed in." His own words seemed to make him realize something.  That wasn't a good sign, not for this place. Eventually though, he let the group pass.

No words were exchanged as they went down the stairs... but still, Denku had to appreciate the giant risk this man was taking for them. He hoped things turned out for the city okay. He really wished he could have left on better terms. He ignored the glowing rocks they passed by, and being only mildly interested in the bubble Phione made. The bubble felt different from the one they came in, but it was really hard to pinpoint why.

"So...after this. What next?" Easter mused. "We return Phione to her mother, and then..."

"I find out if Mewtwo can locate my brother, and then we go our separate ways," Denku supplied. "I'm pretty sure looking for him is going to throw me headfirst into this Godslayer business, and I'm sure Brooke wants to stay out of it, for Dora's sake,"

For some reason, he felt the inherent urge to bitch at his brother. What the hell was Kazo doing right now that made him feel like this?

 

[LordCowCow 840]

Team Showdown, Temple of Time and Space

Isole looked to where Taiga vanished. To Scarlet. And back again. She noticed how Scarlet was reacting to the disappearance. Though honestly she wasn't nearly as affected. Something was weird about all this and as far as she could tell Taiga didn't want to die. She may be stupid sometimes but she didn't figure the girl would do that without cause. So, as Scarlet went the other way, Isole shrugged and stepped off the path.

"I really hate this place!"

"It sucks." Isole agreed. She was standing next to Taiga. Appearing only a moment after Taiga did. Though it took her longer to follow. "I think Scarlet is stuck. Might as well keep going though."

The inside of the temple was nearly empty. There were stone columns all around but beyond that there was just a single structure near the middle of the room. Steps that led up to a platform overlooking the area.

The floor in that area itself also seemed somewhat different. There were a large amount of massive panels in an almost perfect square. There seemed to be one panel missing and, looking closer, the panels seemed to make up some kind of image that was broken apart.

---

As Scarlet went the other way she found that she almost immediately ended up near the opening once more. As she looked out of it it would seem to simple be a window to the outside. Except that what she saw outside of it was....her. And the others. Standing with the elder looking towards the opening. Just like they had been before coming in.

---

Team Mac, Ogren

"Or you could've been even slower."

"Wanna try it? We could race right now and find out!" Mac declared, before calming down slightly to listen to what Kazo's mom had to say.

"Yeah that's right!" Mac said. "He wasn't really all that much though. We totally showed him up didn't we, Ari?" She nudged the boy a bit roughly.

"Well, what say you, Mac?"

Mac thought about it. "I kinda wanna get going..." Her stomach rumbled at that moment. "But it might be nice to have some food before we go at least. Yeah, let's do that, c'mon everyone time for a break."

They went inside and got all settled in while they waited patiently.

In Mac's case for only a few seconds before she began bouncing in place. "So. What's for dinner? Is it gonna take a while?" She asked. "Man, I'm starved, aren't you guys hungry too?"

---

Team Neo Not Dark, Merm Palace

"We return Phione to her mother, and then..."

"We have a picnic?" Phione declared. Hands still holding onto the bubble as they sped through the water. Dora ended up getting a bit dizzy and decided to flop down on the bottom of the bubble. Sinking down slightly as her weight displaced the area of the bubble slightly.

"I'm pretty sure looking for him is going to throw me headfirst into this Godslayer business, and I'm sure Brooke wants to stay out of it, for Dora's sake,"

That caused Dora to speak up. "I wanna help too though!" She said, struggling to roll onto her back in order to look over at Denku.

They continued on without much trouble. Despite the soldiers that had been surrounding the area before there didn't seem to be any as far as they could see. Possibly they had been pulled away to stop them from escaping through the other, known, exits.

Whatever the case they seemed to have lucked out. Dora's nerves were nonexistent as she began to name all the fish that they passed by on the way. Though it was likely she was making them up as the names were things like "Big squarey fish" and "That weird red fishy".

It took some time before anything major changed. And that was when Phione fell backwards. "I'm gonna sleep now." and the bubble stopped its movement entirely. Simply floating there.

And then they group saw something approach. Small, with a slight glow around it.

A concerned looking woman swam up towards the bubble.

She was staring at Phione, barely even paying attention to the others and, wordlessly, entered the bubble and picked the child up. Then she glanced up at the others with a nervous expression and began to back away.

---

Team Karaoke, Alpha

"No, I'm the one at fault,"

"N-no, it was...me." Kayla said softly, blushing slightly. A Legend. She had made a Legend run into her. She was silent and backed away as Shaymin explained everything. Seemingly fading from view.

After hearing what the girl had to say Kayla felt a tremor through her body. "Um." She spoke up at last. "I...fought someone...not long ago. He was very strong. Strong enough to destroy a city. I, um, didn't want to fight him." She paused, shivering. "But I had to or he'd hurt...everyone else. S-so, doing it again should be...easy."

Gwen let out a sigh of relief as she noticed Shaymin seem to stick around. The Bisharp beside her nodded slightly and looked to relax as well. Though his version of relaxed was much different. "It seems there was nothing to worry about." Gwen said.

"For now." Came the response.

[Mr. Hyde 204]

Team Showdown - Skuldafn Cave

"It sucks." Isole agreed, making Taiga nod her head.  However, jumping in shock realizing it was as if the girl had yet to leave her side. "I think Scarlet is stuck. Might as well keep going though."

"Yeah, yeah."  Taiga grumbled.  The inside of the temple was nearly empty. There were stone columns all around but beyond that there was just a single structure near the middle of the room. Steps that led up to a platform overlooking the area.  The floor in that area itself also seemed somewhat different. There were a large amount of massive panels in an almost perfect square. There seemed to be one panel missing and, looking closer, the panels seemed to make up some kind of image that was broken apart.  Looking at it put a huge smile on her face.  "Hehe.  Bingo."  She gave Isole a wink.  "If you've been a treasure hunter for as long as I have, you see your fair share of tests in a dungeon.  You take some stones and make them look like a Kabuto and bam, you're falling through the floor.  So stand back Isole, Taiga's got this!"  

After what seemed an eternity of sliding the floor around, Taiga stood up.  She was sweating and panting.  

"It's not gonna take too much longer!  Even a Mankey could do this, given enough time!"  

It took another eternity before she fell flat on her back, her breathing heavier than before.  Her voice quivered, as if almost on the verge of tears.

"It's not fair!  It's not fair!  This puzzle is so hard and stupid!  Why do the dragon's have such a dumb test!"  She was throwing a tantrum on top of the puzzle, slamming her fists into the top while kicking her legs.  "This is annoying!  Where the hell is chrome dome!"  

[Saikazo 241]

"I kinda wanna get going..." That wasn't good for Kazo. There was only one hope... one that came true as Mac's stomach rumbled at that moment. "But it might be nice to have some food before we go at least. Yeah, let's do that, c'mon everyone time for a break." That was the best news Kazo had heard all day. Trish seemed happy about this and ushered the group inside, sitting them at a table. It only took Mac a few seconds before she began bouncing in place. "So. What's for dinner? Is it gonna take a while?" She asked. "Man, I'm starved, aren't you guys hungry too?"

"Yeah, we didn't even get to eat at the wedding, which is like, the only reason to go to a stranger's wedding," Kazo muttered.

"Well, you all are in luck. I was preparing some spaghetti for dinner. I'll just make a little more for all our guests. Gotta let the water boil though," Trish said as she went into the kitchen. "Do you all want anything to drink? Berry juice? Milk?"

"I think I'll pass on milk...," Kazo muttered, remembering his harsh fight just earlier. Trish nodded, getting preparations ready as Kazo sighed to himself. After she was told what everyone wanted, the mother Tyranitar came back with their drinks, placing them in front of everyone.

"So, are you kids enjoying Ogren?" Trish asked, causing Kazo to chuckle.

"It's nicer than other places we've been, at the very least," He supplied.

 

---

 

A lot was happening at once. Phione just... fell asleep. He wished he could do that, but the bubble just stopped... that wasn't good, they were now sitting ducks for whatever lived in the ocean. It didn't take long for something to come up to them, a concerned looking woman. Was this who Denku thought it was? She was slowly backing away, obviously scared of the group, and honestly, Denku couldn't blame her. The king took her kid and locked them up just so Manaphy would come to the city... for whatever reason that was.

"You Phione's mom?" Denku asked. Yeah, it was a dumb question, they looked a lot a like, but honestly, he didn't know how else to start a conversation with such a scared looking woman.
 
She nervously backed away a step. "I am." She responded softly. "I have come to take them with me."
 
"Well, that saves us some time. Honestly, we weren't sure how to find you. I'm not sure what's going on, but hopefully this won't happen again," He said as he leaned back, getting comfortable. "So... um.... are we just stuck out here in this bubble?"
 
She looked down at Phione in her arms, then down at Dora. "She can...move it." She said, sounding uncertain.
 
"Alright, looks like you got a job now, Dora," Denku said, turning his head to face the small tot. "I...," He paused and turned to look at the sleeping child in Manaphy's arms. "Well, I was going to say you should say goodbye, but Phione's sleeping,"
 
"Yaaaay a job!" Dora said, rolling around.

Manaphy seems hesitant. "Um...yes, goodbye." She whispered. Denku waved at her before closing his eyes. He didn't have anything else to say, and he didn't expect to get thanked for what they did. It was better that way anyways.

[Sethera 290]

Mac didn't take too well to what Ari said. "Wanna try it? We could race right now and find out!"

The Litleo rolled his eyes. At this rate, he felt that his eyes were going to roll to the back of his head and stay there. "Okay, okay, you're fast, sheesh," he muttered, before listening to what Kazo's mother was saying.

"Judging from the rumors and the high winds, you all met the Great Green One, right?" the Tyranitar stood up and smiled. "Even living in this town, we don't get to see him too much, so that alone is a call for celebration, but then you fought along side him? I proud of you kiddo. You're growing up really fast," She said, giving Kazo a light punch on the shoulder. "Denku probably would be throwing a fit right now, but, still, you did a great job.... I can't believe my baby boy is growing up...," She wiped away a tear from her eye before bending down and fussing over Ari, straightening out his clothes and dusting him off.

The boy blushed and fidgeted as she straightened his clothes. It felt really familiar. His mom would do that all the time. The boy gulped, feeling a little sad all at once. I miss Mom... Was that how Kazo was feeling too?

"Yeah that's right!" Mac said. "He wasn't really all that much though. We totally showed him up didn't we, Ari?" She nudged the boy a bit roughly.

"Yeah, he was kinda lame," Ari said, remembering how the legendary had gone on a rampage. "He almost made us fly us off the rafts..."

"So, did you all get to eat? Do you want to have dinner here and rest for the night?"

"Well, what say you, Mac?"

Mac thought about it. "I kinda wanna get going..." Her stomach rumbled at that moment. "But it might be nice to have some food before we go at least. Yeah, let's do that, c'mon everyone time for a break."

"I'm sure your stomach grumbling had nothing to do with that..."

"Yeah, we didn't even get to eat at the wedding, which is like, the only reason to go to a stranger's wedding," Kazo muttered.

"But, but, it was cool though," Ari whined. "Cuz it was a princess, and then, and then, we had somebody crash the wedding, and then we met a legendary, even though he was kinda lame, and then we fought somebody. So that was cool, right?"

Mac then began to bounce in place. "So. What's for dinner? Is it gonna take a while?" She asked. "Man, I'm starved, aren't you guys hungry too?"

Ari was about to snap at the Helioptile when Trish spoke up. "Well, you all are in luck. I was preparing some spaghetti for dinner. I'll just make a little more for all our guests. Gotta let the water boil though," she said as she went into the kitchen. "Do you all want anything to drink? Berry juice? Milk?"

"I think I'll pass on milk...," Kazo muttered, remembering his harsh fight just earlier.

"I'll have milk!" Ari shouted out. "I'm still growing, so I need some milk to grow big and strong," he puffed out his chest.

After the drinks were prepared and placed at the table, Trish began to chat with them. "So, are you kids enjoying Ogren?"

"It's nicer than other places we've been, at the very least," Kazo chuckled.

"I like it," Ari volunteered. "The food is good, the people are nice, well, most of them," he corrected, remembering those kids and Mia. He really thought she was nice too. The boy shook his head. He had also liked that pretty lady, and she was evil too. Maybe he just wasn't good at telling good people from bad people yet.

--

"We have a picnic?"

"Um...no? I don't think that's going to--"

"I find out if Mewtwo can locate my brother, and then we go our separate ways," the Pupitar supplied. "I'm pretty sure looking for him is going to throw me headfirst into this Godslayer business, and I'm sure Brooke wants to stay out of it, for Dora's sake."

"I wanna help too though!"

Easter wanted to smack his head. So he did. Smack his head. It was true that Denku's words had brought down his mood a little, but Dora's words immediately supplanted that with frustration. "Look, Dora," he shook his head. "That's just...not happening." He looked pleadingly over at Brooke, hoping she would chime in.

As time passed and Dora named the fish that they passed, Easter couldn't resist correcting her. Call it a seaman's instinct. Or just wanting to tease Dora. "No, no Dora, that's a clownfish. It's called that because it has a bright orange nose. That over there is a surgeonfish. It's called that because it has scales shaped like surgical tools. And over there is a sea bass. It's called that because its bones were used to help make bass instruments." Whether any of this was real, or made up, was another thing.

Eventually, a woman approached after Phione fell asleep, and by the looks of her, was probably Manaphy. Denku started to talk with her, but she didn't look like she wanted to stick around. Pity, Easter could have challenged her, but he supposed that just wasn't in the works for today. "Guess we'll have to postpone that picnic," he chuckled, then waved at the two of them. "You take care now. Don't let your daughter get into too much trouble now, hmm?" He wasn't really sure why she looked so nervous, but maybe it was a mother thing. Though Brooke's version of nervousness seemed to be "stomp down everything between me and Dora," but same difference, right?

--

"Whatever campfire stories you've heard about what we do to people that see our faces, they're not true."

Keanu sighed in relief. "Well, I'm glad of that at least. Uhh, not that I saw your face. Nuh-uh." He shook his head. Okay, maybe he was still a little intimidated by her. It was kind of hard not to be. He had heard so much after all. That Mimikyu would wear the skin of some gijinka, gijinka who had seen...their...faces... Okay, calm down, Keanu. Maluhia.

"You were the only other one who could have seen it besides Allie, and it's not like anyone will believe her if she describes it anyway."

He supposed that was true. It was a pretty unbelievable face, after all.

"They say our kinds are connected, you and me. It's just a myth as far as I know, but the short version is the first Mimikyu was a different and unknown species at first. It was horribly disfigured in a fight with a Pikachu that put a curse on them, so badly that it became something different entirely, and crafted its costume after the person it hated most afterwards. Like a voodoo doll, almost, but it also kept their twisted body hidden."

"What, really?" the Pikachu gasped. "I never heard that. Or that...we could put curses on people." He gulped. I know Nasty Plot though...learned it as a Pichu and that carried over. I suppose...we are capable of dark things. But...a curse? He had heard, long ago, that Pikachu could use the move Curse. Was that the same thing though? Oh, Manaphy. Now his imagination was running away from him. Terrible thoughts started to run through his head. Pikachu cackling as they placed curses on all the gijinka around them, creating a new species of gijinka, a cursed species, known as the--

"Honestly, I think we're all compelled to model our costumes after Pikachu because they're generally popular and well-liked by people around them," Nani suggested, turning her costume back around and pulling her hood back up. It wasn't until her head was properly covered that she finally lifted it back up. "Like going trick-or-treating as something people like, so they'll compliment your costume."

I guess that makes more sense... Still, he couldn't help but imagine--

"That's how it was when I grew up anyway; there was this very popular Pikachu girl."

"Oh really? Maybe I know her. What was her name?" He didn't know all the Pikachu in Alola, but Pikachu in general were social gijinka, and usually got along well with others, especially other Pikachu. He couldn't say he knew her for sure, but...

Nani seemed to be on a tangent though. "I'd like to find out what causes us to look like this under the costume though. Something crazy like an ancient curse seems a bit absurd."

Oh no. There she went with the curses again. Keanu started to freak out once more. Curses? Was that why Nani had followed them then? Was her ultimate goal to put a curse on him as revenge? Oh no! He was going to be the first Pikachu to get the curse of the Mimikyu upon them. Oh, why was his luck always so poor? First, Randy and Marie were always dragging him into terrible situations, and now this. He could swear he saw his life flashing before his eyes.

"Er... the important thing is, I'm more concerned about you if you saw it than I am about me." She said some more after that, but by then, Keanu wasn't paying attention. He was too busy trying to preserve his life.

"I didn't see it!" Keanu violently shook his head. "I saw nothing! Nothing, I swear! Don't take revenge on me. I am just a poor, innocent Pikachu. I didn't curse your ancestors, please forgive mine for their terrible mistake!" he started to shiver in place, arms over his head, and then fell over, dazed.

--

"N-no, it was...me." Kayla said softly, blushing slightly.

"N-no, I was the one to run into you..." but things moved on from that quickly as the legendary explained about They Who Lurks.

"I don't suppose he's the talking type?"

Shaymin shook her head mutely at Nine's joke.

"Wow...I didn't know you were so cool!" Lok grinned, though it faded as he spoke his next words. "But it sounds like you have your hands full." He said, crossing his arms. "I know you're scared of... that. Honestly I... kinda am too..."

The woman peeked up at him. "You're...impressed? By me?" she asked, eyes wide. "O-oh no," she shook her head frantically, arms waving. "No, I'm nothing, don't worry about that, I just...well, you wanted to know more about me, that's all." She blushed, looking down. "And yes, it takes all that I have to keep the barrier up. And even with that, it's still weakening. I-I'm afraid. It's only natural...to be afraid."

"But... but we have to stop this thing. For everyone's sake."

"Everyone..." she shook her head. "But it is for everyone that I keep the barrier up." Her expression twisted in sorrow.

Nine, on the other hand, seemed eager, "well, there's nothing to do about it but face him right?" Shrugging he said, "we've already had our fair share of showdowns with powerful foes, and honestly it sounds like we haven't reached the top yet, so we'll be in great shape if we can stop someone like this. Besides, I can't turn down a meeting with a legend like this, nor could I stop myself from helping out your and Gwen's home," he said to Lok, before looking to Shaymin saying, "and well, if we win here that means you can work towards your old job right? Sounds a lot more enjoyable then what you were stuck with now."

"S-spoken like a true...Chaser," Shaymin said, tone slightly disapproving. "Fighting...I still don't understand...why so many gijinka like it. And...yes, what I did before was wonderful, but..." she bit her lip. "But to face THEM again..." she whimpered, "I can't," the green-haired woman looked down in shame.

And then Kayla spoke up. "Um. I...fought someone...not long ago. He was very strong. Strong enough to destroy a city. I, um, didn't want to fight him." She paused, shivering. "But I had to or he'd hurt...everyone else. S-so, doing it again should be...easy."

Shaymin turned toward the girl, wonder in her eyes. "You fought somebody that strong?" the grass type shook her head. "You're all...so brave. I'm not like that at all. I'm a coward...it's why I can't bear to face them. Even though I know. I know that...you're right," she trembled. Eventually, her trembling stopped, and the green-haired woman looked up, expression firm. "I'm scared, but..." she shook her head, "But I don't want to see They Who Lurks unleashed on the world any more than you do. If you can promise me that you will defeat them," the woman gazed at each one of the group in turn, her mossy green eyes appearing ancient and solemn, "then I'll go with you. And take down the barrier."

Edited September 25, 2019 by Sethera

[yui 576]

Location: Trailsau (Team Alola, day 27)
Inventory: Good Rod, Antidote, Kasib Berry

"I didn't see it! I saw nothing! Nothing, I swear! Don't take revenge on me. I am just a poor, innocent Pikachu. I didn't curse your ancestors, please forgive mine for their terrible mistake!"

After a couple more bites into her meal, Nani looked over to the dazed Keanu. "You know I can't put a curse on you, right?" Another bite. Her food was nearly gone, so she may as well have finished it off now. "Some Mimikyus can, but it's something you're born with that gets inherited from your parents. Plus, what would Randy and Marie think if I did something like that for a reason as vain as 'he saw my face'?" There were infinitely better curse targets than Keanu, but with Nani not even being able to do that in the first place, it wasn't like it mattered. The worst Nani could feasibly do is ask nicely to not tell anyone what she looked like, though all the same, Nani couldn't imagine Keanu had any reason to share that kind of information with others.

[Chaos Sonic 443]



"Thanks for your help Trevor. We'll be back later! Well, let's leave them alone for now. I am pretty hungry after all, so let's meet back up with the others."

Once again, Marie, ever the optimist in regards to gijinka around here. Randy was somewhat proud of how Marie was handling herself around here, almost to the point of making him think of her as somewhat of a younger sibling. It was...well...refreshing to think like this.

"Yeah, I'm actually pretty hungry myself." the Incineroar began to chuckle, both hearing and feeling his stomach growl and gurgle in hunger. "...guess I over did it today...but between Heatran and then Allie, it's no surprise really."

Now on their way back towards the town and back to reconvene with Keanu and Nani, Randy walked with Marie. Honestly, he hadn't had time to talk with the Brionne in a while. He had that heart to heart with the group before, yes, and he had that sort of "bro" moment when talking to Keanu back in Northshore. But at the same time, just talking with Marie, the one who literally waved a finger at almost everything he did...that was something he didn't tend to do.

Best start now...

"By the way Marie..." he began, placing a hand on the Brionne's head, slightly ruffling her hair. "Next time, don't rush into something like that...ya know, the all out brawl before we got to Heatran and Allie's sisters?" Randy chuckled lightly, shaking his head. "You seem more suited towards the diplomacy route of things...leave the brash and brutish fighting like that to me. After all, you did say to me and a good portion of people...'NO FIGHTING!', am I wrong?" he snickered, doing the hand signs Marie happened to do back when she first said it.

[Skaia 578]

Marie frowned as Randy had brought back up what had happened early in the town. "Well, you know that was uh.." As Marie tried to make an excuse for herself, she knew that he wasn't exactly wrong. She knew that since coming here she had been more short on temper, and that she was far more willing to fight then she was before. All the same, opting to stil blame circumstance on it she said, "well, some people just don't listen and uh..." The girl went off into a small mumble and said, "but I probably shouldn't have, yeah..." 

As the girl thought on it more, though, she started to wonder why it was she jumped right into the battle. Since coming to the town of Trailsau, the girl couldn't help but feel a certain energy go through to get her fighting against the locals. It wasn't something almost unnatural, like when she had been fighting Blake and it wasn't as if it was particularly malicious. It was more like the whole atmosphere of Trailsau lent itself to that. And given the locals just seemed to get into it and brush it off nearly as quickly, Marie was simply left wondering. "Hey, Randy. Why do you think the locals here are so gung ho to fight?" 

Nine felt his smile falter a bit as Kayla mentioned the destruction of Juyu, but simply bounced back as Shaymin began speaking once more. Nine couldn't help but feel that the legend was continuing to undersell themselves, but didn't say much in regards to that instead smiling brightly as she agreed. "Well, between all of us here, you have no group more experienced at dealing with legends and legendary-class people. So, no matter how formidable this legend may be, we shall come out victorious against it." Of course, half of that was just trying to reassure Shaymin then it was his actual belief. For all the legends he had met, he had only actually fought one. And though he had been at a severe disadvantage against them, that was hardly the only reason he struggled against Kyogre. Even Nikora had shortly proven there after that an advantage wasn't everything. 

As such, Nine was very unsure how good they actually stacked up against Giratina, especially if it was a legend so strong that it had to be locked away by other legends. Yet still, there were god slayers milling about and ones stronger than any he had fought previously. So, he knew that no matter what worries he may have had, there was no running from this kind of a fight. 

[Chaos Sonic 443]



"Well, you know that was uh..well, some people just don't listen and uh...but I probably shouldn't have, yeah..."

This caused Randy to chortle a small amount. Out of all the individuals on this little team of theirs, he thought Marie was the last one to ever do anything like that. And from the sounds of it...it was just because people weren't listening. Ahhh, to have the thought process of the younger gijinkas...then again, what was Randy thinking, after all...since coming to this region, barely anyone native here ended up listening to the Incineroar. So in a sense, he could actually understand a relate to this notion.

"Yeah, I getcha. Just don't let it happen too often." Randy smirked, shaking his head. "After all, I might be out of a job if you keep going head first and all brashly fighting like that."

"Hey, Randy. Why do you think the locals here are so gung ho to fight?"

This question caught the Incineroar off guard, but it did have him thinking as well. It seemed like it was something that really was shared by everyone. He began to scratch his chin, before moving to scratch the side of his face, pondering this question. He finally came to an answer...whether or not it was the right answer was a different story.

"Honestly Marie...I think everyone is trying to be top dog." Randy began. "It's either that they happen to be trying to be top dog and show off, or it's just something that's been bred into them since birth." He paused, sighing slightly with a scratch of his neck. "Take me for example...or rather, me and my species. Incineroars, well, we're very prideful and as you can see a good portion of the time...or all the time in my case...we love to fight. Sure, we could try not to, but I think it's more of a innate desire and want to fight that happens to drive itself out. Same could be said for the people here in Trailsau..."

Another sigh escaped Randy's lips, before the Fire Type ended up shrugging. "To be completely honest, Marie, I don't really know. There could be a A LOT of things to factor in. Notoriety, display of skill, having the desire being bred into you...I honestly have no idea if it's those things, or something completely different. Really just sounds like something that this town just thrives on, if I'm honest."

[reparoni 161]

Deadlands Team Karaoke

Lok nodded as Kayla spoke. "We've been through a lot as a group... Not to undersell Giratina or you or anything!" He said, chuckling nervously. "...but we can do this. I'm sure of it." He said, pumping his fist. Shaymin seemed to have been swayed by the groups words, which made Lok smile. However, it soon hit him that they would, in fact, have to fight this monsterous thing that even a Legend was afraid of. He had been so caught up in his own speech that he forgot they still actually had to do this thing. He turned to Nine, who seemed confident that they could take on this opponent. This was reassuring to Lok, plus they had the help of a legend this time around, not to mention the Enforcer and the rest of the town.

He turned to Gwen and the others, giving them a thumbs up. They were really doing this.

 

---

 

Skuldafn Team Showdown

As Scarlet walked, she noticed that things were different thing time - she was actually walking backwards towards the entrance. The weird part, however, was that she was watching... herself, and everyone else. Right before they entered the cave itself. What in the world was this place? She was in shock, recoiling away from the gate - recoiled too far, in fact, as she lost her footing on the bridge. She let out a scream as she fell through the abyss, failing to grab the ledge on her way down.

It felt like she had been falling forever. And yet, it felt like she had just barely fallen when she crashed onto the ground. She picked herself up, surprised that she had not only landed somewhere, but had survived the fall. "This is annoying!  Where the hell is chrome dome!" Scarlet's ears perked up as she heard a familiar voice. Taiga's voice seemed to come from the temple she had crashed next too.

"Taiga!" She shouted, running into the temple.

When she got there, she saw both Taiga and Isole. Her eyes teared up as she realized that Taiga was ok. "Taiga!" She shouted again, jumping at the shark and holding her tightly. "I thought I lost you when you jumped off the bridge!" She said, letting go of her friend. She turned to Isole. "Isole! You made it here too." She smiled at the girl, wiping a tear out of her eye. She turned her attention to the floor, which seemed to be a set of large tiles. She also noticed that there was one tile missing. She turned back to Taiga who, after calming down a bit, noticed looked exhausted.

"Hmm..." She dashed off of the floor, dashing upwards to take a better look at the floor. As she got up there, her suspicion was confirmed. "A puzzle, huh?" She said, falling back down. It seemed that Taiga had been struggling with the puzzle, although whether intentional or not she had set the tiles in a way that made it easier for Scarlet to get an idea of what the final picture was suppose to look like. "I'll take it from here."

Scarlet moved quickly, dashing and punching tiles across the ground. It took her a good solid bit of time to get the pieces in place, but eventually she managed to get all the tiles in place. She let out a huff as she wiped her brow. "That should do it." She turned to the others, giving them a tired grin.

[Cheshire Toon 141]

Splitting up… Brooke should have been happy to hear that. The past few months had been the craziest in her entire life, with no exception, constantly struggling to protect Dora and escape the rampage of angry legendaries. She had been thrown into fights and been forced to fall back into old habits to stay alive; an entirely sane response would have been to take the first exit presented to her. So why did her stomach turn at the thought of going home?

Home--did she have one of those anymore? Her shop was gone. Her city destroyed. She had nothing left to return to now. "I wanna help too though!" Dora objected.

"Look, Dora," Easter said, shaking his head. "That's just...not happening." He looked her way for backup. Brooke hesitated. Right. This wasn’t where they belonged; she was just trying to find Dora (and Fawkes, she remembered with a pang of sadness) somewhere safe. 

“R-right… Don’t worry kiddo. The best thing you can do to help these guys is grow up and become as big and as strong as me. Got that? Once you’re crazy strong, we’ll let you handle everything,” she said, then ruffled Dora’s hair. 

Time passed. Drifting languidly through the ocean, Brooke couldn’t tell if it had been a minute or an hour since they had departed. Everything looked the same, until they were eventually interrupted by someone showing up. It was Manaphy, arriving to collect Phione. Denku and her exchanged confirmations briefly, then she took the child and began to depart.

“Wait!” Brooke stumbled to her feet, unused to the way the bubble shifted beneath her. “What’s going on? Why was the king keeping her captive? Why couldn’t you get her back?” she was standing at the edge of the bubble now. “You’re a legendary. You’re supposed to be above us mortals. Parting oceans, flattening mountains, people say some of you have castles in the sky. Why did you need us to do your dirty work?”
 

Edited September 24, 2019 by Cheshire Toon

[LordCowCow 840]

Team Showdown, Temple of Time and Space

"It's not fair!  It's not fair!  This puzzle is so hard and stupid!  Why do the dragon's have such a dumb test! This is annoying!  Where the hell is chrome dome!"  

Was it really that hard? Isole was standing on the platform and watching from above. It should be simple...right? Just move things around until they fit into the right place. Of course, she wasn't really thinking about what it was supposed to look like. But surely there was only so many ways to do it right.

As Scarlet suddenly appeared and hugged Taiga Isole answered the question that Taiga had just posed. "I think she might be right there." She said dryly. "Maybe she knows how to do this thing."

And sure enough Scarlet was able to figure out the puzzle where the others had failed to. And, as the last piece slid into position, there was a click. And the squares each began to lower, spiraling down and forming what looked to be a large staircase leading downward.

As they traveled down the stairs it would take a while before Isole coughed. "Um. Are we actually going anywhere?"

And, once more, like on the platform before, words started appearing along the wall. "Time waits for no man. Yet man must always wait for time. It will never catch up until you let it."

---

Team Mac, Ogren

"So, are you kids enjoying Ogren?"

"I like it. The food is good, the people are nice, well, most of them,"

"It's kind of boring." Mac said with a sigh. "There's not enough going on. Even with, you know, that stuff with Tornadus."

That was when Trish ended up informing them of something she had heard about earlier that day. Apparently there was some hubbub about the river. At the end of it, which ended in a small lake, there was sightings about a Legend. "Don't know who but I imagine it's a Water type."

Mac suddenly stood up. "There!" She said. "That's where we're going next! Come on guys, did you hear that, another Legend! We gotta check it out!"

---

Team Neo Not Dark, Merm Palace 

Dora had at first been upset at what Brooke and Easter had to say but the fish naming distracted her from it. She nodded along with what Easter was saying. "That makes sense! Thanks Easter, Now I know all sort of fishy facts! Fish facts f-f-fash.....what are we talking about?"

It seemed that everyone was ready to let Manaphy leave. And she had just exited the bubble and was ready to move on when Brooke spoke up and caused her to pause.

“What’s going on? Why was the king keeping her captive? Why couldn’t you get her back?” she was standing at the edge of the bubble now. “You’re a legendary. You’re supposed to be above us mortals. Parting oceans, flattening mountains, people say some of you have castles in the sky. Why did you need us to do your dirty work?”

Manaphy turned around and gave a shy, nervous, smile. "Well...I can't speak to his motives...I couldn't really ask." She gave an ashamed look and glanced away. "Legends are not that strong. Especially now....especially now that everyone does not keep us in their hearts anymore. We, um, we aren't able to do as much as we usually could...b-back in the beginning I helped to make the oceans. Now...I-I'm lucky if I can make a pond."

And then Manaphy was struck from behind by a Dragon Pulse. She cried out and crashed into the bubble, slipping through and rolling towards the center.

The Dragalge from before emerged from behind a coral reef shaking his head. "Blah blah blah. I had hoped to wait for her to get closer but you just had to jabber on. I heard there's some surface dwellers who'll pay a lot for a Legend how am I supposed to just sit back and let that slip on by. Ain't that right boys!"

As he called out more Gijinka came out. On four sides they swarmed. The side opposite of the Dragalge a group of five Carvhanna swarmed.

To his right was a female Cloyster, covered in spikes and armor and grinning wickedly. To the left was a wide mouthed Huntail whose eyes darted back and forth as he entered the bubble along with the rest.

"How about you hand her over and we'll just be on our way, okay?"

---

Team Karaoke, Alpha

Kayla blushed and looked at the ground. Unable to look at Shaymin while she was looking at her like that. She looked back up as Shaymin agreed to go with her. "I...know it's...scary...um, thank you." Kayla said softly.

And that's when Gwen finally joined the group. "I'm glad to hear it. I'm afraid...we don't have much time. We can rest up for a bit but..." She glanced over at the Enforcer. "We shouldn't dally long. I'm sure after the failure the people of Omega aren't going to sit around licking their wounds for long." She took a deep breath. "We should leave within the hour. I'm...going to see my family, before we go, you're all free to do what you wish. We'll meet back together and set out after that."

---

Once the group gathered back together they headed out. The Enforcer informing them he would not be going with. "If they attack while I'm away no one will survive." was his reasoning.

To break the barrier they would only need to go to one of the cave entrances that lay scattered along the area. In this case the cave was rather close to the town. Lok would personally remember this cave as one young people in the town would mess around in, until they get caught by adults and scolded and brought back home, but there was a more ominous feeling now. They couldn't see a barrier but they each could feel something...strange there. Some sort of energy rushing through them as they neared the entrance.

"Well...er, suppose you're up, Shaymin." Gwendoline said softly, standing to the side to give Shaymin space for whatever she had to do.

[Mr. Hyde 204]

Team Showdown - Skuldafn Temple

"I think she might be right there." Isole said dryly. "Maybe she knows how to do this thing."

 "Taiga!" The voice rung out right beside her. "I thought I lost you when you jumped off the bridge!"  Taiga blushed a bit, before going to push Scarlet right off her.  Before she could, the Scizor had already let go. "Isole! You made it here too." 

"Geez...I don't think you were gone that long.  No need to worry about me.  I'm tough as nails.  A fall wouldn't even bruise me!  Now help us out why don't ya, you lazy bum!"

"Hmm...A puzzle, huh?  I'll take it from here."  Scarlet moved quickly, dashing and punching tiles across the ground. It took her a good solid bit of time to get the pieces in place, but eventually she managed to get all the tiles in place. She let out a huff as she wiped her brow. "That should do it."

"Tch.  About time."  Taiga grumbled, a hint of jealousy in her face.  The tiles of the puzzle started to glow, upon completion, and shifted into a set of stairs.  Taiga looked down them, and sighed.  "I guess we keep going down, huh?"  She said, as she started the descent.  Like the hallway before them, the staircase seemed to go on forever.  "GAH!  This is another damn trick, ain't it!?"  Taiga roared, frazzling her hair in frustration, whilst chomping at the air.  

"Um. Are we actually going anywhere?"

Once more, like on the platform before, words started appearing along the wall.

"Time waits for no man. Yet man must always wait for time. It will never catch up until you let it."

Taiga sat down on the stairs, and thought for a moment.  

"This might sound dumb...but my gut's tellin' me to wait here."  

[Sethera 290]

Ari took a sip of his drink. Milk was really good. If only more of the places they'd been to were as friendly as this. He wouldn't mind staying just a little bit longer--

"It's kind of boring." Mac disagreed with a sigh. "There's not enough going on. Even with, you know, that stuff with Tornadus."

"You always have to have something going on, don't you?" Ari shook his head sagely at her. "Don't you know no news is good news?" He paused. "Or something like that..." Hearing what Trish said, about a river leading to a lake leading to sightings of a legendary, made the Litleo groan slightly. "One, two..."

Mac stood up. "There!" She said. "That's where we're going next! Come on guys, did you hear that, another Legend! We gotta check it out!"

"Knew it," he muttered. "Okay, okay, we're going then." He glanced at Kazo. "Right, Kazo?" His gaze was questioning. What if Kazo was staying here? He said he'd be going with them, but maybe he felt homesick now? Ari wouldn't blame him for that one bit. "W-well, unless you want to stay here?" he tried to smile, but it came out a little shaky. 

--

Easter blinked at the Emboar when she hesitated to answer right away. What's wrong with her? She wants Dora to get in danger? Then it hit him. Where Dora went, Brooke would go too. So if Dora didn't come with, then...

Ah.

For some reason, that thought made him more uncomfortable than expected. He should be grateful to separate from a kid who was just tying him down and preventing him from unleashing his full strength, right? Whenever he fought now, he had to keep one eye out for Dora and the others too. But then again, they had helped him out too. It was almost like when he was back on the S.S. Showdown...

So maybe he didn't actually want to separate from the others, not even Dora. Which was stupid, because he knew that it was dangerous for her to join the fight, but...well, he felt what he felt. He wouldn't make any excuses for his emotions, but he also wasn't sure what to do about them. What was the best course of action here? But he also knew, regardless of what he felt, they would all split up in the end. Denku had a brother to find, and Brooke and Dora, well...they had a life to live, a peaceful one, and if there was one thing Easter knew, his presence did not bring peace to anybody. More like chaos.

When Manaphy was about to leave, Brooke shouted at her. She sounded a lot more frustrated than Easter expected, but he couldn't exactly blame her for it either. They had almost lost Dora trying to retrieve Manaphy's own child. The legendary's reply, however, was cause for thought. That they had weakened...if so, then him defeating all the legends he had defeated, was that a testament to his own strength or to how much the mighty had fallen? Either way, if they couldn't keep their positions at the peak, then they didn't deserve to stay there.

Except he didn't have much time to think more on that, as a group of rough-looking gijinka appeared, one of which looked very familiar. "How about you hand her over and we'll just be on our way, okay?"

"Hmph, that's not happening," the fairy type scoffed. Charging up a ring of pink stars around him, he grinned maliciously at the Dragalge. "Even children learn from their mistakes, but it looks like you're even less than a child, huh? Allow us to drill this lesson into your head once more." He released the stars, sending them toward the Carvanha. "You might not even need a cheat sheet then."

--

As Keanu trembled on the ground, he heard the voice of the Terrible One from above. "You know I can't put a curse on you, right?" She paused to take a bite of food. "Some Mimikyus can, but it's something you're born with that gets inherited from your parents."

The Pikachu stopped trembling. "R...really?" he peeked up, then blanched when he realized that, at this angle, he could see--no. No, he didn't see anything at all. Curling up into a ball, he moaned. "Ugh...why me...?"

"Plus, what would Randy and Marie think if I did something like that for a reason as vain as 'he saw my face'?"

Yes! Randy! Marie! Please come and save me! "Yes, yes, ahahah," he laughed. "Yeah, Randy and Marie wouldn't be very happy, would they? And you know, Randy when he gets mad he's pretty stubborn, and so is Marie. Honestly, they both get really troublesome when that happens, so uhh...yeah, don't do anything they wouldn't approve of and...stuff," he trailed off lamely.

He was glad that the Trailsau residents were too busy laughing and joking with each other to notice just how uncool he was being right now. But he couldn't help it. Nani was scary! Ugh, he really needed a nap right about now. A long one. One where he could just forget that this ever happened, that he ever saw...that.

--

"Well, between all of us here, you have no group more experienced at dealing with legends and legendary-class people. So, no matter how formidable this legend may be, we shall come out victorious against it." Nine boasted.

"We've been through a lot as a group... Not to undersell Giratina or you or anything!" Lok said, chuckling nervously. "...but we can do this. I'm sure of it." 

"I...know it's...scary...um, thank you."

"R-really?" Shaymin's eyes brightened. "That's a relief. I'm glad I have such experienced and worthy gijinka with me, even if you are..." She shook her head and smiled shyly. "With you all here, even if it's scary, I..." she looked down, and started to shake, "W-well, e-even so, I-I," she clenched her fists, "I'll be strong too," she nodded. "I'll try, anyway."

And that's when Gwen finally joined the group. At seeing her, Shaymin started to shake even more, but she managed to stay in one place, listening intently. "We should leave within the hour. I'm...going to see my family, before we go, you're all free to do what you wish. We'll meet back together and set out after that."

The legendary would spend that time standing at the edge of the village, her gaze distant and a little sad. When the hour passed, she rejoined the others, and followed them out of town to one of the many cave entrances scattered along the area.

"Well...er, suppose you're up, Shaymin." The Mismagius stood to the side, giving the legendary space to maneuver.

"O-oh really? O-o-okay..." she looked down, then looked back up at them and smiled nervously. "U-um...we could just...go back?" she cringed. "N-no? U-um...okay."

BGM

The woman took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and clasped her hands together in prayer. The group would be able to see what looked like clouds of smog rushing toward her, gathering into the flowers in her hair. The flowers turned black as soot, and, eyes still closed, the legendary stepped forward, raising her hands. Her body began to glow a bright, verdant green, and she pushed her hands forward against the entrance of the cave. The light grew blinding enough that the group would have to turn away. But even if they couldn't see, they could feel the tremors of various shockwaves passing through their bodies, and hear a sound like glass shattering.

The light finally died at that, and once the group's eyesight came back, they would see the legendary looking back at them. In that moment it was as if a different person looked through her eyes, her mouth in a grave line. The flowers in her hair blooming a vivid rose against the backdrop of the pitch-black cavern. The white dress she wore shone like a star in the dark. "It is done," her voice rang out with a solemn cast. The air seemed to have shifted as well. The energy from before was gone, but a pressure of sorts emanated from the cave in front of them, as if they had punched a hole in a vacuum.

The woman's expression changed shortly afterward, and it was as if the previous visage was a lie. "Uwaawaa," she cried out, hunching over and beginning to tremble, "I forgot...how scary it is, being here..."

Edited September 26, 2019 by Sethera

[reparoni 161]

Deadlands Team Karaoke

The group got back together, and soon after they split up again, agreeing to meet up shortly. Lok took this time to go back to his house and spend time with his family, telling them all the events that had occurred.

Lok would show up a bit later than he had wanted, already seeing some of them getting together, including Gwen and Shaymin. "Sorry!" He said, running towards them. "Family kept me longer than I thought..." He let out a small laugh. "So... we doing this thing."

He watched as Shaymin started doing her ritual in front of the cave entrance. Shaymin looked like a completely different person as she began, although that might have been due to the blinding light she was radiating. Lok turned away, covering his eyes as the tremors shook his core.  When the light faded, Lok turned back and was stunned to see Shaymin standing there stoically, although that didn't last very long as she soon after broke into tears. Lok immediately ran up to the legend, eyes starry.

"You were awesome back there!" He exclaimed, squatting next to Shaymin. His expression changed from a wide grin to a softer smile. "So it's that scary, huh? Honestly I'm scared to go in there too." He stood back up, turning back to the others. "But I'm sure that we can take on whatever is in that cave." He turned back towards Shaymin, extending an arm out towards her to help her up.

"Together."

---

 

Skuldafn Team Showdown

Scarlet watched as the tiles glowed, transforming into a pair of stairs going downwards. "Well, let's get going." She said, making her way down the stairs.

As the group walked down the stairs, they noticed that after a bit of walking they weren't really getting anywhere. Scarlet let out a sigh. "So just like the hallway, huh?" She shook her head. As if right on cue, lettered appeared from nowhere just like before.

"Time waits for no man. Yet man must always wait for time. It will never catch up until you let it."

"Until you let it..." Scarlet repeated the last part of the message, placing her pincer on her chin. "I guess we should..." As she turned to Taiga, she noticed that the Sharpedo was ahead of her, already taking a seat on the stairs. "...yeah that." She said, smiling. She took a seat next to her companion. "Hopefully time doesn't take too long."

[Skaia 578]

Nine was glad to see that Shaymin was now resolved to go aid them in their quest, and with that out of the way, the group had decided to break for the moment. Nine, being a stranger, didn't really have anywhere to go and so he simply stood around with Shaymin and Kayla, awaiting what was to happen next. Once the time had passed and the group reconvened again, Nine began to walk with the others to the mouth of the cave. As he made his way there, though his curiosity drove him further, he seemed to no longer be able to proceed forward. It wasn't as though there was something stopping him from entering, merely, no matter how much he wanted to proceed he couldn't really muster the ability to step forward. 

Stepping back as Shaymin stepped forward, signaling that it was her turn here, Nine merely watched as the girl proceeded to do her thing. Though he was curious as to what she was doing, Nine turned away and covered his eyes as the blinding light of the barrier began to shine greater and greater around them. Once it was over and done with, even though the light was gone it still took a few moments for Nine's vision to return to him. Seeing spots in his vision, the Houndoom could only see one thing quite clearly near the cave's entrance. And it was the breath taking view of the legend before him, standing gracefully before the barrier she had just destroyed.

While Nine was left speechless, this passed swiftly as the serene feeling was replaced with one of an intense pressure. A feeling of dread washed over him, and his nerves told him that it was likely best to back away from this cavern. However, as both a chaser and a friend he had a job to get done. Smiling as Lok made his comment, the Houndoom said, "right on the money there Lok. What's done is done now, and so the only way is forward. No matter how scary or frightening it might be, this is what we came here to do." And with that, Nine stepped forward into the cavern, ushering the others to follow as she did so. 

Marie furrowed her brow at Randy's comment. With a hand to her chin, the girl said, "wanting to be top dog huh?" As he continued to explain other reasons they could've tried to been fighting all the time, Marie kept tapping her chin with a, "hmmmmm...." Shaking her head she said, "well, I don't think that's really it. Maybe...maybe they were born with it but...well...It's almost like they're having fun, you know?" Frowning a bit she said, "I'm not saying I really like it, or that I really condone fighting but. It's like different from being a bully, like Blake or Allie was, or Yveltal." Looking around at the locals partying about she said, "they aren't fighting to kill or steal, and they don't hold any grudges or anything. It's like a game or...maybe it's just something simpler then that. I don't know." 

Seeming to confuse herself the girl eventually said, "I don't like fighting but if it had to exist, then I wish everyone wasn't so mean about it, and could just have fun or something." Marie sighed, not being able to come to a satisfying conclusion herself and simply  having to accept Trailsau for what it was. Looking forward, the girl eventually saw her other two teammates and said, "oh, look Randy." Pointing at them, the girl then hurried over saying, "hey Nani, Keanu." Looking at them, the girl saw the somewhat nervous expression of the Pikachu, and looked back and forth between the two of them. "Is everything alright?" 

[Chaos Sonic 443]



Seemed like after his attempt of explaining the best he could about why the Trailsauians were fighting, Marie gave Randy her two thoughts about it.

"hmmmmm....well, I don't think that's really it. Maybe...maybe they were born with it but...well...It's almost like they're having fun, you know? I'm not saying I really like it, or that I really condone fighting but. It's like different from being a bully, like Blake or Allie was, or Yveltal. They aren't fighting to kill or steal, and they don't hold any grudges or anything. It's like a game or...maybe it's just something simpler then that. I don't know."

"....that's actually a pretty good assumption." Randy nodded slightly. Truth be told, it's something he didn't think about before, but something that was now lingering in his mind. Fighting being akin to something of a game to most people. Was a little bit different in the world of the PPGWF, least in his mind. While it could be construed as a type of game, plenty of the wrestlers he knew were more or less trying to be top dog and get famous.

But him? He was doing it out of wanting to make a point and topple the current king because of his dirty trickery...so basically revenge and/or vengeance. At the same time, just like other Incineroars, he loved to have the younger ones cheer for him...to basically make them smile. It was definitely something he hadn't thought of before...either way, Marie continued.

"I don't like fighting but if it had to exist, then I wish everyone wasn't so mean about it, and could just have fun or something."

This made Randy smile and chortle a bit. "Well Marie, if you happen to be referring to what the Trailsauians were doing in the talk...it's called trash talking...or smack talk. It's really there to attempt to get under the opponent's skin and really upset 'em." he explained. "That way, they could possibly slip up and make a dumb mistake to which you can use to your advantage! ...buuuuut if you happen to be talking about like Blake or Allie...or quite frankly even Yveltal, then I wouldn't hold your breath too long. Conflict and the desire to battle like they have is...something else. But, the way I see it...as long as you don't let it go to your head and you have fun about it in the long run, then you'll be fine." Randy place his hand on Marie's head with a smile, before they continued on...finally returning to the others.

...and the food...thank the Guardians of Alola and the Sun and Moon! Randy made his way quickly over towards Nani and Keanu with Marie in tow and he immediately sat down and began to grab some of the food. "Mahalo you too...really glad you saved us a spot." he said in between bites. At the same time, he too noticed Keanu's expression as well as Nani's...well...expression too. However, he went a different direction. "Oooooh I think I know what it is, Marie. I thiiiiiink Keanu and Nani were having a moment." he snickered.

[yui 576]

Location: Trailsau (Team Alola, day 27)
Inventory: Good Rod, Antidote, Kasib Berry

"Yes, yes, ahahah. Yeah, Randy and Marie wouldn't be very happy, would they? And you know, Randy when he gets mad he's pretty stubborn, and so is Marie. Honestly, they both get really troublesome when that happens, so uhh...yeah, don't do anything they wouldn't approve of and...stuff."

This didn't seem like Keanu's day. It was probably Nani's fault for telling him a weird story that may or may not have been entirely false anyway. That wasn't good. She took a mental note that Keanu wasn't very good with ghost stories. So much so that he seemed to be using Randy and Marie as sort of a defense from whatever grisly actions Nani wasn't going to take anyway. And speaking of those two...

"Is everything alright?"

Now the whole gang was back together! "Just fine," Nani answered. Under her sleeve, the others could see Nani's thumb stick up in approval.

"Oooooh I think I know what it is, Marie. I thiiiiiink Keanu and Nani were having a moment."

"It's not that. It's just, Keanu isn't good with ghost stories is all. I wish I'd known that before telling him something that I don't even think is true to begin with." A moment? If Nani was being honest, Keanu wasn't quite her type anyway. Calling it a moment was technically correct sure, but it wasn't that kind of moment. Besides, she wouldn't want a long-running and special relationship with someone spooked by stories as easily as Keanu. It simply wouldn't work out.

[Saikazo 241]

"It's kind of boring." Mac disagreed with Ari, a sigh punctuating her disagreement. "There's not enough going on. Even with, you know, that stuff with Tornadus." That just caused Kazo to roll his eyes and take a drink.

 

"You always have to have something going on, don't you?" Ari shook his head sagely at her. "Don't you know no news is good news?" He paused. "Or something like that..." Then Mom made a fatal mistake, one that would cost Kazo his sanity. She mentioned there might be another legendary somewhere. "One, two..."

Mac stood up. "There!" She said. "That's where we're going next! Come on guys, did you hear that, another Legend! We gotta check it out!"

"Knew it," Ari muttered to which Kazo agreed. At this point, Tish went to take care of the boiling water while the three discussed their plans. "Okay, okay, we're going then." He glanced at Kazo. "Right, Kazo? W-well, unless you want to stay here?"

Kazo looked at Ari, noticing his shaky smile and his questioning gaze. This was unfair. He couldn't abandon the cub, but Mac was certainly running them ragged. Honestly, they both needed a break, but that just wasn't going to happen, Mac or not. "As tempting as it is to stay here, I can't really do that, at least not now. Maybe after the world is safe," Kazo answered. "Still, do we have to go today?"

---

All was going well, with people asking questions, and Manaphy actually answering them. It was nice... Then she was attacked in the back.

Denku saw red.

Surrounded... one seemed familiar... Outnumbered... doesn't matter. Scum. Attacking a woman holding a child. Mocking, thought highly of themselves. They'd pay, and the currency was broken bones.

While words were exchanged, Denku didn't register them. The second he got back to his feet, he took off, using his jet propulsion to launch himself at the Dragalge at high speeds. A black aura surrounding him, taking the form of a wrathful dragon as Denku summoned the power of Outrage to help him attack the enemy. They'd pay. They'd pay. They'll pay. 

 

[Cheshire Toon 141]

What the legend had said was food for thought, but Brooke had no time to digest it at the moment. They were under attack by the same thuggish Dragalge from before. Unfortunately, just like before, she wasn’t able to do as she wanted thanks to the bubble. They had been assured it wouldn’t pop, but she had no intention of testing that out with a Flare Blitz or something equally as reckless. “Dora, get behind me! Do what you can to help Manaphy up. We’ll handle this.”

Brooke moved up to stand protectively in front of Manaphy’s prone form, and by extension, Dora. It was a waiting game after that. Easter and Denku were on the attack, so she was focusing on interception and protection. Not that she actually knew Protect. She did have a move that could manage, though, even if it was exhausting. 

If they made a ranged attack, she would use Susanoo to incinerate it. If one of them charged, instead, she would surround her arm with electricity and throw herself forward to knock them away (Wild Charge). With either option, she wouldn’t stray far from Dora and Manaphy, and she would immediately head back to her spot in front of them. 
 

[LordCowCow 840]

Team Showdown, Temple of Time and Space

"This might sound dumb...but my gut's tellin' me to wait here."  

"Hopefully time doesn't take too long."

Isole relaxed as they said that. She leaned up against the side of the wall and rested there. "I was getting tired of moving around like this anyway."

And so they waited. And waited. And waited some more. "So...nice weather we're having." Isole said sarcastically, breaking the silence.

A few moments later something happened. The stairs began to shift. Moving in front and behind them to form a single, flat, plain. As it did so they could see the end of the former stairs. A large, stone, doorway. No carvings. Nothing special about it at all. A pair of steel rings were attached which seemed to be there to help open the doors up.

And, once the doors opened, it revealed a large hall.

Torches lined the walls and the ceiling was supported by a multitude of thick stone pillars.

The middle of the room contained a long table. And on either side of the table were various Gijinka. At first glance they seemed to resemble a type of Gijinka known nowadays as "fossil" Gijinka. Supposed ancestors to an ancient people. But while those Gijinka were all of the Rock type these Gijinka seemed to be rather reptilian. Draconic.

At the far end of the table was a throne. And sitting upon the throne was a large and fierce Tyrantrum.  Beside them was an Aurorus who was smiling lovingly at them.

As the group entered all of the Gijinka in the room turned towards them. "Stand." The Tyrantrum said and the Gijinka at the table moved to their feet.

"I see we have invaders. You have interrupted a wonderful feast you know. But I see you're here on a mission. We were told that those such as you would be coming. If you intend to continue your quest then first you must take on the trial of me, the First King of Adarid."

The Gijinka at the table moved to the side and, as the Tyrantrum stomped their foot, the table slid into the floor. Then a large, square, arena moved up. With four pillars at each corner connected by ropes.

"Enter the combat arena. Only if you defeat my knights shall you be allowed to continue."

The first to enter were three Gijinka which resembled what the group would know as an Omastar, Kabutops, and Aerodactyl.

---

Team Mac, Ogren

"As tempting as it is to stay here, I can't really do that, at least not now. Maybe after the world is safe," Kazo answered. "Still, do we have to go today?"

"See, that's just it! We're gonna save the world we can't be slacking off!" Mac said, grinning from ear to ear. Mac wiped a fake tear from her eye and nodded at Kazo. "I'm so proud of you. You're growing up to be a real hero. I knew following in my footsteps would help you."

She frowned a bit knowing that both Ari and Kazo wanted to stay longer but with a mighty sigh she relented. "I guuuuess we can wait until morning." She surrendered, grumbling.

They continued the meal, Mac telling stories of the fights she had back in Oasis, and eventually it came time for them to go to sleep. Mac teasing Kazo asking if he was going to sleep in his mom's room and being grumpy about having to share a room with Ari.

The next day Mac was bouncing with energy. Running about. Barely able to stand still long enough to get breakfast. In fact she refused to wait much longer after getting the food and ran out of the house with food still in her mouth. Eager to get going. "They might leave if we wait too long!"

---

Team Neo Not Dark, Merm Palace 

There were many dangerous foes around them. Several powerful Gijinka as well as a large group of hungry Carvanha, known for their savagery, surrounded the group. Yet the most unusual and out of place thing in all of this...Dora wasn't smiling.

She was in fact frowning as she looked down at the injured Manaphy who was huddled over Phione. These people weren't very nice. In fact they were the opposite. NOT nice. And there was nothing nice about that at all.

The Carvanha were pummeled by Easter's Swift. Had the attack not been so widespread it likely would have done serious damage. As it was they still were injured but not enough to stop them. They all were surrounded by water as they jetted off in five different directions before rushing in towards Easter, using Aqua Jet.

The Dragalge snarled as he saw what Denku was doing. But wasn't fast enough to react before the Pupitar slammed into him, hitting him with a powerful Dragon move. They struggled to counterattack with the intense pressure of the savage assault but, tail glowing, the managed to spin and hit Denku in the stomach with a Dragon Tail and throwing him backwards. Taking a breath to recover he then followed it up by launching a Hydro Pump at the Pupitar.

With the Dragalge and Carvanha occupied the Cloyster and Huntail took it upon themselves to make a move on Manaphy. The Huntail was unfortunate enough to be the first to charge forward. Jaw wide and ready to crunch into his prey. Instead he got a face full of electricity as Brooke slammed into him and threw him back. With a hiss he crouched down, Coiling, and then sprang forward again. This time with his tail covered in a watery energy.

The Cloyster had taken it slower. The reason became obvious as cracks in her shell started appearing and, as part of her shell exploded outward, the Gijinka seemed to get stronger. Grabbing a broken piece of shell they surrounded it with a similar watery energy as their comrade and ran forward.

Right into Dora's path. With a smirk they brought the shell down and across Dora's front. Knocking the girl back and injuring her. However she still stayed standing, if swaying a bit, and, with a shout of "No bully!" she released energy and blasted the Cloyster back towards the edge of the bubble by the force of the Counter.

---

Team Karaoke, Alpha

Gwendoline was unusually quiet as they got closer and closer to the cave. She watched in silence as Shaymin did her work. Though there was some energy to her silence. She seemed to be eager. Shifting impatiently as the deed was done. While her eyes widened slightly in surprise at the legend's display her main reaction was to move forward. As though she couldn't wait to get into the cave. There was no hint of fear in her eyes. Only anticipation. And determination.

Kayla, on the other hand, was watching in amazement. It wasn't her first time seeing a legend's work but it was amazing all the same. She shuddered as she felt the wave of pressure coming from the cave.

"I forgot...how scary it is, being here..."

The girl appeared beside Shaymin and awkwardly patted her on the arm. "You....did well." She whispered.

As the group took a few steps towards the cave Shaymin would suddenly sense a deadly presence and have time to call out a warning before someone appeared.

Almost as though stepping through a crack in space he suddenly was standing in front of the cave. An unusually young looking Banette.

"My my my. It popped just like that?" He looked back at the cave. "I've been trying to get in there for so long but you come along and a few seconds later...boom. It's so funny. Hahaha. SO FUNNY RIGHT?" He turned back and his eyes were flashing red. The smile on his face had a hungry look to it. A long tongue lolled out of his mouth and slowly licked his lips. "So. Damn. Funny." He growled and stepped towards Shaymin.

Then he paused, ran a hand through his hair, and laughed. "Oh that's right. I should introduce myself." He bowed. "I am Raphael. Disciple of Giratina. And I will now tear you all in half and present your corpses to my master." He pointed at Shaymin. "You might be a problem. So why don't we start with those appetizers you brought."

Suddenly the scenery around them changed. They were in a graveyard. Multiple, broken, headstones stuck out at odd angles. And a massive blood moon sat high in the sky. The only light in the starless night and cast a reddish glow around the field.

The graveyard was surrounded by twisted, gnarled, trees that formed a wall around the dismal scenery.

Raphael stood on top of a stone coffin. Smiling wide at the group, tongue hanging down. His body seemed to grow somewhat larger and his hands grew large, pinkish, claws. "You're in my world now. Isn't it beautiful? A fitting place to breath your last."

The fight for their lives has begun.