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bravenewworld2015-04-14 09:00 pm
bravenewmods) wrote in bravenewworld2015-04-14 09:00 pm
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Another time, another place...
As you descend into the newly formed tunnels, a strange feeling surrounds you. Driving deeper, a strange green light encircles you, pushing you unconsciously deeper and deeper into the swirling mists. There’s a power here, ancient and unfathomable. And then, light. But when you emerge, things have suddenly changed.
Any vestige of your Enlightened powers are gone. Your clothes are different, your equipment is different, even your Warp Band is gone! Any changes the process may have brought upon your body is also gone, you are now, fully and truly human. In its place, strapped securely to your belt, are a collection of red-and-white balls. You know instinctively what these are. The heretical tools of the lost age. Pokeballs…
[OOC Notes: ALL Enlightened powers, form changes, and other associated abilities will be gone for the duration of this log. Shifters may choose either to enter as a human, retaining their Pokemon team, or as a speech-capable Pokemon, although speaking in front of other humans may cause alarm and suspicion. Any Enhanced equipment is also altered, it is now entirely technological and may appear quite advanced. Unless specified in the intro log, your clothes will likely be reflective of more modern US attire or army combat gear, depending on the situation.
As always, we will be progressing the log at least once every 24 hours to keep things moving. If you have any further questions, please ask here.
When making your first comment in a thread, please list your character's Pokémon team.]
Any vestige of your Enlightened powers are gone. Your clothes are different, your equipment is different, even your Warp Band is gone! Any changes the process may have brought upon your body is also gone, you are now, fully and truly human. In its place, strapped securely to your belt, are a collection of red-and-white balls. You know instinctively what these are. The heretical tools of the lost age. Pokeballs…
[OOC Notes: ALL Enlightened powers, form changes, and other associated abilities will be gone for the duration of this log. Shifters may choose either to enter as a human, retaining their Pokemon team, or as a speech-capable Pokemon, although speaking in front of other humans may cause alarm and suspicion. Any Enhanced equipment is also altered, it is now entirely technological and may appear quite advanced. Unless specified in the intro log, your clothes will likely be reflective of more modern US attire or army combat gear, depending on the situation.
As always, we will be progressing the log at least once every 24 hours to keep things moving. If you have any further questions, please ask here.
When making your first comment in a thread, please list your character's Pokémon team.]
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"Ok. Ok, you know that was stupid, and I know that was stupid, and I think we can all agree they've won, but what can we do now?" With Feliks, that question is never rhetorical. "They're intelligent and stuff, there's got to be some way to reason with them!"
He lets a large Ninetales out of her Pokeball, with an internal apology to the three still stuck inside. But... if Rory's to be believed even a little, they're probably safer there, right? After a moment's explanation from Jadwiga, she goes to go help people keep warm where the blankets seem sparse.
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“Martin, they aren’t basically anything. They are gods. There’s no other way to describe them,” Yuuna said flatly, and with some experience. Heatran had been like something out of a nightmare, and Darkrai was a nightmare. “They’re beyond powerful, they’re literal forces of nature. All you can do is resist enough to try and weather their rage intact. Feliks is right. There’s no point talking about how stupid attempting to bottle a volcano or cage a nightmare is. Reasoning with them isn’t out of the question, it’s just a matter of getting one to talk and accept that we are being genuine, just like with people or our own Pokemon. Giant…angry people and Pokemon with the power to steal away life and cause earthquakes…”
She wasn’t totally sure how one stole away life, but that didn’t really matter. Pokemon were weird and somewhat terrifying at times, and gods were no exception. Frankly, they were even worse.
“Trouble is finding one that isn’t infuriated and ready to do those things is probably not going to be the easiest thing. Maybe there’s one god that isn’t a gigantic death-machine, but I don’t know anything solid about them beyond the couple I only barely got away from. The rest, like Yveltal? All I got is rumors. Does anyone else?”
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That's right. It's too late to talk about what we should or shouldn't have done. What's important now is to apologize, and to be sincere when we do it. It's the Pokemon's choice whether or not to recognize that apology - they were the ones who were wronged.
[It seems only natural to her that that would be how to handle things, as hard as it most likely is for these people to accept.]
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Speaking of paying the repair bill, and in case a god that isn't interested in talking finds us first, I'm gonna take a look around. Double-check that nothing's gonna collapse easily and we've got no back doors we don't know about.
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There was a murmur of agreement that flooded over the group.
“Please, calm down,” The woman tiredly urged them, “We should all get some rest. I think Yveltal finally left. We should be able to move on after everyone’s gotten a bit of sleep.” Standing up again, the woman settled down to sit near Yuuna. She still didn’t look quite well, and it was her responsibility to make sure everyone under her watch was well taken care of.
Her face was young; she was still a child, too young to know about things like love and war, death and strife. It was hard to tell what color her hair was from the dirt, and what looked to be dried blood flecking her hairline. She might have been pretty once.
“Are you feeling any better?” She asked, trying to offer a smile. “I don’t know where you people came from, but we’d nearly given up. It’s like you’re saviors sent from heaven.” She leaned back against the pillar, closing her eyes briefly. For a brief, fleeting moment, she looked like she might cry, but after a deep, very forced breath, she kept her emotions back.
“You call the legendary pokémon gods. I’ve never heard that before. Maybe you’re right. Maybe they are. I don’t know.” Looking up from her musing, she turned toward Merrill and Feliks. “Do you really think they could be talked to? Or that we could ever really understand each other? I don’t know… Clara, Mira and I understand each other, and I understood the others before—“
She shook her head. “You all should get some sleep. We’ll be packing up in a few hours. You’re welcome to come with us, if you’d like.”
Noticing Banzu get up, she frowned a bit. “You won’t find anything down there, everything’s either rotted, dead or been looted. We couldn’t even get the generators to work. Someone said they got gutted for parts. And anyway, Yveltal just came through here a few days ago. I imagine you probably don’t know, since you’ve never dealt with it, but it steals the life from anything around it. Even a fly-by can completely decimate a place. You always know when it’s going through when you see plants wither, food rot or hear the sick start to struggle. When you see that, you run, and, if you’re lucky you can get away.
You’re more than welcome to explore if you want, of course. I won’t stop you.”
The woman sat in silence for a while, staying awake while the others moved in and out of sleep. She kept her thoughts to herself, letting the newcomers rest, should they want to. Looking deep in thought, she would occasionally look up at the ceiling. Her voice was soft when she did speak, and the question was directed more at herself than anyone; “How would someone even begin to apologize for the things that we’ve done…”
If Banzu decided to venture out, he would find storefront abandoned. He could catch a few glimmers of the outside, of streets paved with a strange, black substance, and large metal cars overturned. Streetlamps dotted the sides of the road, with large bulbs, either broken or burned out. They may even look vaguely familiar to him.
He might notice something else as well, faint though it may be. The distant sound of wings, coming closer.
The young boy from earlier, still cuddled against Clara, a blanket and the empty sack of dried berries held close, coughed a bit in his sleep. It grew louder, more pronounced, deeper, then, almost as quickly as it came, stopped. Much of the group, hovering on sleep themselves, ignored it, and even the woman, lightly dozing, scarcely looked up.
Then the smell. It was faint at first, coming from what few provisions were left, a sickeningly sweet, musty odor quickly hanging in the air, growing stronger.
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“I'm fine, miss. Just...call it a fit. Happens sometimes, when I go into strange buildings. Maybe an allergy.” Her lips quirked up in a wry grin at the statement, and she shook her head. “I'm Yuuna, by the way. And I'm no savior, I'm just someone caught in a situation that's way out of my league. Same as you, I suspect.”
She won't reply to the other survivors, or even acknowledge their commentary. There's no point and she knows it. This woman is different, though, there's just something about her. Something that made her think...maybe...that there are decent people in this shattered timeline. Of course the statement made her think of one person in particular, and maybe it's true, maybe it isn't. Just like with the troubles that led to this point, it doesn't matter if this woman is who Yuuna's begun to suspect she might be. What mattered was that she's here now, and she's the one keeping these people together. And really? She's learned that was reason enough to be called a “Savior” by most.
The weight of the Hawlucha and Politoed was enough to keep her from drifting off, as if the anxiety and general dread of being dropped here didn't already. But what got her moving is the sound of the boy's cough worsening. Yuuna was a trained medic, and if someone was sick? Then there was something for her to do that was useful. Rising, she set down the two Pokemon and pulled out her emergency kit. Approaching, she knelt beside Clara and the child, putting a hand against his chest.
“Shallow,” she mumbled, “respiratory infection maybe?” Looking around, she asked to no one in particular, “Does this kid have asthma or anything? I've got some meds for that but...”
Yuuna trailed off as the sickly sweet smell of rot began to waft through the air, and she noted that some, at least, was coming from her own pack. That food was fresh, though, so were the non-chemical meds she had on hand. Comprehension dawned on her face, followed by a brief and quickly repressed surge of panic.
You always know when it’s going through when you see plants wither, food rot or hear the sick start to struggle.
Her hand immediately goes to her waist, instinctively freeing two more Pokemon. Susume and Howashi, a Dragonite and a Braviary. The two fastest, strongest, flyers that she had. Her hands reached out to touch each of them, squeezing gently in apology and wordlessly begging forgiveness. There was work to be done, and she'd have to apologize for keeping them pent up later. Susume nodded and scooped up the sleeping child and started to trundle towards Merrill and the others as well, arms ready to carry as many as would come. She knew what needed to be done, and she knew, even without words, that Yuuna would be riding the slower Braviary. The great eagle squawked once and dipped his head in acknowledgement. He got it too.
Standing, Yuuna addressed everyone in the room as calmly as her barely held back fear would allow. To her credit, her time as a Ranger had served her well enough that only the people who knew her best should be able to pick out that faint quiver in her cadence.
“If you have flying types, or fast moving Pokemon capable of carrying you and yours, you're going to need them. And we are going to need to run. Fast.”
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Something feels wrong. What it that awful smell? It smells like...
His eyes fly open, and Jadwiga, picking up on her human's sudden panic, sits bolt upright. His heart is pounding, his mind instantly flooded with a single thought:
Am I ready to die here?
Instinct moves him, when conscious thought is too weighed down by fear. It's like what happened when he had to face Heatran, but somehow immeasurably worse already... In a flash of light, Jadwiga and Krystyna are back in their Pokeballs, and a Rapidash is in their place.
"We can carry one more without it slowing Mieszko down too much. I'm pretty small, so..." He takes a deep breath, trying not to shake, pushing forward. "Which way?"
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[Merrill, always saying what everyone is thinking and pointing out the obvious. And even though she's absolutely the type to casually put her life in danger and calmly chat with gods and monsters, even she feels a little weak in the knees at the sense of approaching danger that's quickly enveloped the group.]
Spookytree, come back. Crookbeak, we need you now.
[Wincing and mentally kicking herself for not bringing a more readily mobile set of Pokemon, Merrill trades her Trevenant out for her Honchkrow, climbing atop its back and reaching her hands down to help whatever children are willing to ride with her.]
Come. We'll keep you safe.
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Not that he feels particularly panicked. Perhaps it's because he's died before, but he feels strangely calm despite the god of death coming for them. Boar seems to realize this and starts casually chewing Martin out for that in as calm a tone as he can manage. Martin ignores him (empathy or not, he knows when his oldest team member is nagging him).
"He hasn't found us yet. Everything is going to be just fine," he says as he ushers people to various rides or into the group leaving. "Trust me."
And it will be. If this really is five hundred years ago, then at least some of these people have to survive.
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If she sees any of the locals slacking, she'll motivate them her way. "Alright you lot, that's the smell of food spoiling, which means your flying nasty is here, which means it's time to move! If you don't have a fast Pokémon, find a buddy who does!"
For her part, she heads for the door so she can summon her own escape method without crashing into a roof.
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The Smeargle pauses for a moment, then places its tail against the floor and carefully paints a perfect blue circle around them, pauses again, then nods at Banzu. Banzu in turn nods at the rest of the group and heads off, Smeargle in tow.
Banzu scribbles frantically in his notebook as he moves, writing down the things he's heard, pacing out distances and sketching out a map of the area, taking notes on what he's seeing, and looking for any documents or smaller bits of technology he can put in his pack, which he will do if he finds any.
He's pretty sure the overturned machines are the same kind of thing as the vehicle they found before, and he's getting some serious deja vu from those lights, but he's not sure why. He makes more sketches and notes on what he's seeing, then starts looking for a way to get closer to the vehicles.
It takes him a moment to register the faint sound of wings, because it wouldn't be notable in any other situation. In this stillness, and with what he's heard though...
He stops walking, and immediately notices the smell. He reaches into his pack and pulls out the rest of his food, seeing it rotting in front of him. Eyes widening, fear starting to worm its way into his mind, he throws the packages on the floor and grabs onto Multi's head.
"Teleport, n-"
"-ow!"
Hopefully Banzu and his Smeargle appearing inside the blue circle in a flash of light, with his voice raised in obvious fear, doesn't give anyone a heart attack in this situation. Seeing the others frantically getting themselves into motion doesn't make him any less concerned, because now he knows it's not just him.
"How far into the effect before it's lethal?" he calls out to no one in particular, releasing his Carbink as he gets moving. Facet the Carbink has been an exceptional line of pure defense for the past year or so, but Banzu has no idea how well its defenses can shield him against the power of a god. He's desperately hoping that he won't need to find out.
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With enough Pokémon to accommodate nearly everyone, the woman helped keep people's spirits up, getting them mounted and ready. The worry on her face was less than apparent, but her movements said it all—they needed to get moving, and quickly.
"I don't know, I'm sorry..." She said somewhat helplessly to Banzu, eyebrows furrowed in worry. "Clara, Mira, go ahead! Listen to the others and do what they say."
Both Blissey and Bellossom protested.
"Just do it! Please... Keep everybody safe for me."
She turned her back toward them, her voice wavering slightly as she spoke. "You all said they could be reasoned with, right? The le—the gods. I'll see if I can at least get it to turn away. Run as far as you can."
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But she isn't the only one in danger. There are arms around his waist from the other person sharing his saddle, and he can't ignore their trembling. If they get slowed down arguing, not a single person is going to benefit from it.
He looks down at the young woman, tries to catch her eye for a moment. There's only one thing he can think to say: "We believe in you."
Without wasting any more time, he leans forward and nudges at his Rapidash's side with his heels. "You totally heard the lady! Move!" They take off, in the direction that everyone seems to have ended up facing while people were getting mounted.
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[The words spill from Merrill's lips almost without her thinking about it. She tends to slip into Dalish when under stress or when she doesn't have time to formulate thoughts in the common tongue. It takes her a moment, but she nods to the woman and translates.]
Be safe.
[And with that, she turns to her Pokemon, leaning down to stroke the Honchkrow's neck before whispering something to it in Dalish which likely means 'let's go,' and the great bird lifts off the ground, carrying Merrill and two of the children to what will hopefully turn out to be safety.]
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Yuuna whirled at the suggestion, her jaw tightening as she thought about the statement. This woman. This woman was...volunteering to go speak with a god, to try and bargain with what she was beginning to assume was very likely death itself.
"But...you shouldn't go alone..." she protested, because if the god didn't relent, then she'd surely die. Maybe it was a stupid notion, but she hated the idea of leaving someone who'd been so kind to the whims of a being like Yveltal. But, as she climbed on the back of the Braviary with Gouken. The bird's wings beat, taking it up aloft, followed closely by the Hawlucha.
"Let me come with you, just till we have some idea of if it's willing to talk..." Yuuna went on, but her Pokemon were having none of it. Howashi's wings beat once, and Gouken leaned all his weight on Yuuna, pushing her down against the warrior eagle's back, grunting in such a manner that she instinctively knew meant he thought she was being stupid. She didn't struggle at least, but instead gave her friend a resigned look and squirmed an arm free enough to take hold of feathers for support. She wasn't getting out of this, and if this girl was who she thought she was...then it wasn't Yuuna's place.
Bowing her head, she huffed an exasperated sigh. Fine, fine. "Luck be with you, friend. I'll pray for your safety."
And with that, the eagle took off, followed swiftly Ichijou.
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They need to get out of here.
Martin brings out Boldred before bringing him back. Boar starts chewing him out, but Martin ignores him.
"Let one of us stay with you. Just in case. I can do it--I have a Vibrava and can get you out if need be."
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Isabela cuts off her protest when she remembers this lady mentioning she DID talk to Pokémon, and just demonstrated it with her conversation with her own. Maybe she was one of those Kindred Soul types.
Instead, she hands the lady one of her knives, sheathed. "Good luck, and don't try to fight with this. It's for when you inevitably have to run away."
She's fine with this lady being a decoy, but let's pretend she'll actually survive for a minute.
She turns to get out of Dodge, grabbing anyone reluctant to leave by the arm, such as Martin. "Come on, man, I am NOT going to explain to the Swords how one of you wound up dead on a mission with me."
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With that, she gives an appreciative nod to Boar and continues dragging Martin.
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The answer to the question he woke up with burns in him like the flame of his enlightenment: He wants to live. He wants to explore, and dream, and be a laughing old man with a head full of tales one day.
But he's never seen the point in a life lived on the safe side -- not when faced with the bullies of his childhood, or with the tricks up Team Evolution's sleeve, or with the armies of Gigas, or even with Heatran's overwhelming power. Leaving the girl behind doesn't sit right with him, and with every moment that Martin struggles to stay with her, he finds his own justifications weaker and weaker.
The Rapidash he's on is already moving fast. He can't turn around, not at the risk of the other passenger. What he can do...
"Mieszko, keep running. Don't turn back for anything." He takes out his Gardevoir's Pokeball, waits a few seconds to get some distance, and lets her out, cradling her to his chest as she appears. The order is a whisper: "Teleport back over there. Just you and me."
She looks at him, stunned, but she's familiar enough with the determination she's picking up right now to know he'll probably just jump off the Rapidash if she doesn't help him. Touching his forehead gently, she obeys.
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It would help them more than it would help her, her tone of voice seemed to say.
Isabela's offering startled her, and, very obviously taken aback, she recovered quickly, shaking her head. "You keep it. I don't intend to fight, or to run away."
"Bellolo!"
"Bliblisey!"
Riding with Susume, the Blissey and Bellossom called after the young woman, the flowery pokémon crying a bit. The woman waved her arm in the air vigorously, putting on as brave a smile as she could muster as she watched them leave.
"Be good! I'll catch up!" She called at the top of her lungs.
Her hand fell lifelessly at her side not a few moments later.
"She's not coming, is she?" One of the children riding with Susume said, after a long moment of silence.
Once out of the main shopping district, they could see it, the great angel of death gliding through the sky. What little vegetation left drooped and wilted in its wake, the god of destruction making its way toward Mauville City, stopping just short as a small figure stepped outside.
They won't get far, before a great darkness began to settle over the city, heavy and oppressive, bringing with it the chill of death. It hung there like a fog, lingering and growing darker than any starless night.
Feliks, with the aid of Teleport, would get close enough to see the woman step out from the building, and while he could not catch her words, he could hear her speak. Her voice quivered for a moment before finally settling.
The death god answered. Then, all at once, it happened.
A great blood-red bolt tore the sky asunder, hitting the ground with such force that it should have split it in two. The aftershock came a moment later, a boom that filled their entire bodies. The shock was felt not in the ground, not on the air, but in their very beings, a painful interference that struck their cores. It wasn't painful as much as it was soul crushing. It was enough to knock even the strongest of wills unconscious.
Feliks would see the impact before losing consciousness himself, the crimson bolt hitting her left shoulder. She staggered, nearly falling to the ground before catching herself at the last possible second. Standing there, she slowly extended a hand to the great beast.
When they finally came to, they would find themselves where they came from, before slipping into what seemed to be the past. The pokéballs gone, they would find their warp bands in-tact, and their pokémon attuned to them. Their clothing back to normal, they would find all of their things in place in their packs, as if they had never left the caves. Little time had passed since they had gone underground--maybe a half a day at most.
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