bravenewworld | Another time, another place...

Entry tags:

!plot

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.]

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This looked a bit too familiar to Asemu. He was instantly reminded of the vision he had seen that Cresselia had shown him, of the village being wiped out by the rising sea...

...But this was on a completely different scale. In spite of knowing how futile it must be, he decided to try something.

"Bullet, use Sunny Day!"

The Talonflame immediately complied, and the sunlight on the area turned harsh. He didn't expect it to change much, but if even one life could be saved, it would be worth it.

"What could be causing this? If we can find the source, we might be able to do something, even if it's damage control! But where could it be?"

"Chu-chu, help Bullet!"

Attempting her own Sunny Day, Elly tried her best to think of something. They needed to get people out, although what Asemu said stuck with her. She shouted over the roaring waves. "Fei, send out Snorlax and have him use Odor Sleuth! See if we can find what's causing this storm!"

"Right!"

Another Pokeball bursts open and Snorlax emerges, sniffing at the air to see if it can get a wiff of the source.

How very odd! Even as the sun bursts forth from behind the clouds, the storm, in the next moment, regroups and angrily swirls around the sky, blotting out the sunshine once again. It seems that changing the weather here will be ineffective...

As if threatened by this attempt, the storm increases in intensity now, changing from a steady drizzle to an utter downpour.

The wave washes by underneath the Fliers, and dozens of dark masses can be seen shooting by. The majority are Pokemon - Water-types riding the wave towards the unseen city in the distance. Other times, a human hand protrudes from the waters or a screeching Flying type beats its wings hard enough to escape the floodtide, pulling up a gasping soldier with them. Here and there, others pop to the surface to clamber aboard their faithful servants, still prepared to do battle even to the last.

Odor Sleuth may be slightly ineffective given the dozens of bodies in close proximity, but it seems it will be unnecessary, regardless. Almost the moment Snorlax appears, a great roar echoes across the land...

And something gargantuan erupts from the waters, leaping high into the sky. For a moment, it seems to hang in the air, its markings glowing vividly in the darkness of the storm, before it splashes down again, sending a shockwave ripping through the water.

Looks like they've found their source. Whether or not they take the soldier's advice to flee... or whether they attempt to salvage what they can from this disaster, one thing's for certain. There's no stopping this water.

Rise's seen a god before. Once. It was the most terrifying experience of her life.

This one is worse. It wasn't the overwhelming psychic pressure Heatran had given her, it's a fear that skips past the brain and goes straight to the base of the spine. The knowledge that you're in the presense of something way beyond yourself, and it's about to belly-flop on your head.

She stares at it, swallows hard, then starts yelling. "We're not going to be able to fight it!" she screams over the noise of the waves and the storm. "Everyone, get as many people out of the water as you can!"

Rise's own Pokémon respond immediately, Peng swooping down with a cry to try and drag people (and non-aquatic Pokémon) out of the water with her claws and Himiko focusing her telekinetic powers on lifting them out of the maelstrom and onto Asemu's Gyarados.

"Oh, Savior..."

This was the one, all right. It's the same one that Asemu saw in Cresselia's vision. Only this close, it was more awe-inspiring -- and terrifying -- than before.

Part of him wanted to fight it. It was clearly a Water-type, and he had Typhoon with him, so it would have a type advantage...

...But at the same time, it felt like he'd be trying to destroy a building with a flamethrower.

Deep down, he knew Rise was right. As much as he wanted to rebel against a force of destruction, he just didn't have the power to do so.

"You heard her! Get going!" he shouted to his Pokémon, and they got to work rescuing as many people as they could.

[Gyarados gets an almost absentminded pet - whether Michiru is trying to reassure herself or the Gyarados is up to interpretation.

The sight of the Pokemon had sent a shiver through her, and she's not sure she'll be able to shake it off anytime soon. So that's what sleeping beneath the waves.

A murmur to her partner:] Are you feeling particularly enlightened?

[whatever they're supposed to learn here. Her face is carefully blank as she watches the shades of long dead humans and Pokemon.]

Haruka doesn't try to help anyone, either: they're either figments of the illusion or doomed already, so why expend the energy. Besides - what could she even do? The only Pokémon she has with her that won't sink Gyarados is Gold. She doesn't even have her own powers. And all the desire to help in the world, all the pretty words and strong convictions, can't beat....

Gritting her teeth, Haruka turns her head away without taking her eyes off where the creature had disappeared. This was what happened? When they spout old legends about the end of the world - when they glimpse tiny moments, enough to send chills up their spines and convince Haruka that she has to do something, shoulder anything she has to, to prevent that outcome - this was what was meant?

The world is cruel. She'd known that. So is this a warning? Or....

"We knew from the start," she mutters. "It was punishment."

And maybe when it happens for real, in her world, in her time, she'll be helpless to stop it again. Does that mean she should give up now? She doesn't know. That in and of itself is troubling.

"Does this satisfy you?!" Haruka yells into the storm, not really expecting a reply, not even trying to steer Gyarados as the water tosses them. The gods are trying to make contact. That's something.

That their contact is this.....she's not sure what to think about that.

"...Dear Savior."

She wasn't a religious woman, going so far as to even doubt the existence of a single woman that guaranteed everyone's salvation. But in this moment, Elly didn't know quite what to think. All her training, her experience, none of it seemed to matter in this instance. The arm wrapped around Fei gripping him a bit tighter, she looked on in awe at what would likely be their death.

But there was something else too, nagging at her. Not her own self-preservation, but something that told her she had to protect not only the people with her, but the man next to her. Especially him. If anything were to happen...

Cursing herself for not bringing anyone else suitable for this, she sent the Whimsicott back, pulling out another Pokéball. "Beaumont!" Summoning the Avalugg, she worked quickly. "Grab as many as you can, and try to stay above water!"

Watching Haruka, she barked back at the woman. "Yelling at it isn't going to help! We need to get as many people out of here as possible! Come on, hold it together!"

"Sceptile! Gardevoir! You help too!"

Fei releases two more Pokemon as they join Blastoise and Snorlax in the frantic evacuation effort.

If the leviathan hears Haruka's outburst, it doesn't give any particular response save for a rumble of thunder as the storm intensifies.

It is surely impossible to save them all, but as the soldiers begin to struggle out of the water, they, too, will make an effort to rescue their fellows and stave off the flood of Pokémon. Himiko and Gardevoir may have the most success, levitating people out of the water without having to worry about a secure grip, while Peng may struggle slightly as its cotton wings become soaked through. Regardless, though, they will eventually reach a certain conclusion: there is only so much room on Gyarados and Avalugg before they reach max capacity. Similarly, the surviving soldiers all across the flooded battlefield can only carry one or two with them.

With this problem to ponder, a wet soldier atop Avalugg suddenly cries out.

"Look!"

And while it may be natural to assume that the god has returned, he is, in fact, pointing to something slightly more mundane, though also impressive - a pod of Wailord surging their direction.

"If we can capture one -- capture a few, we might stem the tide with their bulk... There's still a chance."

Not to mention carry a lot more people.

Capture

It's not until Rise hears that word that the reality of the situation really clicks, breaking through her panicked instinct. Capture. Enslaving Pokémon. The meaning of Pokéballs.

Either the impossible had happened and she was seeing the old world, or the gods were smiting humans who still hadn't learned from its mistakes. Either way, she suddenly realized they were about to make another one.

"NO!" she shouted. "No Pokéballs! That's what got us into this mess!"

She speaks gently to Peng, urging her up and toward the Wailord pod, and to carefully pick up Himiko on the way. "We TALK to them! I'll do it. Himiko, you translate, okay?"

Without waiting for a response from her fellow humans, she and her two Pokémon head off toward the Wailords. Rise shouts for their attention while she asks Himiko to try and get their attention psychically.

Even if this was a test, at least Michiru is fairly certain that's the correct answer, considering who's giving it. And even if it rankles to play into this, the physical effects seem real enough. Her concerns are limited to the real humans and Pokemon, however.

She picks a Pokeball and a Gardevoir appears, looking more than a little confused.

"Waltz. Please." No instinctive bond with her first Pokemon, but at least Gardevoir's Psychic abilities make up for it.

This Gardevoir will do her best to prevent any interference from these soldiers.

If this is how it's going to be, Fei will support.

"Gardevoir! Lend your aid! We need to get through to those Wailord!"

The sight of the Wailord snap Haruka out of her funk and back to the present - she wouldn't have thought of Rise's solution herself, but given that the only other options are ignore the Wailord and escape on their own (stupid, assuming they want to try to save all these people) or check to see whether they even have empty Pokéballs (stupider, given what's lurking beneath) - she's willing to give the others a chance to try their plan. Up to a point.

"Five minutes," she calls to Rise, since Michiru can hear her just fine, and unsheathes her sword. Gold's PokéBall makes it into her free hand, and instead of watching the Wailord, she joins Michiru and Waltz in scanning the crowds of soldiers from this era for any dissenters - or any signs of the god's reappearance. This is ridiculous. She can't believe it's their only option. But if it works....

That's funny. She needs to be worrying about getting herself, Michiru, and Rise out of here. And yet she's thinking about another girl who keeps her hair in pigtails. One who's not even here.

This whole situation is a mess.

Asemu remained in the sky, making sure to fly cover. He didn't want anyone getting attacked if he could help it, and he was of limited help when it came to conversing with Pokémon.

He urged Bullet higher into the sky, and left Kou to see to himself -- he trusted his Gyarados.

The Wailords don't really need attention drawn to Rise and Himiko - the moment they spot a human, they rush in her direction with obvious belligerent intent. For creatures with two small dots for eyes, they manage to look suitably ferocious as they bear down on her.

...Well, one of them does, anyway. They're a bit too large to all converge on a target as small as a human girl.

"What is she doing?!"

The soldier who had spoken up looks agape in horror.

"She'll be crushed! You can't let her go alone!"

He steps to the edge of Avalugg as if considering swimming after her before deciding that would be... even more ridiculous suicide. Whatever point she was making about Pokeballs appears to have evaded him.

Rise stares out at the huge creatures. She's going to have difficulty thinking about them as 'huge and cute' after this, especially since she knows they're perfectly capable of rocketing out of the water to smash her even in midair.

"Okay, Himiko, just...think what I say at them in Pokémon language or emotions or whatever you can manage for translation," Rise says. "I've never wanted a Warp Band more in my life...um, don't start yet. Okay, start now."

Rise draws herself up as best she can on Peng's back.

"A...attention Wailords!" she yells, more for the effect than actually hoping they'll all hear her. She's never been the most religious Unionite, and she wouldn't think of trying this on the god of the sea itself, but maybe it'll go over with regular Pokémon.

"We surrender! We give up! Anything you want from us, you can have, just please, please rescue us and our Pokémon from the water! We lose, and we get it, and we're not going to enslave you anymore, just please, help us so we can tell other humans!"

She doesn't like the look of that, no. Attacking the Pokemon would probably be the opposite of what they want, however.

"Waltz, Reflect please."

"NO!"

Asemu was not the kind of person to stand by idly while his girlfriend was in danger of being crushed by a forty foot-long Pokémon. Immediately he urged Bullet onward and toward Peng, attempting to pull it and its load backwards, out of the way.

Haruka, on the other hand, is more concerned about her fellow humans trying something foolish; Rise both can take care of herself and has others concerned about her well-being. She'll be fine without Haruka looking after her. All Haruka can do is buy time.

"Shut up and watch!" she orders them, pointing her sword at the soldiers onboard the Avalugg. Gold's not coming out unless absolutely necessary. She promised Rise five minutes, though, and she'll get Rise five interrupted minutes no matter what half-baked interference she has to run. "She's doing this for you."

Rise perhaps could have phrased that a tad bit less desperately as the Wailord charging her doesn't seem terribly moved by her entreaties. Or, well, maybe it is, but much like a train may find it difficult to skid to a halt within 500 feet, so a stampeding whale's momentum may carry it further than one expects. The other Wailord nearby, however, hear Himiko's message clearly, and they respond with loud bellows that echo even above the din of the flood and the storm.

Lies...!
The only trick a cornered human knows is to plead for mercy.
Yet how long have they turned and scorned our cries?
What we want is a world free from your kind!
Why should we hear your pleas now?

The charging Wailord is close now... so close that it seems inevitable that contact will be made in the next moment if nothing is done.

In the meantime, the soldier stares blankly at Haruka's drawn sword, looking unimpressed.

"Lady, you know we've got guns, right?"

Obviously, though, shooting her would be counterproductive.

Michiru's Gardevoir, used to the routine, automatically follows up with a Light Screen for the party.

Michiru frowns, as her Gardevoir helpfully translates for her.

"Haruka, the Wailord don't believe us."

That's not too surprising, huh? She's got her eye on Rise, though between her Altaria and her Gardevoir, Michiru isn't too worried about the other girl's chances of escape.

Friendship speeches aren't her forte, and unless they are Rise's...

"Perhaps they'll believe a Pokemon." If the Wailord can tell their Pokemon aren't brainwashed, in any case. Michiru's Gardevoir looks thoughtful as she relays the message to Rise's Himiko.

"Freedom! Tailwind!"

Immediately, Asemu's Noivern acted. Asemu, his Pokémon, and all of his allies would feel the wind at their backs, increasing their speed.

As for negotiation...well, neither Asemu nor any of his team were psychics. So unless one of the two Gardevoir on the field was broadcasting openly, he'd have no clue what was being said.

"Look, I don't know what's being said, but I know that nothing -- NOTHING -- justifies mass murder!"

"If all you want to do is kill humans, I can't stop you!" Rise calls out, completely winging it at this point but refusing to move even at Asemu's prompting. "But if you want freedom, you already have it! We're not a threat to you anymore! Did you really rebel against the people making you fight just to fight more? To kill more?"

She swallows, a mix of nervousness and her mouth starting to fill with the driving rain. "All I'm asking is one...one being to another is for you to let these people live! Please. They can't do anything to you anymore. There's no need to fight."

She blinks back tears, in addition to the rain getting in her eyes. "Please..."

Another time, another place...

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