Brave New World

An unsettling calm hung over the streets of Union, a chilly, early morning fog settling in. The words of their newest visitors were unwelcome, and when word spread that the two would be leaving at sunrise, the people were grateful, if not a bit apprehensive. The Elite Four, their Champion, and the whole of Ever Grande—their radical ideologies were not only off-putting, but their methodology was more than a bit off-putting. They would need to be watched, closely.

In the early hours of the morning, warp bands around Union buzzed with life, a gentle light spilling from the devices. “Hello again, friends.”

It was her.

Her voice rang clear, and while her face wasn’t present, one could hear the smile in her voice. “I hope I didn’t wake any of you up. I wanted to thank you all for being so hospitable to Alina and myself, at least initially. But talk about the Union chill. Normally I like a little cold, but this is a bit much.

“When we first heard about Union, we were excited. Finally, we had found a worthy ally for our cause. So you can imagine our... disappointment, when we saw your true colors. You’re nothing but cowards! And here I thought, a city championing for peace, who were blessed by the Gods themselves, willing to live alongside pokémon without subjugating them to your will, would be able to understand the world that we wish to create. Instead, you hide behind your wall, hide behind others, and assume that by ‘defending yourself’ or those you deem unable or unfit to fight that you’ve somehow absolved yourself from guilt.”

Her voice grew cold, turning deep; “People like that make me sick.”

“Divinity is wasted on you, to be quite honest.” Her voice bounced again, chipper and clear. “If you can’t walk alongside us, then you’ll only serve as stepping stones toward a peaceful tomorrow. Union, like Glacier and so many other settlements before it, will serve as an example to those who wish to defy the will of the Gods. The pit of humanity needs to learn its place, crawling on its belly in fear from the true inheritors of the earth. We lay ourselves prostrate to their glory!

“Union believes that they’re able to decide what is right and what is just, but I disagree. I bring to you, the divine word of the Gods themselves! Listen well, people of Union, and all others! This is the world we seek to create, our perfect vision of peace! Hear me, O Great One, and come to my aid. Strike down these heretics where they stand!”

BMG: Gates to Infinity: Clash with Kyurem!

Answering Sveta’s call, a great dragon bearing the frost of the deepest winter appeared in the center of the city. With a roar of power, it’s unearthly presence sent waves of fear in the souls of even the bravest citizens of Union. Opening it’s vicious maw, it unleashed an enormous roar, a battle cry of deafening proportions, a Hyper Voice attack! While the sound was ear splitting to all who dwelt within Union, its power was focused. The great Signal Tower, a beacon of Union technology and innovation, began to crack heavily. Jagged scars appeared as chunks of stone fell unbidden from the tower. It still stood—but against such an assault, not for much longer. The force of the blast sent cracks sprawling through nearby towers as panicked shrieks began to echo throughout the city, a chorus of terror at the power of the god before them.

But in that moment, the humans were not alone. Two high-pitched cries met the titanic roar as twin dragons flew to Union’s aid, spiraling around the mighty ice dragon and attacking with twin Dragon Breath attacks. Once again, the great hounds and birds, as well as the Lady of the Moon and the Lord of Nightmares, Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, Entei, Raikou, Suicune, Cresselia and Darkrai stood at Union’s side, unleashing their own attacks. The people of Union felt the blessings of the gods with them. Here they would have to stand and fight—drive back the invaders and save their fair city!

[OOC: With the damage to the signal tower, Warp Band communication is offline and Pokemon cannot be summoned - thankfully the habitat is close and your Pokemon allies will come to your aid as the logs begin]

Who: EVERYONE
What: Soul Fast
When: During Soul Fast
Where: All over Ninetails Vale and in people's houses, etc.
Summary: The Celebrations of Soul Fast Begin!

( Grim grinning ghost-types )

The people of Union have descended into the besieged city, doing everything in their power to aid the citizens of Glacier yet remaining within. Whether struggling against the invaders seemingly loyal to the White Dragon, or seeking out the injured and lost in need of aid, they take advantage of several hours of relative calm to do all they can. And for a time, it seems to be working - the invaders are not so very strong after all, not against the experienced Unionites who have surpassed everything from human armies to memories of gods.

But perhaps the might of the two combined is an altogether different challenge.

GRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAH!

The sensation is felt throughout the whole of the city, the rumbling of the earth itself enough to take down the more unstable buildings in its wake. From any point, at any height, all eyes are drawn to the monstrosity that has descended in the blink of an eye into the still-burning town center. A great, white dragon... Exactly as described by those who had escaped from the city.

Those with sharp eyes will see that standing beside it, there seems to be a human figure.

Its sheer presence is overwhelming. The air around it ripples with an aura of heat, but felt even more keenly than that, there is a devastating sense of raw power and control. This being... this god could burn down the entire earth if it wished. A city of Glacier's relative size... What chance did it possibly have? That the world yet remains standing seems almost a mercy. Its size is immense, its bulk several times larger than that of a Wailord, its height almost seeming to rival the tallest towers of Union, though perhaps this is an exaggeration of the mind.

It takes a step forward, and the earth shudders once more in its wake.

All across the frozen city of Glacier, every individual carrying a Warp Band will suddenly feel the device activate of its own accord as a video feed begins to play. Attempting to turn it off fails, and changing it doesn't seem to work either. Something, or someone, has hijacked the feed and is using it for their own announcement.

A tall, severe looking man stares into the feed, his lone eye seeming to burn with an unnatural fire. And beside him, only its lower body visible, stands the feet of the White Dragon, its fur outlined in crisp detail from this distance. The man gazes steadily forward, eyes yet alight with passion.

"So, it seems that this place has found someone to come to its aid. No matter, our plans will not be disrupted by insects like you. Still, it's good to know that there are humans left that understand the value of kinship with our fellow inhabitants of this world. It brightens my day, you might say, to know that my men have been facing honorable opponents, and not weak cowards that still cling to the old ways.

A pity that when we're done here, we'll have to come for you next. I won't lie to you and say we'll show you mercy, but at least your deaths will be swift."

He smiles then, a thin and grave expression.

Every fiber of those remaining in the city screams to flee from this threat. There is nothing they can do - they must retreat. But though their minds may instinctively beg for such a course of action, to do so means to abandon its people to a fiery demise. Can they truly run from this?

They must choose quickly... and this time, it is not a choice concerning a rabid creature, an angered and wild animal lashing out. This cold and calculated destruction, sanctioned by a god itself, so reminiscent of what was said to have happened in the past. To oppose it, perhaps, means to steer the course of history into terrible new waters. Choose quickly, people of Union. What answer will you find?

((Reshiram is a Legendary, and thus, the normal rules will not apply. It will be able to strike through abilities that would seemingly protect people, and analysts will not be able to sense its weaknesses. It radiates an aura of power that will inspire fear and awe in those who see it. Please be warned that there is a definite chance of injury when attacking this creature; however, despite all this, it is possible to defeat it.

Have fun! And enjoy some mood music.))

As the characters arrive, they will find what appears to be a rather deep cavern. Upon entering, the caverns are quite narrow, with twists and turns everywhere and different tunnels that all seem to be interconnected. As characters travel deeper within the caverns, reality around them will start to warp, they will start to see and hear things that aren’t necessarily there - images of old enemies, past failures, voices of condemnation, visions that strike at the soul and core of the characters. Once this begins, it will only increase in power and volume, demanding it be confronted, lest they be trapped within these caves forever.

[OOC: This event will run for a week. All characters who enter the caves will be subject to some of their deepest fears, darkest demons, and most abject failures. To overcome them, characters must help each other out, finding their purpose through strength of character and resolve to move forward. In general, these visions should require characters to come to grips with themselves. Illusory images and voices can and will appear and can take any number of forms, depending on what is most appropriate to a character. Additionally, characters may thread with each other and are encouraged to help each other out to overcome these personal demons. For those who wish to take part, they are able and encouraged to narrate their own personal demons, which will be on display for everyone who enters their thread. IC threads may be made in this post.]