Sacrilege [R]

[Schade]

Kenny Corvèga & Victini's explosive re-entrance
Dragonspiral Tower -> Anville Forest

plopping back in with the rest, Victini nailed his landing, and did a quick search of the area. Most of the Trevenants had retreated, while most of them were ablaze, frozen or generally just surprised to see people putting on a fight. After he stuck his landing though, the Trevenants actually dispersed. Ignoring Kenny's crying in the back of his head, Victini bounced to his feet, scouring the area quickly before preparing himself. The pokemon of the forest were slowly approaching. Their hisses and ticking sounds indicating hostility. Granted, Victini was a Pokemon, so he could actualy understand them.

“Justice for Pokémon.”

“Punish the humans.”

“Kill the traitors.”

“They hurt the forest.”

“He will punish them, too.”

“Justice.”

“Justice.”

“Justice.”

The voices were loud and consistent, and Victini grew wary. He could easily wipe them out with a few well-timed Flame Charges, but the amount of resistance they were meeting wouldn't do his tactics justice. Regardless of that, Victory was at hand! It always was! Victini did a quick glance around, to pin faces to the appearing Pokemon. Tropius, Liligant, Yanmega, Vespiquen, Drapion. Bugs, Grass, Flamable individuals. No worries, he could easily take them out if he went on another rampage. He could take that, no worries... However... His human host, Kenny, passed out a long time ago. It had been a while since Victini stretched his influence this far, and Kenny would undoubtly be incapacitated for the remainder of... the next couple of days? He couldn't have that. He didn't need that. He cared for Kenny, but right now, he needed Kenny more than ever.

However, before the big final battle that would put X Men 3 to shame could occour, the approaching Pokemon fell silent, and retreated just enough that you could not see their shapes, but still see their strangley glowing eyes. This wasn't good. Victini fished out a memory of Kenny's where a similar situation happened in an online game right before the final big bad boss would come fdorth. And wouldn't you have it, there they was. Were? Kenny never really knre grammar, and Victini sighed.

However, the relief would be short-lived, as three figures emerged from the density of the forest. They were all quadrupedal, moving with grace and intimidation. Victini recognized them immediatly. While Victini himself had never made his presence known to humans, he knew his way around the Unova region, and he knew well of the fabled Swords of Justice. The trio of legendary Pokemon that romed the Unova region dealign justice for wild pokemon, and upkeepig the peace in the most remote regions of Unova. He had even caught a glimpse of Terrakion once, not too far from the Victory Road. However, the Terrakion he saw now was not the same noble musketeer he had seen back then. "Uh-oh..." he cautiously said as they approached. They had kept their majestic posture, but they seemed.. Wrong, somehow. they looked darker. Virizions once vibrant leaves were all withered. Cobalions steel crest looked rusty, andCobalion.. was actually pretyt terrifying to begin with so Vicitni really didn't notice much difference besides his change of aleigance. Because that's what it was. The swords were targetting the humans? it was all speculation, of course. Victini had enough energy to take in the scene one, two, three times before they came into full view.

They were dark, they were angry and they were out for blood. If Kenny hadnb't passed out already, he certainly would've right now. Victini made the mental note to not notify him of this incident. However, the swords were not alone. Terrakion was dragging something along. It was difficult to see, considering the piece of matter was engulfed in some sort of dark-ish matter to conceal its origin at first, but as the trio stepped into the light, it became obvious that the whatever was actually... What was that? It looked blue, kinda? a pattern? looking closer, it was definitely a dead human. Victini was unphased by this; He had seen countless wars, and the results of human strife. He did not recignize this human, however. Still, the sight was grousome to behold. Had Terrakion killed this poor.... human? That just wnt against everything Victini knew about the trio. They never attacked humans outright, they only used their powers to scare them away, defending the pokemon of their respective juristiction. Victini was horrified; not by the sight, but rather by the fact that it was pretty obvious Terrakion had done this.

Next to him, Cobalion emerged, with another corpse attached to it as some sort of strange trophy. This one was more recognizable. Of course, neither Victini nor Keny recognized her, but she was definitely human. had he seen her on Tv? It didnt matter, she was as dead as the sludge pile of former human garbage had been before her. Victini gasped.

The swords then prepared a charge, Terrakion and Cobalion getting rid of their literal dead weight. Virizion was just standing there looking ominously prim; Victini never liked her.

The swords charged.

Well.. Terrakion and Virizion charged, while Cobalion stood there with the human corpses like some sort of throphies. Victini knew it was kill or be killed, and steeled himself for a swift dodge into a V-Create. Pokemon lives be damned, they would be better off without the corrupt swords, and the only solution to this was a good ol'fashioned forest fire. However...

what.. A tired looking girl fell out from seemingly nowhere, though, as a mythical being, Victini was very aware of spatial travels. She looked very tired. Decrepid, even. She appologised profoundly to everyone about.. wait, had sne sent them into the wrong place? Looking at the poor girl, victini fell quiet. Even his enthusiasm couldn't make up for the girls poor visage. poor girl looked exhausted, a visual 4representation of Kenny, had he not passed out a long time ago. Victini didn't really realize what happened next, as the girls powers had saved the group from the swords initual charge. The next thing he knew....


Face first, down into the pavement of a cavernous floor. IT hurt, of course, but Victini brushed it off and quickly jumped to his feet. He could only just jump outn of the way though, as a chilly blast of ice went past him. Once it settled, it became apparent that someone had shielded what would've likely been a fatal icy blow. Looking up isoriented, Victini took in his surrounsings: A cave. A cold Cave. there was a birb there, it looked like.... Victini didn't recognize the bird, but by the gothic looks of it, it did not appear to be friendly. There were more people there now. More people, but Victini didnt have time to clock them all. He recognized some from the weird fever dream induced by the darkrai kid. Had the legends been put together? It was a comforting thought, even though they were all still in danger. The bird looked like the legendary bird, Articuno, escept.. not. Looking over Kenny's memories, Victini found nothing on Articuno. Despite that, Victini knew very well they were both in perilous danger. Kenny is not good with words.

The first thing that happened was that a storm started brewing inside the cave. The person Victini had previously clocked to be Raikou was summoning a thunderstrom.. inside? That was a new one. The heavystorm was clouding their surroundings, making it difficult for Victini to plan ahead. He did not posess any projectile attacks, after all! He coiuld jump out to the front line and deliver his dangerously powerful V-Create move, but if he did that, it would leave him completely incapacitated. Considering the unnaturally immense power eminating from the corrupted Freeze Pokemon, he should stay in the game for a bit longer.

"Not to worry. everyone! I will personally see that we emerge victorious!" Victini said in his stalwart confident tone, giving the expanded crew a thumbs up. “If you’ve any idea how to use your powers, do so now, before she attacks again.”, A posh-looking guy said in a surprisingly uncharacteristic tone. Victini did not recognize the legend residing in the man just yet, but he had a point,. "That thing is female!?" Victini spourted out in innocent surprise. It looke ambigious at best, but definitely evil. The posh boy had a point though, regarding everyones Pokemon. While Kenny's pokemon weren't the strongest ones of the bunch, they knew a lot of good utility moves which could prove useful in this fight. Posh Spice told the group to aim at the beings wings, or in good old fashioned zombie style; Her head. Victini was wary though. He had already overused Kenny's body, and if he pushed himself much further, he feared he would inflict permanent damage to the boy. It was certainly a bad situation to be in.

"Metang! I need you buddy!" Victini said as he threw the pokeball containing Kenny's Metang. The Iron Claw Pokemon stretched its arms out and let out a metallic roar-ish sound. "Hey, i need you to listen to me now buddy, ok?" Victini said. Metang looked at him with wary in its gaze. It knew Victini was in control, and that Kenny wasn't himself right then and there. "I simply need you to protect this body at all cost. Use Protects and Light Screens as you feel like" Victini then said. Metang seemed unsure, but at keast understood the importance of Kenny's well-being. "Good.". While Metang reluctantly would follow Victini's commands, he knew that Charmeleon was a tougher nut to crack, hence why he didn't call it fourth despite its type advantage towards the Ice-Type. "Now that's out of the way, i have to retreat for now. I have overstayed my welcome. I'm counting on you, buddy!" Victini then said before stepping back, giving Kenny control over his body again. He immediatly fell over, face down and unmoving.

~~~

Mecha the Metang had just been sent out of its Pokeball and into what it would assume to be a battlefield. It was very surprised to see the dark eerie being standing tall not too long from himself and the group Kenny was with. He could easily tell Kenny was not in control of his body when he emerged, and while it didn't nvessarily dislike Victini, it was still wary of him, as he tended to cause Kenny great discomfort with near every appearance. Regardless of that, Victini had commanded Mecha to simply look after Kenny, which to Mecha meant a free pass to use whatever moves it felt like, whenever it felt like it. That was good. Mecha was a defensive pokemon that was not easy to shut down, and knew a barrage of moves that would be useful for the situation. After the command, Victini had given a short empowering speech and a thumbs up, before Kenny reemerged, simply falling over. MEcha rushed to his side and poked him with his arm. Kenny was alive, if not barely. Definitely not in ny shape to battle, or even stand up. He was also unconcious, which was likely why Victini had instructed Mecha to such uncharacteistic freedom. Despite that, Mecha understood, and would do everything in its power to keep Kenny safe. Of course, that firstly meant to move him out of the way of the other humans. "Metang!" it said, using its Psychic move to lift Kenny's limp body up, and out of reach. It then activated Light screen, before bracing itself with an Iron Defense, ready to take on whatever came next. "Metang!"

 

[GoldenHouou]

Michel Lefèbvre & Ho-Oh
Union Cave, Johto

Mew was the first to approach the monstrous bird. Turning into an Arcanine caught the Articuno off guard, allowing her to slip close to the ice type and blast its belly with a mouthful of fire. The legendary let out a scream and lashed out with her talons, tearing off a large tuft of fur from the canine’s collar. Thankfully, the lack of blood indicated she’d missed any vitals, and Mew managed to slip away unharmed.

Articuno would’ve likely given chase to the fleeing legendary, had her attention not been drawn by two of the newest arrivals. A girl and a boy - or rather, the legendaries that inhabited their bodies - found their places at the front of the group, declaring their intent to fight - and get back at whomever had reduced her to such a state. If their words did move Articuno however, she showed no sign of it.

They did move someone else, though.

Still knelt between the cave group and the people that had been dropped onto them from a portal, Ho-Oh found himself starting at the two humans in awe. Except, what he saw were not humans; they were the embodiment of a thunder’s roar and the northern wind made manifest; Raikou and Suicune. The ones he’d been trying to find since he first awoke in a human body. It felt as though he hadn’t seen them in ages. They’d grown.

The phoenix found himself choked up, his useless human throat unwilling to let out a single word of the many he wished to convey.

In his head, Michel had no such trouble.

'Ohh, what’s this now~? You finally found your type, huh?' Ho-Oh could practically hear Michel’s grin widen, 'Soo, which one are ya gunning for? Not interested in the dude myself, so how ‘bout you get that and I get the girl? She’s pretty cut--'

Ho-Oh burst into flames so suddenly that Michel practically shrieked.

'If you so much as think about speaking of my protégés in that manner again, I will fling your body into incoming traffic and refuse to heal you until you’ve passed out from the pain.'

'Okay, okay, damn, chill! Let’s not get heated, it was just a joke.' Michel let out a weak chuckle at his own choice of words, though it sounded a bit reserved - and died quickly once he noticed Ho-Oh was not equally amused by it.

Ho-Oh said nothing, his gaze still fixed onto his childr-- his, hm, retainers. The happiness he felt over the reunion was slowly starting to give way to worry. If Raikou and Suicune were here, yet Entei was not with them... not among either of the groups Darkrai had sent out... did that... mean...?

He was torn from his thoughts when Articuno let out another shriek, this one more from surprise than pain. Suicune had deflected her ice beam, blasting the bird with its own attack. But the two were not yet done. By now, the storm Raikou summoned had started to form. It wasn’t visible like a thunderstorm outside might’ve been, but the air felt different. It was heavy, tense, and quite literally charged - so when Suicune fired off a blast of water combined with a discharge from the storm, it electrocuted Articuno upon impact.

Electricity coursed through her body, drawing out a blood-curdling screech. The noise filled the entirety of the cave, instilling two facts into every person forced to hear it; Articuno was hurt, and she was angry.

With no warning, her wings flared. But something was off about them. It started as a subtle glow, brilliant blue spots dotting the dull darkness of her wings. Then, it started spreading from feather to feather until her whole body was cloaked in a blinding light.

By the time Ho-Oh got to his feet to shout a warning, it was already too late.

Articuno burst forward with immense speed, her entire form reduced to the vague shape of a bird aglow.

The screens placed between her and the other legendaries shattered in the face of her power, be that they did slow her down a little. Not that anyone could tell; before anyone could move a muscle to duck away, she’d already found her targets - Mew and two of the legendary beasts. The three that stood the closest. The three that had dared hurt her.

The impact was immense, throwing the trio backwards to the rest of the group. Before Ho-Oh could move to meet them, they’d already hit the ground.

Meanwhile, the man that had clung to Jack had found himself violently shoved aside - and then apologized to, only a moment later. The whiplash was visible on the man’s features, from widened eyes to an agape mouth. He seemed to have trouble processing what had just happened, and especially what he’d been told.

“S-subdue it? Are you mad? And what was... what was that?!” he jabbed a finger at where the portal had been a moment ago. Then something seemed to occur to him. He offered no words, but his expression spoke of fear - not only towards the rampaging bird, but towards the gathered crowd, as well.

“No...” he managed to gasp at last, “it can’t... be...”

Without missing a beat, he ducked his head and dashed away from the scene, attempting to flee as fast as his feet allowed.

He did not get far.

Having flown over the entire group, Articuno landed mere feet in front of him. The man yelped in panic and scampered the opposite way, but it didn’t truly matter where he was; there was no running from what the ice bird conjured.

Freezing winds begun to circle around her, picking up snow from the ground and scraping ice off the walls until one could no longer see the bird from the storm. Then, with a powerful flap of her wings, she sent a blizzard thundering through the cave. Powerful wind stole away the breath of any that dared turn their head towards it, and snow and ice pelted the group relentlessly enough to make tears in their clothes.

Flames engulfed Ho-Oh’s body once more, giving him the warmth needed to stay standing - though it did not entirely remove the difficulty of breathing in the onslaught of wind. He had to turn his head away, and though the fire kept anything from hitting his eyes, he had the mind to close them out of reflex.

'Are you cold?!' Michel gasped somewhere in his head.

'I’ll survive.'

'Cause I’m freezing just looking at this!'

Michel joked, but Ho-Oh took the sentiment seriously. He was feeling the cold too, just not enough to be in immediate danger - but he feared most of the others were not quite as lucky. As such, he took it upon himself to use his state of clarity and formulate some sort of a plan. It was difficult to see in the face of all the snow, ice and wind, but a few things he knew for a fact from before; Raikou, Suicune and Mew were injured, though still conscious from what he’d seen. A young boy whose legendary he was not aware of had not been so lucky; he had fallen unconscious earlier, shielded by a mere Metang. The mysterious man they had met had no form of cover, and would likely meet his end if not protected. Articuno would not stop, until she was made to do so.

“Xerneas!” Ho-Oh shouted through the howling wind, hoping his words carried, “Tend to the boy, then help me with the others. We need to save them.”

I need to save them.

He started to make his way to what was now the back of the group, where Mew, Raikou and Suicune lay wounded. Advancing was difficult and visibility almost zero - but he knew he’d reach them if he just kept moving. Chilly as the blizzard was against his back, at the very least it spurred him forward, one shaky step at a time. His flames struggled to live in the freezing wind, and he knew he could not keep them up forever. He had to be quick.

“Those with warmth, share it!” he kept shouting, because someone had to, “And someone able to do so-- get that man.” Though he was fairly certain no one would see him do so, Ho-Oh gestured to where he’d seen the man they had met in the cave before the snowstorm hid him. They still had to fight Articuno too, or at the very least distract her to make her end the blizzard. He could only hope someone would be able to find means to do it. For now, he had to use his fire to heal, not to hurt.

But he would need to hurt Articuno eventually, and he could not help but wonder; for how long? Would the loss of consciousness bring back her sanity? Or...

Ho-Oh reached the injured trio before he could finish that thought. He knelt and huddled close to them, trying to keep his fire from flickering out as it spread from body to body. For now, he was trying to keep them stable; with his flames spread between three people, it would never be enough to fully heal them. But with Xerneas’ help, perhaps they could at least get somewhat close.

His throat was incredibly sore from all the shouting, and he wondered if the chill was about to take his voice entirely. Before it did, he felt it imperative to get out a few words more. He hoped they were heavy enough with emotion that the wind could not steal them away.

“You did well. I’m proud of you.”

For a moment, Michel was about to make a clever quip - but then decided against it.

 

[VampirateMace]

Kay & Shaymin
Kit (Skitty - M), Nocturne (A. Meowth - M), & Blaze (Litten - F)
Union Cave

Maybe it was the fact they'd just gotten a taste of heat, but the cave seemed chillier than before as they followed Ho-oh in search of the source of the mysterious screams. Kay wasn't entirely sure this was a wise thing given the horrors they’d seen lately and how following strange sounds tended to work out in horror movies, but leaving someone to whatever fate that was causing them to scream like that probably wasn't okay either, especially if it was their missing party member. As they moved, evidence of the cold came in the form of frozen Zubats littered across the floor of the cave. Then suddenly the screamer stumbled into view, followed a by a huge icy bird. Given the way it was acting, a fight seemed eminent even before addition people and pokemon popped into existence between them and it, riling up the bird further. Kay pondered softly at Ho-oh's request, “Use our powers?”

'Ooh, I think he means for us to fight her,' suggested Shaymin sadly. Kay however, was distracted by Jack being launched across the room by psychic energy. Others were starting to fight, with transformations, fire, water, and glittering barriers, but she wondered if the fight was already falling apart? Others were sending out pokemon to fight for them. Kay glanced down at Blaze on her shoulder. The Litten lifted her head and mewed curiously. She shook here head lightly, she couldn’t send her tiny Litten out against that. Feeling pretty much worthless, she finally replied to Shaymin, “It doesn't really look like you have a choice.”

Just as Kay's eyes switched to the glowing green, Articuno dashed Cam (and a couple others) back into the group, before flying after the fleeing man she'd been chasing before they arrived. Reaching him, Articuno began whipping up a blizzard. The wind-born ice stung painfully as Shaymin was forced to look away. It took a lot of effort to not just collapse. He fished the pokeball out of Kay's pocket, worried for Litten's safety. But then Ho-oh shouted out to share warmth, and well, he certainly didn't know any fire moves himself. He crouched down, setting Litten beside him, “Do your best to keep everyone warm, okay friend?”

He squinted in Articuno's direction. It was hard to look that way. And it was hard to breath while looking that way. His Razor Leaf probably couldn't even get through. What could? Well maybe Ho-oh's query if anyone wanted to reason with her wasn’t too far off. His Telepathy maybe? He shut his eyes, relaxing Kay's body, and clearing his mind. He focused on Articuno in his mind's eye, and asked her, 'Why are you doing this? What has he done to you?'

 

[Vern]

Jack Donovan
Cordelia (Gardevoir, F)
Union Cave, Johto

While Cordelia put up her defence, Jack turned his focus to his own powers, using carefully coaxing a portal into existence underneath a large stalactite hanging from the ceiling above the legendary, and another directly above its head. He inched it upwards until the jagged blade of stone was above his target, then, closing his fist, brought it crashing down — but Articuno was no longer there. He barely managed to brace himself before the bird slammed itself into Cordelia’s Light Screen, sending everyone tumbling back as they shattered.

Grimacing, he stepped forward, only to realise that there wasn’t much he could do. Cordelia managed to steady herself with her telepathy, and floated down to the ground besides him. “Well, shit.” He groaned, throwing open another portal by his side, although he wasn’t sure what he’d do with it.

I’m telling you, we need to get the fuck out. Hoopa voiced his thoughts, a smug aura about him.

Before Jack could chastise him, the man he’d tried to help earlier cried out and attempted to flee, the fear of realisation dawning on his features as he seemed to grasp the situation. Jack started after him, worried for his safety, but Articuno beat him to it, soaring over them and blocking his path, eliciting another panicked scream. Before anyone could do anything, the bird screeched and conjured up an icy blizzard, blasting everything in the confines of the cavern with shards of ice and relentless wind.

“You,” he said, shouting to be heard over the storm as he turned to the man and seized him by the arm, “Follow me.” Dragging the man behind him, Jack slowly made his way towards the others, knowing that it’d be dangerous to be alone in such a harsh environment. With Cordelia besides him, he managed to make his way to where Ho-oh was kneeling besides some of the others, his healing flames licking over their bodies.“You, get down with them.” He told the panicked man, then turned his attention towards the storm. “Cordelia, help me out here.”

He knelt down on the ground besides the others, throwing open a pair of portals that redirected the worst of the storm in another direction, trying to ease the pressure on everyone nearby. It was something, at least — while his extremities felt cold enough to fall off and he couldn’t feel his face, at least he could protect most of his torso and hopefully some of the other people behind him as well. It was painful, but he could take it — if there was one thing he was best at, that would be to push onwards, and endure.

Cordelia followed his lead, using a Light Screen to block out some of the biting winds, while a few Will-o-Wisps provided a modicum of warmth.

What a hero you are, Hoopa sneered, What would you rather freeze off first, my fingers or my toes? Jack ignored him.

“Are you guys all right?” He asked, turning to Ho-oh, hoping that the wind wouldn’t whisk away his now-strained voice. Squinting at the people gathered there, he found that the group seemed… a little smaller than he remembered, and the storm made it hard to see if there were others cut off from them. “Hey, wait,” he added, concern creeping into his voice, “This... isn't everyone, is it?"

 

[Monster Guy]

Tim Wolfe and Kyurem
Anville Forest

The group made quick work of the Trevenants. Still, the danger wasn't over yet. A bunch of wild Pokemon came out of the Woodwork. Tim simply heard a cacophony of noises. He could still tell they were not happy noises. 'Now, look what you did?! You hurt some innocent Pokemon. And now they're upset. What are they saying?

"Hush, child!" Kyurem was on alert. Something bigger was coming.

And something bigger did come. Three somethings in fact. Cobalion, Terakion, and Virizion, the Swords of Justice as they were often called. They were from Unova, so Kyurem was vaguely aware of them. He usually stayed out of the business of other legendaries though. They brought them "gifts" Terakion and Virizions had brought with them human corpses. Ones that had been with them moments before.

Kyurem didn't really care about the fate of these humans he didn't even know, but Tim sure did. "N-no..." He regained control of his body, and fell to his knees in tears. He started sobbing loudly.

"Are you kidding me?!" Kyurem roared in Tim's head. "You barely even knew them! Why are you crying?! Get up and fight!"

"N-n-no..." Tim mumbled through his tears. "They're still people, and now they were brutally killed. That's sad."

"Ugh, humans and their emotions. They just keep you from doing what needs to be done. There are more important things to be concerned about than the deaths of two insignificant humans!"

Tim ignored Kyurem and everything else happening, and just sat there crying. Rocky nuzzled his trainer’s leg trying to be comforting, and Frosty tried to fight the three legendaries, but then they were all teleported away.

—-

Union Cave

Suddenly Tim and his Pokemon found himself inside a cave along with the rest of this group. Tim was still upset about the dead people, and the attacking of innocent Pokemon. Kyurem took this opportunity to take over, and return the Pokemon to their balls. Frosty had served his purpose for now, and the Rockruff was getting on his nerves.

“Stay down!” He heard someone say, before they were surrounded by a huge fire. Kyurem let out a loud roar from Tim’s mouth. Even though the fire did not harm him, Kyurem hated it. “I HATE THE HEAT!” Gradually, the fire died down, and the heat became less intense. It didn’t make Kyurem any less angry.

Fortunately, there was an angry shadowy ice bird for Kyurem to let his frustration out on. Others fought it, and the bird retaliated with icy attacks. Some were suffering from the cold. Kyurem however thrived in the cold.

With a smirk, Kyurem ran up to Articuno, and let out a roar. Then fired a Dragon Pulse from Tim’s open mouth.

Tim was too upset about this entire situation to say or do anything.

—

Liam Anwell and Xerneas
Union Cave

They progressed through the icy cave, and as they got deeper it got colder. Liam was thankful to have a warm body to cuddle up with the entire way. For some reason, Michel/Ho-Oh didn’t get him off, and Liam was grateful.

Xerneas was not pleased about this arrangement. ‘Liam would you please let the man go. This is embarrassing!’

“You wanna keep warm? You cuddle!”

Throughout this, they realized that a member of their group was missing. Liam tried not to dwell on the implications of that. The missing person would probably find their way back right?

In addition, there was also the distinct sound of someone screaming for help. They all decided to turn around and look for the source of the noise. A good ten minutes in, and all they found was more coldness. Still, Liam held on. Ho-Oh was the best source of warmth here.

Soon, they found what they were looking for. A frightened man screaming. They also found something they weren’t looking for. The source of all this coldness. A shadowy ice bird known as Articuno.

Before Liam and Xerneas could react to anything, more people were thrown into this mess. Then the fight started. Icy was being fired left right and center, and the others were doing what they could to fight it. Liam wanted to do something, but it was so cold, it was unbearable. Staying near Ho-Oh/Michel was the best thing if he wanted to not become a pink popsicle. Xerneas also didn’t like violence so legendary and human were in agreement.


“Xerneas!” Ho-Oh yelled through the icy winds that were blowing. “Tend to the boy, then help me with the others. We need to save them.” He directed him to an unconscious boy being assisted by a Metang, along with three others that had gotten hurt fighting Articuno.

At this point, Xerneas took control of Liam’s body, and went over to tend to the small child. As a being of life, Xerneas wasn’t about to let someone succumb to death to prematurely.

‘Good grief, this kid’s barely smaller than me!’

Xerneas knelt down beside the boy, and channeled the power of life through Liam’s hands. “I cannot allow a precious life to end so soon. Stay with me child!” Xerneas healed the boy as best he could. He hoped it would be enough. However, he still had more people to heal.

He found Ho-Oh huddled together with three others, using his flames to tend to their injuries. Xerneas stepped in to assist. He fired beams of life energy between the three of them. Having to divide his powers between three people would limit its effectiveness, but with Ho-Oh’s help, these people might survive.

‘Hey Xerneas, I know your a life fairy and you got to keep people alive, but you think maybe when we’re done we could do something about that ice bird that’s trying to freeze us to death?’

Xerneas shuddered at the thought of harming another living being. “That falls in the realm of Yveltal...” Xerneas frowned. He hadn’t thought about his colleague since this whole situation began. While he couldn’t stand the bird, and they argued a lot of their differing beliefs, they still had mutual respect for each other’s purpose. If death had been corrupted, who knows what sort of chaos could ensue. Xerneas tried not to dwell on that and focus on the task at hand. “Right now our goal should be keeping everyone else alive.”

 

[Tangeh]

Lucia Marrero / Suicune
Union Cave

The combined forces of Suicune, Raikou, and an arcanine were putting a dent in Articuno, and Suicune frowned. It had to be done... He flinched when she screamed as his water pulse hit her, the storm from Raikou causing electricity to crackle around her once brilliant feathers. She flared her wings – once such a benevolent sight was turned grossly intimidating. A gentle glow began spreading through her body, and for a brief moment Suicune's heart leapt, thinking their efforts were having an effect.

He realized his error a split second too late. “Get dow - !” Suicune barely managed to shout the half-warning. He turned but wasn't able to push Raikou out of the way in time. A sky attack burst forward, giving Suicune no time to re -

…

…

'Suicune?'

Lucia blinked open her eyes, realizing several things at once – most of her consciousness focused on the sheer cold that was radiating to every inch of her body. She inhaled suddenly, shakily as she realized she had been holding her breath. They certainly weren't in the forest anymore, but Lucia was starting to think they were better off there. Her heart hammered as she stared through the frigid winds at Articuno's massive presence. She tried to sit up, but gasped softly and clutched at an intense pain on the side she was sprawled on. The edges of her vision were starting to fade out, and she fought to stay conscious. “Suicune...” Lucia muttered, her voice barely audible.

A man came over and knelt near them, and Lucia weakly tried to focus on him. He summoned an odd fire that under different circumstances Lucia would have scrambled away from, but she helplessly allowed it to consume her. The flames felt like they were melting her skin, yet Lucia felt stronger, somehow, and certainly warmer. Articuno let out an ear-piercing shriek. Lucia shakily reached one hand out and grasped the fire man's arm instinctively for comfort. She was pretty sure she was going to die.

She met the man's gaze briefly. He looked over at Walter, too. “You did well. I’m proud of you.”

Lucia's eyes flickered blue for a second, so fast one might pass it off as a trick of the light, but then they flickered again and stayed blue. Suicune groaned quietly and released Ho-oh's arm, gingerly trying to prop himself up. He inhaled sharply and grabbed his side much like Lucia had done, his face screwed in pain, but unlike Lucia he fought past it. His eyes widened as he sat up and found the reason – there was a large bloodstain soaking the left side of Lucia's white tank top. It was either from Articuno's direct impact or an unlucky landing on the rocky ground; he wasn't sure. Suicune heard Lucia whimper from inside their shared subconscious, and his attention was briefly diverted. 'Lucia? Are you okay?'

'I-I don't think so, that looks … bad.'

Well, at least they were both conscious now. Suicune grit his teeth and tried to summon a mirror coat to protect them from Articuno, but his first attempt shattered before it could be of any help, and his second left him gasping for air, which aggravated the wound on his side. He groaned and pressed one hand against it.

'Please be careful!'

Luckily a man in a dark purple suit hurried forward to take over, summoning what looked like a portal to redirect some of the winds. A gardevoir came forward as well, summoning a light screen. Suicune felt like he could breathe a little easier with the winds controlled– an increasing necessity as he was pretty sure Lucia had lost a fair amount of blood. He felt so weak being in this body – to be human, to be so fragile... maybe later it would be humbling, but right now it was terrifying. “Thank you...” he told the man, though his weak tone was lost in the roaring winds. Winds that should just as easily be under his control, and certainly not be causing him this much discomfort.

“Are you guys all right?” the purple man asked. Suicune stayed quiet. He wasn't all right, but the familiar flames licking at their body were helping. He just wasn't sure if it was going to be enough, especially with three of them in need of care.

Another man – this one dressed mostly in pink – came over, and fired beams of energy at the three of them. The pain in his side faded – not completely, but enough for him to shakily stand up. Suicune nodded at the man. “Thank you.” He turned to Ho-oh. “And thank you, my lord. I shan't let her have a chance like that again.” He felt a little lightheaded, and was panting from standing up and talking, but ignored the feeling and turned to face Articuno. “What now?” he asked the others, hoping somebody else had a plan, because he didn't feel up to taking the lead right now. “Tell me how I can help.”

 

[Skillfulness]

Walter / Raikou
Union Cave

Walter groaned as his consciousness returned. He was on his back in the icy cavern and could feel immense pain around his whole body. The second thing he felt was intense cold and a stinging sensation from sharp, biting wind. He gasped and curled up around himself to keep warm as his mind reeled. What had happened? Last thing he remembered was sensing the storm roll in and Lucia, er, Suicune, let off a blast of water which combined with a flash of lightning. Articuno seemed to really feel that one and he and Raikou were feeling proud, but then she disappeared, Suicune was about to warn them, and then darkness.

Looking around, Walter saw the man with Ho-oh approaching them with flames. Articuno was behind him a distance with a blizzard swirling around her. Hopefully he hadn’t been out for too long... and was Raikou ok?

Raikou, are you there? He asking hesitantly. He wasn’t sure if the legend could disappear completely. There was a sense that if one of them died, they both would, but he had a strike of fear course through him at the thought of being left without Raikou in his head during these trials.

I- I’m here, Walter. She attacked us, but we’re fine. Ho-oh had nearly reached them now, flames still going. Initially, Walter shied away, afraid of the flames. It was a fire and all his life he’d been told not to play with fire, to be safe. Once the flames licked at his body though, he felt immense relief. He audibly sighed and relaxed. His wounds began to ease and the cold around him dissolved to merely an annoyance. Raikou remained silent in his head, but Walter sensed an eagerness to him. The Ho-oh man was kneeling beside them when he gently spoke.

“You did well. I’m proud of you.” Raikou immediately perked up. He left Walter in control, but they looked up at the man and saw the emotion writ on his face. Walter was flattered, but he guessed the words were meant for Raikou. He couldn’t get much of a read on how he felt though--perhaps it was best he had a personal moment anyway. The two had been stuck together for a number of weeks without a moment of privacy. It was odd, but Walter was finally starting to get used to it. Maybe it was the death-defying escapades as of late. In a flash though, he felt Raikou take over again and begin standing up. He winced and nearly fell over, but settled on a crouch, supporting himself with a hand on the ground.

“I have my life to thank you for. I can only hope I do my best with it for you, thank you.” Raikou was adding to the praise Suicune had already stated. Clearly these three had a deeper relationship than Walter imagined. He was warmed by the thought of something like a family between Ho-oh and the legendary dogs. It was something he had missed out on most of his life...

Others had come to aid which was good. Aritcuno was raging away with her blizzard making it difficult to do anything. Fortunately, the timid boy had a huge change in personality, probably his legend taking over, and had begun attacking her. Hopefully that would slow her down more. But what was their end goal here?

“Thank you, pink man,” Raikou said to address the other legend healing him. He then turned to Ho-oh. “What is our objective? Are we to continue this fight or retreat? We were not aware of the situation before arriving, though we have news to share once we have a moment. For now, what is our course of action?” While normally not afraid to take the lead in situations such as this, Raikou would definitely defer to his superior at this time. He hoped the human within him would stay at bay just for a while. Selfish, true, but Raikou had desperately desired to hear Ho-oh’s voice again, to feel the comfort of his presence. He sighed deeply in the flickering flames and prepared himself to do whatever was needed of him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cam / Mew
Union Cave

Mew! I said snap out of it! Cam had been yelling at her while she dashed around in the form of an Arcanine, but she would not listen. Fortunately, others were helping, but everything collapsed around them quickly. The ice bird dashed forward swiftly and knocked her and two others flat on their backs. Her form instantly reverted from Arcanine to human and Cam became the one in control. She gasped, but no air entered her lungs as the wind was knocked out of her. Tears formed and blurred her vision until she could get a gulp of air and catch her breath again. Though feeling panicked in the moment, she quickly calmed herself and addressed her surroundings.

The boy with black hair was taking on Articuno, who had now whipped up a blizzard. The flirty guy Michael was approaching them surrounded by flames, so more likely Ho-oh was in control right now. The two beside her were slowly recovering which was also a good sign. Once Ho-oh reached them, she felt the warmth of his healing flames and let it consume her. Mew was either brooding back there or taking a break to calm down, she hoped it was the latter. Mew had been so emotional it was concerning, but now with Cam in control they might not get themselves killed. Jack’s Gardevoir offered Will-o-Wisps to add further warmth and Liam, or his legend, came by with beams of rejuvenation.

“Sir Ros, offer some light and protection,” Cam said while releasing her Ampharos. Sear the Arcanine bolted over, apparently having found a safe place to retreat to while the bird attacked. Cam gave her an appreciate pat on the head and instructed the two of them to protect the man Ho-oh had mentioned earlier. That was honestly the safest and most logical option at the moment for them. Even for a Legendary Pokemon, this one seemed way out of the league of regular Pokemon. Sear and Sir Ros could at least keep the man from freezing and make an escape if needed.

“Hey, wait,” Jack said, concern in his voice, “This... isn't everyone, is it?” Cam glanced around and tried taking stock of their team. It was difficult with the blustery snow and ice, so she couldn’t say for sure. Hopefully they wouldn’t have a casualty from this battle.

Cam, I’m ready. Mew’s voice broke through, clear and determined. It completely derailed her train of thought, but Cam was quick to respond.

No. You were incredibly too reckless and got yourself hurt. It was stupid of you to charge out like that unprotected and we can’t risk it again. Look we-

No, listen Cam. There was a pleading tone to Mew’s voice. Though Cam had heard her beg many, many times to go shopping or visit an ice cream stall, this was different. She listened. I may have been rash in making my decisions, but I battle best when I fight with passion. Trust me on this next attack and just warn me if something’s coming, alright?

Cam considered for a moment. They didn’t have much time before Articuno changed tactics, but it was important to consider the possibilities. On one hand, Mew could go bonkers again and loose her cool which was what she mostly expected to happen. On the other hand, this was a Legendary Pokemon in her head with years of experience on her. Once they were feeling healed enough to get up and fight again, Cam had decided.

Alright, I’m trusting you Mew, but don’t ruin it. Show me what you’ve got, and don’t get us killed. I don’t trust easily...

And I know that, thank you Cam. She felt the legend take over and returned to sentry duty. Cam was still incredibly unsure about trusting the childish, over-energetic Pokemon with control of her, their, body. But it also wasn’t like she had many options. As she observed, Articuno was more powerful than any Pokemon she’d ever met. Even with a full team attacking from every angle, she was sure she would still loose. Sure she had her allies, but she couldn’t count on any of them yet. This was the first time they were seeing battle together and she didn’t have much opportunity to learn about any of their prior battle experiences. For all she knew, they could all be a bunch of green trainers or people without any Pokemon battling experience at all.

Now with Mew in control, Cam could sense the fiery emotions still growing inside her. Mew was still filled with fury, but now it was a controlled fury. She was filled with righteous vengeance; vengeance for the frozen corpses they passed on their way in. Cam suddenly understood why Mew was so worked up about Articuno. Mew told her many times how she was a protector of Pokemon and she was unable to protect the ones who perished to Articuno’s icy powers. This was Mew making up for failing in her duties and taking measures to ensure it wouldn't happen again.

“Articuno!” Mew bellowed. She was standing now, beside one of the portals Jack had opened to divert the blizzard. “You have been a disgrace to Pokemon everywhere. You’ve killed your own kind without remorse. You will pay for your actions.” The emotions were really building now and Cam was nervous again. She kept her eyes peeled for anything Mew might not expect, as she was clearly focused. Soon, 3 globules of energy surrounded her, glowing lightly in the white of the snowy cave. Mew held her hands out directed at Articuno and the energy orbs instantly flew at the bird in a streak of light. Before Cam could notice if they hit or if Atricuno deflected or dodged them, Mew collapsed. She crawled back to the safety of the flames and light screens, panting as she held her side. Cam was even effected by the immediate exhaustion.

What was that? There was so much energy there Mew, it was incredible.

Energy Orb, more powerful, the more passionate, I am. She thought back in stagnated phrases, still catching her breath. I know it was dangerous, but I knew I had the team to back me up. While they were still busy, figured I could get a cheap shot in. She grinned. Sitting on the cave floor, she soaked up the healing energies while they figured out their next step.