Pokémon Umbral ~ Ruinous Origins Mission 2, Chapter 1

[Bard The 5th LW]

"I suppose it would be prudent to swap enemies for now," Charlotte said. Spitz didn't seem to oppose the idea either, and was willing to use probably his last turn to do some more damage. She didn't particularly care for the reason they were switching foes, she just didn't feel like having another insubordination talk.

"Spitz, use iron tail on the Sableye," she ordered. Spitz followed his command, and swung an Iron Tail at the Sableye's rather large and buggy eyes. His master would approve of such a vulnerable area to attack.

"And don't call me Charlo," she added to Shannon. It really confused her as to why Shannon would be anything but hostile to the person who tried to shoot her before. If Charlotte were in Shannon's position, someone would be bleeding at this point.

[DanteFalcon]

Matthias's eyes locked on the Mothim. With the rain currently pouring down it seemed like the most obvious target for his current form. There were advantages to having the world's strongest bug zapper in your arsenal.

He focused on it calmly, letting the rain cascade around him until he felt it was the right moment. His eyes suddenly hardened as he raised a hand above his head towards the rain clouds.

Thunder. A lightning bolt raced from his hand into the storm above, crashing down almost instantaneously on the Mothim.

It almost felt unfair to be raining lightning down from such close range. Which was exactly how he preferred it.

[Astral Harmony]

Team One Synopsis (Impact/Pierce/Matthias/Rachel/Chizuru)
Impact: Wild Arbok and Wild Mothim are seriously damaged.
Tyranitar (Pierce's): Wild Honarmor is defeated.
Skarmory (Pierce's): Trainer Medicham A is seriously damaged.
Matthias: Wild Mothim is defeated.
Chizuru: Used Kimono Technique Solidarity Guard. Trainer Medicham A is seriously damaged. Trainer Medicham B is damaged. Both Trainer Medichams are flinching.
Rachel: Trainer Medicham A is critically damaged.
Registeel (Rachel's): Trainer Medicham A is defeated.
Bronzong (Rachel's): Wild Arbok is defeated.
Enemy Force Update: Wild Gengar has returned.
Wild Gengar: Tyranitar is now asleep.
Wild Skuntank: Impact is seriously damaged.
Status Effects: Impact is critically damaged by Bad Poisoning.
Weather: All vulnerable targets take damage from Sandstorm. Nobody defeated by Sandstorm.
Environment: Sandstorm and Rainstorm are in effect.

Arbok coiled, uncoiled, and recoiled from the psychic assault. Mothim was solidly knocked out of the air to the floor by the Siege Boomerang. Fortunately for Impact, the Siege Boomerang arced towards the ground on the return and stabbed itself into the floor just yards before his feet, saving Impact the large trouble of trying to catch the damn thing's return pass. Only true professionals in the best of conditions should ever try to catch the boomerang, and while Impact was certainly a professional, he wasn't in the best of conditions.
Tyranitar's Earthquake literally tore a hole in the floor for Honarmor to fall through. Honarmor wasn't climbing out of that hole, so one could assume it was out of the picture permanently. Skarmory's Medicham took the Air Slash like a Fighting type Pokémon ever could...not very well considering it was super effective.
A strange scent followed Matthias's flash-frying of Mothim. The bug hadn't even started flying again after Impact downed it the first time before the lightning bolt struck it down for good. Mothim lay there and wasn't getting back up.
"Time for me to show off a little," Chizuru said, wagging her ass at the Medichams.
"What're you doing?" Rachel demanded.
"Tsubasa taught me this. Said it was perfect for me since I like defense."
The Medichams didn't like being insulted, and rushed Chizuru. They attacked, but Chizuru danced through their attacks and hit them both solidly.
"How does that work?" Rachel said, her eyes sparkling at seeing Chizuru's skills.
"I can taunt a single Pokémon type into recklessly attacking me. They do, they'll miss, and I'll let them reap the foolishness they've sown."
"Awesome. We can use that to keep all of a single type of Pokémon from attacking during a round."
"Registeel, Flash Cannon on that wounded Medicham! Bronzong, Extrasensory on that Arbok! I'll help Registeel!"
The moves were brutal, and now the trainer was down to one flinching Medicham. By the way, the wild Pokémon weren't being replaced anymore. "We're pwning them! Just another good push!"

Rachel spoke too soon. The Gengar that Tyranitar scared off had returned. But it was just the Gengar to replace three defeated Pokémon.
"Enemies attacking!" Chizuru warned the others.
The Gengar kicked things off by gazing at Tyranitar. Their eyes locked with each other, and then Tyranitar fell over, locked in some kind of trance. Skuntank was up next, hitting Impact with a Sludge Bomb. Seriously? More poison? And with the sandstorm buffeting him and the poison running its course, Impact was on his last ounce of consciousness.

-----

Team Two Synopsis (Renny/Charlotte/Shannon/Lola)
Togekiss (Renny's): Wild Feuerant is critically damaged. Wild Feuerant is flinching.
Position Switch: Charlotte and Shannon switched positions.
Spitz (Charlotte's Mightyena): Wild Sableye is seriously damaged.
Cacturne (Shannon's): Wild Starmie is seriously damaged.
Lola: Wild Dustox is seriously damaged.
Wild Sableye: Spitz (Charlotte's Mightyena) is defeated.
Wild Starmie: Cacturne (Shannon's) is seriously damaged.
Wild Dustox: Cacturne (Shannon's) is defeated.
Environment: Sunny Day is in effect.

The Feuerant was knocked on its back by the Togekiss's Air Slash, then struggled back to position. Hell of a fighter, that one. But it wasn't holding up well. Togekiss had scared the little bastard.
Shannon switched places with Charlotte, and didn't respond to Charlotte's advice on naming, but the grass trainer understood well enough.
Spitz gave Sableye a solid slap with its solidified tail across its horrid face, knocking Sableye down. But Sableye got back up. This was one rough Pokémon.
"Here goes nothin'," Shannon said, reaching for a Pokéball. "Cacturne, step forth and destroy!"
The moment Cacturne materialized from the capture beam, Shannon directed it towards the Starmie. "Sucker Punch!"
Cacturne slugged Starmie with a brutal swipe, knocking it against the display case for a cluster of useless antiques.
Lola raised a paw that suddenly erupted into flames. "Fire Punch!" She yelled before feeding Dustox a face full of it.

Sableye started the party for their side by knocking Spitz down with a Shadow Ball. Spitz struggled to its feet, fought a losing battle with consciousness for a few seconds, and fell on its side before dematerializing and returning to Charlotte's Pokéball. Starmie blasted Cacturne with Ice Beam. Dustox followed it up with Bug Buzz, putting Cacturne down for good. "This is really starting to get on my last nerve," Shannon growled.

[Geminex]

The taste of sweet victory mingled with the far less metaphorical and far less pleasant taste of... whatever he'd been attacked with. It felt like raw sewage, and smelled like it too. And he had gotten some in his mouth, as well, gah. And he didn't even want to think about what orifice this had come from. He hated it when he was reminded exactly why it was that he hated pokemon so. Still, it could have been worse. He was at the edge of consciousness, the dark edges to his vision attested to that. Laying down now and sleeping it off would now be so very, very easy... if not for that smell. Gah, that smell. And he felt strange, his mind was dulled, his muscles aching. Too uncomfortable to sleep. Besides, he, he wanted to see that Skuntank punished horribly. That wouldn't work if he was asleep. He shook his head sluggishly. And anyway, they were fighting, weren't they? He couldn't sleep when they were fighting. He might get hurt. Perhaps he could sleep later. His hand, trembling, reached down to his belt, grasped a full restore, and his training kicked in. Moving precisely, despite still being mentally numb, he first sprayed some on the areas of skin which had been worst affected, then injected the rest. A second later he stiffened, remained for another few seconds, then relaxed, shook his head again, looked at the battlefield again, grinned. Time to finish this. Though, he realized, he still smelled.

"Allright, let's rout them! Pierce, see if you can wake Tyranitar, I want that Skuntank to suffer. And by suffer, I mean Earthquake. Hard. Another air slash by Skarmory should bring Medichan close to death. I'll weaken Gengar, another psychic attack, perhaps by Bronzong, should be enough to finish it off when I'm through with it. Rachel, maybe you could help Pierce wake Tyranitar. Registeel can fire on Skuntank, Matt's our Wild Card. Hit what you will."

Again his rifle fired a blast of energy at Gengar. He wasn't quite certain of this particular monster's anatomy (it was usually difficult to dissect ghosts), so he defaulted to "shoot between the eyes", which he was fairly certain would be effective.

[Menarker]

Renny's face was strained with indignation as Spitz and Caturne dropped around him. The situation, especially with Shannon's other pokemons dropping down fairly swiftly too.

"Shannon, fall back!" Renny pulled out a pokeball and summoned Magnezone in her place.

If at all possible, I would rather spare our medical supplies that are used due to pokemons being sent out to fight a mismatched battle. I'm sure there will be other battles where you will be of better use." Renny had tried to be reassuring, but with the way the battle had progressed, he felt his words lacked their usual weight. "This one just isn't the right one for you now! I rather not see more of our pokemon go down."

Togekiss chimed powerfully as its mournful voice seemed to resonate with the ambience of the hallway. The metronome that was attached to it, clicking back and forth in perfect rhythm that seemed to had a strong influence on his mind as it had unleashed its attack.

"Togekiss! Lola! You're both doing great. Keep up what you're doing! Magnezone, Thunderbolt that Starmie!"

The metronome picked up its pace, ticking louder and faster as yet another consecutive Air Slash slammed the weighty blade of air toward the damaged Feuerant. Magnezone gathered the sheer voltage for its attacks within its steel frame, somewhat annoyed by Sunny Day as lightning jolted toward the Starmie, from one genderless pokemon to another.

----------------
Renny's Togekiss uses Air Slash again on Feureant. The metronome item that it is hoping is pumping up Air Slash's power by 10% with every consecutive use of it, making this 3rd Air Slash in a row about 20% stronger than normal. STAB, Super Effective, 60% Flinch.

Suggested another round of Fire Punch against Dustox from Lola.

EDIT: Asking if he or Charlotte should be summoning a pokemon in Shannon's place. Summoned Magnezone in Shannon's place.

Magnezone does Thunderbolt on Starmie. STAB, Super Effective. 30% Paralysis (Though I think it would be knocked out.)

[Dracorion]

"I'm getting really tired of them putting my pokemon to sleep." Pierce muttered. "Tyranitar, wake up and Earthquake that Skuntank! Skarmory, Air Slash!" While Pierce tried to rouse Tyranitar, Skarmory again fired the blast of air at the last Medicham.

[Bard The 5th LW]

"Thats it, the gloves come off," Charlotte shouted as she reached into her coat, and released Buck from his pokeball. She was tempted to pull out Hammond for a moment, but decided she would hold him back for now.

"Go get the sableye boy," she said, patting the Arcanine on the head and pointing towards the unfortunate bug-eyed pokemon, "show it what happens when Charlotte gets angry."

"Extreme Speed now!" she shouted rather suddenly. Before the poor Sableye had any chance to interpret or react, Arcanine had already become a blur and warped straight to it, holding its head forward to ram the Sableye. Maybe it would be a quick and painless death, like a broken neck. If it doesn't die from this, Charlotte may find herself kicking the poor thing to death.

[DanteFalcon]

Matthias flinched slightly at the on going sand storm. He'd have to talk with Pierce about the use of that Tyrannitar. It was just as hazardous for the team as the opponents in drawn out battles. No time to think more about it though. They needed to finish this up quickly.

He looked up at the storm again, throwing a concentrated ball of energy into it.

Weather Ball. The ball seemed to absorb a part of the storm and focus it for a moment before speeding to the still living Medicham and blasting it with the full power of the storm.



Brief Calculation:
Since weather ball is fairly complex. Its power is doubled to 100 due to Rain Dance before Matt's STAB comes into effect.

[Astral Harmony]

Team One Synopsis (Impact/Pierce/Matthias/Rachel/Chizuru)
Impact: Wild Gengar is seriously damaged.
Tyranitar (Pierce's): Woken up but cannot attack.
Skarmory (Pierce's): Trainer Medicham B is critically damaged.
Matthias (Castform): Trainer Medicham B is defeated. Trainer Ballet Instructor is defeated.
Victory!: It would be absurd if Rachel, Chizuru, and Rachel's Pokémon couldn't defeat a wounded Gengar and a Skuntank. Victory.

Gengar's whole body distorted when struck, as it often is with ghosts. Its eye bugged out like a cartoon character and its limbs twisted and writhed. After the gun was exhausted for the round, Gengar reassumed its shape, but it was having difficulty holding itself together.
Pierce managed to call out to his Tyranitar and wake it up, but it was still woozy from the Hypnosis. Pierce couldn't get an action from it immediately.
Skarmory worked hard enough for the both of them, cutting the remaining Medicham and leaving it open to Matthias's Weather Ball, which knocked it out cold. With no more Pokémon left, the ballet dance instructor fled. "Let him run," Rachel advised. "Nowhere to get away from us but outside, and that's where the police are waiting for people just like him."
"What if the police don't think he's a bad person?" Chizuru asked.
"What is there about a french guy in a woman's tutu that isn't a bad thing?"
"Ah. I see your point."
Rachel, Chizuru, and Rachel's Pokémon polished off the last of the wild Pokémon. Just as soon as that was over, Rachel immediately rushed to Impact's side and got to work. Chizuru walked up to them. "Ummm...excuse me, but-"
"Sorry, can't talk right now," Rachel apologized. "I've got to help him fast before he dies."
"But, ummm...I don't know, maybe you can give him this?"
Rachel paused in the treatment to look at Chizuru's hand. She held some kind of seed the color of gold and about the size of an almond. "What's that?"
"My friends and I use them after really difficult battles. We don't have a lot, but they're amazingly helpful. And thanks to me, they even taste pretty good. If you trust me, could you give it to him?"
Rachel looked thoughtful for a second, then shrugged. "Well, I don't think you're a bad person, so sure."
Impact was in such bad pain that he really didn't care to protest. "Make sure he chews it thoroughly," Chizuru instructed. "That really helps."
Impact could describe eating it easily enough. It was pretty much like eating rock candy, and the flavor was very much like children's cough syrup. It was definitely some kind of crystal, but it dissolved into a liquid rather quickly. Kind of strange, all in all.

And then came the rush of euphoria. Impact felt so good he had to resist the urge to check his pants and see if he had a happy accident.

"Wow. You okay?" Rachel asked Impact.
Chizuru brought her face close to Impact. "He looks good. I'm glad it works on humans."
"What was that stuff?"
"Crys...crystallized demon god blood," Chizuru faltered, stepping back.
"Demon god blood!?" Rachel gasped.
"From where I call home. Most of the time, it's in a liquid form," Chizuru explained. "But some smart demons found a way to concentrate it into a crystalline form."
"So what, you're from hell?"
"More like the netherworld."
"What's the difference?"
"Less hellish. It's actually not a bad place to live if you're really good at fighting."
"Ah. Oh, so you're a demon?"
Chizuru shook her head. "No, just a half demon. I used to be a human, but after death I got recruited into Lady Shizuka's service. There I underwent a ritual that made me into a half demon. I used to have brown eyes but that ritual made them red."
Rachel was interested in learning more, but it would have to wait. "I wonder how the others are doing?"

-----

Team Two Synopsis (Renny/Charlotte/Shannon/Lola)
Togekiss (Renny's): Feuerant is defeated.
Magnezone (Renny's): Starmie is defeated.
Shannon: Captures Starmie.
Buck (Charlotte's Arcanine): Sableye is defeated.
Lola (Lopunny): Dustox is defeated. Victory!

In a powerful one-two Pokémon combo, Togekiss cut Feuerant down while Magnezone left Starmie motionless and smoking. Shannon, who had restricted herself from using a Pokémon since Renny's Magnezone was a much better choice in these battles, decided to do something else. "Pokéball, go!" she shouted, nailing Starmie squarely on the red gem in the center of its body with the capture device. The Pokéball rocked back and forth, but eventually stopped moving and the capture indicator turned off. "That'll be a nice gift for Moon," she said satisfactorily as she retrieved the ball.

But Shannon didn't intend to stop there. For taking a bullet for her, Shannon intended to do more for Moon. So much more.

Buck was on Sableye before Sableye could even blink...if Sableye was capable of blinking. A solid smash sent Sableye for a loop, coming to rest against a corner of the hallway. It didn't get back up.
Lola knocked Dustox clean out of the sky with another vicious Fire Punch, then returned to her normal form after seeing that Dustox wasn't getting back up. "Okay, let's see those knocked out Pokémon."

-----

Team One and Two Communication Synopsis: Nekkid pillow fight between Chizuru and Lola...no, not really.

Chizuru and Lola were both red-faced when the conversation was over, Chizuru out of sheer embarrassment and Lola out of anger and jealousy. Then again, Rachel did just have to say something like that.
"You wouldn't believe it, Renny! We've met another of those ninja girls in those skimpy kimonos, and she does have bigger breasts than Lola!"
Shannon walked over and put her hand on Lola's shaking shoulder. "Don't fret, Queen of Hearts. Y'know what I always say. Just do your best even if there's always going to be someone better than what you're best at."
"That doesn't exactly instill me with comfort for some reason."

After both teams took the time to switch their equipment if needed, they pressed on.

-----

Team One Synopsis (Impact/Pierce/Matthias/Rachel/Chizuru)
Character Positions: Impact, Pierce and Chizuru are facing the vanguard enemy force. Matthias and Rachel are facing the rearguard enemy force.
Enemy Force Update (Vanguard): Two Wild Narchams and one Wild Pulverot.
Enemy Force Update (Rearguard): One Wild Mismagius, one Wild Alakazam, and one Wild Honchkrow.
Tactical Update: Slayer accessories are recharged. There are positions for three characters in the Vanguard and the Rearguard. If one of these formations contains only two people and one is a trainer, that trainer can deploy two Pokémon. Pulverot's Sweeping Ray (that normally hits all targets) cannot hit the Rearguard characters.

Now they were the ones moving through a corridor. It was eerily quiet and plain. Rachel tried one of the doors as they walked along, keeping alert. "Restroom," Rachel said simply. "Anybody gotta go?"
The lights may have worked in this mansion, but the plumbing hadn't been working for an obviously long time. The stink that came from the toilet was almost nauseous. "Probably a Muk in the septic," Rachel guessed. "Let's press on, shall we?"

They couldn't press on, mainly because there were now enemies in the hall. And they were Ruin Pokémon. Two Narchams and a Pulverot. Impact, Pierce, and Chizuru met them in battle. "Damn! Behind us, too!" Rachel said. She and Matthias were engaged by a Mismagius, an Alakazam, and a Honchkrow from the opposite direction.
Rachel deployed Quiksilver into the battle, then with a second of thinking, deployed Bronzong as well. "Looks like I can use two Pokémon because I only have Matthias with me."
That made sense. Pierce was restricted to one Pokémon because both Impact and Chizuru were with him, but because Rachel only had Matthias with her, she could use two Pokémon. Apparently this corridor was wider than the one Renny's team fought in previously. "We should be able to switch between each other. However, if someone comes over on my side, I'll have to withdraw a Pokémon, although Pierce will be able to deploy a second and fight using two at the same time. Let's keep these tactics in mind as we wage this battle."

Mismagius (Ghost) [Female]
Moves: Power Gem / Shadow Ball / Pain Split / Thunder
Ability: Levitate

Alakazam (Psychic) [Male]
Moves: Miracle Eye / Recover / Psycho Cut / Future Sight
Ability: Synchronize

Honchkrow (Flying/Dark) [Male]
Moves: Sucker Punch / Steel Wing / Wing Attack / Shadow Ball
Ability: Super Luck

"Chizuru, please be careful against the Ruin Pokémon. They're capable of uniting their attacks into a powerful Syncstrike."
"Don't worry, I know all about them. My friends and I fight them a lot. Did you know that in pincer formations like this, their attacks that hit everyone can't hit you and Matthias since you're on the other side?"
"That's news to me. But we can use that to save someone from being killed by switching them before the attacks hit."
"It won't exactly save them," Chizuru countered. "After all, there are vicious Pokémon on your side as well."
"Touché. I hope this doesn't mean that there's a Gendom in the mansion."

-----

Team Two Synopsis (Renny/Charlotte/Shannon/Lola)
Enemy Force Update: One Mew Pokébrid (Moera), one Trainer Metagross, one Trainer Chimecho, and four Mononoke.

It was obviously a study. Lots of shelves loaded high with books. Plush carpeting. Some reading tables with lamps and coasters for a cup of tea or something like that. And a young girl floating some three feet off the ground, searching among the books. As the door opened, she turned towards the door and saw the team enter.
"Interlopers," she said simply before floating gently towards the ground but never quite landing. The girl looked to be maybe ten years old and wore a gothic maid uniform. A long pink tail hung from beneath the long frilly skirt, her skin was a sickly pink, and she had arresting blue eyes. A Mew Pokébrid.
"Must kill interlopers," the girl said, producing and telekinetically hurling two Pokéballs to the ground. A Metagross and a Chimecho. "Slaughter interlopers," she continued.
As though right on cue, more of those Mononoke showed up. Four of them, making a total of seven enemies in all. "Moera shall stain the carpet crimson with you lifeblood," the girl said again. Now things were just getting too creepy.

Metagross (Steel/Psychic Pseudo-Legendary) [Male]
Moves: Hyper Beam / Zen Headbutt / Meteor Mash / Hammer Arm
Ability: Clear Body

Chimecho (Psychic) [Female]
Moves: Extrasensory / Double-Edge / Yawn / Dream Eater
Ability: Levitate

"I don't like hurting little girls," Lola admitted sadly.
"I don't think anyone does, Lola." Shannon replied. "But any little girl who talks about spilling our entrails about the carpeting doesn't really rank as an innocent in my book. I'm just sayin'."
"You're right. This child is obviously twisted. And where did she get Mew DNA? That stuff isn't necessarily legal, and is more or less not available. Legendary Pokémon DNA has some...side effects."
"Might try asking her when we take her out. Don't take her lightly. Mew can know every Technical Machine and Hidden Machine, which means that as a Pokébrid, Moera there has easy access to super effective moves regardless of her opponent's type."
"We'll have to let her stay conscious for a little while, though. She may be able to use every move, but her and her two Pokémon are easier to take on than all six of her Pokémon at the same time."
"If we can hit her with a status effect like sleep or paralysis, we can remove her threatening powers from the fight at least temporarily."
"Just be careful. As a Mew Pokébrid, she has the Synchronize ability. Anyone who hits her with paralysis will recieve paralysis in return."

[Bard The 5th LW]

Charlotte just stared at Moera with a sinister grin. This was a rarity, and Charlotte loved rarities. There was nothing she enjoyed more than fighting something no one else had ever fought before. It was exciting, and this job offered a lot of excitements. She was definitely going to invest in a way to record these fights.

"Just leave the girl to me," Charlotte said, her psychosis begin to to show through her voice. Sol-leks had been redeployed, and only shared a fraction of his master's blood lust, even looking uneasy at the prospect of the fight.

"I have no problem with attacking her, she even reminds me of myself a bit when I was young," she remarked. "Sol-leks, use crunch on the girl," she shouted. Sol-leks hesitated for a moment. Even he could tell that it was a child. But he supposed that it wasn't quite human, and went forward, if looking reluctant, to make the attack.

Buck to, who had remained deployed, was a little uneasy about Charlotte's cruelty, but in the end, was too naive to fully comprehend it. "Buck, use a fire blast on the Metagross," she ordered. It wasn't as big an accomplishment as the Mew pokebrid, but it was a rare find. Buck complied, and launched the fire blast at the Metagross.