(ACE) The MARSH Team

Eleroo felt like he was going to shake right out of his fur. His trembling was getting worse, his pulse racing from a mix of fear and action. Another Shadow Ball festered at his maw, wispy and failing to form as he fought off a rising panic. What was he doing? The Tropius had turned its rage filled eyes toward him, his weak attack still being enough to infuriate it. I'm not brave. Eleroo strained to keep the Shadow Ball viable, but he couldn't imagine aiming, attacking, and striking again. Hope was fettering away as quickly as the dark sphere, but it was reignited by surprise praise. "Excellent kit, aim for the vitals and means of movement. I believe in you." His paws tingled once more, the weight on his shoulders lightening as he focused on keeping himself and his attack steady.

Digging his pads into the floor he let his next strike go. With a sweep of its head the undead avoided another blast to the face, more specifically the eyes that Eleroo had been aiming for. The child had never stopped shaking, almost cursing his effort, but the sphere managed to make contact with one of the beasts rear wings. The wilting tip bent, flopping over meekly as the beast cried out in distress. Any joy was short lived, as it quickly stamped forward, charging the room with a rumbling bellow. Eleroo scampered aside narrowly avoiding being crushed under its bulking weight. She stopped suddenly, body rearing before coming down with a twist and flap. A harsh, sudden blade of wind shot forward, its target unknown as it flew forward and smashed the window before it.

Glass showered down to the floor, the whipping sound of wind and rain now coming from above and beside them as cold air flew in. Putting more distance between himself and the undead Eleroo tried not to gag. It was unclear if it was the fresh air, the monsters movement, or just his proximity, but its smell hit him hard. Her fatal wounds were bad enough, the smell of already death potent, but it was only getting worse as she attacked. Burn's from Shenron's attacks festered its diseased skin, the rotten portions bubbling and giving off a horrid odor of burned skin. As it rampaged, almost trampling him again, Eleroo could see pieces sloughing off and mixing with bloody prints it left on the floor. Despite his fear only one thought came to his mind. Its in pain. The thought was heartbreaking, that maybe it couldn't process anything outside of agony. The child practically sobbed, wailing out, "No one deserves this!"


Seek's vision was swamped, her rapid breathing refusing her the oxygen she needed. With her belly pressed roughly against the floor she struggled even more so to take in a deep inhale, and her mind was forced to slow down. The Pelipper had collapsed in a heap, clearly caught off guard by the electrical attack. For a few seconds it looked harmless, even weak as it struggled to stand. Its thick wings slapped the ground in a bid to regain itself, but its twitching muscles made for a difficult step. Seek's jaw clenched, her eyes wide with massive pupils as she tried to regain her composure. I-it was just a bird. Just a dumb, ugly bird that couldn't even stand. W-what was she so afraid so?! Forcing her stiff legs to stand Seek took a single step closer to it before the Pelipper managed to get back into its webbed feet.

With a jump she moved back, her body reacting with another Hidden Power. The jolt was weaker than before, just serving to irritate the wobbly pelican as it turned to face her. It gave a caw, throat rippling as it prepped another water attack. With a yelp Seek jumped again, bounding away and taking to the air much to her own surprise. Flying indoors was something completely new, and in her panicked state she struggled into the pound against the ceiling or careen straight into oncoming walls. Her mouth had gone dry from hyperventilating, body going lucid with a new fright, but somehow she managed to call out, "Moonblast it!"

The Pelliper was wobbling as it was still trying to get to the other eeveelutions. Seek then shouts. "Moonblast it!" That was all that was needed to say. Without hesitation, Felix fires off a moonblast at the Pelliper. It hits and downs the Pelliper. Its blood however was all over the wall from where it was hit. Honestly it stunk worse than a stunky. The only thing that escaped Felix's mouth was. "That smell, its disgusting!" The Sylveon said as he had the look of disgust trying to not puke from the smell. If they was assassins sent to kill them or force them out then they failed and it might draw the ire of the one who sent them. Eleroo and Seek aren't safe here as well as everyone else. Somehow they managed to get rid of the first attackers. However they might not be so lucky next time. Even for Felix, this was to close for comfort. They had to get out of there and get as far away from this place as they could.

First thing was to check of the two was alright. "Seek, Eleroo, are you both okay? Any of you hurt?" Felix asked out of concern. THen his second is to wanting to get out of this place before more show up. "I don't think we should stay here any longer than we should. They might send more undead to either force us off or kill us." As much as he didn't want to leave some of the vast novels and medical books, it was either they leave or die. It was all up to them as a group to discuss what to do. If its to escape then its for a good reason, but if they stay, they'll be almost constantly attacked.

---

The undead were waking, the activity and hunt fueling something in their bodies to make them more lively. Their sounds, their movements, their anger, it all stimulated their beings as the battled continued. The Tropius had moved forward, causing even more damage to the building as its rage boiled over.

Why, he wondered. What had caused this anger to surface and overtake its thought? The damage they had caused her was not yet severe and didn't warrant such a rampage. The disease was at play, that much was obvious, but what was its goal other than spreading? Such violence would kill its victims and remove the chance to reproduce. Did it want to leave wounds or strikes on those fleeing, or use final hits during its own death to spread? Such a risky method wouldn't have ratified a takeover of epidemic proportions.

But his hypotheses would have to wait. With a dip and dive the legend easy but narrowly avoided the strike from the dinosaur as it lashed out. When Seek cried out he switched targets, watching as she regained enough of herself to take to the air and leaving the Pelipper exposed in her wake. Twirling his twin tails in front of himself Uxie prepared an attack of his own, but withheld it as the Aiveon's instructions were heeded and a massive Moonblast descended upon the grounded bird.

While it was unclear if the rotten bird's body simply couldn't handle it, or if the attack was gratuitous, the damage was certain as dark blood sprayed out from the new gaping wound. It gave a cry, surprise perhaps, and seemed unable to return fire after sustaining such injury. It twitched, struggling to even more as its lifeblood draining from its battered body. As a sitting duck Uxie's interest was piqued, his offense forfeited for opportunity.

Angling himself with the others at his back the pixie thrust out his tails and arms in a fluid motion. A single shimmering star cascaded down, bursting before the pelican and drawing its attention forward. In the silent stance of an attack and all allies away from friendly fire the legendary Pokemon opened his true eyes. There was no chance for the bird as its ruby eyes locked with his golden ones and the process started.

The connection was formed, minds melding as vast distances became instant in a sea of thought. Uxie held the trance, lingering in its memories as they became his own. A lifetime passed by in a matter of seconds, his mind's eye full of key events and moments. He searched, struggling to stay the bond as he reached the recent past. The picture grew red, hazy like a film grain as its own memories faded with mental degradation. Shaking, he forced himself to remain present, the strain on both being both then and now increasing tremendously. The haze was thick, the memory holding nothing as the bird dove into the sea. Faux water choked him, the pressure worse than that of their thinning connection as he desperately lingered for value. Suddenly, the bird surfaced, a fish in its bill that it flung up and caught in its massive pouch.

Uxie gasped, his eyes widening as he noticed the spotting a heartbeat before their connection finally snapped with a harsh psychic pop. The force flung him to the ground, eyes closing in a pained cringe as the stolen memories condensed and faded from the front of his mind. The sea. He forced himself to hold onto what he desired, the small phrase a key clue in his search. Struggling to bring himself back to the present situation Uxie looked at the bird and knew the process had been too much; the psychic severing had snapped its decaying neck, its head resting listlessly at an awkward angle.

He rested his gaze on it for a few more moments, wondering if such a death was better or worse than a normal attack, or if morality had been violated. But even with such things in mind the legend felt validated, his gained knowledge more than justifying his actions as he took his lidded eyes away from the lifeless bird.

They would find no sanctuary by the bay.

(OoC: The Pelipper is dead.)

Eleroo could only watch as Shenron attacked the Tropius. He was their greatest asset, their strongest friend, but watching such a normally calm Pokemon go savage was truly hard to watch. The Tropius was suffering...! It didn't matter if it was undead, wounds were wounds and they looked vicious as it struggled and stomped in a desperate effort to shake him off. Shenron stopped of his own merits, but it only made the wounds clearer as the dinosaurs tattered hide revealed flesh that wasn't completely rotten. The scent was even worse, making the kit gag as the scorched, pungent smell assaulted his senses.

It was dizzying, sending him stumbling as the dual type raged past him. Despite the damage it had just received the thing did not turn back on its stunted attacker. It continued, ignoring the heap of a legend and offensive Felix that it could easily of charged at. What is it- Eleroo couldn't even finish his thought before the enraged creature made its intent, or lack their of, clear. It charged straight at the window it had already damaged, the cold, wet wind brushing its wings as it started to roar. She did not slow down, but raised both forelegs as it angled a shoulder toward the damaged wall. The crash assaulted his ears, sending the Radeon hunkering down on the floor, but his eyes refused to close as he watched the undead forcibly crash through the wall and out into the city beyond.

The sudden influx of air rocked the Aiveon around helplessly. The sudden violent current tugged her along, her stiff body struggling to fight it off as she had no purchase. Rapid breathes and heartbeats brought some life back to her paws, but even as she kicked and failed her light body was forced to follow the current as it whipped through the room. In her spinning vision Seek could see the very bloody Pelipper, and though she didnt know it had been slain she knew in that state it was no longer a threat. Her mind wanted to relax, to have some calm, but the wicked winds wouldn't let her until, with a harsh gust, the arcing wind made its way back out and she was thrown outside into the storm. "Hey-!" She cried out, the open space allowing her some control over her flight, but as she righted herself the Aiveon realized she was not alone. The Tropius had taken to the air and turned its sights back at her.

Reaching its long neck out toward her, it clamped its toothless, crushing maw down in an attempt to bite her. With a hasty flap the still unsteady Aiveon narrowly dodged, but it didn't stop trying to crush any part of her it could catch. "Oh come on!" She squeaked, realizing it was not an actual attack but just as dangerous to her as she couldn't shake it off.

Felix was getting ready to attack the Tropius next as it came into his view. Getting a good shot on it thoguh was more difficult than the pelliper. Come on you bastard. Hold still for one second instead of thrashing about like that. There was just no way he could hit it directly. There was one other way though. It was a wild card and the results aren't exactly the greatest. Since there was some surfaces that he can use the moonblast to make it bounce off of, it might hit something else. "This is kind of difficult to nail this one. Well here goes nothing." The Sylveon fires off the moonblast. As expected it started bouncing off of surfaces like a wild bullet. Anything unlucky to be in its direct path including paper was bound to have a hole punched through it. Last thing he needs is for it to go flying out the window, but its all up in the air on where it goes.

---

Uxie was motionless, the shock of his own blast rippling throughout his surprised body. Recovery was fast after centuries of experience but the ordeal never grew more pleasant. The ricochet had knocked his head against the floor and a small hand fell into a familiar groove as he soothed his aching crown. In that moment of weakness the other undead tromped past, its massive toenail narrowly missing his small grey body. I was reckless.

With his twin tails flowing behind him the legend regained his footing before taking loft once more. Its body teetered, readjusting to the weightlessness as he followed the destruction outside. With their airspace no longer restricted the winged Pokemon took to the sky, their maneuvers free and swift as they fought both each other and the elements pouring down around them. The harsh winds tried to toss his own being but the legend had regained himself, and he floated effortlessly as he watched the skyward dance.

How futile. The structural damage had been enough to mark them irredeemable, but their clamor would undoubtedly call to those hiding around them. Uxie calmed his mind, tuning out other forces as he focused on finding other presences.

Seek struggled against the wind, her light bones tossed about like a ragdoll as the Tropius continued its assault. The beast's powerful form fought the wind it was accustomed to with ease, its wing beats gratuitous in hurling the Aiveon about. Electricity arched across her pelt but the whipping made focus a challenge and aiming impossible. "Leave her alone!" She heard Eleroo wail, his squeaky voice seemingly coming from all directions as the Nebula Pokemon was spun about. A dot of purple passed her vision as she pulled a limb in close and narrowly avoided another chomp from the bleeding beast. Do something! All she needed was a moment, a chance to regain control and ride the winds, but she couldn't do that without some backup.

Eleroo's paws flitted, working and tapping the ground with rapid movements as he panicked. What could he do?! They were too high, he was so small.. His jaw quivered, any possible Shadow Balls fizzling to nothing at his maw as he watched the aerial maneuvers in horror. Shenron! The dragon could drag the thing back down! Flipping on his heels the Radeon took one bounce closer before watching the Charizard bash his own head against a wall, drawing blood and pain both as he struggled with some unknown force. The display made his twitchy paws seize, a sense of dread coming over him that he had felt so many times before. It only worsened as he saw Uxie on the floor and Felix run past him. His chest tightened as he realized the others were occupied, caught up in the fighting themselves and he was on his own.

With a rough breath he took a cautious step back before charging out into the rain. The wind pulled at his limp ears, batting them against his face as driving rain brought his face down and away from his quarry. What could he do? His stomach churned, possibly with a Toxic, but spitting one so high with the gales would never work out. The roofs? They had climbed before, maybe one of the closer buildings could help? As his mind whirled with ideas Eleroo found his paws rooted to the spot, paralyzed with bad possibilities. I really am useless. Had he already used up all his cards playing leader? And for what? Heat burned beneath his freezing pelt, a deep shame filling his face as he watched helplessly, but Felix's voice snapped his body back to the task at hand.

The glittering nyoom of an attack whistled in their ears, and as the Moonblast's path was deflected and changed even the Tropius could not dodged. Seek yelped, instinctively pulling all extremities inward and barely dropping herself out of harms way. The strike burst a moment later, and shimmering energy reached the Aiveon and took her out of crash position. With an even sharper yelp Seek throw out her limbs, catching the breeze and drifting away from the blast as the stunted dinosaur struggled to stay airborne as it fell. Wincing from the splash damage as she flapped Seek finally had a chance to regain control and rode the winds instead of fighting them. They were rough, but she managed to drift to the terminals roof and gain purchase on the slippery tiles. Digging her claws into a solid surface the wet Pokemon stood tall, relieved as the immediate danger passed. Watching as the Tropius fell almost completely to the ground she couldn't help but smirk and yowl down at it, "Yeah! Buzz off you overgrown weed!"

At the last moment it recovered, shaking its head and flapping its long fronds to make for a smooth landing as she bellowed in rage. Blood from its prior wounds dripped more fervently, mixing with the rain and running down its body as it eyed the Aiveon above. Her body tilted back, wings beating in rhythm to whip up a violent Leaf Tornado that tore its way toward the Aiveon. Seek squeaked, dropping into a crouch before running along the roof to avoid the forming twister, but as it was coming together something else caught her eye, a rocketing shape hurling its way toward them. Her maw locked in a hiss, sparks weakly arcing across her pelt as the spiral of wind and leaves came toward her, but all focus was on the orange shape that dashed straight at the Tropius from behind.

"Yall bastards 'int listen." The Floatzel jabbered before ice coated its fangs and he leaped, landing square on the dinosaurs back to land a direct hit to its long frond. The susceptible leaf wilted beneath the extreme chill, freezing and snapping off on the spot as the weasel flipped away from the trashing beast. "Now look what ye've done!"

The moonblast was bouncing around still hitting any surface it could ricochet off of. Even the sounds of wood snapping or breaking upon each impact from the attack. Each second passed as even Felix had to move out of the way of his own attack. However, an interuption had sounded itself quite clear. "Yall bastards 'int listen." Either this was the same Floatzel or a different one, but none the less he was still unhappy about them being here. It flips off the back of the Tropius after it had attacked it. Then a thought did come into mind. Didn't the Floatzel have the undead come to assassinate them? If he did, then why did he come and attack his own assassins? Felix will have to ask that later. "Now look what ye've done!" Really? Accusing them of destroying this place when it was falling apart to begin with? Oh well, guess he doesn't need to apologize, but the Floatzel does for threatening them.

The attack bounces off one last area smacking a lamp before making a direct hit on the Tropius' wings before finally busting through the window before it fizzles out. The Tropius falls to the ground with a hard thud and upon impact with the ground breaking its back left leg as the bone sticks out of its decaying body. "Seek, Eleroo, now, before it gets up and attacks again!" Felix shouts to the two while Shenron was ready to make his move as well. After they get rid of this Tropius, the Floatzel has a lot to answer for.

---

Thunder rumbled behind the rhythm of pelting rain. The freezing cold and windy torrents tossed the child around like a leaf on the breeze. If not for Felix she may not have regained control of her loft and the fight would have been cut short. How then, he wondered, had she planned to flee this place through flight? Would the weight of her passenger counter her own fragility, or send them both into a fatal crash? It was an interesting hypothesis, but one he could not explore as he was alerted by a presence.

Uxie readied himself for an attack, knowing an ambush was probable with multiple assailants. It was swift, a familiar sensation they had witnessed before, and while it felt singular he would not rule out others in hiding. They were sitting prey, well deserving of assault in the eyes of others, but the Floatzel mustn't have been petty enough to attack those in need. Its ice attack was brutal, forming quickly and causing significant damage to the rampaging undead. "Yall bastards 'int listen. Now look what ye've done!" It scorned them as one of the undead's wings fell uselessly to the muddy ground.

Its icy fangs melted, and it spat the remainder out with a venomous scowl. Ever calm Uxie felt for other Pokemon, readying himself for a second strike, but only friendly fire burst through their battlefield. The ricocheting Moonblast found its final destination; the quad weakness wound stood no chance of defending the Tropious. Crushed beneath it, Uxie's mental gaze did not leave the Floatzel that stared from a safe distance.

Seek huffed, her breath uneven as she watched the spectacle below. The Tropius groaned, its stomach sunk to the ground as its legs stamped and neck writhed. Was it in pain? Its wild eyes spoke of endless agony but its cries were that of anger. Still, despite the show it was making of its wound she couldn't stop looking at the Floatzel. Why was it back? What did it mean by that? Why had it spied on them?? "Seek, Eleroo, now, before it gets up and attacks again!" Gritting her teeth at the name drop the Aiveon barely resisted her urge to scream back at him. None of her moves were good enough for this! Sparks arced across her wet pelt with gusto, but type disadvantage told her to use something else.

Pacing a small section of roof top she knew there was nothing else she could do from here. If she jumped down there was still very little she could do. Even Dig would likely bounce off its thick hide. Frustration built beneath her muscles, agitation working at her wings until she was flapping furiously. With a loud cry of exasperation the Aiveon watched as her hard wing beats formed familiar blades of air that raced forward and splashed at the wet ground. Enlightened with epiphany, Seek changed her angle, and with another try scored a direct hit against the beast. It cringed, flinching under the onslaught, and boosting her conceit.

Eleroo wasn't as conflicted. His trembling paws ached for a guiding hand, but with limited options he already knew what he had to do. His only effective move had already been used, and he could see the festering poison around the dino's prior wound. Does it even effect it? Surely the residual damage had to take a toll on its body, but the thing gave no indication of it. Did poison not work on rotten flesh? With its flailing neck he didn't dare approach, nor did he want to be hit by Seek's new attack. Left with only one choice he took in a deep, steadying breath. A new Shadow Ball formed at his maw, growing quickly until it was larger than normal. The child shook beneath its might, and as he struggled to hold it he jerked his head to send it flying.

The children's attacks didn't hold the power needed to take the beast down, but together they stopped its wild writhing. Its head hung low, a moan coming from it instead of screams as it grew still under the strikes. When the dust settled it remained still, new wounds and marks littering its hide. It flinched, eyes squeezed closed as it groaned. Eleroo couldn't help but feel bad for her. Was this really okay? The undead left them no choice but.. there was nothing right about this. What if it was still in there, a sentient creature beneath all that madness? It isn't fair. Could he live with that thought..?

The kit wasn't given a chance to ponder, as the Floatzel wasted no time rushing back in. Blazing forward with a streaming Aqua Jet it careened around the dual type to knock its long neck to the side. Crushing its neck with one firm foot it brought in its signature icy fangs and crunched down on a damaged section of vertebrae. The Tropius cried a bit louder for a second, flailing its wings once more before a sickening crunch could be heard and it fell completely still. Dark blood immediately froze to the ice as the Floatzel raised his head and spat it out with same disdain as before. "Now then," It growled, its dark gaze sliding across the onlooking Pokemon. "Someone do tell me,"

"What the hell we're yall thinking?"

---

Never did his sights leave the orange Pokemon, its quick, intentional motions playing out as a fluid scene. The Tropius struggled, its hateful gaze as wild as her erratic movements as it tried to free itself. Their host had no intention to allow that, its strike purposeful and efficient as it finished off the undead with skills longed practiced. The beast was still, and internally the legend cursed gaining no knowledge from it prior, but no more than a calm heartbeat passed before the Sea Weasel adressed them once again. "Now then. Someone do tell me," it spoke with a firm voice, not unlike a teacher to a rowdy student. "What the hell we're yall thinking?"

There was a moment of silence between the intruding Pokemon as the Floatzel's gaze passed over each of them. For Uxie, he found this to be exceedingly odd. This Pokemon had panicked and fled the last time it saw him, now it stood unyielding before them as its hard stare rested upon him. What had changed, he wondered, what element had turned the hands of its situation. The undead? Perhaps, but then removing that threat would have been counter-intuitive.

-------

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]