Haley
Haley begins collecting some more of the spider silk, which is... Difficult, still. But, her survival skills are in fact enough to manage to pick out the pieces of webbing that are least likely to disturb the spiders and, in turn, end up with her possibly getting attacked... It does mean she doesn't make any progress towards that idol for now, though, or at least very little- The webs near the opening seem too actively maintained for her to try and grab the silk from there, but she can grab some of the walls... And manages to spin it in a short rope. It's sturdy enough to last a couple uses, but probably not much longer than that- Mostly because it's eventually all going to end up sticking to each other and clumping together into a mess...
Alex
"It was interesting, to say the least, mostly thanks to your assistant and the... "Demon." I'll have to work out how you managed that some day, it wasn't just an illusion or it wouldn't have been able to get hold of that idol, and a pokemon which can use illusions and telekinesis... I can't think of any, at least..."
"I'll leave you to brainstorm on that one. It probably isn't quite as hard as you think it is..."
"Well, your assistant has probably already told you that I didn't exactly get the full experience, so I may have to visit again if I ever work out how to stop seeing auras. It's strange, I never expected a place could have so much aura. There must be something to cause that, but I couldn't guess at what."
"Hmm. A story for another day, maybe." Jack replies, shrugging... Seems he's not intent on giving that kind of info for no reason.
"Well, I guess you could say that even though I didn't get to experience it the way you planned, it was still intriguing."
"Glad to hear you still enjoyed it despite the flaws. Now... I suppose it's time for the battle, isn't it?"
"It's a pretty standard battle... One exception- We'll be doing it in a dimmed room. Not complete darkness... But dark enough that unless your pokemon has darkvision, or a light source, it's going to have issues. The idols you found will allow you two uses of the lights, though- Which you can either use to put on a dim light for three turns... Or have the lights flash to blind any pokemon with darkvision for one. That make sense?"
(Let know what your first pokemon is gonna be...)
Koa, Bruce
As the commander looks to make his escape, albeit slowed down by the spikes... He finds his exit quickly brought to an end as he gets mercilessly ganged up by different sources- And, needless to say, finds his escape brought to an unceremional halt... Leaving just one target to interrogate.
"I've only known this guy as long as you have, actually. But I know the Big Guy wouldn't be happy if one of his kids got stolen, yeah? It's not like I'd sit by and let that happen."
"Well... The mistress said we should take it, so I assumed... Well, I didn't really question why, but..." she shakes her head, clearly having issues of making sense of things herself... But given little time to actually consider it, as there were a LOT of questions headed her way.
"Not until you answer some questions... and you help me find my friend. That psychic could teleport around, yeah? Well we were standing in the only way outta here, so that means they teleported somewhere. You're gonna help me figure out where they went. You cooperate with me, and I'll see if Jack will go easy on ya. Let's take a step inside..."
"P-Please don't get Jack involved..! I don't wanna..." she shakes, but begrudgingly obliges to follow Koa... Although stopping him from picking up the staff.
"I wouldn't touch that staff. You're not... Authorized, I guess, to use it. I'm not sure what'll happen if you do..."
"As for your friend, I'm... Pretty sure where she is. But I can't tell you. I mean, not that I don't WANT to tell you, but in that I can't... Or rather, I could, but it would like..." she pauses, seeming to struggle for a moment about how to best express it... Before asking a question herself.
"Have you... Ever heard about the concept of an 'anti-meme'..?"
A brief moment is taken to alert Jack and Izzy, but both don't seem to respond... Hopefully because they don't want to waste any time replying, and not because they haven't noticed while being preoccupied- And another moment is taken to make sure the shopkeepers are okay which, luckily, they are... One of the shopkeepers actually arrives with a shotgun, like, a whole minute too late to the party. He's obviously pretty pissed about the wall... But seems willing to take it out on the red hand mostly.
"Bloody hooligans... We'll have Angstrom pay for em by the head, to pay for the damage..!" he states- Not seeming to care too much about what Koa might think about that for now, shouting a couple things at his co-worker in a foreign language- He'd return with some rope a couple minutes later...
Following that, Koa goes for a quick introduction... Showing off his own ultra beast, much to the summoner's delight.
"Ah... So it really IS you..."
Koa's got ulterior motives for releasing the Nihilego besides introductions, though- Just... Ever so slightly having the suspicion that something was off about the psychic woman he saw earlier. And Kinhe, for her part at least, seems to confirm that suspicion.
"Ooh, something did tamper with master's memories... Something POWERFUL- But... That's all I can say..."
Following that, Koa and Bruce get to talking, Bruce now also releasing Tops for the two poison types to interact... But besides feeling a certain amount of kinship, in one manner or another, they stay... Mostly distant. Besides Tops, that is, but that one appears like it's just a naturally curious type. Besides that, though, conversation between the two just continues... The summoner just awkwardly sitting on the side, and interjecting a couple times-
Really? You just... caught him, after he came here? No fuss from his dad, no giant claw coming out of a hole in the sky? Ha, well that explains why these guys are after you. They probably think you're the one who stole him, like they're rescuing him or something."
"That's what I thought, at least..."
"No, those Red Hand guys are just one group. There's a second group called the Sons of Aether, and from what that masked guy said, I'm guessing they're the ones calling the shots. I guess they use the Red Hand to do the dirty jobs, keep their own names clean?"
"No! I mean... Not usually... I'd say it's more the other way around usually but... In the simplest terms, we just both had something the others wanted... It's not like I WANT to work for them..!"
"As for the Overseer... hoo boy. He's like an alien god, or something like that? Which sounds crazy, I know, but these Sons of Aether guys still worship him like one - his kids, too, I think. I'll ask Kinhe to show you, but later, okay?"
"He IS a god..! You've seen it in the flesh, haven't you..? You should realize that more than anyone else! If Arceus made this one shitty world, and he made THOUSANDS... Then what DOES that make him?!" suddenly jabs up, rather... Fanatically. Bruce tones her down a bit again as he tears down the hood, eliciting an "eep" from the girl as her face is actually revealed... Revealing a rather pale complexion, joined with long, if somewhat unkempt dark-brown hair.
Who are you? How did you know I was going to be here? How does your staff work? Where is Irene?
"Ah... I'm Garnet- I knew you were going to be here, because that's what the mistress, the oracle predicted... But she also told me this was going to be a cakewalk, so I guess not all her predictions are true after all. Well, either that, or..." she speaks, trailing off for moment.
"As for how the staff works, I just... I only know that it's linked to... Again, let me ask you something first- HAVE you heard about the concept of anti-meme..?"
► Show Spoiler
Just a general note on psychic residue- A psychic (or, Kinhe) can detect whether a person has recently been hit by some kind of psychic interference, and potentially even figure out what exactly... But memories of a non-psychic user do not contain this psychic residue, so the pokemon in question would actually need to see the creature in question to be able to tell who it belonged to.
Also remind me to actually distribute exp once Irene is back.
Irene
"You said we have all the time soon... I believe you. My questions can wait till we're safe"
The woman shakes her head slightly, a small smile pursed on her lips. "Oh, honey... You ARE safe. Much as I wanted to see you again... I wouldn't have brought you here if you weren't." she replies- Irene trying to get up, sharing a glance to "Echo" who seems to shake it's head after a very short amount of deliberation in response... Although Gayle gently pushes her back down.
"Where do we need to go, and what do you want to tell me?"
"We don't need to go anywhere. As for what I want to say... If you can wait until not long from now with all those questions, there's one or two more things I can say as well."
"It's just... I want you to know, for sure, that if I could have made it so that it was anyone else but me to do this, or if I could have kept you out of being pulled into this... I would have done it. But the truth is, that while my predictions of the future have given me names such as the great oracle, or even fateweaver... In truth, I often feel so, so powerless in the grand scheme of things... What's the point of predicting the future, after all, if I see only a handful of paths that end well..? And if all of them force me to be here, and you to be out there..?"
"In the same vein, I really wish I could just tell you... Everything. Exactly what you need to do to make sure everything ends up as it needs to be, or at least, the best possible outcome. But I can't... Fate's got a penchant that if you try to cheat it too much, well... It tends to backfire. That's why your friend in the sky doesn't just constantly intervene with bits of information that'd help you, you know- It knows, too." she pauses for a moment, just chuckling lightly for a second at how... Funny, it all was.
"But the most important thing for you to know is... It all ends tonight. And I'll need you, your friends... To play their part. That's... All there is, really. I've little doubt you'd have done just that even without me interfering, but... Well, then I wouldn't get the chance to hug you before it all starts, right..?"
"Just... Remember that I'm not your enemy. But treat me as one for the night, if you think you have to- At least the ones that call themselves the red hand... Do... Do what you think is right- And remember, that nothing is what it appears to be..."
"Now..." she paused, turning to the unconscious Matthias- Giving him a light shove with her foot, the man waking up with a start... Although before his puzzled expression can turn to one of realization and fixate upon Irene, he finds himself commanded by the oracle- Who spares just a few words before she'd turn back to Irene.
"Deal with Angstrom. Ten seconds."
Matthias appears disoriented for a second, but then grins, and nods as he strides out to the center of the room... While Irene's mother gently guided her daughter closer to the wall, gesturing for her to keep quiet.
"Quiet, now... Start messaging your friend- Tell him to get working on reactivating the staff..." she ushers... Not ten seconds later the sound of a door being, by the sounds of it, kicked open- Albeit followed by slow, but heavy footsteps coming through.
"Ah... Master Angstrom! Or, should I say, master-"
"Who ordered some of my men on an assault just now."
There seems to be awkward shuffling from Matthias, the man in question visible from Irene's perspective... Although this "Angstrom" is hidden off to the side, beyond the wall corner. Matthias eventual reply rather... Awkwardly.
"Ah, yes, that was... Me."
"..."
"You are a terrible liar."
"But if you are so keen on taking the fall, I'll deal with HER later." there came a reply- Matthias soon finding himself in a rather precocious position as he was lifted several feet off the ground by an unknown force...
Izzy, Drake
The dancer continues her dance, reaching... Well, pretty ridiculous speed, while also releasing a sunflora. Who cares when it's not matched by firepower, though..? Which Kay demonstrates, swooping down on the shifty guy and the collector..! However, the mysterious guy stands ready with his shield, and deflects off the blow- Including the one Kay was trying to target at the much slower collector, who's getting pretty peeved at this point.
"Enough of this- Get that bat out of the sky!"
Izzy tries to join with the attack, but fails to hit in an even more spectacular fashion... Where Izzy fails, though, Drake tries to pick up the slack- Moving around the exterior side of the arena until he's just barely in range, flinging a magical bolt... That explodes in a storm to hit all of them! If for not that much damage...
"Gah..! You're supposed to protect me..!"
"I am, boss- Can't keep intercepting if I go down, though."
Ghos meanwhile, spites the kirlia, disabling the confusion attack... Before striking with a shadow ball! Making the spite feel rather useless, as it ends up being an instant KO.
The suspicious dude meanwhile, recognizing the continued assault, simply preps- raising his defenses.
The musician moves up- Blasting deafening music over Max!
Isabella, more cautious than usual part, just hangs back as far as possible while continuing to command her pokemon, intent on having Grin be the one to act this time...
Seems like it wasn't meant to be, though, as the loudred ends up knocking it out..! And in turn, she just quickly commands Max instead- Taking revenge on the loudred with a fire fang..!
Betty meanwhile, pummels the dragonair one more time... Before disengaging it- Seeming to hope that's enough of a "lesson" for it. Her eyes darting back to Isabella...
Next up, though, is the pupitar and clauncher who take the attack the bat order seriously... The clauncher splashing up, before shooting a bubblebeam for 33(11) damage... While the collector has slightly bigger guns- A rock slide fired up that hit both Izzy and Kay for 42(37) and 42(64) damage, Kay being brought down to almost critical health..!
Atom meanwhile, returns focus to the lairon... Continuing to build momentum as he tries another brick break..! Jeremy gives him the order to expend momentum though, usual attack turned into a more devastating haymaker punch... Finally breaking through it's defences enough to knock it out..!
Instead, the bronzong gets to act... And promptly decides to put the metagross to sleep.
Finally, the sunflora acts...Deciding to exploit the fact Atom just got put to sleep, to hit it with leeching seeds.
Raining(3)
Dancer(36/20) +4 SPD, +1DEF/SDEF
Kay(26/21) leech seeded, suppressed 4/87
Izzy(21/16) 35/56
Drake(20/15)
Ghos(19/15)
Roselia(15) recalled
Mr. Suspicious(15) (on platform) injured +2 DEF
Pawniard(15) (on platform) very lightly injured
Max(15) injured
Dragonair(15) injured
Kirlia(11) KO
Musician(10)
Jeremy(10)
Isabella(10)
Loudred(10) injured
Magnemite(9) KO
Betty(7) +2 ATT
The collector(5) (on platform) very lightly injured
Grin(5) KO
Pupitar(5)
Clauncher(4)
Atom(4) 4 momentum, injured -1 SPD, asleep, leech seeded
Lairon(4) KO
Bronzong(3)
Sunflora(3)
► Show Spoiler
I really need to get better at making actual maps... The only problem with that is that it makes updating a lot more time intensive for me and I can't really do it between work... Although it might be argued the time I spend debating "How many would they be able to hit" outweighs the actual time I would have spent on the map.
Also, duelist OP
Bjorn
Bjorn... Panics. But, of course, not wanting to leave behind his shoe, he quickly darts forward, albeit spraying ice off to the side to hopefully slip anything that would chase him... Before immediately hightailing it without even properly looking. Oh, but now it was certain there was SOMETHING there... As it let's out a loud screech, and for the briefest moment he can swear it swiped after him..!
However... It doesn't seem to chase. Or at the very least, it doesn't chase enough for him to seemingly shake it after a couple turns, as he escapes... Or at least, he thinks he's escaped. So... What now?