Destiny Colosseum

[unrepentantAuthor]

"Gah, motherfucker–!"

Brisa seethed at the unexpected turn of events in which Astrid went down while she clung on by the skin of her teeth. Not quite what they'd had in mind but . . . as long as they went down before Starr, and not at the same time, it'd work out. Yeah.

"Get 'im good, Astrid!" she yelled, as she fought through the wince-inducing shock and cramping inflicted by that goddamn rockslide.

Her mane billowed with Blacklight, and she marched into Reshiram's downdraft to release all that power in one well-aimed surge.

She was going out soon enough, she was sure of it. But she'd see Starr go supernova before the end of this, she hoped...

[Guts, Stab, UE, HH, LB 10%]
Brisa used Blacklight Bolt Strike! [+9]
Brisa Overcharged her Blacklight Z-Burst! [+11, 208 bp, Crit]

Δ : Z-Bust, then +27 hp, +30/+50 BL

 

[Chibi Pika]

The counterattack was so bright that Starr could hardly see. She squinted through her fingers, saw the rocks pelting her barrier and the plume of blue flames that utterly consumed Astrid. Shit. Both her teammates were in bad shape. Brisa was still standing, but only just. Starr found herself automatically reaching for the shadows, but then... no. She wasn't supposed to heal this time. She was supposed to burn.

Starr turned to face Reshiram head-on, her fur igniting in a blaze of white and gold, her belt a brilliant, clear blue.

"I can do that too," she said, letting the blue flames roar.

- Starr used Umbral Insolence!
- Starr used Titanic Blue Flare! [+12, SE, STAB, Blaze, Sun, Friendship]
- Starr is Winding Up.
- Starr focused [Exit Unleashed]

HP: 150%
Stm: -64
+8 Shd, Receive Last Wish

 

[TheGOAT]

Astrid is in Final Rush!
Astrid is in Lithe Stance!
Astrid is going out in a Blaze of Glory!

"Yet, you left an opening!"

“Touché,” Astrid said, feeling super duper cool.

[STAB, SE, LB=1.3]
Astrid used Radiant Ice Burn! [130 BP; +7]
Astrid Focused!
Astrid pressed A! [40 BP, Physical; +6]
Astrid used Shining Inspiration on Starr’s Titanic Blue Flare!
Astrid used Voidbound! It chained into a CRITICAL Null Freeze Shock! [130 BP; +12, Blaze, Sun, HH, Crit]
Astrid used Blacklight Z-Burst, Inspired by Starr! [197 BP, Physical; +12, Blaze, Sun, HH, Crit]


Δ Stats: +6 Attack, +6 Magic, +6 Accuracy, +3 Speed, +2 Valor
Δ HP: Blaze of Glory
Δ Stamina: AAAAAAAA
Δ Shade: AAAAAAAA
Δ Radiance: AAAAAAAA
Δ Misc: Last Wish goes to Starr

 

[Namohysip]

Brisa's Bolt Strike dealt 1087 damage!
Brisa's Z-Burst dealt 2386 damage!

Starr's Blue Flare dealt 1293 damage!

Astrid's Basic Attack dealt 190 damage to Reshiram!
Astrid's Ice Burn dealt 550 damage to Reshiram!
Astrid's Freeze Shock dealt 2763 damage to Reshiram!
Astrid's Z-Burst dealt 4999 damage to Reshiram!

"...A fine enough... display," Reshiram said with a grunt, looking between Starr and Brisa. "Even against my barrage, you keep your momentum. The power of your Void Eternas, certainly... but I've developed a counter for it. For your very strategy! Watch, and then endure...!"

Reshiram used Divine Truth! The field became oppressively bright!
Healing is nullified!
Reshiram gained Shield Breaker!
Reshiram gained 3 Divine Protects!

Reshiram used Blue Flare on Brisa, dealing 446 damage! Brisa was KOed, and the Null Heal aura meant she couldn't get back up! Her Last Wish went to Starr, transferring buffs!

"Somehow, I knew it would come down to this," Reshiram said darkly, stepping toward the blue-flamed Incineroar as the last of her embers returned to normal. The silver sheen of his barriers mixed with the divine aura that permeated the field. Indigo and blue fire danced at Reshiram's feet, and for a moment, one on one, it seemed as if Starr could truly feel the aura of a Legend resonating with her.

"It is no secret that you have seen many aspects of the world," Reshiram said. "The underbelly of civilization that most prefer to ignore. You lived it. And now here you stand, facing Truth, after having faced your own in that eldritch storm. But one question I never got to ask you, Starr, is what you thought of it. And here in the battlefield, perhaps I can see it.

"What is your Truth? What has it become? And has it ever changed?"

Flames swirled around him in a graceful vortex, creating a tinier arena within the main one, surrounding both himself and Starr.

"Show me."

Reshiram is preparing a final assault!

Starr's last Protect faded...

Starr: 1074

Reshiram: 3275

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa clutched the ground from her prone position, and fixed her eyes on Starr, standing bold and alone against the Dragon of Truth. It didn't look good, but there was a victory still in sight.

Starr just had to be brave enough to try it.

Kick his ass, darlin'...

 

[Chibi Pika]

The blinding, unrelenting glare of Reshiram's divine aura had erased everything. It was just the two of them now, surrounded by the vortex of flame separating them from the world.

Reshiram's eyes seemed be staring right through Starr. His words echoed in her head as her fur lit up white and gold once more and her blue fire tore through his shields.

Starr unleashed her Resolution!
- Starr used Blue Flare three times! [+12, STAB, Sun]

The flames cleared. The shining silver barriers faded into wisps of lights.

"Bet you see all kinds of things when you look at me," Starr said in a low voice. Stains on her soul. Blood on her hands. Scars that could never burn away. Things she could never forget, never take back. "All that stuff is the truth, and it's never going away. I know that."

And yet, his voice hadn't sounded content to just leave the judgement at that.

"But... I don't want that to be all that I am. I'm sick of hurting people. I'm sick of being feared."

Her inner fire turned gold. Her claws blazed with radiant flame.

"So if that's my goddamn 'truth' then I don't want it. I'm not gonna lie and say that I never liked it, but I don't want it anymore!"

- Starr used Brilliant Flarestrike! [120bp, +12, STAB, SE, Sun]
- Final Rush! Starr used Radiant Power Trip! [+12, STAB, SE, 73 stages]

The radiance burned like a sun in her veins. Her head felt like it was splitting open and spilling its contents for all to see. Pain and guilt and shame and shame and shame.

And yet no one ever left. Not even when she tried to push them away, tried to tell them it was for her own good. They stayed, in spite of the truth that they'd seen. No... because of the truth that they'd seen. The one that she couldn't.

"I want to be worth what other people see in me."

Starr used Blinding Meltdown! [+12, STAB, SE]

 

[Namohysip]

Starr's Blinding Resolution dealt a grand total of 3772 damage! Reshiram was defeated!

The Radiance settled... The fine, golden mist that once again left a crater in the arena settled to the ground, revealing Reshiram with one wing on the ground and Starr barely standing. Incineroar checked the vitality sensors and saw that Reshiram was indeed down... and this time, they'd gotten a clear check that Starr had gone down second. Yet Reshiram was still barely standing, but unable to continue.

"It seems... that Reshiram is unable to continue the fight, and was narrowly before Starr in when he fell," said Incineroar. "And with that, the victory goes to Team Spectrum! A fine battle indeed . . . " He continued as Owen whooped from the stands. Many seats over, Zekrom patted Kyurem on the back, the latter dropping her party whistle on the ground from her mouth. Zekrom said something encouraging, and Kyurem nodded.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa gradually nursed her battered body into a kneeling crouch. Even her power to gain a burst of furious zeal in the final moments before her body collapsed had been neutralised by Reshiram. Truly, he was one of the most adept opponents she'd ever faced. The Dragon of Truth was clearly a combat genius. It was a wonder they'd won.

But then again, looking at Starr, glorious and bright, gilded by her truth alone... It was a wonder Reshiram had ever thought he'd have a chance.

I'm so proud of you.

 

[Chibi Pika]

A blinding haze of Radiance obscured Starr's vision and everything hurt like a bitch. And yet. Something in her felt lighter somehow, after letting all that out.

It wasn't until after she'd pulled herself to her feet that she'd actually won. She'd been so sure, after that last attack knocked her on her ass like a freight train, that there was no way. But no, apparently Reshiram had gone down first, and everyone was cheering for her and Brisa.

She still didn't know if she'd shown him what he was looking for. And it shouldn't have mattered anyway. She'd won--what did it matter whether or not she'd shown the right 'truth' while doing it?

She didn't care, and yet part of her wanted to know.

Starr joined Brisa at her side, and the two of them basked in the glow of victory.

I want to be worth what you see in me.

<><><><><>​

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa's tail swished anxiously. Pine and Nanab were some of the most formidable foes they'd ever faced, and while she and Starr had come a long way since their last match with them, this would surely be a tremendous test of their abilities nonetheless. But she looked to Starr, and the anxiety melted away. Win or lose, they'd do their best, and make each othe proud.

"Howdy, you two," called Brisa. "Got any new tricks in store fer us? 'Cause we sure do!"

Hopefully, those tricks would be enough.

 

[Namohysip]

"Huh. You're, like, twice as strong compared to before," Pine noted, eyes darting at something just above their heads. His claws twitched a few times, left, left, left, and then his other claw made another twitch. Press, press, back, back.

He nodded. "Good luck," he replied.

"Yep!" Nanab coiled into a defensive battle stance. "I know it won't be easy... but don't think we'll be a walk in the park just because you saved the world! That just puts us at equal footing!"

Pine crouched down. "Yup. Let's go."

Nanab's Paradise activated!
Nanab gained the Paradise terrain, which relaxes everyone who interacts with her! Defense, Resistance, and Accuracy gains 100 in debuffs per turn under its effect!

Pine's Grapple activated!
Damage dealt and received is cut in half until he's hurt enough!

Starr: 634
Brisa: 601

Nanab: 6000
Pine: 5000

 

[Chibi Pika]

It felt like it'd been ages since Starr had set foot in the colosseum as an actual challenger. So of course Brisa had decided to book a rematch against the toughest opponents they'd ever faced. While the two of them were still rusty from weeks of bedrest. Just like her. Starr had given a dozen obligatory complaints, but really, she wouldn't have ever had her change.

"'Equal footing,' huh," Starr said dryly, stretching her arms over her head. "Well, considering the way you two pounded us into the dirt last time, I guess I'll take that as a compliment."

- Starr used Void Catharsis!
- Starr used Sunny Day!
- Starr used Protect x5!

Net: 125% HP, -304 Stm (+96 SW), +40 Shd, +6 Protect, +1 Action, +2 Atk/Spd

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa grinned at Pine's praise, which, while it felt pretty hyperbolic, must be pretty sincere coming from him. And he'd know, with that vital statistics vision of his. She nodded at Starr, and felt the scouring heat of their shared Radiance as they each flared up for the fight. For all that Starr was salty about how hard they got thumped last time, she knew just as well as Brisa that they were in with a real chance this time.

Yeah, they were twice as fucking strong, weren't they?

"C'mon, partner, let's show them how far we've come!"

Brisa used Electric Terrain!
Brisa used Protect 5!
Brisa used Brilliant Paragon, and pushed herself and Starr to do better!
Brisa got her Second Wind!
Δ Stages: +2 Atk/Spd
Δ Bars: +25 Rad, 150% HP, then -1/16th HP, -348 Stm, then SWind to 200
Δ Status: +6 Protect, Paragon, +2 Charge, +1 Action

 

[Namohysip]

"Hey, good job," Pine commented. "You're gonna block all these, I think."

And then he rushed forward anyway, slamming into Brisa with everything he had. He seemed to change up his strategy only slightly this time around--as did Nanab.

Pine used First Impression on Brisa, thrice! All three were blocked!

Pine used Dual Chop on Brisa, taking out two more barriers!

Nanab used Reflect!
Nanab used Leaf Storm on Starr, taking out a Protect! Nanab's Magic went up by 2!
Nanab kicked up a Twister, taking out another barrier from Brisa and Starr! Brisa's defenseless!

Paradise reminded Nanab to work hard! Her Defense, Resistance, and Accuracy went up by 1!
Paradise was resisted by Brisa and Starr, for now!

"Huh. I think we could've actually hurt her if we coordinated better," Pine commented to Nanab.

"H-huh? How do you think?"

"I dunno. Give me some time and I'll figure it out. Don't think they can do another one of those anyway."

Starr: 985
Brisa: 1001

Pine: 5000
Nanab: 6000

 

[Chibi Pika]

Man, they'd only just barely blocked that opening volley, huh. And Starr had a feeling the next wave of attacks was going to be worse.

Well then, she and Brisa would just have to strike even harder and faster.

"Let's go," she said, claws flaring up with both light and shadow.

Starr Unleashed her Resolution!
- Starr used Umbral Insolence! [-801 HP]
- Starr used Brilliant Flarestrike on Pine! [150bp, +8, Blaze, Sun, STAB, SE]
- Starr used Blacklight Brick Break on Nanab! [+8, STAB, UE]
- Starr used Blacklight Z-Burst on Nanab! [Special, 178bp, +10, STAB, UE]

Net: 50% HP [+801], 50% Stm, +2 Valor

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa grit her teeth and braced for a devastating impact. They'd done well to block all that daamge so far, and she was in the best possible shape to take a beating, but goddamn, Pine hit like a landslide. They'd need to focus on Nanab first, like they ought to have done last time.

Good thing she was more prepared than ever for that.

Brisa leapt for the serperior, Blacklight plasma coiling around her body as it changed from luxray to zeraora, and laid into her with a series of straightforward and seriously-effective blows, culminating in an eruption of golden tethers, pulsing with energy. Brisa felt that calming, soporific effect from Nanab's surrounding 'Paradise' effect, that bright intention in Nanab's heart, a certain kind of . . . innocence, perhaps? She pushed back, sending a genuine, albeit playful question back up the whiplash cables along with the arcing power of a thunderstorm.

Say, Nanab – Pine's one hell of combat partner! Seein' as we both have human lovers now, I gotta ask... What's it like sharin' a bed with one?

Brisa smirked, despite the way her ears burned.

[+5, Stab, Guts, Terrain, Charge, +300 Para @ Nanab]
Brisa Unleashed her Tenacity!
Brisa used Umbral Overcharge and chained into Electric Facade! [Crit]
Brisa used three more Electric Facades!
Brisa used Shining Whiplash and chained into Void Arcstrike! [SE, +100 Para]
Brisa opened her heart to Nanab!

Δ Stages: +Unleashed
Δ Bars: +50 Rad, +90 Shd, 150% HP, -0 Stm
Δ Status: -0 Charge
Nanab was surely paralysed!
Nanab was surely mortified!

 

[Namohysip]

Starr's Brilliant Flarestrike dealt 503 damage to Pine!
Starr's Brick Break dealt 460 damage to Nanab!
Starr's Z-Burst dealt 1209 damage to Nanab!

Brisa's Electric Facade dealt 853 damage to Nanab!
The other three Facades dealt a total of 1587 damage to Nanab!
Brisa's Whiplash Arcstrike dealt 1155 damage to Nanab!

"Twice as strong hurts!" Nanab cried out, skidding back and coiling up to nurse her burns as quickly as she could. She wheezed. "I... I won't be able to last much longer, Pine! We shouldn't have taken it slow! Just--just take them out! NOW! We... we can still do this! I know it!" And as she spoke, an aura of silvery power surrounded them both.

She was distracted by Brisa's words echoing in her mind, but she was too focused on the fight to let it fool her more than the Paralysis. She was determined, now.

Nanab used Leaf Storm on Brisa, dealing 233 damage!

Nanab used Divine Optimism! Pine gained 3 Protects! Nanab gained Endure+1! Nanab's debuff and ailment powers doubled!

"...Mm. Yeah, okay." Pine dropped his defensive stance. "Gonna get serious early."

He closed his eyes and took a long, deep breath. "...Mhm... Time to go."

He crouched, then dashed, leaving behind a crater where his foot left the ground.

Pine used Divine Seriousness! He dropped his Grapple and gained an action! He gained Shield Breaker and Sure Shot!
Pine used Rock Slide, breaking two of Starr's barriers and dealing 192 damage on Brisa!
Pine used Outrage, dealing 794 damage on Brisa! It's a KO!

Brisa and Starr lost 1 Defense, Resistance, and Accuracy to Paradise! Nanab gained 2 each!

Brisa: Blaze of Glory
Starr: 601

Pine: 4,496, Protect+3
Nanab: 736, Endure

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa yowled in fury, clinging to consciousness with what felt like the barest edges of her mind. Fuck, that hurt! Goddamnit, she could barely last another minute... She knew Pine was more vulnerable to ranged attacks. Owen had told that much. She'd honed her Shining Whiplash to enable her to deliver magic strikes with her physical strength. But she didn't know how resistant he'd be. She couldn't be sure.

She'd just have to have faith. In herself, that she could take him out. In Starr, that she could finish the fight once she was down.

Her first high-voltage blast careened into one of Pine's barriers, crackling with Blacklight energy. Good. She still had a grip on the technique. And, just about, on her mind. Brisa put out a limb and let the tethers fly from her forearm. Time to see just how strong a connection she could make.

Every passing day on this planet I push myself to be better. I pushed myself fer this fight. So how about it? Have I given you that taste of real battle ya miss so badly, fella? 'Cause this is what I was born to do!

And then, she let it all go. Every last drop of light, every last mote of shadow, all for her opponent.

Take this, Hero of Paradise!

[Stab, Guts, UE]
Brisa's Blacklight Rising Voltage struck a barrier!
Brisa used Shining Whiplash and chained into Blacklight Rising Voltage! [+9 Atk]
Brisa used Shining Whiplash and chained into Blacklight Z-Burst! [233 bp, +11 Atk, Magic]
Brisa went out in a Blaze of Glory!

 

[Chibi Pika]

Allllright, Pine wasn't fucking kidding around when he said he was getting serious early. He hit Brisa like a goddamn train, smashing into her with a blaze of dragonfire. Why the hell did everyone have to go after her first, anyway?

"Not gonna bother attacking me, huh?" Starr asked dryly, her fur shifting white and gold as blue fire flared to life all around her. "Guess I must not be a threat."

She met Brisa's eye with a look that said, 'Don't worry, I've got this.' Then she let the flames loose.

- Starr used Double Blue Flare on Pine's barriers!
- Starr used Blue Flare on Pine! [+10, Sun, STAB]

Net: -103 Stm [+97 SW], +30 Rad/Shd
Turn Order: Brisa takes her turn after Starr's first two strikes

 

[Namohysip]

Brisa's Rising Voltage Whiplash dealt 981 damage to Pine!
Brisa's Whiplash Z-Burst dealt 2700 damage to Pine!
Starr's Blue Flare dealt 769 damage to Pine!

Pine let out a low, growling grunt as he crouched to the ground. The axes of his tail lashed into the soil, leaving deep cuts that went far more than they should have from the sheer air pressure created from each strike.

"Don't worry," Pine grunted. Barely, just barely, he was still standing. "I was just... saving you for next--"

Pine used Outrage twice on Starr, resisted the Confusion, and then used Dual Chop, dealing a partial grazing total of 693 damage!
Nanab followed up with two Leaf Storms! The first one dealt 233 damage! The second one dealt 315 damage!

Nanab used Reflect!
Nanab's defenses and Accuracy increased by 2!

"J-just brace for it!" Nanab said, screwing her eyes shut. "We can do this!"

Pine didn't look like he had much to brace for anymore. They had done everything they could... All that was left was enduring Starr's final onslaught. They could tell that her flame was going out, but not without one more defiant explosion.

Starr: Blaze of Glory!

Pine: 47
Nanab: 736