Reverse World ~ Downsideup City

[Namohysip]

Astrid's Shadow Recurve activated, and Radiant Iceberg appeared again, freezing the Blacklight Dragon!

There was the notion of phantom heat, the memory of sunlit days and laughter. "I can't believe you're fighting a super fusion Dialga and Palkia and Giratina plus Ultra Necrozma in the Reverse World all at the same time! It's even cooler than when the Transformozords fought the Time Vortex Dragon in the black hole! You have to let me fight, too. It's not fair if you have all the fun!"

~Negrek

The air distorted and rippled as a rift appeared in space. A chill wind blew and a flurry of snowflakes drifted out. A disembodied voice chanted:

“Ár nAthair atá ar neam
Go naofar d’ainim…”

~Starlight

Spores drift down like yellow snowflakes.

A voice on the wind calls out, “Don’t spend it all in one place!”

~OSJ

: )

~kintsugi

The team's offensive power was increased!
The team's stamina was restored!
Curio's status output was increased!

That was it. Owen, his flower glowing and waving behind him like a beacon in the dim reverse realm, shouted back to the others, "Now! It's vulnerable!"

He raised his hand, and Charizard did the same for more visibility, and then held it forward to attack. Owen, at the same time, conjured his Pledge attacks to try to do more damage. Over his shoulders and on either side, the team ran forward with an onslaught of spectral energy, fre, rocks, and electricity that knocked the Blacklight Dragon further and further back. Despite its massive size, the unstable power within them all was overwhelming the newly formed Creation fusion.

Curio's Radiant Fists dealt 61, then 75 damage, reducing the Blacklight Dragon's defense by 2!
Celeste's Assurance dealt 152 damage to the Blacklight Dragon!
Astrid's double Iron Thorns dealt 395 damage!
Astrid's triple Hex dealt 639 damage!
Vix's Triple Hex dealt 831 damage!
Cabot's Triple Iron Tail dealt 1818 damage!
Brisa's Triple Wild Charge dealt 852 damage and took 85 damage in recoil!
Dave's Shadow Charge dealt 127 damage!
Dave's double Assurance dealt a total of 510 damage!
Starr's Flare Blitz dealt 2345 damage, and Starr was knocked out from the recoil!
Owen's triple Grass Pledge dealt 730 damage!

It roared, those final hits knocking it far off the island and into the abyss below. Several of the team looked over the edge to see what would happen, where it would fall, because it wasn't defeated. Perhaps the fall would be enough to knock it out for a defeat...?

But then the thing twisted around in the air, knocking away at the icicles that covered its body, and created a distortion behind it. Falling into the portal, it disappeared and reappeared at the top of the island again, sending a massive shockwave upon landing on its feet.

The Blacklight Dragon used Earthquake!
Astrid: Dodged!
Bahamut: CRITICAL 35
Brisa: CRITICAL 48
Cabot: Dodged!
Celeste: Dodged!
Curio: CRITICAL 47
Dave: 15
Mellow: 14
Owen: Dodged!
Vix: Grazing 6
Zane: Protect!

Owen went flying off the island, shouting in surprise and panic, but Charizard caught him in the fall and pulled him back up. He did the same for a few others who had nearly fallen; Truffle flew several others in, too.

But the Blacklight Dragon wasn't done. A horrible aura was radiating off of it, and suddenly the island felt like a hostile environment all on its own. Faded, black pulses of light coursed through, and the pressure made the air feel like molasses.

Blacklight Dragon used Blacklight Destruction, applying Valor-200 to everyone!
Zane blocked it!
Starr was KOed and was unaffected!

Starr was revived!

Celeste's Riposte returned 70 damage to the Blacklight Dragon!

Maple and Joule are continuing to fight... They exchange the same blows again!
Joule takes 1195 damage!
Maple takes 4737 damage!

Blacklight Dragon: 3786
Joule: 97609

Maple didn't scream that time. She was laying, almost limp, on a fragment of an island that had once been whole, floating in the purple abyss of the Reverse World. She could barely stand, and golden, bright liquid was pouring from several wounds on her body and decorating the boulder where she stood. Her blade on her arm flickered desperately. "Joule..."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

The Reverse World. The place that had nearly killed Brisa. The difference was, this time she had her allies, a purpose, and a fancy pet rock. She'd named hers 'Luz'. It meant 'light'.

Well, she'd survived it then, and she'd survive this. Even if there was a pair of creatures outside creation as they knew it, facing down the team. Even this, she would survive. And so would everyone else, goddamnit.

Brisa raced across the turbulent battlefield, her fur crackling with energy, and Starr raced with her, her own pelt ablaze with a roaring flame. They didn't exchange a glance, so focused were they both on defeating this enemy beyond understanding, but between brilliant strikes and furious blows, Brisa saw flashes of Starr on fire, full of the kind of power Brisa had always dreamed of facing off against. Her Ultra Stone—her bonded shade, Luz—sent her pulses of power from their secure place inside her pack. She'd need that power to win here.

Starr's fighting style. ...would it be wrong to say it was the most downright fantastic thing Brisa had ever seen? It was a fucking tragedy she'd only duelled Starr once, and so badly at that. If she could, she'd fight Starr every goddamn day...

A combat professional. Smart, controlled, bold. Able to push Brisa closer to her limits than any single other person she'd ever known.

Starr's Flare Blitz dealt 2345 damage, and Starr was knocked out from the recoil!

Even as she went down from the expenditure of more power than her body could hold, it was truly inspiring. Yes, it was this. This was the most fantastic thing Brisa had ever seen.

They'd survive this. They all would. And afterwards...

Maybe they could fight again, as friends, or at least not as enemies. It would be... extraordinary.

 

[Namohysip]

Any explorer would recognize the smell of oran berries and dungeon-dust. "Oh, another big boss battle? Why is it that the legends always seem to be go and get themselves corrupted, anyhow? At least cleaning up their messes is fun..."

~Negrek

The team's offensive power increaased!

"Hurry, hurry, hurry!" Soda urged.

"We're hurrying as fast as we can!" Owen shouted back. He couldn't do much more in this fight, so instead, he directed the team on how best to counter the Blacklight Dragon's movements. "Wait--Starr! Smash forward right now! Brisa! Pincer attack!"

Starr's Flare Blitz dealt a CRITICAL 1954 damage to the Blacklight Dragon, taking 195 damage in recoil!
Curio's Radiant Fist dealt 87 damage and lowered its defense by 1!
Starr's second Flare Blitz dealt 936 damage! Star was KOed!
Brisa's double Wild Charge dealt 532 damage total!
Cabot's two Iron Thorns dealt 673 damage total!
Celeste's dual Assurance dealt 345 damage total!
Dave's double Assurance dealt 478 damage total!
Zane's Shadow Boxer dealt 50 damage!
Owen's Grass Pledge dealt 122 damage!
Curio's Drain Punch dealt 165 damage!

Blacklight Dragon's HP was reduced to 0!

The Blacklight Dragon staggered back, finally falling to one knee with a disgruntled groan. Plumes of energetic shadow fire radiated off of its shoulders and into the air, where it rapidly evaporated into nothing. But then, it tried to stand on its two feet, roaring again.

"God, it's still not down!" Soda shouted. "What's it--"

It seemed like the gemstones in its chest and shoulder were sparkling wildly. It was preparing some kind of devastating attack.

In the background, Maple and Joule were staring each other down. Neither side was making a move to strike; Joule, it seemed, had taken interest in the arena where the Blacklight Dragon had been defeated.

Before the Blacklight Dragon had a chance to strike again, a bright light caught the attention of the dragon as well as the team. Curio--she had overloaded on her Radiance! They all remembered having that vague sense that was her plan to finish things off, for good. And it seemed, now...

Curio's Blinding Meltdown dealt 433 damage to the Blacklight Dragon!

 

[NebulaDreams]

Before Curio fainted from the explosion, her famous last words were: “Cheese and crackers...”

 

[Ambyssin]

Bahamut tried to use small pulses of psychic to clear the smoke and radiant haze, but the Reverse World's backwards logic prevented him from doing so. "Well, what's going on?"

 

[Persephone]

Bahamut tried to use small pulses of psychic to clear the smoke and radiant haze, but the Reverse World's backwards logic prevented him from doing so. "Well, what's going on?"

“No idea. I can’t see anything.”

 

[Ambyssin]

Bless the deino's heart, but she should've realized Bahamut wasn't asking her.

 

[windskull]

Nip waved a paw in front of him, coughing as he inhaled the smoke, and stumbled in the direction of Bahamut's voice. "I. I think we got him. But where's the other necrozma?"

 

[Disco]

"Cu-Cucumber...!!", Mellow gasped. Did she have anything on her that could help her? That explosion was so intense...

She knew those powers were dangerous. Even more of a reason not to use them. The Charmander carefully went into the resulting cloud of dust and debris to find the Riolu.

 

[Namohysip]

The debris slowly faded out, and the trio, still fused together, was collapsed in an unconscious heap near the edge of the island, but still quite far from. That wasn't their main concern, though--

Ahead of them, still floating over the abyss, was Joule--the Blacklight Necrozma, or perhaps the Blacklight itself, for all they knew. Maple was on her last legs at the ruined island shards, putting most of her weight on one foot while her arms dangled limply.

"Joule... stop this," Maple begged as more thick, golden liquid dripped onto the rocks below her.

The huge dragon of light stared, neither attacking nor standing down, though the light around its body was crackling with huge snaps and sizzles. It was growling, hissing, pulling its wings slightly closer to himself.

Truffle seemed nervous, looking at the rest of God Squad. "Maple's alone out there," he said, "but if we get close and Joule's in that state... What do we do?"

 

[Ambyssin]

Bahamut ignored the doppelgänger. He didn’t care if the dragon was already down. The fucker stole his move.

He floated up to it and struck its already-broken gems, shattering them further.

“Bitch.”

 

[Disco]

Mellow made sure the Riolu was being taken care of before looking up and seeing just exactly the situation Maple was in. The Charmander didn't even flinch when she turned to the rest.

"Well, what are we waiting for? We need to save her. We don't have to fight, as long as she's rescued..."

 

[windskull]

Nip was still tense, aprehensive as he approached the edge of the island, trying to get a better look at Maple off in the distance. Instinct told him to back off and hide. Joule was an enemy they couldn't beat, and Maple's motivations were questionable at best.

At the same time, logically fleeing without her would mean her death. Or worse, her corruption.

"We need to do something," he growled. "We have to get her - and the rest of us - out of here somehow, but..." But what could they do against an enemy like that? Especially in their condition?

 

[Tanuki]

“Curio! You idiot!” Zane’s shadow gave way to reveal his normal, red form, though his fur seemed a little brighter than usual. “Kill the enemy, not yourself!”
Zane used Radiant Ridicule! Zane used Radiant Ridicule!
His white fur started to yellow barely enough to give off a dull glow. It seemed to combat the dust and debris, but not enough. Not yet. “You stupid bitch, you could’ve killed us all!”
Zane used Radiant Ridicule!
He now had just enough light to see through the smoke. No longer running blind, he beelined for his best guess at Curio’s silhouette. It looked like Owen was already next to—wait, was Owen always a gir—it didn’t matter. His legs felt like jelly, and his chest burned for oxygen. A lot of him burned, actually.

It didn’t matter, though. He chugged his last elixir and booked it the rest of the way towards her. He dug through his bag for his reviver and shoved it against her to no avail. He’d already used it. Swearing, he shoved an Oran into her muzzle.

He tore through his bag for something, anything to help, but came up empty handed. He had nothing. Not even the bright light burning his flesh off helped him find a healing item.

He looked at the plain seed before crushing it in his claws. “Idiot. If I hadn’t died—”
Zane used Radiant Ridicule! Zane exploded!

 

[Chibi Pika]

The world had dissolved into blinding pain and stifling heat two times over. Starr couldn't feel most of her body. Her eyes flickered, struggling to stay open. She forced every ounce of willpower into moving her legs, but they wouldn't respond. Stupid, fake cat body why wouldn't it move.

Her chest radiated agony. Though blurred vision, she could see a golden glow in the distance. Someone was shouting. The ground trembled. They hadn't won? After all that...?

From somewhere within her bag, she could feel the soft pulse of energy from Bob. But it wasn't enough.

 

[Negrek]

If the battle was hard to describe afterwards, it was even harder to live through. Voices from other worlds, reversed worlds, fucking legendary fusions--it was all too fucking much. He was just going to have to make the bar a regular stop after these shitty fights, wasn't he? God, how did eac fucking world he got dragged into manage to be even worse than the last?

No time to think about any of that now. The fight wasn't over yet. What next? What now?

The charmander was talking about a rescue, which, yeah, the only issue was, "I got the feeling Maple's the type to resist rescue, if you get what I'm saying. I don't think she's going to come very fucking quietly."

He called out to the godly decidueye, "Hey, featherface! You're fast, ain't you? Think you can drag your glorious leader back over here before she gets herself roasted? We've gotta bail!"

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa saw Starr go down, and in the however-long they had before Maple, Joule or some other fool broke the standoff, she ran quietly to her friend's side, scarcely daring to breathe. Every knockout blow seemed lethal at the level of power they were wielding.

"Starr?" she hissed between her teeth. "Are you with us? Don't fuckin' die on me, not in this goddamn place."

Starr's Ultra Stone was still rocking gently. That was a good sign, right? A firm nudge from Luz in Brisa's pack gave her the feeling it was. She checked Starr's vitals and reached in her satchel for a reviver seed...

 

[Namohysip]

Truffle looked to Nate, flustered, and then at Joule. "I suppose I could," he said, readying for flight. Maple and Joule were still staring each other down, and it was a wonder why the latter wasn't attacking. He could easily eliminate her at this point with just another attack.

Was that, perhaps, why he was hesitating? Was the Blacklight not entirely controlling him? Then again...

Owen looked to Charizard, but he shook his head. Flying was out of the question; he was not corporeal enough for prolonged flight, let alone with a passenger beyond just Owen. Seeing he was no longer needed, Charizard disappeared, and Owen felt a weight off of his chest as he could focus his mind on other things.

"Bahamut, c'mon, he's already down," Owen said, though it seemed that Bahamut didn't trust the world enough to keep attacking anyway. For all they knew, death here was a rebirth or perhaps reincarnation into something even more powerful. Killing them would be... risky.

Truffle finally took off, and Soda flicked his claws, and the Decidueye disappeared completely. "There," Soda muttered. "Now Joule won't be able to see him."

And so, the team watched, tense. Joule was making louder buzzing, now, occasionally clutching at his head. His crystal, multicolored eyes were flickering between rainbow and black-white static.

"There you are!"

And then, from the floor, a corrupted Mew appeared, grinning like she'd won a game of hide-and-see.

"Do you guys have any idea how long I've been looking for you guys?! Minutes!"

 

[Disco]

"Are you fucking kidding me!?", Mellow spat out of pure frustration. Why her? Why now?!

 

[windskull]

Nip crouched, watching as Truffle took off, but ready to flee at a moment's notice. He waited to see if anything would change. Likely, the illusion would mask any rescue - or rescue attempts - but it didn't stop him from watching.

Unfortunately, his concentration was broken by a certain familiar foe. He whirled around to face the familiar mew, the fur around his neck and down his spine beginning to prick up. Whether it was a sign of fear or aggression, even he wasn't sure.

"You again!"