IFBench
Rescue Team Member
- Location
- Pokemon Paradise
- Partners
-
Without a word, the Bayleef nodded, climbing aboard Yveltal. As they took off, they prepared a Heal Pulse, staring blankly at Joule all the while.
- Status
Fusion
Oh knee on
"Make him pay!" Puddle pumped a fist. That Scyther was lucky, being able to fly and having those killer arm blades. And Starr would finish the job, wasn't she? Joule was gonna get what he fucking deserved! Astrid was going to do something too, right? Puddle put on a grin, looking for the Ninetales in question.
Oh for the love of...
"Luz, the hell are you doing?!" Puddle yelled, oozing over towards her and Astrid as fast as it could. Why was she getting in Astrid's way? Does she not know how fucking powerful Astrid was? "Hurry up and get outta the way!"
It wasn't sure if it would make it in time to get Luz away, but that didn't stop Puddle from trying.
Ambyssin
Gotta go back. Back to the past.
There was movement back down on the improvised platforms. Shouts. Anger? Yeah, definitely anger. His time was pretty much out. Bahamut couldn't even lament the irony of how backwards this situation was from the whole ordeal with Darkwhite. Is this what it had felt like for his teammates? Stars, misery had truly made him stubborn.
... but now it was time for that stubbornness to rear its ugly head one last time.
Purification. It all clicked. Whose meddling had put him in this obnoxious form? Maple's. She had put her energy into his core. Energy she and Joule shared.
If there was a shot... a prayer in trying to salvage something from this mess, it was in giving that power back. What had she called it?
Right, Life.
He couldn't hesitate. It was now or never. Shield hadn't answered his question. Bahamut would just have to h... h...
Hope.
How long had it been since he held on to any hope? How many centuries?
"Shield. Maple. I don't expect either of you to forgive me for what I'm about to do," Bahamut said.
"Eh?"
His bag rustled. Esper poked his goopy head out. "H-Hang on there. What's with that gravely tone? Don't be going death seeker on us now, dude! What was all that bravado about earlier, huh?"
"I must keep the faith," Bahamut said, expression stern. "Shield. Use my body to protect yourself if something bad happens."
"Your body? Wait... what are you going to do?" Esper asked. "What about the plan?!"
Bahamut bowed his head. The cracked armor above his core sparked. "This is still the plan. But desperate times..."
Bahamut held out his right hand. Radiance danced around his claws, forming one of his Shining Blades. A move he hadn't even had to use against any foes. A contingency. Never meant to be used this way.
"... call for desperate measures."
He raised the blade high... and slammed it into his forehead. His Prism Armor shattered, exposing the glimmering core underneath. Untainted. Free of the shadows, which Bahamut concentrated in his black armor.
"What are you doing?!" Esper was out of the bag now. "Stop it! This isn't going to solve anything!"
"Not... with that... attitude." Bahamut shakily grabbed hold of the core. "Keep the faith. You must... keep the faith. It's what they all wanted."
Esper jaw slackened. He had nothing. No snark. No witty remarks. Just stunned silence.
His close proximity to Joule gave Bahamut his opening. With a pained shout, Bahamut dug his own core out of his forehead... and hurled it directly at Joule's core!
His metallic body then went limp. The prism arms hung in the air.
... but now it was time for that stubbornness to rear its ugly head one last time.
Purification. It all clicked. Whose meddling had put him in this obnoxious form? Maple's. She had put her energy into his core. Energy she and Joule shared.
If there was a shot... a prayer in trying to salvage something from this mess, it was in giving that power back. What had she called it?
Right, Life.
He couldn't hesitate. It was now or never. Shield hadn't answered his question. Bahamut would just have to h... h...
Hope.
How long had it been since he held on to any hope? How many centuries?
"Shield. Maple. I don't expect either of you to forgive me for what I'm about to do," Bahamut said.
"Eh?"
His bag rustled. Esper poked his goopy head out. "H-Hang on there. What's with that gravely tone? Don't be going death seeker on us now, dude! What was all that bravado about earlier, huh?"
"I must keep the faith," Bahamut said, expression stern. "Shield. Use my body to protect yourself if something bad happens."
"Your body? Wait... what are you going to do?" Esper asked. "What about the plan?!"
Bahamut bowed his head. The cracked armor above his core sparked. "This is still the plan. But desperate times..."
Bahamut held out his right hand. Radiance danced around his claws, forming one of his Shining Blades. A move he hadn't even had to use against any foes. A contingency. Never meant to be used this way.
"... call for desperate measures."
He raised the blade high... and slammed it into his forehead. His Prism Armor shattered, exposing the glimmering core underneath. Untainted. Free of the shadows, which Bahamut concentrated in his black armor.
"What are you doing?!" Esper was out of the bag now. "Stop it! This isn't going to solve anything!"
"Not... with that... attitude." Bahamut shakily grabbed hold of the core. "Keep the faith. You must... keep the faith. It's what they all wanted."
Esper jaw slackened. He had nothing. No snark. No witty remarks. Just stunned silence.
His close proximity to Joule gave Bahamut his opening. With a pained shout, Bahamut dug his own core out of his forehead... and hurled it directly at Joule's core!
His metallic body then went limp. The prism arms hung in the air.
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- Partners
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Tempest quickly regarded the pokeball. Nip had been caught in one of these before. He'd described as a warm, cozy nothingness. But he hadn't the time to dwell on that. He reached down and wrapped the ectoplasm that made up his paw around the ball, absorbing it.
"We'll try healing first," he announced. "If that doesn't work... this is a good alternative. Thank you."
"We'll try healing first," he announced. "If that doesn't work... this is a good alternative. Thank you."
Starr whirled around with a snarl, shadows clinging to her claws, her fangs, her mind. "It doesn't MATTER what I want because Brisa's GONE and we don't know if she's coming back and it's our fucking JOB to take him down and that hasn't changed."
She was the one trying her damndest to help everyone.
She shouldn't have fucking done that.
The team needs her here. She deserves to be here, not you.
The team needs your power now more than ever. You're not afraid to do what needs to be done. THAT'S NOT A WEAKNESS.
- Partners
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Maple tried to deflect the attacks that came, and she had even tried to zap Mia away, but while Mia wasn't strong, she was still a familiar--part of her body had been knocked away, but the rest continued forward and toward Joule, slashing his bright flesh, if it could be called that. Golden, bright fluid sprayed out and onto Mia, sizzling and brightening even more. Maple blocked Pleo's path, but his attempted strikes from afar still got through, striking Bahamut as well as Joule during their confrontation--but even then, Joule persevered. He was tough--perhaps the toughest opponent they'd ever fought. Because of course he was, Maple thought--it was Joule.
"Bahamut?" Maple shouted. "--Bahamut! What are you--"
They had no time to react. Shield had called out, but it was too late, and Maple grabbed Shield and pulled away; she saw Astrid on her way, but what was going to happen? There were too many people attacking at once. She couldn't deflect them all. Shield was too weak. Bahamut--what did Bahamut do?! Joule's body had suddenly spiked with energy, and he screamed, flailing and thrashing...
--
Far below, Arceus was unmoving. A Heal Pulse from Saltriv and several others washed over him, but it didn't improve his condition by much. Those burns looked... deep. Deeper than the body. Joule's attack had done a lot more than leave a few bruises...
Cal couldn't fly. Cal didn't know how to fight alone. But she knew how to help, and she'd gone with the others to see how Arceus was doing. And there was someone behind her, too. She felt it, a phantasm on her shoulder, and she gasped.
"Owen?"
It was Wishkeeper. He was practically a cloud.
"Owen, I--wait, I..." Cal stepped forward. "What's... I'm..."
Wishkeeper said something, but of course Cal could not hear him.
"Wait, what are you saying? What are you saying? Please, can't I hear you just once? I... it's not..."
Wishkeeper said one last thing and smiled... and then, his form could no longer hold. In a black haze, he evaporated until nothing remained. Owen's presence was gone completely.
Arceus opened his eyes.
--
Bahamut woke up.
He woke up on a tall, tall mountain summit, where the clouds made an expansive, fluffy field far below.
Arid. Bright. Clear skies.
Something squirmed around in the grass. The skies darkened; black electricity danced around the horizon and in the clouds below. Strange, ethereal things rose from the ground, phantoms of ill-defined creatures that looked like Shades, yet brighter.
They were countless. They surrounded Bahamut, rearing up for an attack.
Someone else was nearby... to the left. It was a flickering presence, but there, stubborn. Flickering images appeared in the sky of the Reverse World, of what Joule was seeing, perhaps.
"Bahamut?" Maple shouted. "--Bahamut! What are you--"
They had no time to react. Shield had called out, but it was too late, and Maple grabbed Shield and pulled away; she saw Astrid on her way, but what was going to happen? There were too many people attacking at once. She couldn't deflect them all. Shield was too weak. Bahamut--what did Bahamut do?! Joule's body had suddenly spiked with energy, and he screamed, flailing and thrashing...
--
Far below, Arceus was unmoving. A Heal Pulse from Saltriv and several others washed over him, but it didn't improve his condition by much. Those burns looked... deep. Deeper than the body. Joule's attack had done a lot more than leave a few bruises...
Cal couldn't fly. Cal didn't know how to fight alone. But she knew how to help, and she'd gone with the others to see how Arceus was doing. And there was someone behind her, too. She felt it, a phantasm on her shoulder, and she gasped.
"Owen?"
It was Wishkeeper. He was practically a cloud.
"Owen, I--wait, I..." Cal stepped forward. "What's... I'm..."
Wishkeeper said something, but of course Cal could not hear him.
"Wait, what are you saying? What are you saying? Please, can't I hear you just once? I... it's not..."
Wishkeeper said one last thing and smiled... and then, his form could no longer hold. In a black haze, he evaporated until nothing remained. Owen's presence was gone completely.
Arceus opened his eyes.
--
Bahamut woke up.
He woke up on a tall, tall mountain summit, where the clouds made an expansive, fluffy field far below.
Arid. Bright. Clear skies.
Something squirmed around in the grass. The skies darkened; black electricity danced around the horizon and in the clouds below. Strange, ethereal things rose from the ground, phantoms of ill-defined creatures that looked like Shades, yet brighter.
They were countless. They surrounded Bahamut, rearing up for an attack.
Someone else was nearby... to the left. It was a flickering presence, but there, stubborn. Flickering images appeared in the sky of the Reverse World, of what Joule was seeing, perhaps.
Ambyssin
Gotta go back. Back to the past.
That... hadn't gone as expected, exactly. Accursed bizarre anatomy. Despite having shed his body, Bahamut had phantom limbs of a sort. Much more see-through than his real armor.
... oh. Wait. He was surrounded. By shades? This didn't look good. Not at all.
But something else was there. Bahamut had to suck up his pride.
"Whatever is out there," Bahamut said, looking around at the shades, "give me a sign. I... I..."
It pained him to admit this, but it had to be said.
"I need help. If someone's listening, help me save this soul!"
In the meantime, Bahamut tried to form Shining Blades. But would that really keep him safe?
... oh. Wait. He was surrounded. By shades? This didn't look good. Not at all.
But something else was there. Bahamut had to suck up his pride.
"Whatever is out there," Bahamut said, looking around at the shades, "give me a sign. I... I..."
It pained him to admit this, but it had to be said.
"I need help. If someone's listening, help me save this soul!"
In the meantime, Bahamut tried to form Shining Blades. But would that really keep him safe?
Whoah. Holy shit. Starr was out of it, her voice alternately buzzing with radiance and seething with shadow. "Whoah, okay." Nate held up a hand, trying to keep his eyes on Starr's face, though his gaze kept slipping towards the shadows twisting around her claws. "Take it easy, there. We'll get those guys back, huh? Diyem'll just make them some new bodies, same's he told us he would if shit went south. We just gotta finish this first. Like you said, do our job--our job was to knock Joule down until Maple could get through to him. That's what she's doing now, so don't fucking interrupt, okay? Think about how good it'll feel to get this guy on our side let loose an entire fucking light-dragon on Giovanni's ass."
- Partners
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In the strange mountaintop, the Shades all hissed at Bahamut and lunged forward. They were easily deflected away, but there were still countless more. Bahamut fought them for a short while, a stalemate--until a bright light froze all of the Shades in their tracks. the screeched and burrowed into the earth...
And rising from it was a prism. Bahamut would feel a drain on his power--not all of it, but perhaps a quarter. The prism sprouted a neck and head, then a torso, and then a naked, brilliant Ultra Necrozma appeared before him, silver in color--unmistakably, Joule.
The Shades had all fled. One they could handle--but this invader...
"...Well," said Joule, his voice perpetually one that echoed with power. His body language was serene, yet... apologetic. "I've made quite a mess of things... haven't I?"
And rising from it was a prism. Bahamut would feel a drain on his power--not all of it, but perhaps a quarter. The prism sprouted a neck and head, then a torso, and then a naked, brilliant Ultra Necrozma appeared before him, silver in color--unmistakably, Joule.
The Shades had all fled. One they could handle--but this invader...
"...Well," said Joule, his voice perpetually one that echoed with power. His body language was serene, yet... apologetic. "I've made quite a mess of things... haven't I?"
Ambyssin
Gotta go back. Back to the past.
"I would say that's the understatement of the decade, but I am guilty of far worse," Bahamut said. He had actually been getting a bit used to being a cat, so he had an urge to lower his head despite not having the means to properly do so. Whatever things he wanted to talk about on a personal level needed to be stifled, however.
"There is a lot to unpack, yes. But I feel as though this is neither the time nor the place." He gestured around the area. "I believe it is still possible to fix this mess. That is... not something I feel like I'd normally say.
"But the people out there. They have thrown their hearts and souls into protecting Cibus when it is not even their home." A melancholy blue washed over Bahamut. "They refused to give up on any single soul, even as I rebuked their attitudes. But now... now they are in desperate need of a fragment of hope. And I believe that... that you can provide that to them. A true light to blot out the shadows of despair. Not a tainted soul like mine.
"Please, I beg of you. How can we salvage this? How can we fix you?" His body trembled. "Your mate... she is waiting for you."
"There is a lot to unpack, yes. But I feel as though this is neither the time nor the place." He gestured around the area. "I believe it is still possible to fix this mess. That is... not something I feel like I'd normally say.
"But the people out there. They have thrown their hearts and souls into protecting Cibus when it is not even their home." A melancholy blue washed over Bahamut. "They refused to give up on any single soul, even as I rebuked their attitudes. But now... now they are in desperate need of a fragment of hope. And I believe that... that you can provide that to them. A true light to blot out the shadows of despair. Not a tainted soul like mine.
"Please, I beg of you. How can we salvage this? How can we fix you?" His body trembled. "Your mate... she is waiting for you."
- Partners
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Joule's eyes flickered again, shifting to various colors that Joule would recognize. Alarm, anger, desperation, sorrow. Perhaps he knew, perhaps he did not want to be told, or perhaps he had been helpless until now.
"Yes, I know." Joule looked up. "...I saw it all. I did it all. The Blacklight had put so many strange thoughts and impulses into me. It's a corrosive force like I'd never seen. I had been here, shattering my own spirit to create little fragments of myself... All for chaos. How awful. But... but now, I'm aware of myself again. I'm talking to you! But I am still fighting there. I think, right now, time is at a standstill outside. But it's also, for us... fleeting.
"Thank you for your help. But now, I..." A hope. They needed a hope... "Yes. I know what I can do..." Joule smiled. "...Hold your wings high, as if to conjure a strike. We will have but a moment. My will alone isn't enough, and I fear they do not have the hearts to strike me down and dispel the corruption by force. It would push my body to its limit. We must do it from within. Once it is over, you may feel... drained. But I assure you, I will repay my debts."
Joule lifted his wings toward the sky. The sun was setting. Darkness was rapidly approaching, and the Shades grew restless...
"Yes, I know." Joule looked up. "...I saw it all. I did it all. The Blacklight had put so many strange thoughts and impulses into me. It's a corrosive force like I'd never seen. I had been here, shattering my own spirit to create little fragments of myself... All for chaos. How awful. But... but now, I'm aware of myself again. I'm talking to you! But I am still fighting there. I think, right now, time is at a standstill outside. But it's also, for us... fleeting.
"Thank you for your help. But now, I..." A hope. They needed a hope... "Yes. I know what I can do..." Joule smiled. "...Hold your wings high, as if to conjure a strike. We will have but a moment. My will alone isn't enough, and I fear they do not have the hearts to strike me down and dispel the corruption by force. It would push my body to its limit. We must do it from within. Once it is over, you may feel... drained. But I assure you, I will repay my debts."
Joule lifted his wings toward the sky. The sun was setting. Darkness was rapidly approaching, and the Shades grew restless...
Ambyssin
Gotta go back. Back to the past.
The answer was... yoga? That was what it was called, right?
Ah, fuck it. With how ridiculous this entire adventure had been, of course the answer would be something like that. Sure, he would yoga it up with the best of them.
Was that an expression? Oh, whatever. It wasn't worth fretting over.
"Right then. Here goes."
Bahamut had no lungs. If he did, he might've sucked in a breath. He thrust what passed for his arms and hands high. What happened next... was on the shoulders of fate...
Ah, fuck it. With how ridiculous this entire adventure had been, of course the answer would be something like that. Sure, he would yoga it up with the best of them.
Was that an expression? Oh, whatever. It wasn't worth fretting over.
"Right then. Here goes."
Bahamut had no lungs. If he did, he might've sucked in a breath. He thrust what passed for his arms and hands high. What happened next... was on the shoulders of fate...
- Partners
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"Blade... I'm sorry for being gone for so long." Light formed on the tips of his wings. Shades emerged again, ready to pounce--a few latched onto him, but he ignored it. "I'm coming home."
And then, after a strange feeling of lethargy, Bahamut blacked out.
And then, after a strange feeling of lethargy, Bahamut blacked out.
- Partners
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It looked... bad. Very bad. And what little healing Tempest could do didn't seem to help. Those with healing talents seemed to be doing a little better but... it wasn't enough. His ear twitched, acknowledging Cal's speech, but he said nothing of it. His gaze stayed intently on Arceus' face, and he slowly released his hold on the pokeball, readying it.
Then Arceus opened his eyes.
"He's alive!" Tempest announced. Then he turned his attention back to Arceus himself. "Don't move, you're... You are badly hurt. Nate gave me this pokeball. I'm..." Was it really okay to even suggest capturing the creator himself? Tempest pushed those thoughts aside. Those were Nip thoughts, and he couldn't afford to not go through with this. "I am going to use this ball so that we can transport you back to the village for better healing attention. Okay?"
Then Arceus opened his eyes.
"He's alive!" Tempest announced. Then he turned his attention back to Arceus himself. "Don't move, you're... You are badly hurt. Nate gave me this pokeball. I'm..." Was it really okay to even suggest capturing the creator himself? Tempest pushed those thoughts aside. Those were Nip thoughts, and he couldn't afford to not go through with this. "I am going to use this ball so that we can transport you back to the village for better healing attention. Okay?"
- Partners
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Several other Legends were closing in, looking at Arceus with a mixture of relief and worry. Yveltal leered at the Poke Ball like it was some crime against nature, but said nothing to object to it. Arceus was responsive, but it didn't look like he could move. Silently, he closed his eyes again and tried to nod, though it looked more like a single head tilt.
"It'll help," Cal said to Tempest. "Do it." She had said it automatically, but the way she moved, she was only half-there.
"It'll help," Cal said to Tempest. "Do it." She had said it automatically, but the way she moved, she was only half-there.
"We don't know that," Starr snarled, advancing on Nate. "We don't know shit. He never held back for Maple before so why the hell should we expect it now?!"
He think he can stop you? He thinks he can hold you back?
Starr laughed, her voice reverberating unevenly. "That doesn't fucking matter anymore. I can't just do nothing while--"
While the others were gone. They were gone and she couldn't stop it, hadn't even realized until it was too late, and what was she supposed to do now? What the fuck good was all her power if she couldn't control the one damn thing that mattered? She couldn't control anything. She couldn't even control herself.
With a twisted snarl of useless, powerless rage, Starr drew back a fist and slammed it into the ground, shattering the rocky surface into pieces.
- Partners
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Arceus opened one eye again to look at Tempest, then at all the others who had surrounded him. So many concerned faces, full of life and hope. The Creator's eyes glimmered a little, even with what little energy he had.
"I knew," he said softly, "that I could trust you."
He disappeared, the ball shook once, and then it snapped tight.
"I knew," he said softly, "that I could trust you."
He disappeared, the ball shook once, and then it snapped tight.
- Partners
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As he had done before, Tempest pulled the pokeball back into his ectoplasm, hoping that it would be safe there until they could return to Destiny Village. Then he looked back to the others. Cal, Saltriv, Yveltal, and all the other pokemon that had come to help. "We should regroup with the others and return to Destiny Village as soon as it is safe."
- Partners
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"There's still something we need to take care of," Yveltal said, gesturing behind her with her tail.
--
High above... Joule was still being watched by the others. Bahamut had thrown something at Joule, and in that instant, he'd frozen in the sky. Bahamut's body fell down, down, down, caught only because Breaker happened to see him amid the debris and the final few comets that Joule had rained down on the Reverse World.
"What's going on?" Shield said, holding his side. "Is... is Joule--"
Joule brought his hands high into the air again, so quick that they didn't have time to react. A beam of light struck the Creation Trio in the chest, sending them flying back with a startled cry. It didn't knock them down, but the sudden attack broke their focus.
Joule fell into a portal conjured behind him and Maple fired a beam of light at him next, and it struck, but Joule persisted, falling into the other side. The blue skies suggested it was Cibus.
"He's getting away!" Karat shouted.
"Not for long!" Maple conjured a portal behind her and tore it open with all the strength she could muster. "Everyone who can, go inside now! The rest of you pick up the stragglers!"
--
High above... Joule was still being watched by the others. Bahamut had thrown something at Joule, and in that instant, he'd frozen in the sky. Bahamut's body fell down, down, down, caught only because Breaker happened to see him amid the debris and the final few comets that Joule had rained down on the Reverse World.
"What's going on?" Shield said, holding his side. "Is... is Joule--"
Joule brought his hands high into the air again, so quick that they didn't have time to react. A beam of light struck the Creation Trio in the chest, sending them flying back with a startled cry. It didn't knock them down, but the sudden attack broke their focus.
Joule fell into a portal conjured behind him and Maple fired a beam of light at him next, and it struck, but Joule persisted, falling into the other side. The blue skies suggested it was Cibus.
"He's getting away!" Karat shouted.
"Not for long!" Maple conjured a portal behind her and tore it open with all the strength she could muster. "Everyone who can, go inside now! The rest of you pick up the stragglers!"
- Status