Reverse World ~ Downsideup City

[Negrek]

Nate and Rocky hung around near the back of the group, Nate looking even surlier than usual in his blue bow-tie. Rocky kept shooting him nervous looks, while Nate in turn kept trying to put his familiar between himself and Arceus, scowling mightily at the assembled Beans. If anything he appeared to relax when the psychic platform lifted them into the air, away from the worst press of legends.

The weird atmosphere of the Reverse World fell over them, but Nate only glanced up for a second before returning his focus to Arceus and the beginning of his maneuver. At Owen's shout, he spun around, disoriented, trying to see through the glare of the huge Blacklight attack. "Wait, Silver? What--?" The huge explosion drowned out anything else he might have said.

Rocky recovered first, naturally. "He did it! Arceus is gonna be okay!" he shouted, pumping a fist in the air.

Nate squinted over the edge of the platform. "Did Maple seriously just use Silver as a fucking battery?" He glared down at Arceus. "Those two, I swear to fucking God..."

 

[Ambyssin]

"You swear to everybody, dude," Esper quipped, shaking his head. "Seriously. Your mouth is filthier than the worst sewers I've ever poked into. It's like you never grew out of that teenage edgelord phase where you think swearing makes you look cool."

Bahamut grabbed Esper and shoved the poipole into his bag.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa squared up for the showdown that had occupied damn near every waking moment since they'd returned to Destiny Village from the fight at the lab. She wasn't alone, she reminded herself. She had the team, and she'd done everything she possibly could to prepare them, and herself, for this. They were ready.

Once again, she was in the goddamn reverse world. There–! There was the fucking island where she'd been trapped with Starr all those weeks ago. Where she'd damn near starved to death, tears pouring down her face. She'd gotten through that. So too had she gotten through the fight with the Blacklight Dragon, defying the fear in her heart as they faced down an unimaginably strong opponent. This was just like that, except she was stronger than ever. They all were. Joule may have been the mightiest creature in creation, but they were mighty, and a team. They'd damn well get through this too.

"Just like we planned!" she called to her friends and allies. "Let's take him out!"

 

[Namohysip]

The smell of smoke and sun-bleached rock drifts on the wind. "Oh, you need my help? Umm, of course! Of course I'm ready. Just say the word!"

~ Negrek

The team gained a 50% resistance to debuffs and status effects for the turn!

"Oh no, is it happening again?!" Owen said, looking frantically around. "How come it's always when we're here?!"

"I think it has more to do with reality being strained," Maple said, trying to hold herself together--literally. "They seem to be helpful voices. Keep fighting, and maybe they'll try to help more!"

"Trying to get as many good vibes as I can!" Arceus reported.

"Okay, what are you guys doing? Setting up? Now?!" Soda pointed at them. "What are you guys doing? We're supposed to be wailing on Joule!"

"We are!" Owen pointed toward Brisa, who had gone ahead with cover by Truffle and Shiron, wrapping Joule in electric bars as Shiron knocked at potential weak points in his strange, gigantic body. "We're distracting him while we get ready for the main assault!"

As time passes, Blacklight That Burns the Sky is charging by 15%...

Shiron's Umbral Petrichor dealt a total of 230 damage to Joule! Despite the weak hits, they were Staggering blows!
Joule became Staggered!

Wishkeeper's eyes flashed and Owen shouted to the others, "Get ready! Joule's doing something!"

Joule shook off the Paralysis! Joule's general resistances went up!
Joule used Blacklight Disaster, filling the field with a twisted miasma!
The Disaster struck everyone with 300 Paralysis, but the Misty Terrain and the Ethereal presence mitigated it! Everyone shook it off!
Joule's Blacklight That Burns the Sky charged by an additional 10%...

Joule is Staggered, but is steadying his posture. Joule's Stagger thresholds rose!

Joule acquired a strange power that permeates the air. Electricity crackles all over.
Focusing only reduces corruption by half its usual amount!
Joule gains special attributes for every status condition or debuff expelled!

Joule:
HP: 99,769
Status: 400
Stagger: 15
Charge: 25%

Support Burst: 5

"Aaaah, Maple! You didn't tell us about this!" Owen cried.

"This isn't something I thought he could do," Maple hissed, looking around worriedly. "He's so unstable that... he's mutating from the very ailments we're throwing at him. It's making him stronger!"

"It's also the only thing that keeps that death ball in the sky from growing!" Soda pointed at the ball, which already looked like it had been a quarter of the way to its full potential compared to the first strike that they'd seen.

"It... it looks like what attributes Joule gains are somewhat related to the ailment he'd been given," Truffle said, landing to nurse an electric burn on his left wing. "There's no way to predict what anything will do to mutate him, but... p-perhaps a guess? Ngh, it's hard to focus with all this dark electricity..."

"It's not going to fade, either," Maple said, looking up at Joule. "He has that attribute until we can subdue him. He's just going to keep getting stronger. He's... too dangerous. But... I'll try to calm him down anyway. Somehow..."

"It looks like what you said was right," Owen added, looking at Wishkeeper. "If Joule is distracted by something messing with him, it'll keep him from prioritizing attacking. But now that he's more resistant to everything, he might...!"

"It'll keep getting sent back to us stronger," Maple confirmed. "Even as we tire ourselves out, Joule will keep adapting to what we do. We have to outpace him."

"He's unpredictable in this state," Truffle exclaimed. "Maple, you must calm him! He might attack anyway if he notices he's getting outpaced!"

Owen gulped. "I f-felt it," he said. "He nearly attacked us. Just one of those attacks would have taken out a bunch of us all at once!" He tried to convey this to the others even amid the chaos and the glimmering air.

 

[Adamhuarts]

"Are you serious?!" Cynthian shuddered after hearing what Maple said. It seemed like their plan was starting to go off the rails first. Whatever power was coming from Joule gave Cynthian a dull feeling in her chest, and she has a feeling it might get a bit harder to keep her head clear...

"It'll be okay, Ivy is with you!" Ivy said upon sensing her thoughts. Cynthian smiled back at her and nodded.

"Yeah, let's see what we can do to help the others."

In the corner of her eye, Cynthian caught glimpse of Starr charging up flames around her. Cynthian instinctively winced upon recalling the tournaments events. She shook her head and looked Starr's way with a wave.

"Hey Starr, use this to hit em harder!" Cynthian shot a glowing petal at Starr and let it do its work.

"Ivy thinks you should hit em too!"

"I know, but I'm not yet..." Cynthian passed by Cabot briefly and took that opportunity to use Astrid's trick to borrow his strength. She flashed Cabot a smile as strength filled her body. "Hope you don't mind sharing some of that."

Having done that, she turned her gaze back to Joule

"Slow him down with your poison too!" Ivy suggested, keeping her distance close as they traversed the battlefield.

"You don't need to tell me twice!" Cynthian smirked and blasted a noxious fluid at Joule's vulnerable exteriors. The poison did its work and Joule faltered. It wasn't going to last for long, and he was bound to throw it right back at everyone...

"Have a taste of autumn's end too for good measure!" Cynthian performed a quick dance and showered Joule in a barrage of ice cold petals. It didn't affect him fully. She would have to try a second time, and be extra cautious.

 

[Chibi Pika]

Back in the reverse world again. Oh joy. There wasn't much time for nostalgia though. Not when the whole team had to pull together to keep Joule from getting a chance to fire off the meteors that would tear through them all in an instant.

"Hey Starr, use this to hit em harder!" Cynthian shot a glowing petal at Starr and let it do its work.

"Got it!" Starr called back. The moment the petal stuck to her, her vision sharpened, and there was a brief moment where Joule slowed and it was clear as day where she had to strike. And there was less danger of a counterattack with Vix's wax protecting her.

The team could do it. They were damn strong when they all pulled together for a coordinated assault. Boosting each other, healing each other, calling out to each other. Starr's inner fire blazed hotter than ever. So hot she wasn't sure her body could handle it. Especially after the sheer amount of radiance she had to call on to get enough power to strike full-force. She hadn't taken a single hit from Joule, but pain was already starting to cloud her vision.

And then a dark energy flickered through her being, and suddenly, strangely, everything began to hurt less.

She'd beaten Giovanni. And he was responsible for this fucking mess. The team was unstoppable? No. She was unstoppable. Why the hell should she feel bad about that? About being strong? About being able to do what she wanted? Why the hell should she feel bad about anything?

Starr used Umbral Insolence!

 

[Spiteful Murkrow]

In the midst of the confusion of battle with Joule, Kate darted about trying to probe for an opening. It was a bit hard to imagine that just a couple days ago she'd been helping Pleo with a five-feathered discount, and now here after tagging along to the crossroads and a portal hop later, she was in an alien world squaring off with a berserk deity.

The Sneasel inhaled sharply, when she spotted an opening to strike at Joule from his back, fanning out her claws as she planted her feet.

"Ah, there we go!"

The Sneasel dashed forward, readying her claws for a swipe when she felt a rush of warmth through her body and time seemed to slow down for her, when she noticed a bright, golden glow from the corner of her eye.

"Huh?! What the-?!"

There, as clear as day, her claws were trailing frosted air and taken on a brilliant, golden glow. The Sneasel reflexively braced them as she ran them across Joule's body, feeling them slice across like paper before rolling and darting away. The slashes she'd left behind on Joule's body started to frost over with ice, the Dark-Type looking down with startled astonishment at her now-normal claws.

"What- What the hell was that? I've never seen anyone use a move like that!"

 

[Negrek]

Nate was in the process of rolling his eyes at the little alien-thing's comment when he was distracted by a far-off voice. A familiar voice, maybe? He wasn't sure. But it sounded like it was coming from... Rocky?

"Are you doing that thing again?" he asked, turning to the familiar. The golden band had appeared around the familiar's core again, and he was poking at it experimentally, sticking his hand straight into his ectoplasmic chest.

"I, I guess so? I don't really remember last time." Rocky stared into his own chest, neck growing unnaturally long so he could get a better angle. "It kind of tickles!"

"Well, fucking great, I guess. Keep it up." Was it something about the Reverse World that made that happen? Well, whatever. It seemed like it helped, and they could sure as hell use some help.

 

[Virgil134]

Shadows cloaked the top of Cabot's head as he charged forward towards Joule, ready to ram into him with a Head Smash. Pleo flew in the air close to him and spat up a glowing ball at Joule that, thanks to Saltriv sunbeams, had taken on a fiery composition. As the young Lugia circled past Joule he noticed Kate slashing the Necrozma with glowing claws before coming to a stop not too far away from him and looking over them in astonished surprise, prompting Pleo to land near her.

"What- What the hell was that? I've never seen anyone use a move like that!"

"Oh! That was Radiance!" he piped up. "Was that the first time you used it? Since that looked really good! It's slowing him down and everything!"

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

All their efforts were paying off. The team was working in the same supernatural synchronicity they'd gotten down practically to an art form, save for the occasional stumble. And she—

She was surging with power.

She knew what it felt like to lay down a Thunder Cage on a god. Now she was laying down some new, more potent Radiant Arrest, overcharged by her empowered shadows... a Resolute Arrest, on the Voice of Blacklight. She was single-pawedly detaining Necrozma Joule.

Then the countersurge came and her focus shattered.

"I'll put the hurt on you, you glowing son of a bitch," she snarled, leaping ahead to support the attacks of their best strikers—her friends! Starr and Cabot!—and to hit the giant bastard with an electrical exertion of her own—Electric Facade!

 

[Cresselia92]

Icetales didn’t like it. He didn’t like being back to that distorted dimension at all!

It reminded him too much of the darkness he summoned back at the facility, of the shadow of his father emerging from the floor, of the daemons that crawled on his homeworld.

…Well, the latest detail was definitely there, with Sir Joule using some kind of unknown sorcery to make it harder to focus and keep the Radiance and Shadow in check.

What if his Shadow ran out of control? What if ‘Father’ emerged once more? What if—

Golly! That miasma was starting to get to it, wasn’t it? Yet another detail that reminded him too much of home… for bad and for even worse.

Icetales grunted and shook his head. No, that was no time to think about that. But that atmosphere was definitely making him nervous and not focus on the current fight. He couldn’t afford that!

“Oh, by heavens!” he grumbled at last, before cloaking the entire battlefield in a thick mist. Whimsical reaction, perhaps, but it helped soothe his mind. After all, out of sight out of mind. “There. Much better.”

“Huh… I kinda think you’ve used up energy for nothing, Daddy,” pointed out Petram, motioning toward the milky veil. “The miasma is still there.”

“Perhaps, but the fog in my mind is gone, at least.”

“Hmm… Are you sure you’re feeling well? You… have started acting weird since you ended your training and unleashed that strange dark power.”

“…I am swell. Let us take some cover to protect ourselves from some eventual counterattack.”

Petram stared sadly as Icetales rushed toward another floating platform, suspended by the psychics supporting them in battle, and hovered after him.

No, Daddy wasn’t definitely swell.

 

[Ambyssin]

Bahamut heard Owen's words. But then the subject of a distraction came up and his bag rustled. He squeezed it with his right hand. "Whatever you're thinking, don't—"

But like a slimy eel, Esper slithered between Bahamut's claws and reformed in midair. "Did somebody say distraction? I'm on it!" He saluted the group and zipped closed to Joule.

"Hey! Hey, hey, hey, hey!" Esper waved his nubby hands. "Mr. Glowstick of Doom! You look all cool and badass and stuff like that. Can I get your autograph? I'm a huuuuuuuge fan!" He stuck his hands into his head and pulled goo away to mold into a notebook and pencil. "Baha Blast down there is the same species as you, but he's no fun. He just sits around and pouts all day. Kind of like your wife!"

He zipped to Joule's right. "What made you choose to nail her, anyway? You don't seem like the kind of big giant doom dragon to go for grouchy, stick-up-their-ass types. Or maybe you know of a soft side to Syrup that she only shows whenever she's around you. In which case, aww, that's so sickeningly adorable." Esper pressed his hands together and made kissy noises. "Say, when you two make out, do you glow so much you blind everyone who stumbles in on you? Because I bet that would be real embarrassing."

Bahamut wasn't sure if this was Esper's attempt at a distraction or a ploy to get Joule to focus his attention squarely on him. He doubted either would work.

 

[Fusion]

"Is this our first time here? This place is so weird," Puddle attempted a whistle, but more so just fizzed. It hung from Vix's body, watching the battle play out from the lamp higher-than-usual vantage point.

"This is called the Distortion world for a reason," Vix said, her eyes darting between her teammates. Focus. That was the most important thing right now. Focus to support her team. Focus to keep this going smoothly. Keeping a watchful eye on friend and foe.

Team Spectrum was fighting in sync, perhaps even better than usual. Everyone was so powerful, so fast, so efficient. It felt like this was being orchestrated by a group of professionals behind the scenes. Vix felt everyone's rage and determination, and an invisible smile stretched along her face.

Starr had already done her attacks, her flaming wrath beating into Joule with all the tender gentleness of a pile of blast seeds getting hit with a flamethrower. Vix sent a veil of wax towards her, ready to cast her Ire upon the Torracat when the time was right. If Starr liked to hit things really hard, then god dammit was Vix going to help her hit even harder!

All the focus and quite was starting to get to Puddle quickly, but it knew not to be a bother. It reached into Vix's bag and tossed an elixir at her. Vix slid off her shade and caught the drink in her head, replacing her lid and getting back to work. Everything had to go perfectly, and Vix wasn't going to let herself fall behind.

 

[Namohysip]

A strange, powerful aura fills the air...

:)

The team's damage was boosted by 50%!

Joule roared and swatted Esper away, hurling him toward Karat, who narrowly dodged the beamed Ultra Shade. "Watch it!" Karat hissed, narrowly losing his focus on the platforms below a lot of Team Spectrum's feet. Their footholds had softened like sand on the beach.

"Wh-whoa." Owen wobbled, then refocused. "Okay! Let's k-keep going! We need to take him out quickly!"

Cynthian badly poisoned Joule!
Bahamut and Kate lowered Joule's speed by 2!

Brisa's Overcharge Facade dealt a CRITICAL 4564 damage! Brisa's next Facade dealt 3390!
Cabot's Triple Annihilation Hydra dealt a CRITICAL 23015 damage to Joule!
Shiron's double Umbral Petrichor dealt a total of 1250 damage to Joule!
Saltriv and Shiron's Grass-Water Pledge dealt 485 damage to Joule! A swampy haze surrounded Joule, slowing him down!
Starr's Flare Blitz dealt a CRITICAL 6160 damage to Joule, gaining a lot of recoil, but she endured it!
Her Leech Life dealt 2632 damage, healing her a little!
Her second Flare Blitz dealt 4928 damage, gaining more recoil that she endured!
Starr's Umbral Insolence ended, returning her HP to normal.

"Wait!" Owen shouted. "Hold off! The poison's got him!" But more importantly, it looked like Joule was about to do something else. "B-brace yourselves!"

The sky was rumbling even more, all around them waves of Blacklight made the very platforms beneath their feet fade and evaporate. But the Psychics were strong and, backed by Arceus, they were solid again. But it seemed like, as the next Blacklight That Burns the Sky got stronger, their platforms were becoming precariously weak, and it also felt like it was drawing them closer, like gravity.

Joule's attack charged by another 15%...
Joule purified himself of the Poisons and Speed, but took their effects immediately
Joule took 12500 damage from the poison, but endured it at half health!

Joule used Blacklight Solidify, chaining into Blacklight Disaster!
Several team members gained Toxic and lost a lot of Speed! Joule's attack charged by 10%...

Joule gained +2 Defense and Resistance!
Joule gained Critical Immunity for the next turn only!
Joule gained +1 Action for the next turn only!
Joule's status resistance went up even further!
Joule's braced and ready to endure things once he reaches critical HP...
Joule's attack charged by 20%!

Joule's body metabolized the poison rapidly, turning it into a healing agent! Joule will regenerate 9999 HP per turn!
Joule's body rejected its slowness and his movements became limber and precise. Going to the Back Row will not reduce damage from team-wide attacks!

Joule:
HP: 59,999
Status: 700
Stagger: 20
Charge: 70%
Immune to Critical (1 turn)
Actions: 3 (1 turn)
Regen: 9999
Ignores rows
Focuses reduce corruption by half

Support Burst: 35

"Oh, great, and now he's healing himself!" Soda pointed at the Blacklight monstrosity. "How are you gonna outpace THAT?!"

"Hitting hard!" Cal replied. "Doesn't look like he's nearly healed, the way he's dimming. We can outpace that, easy! Let's take him down until he can't brace anymore!"

"If we don't, he'll just keep trying to tire us out," Owen said. "B-but that Catastrophe... I don't think we can stop it next time! Bahamut! Can you use that shield again?!"

 

[Spiteful Murkrow]

"Oh! That was Radiance!" he piped up. "Was that the first time you used it? Since that looked really good! It's slowing him down and everything!"

Kate turned her head towards Pleo after he landed, 'Radiance'? Was that what the feeling she'd felt while attacking was? It was like the warm, fuzzy feeling she got after finishing a large mug of beer where anything seemed possible, except without the buzz and muddied senses that came along with it.

Her mind turned back to Brisa's warning back in the dorm lounge a few days prior:

"So th'thing is . . . take Luz. She's who I wanted t'be, growin' up on folklore about Zeraora, the Wandering Light. If y'got t'know her . . . y'kinda already know who I am. And if you've seen me use blacklight in combat, you'll understand a little more. Radiance heightens our intent, and shadow shows our innards."

This was the same Radiance she was talking about? Thinking back on it, she hadn't really deliberated the icy slash at all, it'd just kind of... happened, as naturally as if she'd been breathing in and out. But, in that case...

"Wait, but how did I-?"

The ground abruptly rumbled as Kate noticed the platforms underfoot begin to crack and visibly start giving underfoot, prompting her to spring back and brace herself.

"Hold that thought, let's talk things over after we pull through here!"

 

[Fusion]

Yes, all that focus was working out! But now wasn't the time to get in her own head, Vix's job wasn't done yet. There was still a battle going on, Joule wasn't defeated yet, but he certainly will soon enough.

All the attacks, shouts, calls... everything in the air was damn near deafening. And all that raw emotion coming off of Team Spectrum, the God Squad, and even Joule himself were laid out before Vix like a fancy four-course dinner. Most prominent was the anger and pride coming from so many of those present.

"All this rage, geez," Vix muttered, shuddering. "It kinda feels... nice? In a strange way?" Vix could vaguely tell that Puddle was talking to her, but she could barely even hear him. It might've had with the growing shadow that she hadn't noticed. "... I can totally use that, I think that's what I was missing! My new special move!"

She turned to the angriest member of the team currently. Starr. That feline was hitting really hard already, but imagine how much harder she could hit with a bit more fuel in that fire? "Fire types are supposed to be hot-headed, but this isn't nearly hot enough!" Vix snickered, sending a jet black flame towards Starr. It merged into the wax coating her, melting it off, then into her self. "Hehehe, I can't wait to see how hard you'll hit now!"

There was another powerful, violent member, right? The one that wiped the floor with Vix at the tournament? Brisa, yeah, Brisa was plenty mad! But, sadly, it didn't look like she was going to attack. What a shame... But there her partner at the time~

"Owen... really isn't as mad as he could be. Rage is a whole lot better to fight with than being calm, especially for another fire type," Vix huffed. She cast a veil of wax over the Charmeleon, soon followed by another jet black flame. "I can spare some of mine, so hit 'im hard as fuck, Owen! Show that corrupted hardass who's boss!"

 

[Ambyssin]

Esper shakily lifted his head up. "H... ha! Is that... all you got, Glowstick? I've met... magikarp who Splash harder than that."

"Stop speaking. You're disgracing the both of us," Bahamut growled, tail angrily flicking back and forth.

"B-but that Catastrophe... I don't think we can stop it next time! Bahamut! Can you use that shield again?!"

"... hmph. 'Can you use that shield again?' Of course." That was exactly why he insisted on practicing by his lonesome. Bahamut had a method to his madness and it was coming into play.

Well, it wasn't perfect. Whatever strange ways Joule was twisting the fabric of this world made it harder to dispel corruption. Which was unexpected. But Bahamut was expecting not to expect something, so it didn't count.

Of course, the necrozma couldn't shake the feeling there was something else brewing. Aside from the giant ball of blacklight about to hit them. And in spite of that, there was one person who'd been suspiciously silent.

"Well?" Bahamut's eyes reddened as he stared Maple down. "How much longer to you intend to stand there in silence? This lot is doing their part. If you want the best outcome, then take some initiative, damn it!"

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa was a perfectly-drilled combat engine, dashing between platforms and harrying Joule with everything she had to help her allies land their alpha strikes with the greatest impact possible. Brisa and Starr, Brisa and Owen—whoever was striking, Brisa had trained with them to the point of obsession, and it was paying off now as they made a star god shriek.

She'd never let down her friends. They could depend on her.

As she fought, and Starr landed another devastating combo-attack, Brisa saw the shadows rising up around the torracat's limbs and a callousness in her eyes that was never there before.

"Starr," she called out, defying her own shadows to do so, "I know you! You're always in control, always strivin'! Get a goddamn grip and fight yer fuckin' demons like you always do!"

It was the first time she'd spoken in minutes, and it gave her an idea. She turned her head to the necrozma they were pummelling, and she grit her teeth. They could try to reach him again. What was it Luz had said to him?

"Whatever's happened t'you, Joule, I know y'ain't forgotten who you are! You didn't visit a hundred worlds and save 'em just to turn yer power against this one fer some contemptible jackass like him! You made me 'n' those like me to help resist him, didn't ya? I know it! Yer a hero at heart, Joule, that's what I feel in my soul! So fight back!"

Brisa wasn't Luz. And probably she never would be. But she could still reach out.

Brisa ran forwards across oblivion and hit Joule with her Shining Whiplash, every tether making contact as she opened her heart, full of radiance and shadows.

"Voice of Life! Necrozma Joule! We've never met, but I know you! You travel the worlds as a hero, a Wanderin' Light like no other! Ain't you better than this? Show me that you are!"

 

[Shiny Phantump]

Celeste watched the patterns of radiance in his vision. Joule was going to attack soon, he was sure of it. The attack wasn't entirely unavoidable. He would be fine.

Icetales, though, looked to be in trouble. His teammates got hurt in battle all the time, Icetales wasn't even the only one looking to be hurt by this attack. Still, something about watching his closest friend about to be devastated and being unable to do anything felt wrong in a way that was different.

He couldn't move Icetales in time, and he couldn't really move the attack.

Couldn't he? The patterns of radiance he saw often shifted as he acted, especially when someone was aiming at him. He'd seen Brisa's attacks do it when they were sparring. If he could change them indirectly, how much harder could it it really be to just...

Take...

Direct...

Control...

A familiar mind-numbing sensation tingled in his head, and the radiance foreshadowing the blows headed Icetales' way shifted, leaving him safe. Instead, the pattern now focused on... oh no.

Celeste scrambled for safe space. He'd have to be doubly sure not to get hit now.

 

[Adamhuarts]

To absolutely no one's surprise, Joule's miasma thickened and a venomous haze spread all over the field. Cynthian flinched as the platform beneath her softened like jelly in some parts and even cracking in others.

"I'm okay. Part poison, still immune," Cynthian reminded herself even as her heart raced. However, she was the only one who had that immunity. The others weren't so lucky! Mama Zahra's aromatherapy... Cynthian still remembered how it work. She could help the others with it.

A thick mixed-fruit scent permeated from her flowers, gradually costing her flower petals in psychedelic hues. The move didn't last long, so Cynthian hurriedly looked for those in closest proximity.

Cynthian saw Starr first and it looked liketthe poison slowed her down a bit. Quickl, she approached. The moment she reached her, she pushed her flowers towards Starr's face.

"I don't have time to explain, but this'll take care of the poison for a while!" She left Starr's side as quickly as she could to help more of the others.

Astrid, like Starr, was also pushing on even with the ailment. Cynthian couldn't help but smile at her tenacity. She repeated the same thing she did to Starr and took off just as quickly.

"Okay, who else... who else... Icetales!" Cynthian's heart skipped a beat when she saw him, and she made a quick beeline for him.

"Hang in there, Icetales. We need your strength," she said to him in a soft voice as her floral scents subdued Icetales' poisoning.

By then her flowers were already starting to fade back to their normal color. She grimaced and pulled a couple of her petals off with a wince and pushed them towards Ivy.

"Why'd you do that?!" Ivy asked in panic.

"Don't worry. They'll grow back in a few hours! Take those to as many as you can. They should still work for a short while!" Cynthian instructed. Ivy stared at her blankly for a moment, then she nodded before turning the other way.

The others still needed an opening to strike Joule. Fragmented ice shards still stuck to him, and that reminded Cynthian to finish what she started a few minutes prior.

Drawing a long breath, Cynthian's eyes glowed and a shimmer engulfed her body. A pillar of frosted petals reared up at her beckon and hammered down on Joule, freezing up his joints and covering him in a pile of snow and petals.

"Joule can't move now! Hit him now! Hit him! HIM HIM!!" Cynthian said, smiling with bright excitement!