Sand Continent ~ Sand Dune of Spirits

[Namohysip]

The Sand Dune of Spirits was once a Dungeon named after the strange whispers that seemed to blow through the Dungeon's walls. While now confirmed to be a trick of the mind and the winds that blew through its corridors, the name and superstitions remained. It is said that one of the Xatu brothers lived at the top of this Sand Dune, perpetually staring at the horizon like the others, and to this day, such a story was true. Climbing it, however, was another story. The Dungeon, ironically, had made the trip easier. Without space distorted around, the trek to the top was a grueling and exhausting...

The horizon seemed to always display the same dusty, sandy scene, with two plateaus on either side of the outlook.

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"I've been liking the scenery of our fights lately," Owen said, eyes scanning the horizon. "Is... is that another Xatu?"

"And he's staring at the sun again. huh." Cal stretched and curled her hands behind her head. The amorphous Charmander glanced to Owen and asked, "So, uhhh... Maple? Darkwhite said to wait here? Why?"

"The letter said that it was a challenge to disturb this Xatu during his meditation," Maple explained. "I tried to dissuade her, but apparently she had already done a great deal to try to disrupt him, and to no avail. So now, hosting the fight here is her next idea. I was in no position to object."

"...Why?" Cal asked. "Don't tell me she actually got Ho-Oh like she said she would."

Maple didn't answer.

"...You're kidding."

 

[Virgil134]

"Well, I certainly agree with Owen!" Cabot cheered. "This place feels so much better than Destiny Village!"

The Cranidos wagged his tail slightly as he soaked in the sun. Pleo on the other hand looked around warily for any sign of Darkwhite, before shifting uneasily.

"Do you think Darkwhite will attack us once she comes back with Ho-Oh?"

 

[Namohysip]

"Did someone say my naaaaame?" someone called from far away.

And just then, the sky seemed to darken. Clouds flooded the skies and turned the hot desert sun into a more tolerable, cool, but foreboding shade.

"...So this is her new gambit," said the Xatu standing at the edge of the dunes. "To devour the horizon. Mm. I do hope you can rid of her soon."

"Uh, yeah, we'll try." Owen looked ahead.

"I toooold you I'd do it!" Darkwhite called, and then something else shimmered in the horizon next to her. Something a lot larger. A dark shape that sported crimson feathers and a silver tail; shimmering sparks of Radiance drifted off of its body with every wingbeat, which flashed against the incoming, darkened skies.

"...She actually did it," Maple remarked.

"God, I hate that smug look on her face," Soda said. "Can we beat her up too?"

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

 

[Ambyssin]

"That's the ho-ho?" Esper scrunched his face up in discontent. "That doesn't look like a delicious snack pastry at all!"

Bahamut's eyes and core shifted red. "Perhaps if we bound it and roasted it over hellfire it would make for a decent meal."

Esper turned upside-down and floated in front of Bahamut. "Is this what you were like when you were younger? Sheesh. No wonder you never had any friends."

"Thank you for that not even remotely helpful statement." Bahamut grabbed Esper and slammed the poipole onto his back.

 

[Namohysip]

"Alright, you know the drill! Ho-Oh's been all cooped up in her little cage for sooo long, and she's sooo bored! Wouldn't you agree, Ho-Oh?"

"KRAAAAAH!"

"See, she gets it! So, here's what we're gonna do. A big-ass party!" Darkwhite disappeared and reappeared just above Ho-Oh's head. "A festival to celebrate the recovery of Ho-Oh! All thanks to yours truly. Make sure you give her the fight of a thousand lifetimes!"

"Is this really necessary?" Maple asked, even though she could feel it--Darkwhite still had that energy absorbing attribute to her. Her powers were useless here, and Ho-Oh seemed to have the same attribute. What were they supposed to do here? Watch? Probably watch again.

"It's kind of necessary," Owen said. "Exerting our power over corrupted Pokemon seems to purify them... In a weird way, Darkwhite has a point."

"Boy, that must make a lot of folks really steamed," Cal said, giggling to herself. Her hands sank into her cheeks. "Alright, fine. You're on, Darkwhite! I bet we'll party even harder than you?"

"Oh?" Darkwhite leaned forward. "Is that a challenge?"

"Uh, no," Owen hastily said, "it's definitely n--"

"You bet your ass it is!"

Darkwhite giggled madly. "Let the great Darkwhite-Saved-Ho-Oh-Festival begin!"

Ho-Oh used Blacklight Sakura!
The air around Ho-Oh is surrounded in shining, black petals that soothed her corrupted form.

Ho-Oh: 10,000
Threshold: 500

Darkwhite: 3,000
Threshold: 300

Special Condition: Unknown.

 

[Ambyssin]

"Man, Cibus' version of a piñata needs work." Esper jutted out his lower lip.

"If only candy would burst out of that overgrown fearow if we hit it hard enough," Bahamut deadpanned. "Perhaps then this wouldn't be a total bore."

 

[Dragonfree]

Dave had just about had a goddamn heart attack upon learning that during his absence in Spirit's Edge Mia had casually gone with Maple and others to explore some fucking hideout and had an encounter with the Giovanni-Mewtwo, just based on the promise that there might be fights. (He'd tried to tell her that the real Mia had actually fucking died when she did something very much like that, for fuck's sake, and Mia had just shrugged and said she was much harder to kill because this body was better, and technically she was right but it didn't make him like it one bit more.)

So, by the time they headed out to take on Darkwhite's latest 'challenge', he was keeping a very close eye on her. She was all too happy to come along to a big brawl, and on the one hand it was cool that she was having a great time, but on the other hand he couldn't shake the gripping worry that something was going to happen to her. Especially after Spirit's Edge had torn open a lot of things.

They were up against Darkwhite and a Shadow Ho-Oh. Par for the course. As per telepathic strategizing, he was going to start off by distracting Darkwhite from being too much of a nuisance.

"Hey, Darkwhite?" he barked, drawing on the power of a Taunt to empower some half-assed insult. "This is a terrible fucking party. I guess you wouldn't get invited to a lot but usually they don't involve making the guests fight each other."

"That's too bad," Mia said. "Those would be much better than real parties."

"Mia, you're not fucking helping."

 

[Shiny Phantump]

Celeste laughed despite himself. Humourlessly, but laughter nonetheless. "This is your idea of being on the same side as someone?"

The expression drained from his face and voice. He'd been considering saying this, and now was the time. "You know, I wondered what it was that caused your world to die when this one survived... I don't wonder that anymore. This world had heroes, and your world had you. If they had to rely on you for help, I'd be surprised if things didn't turn out that way."

He scowled. "You call this a party? I call it the kind of reckless disregard for those around you that doomed Telum in the first place. Do you have a third world to escape to if we can't stop your actions from ruining this one, too? Will all this 'fun' be worth it if the consequences ever catch up to you?"

 

[TheGOAT]

Astrid physically flinched. With a breath drawn and a furrowed brow, she craned her neck back to stare incredulously at Celeste.

She spoke in a sharp whisper. “…Are you trying to make her cry or something?”

 

[Shiny Phantump]

She spoke in a sharp whisper. “…Are you trying to make her cry or something?”

Celeste, likewise, dropped into a whisper. "If she wants me to treat her as an ally, she can start to act like one. In the meantime, she shouldn't expect any respect from me. How about you get treated as prey for her next time she wants to take out her sadistic impulses?"

Celeste sneered. "We'll see if you're so happy to kiss up to her after that."

 

[Namohysip]

"You aren't helping!" Owen hissed at Celeste, glancing skyward. "You aren't the only one she decided to pick fights with, y'know. Something's... wrong with her, but that might be the corruption. She's still trying to help, I... think." Why Darkwhite was corrupted at all was still a lingering question, but of all the Blacklight-infected Pokemon he knew, Darkwhite was the most cooperative. That meant something... right?

Darkwhite scoffed. "As if you know my game," Darkwhite said. "I'm the secret ally. I'm the bonus boss. I'm the ultimate creature that's going out of her way to save your asses from fighting an army of Legends! And all you have to do to thank me is get mad over a little battle that YOU started by trying to mess with ME. And you don't mess with me!" Darkwhite put her hands to her hips. "But don't worry. I forgive you. That's what gods do, right?"

"KRAAAAA!"

"Yeah, Ho-Oh gets it!"

 

[TheGOAT]

Celeste, likewise, dropped into a whisper. "If she wants me to treat her as an ally, she can start to act like one. In the meantime, she shouldn't expect any respect from me. How about you get treated as prey for her next time she wants to take out her sadistic impulses?"

Celeste sneered. "We'll see if you're so happy to kiss up to her after that."

Astrid flinched harder, ears flattening to her head. With that came the sting of actually being the one spoken to, and by a friend—or just an ally?—no less.

She turned back to the broadening horizon, mumbling under her breath, “S-sorry. I guess…”

 

[Ambyssin]

This would’ve all been easier if Bahamut’s teammates just did as he did and ignored Darkwhite.

 

[Shiny Phantump]

Darkwhite scoffed. "As if you know my game," Darkwhite said. "I'm the secret ally. I'm the bonus boss. I'm the ultimate creature that's going out of her way to save your asses from fighting an army of Legends! And all you have to do to thank me is get mad over a little battle that YOU started by trying to mess with ME. And you don't mess with me!" Darkwhite put her hands to her hips. "But don't worry. I forgive you. That's what gods do, right?"

"You're a narcissist who's been given too much power without any of the responsibility to handle it. Instead, you use it to play games with the fate of the world for your own hedonistic pleasure. You didn't stop us from having to fight an army of legends, you tried to steal that army for yourself. A real god would use their power in the best interest of the world, not for their own childish amusement.

"At least Shield was trying to do the right thing when he attacked us. You, on the other hand, know what's happening and do act the way you do anyways. I don't care if anyone else wants to turn a blind eye to your nature because they're dependent on your power, I'm having none of this. The fact that you sometimes use your power to help us is no excuse to ignore the fact that you're the single most self-absorbed, deluded creature I've ever had the misfortune of meeting."

 

[Namohysip]

"Steal? For myself? Fwahahaha! Uhuhu... huhu... Ohh, wow! You really don't know shit!" Darkwhite leaned forward, clutching at her belly. "If I wanted an army, why would I invite you guys to take them down?! Holy crap! I can't believe you didn't put that one together!"

She continued to giggle, lowering herself even as Ho-Oh continued to stare down the team, getting closer and closer. "C'mon, it was one fight! And you were asking for it anyway. You don't really know how to not antagonize people, do you? Y'know, if I'm such a hedonistic, chaotic thing, how come you're trying to berate me when I could just go ham on you? After all, I'm CLEARLY helping you right now, and if I Was LESS reasonable, you would have blown it for your whole team! Who's self-absorbed now, huh? Always soooo sure you're right, and the ones that wronged you, ooooh, they must be evil! Yeah, I know your type." Darkwhite rolled her eyes. "Maybe one day you'll grow up to be more mature. Like me!"

Owen stared at Darkwhite skeptically, not sure if that was a joke or not. "I think both of you need to cool it..."

"You're right." Darkwhite sighed, but then her eyes became manic. A grin overtook her face. "Time to blow off some steam!"

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa padded forward, her fur already starting to glow with an electric heat. For the first time on Cibus, this was a fight where she felt no internal cauldron of desperate trepidation. This was a fight where she intended to not only go all-out, but enjoy it. A vestige of her fearful self-restraint peeled away. Something sparked in her simmering Radiance...

"Howdy there, Darkwhite! How about we have a prelude to that duel of ours, 'n' have some fun? I'll take you on, gal to gal!"

She shook her mane in a flurry of sparks, and charged headlong as the sparks met her fur and caught her body alight in a blaze of power.

Brisa used Bright Arclight! Brisa was burned! Brisa used Wild Charge!

 

[Namohysip]

"Now THAT'S more like it!"

Brisa's Boon Wild Charge dealt 716 damage to Darkwhite, and she took 71 damage in recoil!
Shiron's Silver Spike dealt 342 damage to Ho-Oh!

The team knew how to coordinate, and there was an oddly positive air around most of them. Owen hopped nimbly on his feet after mimicking to near-perfection the technique that so many on the team had learned to use. He wondered if his new powers would be useful here--could he pass along what he had to others, rapidly? There was only one way to tell...

Gah! He was getting distracted. "Watch out! She's--" Darkwhite went flying past him, her tail slapping his face. "Excuse me!"

"Hey!" Darkwhite booped Dave on the nose. "I'm trying to HELP you here! Why are you sealing all my cool moves, huh?! Bad! Bad Poochy!"

Darkwhite used Darkwhite Jab on Dave, Shiron, and Nip!
Dave: A grazing 1
Shiron: Dodged!
Nip: Dodged!

Darkwhite used Darkwhite Jab on Dave, Shiron, and Astrid!
Dave: 1
Shiron: 1
Astrid: Dodged!

With an angry huff, she shook off the Taunt. That was satisfying. Now maybe she could focus on actually celebrating! Without thinking, she flew across the battlefield, occasionally jabbing people and distracting them, though not without a few encouraging words. "Hey, and don't forget to take Ho-Oh down!" She held her side, where Brisa had struck, with a giggle. "She's stronger than I thought..."

"We're doing good, guys!" Owen said. "Nice shot! I don't think Ho-Oh's that strong, but she seems to be healing herself! We need to outpace her!"

Ho-Oh used Dual Wingbeat on Dave, Nip, and Icetales! They were all hit twice!
Dave: 72
Nip: 152
Icetales: Dodged both times!

Ho-Oh used Sacred Fire on Shiron, Astrid, and Saltriv!
Shiron: 49
Astrid: A grazing 78!
Saltriv: 102

Ho-Oh used Sunny Day!

The Blacklight Sakura heals Ho-Oh for 1000 HP!

"Yeah, yeah, you guys got your setup wave done, right?! Now do that cool one-shot thing and take Ho-Oh down already! I'm gonna--" Darkwhite suddenly stopped, like her voice had caught in her throat. She coughed and hacked and lowered closer to the ground, giving Owen pause.

"Darkwhite?" Owen called.

"Hang--hang on... maybe a hairball..." Darkwhite wheezed, sinking lower.

"Um--guys?"

There was something different about her. She seemed hazier in some parts and solid in others. She could barely keep together, and in that Blacklight haze, Owen saw what appeared to be red sparks...

"I think... I'm alright. I ḟ̶̫e̶̱̒e̶͙͂ḻ̵̚ alright... I--" Darkwhite coughed raggedly, black, sparkling spittle and something thicker landing on the ground below her. She held her chest, squeezing it, as something red and pulsing glowed in her.

Darkwhite took severe damage!

Brisa suffers from her Burn...

Darkwhite: 785
Ho-Oh: 10658

"Guyyys, something's wrong with Darkwhite!" Owen shouted.

"Celeste, what did you do?!" Cal accused.

Under Ho-Oh's sun that cut through the dark clouds, Darkwhite cast a shadow. Her shadow bled into the ground and churned the sands; her eyes were becoming vacant. That brightness in her chest intensified and she yelped, curling into a ball. Her whole body spasmed, plumes of Blacklight haze billowing out of her clouds. Red sparks, like lightning, decorated the smoke.

 

[IFBench]

Saltriv frowned. Why was everyone attacking Darkwhite? Ho-oh was the one attacking everyone!

They winced as Darkwhite coughed something other than spittle onto the ground. That looked really bad. They really needed to help her!

They focused on the sunlight. They felt it with their leaf, absorbing it, energizing themselves.

With that energy, Saltriv shot out a Heal Pulse towards Darkwhite, and yelled, "Everyone, stop attacking Darkwhite! Use whatever you can to heal her!"

Then they Called out to Darkwhite. "Darkwhite! You need help! Don't push yourself until we can really heal you!"

 

[Shiny Phantump]

"Celeste, what did you do?!" Cal accused.

"I have no idea," he whispered. "It looks like she's coughing up corruption, and the haze around her is clearing. I think we can purify her."

He raised his voice back to something she could hear. "To be fair to Sword... She wasn't as heavily corrupted as Darkwhite is. I suppose this much corruption would make a mess of anyone. Perhaps the fact she's less of a mess than most of the corrupted higher beings we've seen is a testament to something."

Celeste's voice stuck in his throat. He really didn't want to say this part... But it was the right thing to do. He had to try it. "Sword. If you can hear me, I have not held the actions other higher beings took under corruption against them. I had been holding Darkwhite to a higher standard because of her relative sanity, but..."

He sighed. "You need help as much as they do, don't you? Let us help. We would be happy to have you, Sword, with us."