Sharpedo Bluff

[Disco]

Mellow had never really got all her questions answered... That, or she regrettably had fallen asleep and missed it. Nobody seemed to have answers either.

Instead of looking into it too deeply, she had spent her week collecting berries, herbs and flowers to begin making her own personal stash of tea. She had also picked up a new move, Will-o-Wisp, and it was perfect for having a pot of tea wherever she went! As such, she could usually be seen with a pack filled with the things necessary to do so.

And she had not forgotten the family that lived inside the cliff. She was making her way there now, in fact...

But halfway up the trail, she heard the scream. Mellow paused, then frowned and ran to get closer until she heard the words that echoed out the entrance and stopped short.

"Is everything okay down there?", she called out, while backing away. "Do I need to get someone?!"

 

[Equitial]

"Run!" Ashwood half-shoved, half-threw Surf toward the stairs. "Something's possessed your sister, or her aura is corrupted, or something. She's out of control!"

"Do I need to get someone?!"

"That would be nice -- or come in yourself!" Ashwood shouted.

They charged the ghostly Totodile gunning for Surf. Vibrations shook their helmet as they screeched out an Astonish.

 

[Disco]

As Mellow was just a simple Charmander who's life revolved around her craft, and who did not have any moves that would be of immediate help, she opted to run down to the town's dojo and get the attention of someone who did.

 

[Chibi Pika]

"Anyone wanna tell me what the fuck that thing is?!" Starr yelled, jabbing a paw forward. The Totodile melted. The Totodile melted, what in the absolute hell is going on?! And the Croconaw was just standing there as that thing rushed at her. Come on, move, dammit! Why isn't she--?!

The next few moments seemed to happen in slow motion. First Ashwood tackling Surf out of the way. Then the ghostly shockwave of an Astonish hitting the screwed-up Totodile, stopping it for just a moment. Then, before Starr had any idea what she was doing, she'd lunged forward, spitting a volley of red-hot flares right at it.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Because of Dad. Because he was human.

Brisa froze, pain forgotten.

...what?

She made a mad-dash for Surf, who was frozen in fear and confusion. The shadowy Totodile that floated around Turf raised a hand, which grew and sharpened into black, knife-sized claws.

The next few moments seemed to happen in slow motion. First Ashwood tackling Surf out of the way. Then the ghostly shockwave of an Astonish hitting the screwed-up Totodile, stopping it for just a moment. Then, before Starr had any idea what she was doing, she'd lunged forward, spitting a volley of red-hot flares right at it.

Now Starr was here?? What—? Training and experience took over, and Brisa flanked Turf to target her with a surge of electric energy.

 

[Namohysip]

The Astonish stunned Turf, and then the fire and electricity that followed from both sides left her with no way to dodge, let alone with stand the flanking onslaught. She wailed, and the shadowy haze around her, still shaped like a Totodile, roared and lashed out randomly, leaving huge gashes in the rocky floor around her.

Surf tumbled toward the doorway and stood up, shouting, "W-wait! Don't--don't hurt her!"

Turf rolled until she was at the stone teeth of the Sharpedo's carved face. She grunted in pain, and the shadows around her lessened. She was weak--much weaker than the Magikarp they'd fought.

"I don't... I don't want to be a hero..."

She slowly got back up. The shadows churned again.

Apparently her power had gone down enough that Diyem could speak to them again. Can you hear me? Hello? Strike her down! Now!

 

[Equitial]

Turf's wails split into Ashwood's helmet. Energy writhed around her, whipping through the air, scarring the floor.

Then the shadows retreated, and for a moment, Ashwood thought it was over.

But Turf rose, shadows reawakening as she stood.

Can you hear me? Hello? Strike her down! Now!

Oh god, Turf was just a kid. Her agonized wails, her pained expression, her sister's desperate call. She was just a sick kid. Ashwood couldn't -- they didn't --

Ashwood froze up.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

'Strike her down?' What was this yellowbellied beast thinking? Shut your trap! thought Brisa, hackles up.

Time to try something... different.

"Turf!" she cried. "You don't have to be a hero! We're not gonna make you do anythin' you don't care to!"

She shot a glance at Starr, not knowing if the litten would help her — or not.

 

[Chibi Pika]

Don't gotta tell me twice! Starr snapped back at Diyem.

Brisa had taken that moment to shout something at the Totodile, distracting her. Which meant that the phantom clinging to her was a free target--Starr took a deep breath and breathed out another burst of flames right at the shadowy haze.

 

[Shiny Phantump]

Celeste seethed. That had better not mean what I think you meant, Diyem.

“Turf, were not going to make you be a hero, you’re just a kid. However, there is a distinct difference between a non-hero and someone actively trying to kill people, and I’d really rather you not be the latter, either.”

 

[Namohysip]

Don't gotta tell me twice! Starr snapped back at Diyem.

Finally! At least one of you imbeciles listen!

The strike rang true, and when Turf was distracted by the call, the phantom's hazy body weaved out of the way of Starr's attack. But Turf didn't move away in time; instead, the phantom looked back in a flash of horror as Turf was struck.

Turf screamed and fell forward. The phantom screamed in unison, and then evaporated, yet lingering shadows remained inside Turf. They collected at the center of her back and then burst out, Turf's body jolting unnaturally.

It was a blackish-gold thing with six ill-defined limbs, a misshapen, oblong and lengthy head, and a winding body, like some kind of gastropod. It writhed on the ground and lashed at the air, then tried to slither to the Sharpedo's stony mouth, which faced the open horizon.

What--

Even Diyem didn't seem to recognize this creature.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Too many things jolted through Brisa's mind — Starr's attack, Diyem's order, Turf's pain, the shadow!

But the needs of combat overrode her brain and she launched herself at the shadow to tackle it bodily, teeth and claws out.

 

[Chibi Pika]

Diyem what the hell is that thing, whatthehellisthatthing. Starr felt nothing but stunned confusion from him. But that... It was... What...?

Totodile had fallen limp. The thing was slithering toward the balcony. It was going to escape. It was--

"It's getting away!" Starr barked, lunging forward at the misshapen slug, claws outstretched.

 

[Equitial]

Ashwood watched as Starr struck Turf and that thing crawled out of her. Oh god. Move. They couldn't just stand there, they had to move.

They looked from the collapsed Turf to the crawling, slug-like creature. Come on come on come on they were supposed to be a hero.

"Surf, get your sister," they eventually gasped out.

They jumped after Brisa and Starr for the escaping phantom.

 

[Namohysip]

The slug felt like something between water and gelatin. Her claws tore into the shadowy thing and it flailed and writhed in response. It hurt--its attacks suddenly felt like acid which jabbed and thrashed and bludgeoned against Starr. The attacks themselves were weak, yet they felt like elemental water against her Fire body.

Meanwhile, Surf shakily moved to Turf, who was unconscious but breathing. A few burns covered parts of her scales, either from fire or electricity, and she seemed to be coming to.

Its struggling was getting weaker, yet it was still trying to escape, weakly pulling itself toward a gap between the stony teeth. Only a few more inches and it would stick its head into open air. It lifted its tail and tried to stab Starr aimlessly. Unfortunately, its tail was just as solid as the rest of it, and it only stung where it touched and broke no skin or fur.

In fact, curiously, despite how much it hurt, no physical wounds were being left behind...

 

[Chibi Pika]

Starr hissed through her teeth. Motherfu-- It burned. But it wasn't actually doing anything. Just surges of raw pain, on her paws, on her shoulder where it had jabbed her. Come on, fight through it, come on-- Starr pushed herself to keep going while her teammates closed in on the thing from either side.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa screamed fury and let rip a storm of electrical energy. So what if it drained her? This thing needed to be stopped. Now.

 

[Namohysip]

The thing flailed again, jabbing and thrashing at Starr, but then came Brisa's attack. The crackling electricity made the creature pause and turn its head, if that was a head, toward the incoming blast. And for a moment, Starr would hear it make a strange noise--a growl, no, not a growl, a squeak, of fear.

SNAP!

It went from under Starr and tumbled against the wall. Its body rolled down and flopped limply, looking weaker than ever. The gold light in its body was dim. It tried to move again, whimpering.

"What's happening?" shouted Maple from the entrance, and Necrozma floated behind her, though he was having trouble fitting through the entrance to the Bluff's home. The way Maple's eyes trailed around the Bluff, she didn't see the creature, either.

Surf couldn't either, saying, "And what are you attacking?!"

 

[Equitial]

"It's some kind of ghost, slug thing," Ashwood said, eyes locked on the squirming creature. Their body was tense, ready to strike. "You can't see it. Only Celeste, Brisa, Starr and I could. The people who were able to fight the Magikarp. It came out of Turf."

 

[Chibi Pika]

Starr gaped at them incredulously. “Are you people fucking blind, it’s right there,” she said, jabbing a paw at the squirming sluglike thing. It looked a lot weaker now, but she still wasn’t about to take her eyes off of it after what had just happened.