[Battle] ELLIOT vs PLATINUM

[abyss]

ROUND 1
ELLIOT vs PLATINUM
BATTLE COMMENCE

[platinum]

S how the world what you have become. That's all the Hearthome Admin could think to herself. Platina Berlitz was no longer the sweet innocent girl that people fell in love with all those years ago. The war had ripped out her warmth, and a cold dead woman lied on the inside. Nox took all that happiness and warmth away from her by killing her loved ones. She wanted all of that joy back, she wanted blood for blood. Standing at the helm of the L.B.B. Ambition, a crown jewel of the Lux naval fleet, Platinum looked over the impressive Battleship. It was top of the line, and brand new. Everything was still sleek and shiny, as this was the Ambition's first mission. Well, it wasn't her first official mission. The damn man in charge of the Ambition wouldn't hand her over, but a little murder and forgery handled that. Platinum tilted her head. For the life of her, Berlitz couldn't remember where she hid the body. Shaking her head, Platinum pushed the thought away from her mind. There was no use in worrying about the little details, after all there was a job to do.  Lux had requested a battalion of troops to be sent from Hearthome to aid in the attack on Whirl Islands. With the offer to restore order to the Islands, and end the lives of Nox populi, on the table Platinum couldn't help but take the lead the battalion herself. The Ambition wasn't part of the original plan, but it was just more details. "Ella, Paloma." Platinum's voice was cold. The Mamoswine and Glaceon turned their attention to their master. "Blizzard." The plan was to envelope the islands in an ice storm, so that the first wave of Lux soldiers could penetrate the Nox defenses. Obediently the two pokemon left the bridge of the ship. Once out they began to sing, their voices like the howling gale of an ice storm. As their song continued the clouds above became darker and darker until finally snow and ice began to rain down upon the islands. Vision became obstructed, and Platinum's goals became that much easier. Slamming her fist onto the intercom speaker, she issued her orders. "Aim the canons, empty the ships load. I want no survivors." Machinery began to grind and whirl. Watching her weapons ready themselves to kill the scum, Platinum couldn't help but smile.

LAIKA OF GS!

[Elliot]

An ominous breeze blew through the shores of the Whirl Islands.

At first it seemed like nothing, a mere distant breeze on an already cold, rocky shore. The various inhabitants of the island didn't seem to mind. Neither did the small, crippled boy who had recently taken refuge there, continuing to run from a past that refused to leave him be. He sat on the edges of the island, feet dipped in the water as he let out a sudden shiver from the change in temperature. His trusty Marshtomp sat next to him, mimicking his pose and staring out into the distance. While her trainer was relaxed and somewhat distracted, she looked grim and focused. It was almost as if something on the horizon troubled her . . .

The boy shivered again as the temperature continued to drop, blinking a few times as he looked up into the sky. The sky seemed way darker than it was a few minutes ago, and a few flaks of snow fell on his head. He stood up to leave, but before he could he felt a firm pressure on his shoulder. He turned to see his Marshtomp looking up at him, shaking her head and frowning.  The Pokemon motioned for him to stay put as she cast a wary gaze at the intensifying precipitation.

"Hm? You've got a bad feeling about this, Maggie?" he asked, head tilted curiously. The Marshtomp merely closed her eyes and focused, the fin on her head vibrating as she tried to pinpoint the source of the disturbance. The winds picked up around the pair and snow began carpeting the island, but the Maggie refused to move from her trance. Then her eyes snapped open, the fin slowing its quiver as she pointed into the distance. While the snow made it too hard for Elliot to see what she was pointing to, her radar-like Foresight meant she was to be trusted.

Whatever this snow was, it wasn't natural.  However, Maggie's look of determination soon morphed into one of horror as her she realized what the distant figure was doing.  Quickly she ran in front of Elliot, pointing away from the shore and letting out frantic calls.  He couldn't understand her words, but the panic in her tone was clear.  The shore was not a good place to be anymore, and he needed to get out while he still could.

The boy tossed two Pokeballs on the ground, a Makuhita and a Chimeco appearing before him. "Isaac, lead any civilians out of here now! Samson, try to push these winds back to help out Maggie!" he called, voice trembling from cold and fear of the unknown. Nevertheless, he knew he couldn't just run. He'd never forgive himself if he left Maggie behind.

Like clockwork, Elliot's team snapped into action. Isaac flew above the shore's panicking inhabitants, inhaling deeply before letting out a loud Heal Bell to catch their attention. He darted to and fro like some kind of mobile alarm clock, ringing at the masses in order to try and lead them away from the shore. While he wasn't able to do much to calm their panic, at least he was able to catch their attention. Samson, meanwhile, waddled over to Maggie's side and clapped his hands together. The Whirlwind-like force of his clap pushed at the advancing blizzard, hoping to repel them before they got any closer and turned the shore of the island into a glacier.

Trainer and Pokemon alike then piled behind Maggie, who crossed her arms and kicked up an iridescent barrier between her and the shore. She wasn't sure how long she could hold this Protect for, especially against a threat as large as the one she detected, but she wasn't about to let that stop her from protecting her trainer. She gritted her teeth and squeezed her eyes shut, preparing for the worst.

There was a storm coming in. Not only in frost, but also in flame.  

[platinum]

T he smug smile was wiped from Platinum's face. No longer was the howling blizzard on her side, it was being thrown back into her face. The ship became to creak and moan, Ambition was not exactly built for such situations. If she didn't act fast then the Ambition wouldn't reach it's goal. It had to get there, so many people would die if it got within range. Her mind began to race. There had to be a solution to this, there always was. Unfortunately pokemon were stronger than anything that humans could build. That's when a light turned on in her head. Platinum's face became cold and somber, many Lux soldiers would die if she did this. But the loss was acceptable, perhaps even needed. Chances are there would be a PR scandal of some sort, but Platinum knew she could handle it. She always did. Taking two pokeballs from her waist, Platinum returned both Ella and Paloma to their balls. They would be useless in this plan, at least for now. To replace them, she plucked a single ball from her waist. Wrapping her fingers around the plastic, Platinum could feel the warmth emanating from the pokeball. This one was looking for a fight. Good. Throwing it before her, Magmortor appeared in a torrent of red light. "Fyodor, to the bow of the ship. Destroy the rocks with hyper beam. Then head to the boiler room. Once the ship hits land, bring Ambition down." The fat fire type nodded before trotting off. It knew this would be a fun day. Platinum realized she had another problem on her hands. Some of the Lux soldiers may jump ship, and even worse they might survive. Knowing she would have to take care of these pesky troopers and their will to survive, Platinum sighed. "Some people..." Thankfully there was a solution to Platinum's problem sitting right next to her. Turning to face her Garchomp, Platinum couldn't help but tilt her head. The dragon was curled up on the floor, gnawing on a bone of some sort. "Hektor, is that human?" Turning his blood covered muzzle to face his mistress, the Garchomp gave Berlitz a toothy grin. Platinum couldn't help but smile. She just remembered where she put hid that body. Clearing her throat, Platinum changed the topic of the conversation. "Hektor, there will be people with the will to survive. The silly ones that try to jump ship. I need no survivors, make sure they are dead before they even hit the water below." Her voice was calm and collected as she ordered her dragon to slaughter any member of her crew that tried to preserve their life. Pressing the intercom button once again, Platinum's voice filled the Ambition once again. "All hands on deck, arm the canons and fire with everything we have. Oh, and full steam ahead." The Ambition began to creak and moan as it fought against the combined force of the blizzard and whirlwind. Slowly but surely the battleship was making its way through the ice storm. On the bow stood Fyodor. The fire type's eyes were squinted, it hated the cold. It hated rocks. Rocks were dumb, they didn't make that nice and toasty smell like flesh did when you set it on fire. But orders were orders, and no one betrayed mistress. Well, no one betrayed the mistress and lived. Lifting up it's canon arm, a light began to flicker within. Then without warning a jet of energy lanced out, crashing into the rocks before the Ambition. The powerful hyper beam obliterated the rocks. Soon there was a path for the Ambition to go directly to the island. Hunching over Fyodor knew he should get to the boiler room, but he was tired. Hyper beam always made him so tired. Panting a bit, the pokemon decided to recover from the hyper beam before heading to the boiler room, surely mistress could wait... Or at least he hoped. As he rested, Fyodor could hear the beautiful chorus of canon fire behind him. It was like a never ending symphony, boom, boom, boom! The only pause in the glorious tune of war was for the occasional canon to reload, but even that was slight. The canon fire would not be ending anytime soon. As the boat forged towards the island, some of the sailors realized that this was a bad idea. If the Ambition kept it's course in a few minutes it would crash into the island. A few of the sailors decided it would be best to abandon ship, and head towards the life boats. On the bridge, Platinum saw this. "It's starting Hektor. Be brutal, teach the others a lesson." Abandoning his bone, the Garchomp got up to take care of the trouble makers. Before he could leave, Berlitz stopped him. "Oh and Hektor, no snacking. You've had enough human today." Grumbling, mainly to himself, over the lack of fresh meat the Garchomp headed towards the sailors. They thought they were safe, until blue fire began to roll off the Mach Pokemon's body. A few of them realized what was about to happen, and began to scramble. They weren't fast enough. The dragon rush hit them before they could run even two feet. Howling in glee the dragon began to rip apart the disobedient sailors, until they were nothing but a pile of gore on the floor. Blood stained from his most recent victims Hektor stared down other sailors, just daring them to attempt to flee. The toothy grin even wider than before.

LAIKA OF GS!

[Elliot]

The skies finally cleared as Samson forced the blizzard back, but what Elliot saw next was much more concerning than some ice and snow. His eyes widened with fear and awe as he found himself staring down the starboard of a massive Lux battleship. The world seemed to stop in its tracks as Elliot gazed at the massive ship, the only sound coming from the clicks of the ship as its many guns began pointing into position. Even the civilians fleeing from the blizzard, previously cacophonous in their panic, hushed in an instant when the Ambition came into view.

Something in the boy's brain finally seemed to click. Here he was on a peaceful Nox settlement in a neutral region, far away from the calamity and bloodshed that had grasped Hoenn. Despite this the war had still found him, suffocating the entire world in its chilling grasp. No value, no threat, no antagonism, nothing but a bunch of rocks with civilians on them. What should have been a haven from the war was just another pit stop on Lux's checklist, to be drained of all of its blood and let to rot once more.

The Houndoom of war continued to howl for his blood and nip at his ankles, just waiting for him to fall so they could devour him. And yet . . . he could have avoided everything. He could have done as his father asked, ran back to Unova, ran back to the arms of his overbearing mother, ended his hopes of journeying as trainers were meant to. He could have locked himself back beneath a gilded cage and submissively kowtowed to the reality he had been fleeing from for years. Unova was home, and no matter how nice it was home was prison. All Elliot wanted was the freedom to roam in peace, journeying with his beloved Pokemon and avoiding this wretched war. It was clear this was an impossibility.

No more running, no more hiding. This was Elliot's crucible, and the boy knew his only option was to finally take his life into his own hands. He clenched his fist, breathing out the last of his second thoughts before turning to the mass of people behind him. He cracked down a Pokeball, a Swablu taking to the skies and looking down at the people below.

"E-everyone, get off of this island now!" he cried, voice trembling as he tried to project as loudly as possible. "Isaac, please, help them. Take Judas with you, find a dock, and get he-"

Then the boy vanished behind thick clouds of smoke and ash, a cacophony of explosions drowning out his voice. It was time.

Isaac looked at Judas pleadingly, motioning to the people down below who would die if not for their help. The Swablu merely rolled his eyes, opening beak mouth and generating a glowing Dragon Pulse. Like a beacon of hope he flew before the island's civilians, Isaac following and continuing to ring his Heal Bell. Unlike the panic from the blizzard, the earlier silence had ensured all eyes were on the duo. They lead the way toward the island's southern coasts, Isaac occasionally throwing worried glances at the cloud of ash hiding his trainer.

Beneath the cloud, Elliot and Samson hid behind Maggie's protective shield. The bubble only had room for her, but hiding behind it was much more preferable to risking being out in the open. The boy had to hold his breath to avoid choking on the noxious smoke from the bombardments, and occasionally flames washed around the bubble and licked dangerously close to him, but for the most part he was untouchable. Maggie, however, was not so fortunate. Cracks spread around the iridescent shield as she tried to maintain it longer, knowing fully well that each use was weaker than the last. She didn't have much time left at all.

Elliot looked at her pleadingly. "Just drop the shield and run!" he begged, reaching for her but being deflected by the barrier. "Do you think I'm just going to leave you here?" She merely nodded, teeth gritted as the barrier around her began falling to pieces. She pointed and let out a sharp cry, wondering why he wasn't just running to save himself. If he waited they'd just both end up dying! Both trainer and Pokemon refused to move, indignation and worry filling their eyes as they stared each other down.

Fortunately, a third was there to break this little stalemate. Every few seconds there was a bit of reprieve from the smoke, a sign that the cannons were reloading instead of firing off. While Maggie and Elliot were too distracted to notice, watchful Samson made sure to run as soon as the next pause occurred. The Makuhita shattered his teammate's protect with a Bullet Punch, grabbing the two by their wrists and running as fast as his stumpy legs could take him.

The trio coughed and sputtered as smoke filled their lungs and heat burned at their backs, but against all odds they had made it out alive. Once out of the range of the cannon's and the smoke they paused, desperately trying to catch their breath before the ship got any closer.

[platinum]

H igh above in the bridge, Platinum could see it all. Oh the tiny ants where hard to see beneath the fog of the weapons, and the flickering light of a lone dragon pulse. But she could still see them. The disgusting ones, running about on the island. Probably screaming for their dear little lives. The very thought of it made Platinum smile even more. Every single one of their lives she snuffed out brought Berlitz just one step closer to her goal. Sighing, Platinum knew she couldn't stay within her perch for much longer.  Exiting the bridge, Platinum slowly began to descend to the deck. Her hand ran along the steel banister. It was harder to see the death below. It was upsetting, Platinum loved to see her plans unfold. But it would get oh so much better soon. Platinum's skin tingled with absolute delight in anticipation.  Cold eyes moved from the battle field, to her own pokemon. The fatass, Magmortar, had finally departed the bow. His chubby feet slowly moved one step at a time, carrying his weight across the deck towards the bowels of the Ambition. "FASTER, OR I'LL FEED YOU TO HEKTOR!" Berlitz screeched at her pokemon. Below the Blast Pokemon began to panic. He knew the mistress wasn't lying, he had seen her feed the disobedient to Hektor before. As fast as he could, Fyodor began to run towards the boiler room. He knew if he showed any sign of weakness Platinum would let the dragon have his way with him. To be honest, Fyodor was a wonderful tool. In fact, so useful that Platinum knew it would be a struggle to discard of him. She was starting to become attached to the creature, in the same manner that she was attached to that beautiful Garchomp. Cold steel eyes glanced to the dragon, who was busy disemboweling the disobedient. He was just so precious. The barrage of fire began to slow as the Ambition grind against the sand floor of the sea. The ones with some will to survive, which was most of the crew, at this point began to flee. Platinum kept walking towards the bow. They would be dead soon, there was no point in finishing these ones. They couldn't even stop the Ambition if they tried. Platinum had left her loyal soldiers in charge of the ships controls, and they would die before they disappointed her. It would be a shame to lose them, but they were ultimately replaceable. "Hektor, to me." Platinum barked out, over the screams and cries of the Ambition's crew. Within seconds the Garchomp was at her side. "I will need you to dig down into the beach sand, then catch me. And make sure I have air, or I will strangle you." Her instructions were calm, even with the chaos surrounding her. The Ambition began to shake and tilt as it drew closer and closer to the isle. Only a few feet of water remained, it was a miracle that it made it this far. The ship began to tilt slowly to one side at first. Stepping beyond the railing Platinum jumped. As she plummet towards the ground, the Ambition did the same. The fire of the Ambition had ceased, the sounds of gun fire replaced with the cries of death.  Hektor flew past Platinum. With a loud splash as it hit the shallow water. By the time Platinum was within a few feet of the ground, a hole was beneath her. Falling into it, she found herself in the embrace of her lovely little serial killer. Continuing his dig, Hektor burrowed them down, up a yard, then back down until they were safe from the grand finale of the Ambition. Long before the Ambition hit the ground, Fyodor arrived in the boiler room. Some pesky human was complaining about how he "wasn't allowed here" and this was "breaking protocol." But the mistress told him to be here, so Magmortar simply silenced the human with a swift punch in the face. The maintenance worker stumbled back, his face bleeding and nose broken. Fyodor chuckled. Finding the large metal tanker that housed the ship's fuel supply, Fyodor rose his canon arm. Thrusting forward, he pierced the metal contained with brute force, and wedge his arm within the oil. He could feel the oil lapping at his arm. It felt gross, but it didn't hurt like the metal. It pinched at his flesh, making it hurt to move. So naturally when the Ambition began to tilt, Magmortar's body moved with the force of gravity. His arm was so firmly wedged it held him in place, but he couldn't help but let out a scream of pain as the as metal tugged at his arm. Dangling from the tanker he counted. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. A lava plume erupted his canon. A massive explosion ensued. The metal frame of the Ambition was ripped to shreds, but the explosion wasn't satisfied with just taking the battleship. No, it wanted more. Within seconds it expanded faster and faster, consuming the shore. No one on the beach front was safe from it's reach. Except Platinum, who was far below the ground. She gasped for breath. It was difficult to breath, almost impossible. Especially when her face was pressed tight against the Garchomp's body. Gasping for air her hand snaked into her pocket. Fingers wrapped around a simple metal brooch pin. It was in the shape of her family crest, and it brought her comfort. She could feel the dirt and pebbles around her shaking, falling into her hair and onto her clothes. Her grip increased. As the explosion subsided, Platinum tapped on her pokemon's body. "Bring me up." With one arm digging, and the other holding Berlitz, Hektor began to dig back up to the surface. It took a minute for Platinum to finally emerge from the earth. She gasped for breath, glad to have fresh air once again. Eyes began to scan her surroundings. The remains of the stolen battleship scattered the isle, accompanied by shards of rock and the charred corpses of the dead. It didn't take her long to spot Fyodor, who was lying in a heap on the ground. His natural heat resistant skin had saved him from the firey explosion, but it did not protect him from the metal sharpnel of the Ambition. "Fyodor" Platinum called, as if she wasn't even phased that her pokemon could be dead. Somehow Fyodor had survived. He couldn't move, his body was in too much pain. He opened his mouth, faintly calling out to his mistress. He did well, maybe he would save her. Platinum walked to her dying pokemon, Hektor trailing behind her. Scanning her pokemons wounds, Platinum knew Magmortar was going to die if she did not do something soon.  Hektor took a step forward, his claws raised and ready to put Fyodor out of his misery. "No." The Hearthome Admin said, raising an arm to stop her pokemon. Below Fyodor sighed, tears of joy rolling down his eyes. He was going to live, mistress was really going to allow him to live. Platinum allowed her hand to fall to her waist. Fingers wrapped around her piarol. Lining up the barrel with Magmortar's head, Platinum commented, "I'll do it myself." Bang.

LAIKA OF GS!

[Elliot]

Elliot panted like a dog running a marathon, choking on the very air he breathed as it was consumed in clouds of smoke from the previous cannonade. He squinted as he tried to peer through the smoke, letting out a sigh of relief as he saw the barrage had come to an end. His ears were ringing, his throat was retching, and his eyes were beginning to water, but he couldn't help but let out a triumphant laugh. Against all odds he was alive, and it was all thanks to the ingenuity of his Pokemon. And with their help, most of the beachgoers were safely moved out of the way before the cannonade could get started.

Not all ran off to follow Isaac's lure, of course. Some retreated to their homes only to return with Pokeballs in hand, ready to make a stand for their home. Others were caught hopelessly off guard, their pained screams drowned out by the pounding gunfire. A few, thinking themselves clever, ran for the waters and hoped to swim past the battleship, figuring they would have a safe passage now that its payload had finished firing. Elliot watched the ship nervously as more figures returned to the beach, wondering what it had in store. Would it retreat upon seeing opposition? Reload and fire again? Or would it open up like a pinata full of Lux soldiers, pouring out to storm the island by force?

The answer, it turned out, was none of these possibilities. As Elliot looked at the ship, he noticed it was much closer than it had seemed before. What was once a distant figure was now a massive monolith, blocking out the entire skyline beneath its tremendous metal bulk. It also seemed to be slowly tipping over, a figure leaping from its starboard as if trying to escape. WHat had happened? Was the great ship sinking?

The answer turned out to be much worse than anything Elliot expected. Before he could say a word he found himself knocked to the ground, Maggie standing in front of him and his also-prone Makuhia. The Marshtomp squeezed her eyes shut and crossed her arms, kicking up a final, desperate Protect.

A chorus of wails and screams erupted from the island as the L.B.B. Ambition detonated. The waters were displaced by the massive blast, turning the seas into a churning, furious tide. The swimmers who thought they were so clever in avoiding the ship were surely flash-fried, too close to the explosion's center to be anything but scattered flesh and bones. The civilians who returned, once so eager to stand their ground and defend their island, were burned horrifically and blasted to pieces by the explosion's shockwave. Elliot desperately huddled behind Maggie's protect, praying that it would hold out as superheated shockwaves slammed into it. The shield diverted them but did not stop them, and Elliot felt the pounding waves slamming him deeper into the sand. Had he still been standing, he might have been decapitated from sheer explosive force. He shut his eyes to avoid them being punctured by flying grains of sand, which had filled the air in a vicious dust storm after the explosion.

Even the group Isaac and Judas had escorted, previously thought to be safe from harm, found themselves at the mercy of Platinum's wrath. The windows of the town they had occupied shattered from the explosion's force, and the entire crowd stumbled forward as if shoved by the hands of an angry god. The ones furthest from the ship merely landed on their feet, dazed and disoriented. Others were not so fortunate: scaled badly by hot air, bruised by overwhelming force, or landing with sickening crunches as their bones broke from the impact. Shrapnel propelled forward at blur-like speeds, usually landing away harmlessly but occasionally skewering an unlikely citizen. The island town, one secure in their trust of the Chimecho's beacon, had devolved into panic and chaos almost immediately.

The little blue psychic type got to work, frantically flying to the most injured and washing them in gentle Heal Pulses. He turned to his Swablu companion, looking pleadingly at him for help, but the bird haughtily turned away and began flying toward the source of the explosion. He had more important things to do than play nurse for a talking wind chime.

As Elliot opened his eyes, he was horrified to see what remained. Sand was blasted away in massive numbers, heated into crystals of glass that gently fell onto blackened, charred bedrock. Massive chunks of twisted metal littered the beach, as did equally twisted remnants of former human beings. Some were unquestionably dead, charred beyond recognition and covered in hideous welts. Others still lived but barely so, shallowly breathing as they pleaded with Yveltal for a quick, merciful end. Occasionally a single, blackened arm or leg was visible, a clear sign of some poor souls resting in pieces.

Elliot could barely stand to look at it, shuddering as he stood to his feet and vomiting on the sand. He had seen death and destruction before, but never on this level. Never on such a previously-innocuous day. He desperately looked around for any sign of life, or at the very least any hope for the dead and dying that surrounded him. Surely there had to be something . . .

And that's when Elliot saw the cruel executioner himself, the same woman he previously saw leaping from the boat. There was a gun in her hand and purpose in her step, and Elliot couldn't shake the feeling that he recognized her from somewhere. Either way, she had to be very strong and quick-witted to avoid perishing in such an incident . . .

Or maybe it was all part of some sick, twisted plan. Elliot's brow narrowed in suspicion as he began following the mysterious woman.

A pathetic mass of flesh. That was the only way to describe the object the woman was approaching. Incapable of moving, acting, or even speaking, and yet its chest still heaved shallowly. Alive, he thought to himself, only to notice the gun in her hand and the Garchomp at ready. Not for long. Whatever the woman's allegiance, Elliot knew he was about to witness an execution. His blood boiled at the injustice of it all: even surrounded by so much death, she still wanted to cause more? And to an innocent Pokemon incapable of even fighting, of all things? He turned to Samson, his voice a harsh whisper.

"Samson, you have to stop her! Now!"

The Makuhita nodded, extending a fist and charging forward with a brutal Bullet Punch. He didn't aim to harm or even connect with the punch, instead harnessing the speed of the move and his own bulk to try and bowl her over. Then he'd make a break for it as fast as he could. So long as she missed the shot and he got to escape, he considered the plan a success.

Elliot merely watched as his Makuhita charged forward, his fist clenched and teeth gritted. He shuddered as he stood, feeling more nerves than he ever had before in his life. His stomach felt like a yawning pit, and it took every bit of impulse control Elliot had to fight the urge to vomit. Nevertheless, the intensity in his eyes was unmatched as he stared, awaiting to see if his gambit would be successful. Fear, disgust, rage . . . all of them were put aside by singleminded, purposeful determination.

Never before had Elliot looked so much like his father.

[platinum]

A scream escaped Platinum's lips. There was a sharp pain in her chest, something had hit her in the chest with a great force. She was disorientated, and Platinum struggled to discover the cause of the pain. Blinking, Platinum discovered that she was no longer standing but on the ground, and that the gun was no longer in her hand. There was a gun shot, Berlitz remembered at least that. But she could not recall if she hit her mark or not.  Pushing herself up into a sitting position with her elbows, Platinum discovered the culprit. A fat little disgusting Makuhita stood at her feet. Her face tightened into a snarl, she wanted this thing dead. But before she could even open her mouth, Hektor already took action. The Mach Pokemon charged forward, fangs bared. It swooped down, and with a crunch sunk it's fangs into the fighting type's body. With a sharp twist of his neck, the Garchomp attempted to fling the fat one away from his Mistress. "Fucking kill it," Platinum sneered as she rose to her feet. "Don't just throw it away." Although, the fat one is essentially just trash, Berlitz mused to herself. Huffing and puffing, much like a child throwing a temper tantrum, Hektor began to head towards where he flung the Makuhita. Mistress got what Mistress wanted, and Mistress wanted the fat one to become the dead one. The Makuhita wasn't the only unfinished business on Platinum's mind. Fyodor was right up there, and Platinum needed to get back to his execution. Shifting her gaze to the fire type, Platinum was once again taken by surprise. The dying pokemon was forcing itself to stand. His body was shaking, and tears were rolling down his face again. But these ones were from sheer pain. He could barely stand on his own, it took every fiber of his being to not fall back down from pain alone. But he knew that if he didn't fight, if he didn't prove himself, than Platinum would kill him. Magmortar attempted to raise his canon arm, but it was of no use. He couldn't feel anything at all in his arm. That didn't stop him, he tried again and again. Fyodor was terrified of death. Seeing this, a genuine smile appeared on Platinum's face. This one was a fighter, maybe she would allow him to live. Plucking a pokeball from her waist, the Hearthome Admin threw the ball in front of her. A torrent of red light ensued, and the end result was a very proud looking Glaceon standing on the beach. Ella was not like the others. She was gentle, kind. The only reason that the Hearthome Admin kept her around was simply because she was good at her job. "Ella, heal Fyodor." Platinum commanded. Upon seeing the Magmortar, the Snow pokemon's mouth fell agape. He was in worse shape than any before him. Softly, Ella began to murmur. It was nothing but a simple wish. Arceus above seemed to have heard Glaceon's words, as a faint golden light enveloped Fyodor. Tiny golden stars danced upon his wounds as they began to close. Shrapnel was pushed out of his body, and fell to the sandy ground. The pain became less intense, although it still hurt Fyodor to move his limbs. At least he could move his canon arm now. It hurt the most to move it, every single inch the arm moved another tear escaped his eyes. But he had to use it, you see it's where his power was. He had to prove to Mistress that he was still strong. Lifting his canon arm, Fyodor pointed it at the boy. He was the owner of the Makuhita. The Mistress would be pleased if he ended the boys life. He didn't want to do it, after all he looked like an innocent teenager. Elliot looked like a civilian who was just trying to help out. It made things worse. Soldiers, they were fun to kill. They put up a fight, they were a challenge. But this... Fyodor shook his head, he had no choice. Faint white light began to flicker in the bowels of the arm. The pain began worse. Fyodor gritted his teeth, it wouldn't stop him. With a loud boom, a hyper beam lanced out of the canon and headed right towards the boy and his companion. There was a smile on Platinum's face. Berlitz knew she made the right choice when she saw the hyper beam charging up. The Magortar would fight, and that's all Platinum wanted. Little tin soldiers to do her bidding. Looking to where Fyodor was aiming his hyper beam, Platinum's eye grew wide in terror. She took a few steps back. An old war wound on her abdomen began to throb and ache. "No, no, no..." She muttered over and over to herself. His face, that look on his face. He looked so much like her jailer, the one that started all the evil in her life. "HEKTOR"  The Dragon type immediately turned his attention to his Mistress. The screech wasn't like Platinum's usual yell or scream. It was high pitched, it was desperate. Garchomp tilted his head to one side. He didn't understand it at first. "FORGOT THE FATASS, KILL HIM! KILL HIM!" Platinum pointed at the boy, the source of her distress. Then it clicked in Hektor's head. Platinum Berlitz, the Lux Warmachine, was afraid. No, she was terrified.

LAIKA OF GS!

[Elliot]

Victory! Samson pumped a gloved fist and let out a small cheer as he knocked Plat to the ground, a cheeky grin spreading across his face as the gun went flying. However, in his triumph he didn't even hear the sound of claws tearing through the sand or feel hot breath on the nape of his neck. Before he could even turn around he felt fangs sink into the back of his neck, letting out a yelp of surprise as he was picked up and hurled like a ragdoll. Elliot started, as if trying to run to his Pokemon's side, but Maggie grabbed his wrist to hold him back. If he ran into the path of that Garchomp . . .

Of course, once Elliot noticed the Magmortar was slowly rising to its feet, there were more pressing matters on his mind.

It wasn't the Hyper Beam that got Elliot's attention. No, that barely even registered in the boy's mind, its pulsing light and ominous hum near-invisible in comparison to the suffering the poor Magmortar was going through to produce it. He shuddered as he stood, tears rolling down his eyes, even the generation of the beam taking more energy than the pyroduck had to spare. Elliot could barely stand to watch, and yet he couldn't bring himself to turn away.

Hadn't the creature been on the edge of execution before? Hadn't his trainer wished to kill it? And yet now that it was capable of fighting again, she was just standing by and letting it? She did order it to be healed, true, but not a thing was done to ease its suffering. It wouldn't be shaking so hard if that was the case. He was just given a minor boost to make sure he wouldn't die in mid-attack. Despicable.

Of all the monsters Elliot had known, even Merope at the very least cared for her Pokemon. Disgust built up in his gut, and his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles began to turn white.

Unfortunately, disgust couldn't shield a person from enough kinetic energy to blast a house open. Maggie let out a call to remind Elliot that he was being shot at, the boy snapping out of reality just in time to see Magmortar thrust out its arm. The boy quickly dove to the side, landing awkwardly on his bad leg and tumbling into the sand. It was clumsy and somewhat painful, but at least it meant he wouldn't be vaporized. His Marshtomp ran to his side, protectively standing in front of him and generating a Mud Bomb to return fire with. However, as she prepared to toss the brown projectile, Elliot stopped her.

"Maggie, don't!" he shouted, the Marshtomp shooting him a very quizzical look. "It's too injured. I don't think it can take a hit right now. Find the gun and get rid of it instead: once its gone, I guess we're going to have to run for it." She shook her head, clearly not happy with her trainer's decision, but he was the one in charge. She lobbed the ball of mud right at Platinum instead, the ball leaving a small muddy trail as it spun through the air. Hoping her distraction would work, she ran off and began searching through the sands for the gun. The fin on her head began to vibrate, feeling for any odd disturbances.

That Foresight seemed to do the trick. Within a few seconds Maggie had found the firearm, awkwardly picking it up in her flipper to draw back and hurl it into the ocean. Elliot, content that his Pokemon had succeeded, helped himself to his feet and turned directly to Platinum. His glare was one of cold disgust, framed by the shuddering of fear minimizing his already-small stature.

"C-call him back!" the boy protested, his attempt at sounding commanding ending up as a meek plea. It wa as if a mouse was trying to order around a lion. "You're hurting him . . . "

As Elliot made his last stand, Samson groggily climbed to his feet. He felt around his neck, eyes widening with worry as he felt a disturbing amount of warm wetness. There was way too much fat and muscle in a Makuhita's neck for any major arteries to be punctured, but at the same time Samson was covered in much more than drool. Nevertheless, he knew a fight wasn't over until he was back in his ball. If that Garchomp though he could walk away, he was in for a surprise.

Springing forward like a ball of rubber, Makuhita drew back his hand for a desperate Force Palm. Whether he hit or miss, his next priority afterwards would be to run like hell to avoid another vicious counterattack. It was all too important to float like a Butterfree and sting like a Beedrill.

Of course, Elliot's attempt at dividing up his team left him all alone. Without safety in numbers, he was playing a dangerous game indeed . . .

[platinum]

T he mud bomb hit Platinum square in the face. It was anything but gentle. She stumbled backwards, she growled and screamed in rage. Hands desperately wiped the mud from her face. This wasn't pleasant, it didn't make anything feel better. She could barely see what was going on now, but that didn't make the fear go away. No it was worse. She couldn't see the little brat. The one that looked like him. "BLIZZARD" Platinum screamed out. It was all she could think to do. With her own vision obscured, she would obscure his. Ella's ears were pressed flat against her head, she was afraid. She was always afraid of the mistress. A blue sheen coated her body. The winds behind her began to pick up and blow towards Elliot. Snow particles formed, becoming heavier and heavier until a ferocious blizzard enveloped the beach front. Platinum began to run forward, wiping mud off her face as she went. She was going to get that little fucker. There was little to no point in fighting the other pokemon on the field. They were useless little rats, pieces of garbage. They weren't worth her attention, unless they got in her way. Even then she knew that they posed little threat to her. The only true threat was the boy. The others knew that. They all began to home in on Elliot, who was standing alone in the blizzard. Ella lead point, walking a few feet ahead of Platinum. The snow pokemon's body had an eerie blue glow emitting from her body as the blizzard continued to howl. She was Platinum's guide through the blizzard. Behind them trailed Fyodor. It hurt to walk, heck it hurt to move. But he kept trudging forward hoping that he would somehow survive, it's all he really wanted now. Meanwhile Garchomp stumbled forward as the force palm slammed into his back. It didn't hurt too much, his thick hide absorbed the blunt of the blow, at most it would bruise him. Glaring at the fat one, Garchomp sneered at the Makuhita. Oh how he wanted to peeled off that yellow skin and devour the tasty flesh held within, but he couldn't do that. No matter how bad the urge was, Garchomp knew he had to follow the mistress's orders. However he could simply bat the thing away, and get to it later. Water began to swirl and whirl along his tail, with a quick flick of his tail he slung a aqua tail at the fat one before running forward again. The mach pokemon was the first pokemon to arrive at Elliot's location, thanks to his speed. He lunged forward attempting to pin the flimsy boy to the ground. Looking down on the boy he grinned wide, oh how he wanted to have more human. "Hektor, no." Platinum thought her own words were strange. Normally she didn't spare people this many times in one day, as it was so much better in the long term to just kill them. However this one was different. Now close to him, Platinum could tell the boy was clearly not the man that started all of the bad. No, not at all. They looked similar. Platinum had to send that man a message, and this boy would deliver it. She didn't know if the man would ever see it or not, but she had to try. Removing her family crest from her pocket, Platinum held it in her hand. This would be the perfect message. Holding the object out for the pyroduck to take, Platinum issued her next orders. "Take this, than brand him." Hektor sighed, than this one wouldn't become a tasty little snack. Taking a few solemn steps forward, Magmortar took the pin and placed it deep within his canon arm. Fire began to brew within the arm, heating the metal. Satisfied with the metal, Magmortar removed it from his arm. Kneeling before Elliot, he took the Berlitz crest and pressed it firmly into the boy's face. Flesh sizzled upon meeting the molten hot metal. The boys face would never be the same, it would always bare Platinum's mark. "Good." Platinum remarked, satisfied with the process. Standing up, the pyroduck looked down at Elliot with sorrow in his eyes. There was nothing honorable about this, it was revolting. The boy was swept up in Platinum's little mind games, and was forever scarred because of it. A sigh escaped the pokemon's face. At least he was still alive, unlike so many others that now laid dead on the beach. The blizzard began to fade, Platinum smiled. It seemed like a good signal that this was all over. She began to walk away, her pokemon following her. Suddenly she stopped, and turned her head back to face her latest victim. "Oh, and tell Terran that I'm looking for him." Shoal Cave was where everything began to go wrong, and Terran was the one that put her there. It was all his fault, he was the root of everything wrong and he had to pay. "When you deliver the message, come visit me in Hearthome. I'll treat you to some tea and cookies." With that Platinum Berlitz was finally done. She walked away with confidence. The heavy burden of Shoal Cave finally felt like it could be casted aside.

LAIKA OF GS!

(I had a discuss with Crash, and he is okay with the events of this post.)

[Elliot]

And then Elliot's world went white.

The blizzard completely obscured his vision, much more fearsome and accurate than the previous beachfront storm. He shivered as shards of ice sliced at his skin and horrific gales threatened to push him to the ground, raising his voice to try and call out to his team. "M-Maggie? Samson? Where are you?" Nothing but silence greeted him.

He took a deep breath as he stood his ground, preparing to call again, but before he could say a word he felt a missilelike force slam into him. He squeezed his eyes shut and braced for impact, hoping to stand his guard, but instead fell to the ground with a sickening crack. Pain shot through his body (a rib, maybe) as he hit the ground, forcing his eyes open him and showing him the nightmare he was about to face.

A Garchomp perched above him, pinning him down with its massive finned arms. A sickening grin spread across its face, hungry for the kill. Elliot tried to wiggle out of its grip but he was pinned helplessly, only able to squirm futilely and stare wide-eyed into the face of inevitable death. He writhed like a fish on a hook, defiant until the end, only to be interrupted by the sound of footprints crunching on snow. Was it his Pokemon? Had they finally come to save him? His struggle to escape intensified, infused by the hope that his Pokemon would return.

Instead Platinum's voice rang through the air, clear as a bell despite the vicious gales surrounding him. She strode through winds like an angel of death, the air warming as her Magmortar followed closely behind. He turned to glare at Platinum, his eyes as cold as the snow that had settled around him. "You monster," he choked out, voice laced with venom.

His defiance surely did him no favors when Platinum decided to brand him.

The boy's eyes widened with pain as he did his best to bear the horrific pain. He refused to scream: months of torture at the hands of Merope already beat that impulse out of him. Instead he clenched his fists and grit his teeth, every muscle in his body tensing to prepare for the hot poker. The sear was brief and intense, and when it was done only cold numbness remained in its place. It was almost as cold and hollow as the hole left in his resolve, the boy going limp as his last efforts to resist were extinguished.

That was when she left, requesting to see his father with disgusting casualness.

More footsteps pounded through the snow, this time belonging to his wayward Pokemon. Maggie was first as always, turning toward the distant figure of Platinum and screaming like a madman. Anger, worry, and pure hatred mixed in her voice, more powerful and insulting than any human's words could even hope to muster. Samson followed shortly thereafter, a sickeningly discolored bruise on his stomach. Elliot could barely keep his eyes off of the horrid welt as the Makuhita ran to his side and propped his head up. Maggie grabbed a handful of nearby snow before it melted, applying it to the boy's face and muttering worriedly. Both Pokemon looked at him, wondering if he was okay.

Elliot's only response was to laugh.

He laughed at Platinum, for thinking she was something special. For thinking she would get to meet his father, that she had some significant claim to meeting him that took precedence over every other dime-a-dozen scumbag in Hoenn who wanted his head. For thinking she was so high and mighty for kicking a kid while he was down, a kid who had been getting kicked mercilessly for the past ten years. For thinking there was any chance in hell of him going back to his father, when he knew after such a wound he would never be able to show his face around him again.

He laughed at himself, for being so weak and helpless. For being a walking disaster magnet who couldn't go five steps without somebody trying to kill him. For being a little idiot who ran away from home thinking he could take the world on, only for the world to fight back with more force than he ever expected.

He laughed even as tears streamed down his cheek, sizzling painfully as they hit his still-heated wound.

He laughed even as he stood to his feet, weakly bracing himself so he didn't fall down in the snowbank once more.

He laughed and laughed and laughed, because he wasn't sure what else he could do.

Soon the laughter stopped and with it the pain, only a numb, empty look in the boy's eyes. He spoke as he began walking away from the melting snow and the rotting corpses that now defined the island's coastline, his voice a pale shadow of its previous brightness. "Forget about me. There's still so much to be done . . . "

[Sorbet]

VICTORY: PLATINUM

+ 500 WEP to Lux