[BATTLE] BRIANNA VS NOEL

[lou]

ROUND 1
BRIANNA VS. NOEL
BATTLE COMMENCE

[noel]

[atrb=border,0,bTable]He chanted a song of wizardry, [/style] Noel wondered why he was even here. Where had he been going, was there anything urgent? As if he could remember now. What happens, then, to a passerby caught between a marsh, some soldiers, and a whole bunch of bullets? He’s launched into a battle and with no Lux uniform, he’s the enemy. The defender who isn’t actually defending anything, but just trying to flee. He’s confused and tired and so cold but not from the weather, from the blood. His mind reeled, and Noel wasn’t going to attempt to reign it in. Where was the last place he had been? The Bell Tower. He tried to think about it. Soft sounds and sunset, stone path and bird statues. Somewhere Ho-Oh was flying and Lugia swimming, oh so disappointed in humanity and what they have made of a beautiful world. And so a gentle mind might fool itself for some time, but eyes and ears always snapped one back to reality and he remembered that he was cowering behind a fallen building, tasting iron and smelling of an explosion nearby. There wasn’t anything he could think of to do. Shock was all that remained. His Swellow, shot out of the sky and trainer and pokemon plummeting towards the earth. If you’re not with us, you’re against us! Thorondor was sprawled on the ground, his great wingspan folded and bent from the landing. Soft breaths, and a slight rising and falling of his body underneath a sky set ablaze. Noel’s hand shook violently as he reached for the pokeball at his belt. There would be no dying today, not so long as he could prevent it. No more. “R-return.” His voice wavered as the red light reached around Thorondor and then withdrew. With a quiet sob, he leaned against the building that wasn’t really much of a building anymore. There would be no quick escape - why hadn’t he brought Winter along? The Kirlia could teleport, take them somewhere. Anywhere but here. But it isn’t everyday that one plans to be caught up in a massive battle, he supposed. Noel couldn’t find Lute’s pokeball. The little Dratini shivered in his arms, all too aware of what was going on. She liked to ride along when they were flying, instead of staying in her pokeball, except that when Thorondor crashed she had nowhere safe to go. So Noel did the only thing he could, and had put himself between the tiny dragon and the ground. “Shh, it’ll be alright...” He whispered to his Dratini, as if he believed it himself. tag Brianna and Noel ▪ words 441 ▪ notes Quote up top is from the Lay of Leithian by J.R.R. Tolkien. made by katya

[brianna]

Her name is the Lorax, she shanks for the trees.

After dropping the ball horridly at Ever Grande, Brianna wouldn't allow herself to just rush into battle. Not after what happened to Blobert. Instead she lied in wait within the trees of the Pastoria Marsh. Lurking.

Waiting.

Watching.

Nox were weak. They lost their nerve as soon as they were opposed. That's why Sentinels existed. The handbook said so, didn't it? To strike fear in Nox, drive them to obedience, or strike them down where they stood? That was what they were all told . . . and yet it never worked out that way.

They fought. They surged up in rolling waves of manpower. When anyone stood against them they were pulled undertow, or harmed trying. When they didn't get what they want they protested, attacked, even killed. It was disgusting. It was barbaric.

It was exactly what the Sentinels were trained to do, and exactly what they were trained to stop.

She watched from the forests, waiting for a runner. They were always her favorite. If they ran, how much resistance could they put up? And if they were fleeing, obviously they had done something wrong. It was clear-cut and easy, like shooting fish in a battle. Guilty, guilty fish.

Patience was never her strong suit. As she waited, she shifted from location to location. Nature was her ally: when the trees couldn't cover her stealth, the mud did. Its cool, slimy feel on her face made her skin crawl, but powering through was all part of the job.

Currently she perched within a small grove of trees, wiping both her knife and her face on her shirt until both were spotless. She couldn't afford to be tracked, not when she was the hunter of this Safari Zone.

She noticed a man sitting down, and a slow grin spread across her face. However, it was soon replaced by a look of pure ennui. He wasn't running. He wasn't fighting. He was just . . . done. That was no fun at all, and Brianna never enjoyed a boring hunt.

She quietly cracked open a Pokeball, a large Drapion appearing in the trees. The grass slightly rustled as it appeared: enough to startle the man? "Predator, wait here. When he runs, go play fetch," she whispered. Her vicious grin returned as she aimlessly tossed her knife up and down.

She took aim, breathing in deeply to keep her composure, and hurled the knife as close to the man's head as possible. Did she aim to hit? Not in this case.

Today, she aimed to terrorize.

[noel]

[atrb=border,0,bTable]Of piercing, opening, of treachery, [/style] What does the marsh hide? Many things. Pokemon, a bird perched alongside a river, waiting for its catch. A sharp beak, diving into the water and the muck of a grassland mixed with a flood. Or a soldier, now, covered by trees and mud and grass and still standing by the river, waiting. A part of the sorrowful landscape, the gun is now a thing of nature. As common as a blade of grass. Some birds don’t fly. Noel’s mind had drifted off enough that the constant screams and bombs going off didn’t register, the sounds getting stuck somewhere between his ears and his head. He stared off into space, willing his senses elsewhere though the throbbing pain on the right side of his body from how he landed always pulled him back after some time. So he gave up, and cradled Lute, who was still shivering. Maybe he would have noticed the rustle among the trees if he hadn’t withdrawn into himself. A warzone is no place for dreaming, a warzone is no place for survival. The Dratini perked up a little at the noise, but she only shrunk back, giving no indication that she intended to do anything about it. It wasn’t likely that she could, anyways. The dragon didn’t like to fight. He wondered if the knife should have surprised him. This was a battlefield, after all. And somewhere, someone was dying. Yet all the same, when the blade was hurled at him he drew in a sharp breath and tensed up, eyes going wide. It missed. Why did it miss? It was a few moments before he reacted at all. Noel blinked, and still half expected his flesh to be torn somewhere or blood to be pouring out of a wound. He let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding, and stood up very slowly, leaning against what was left of the wall he had been sitting by. Legs shook, disobeying their orders. Move, stand! Do something! Dry throat, hoarse voice that almost broke utterly upon use. Oh, how he wanted to run. But he didn’t think he could. His right leg protested at every motion. Wordless, Noel released Eon from his pokeball. The Alakazam appeared to the side of its trainer, awaiting orders, calm and collected and everything his trainer wasn’t. “R-reflect.” It was almost a whisper. But it was heard all the same, and the wall went up. A wall of glass, it appeared, standing between a life and the unknown of the trees. tag Brianna and Noel ▪ words 431 ▪ notes Lay of Leithian, J.R.R. Tolkien. Alakazam used Reflect. made by katya

[brianna]

Brianna watched from the shadows, a sneer of delight spreading across her features. He didn't run, true, but his body language betrayed everything. Wide-eyed, shaking, cowering behind a panel of light: fear of the hunt had gotten into this gazelle. He would run soon.

It was time for a change of plans, though. When the subtle failed, the dramatic was necessary.

Another Pokeball opened, this time revealing a tiny green bird. "Tinywings, mind escorting Predator to our new friend? He would really love to meet him~." The tone in her voice was poison, coated in saccharine to hide its deadliness. It was enough to make the young bird shiver, hammering in that this was not an order to be ignoring. It hopped on top of Predator's back, shimmering blue as it prepared to Teleport.

Once second, the air in front of the man would be clear. The next minute, it would be all too filled.

The bird and scorpion teleported right in front of the man, Tinywings hiding his pea-shaped body behind its comrade. Predator was nowhere near as bashful, however. Instead it relished in any attention given, aiming to steal the spotlight with a horrific glare. Its eyes bulged like those of a madman as it hunkered forward on its forelegs, aiming to peer right into the man's barrier. It gnashed its mouth, the sound of teeth grinding and clashing audible and fangs on full display. Even its arms reached forward, menacingly grasping at the Reflect screen as if trying to pinch a caged animal. A ferocious screech escaped its throat, as intense and horrific as a man being boiled alive.

Truly, poor Noel and his Alakazam would be subjected to quite the Scary Face.

Brianna wished she could see what the boy would do next. Would he lose his nerve and run? Be paralyzed by fear? Maybe he would panic and try to attack the Drapion, losing his nerve even more when his Alakazam's psychic strikes proved useless against Predator's dark thoughts. She giggled slightly with glee, but knew she would never see the result. She was too busy stalking through the trees once more, knowing that she can't afford to stay in one place for long. He'd follow the knife. He'd find her. And that was a risk she just couldn't take.

Once she circled that building, his sanctuary, everything would be set into motion . . .

[noel]

[atrb=border,0,bTable]Revealing, uncovering, betraying. [/style] His knees were bent, his eyes darted frantically across the battlefield and into the trees in a futile effort to figure out exactly what was going on. Lute buried her face in his thin jacket that was torn up on one side, and Noel was terrified that he couldn't protect her. Or protect himself, should the worst happen. He didn't carry a gun. And even if he did, he wouldn't have the nerve to use it. But above all, he looked weak. Vulnerable. He looked like prey. It had been a long while since he battled at all, even for recreation. It wasn't exactly a pastime of his, and it showed. The pressure of survival broke him, destroying whatever thin shield he had put up against reality. There were no deep breaths to calm his nerves, there was no clever analyzing of the situation. Only panic and a cold sweat, like acid on his forehead. Eon’s senses were a good deal better than his trainers, as was his demeanor. The Pokemon, knowing what was at stake, stared straight into where the knife had come from, eyes unblinking. He tried to let out a warning cry. Too quickly the pair teleported, and in the face of the blood-curdling shriek, Eon tensed up. His hands gripped the two spoons tighter, tighter, his fear manifesting as a psychic tension in the air. The screen wavered for a moment - maybe a deadly moment - though it held as the Alakazam slowly moved his hands. Too slowly. He wouldn’t be able to prepare an attack in time. But Noel would never forget that face. It was what war really looked like, behind all the lies of glory and all the tales and songs. A horrible abyss of gnashing fangs lining a mouth, until you fall, deep, into it. War swallowed everything, and in its face, Noel broke down. He hadn't the presence of mind to look away, instead it was though his gaze was locked to the horrible, manic eyes of the Drapion and no sound would come from his mouth, even though he was sure he was screaming. It wasn't until Lute slammed her tail into his side did he wake up from his terrifying trance. He jumped, surprised, and he wasn't sure if there were tears on his face or not but he didn't care. Adrenaline blocked out pain well enough, and Noel shut his eyes while he set Lute down, trusting that she would be able to hide somewhere as she slithered off. With a wavering breath, he reached for the last two Pokeballs at his belt - where was the other one? It had rolled off somewhere when Thorondor landed, but Noel didn't have the time to look for it. His team was shortened, with his Swellow injured and Persian essentially missing. Lute wasn't a fighter, and had curled up somewhere under a large chunk of the fallen wall. So the two that remained were released in a flash, and before Noel even had time to issue a command, the headstrong Sceptile jumped over the wall of light as he roared, eyes ablaze with fury. Falon’Din never was one to wait. Powerful hind legs stretched in the air as he aimed a Crush Claw directly at the Drapion, mouth open in a vicious snarl. It would certainly be powerful if it hit. But well thought out? Probably not. Falon’Din acted on instinct, but Laurelin was far more patient by nature. She would stand by until she was needed, the orb at the end of her tail glowing with the beginnings of electricity. And all the while Noel felt his heartbeat keeping pace with the gunshots. tag Brianna and Noel ▪ words 618 ▪ notes Lay of Leithian, J.R.R. Tolkien. Dratini used Slam, Sceptile used Crush Claw. made by katya

[brianna]

Predator chuckled darkly, eyes staring into Noel's terrified visage. A small, snake-like tongue ran over its fangs as it stared at its quarry. It continued poking the Reflect screen, chuckling as it raked its nails across its surface. It enjoyed seeing the light barrier waver. It enjoyed the fear it inspired in the other man. A true predator broke its target, mentally and physically, before making an actual strike. It toyed with its prey, lead it on, let it run to safety before popping from the shadows. It played and played until its toys began to break.

However, before the break came opposition. A Sceptile emerged onto the field, causing a loud crunch as its crushing claw flew directly at Predator's arm. Exoskeleton crunched and shattered as the Drapion pulled his arm back, purple blood hitting the grass and curdling it with toxicity. Noxious purple fumes took to the air, and as Predator saw them he began to laugh. He laughed at his own blood, laughed at his own pain, simultaneously angered and delighted. He looked the Sceptile, his adversary, in the eye and in a husky voice spoke to it as only Pokemon could. Its tone held no animosity, and instead regarded as a man would to a particularly stubborn puzzle.

My turn.

The Drapion's two arms lurched skyward, a spurt of purple blood shooting from the injured arm as they fell at the Sceptile's head in a cross formation. The claws glowed a menacing violet, as a Cross Poison aimed to deliver all of Predator's natural toxins into the foe. It was nothing personal. No, this was all just a game. A game of cat and mouse, kill or be killed. Puffer lost the game. Zits lost the game. Blobert lost the game, and Brianna was never the same since then.

But Predator never lost the game.

Tinywings' heart was still noble and pure. Barely a child, he was terrified by this war and all that it caused. But more than that he was terrified of Brianna, who after he latest death had become more cruel and vicious. She was sweet off of the battlefield, but lately her mood had been worse and worse. Maybe if he pleased her, she would smile again? Maybe if he followed orders he would win her favor? The bird resolved himself to ignore his conscience, in the hopes that the trainer he cared about would finally recover from her strange moods. His eyes glowed a pitch black as he flapped his wings in a frenzy, an Ominous Wind whipping around the site of the battlefield.

Speaking of Brianna, she had finally reached the back of the building that the boy was hiding from. Perfect. Every hunter needed their roost, no? And the best place to strike from would be the place where you were least expected. She gripped the ledge of a nearby window to begin her ascent, slowly using every improvised foothold she could in order to get to the roof of the building. It would take a while, but soon she would meet her prey face to face . . .

[noel]

[atrb=border,0,bTable]Then sudden Felagund there swaying [/style] If nothing else, Falon’Din was quick. But he wasn’t quick enough. The Sceptile managed to get one arm above his head before the cross poison landed, and for Noel the agonizing seconds dragged on as the claw fell down, down, finally meeting Falon’Din’s arm and sending him to his knees. He only just held the cross poison from connecting full-force with his head, in what may have been a fatal blow. But that’s not to say he escaped. Had there not been so much background noise, one might have been able to hear the crack of the Sceptile’s arm under the raw force of the attack. It bent, though it didn’t snap entirely, as the poison seeped around it and into the wound. His skin tore like paper, blood mixed with the toxin as it fell to the ground, and Falon’Din gave a glare as venomous as the fumes in the air while he stumbled backwards. The young man couldn’t close his eyes. He watched the pokemon that was his best friend crumple and fall backwards, as though he just realized that someone could die today even though he told himself he was aware of it from the moment they had crashed to the ground. Suddenly it all became real, and he felt more helpless than ever. Falon’Din put some distance between himself and the Drapion as he clutched his arm, nails digging into his skin and nearly drawing even more blood as he attempted to take his mind off of the poison that was making him shake. The Sceptile was overprotective. Always had been, and would continue to be if he survived. He was the first to act on his own, the first to ignore orders if need be and first to put himself in front of anything meant for his trainer. He acted quickly, recklessly, out of his desire to protect. So when Noel couldn’t choke an order out of his dry, cracked voice, Falon’Din took things into his own hands. He braced himself as the little bird prepared to attack, and used detect in the face of the ghostly, chilling wind. Eon wasn’t so lucky. From behind the reflect, the wind ripped at his psychic senses, dulling and smothering them until he couldn’t focus and blindly reached out with his mind. The Alakazam tried to pinpoint where it was coming from while Laurelin shielded Noel from the attack, the harsh wind making the skin on her back raw. He cowered. He cowered, and was instantly ashamed of himself. A wind rushes carrying voices of the dead, and it is enough to make him hide. It never used to be, did it? But if he wanted to make it out of this alive, there would be no more room for cowardice. Noel finally took the long, calm breath that was so long overdue. His knees were still shaking, but he found that his voice worked as he quickly whispered a command to the Ampharos. It broke, scratched, and generally sounded awful but worked all the same. Laurelin ran towards the wall of light. “Eon! Give her a boost!” Noel said, his voice noticeably lacking confidence. The Alakazam nodded and grabbed the hand of the charging pokemon, his psychic power aiding somewhat where raw physical strength failed him, and launched her up into the air where she released a discharge. The electricity jumped around, chaotic in its direction, unbiased as to what it would hit on the battlefield. One bolt came dangerously close to hitting Noel, but it was a risk he knew he would have to take, even if he hadn’t wanted to. From the open air, the attack reigned down in many directions. Maybe it would have been beautiful, at a different time. But a part of him hoped that none of it would hit anybody. If protecting what he loved hurt what someone else loved, then was it really a solution? Someone else... someone else. Who had thrown that knife..? The color drained from his face. He had forgotten about it. And whoever it was was still out there. tag Brianna and Noel ▪ words 698 ▪ notes Lay of Leithian, J.R.R. Tolkien. Sceptile used Detect, Ampharos used Discharge. made by katya

[brianna]

Predator crossed his arms, glowering and hissing as lightning wracked his purple body. He shuddered with each blow, stepping back but never fully backing down. Black chars appeared all over his body, and more acidic blood spurted from his weakened arm. However, the Drapion was tough: he had seen countless teammates die before, and knew that if he didn't step up his game he would be the next to die.

And Predator would never let himself lose the game. Not for himself, or for any more teammates.

Curled up in his tail, protected and fearful, was Tinywings. The poor bird was young, inexperienced, and terrified by this electric display: if it weren't for fear of disappointing his trainer, he would have just Teleported away right now. However, he knew Predator was taking one heck of a beating out there, and that if nobody intervened the great scorpion might fall.

Is it worth it to risk your life when someone risks theirs for you?

Slowly, the bird began shaking as it hopped out from underneath Predator's tail. It stood as an ant trying to challenge to sun, but despite its fear it pressed on for the common good.

One hop. Two hops. Three hops-

A burst of lighting struck too close for comfort, forcing the bird to leap to the side in order to avoid being fried.

-One last hop. One last hope. Now the bird was in range. It gathered its psychic energies, frantically flapping its wings as it unleashed a pulse of Telekinesis at the Ampharos. If it could just push the big sheep into a wall, maybe it would back off and leave Predator alone.

Whether the electric torrent stopped or not, Predator didn't care. The Sceptile's guard would be going down soon, and that would be a perfect chance to strike. Checking to see if it stopped bracing for the gales or not, Predator rushed forward in a vicious all-or-nothing assault. Its fangs bared, aiming to gnaw into the Sceptile with a vicious Crunch.

Brianna herself was just about ready to rejoin the fray. She laid prone atop the roof of the building she had climbed to, eyes shut so she could hear her quarry better. The sound of electricity cracking would die down soon, either due to the battle or just natural fatigue. And that was when she would strike, for fear and patience were the two strongest weapons of the hunter.

She clutched her weapon in her hand: a knife? A gun? A miniature Charmander? No, today she had decided she only needed one more tool to truly put fear into this man. Brianna held her Pokeball tightly, eventually chancing a peek over the ledge of the roof. This was an unorthodox maneuver, but she knew it would pay off if her aim was right . . .

"Come on out, Snake Man," she whispered, just barely audible as she continued leaning over the roof. To anyone perceptive enough she was a perfect target.

Raising her arm, she quickly threw the steel capsule right at Noah's head. Whether it hit or miss, Brianna knew there would be one advantage to this gambit. Namely, the fact that it contained a large, healthy Seviper just waiting to get into the action.

Taking full advantage of the element of surprise, it wheeled around and attempted to slice the Alkazam with a vicious Night Slash.

[noel]

[atrb=border,0,bTable]Sang in answer a song of staying, [/style] He often fancied himself a member of an expatriate generation, though he would never admit it. One who leaves home, maybe seeking an answer to something, or already realizing that there isn’t an answer. Always wandering, never really having a place to go, yet happy in their choices and endeavors. But then the war catches up, as it always does. Just as a wolf chasing its prey, the laws lock tight and never release until life has bled out and returned to the earth. And so he wondered, if an attack were coming, would he even try to dodge it? Perhaps he didn’t know the answer. All that Noel was aware of as the lightning streaked across the battlefield and a little bird hopped about between the bolts, was that none of this was what he wanted. That a Drapion was about to eat Falon’Din alive. That Thorondor was badly hurt and Soan was missing, and everyone had been safe under the stars just a single night ago but it seemed like an eternity had passed. He wasn’t one to be concerned about the time, and it seemed strange to him that something can simultaneously last forever and be over in an instant. The detect wore off, and Falon’Din lowered his arms quickly, swiftly, only to be nearly knocked off his feet by the charging scorpion-like monster. Flesh met fang and broke, his tattered and worn body at the mercy of the wicked crunch. The Sceptile could have fallen like a ragdoll, given up, but out of the corner of his eye he saw his trainer, tears in his eyes, with hands pressed against the wall of light that both sheltered and separated them. So in one last endeavor, as Falon’Din felt the teeth sinking deeper into his upper body, he aimed an X-Scissor straight at the underside of the Drapion whose jaw he was trapped in. Do or die, no going back, he put the final ounces of his power left into the blow. Some of the electricity still hopped and jolted around, but it began to dissipate as Laurelin levitated in the air, confused and frantically looking around as her attack was interrupted and she sped towards a wall. Her eyes widened and in a panic the Ampharos failed to notice the girl on the rooftop, even from her heightened place floating in the air. Later Laurelin may realize her missed opportunity, but for now she tried to focus on her attacker, and released a Signal Beam at the tiny bird, hoping to shake its hold over her. And underneath them all a little dragon slithered about. Unnoticed by trainer, unnoticed by teammates, she moved over and around the rubble. Her timid demeanor and peaceful mind stood squarely against her actions, and Lute’s body trembled with every movement and every jolt and every sound. But the meek can do incredible things when the time is right and the desire to help grows strong. The dragon gathered her strength, gathered her voice, and let out a cry as loud as her little lungs could muster when the woman threw the pokeball. It caused Noel to jump and turn around sharply, and he stared straight at the object that was speeding towards his face. He didn’t know what was more terrifying. The Drapion that had the visage of Hell itself while snarling, or the metal capsule that could likely take his head off. But it the end, it didn’t matter much. Noel turned his body and ducked, but wasn’t entirely out of the way of the object and it struck his shoulder with a force that reverberated throughout his muscle and bones, causing him to cringe and bite his tongue. He fell to one knee, then to two, and looked up at the roof of the building as one might stare at a massive, intimidating painting. The cry of the Dratini was enough to alert Eon, who turned and stood over his trainer as the Seviper appeared, and took the Night Slash at full force. It tore underneath his skin, the dark and horrible force imbued with the presence of shadows and terrifying thoughts. But without the full blast of the wind, he was able to focus even as blood began to collect at his wound and he cringed in pain, muscles strained and mind torn between attacking and freezing in place. Quickly as he could, Eon released a Psychic on the Seviper. But Noel just kept looking up at the one who had thrown the knife earlier, wanting to say something but unsure of what to say. He could swear that the world was weeping with him. And if this is what it felt like to die, then Noel wasn’t sure that he wanted to kill to survive. tag Brianna and Noel ▪ words 810 probably too long I'm so sorry ;;▪ notes Lay of Leithian, J.R.R. Tolkien. Sceptile used X-Scissor, Ampharos used Signal Beam, Alakazam used Psychic made by katya

[brianna]

Predator was too busy laughing at the sound of crunching bone and taste of leafy flesh to notice his foe's second wind. In his blood frenzy he had forgotten the first rule of the hunter: don't get cocky. His eyes bulged with a horrible, rending pain as a vicious crossing slash bore down on his thigh. He was too winded to even screech, instead letting out a sharp hiss of empty air as more purple blood hit the ground. He stumbled, trying to stand to his usual height but instead only managing an oblong stagger. It glared, a guttural roar escaping its throat as it eyed its enemy. Both of them had shed much blood today, broken and beaten yet refusing to back down. As much as he hated the Sceptile for wounding him, he couldn't help but respect his moxie. Unfortunately, even a worthy opponent had to be put down eventually.

Lurching forward in a slow yet implacable limp, the Drapion readied himself for another vicious Cross Poison. His violet claws only intensified with each footstep: once he was a little bit closer . . .

Tinywings wasn't so fortunate at tanking hits, and was directly slammed by the beam. The poor bird's small size outweighed his type advantage and caused him to spiral back in a corkscrew before hitting the ground with a painful thud. He was young and inexperienced, and the fear at his eyes at actually facing retribution was more than evident. However, despite his quivering, he steeled himself and resumed his attempts at stopping the Ampharos. Slowly the Natu stood to his feet, closing his eyes and shaking his head to steel himself from fear before running forward. He eventually stopped just in front of the screen of light, eyes snapping open to reveal a menacing green glow. As his eyes locked with those of the Ampharos, he began to attempt a Giga Drain to recover lost energy. Maintaining the drain cost every bit of the bird's focus and energy, but he refused to waver anymore as he continued his unsteady stride forward.

Snake Man let out a cackle at the Alakazam's pain, his tongue sneaking from between his fangs to try and sample the psychic's blood before a horrible blast of mental energy struck him. The Seviper recoiled, ducking its head to the ground and coiling up to try and avoid the ringing pain in his head. It had been a while since he had last clashed with psychic types, but their telltale mental blasts were still huge thorns in the proud serpent's side. Rather than make a big show out of it like his scorpion comrade, though, the Seviper instead knew to play through the pain. He slowly came out of his coil, weaving left and right to both entice the Alakazam and cure his headache. Each movement was intended to lure, to confuse, to hypnotize . . .

And then he lunged forward, teeth glowing a furious magenta to herald his Poison Fang. The lunge was slower than usual, each movement an agonizing strain against a pain both mental and physical at once that left Snake Man feeling like he was swimming in pudding. He knew this was a heavy risk, but the blood. The prize.

It would all be worth it in the end.

Brianna herself continued her position as the silent observer. Her attacks had all served their purposes, but after seeing the raging fight below she just wasn't ready to risk her own skin. Truly this was the difference between man and beast. While the bestial predator rips into his quarry with his own claws and fangs, man has evolved past such needs. They use brainpower, deception, weapons. Tools.

Just like the ones fighting down below.

Once upon a time Brianna cared for these creatures, considering them friends rather than mere pawns in this game of war. And indeed, part of her still did. But another part of her had grown hardened by loss. When one has lost her only friend and partner in the world, how could you feel anything else? Besides, they were expendable for the greater good. Any lives were, if it would end with Nox being eradicated? And was a tool not just something you use, anyway? These Pokemon . . . for all of their acting, and thinking, that's what they were! They build, and they destroy. They create, and they end. They fight battles for their masters, up to and including entire wars. Whether for good or for ill, they just went wherever their master pointed, did they not?

As her team risked life and limb to please her, justifications swarmed the watcher's head and hardened her heart.