Harry let out a yelp as the miniscule Gallade struck his knee. The nerve!
“Oi!” he called out, “The hell’s that for? Can’tcha take some jokin’ around?” he held his knee in his hand.
All the while, Cesare eyed Yemir, appearing to be deep in thought. It felt like he just got back.
Still ... Yemir was a friend. In a way, she had helped them escape with her outburst. And she seemed pretty desperate. In fact, Cesare felt that if he turned her down, he would likely go down the same path as Harry. Or worse. Maybe she’d bite him or something.
Furthermore, training could help to be a safeguard against Eudai, should he ever rear his head around Cesare again. Cesare still felt ashamed at how effortlessly Eudai was able to flick him away. This had to end.
And so, the Gothitelle continued to stare at Yemir for just a moment longer before speaking.
“I’ll come with you. I don’t have much else to do. So where is this place? Do you know anything about it, or are you as in the dark as I am?”
Harry rose abruptly, brushing snow and twigs off his sleeves before returning to full position.
Clearly frustrated that his distraction attempt did not work, he wracked his brain for other ideas. Out of the corner of his eye, he had noticed that Perseus was setting up his own version of Grass Knot. So that was taken care of ... at least for now. What else could Harry do? He thought it over -- most of his moves were offensive in nature, which was not currently working in his favor.
He did have another move in mind, but to use it so soon after his Grass Knot scheme seemed like a poor idea. Maybe, just maybe though ... What if he launched an attack at Elizabeth regardless? Perhaps it would throw Eudai off. He'd likely at least take a little time to block said attack. But then ... what if ...
Harry didn't have much time to dawdle here. So he did what he could: He began waving his arms about wildly to capture Eudai's attention. "Hey buddy! Over here! Look at me when I'm talkin' to ya. Just wanted to ask a question -- you a fruit kinda guy? What's your favorite kind? You like 'em raw or pureed? Or ..." Harry continued on. This idea was stupid, but it was something.
He hoped to the Gods above that it would work.
Eudai stared off into the distance, having missed his attack. These individuals were certainly lighter on their feet than Cesare. That much was certain. Perhaps this battle could provide some modicum of intrigue in this battle after all? Regardless, now wasn't the time to fool around. Despite having splintered the tree in front of him like it were nothing, the ghost slowly turned around. Only to eye the one called Harry waving his arms like a lunatic. Asking Eudai about fruit of all things.
While most would just strike this off as another absurd attempt to distract them. When it came to Eudai, his eyes twitched slightly under his normally emotionless demeanor as it tickled that one part of his brain. The urge to exchange in information. So Eudai did what he did best. He indulged in it. "Oh, well that all depends on my mood, really. Raw if I have little time and need a quick snack. Puree if I desire a smoothie and lust for the complex mixture of fruits blended together for essential nutrients."
One might say Harry's distraction was working. Until a ball of fire suddenly started forming right above Eudai's head, like a miniature sun. The raw power emanating from it suggested it was something akin to Inferno, and it was aiming right at Harry. "I appreciate the inquiry, though. Even if we may be trying to kill each other." Eudai stated politely as he prepared to fire it at the lanky Gothitelle.
Harry's lips curled themselves into a small smile as he watched Eudai prep his attack and prepare to launch. Perfect.
Harry stopped flailing about and cupped his hands together, a ball of lively green light forming around them. Energy Ball -- another Grass move, sure, but hopefully if he threw it forcefully enough, then when it hit Eudai's Inferno, the two would still collide and come to a halt.
And so that is just what Harry did -- quickly he launched the Energy Ball at Eudai's Inferno, bracing himself for any kind of impact.
(( Writing by me, Russ (@askgothitelle), and Rids (@gregnas-the-grouch) ))
Finally, Harry and Cesare were back in Sinnoh. And Floaroma Town wasn’t far.
Harry jabbed his elbow into his shorter companion’s side. “So, you n’ Elizabeth. A thing now?”
“I guess so,” Cesare said. “But it did just happen, so don’t go prying.”
Harry shrugged. Fair enough, there wasn’t much for him to try and dig up yet. “It’ll be real nice to get home, that’s for sure. Out of this snow hell and away from all that crazy ghost stuff.”
Harry definitely had a point. Cesare was also happy to be able to see his mother and sister again.
Unknown to them, they were being watched. From a distance, a lone Pokemon observed them intently, Cesare in particular. A soft glow emanated from the flames atop their head, but it wasn’t enough to catch the two Gothitelle’s attention.
Perseus’s pace quickened when he heard that roar, moving to stand beside Madeleine while she stood up. << C’mon, we have to go. >> He urged her on. << We’ll just run... if we can even do that here. >>
The Malebranche was really starting to show fatigue with his sunken features, and it was becoming more and more difficult to keep a strong hold on Elizabeth. How he wished he could take a break. But rest would come later. Not now.
Madeleine glanced around for the best escape route, after overhearing the conversation between Whisper and Eudai. Now was the time to take action and get out. << Harry, do you have Cesare? >> She asked while looking back to check on the other two, her brows knit with concern.
Letting out a strained grunt due to the weight of the other Gothitelle on his shoulders, Harry wearily trudged over to the others, giving them a thumbs up. <<Got him.>>
Cesare was still clearly out cold, and his limbs dangled from where Harry did not have him completely secured. <<So what' the scoop?>> Harry asked, nearly falling over, but regaining his footing so that both he and Cesare would stay propped up. <<Do you two think we can manage a teleport if we put our energy together?>>
He glanced over to Eudai and Whisper, his teeth gritted. <<Better think fast.>>
<< Maybe. We can certainly try. >> Focusing her psychic energy, Madeleine placed her hands on her friends’ shoulders, prepared to teleport somewhere further away.
However... she felt nothing. There was no power, even for her alone. She tried it again.
Still nothing.
<< It’s not working. >> Madeleine tensed, biting her lower lip. << Something must be blocking it. >> Perseus hissed through his teeth at this news. << Better start running, then. We don’t have much time. >>
"... Did you- who am I kidding, of course you did." Eudai murmured as he stared at Whisper. The Dusknoir let out a raspy cackle, her voice so horrendous, it caused physical pain, even to the likes of Eudai. The Mismanoir was about to inquire further, when suddenly he was cut off by the sound of loud stomping. Without another word, Eudai suddenly shrunk into his smaller form, catching Whisper by surprise. "Oh, you cheeky cunt-GACK!"
The Dusknoir suddenly found her head being gripped by something strong. And on fire, did she forget about the fire? Whisper shrieked as he felt her body being raised, wriggling in place as she came eye to eye with a much larger and enraged Yemir. True, Yemir has always been known for her absurdly larger and massive height. But now? Even the tallest tree seem to only come up to her midthigh. Her body seem to convulse and twitch, flames erupting out of every wound in her flesh like blood. The Gallade's eyes were wide, wild and her teeth bared, sharper than ever.
Whisper wriggled, chuckling nervously as she tried to reason with Yemir. "Yemir, beloved sister of mine!... How are you?" All the ghoul got in response was a loud snarl before being slammed into the ground, knocking the wind out of her. All the while, Eudai started to shift slowly towards the trees. Cautious of how volatile Yemir was at the moment.
(( writing by @gregnas-the-grouch , @ask-nebulousmeadows, and me ( @askgothitelle ))
Elizabeth had instinctively flinched a little at Harry's first response, and she averted her apologetic gaze. "I... I'm sorry, Harry, I just. I didn't think he would do that..." Though, at the statement that followed it, the one about 'having a mouth full of knives', she frowned a little. "...What do you mean by that, exactly?"
"He-" Madeleine started, then sighed as she ran a hand through her bangs. "You really don't wanna know. You have no idea how lucky you are to not have been there to even see it. Remembering it alone gives me chills."
"Put simply," Perseus waved a hand. "He opened his Dusknoir jaw, and there were countless rows of sharp teeth. End of story. Overall, I advise you stay away from him. He's deadly, and I bet he won't hesitate to kill even you."
Elizabeth let this sink in. Even if she never saw it for herself, it sure sounded terrifying. It was a side to Eudai she never knew, and it kind of scared her. But she was grateful for her friends being able to escape and inform her of it, nonetheless.
The petite Gothitelle shook her head at Cesare's question and released a sigh. "I'm afraid that's it. It's all I know about him, but even then, I'm just glad you guys made it out of there. And I appreciate you guys coming for me. It really means a lot."
Madeleine offered a half-hearted, friendly smile, but it faded as soon as it came. Her blue gaze flitted to Perseus, then to Cesare and Harry. "Do you two want us to help you get home? If you're heading out?"
"No need," Harry got up and gave Madeleine a wave of his hand. "But it's very kind of you! When it's just the two of us, I can get us outta here nice and easy like. Speaking of which, I suppose we ought to go." The cloak that he had forgotten on their trek to retrieve Elizabeth was now draped around him again. He adjusted it.
With his gaze turning to Cesare, Harry gestured to the door. "Shall we?"
Cesare hesitated a moment. He looked at all the other Pokemon in the room. After a minute of thought though, he nodded. He'd need to check up on his mother and sister. "Now is as good a time as any, I suppose."
On their way out the door, Harry called out to the others. "Thank you for havin' us! Maybe we can hang out again on better circumstances soon!" Cesare waved to them all, and for a moment his gaze turned to Elizabeth. He gave her a thumbs up, and then they were off.
Elizabeth waved to the two of them with a smile as they walked out, as did Madeleine. "Likewise!" the latter called back, "Be careful!"
Perseus slowly rose to his feet, stretching his limbs. "Well. I think it's time we left, too. You ready to go?" He asked Madeleine, who nodded and turned to Elizabeth. "Will you be coming with us?"
"Uh..." Elizabeth thought for a moment, then smiled once more as she replied. "I'll probably stay here a little while longer. I'd like to talk to Nysa again, if she'll let me." She looked towards the aforementioned Umbretelle, who gave her a nod and returned her smile.
She continued. "But I'll be okay, don't let that stop you from going home. You guys look really tired, I wouldn't want to hold you back."
"Well," Perseus sighed, putting on the winter coat he had previously shed and heading towards the door. "Be safe on your way home, then. It was good talking with you, Elizabeth."
"Same to you," Elizabeth replied. After she and Madeleine departed from a brief hug, she watched the two head out and waved one last time, till the door was shut. From there, she turned around as Nysa stood up from her workspace.
"Now then, Elizabeth. What was it you wanted to speak with me about?"
There was a pause, before the young Gothitelle spoke again.
"... I'd... like your advice on where to go from here. With Eudai and his sisters."
(( written by me (askgothitelle) and @ask-nebulousmeadows ))
Perseus was entirely silent, his muscles tense and rigid. His stoic gaze never wavered on Elizabeth, and when Eudai spoke to them for the first time, the Malebranche finally figured Madeleine had been right. Alas, if only they had found out sooner. Perhaps they could've dealt with him before it came to this moment. With a subtle degree of impatience, bright red eyes flicked in Madeleine's direction expectantly. She was better at talking things out compared to him. So he left it at that.
Madeleine took steady, even breaths as she witnessed her very suspicion come true. So many physical aspects backed it up, and that chilling comment Eudai made sealed it for her. Despite all of this, the Gothitelle took a moment to formulate a careful response.
"...We're only here to see to Elizabeth's safety." She replied. Her tone of voice was calm, assuring. "If we can all settle this peacefully, and you let her go, we'll leave you be. I don't see a need for us to fight."
So Elizabeth was possessed. But why? Cesare thought. What was he gaining from this?
Cesare clenched his fists. Leaning forward, he opened his mouth to speak, but he almost immediately found it shut. Who ...?
He saw Harry staring at him. The older Gothitelle's expression was unusually stern, and he held his thumb and index finger together. He was the one who stopped Cesare from speaking. Cesare was frustrated at this, but he backed down, albiet with an irritated grunt. Harry couldn't hold him like this forever.
Harry then stepped closer, holding out his arms in an amicable manner.
"You heard Madeleine," he said. "We're just here for the little lady. Fighting's not real ideal here. So, just give her here, and we'll let you on your merry little way. Nice, right?"
He wasn't entirely sure what he was doing, but he would rather avoid fighting unless he really had to. At this point he had "let go" of Cesare, who took advantage of this and finally spoke.
"It's non-negotiable," he said. "You can't stay in her any longer. You need to go now, or we'll have no choice but to force you out." He wasn't as strong as the others, no, but he didn't care about that at the moment.
This earned a stifled groan from Perseus.
"Oh boy." The Malebranche muttered to himself, pinching the bridge of his nose. This was already going in a bad direction. Guess a fight was going to be inevitable, if the younger Gothitelle kept this up.
Madeleine glanced back at Cesare with wide eyes, briefly stunned. "Cesare," she hissed, "What're you doing? We can't just make demands and fight. We don't even know what we're getting into."
Even Elizabeth was taken aback. Clasping a hand over her mouth, she winced once more as the conversation started to unravel. Please don't do this, she silently begged.
"Curious." Haos muttered to himself, listening explicitly to every painstaking detail Harry had laid before him. "I must confess, foolish as it was for Cesare to take challenge Eudai, he's certainly brave... Or is it stupid? Always seem to get the two confused sometimes." The Gothitelle mused to himself, pausing for a second as Hedrald's loud snoring permeated the walls. Thankfully, such things were few and far inbetween.
"However, this does strengthen my theory that Eudai had been seeking out White Forest on account of his sisters... Would it be alright if I check on the one called Elizabeth? I know she has gone through a great deal, but there are a few things I wish to know, details only she can provide. If not, I understand and will simply return another time, granted that she's willing." Haos inquired with soft eyes.
"Stupidity," Harry confirmed Haos’s first question, not even hesitating to throw Cesare under the bus. Under other circumstances he might have praised him, but they nearly died thanks to his rash actions. But ... now Harry was thinking ... at the same time, would Elizabeth had been alive otherwise? But then he shrugged that off. He raised an amused eyebrow at Herald's snoring though.
Harry looked to the other two when Haos asked about Elizabeth. "You all know her better 'n me. I don't see why not, but whaddabout you two?"
“Neither do I,” Madeleine replied, rubbing her temples to help soothe her lingering headache. “I’m sure she’d be willing to talk about it once she’s awake and all.”
Perseus offered a low grunt in agreement to this, not uttering a word. Moments later, he lifted his head and gazed forward, towards the staircase.
A door creaked open from upstairs, then there was a soft click. Quiet footsteps followed, until Nysa appeared once more. Tired eyes watched her as she approached.
“She’s awake now.” The Umbretelle said, “I have informed her of everything she needed to know, so she could relax. She told me she wanted to see Cesare, but... he has yet to wake up.” Turning to Haos, she gestured to the stairs behind her with a subtle smile. “If you’d like to speak to her, she’s right this way.”
(( written by @gregnas-the-grouch, @ask-nebulousmeadows, and me ( @askgothitelle ) ))
