Keiko's ears flinched and laid back sharply. What she expected to hear was the sound of flesh and bone of the four newcomers being torn apart, but instead her claws scraped against a broad, steel-emboldened wing with sparks leaping off the surface, belonging to none other than the tall and mighty Empoleon, Naida.
"HA!," the knightly penguin laughed off Keiko's attempts with a satisfied grin, "YOU T'INK YOUR CLAWS ARE SCARY, LITTLE FOX? YOU T'INK YOUR LITTLE ROCKS KEEP NAIDA AT BAY? T'INK AGAIN! IZANAGI, NOW!"
"AWAY WITH YOU, 妖怪!"
Before the rampaging fox-jackal hybrid could rear back for another strike, Keiko let out a harsh gasp as the wind was forcefully slammed out of her, being sent a great distance by the sheer force of Izanagi's swinging tail. The two taller hunters both seemed to still have fighting spirit surging through their veins despite their grisly back wounds, and the dark dragon huffed out an ember of vindication upon seeing the kyuubi-esque creature slam against the tree. The coordination was well done, but there was something missing...
"GCK--!!"
"May the Will of the Rose still the beast."
And to top off the well-synergized combo, Perceval fired two extensively long thorns not just into, but THROUGH Keiko's arms, pinning her to the tree. The raging fox snarled from both agony, ire and outright vexation over being in this position. And as though it wasn’t frustrating enough for her...
"E-Everyone... g-get up, please, nene...!"
Meanwhile, as this was going on, Kari was sending Heal Pulses to the wounded four that had arrived to the scene in the nick of time. Ciprian, Dycae, Blayz, and Miru and his team all felt a tender, pink light surrounding them before blessing them with reinvogiration. Before they knew it, their wounds had vanished, or at least had healed up considerably. Ume, Miru's female Meowstic, didn't let this gracious assistance go without repayment.
Tapping into her Assist move, and with the luck of the draw, the yellow psychic feline managed to draw out Kari's Heal Pulse, returning the favor to Momoko, Nori, Perceval, and even Kari herself. All four of them being bestowed with this rose-colored warmth helped bring them back to a proper fighting spirit, no longer feeling drained from Keiko's life-reaping attempts.
Blayz, ever alert, pointed out to everyone that Keiko's struggling from her position, and Dycae added in that it looked as though the thorns might give, if not pop off with her arms with how vigorously she was swinging her shoulders. Hearing this, Perceval called out to everyone for the following command:
"EVERYONE, UNLEASH EVERYTHING YOU HAVE ON THE MONSTER! WEAR HER DOWN!"
Without a moment to spare, everyone unloaded a barrage of special attacks on the pinned Lucaritales, with Momo leading on with a direct hit Thunder Wave, and quite a seemingly powerful one at that.
"A-AGH--!!" howled Keiko in pain, her claws flexing and entire body jittering from the electricity viciously coursing through her body. Noting how Ume did not use a psychic attack, Momoko had to chime in the following:
"AVOID USING PSYCHIC ATTACKS IF YOU CAN! She doesn't seem to respond to them as much!" With that detail noted, Miru, albeit hesitant, he took the Gardevoir's word by firing off an Energy Ball instead. True, it wasn't as effective, but it was something and Keiko certainly felt that. Ciprian followed with yet another Moonblast, keeping her embedded in the tree, while the others summoned the will for their own long-ranged attacks.
And to top it all off, out of nowhere, something whisked by as a thin blur, striking Keiko right in her forehead.
"ARGH--!!"
Oooh... this one sunk in deep, possibly pinning through into the tree as well. Keiko's face was cemented in the steep pain of all she had weathered, letting out shrieks as she struggled nearly in vain. In response to this normally fatal suffering, the orb on her ponytail flashed a light blue, as two whispy orbs of light with pained, melted 'faces' curled around to heal their vile captor.
"HAHA, ANOTHER BULLSEYE!," yelled the triumphant yet familiar Scottish voice. Everyone glanced back to see where both the voice and arrow originated, seeing none other than the Viridian Vixen herself, proudly poised in her retribution.
"Hoo is 'AT fur ye, ya sneaky li'l she-devil?" Camellia called out, her grin wide and valiant, as a mysterious green light emanated off her shoulder. "Ye think YOO're the'only one wi' a puckle o' tricks up 'er sleeve? Ah can play fox jist like ya, ye monster!" To emphasize her poiny, Camellia undid the ringing diamond choker around her neck, showcasing not only the wound she recently suffered, but something else.
"Ah've hud dances wi' death himself in th' past, lass, an' Ah got oot of it every time! AH CAN DAE IT AGAIN!"
With morale boosted, and tides looking favorable, Momoko opened her fans. With a surge of psychic strength willing up within her, she felt as though the time was right...
...
Snaps of fractured bark, crackles of ember... and the frenzied, ailing wails of souls filled the air where Keiko was blasted to. The spirits were spinning around their captor in an involuntary panic, hopelessly forced to try to mend the Lucaritales' wounds. As the fox-like girl laid in the bed of splinters, something inside her began to well up... signs of life began to show, starting small with twitches, and the faintest of breaths.
The more this feeling surfaced, the more Keiko could hear this faint voice echoing in the chasms of her cruel mind...
...
...
...
… 1000 Years…
Age…
Agony…
Weakness gradually crippling...
... yet awareness ever present...
Is that what you wish to know…? To have these ails carry you throughout the centuries, even when you wish to yield, far beyond the limit your form will allow…?
… 1000 Years… or 1000 Lives…
If your will is absolute, then rise… the land is yours, its spirits your courses for the taking… mark your legacy in blood, and freedom shall smile upon you..
....
...
...
The hybrid's ponytail orb flashed with an intense blue ray, before Keiko's eyes snapped open. A vehement shriek pierced and filled the night, followed by a trail of infernal blue flames spiraling across the ground, racing towards the group in a vengeful fury.
"!!" Nori gasped, as he stepped back. "FIRE! IS SHE TRYING TO TAKE US WITH HER?!"
"WE MUST LEAVE NOW BEFORE THE FLAMES SWALLOW US!" Ordered Momoko, as everyone in the forest whirled around and bolted in the opposite direction, as that was where the blue midnight light was closest beyond the trees. Even those that were still weak from the onslaught, where the healing could not tend to, were being supported by others to help hurry them along.
Panic fueled the visitors, while the blue lights continued to dance and swirl, engulfing every last shred of foliage in its path. Despite everyone's running speed, it looked as though the fire was catching up swiftly, much to their dismay. And then there was yet another flash...
...
...
...
... The night was silent, all save for the sound of crackling embers and the faint hiss of smoke.
What... just happened...?
One second it appeared as though everyone was about to be trapped in the wall of blue hellfire, and yet the next, all the inhabitants were scattered. Everyone could only look from side to side in confusion before turning around to hear the sound of fire eating away at the trees.
Ciprian, Dycae, Blayz, Miru, Ume and Momo... they all seemed to have managed to flee in the nick of time, albeit completely separated, and were the first to bear the sight of the woods' fate. It was horrifying... Smoke began to fill the sky as trees and shrubs were being charred to black, crispy cinders. The echoing crashes of trees falling into one another from their forms being burned away only highlighted the resulting destrucion of the ecosystem...
Meanwhile, Perceval's group, too, looked on in dismay to at the result of what happened tonight. Particularly, Perceval and Camellia looked devastated. All that poor foliague that kept things in balance when there was no other life... if there were other creatures still linging in those cursed woods to begin with.
"... Rrrrrgh..." Izanagi rumbled with a reptilian snort, shaking his head, "... that's a damned shame..." he echoed under his harsh, monstrous voice.
"It is bad, sad sight to see such healthy woods beingk burned to ashes like this, yes..." Naida agreed, slowly lowering her wing with a disheartened nod. "Mmh... And vhat of fox girl...?"
"As much as Ah'd want tae moorn th' forest... there's nae much else tae dae, noo 'at we've escaped..." Even Camellia's tone was saddened, slowly lowering her hand as her expression went from shock to despair, giving a sigh.
"... Camellia is right, unfortunately..." Perceval shook his head, turning over. "Come, everyone, we cannot linger. As sad as it is, we cannot save an entire forest. Perhaps the weather will have mercy and douse the flames. Let us press onward and move while we can, we must make distance between ourselves and that dreaded area as much as possible... We have a duty of our own, after all."
"Duty?" Camellia prodded.
"Oui... I'll tell you on the way, mon amie."
The other three complied before making their way onward, heading towards the mountains as they began to discuss what to do next in particular. But what if the three Hakumese Pokemon...?
While their current locations were not known to them, the four that came in to assist all received a ‘ping’ from the Gardevoir, a quick telepathic message...
<<“Words cannot express how truly grateful I am for you all, coming in and risking your lives to strike the beast. We are in a hurry, but should we meet again, we shall repay you somehow for your bravery. May the sun and moon bless you...”>>
That was all that could be said... As for where they were now... amidst all the insanity?
... They seemed to be faring well... well enough to keep running, at the very least...
