Fire Province: Town of Wildeburn: Age of Mew(waning): Year 656: The Wildeburn Summit, Part 9
Moonbrand Present: Bravero, Conlan, Mandy, Rudo, Ornia
"The final match for 250,000 poke will now begin!" Alvar announced as Conlan and Razr took to the arena. "Conlan the monferno versus Razr the zoroark! Pokemon ready…"
Both contestants silently got into a fighting position. They both wanted, no, needed this money for their mercenary bands' future missions.
"Fight!" Alvar announced with a flap of his large white wings.
Razr started off as strong as he possibly could as he shredded a Night Daze on his guitar that was so powerful and fast-acting that Conlan didn't even have a second to comprehend what had happened before the attack hit him with full force, knocking him back to the edge of the arena.
"Ngh…" He grunted as he got up. "Well, this was probably too expensive of a Focus Energy, but nothing I can do now." He mumbled to himself as he looked over Razr's weak points, before rushing up for a Mach Punch, only to be fooled by an after image of Razr thanks to the earlier Night Daze while the zoroark smirked as he began his Nasty Plot.
After all, as long as he didn't get hit, he could keep tuning his guitar to be more and more powerful for the next attack, and the last thing he wanted was to trigger Conlan's Blaze ability.
Conlan searched for Razr again before rushing to the new position, claws out for a Fury Swipes attack, which the zoroark smiled as he continued to dodge.
"This is unfortunate for you, having made it all this way to not have even landed a single hit on me yet." He addressed his opponent as he continued his Nasty Plot.
"Don't remind me." Conlan grumbled. "But maybe I can trap you!" He brought his hands to his tail and shot out a Fire Spin, which Razr fanned away by spinning his guitar as he maxed up his special attack with one last Nasty Plot.
"Now the show can truly begin." He smiled as he finished tuning his guitar.
"Or maybe not!" Conlan aimed for the guitar's strings with a Mach Punch.
Even if the guitar itself is just an accessory, maybe I can enrage him into making a mistake so that I can gain some kind of footing in this fight!
However, as Conlan moved to attack, so did Razr, and the monferno's Mach Punch instead connected with one of the blades on the edge of the instrument.
He quickly reeled his hand back in pain as he noticed the blood.
"Looks like you accidentally hit the weapon part of my instrument. Guess it was a good call to move when I did." Razr explained. "And now, you lose!"
He shouted out a Hyper Voice that knocked directly into Conlan as he was once again blown back to the other side of the arena.
"Fuck…" He cursed as he was enveloped in a small red light. He looked at his hands. "Blaze active already? That's not good. Gotta by time, no matter how small."
He brought his hands back to his tail and shot a Fire Spin towards Razr once more.
This one, thanks to Blaze, rocketed forth and surrounded the zoroark within a vortex of swirling flames, the inferno grazing his fur periodically to deal damage.
Razr grunted as he strummed his guitar to use another Night Daze, dissipating the vortex of flames as the attack traveled outwards, only to reach no one.
"Behind you." Conlan announced as he fired a Mach Punch, grazing Razr's skin as he quickly tried to dodge the attack.
"Too close for your own good, buddy." Razr smirked before shouting with a Hyper Voice at point blank range, knocking Conlan all the way to the edge of the arena where he hit the ground.
Nowhere
"You have got to be kidding me!" Conlan stomped in the blood in frustration as Libitina slowly appeared before him.
"I know, right?" Libitina asked. "The least he could have done was ripped your body to bits. Giving humans new vessels is so...You know what, never mind that now."
"You bring me back right now!" Conlan shouted. "I can't have that giant crowd of pokemon thinking I'm dead only for me to come back later!"
"Alright, alright, geez, so pushy today." Libitina pouted as she got to work. "So, a little birdie told me you'll be heading to Fable and Wamekufa soon, is this true? You coming to see me in person?"
"I remember that the Fire Province is going to help the Fairy Province in Fable, but I don't remember making any promises about Moonbrand specifically."
"Well, you'll be here soon anyway, I imagine." Libitina laughed to herself. "But just so you know, the leader of Wamekufa, the Ghost Province, is me, so I sincerely hope you understand just what you'll be getting yourselves into over here. As good as it feels to bring you back from the dead, I can't do it limitlessly, and I prefer to savor moments like these."
"Just get me back to Wildeburn." Conlan really, really didn't care about anything other than not causing the pokemon there any worry about him at the moment.
"Tch." Libitina pouted again. "And here I thought you wouldn't kick the bucket again until the heatran attack."
"The what? No, nevermind, just work."
"Yes, yes, boss the Arbiter around, that surely won't bring you bad luck at all…" Libitina rolled her eyes as she finished up restoring Conlan's life force. "At least bring me some flowers or buy me dinner next time. Off you go!"
Fire Province: Town of Wildeburn
"Conlan is-"
"W-wait!" Conlan interrupted Alvar as he stood up.
"I'm still standing."
"That's fuckin' impossible…" Razr mumbled to himself. "Did I actually just-" He nodded to Conlan.
"Hey!" He pointed. "How is it you were able to use Slack Off?" He lied. "That a trait of being human or something?"
There's no way he wants his little deal to get out into the public. Might as well give him a hand.
"Y-yeah." Conlan agreed as he resumed his fighting stance. "That was it. As a human, I have hidden reserves of adrenaline for things like that. I can only do it very rarely however, and I don't understand it all too well myself."
There, that ought to stop others from prying into it. No need to tell any of them that Slack Off was replaced by Quick Guard when I evolved.
"But what I do understand is that now that I've got energy again, here comes another Mach Punch!"
His attack landed directly passed Razr's guitar and on the zoroark's chest.
"Thanks for the assist." Conlan whispered, before jumping back from the attack.
Razr nodded, and strummed down on his guitar to shoot another Night Daze and Conlan, who barely managed to limbo under the tendrils of dark energy, before firing off a Fire Spin attack, the vortex gaining no momentum and instead puterring out.
Razr once again strummed down on his guitar as a Night Daze shout out from the musical instrument, hitting Conlan in the chest and face, as well as blinding him even further as his eyelids began to droop lower than they were already, thanks to the previous moves.
"Least she could have done was also cure the stat problems when she brought me back." Conlan complained to himself, wondering how on earth he was even going to manage to land any sort of hit on the zoroark now. He decided he might as well go for a Fire Spin again, as it hide the widest range of the moves he could currently use.
He brought his hands to his tail and quickly summoned up and fired one more vortex, which moved about halfway between himself and Razr before it stopped, but continued to spin in place.
"Sorry kid," Razr sighed as he Flung his guitar through the Fire Spin. "You're creative for sure, but when you're frail, you're frail."
The guitar's neck hit Conlan along his gut with such force that for a small moment, Conlan could actually feel the life force Libitina had supplied him with slip away for a moment before returning back, and once again, he fell to the ground, not dead this time, at least, but still unable to continue.
"We have the winner of the Wildeburn Tournament, Razr the zoroark!" Alvar announced. "Team Soulwind will receive 250,000 poke!"
"Look at that Tashia…" Fernando chuckled. "A tournament thrown for the royals, and the mercenary for the one that isn't here is the one that wins."
"Yes, I suppose that is somewhat amusing." Tashia agreed with a smile. "You and yours may go on ahead, and Soulwind and my soldiers will join you until Lightgrasp. I'll stay behind with Moonbrand and Kirei. I'm expecting news from an advisor."
"Understood." Fernando nodded. "Don't worry, Tashia. The Flying Province...or rather Himmelskt, now that we are no longer affiliated with the UGM, has always been and will always be an ally of your nation. I'll send you your allied soldiers as soon as I am able."
Later...
"Flaming guitar...should have seen that one coming…" Conlan was kicking himself over what was technically two losses in a row to the same opponent.
"Probably couldn't see with all that Night Daze." Bravero crossed his arms. "Would have done the same to the rest of us."
"Now what do we do?" Mandy wondered aloud. "Just head back to Lightgrasp right?"
"Not quite." Tashia muttered softly as she approached with Gertrude, Caress, Comfort, Inkeri and Micah. "I need to go back to Lightgrasp, and I'll need Inkeri for protection as we travel, but the rest of you are needed in Geotherm right now."
"Geotherm?" Rudo cocked her head. "The city with the power plant? Something going on over there? Also, Inkeri, who's the mewtwo and why is he wearing the Moonbrand scarf?"
"Quite a few things in fact." Inkeri crossed her arms. "The rest of Moonbrand is already there and can fill you in on the details."
"My name is Micah." Micah responded to the question of his identity. "I've joined Moonbrand as a healer and am also proficient with hand-to-hand combat, without the use of moves. I have come to an understanding that being part of Moonbrand can help me achieve certain goals, while helping others. I am here to teleport you all to Geotherm to save on travel time. According to four very battered teammates of yours, you probably don't want to waste your time heading through the Blaze Desert."
"Well, that sounds like a lot of ground to cover." Conlan sighed. "Alright, let's head to Geotherm."
Fire Province: City of Geotherm: Age of Mew(waning): Year 656: The Battle of Geotherm(BOSS MISSION), Part 1
Moonbrand Present: Aaron, Bennett, Bravero, Charlie, Conlan, Gina, Hex, Magdalene, Mandy, Micah, Ornia, Rudo, Semora, Terune, Verden
Geotherm's walls and buildings are all made of molten rock, likely brought up from the deepest parts of the underground cells of the giant Geotherm Power Plant which the city surrounds, and where most of the residents end up working to make a living wage. Large smoke stacks and factories line the northeast of the city, while the smaller residential huts and homes take up the opposite corner of the area, in the southwest. In both the northwest and southeast are various market districts where shops and taverns can be found for travelers from the north or south, looking to only stay in the city for the night, and for good reason. Geotherm was the site of Reshiram's descent to the mortal world, according to all texts and eyewitness accounts, including the words of Reshiram himself, and many pokemon can still feel as though there is some divine presence in the town, silently watching and judging them. Many pokemon complain that sometimes the noise from the smokestacks sounds as though an otherworldly being is trying to communicate to them as well, and as such, repeat customers at the inns and taverns of Geotherm are exceptionally rare. The Geotherm Power Plant itself is massive in scale, as big as any of the other districts of the city on the outside, and even larger indoors, as the workers descend deeper and deeper into the ground to get closer to the world's magma so that their fire moves become more effective in their work of producing energy. The town respects all types and treats all visitors fairly, regardless of affiliation. The city is led by dutchess Tatiana, a rapidash who also oversees the work of the Geotherm Power Plant along with ruling the city. She is, by all accounts, a fair and just ruler that is respected by the people. During the initial rebellion of the outer cities, she had sided with Visha and the other outer cities in not condoning the new queen, but after learning of the queen's identity and realizing that she was the daughter of two Geotherm workers, Tatiana almost immediately revoked her earlier decision to rebel and instead pledged loyalty. Now, with both a type 2 legendary heatran and an army led by rightly angry rebels not far behind both closing in on the city, Tatiana has ordered an emergency meeting to take place in the early hours of the next morning, but for now, those she has requested help from are free to rest and recuperate, and prepare for the coming fights in any manner they see fit, which is exactly what Moonbrand is doing.
Bravero and Conlan: Support Rank D Reached
"So I was introducing myself to Semora right, and I'm not sure. She's really an assassin?" Bravero asked Conlan as he crossed his arms while the two went out shopping for the dinner the mercenary band would eat.
"Swear to Arceus, that's what she told me." Conlan replied.
"Yeah, well aside from being a little thorny, I dunno." Bravero shrugged. "Hot maybe, but an assassin? I'm still not buying it."
"Well, look, maybe when you fight you can't see her that well, but trust me, she fights like one. Stick close to me when we're all together later, and I'll show you what I mean, alright?"
"Sure thing man, sounds good."
"Great, now do you think we should get 40 lbs? I'm not sure if that's too little or too much meat for our party."
Bravero and Verden: Support Rank D Reached
"You feeling better?" Bravero asked Verden as he stopped by the breloom, who was recuperating in a medical wing of the hotel the mercenary band was staying in.
"I believe so, yeah. I should be good to go by the next fight. What brings you in here? What can I do for you?"
"Explain to me why you became a slaver." Bravero's eyes narrowed.
"It wasn't like there was much choice in it for me at the time, you know."
"I know, that's why I want to understand how you became one. What state did you have to be in to make a choice compromising moral value?"
"Well, my brother was-"
"And now I think I've heard enough for now."
Verden turned his head, confused. "Excuse me? I haven't even told the story yet."
"Well, if you became a slaver for your brother, then your story has far less value to me."
"What's the story behind this change of attitude then?" Verden wondered.
"I'll tell you another time, maybe." Bravero suggested. "Until then, let's both do our best for the team, alright?"
"That was...odd…" Verden mumbled to himself as Bravero left.
Hex and Rudo: Support Rank D Reached
"Rudo, a moment?" Hex asked as she tapped the riolu on the shoulder.
"Hey, Hex!" Rudo smiled as she turned around. "What do you want to know?"
"I've been told by many mercenaries on this team that you're one of the fiercest fighters on board, so I thought I would introduce myself professionally. I'm Hextra, and I train fighters."
Rudo's eyes lit up.
"YOU DO?! Will you train me?! Pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease!"
Hex laughed nervously, backing up a bit, only half-expecting that kind of reaction. "I can, of course, but it won't be for free. I make a living off of this you know."
"Hrm…" Rudo thought to herself. "I guess I need to find a way to make some dough first then...Alright! It's settled! Hex, I'm gonna fundraise so I can hire you as a trainer, and you can teach me to be unstoppable!"
"I don't know about unstoppable." Hex laughed to herself as Rudo ran off. "But they were right, very fierce, very passionate."
Hex and Charlie: Support Rank D Reached
"So…" Hex grinned as she sat next to Charlie, who was busy sketching a map of the city, labelling the best evacuation routes as well as emergency exits should enemy soldiers break through the city walls. "I got my scar in a sparring match with a garchomp, what about you? Where'd you get your 'special stomach'?" She pointed to the large gash across Charlie's stomach, causing the charmeleon to instinctively curl up into a ball to hide.
"I got in on a mission with my old team." Charlie almost forced herself to say. "It's a constant reminder that death can come for any of us at any moment to me."
"Woah, there, easy. I didn't mean to unearth some sort of dark past, swearsies. You don't have to share if you don't want to."
"No, I suppose I have to tell someone eventually." Charlie rationalized. "But maybe not while I need to be concentrating. I'll tell you the full story later, alright? That is, assuming we're both still alive later."
"Debbie downer much?" Hex mumbled under her breath as she stood up. "Sounds good!" She grinned. "We'll share stories over drinks, yeah?"
"Yeah." Charlie smiled back.
Terune and Aaron: Support Rank D Reached
"Aaron-" Terune approached the aggron nervously. "There's been talk and you heard about what happened in Emberguard from Hex, didn't you? I-"
"There he is!" Aaron grinned as he noogied Terune's head playfully. "Kid, I heard all about your experience at the luncheon in Emberguard from Hex. You and that magby royal lady, eh? You gonna be a lord soon? You want to hold the wedding over in Cinders or should we invite her and her side of the family to Lightgrasp?"
"N-no, her name is Masti and it wasn't like that! She just wanted me to come back as her own retainer and-"
"Ohohoho, so she planned to literally take you? You're a lucky kid, Terune. The two of you even asked Hex about those side rooooooms ahahahaha!" Aaron's voice got higher as laugher began to overtake him. "Oh, that would have been the most awkward first time ever! Ahahaha...oh...Terune you're an interesting kid, you know that?"
"Y-yeah…" Terune muttered back. "Can we please stop this now? I need to get back to evacuating civilians…"
"So the whole place can be cleaned of people and you and your new girlfriend can come here on your honeymoon, got it." Aaron snickered as he rustled Terune's head again. "Keep up the good work kid, and I mean on all fronts!"
"I will." Terune responded affirmatively, before turning back to his work on evacuation.
"I wonder what that means…" He mumbled to himself.
Terune and Verden: Support Rank D Reached
"Verden...are you alright?" Terune asked as he wandered into the medical room where Verden was resting.
"I'm perfectly fine, Terune, thank you." Verden responded. "Although, I suppose there is one thing you can do for me. I still have no clue how you ended up in the hideout that me and my brother ran when we met. What's the story there?"
"Not much story." Terune shook his head. "I was just sort of wandering around aimlessly and then zubat chased me in, and I had to activate my hybrant form, and lost consciousness, next thing I knew, I met you and Conlan and the others and that was that."
"Well that's/not exactly what I meant." Verden laughed. "You're from Momiji right, the Grass Province? How did you make it all the way from there to deep into Ignia on your lonesome?"
Terune fell silent.
"Terune?" Verden asked.
"S-sorry." Terune muttered quietly. "I can't answer that. Sorry."
He slowly crept out the door.
"These visitors and their cryptic exits." Verden groaned to himself.
Ornia and Bennett: Support Rank D Reached
"Alright, ghost. I've heard about what happened on your mission." Ornia explained as she sat Bennett down across a table from her. "And since I am the only one here in tune with the great good and holiness that is Tapu Lele, I will do you the honor of identifying your demon and exorcising it. Now, when did you first notice it?"
"Um, sorry...who are you?" Bennett asked, confused. "I remember Inkeri signed up a mewtwo and a haxorus but I don't remember her saying anything about-"
"I am a Serenity Soldier gifted by Queen Deirdre of Fable herself, you knave!" Ornia shouted as she floated up from her own seat, before quickly catching herself.
"Ahem. Excuse that, please. I am not terribly used to being so surrounded by heathens, you see."
"I see that you probably need more help than I do, lady." Bennett observed.
"Nonsense. I am perfectly sane. Only one mind rests in me after all. Now, when did you first notice this?" Ornia asked again.
"This...is going to be a long process isn't it?" Bennett dreadingly grumbled to himself. "I still don't even know her name."
Ornia and Semora: Support Rank D Reached
"You there." Ornia addressed Semora, who was browsing antiques in a market district. "You are with Moonbrand too, correct? Do you believe in Tapu Bulu by any chance?"
"I believe that this conversation is likely going to be a waste of your time." Semora replied coolly, not even turning to look at Ornia. "Why do you ask?"
"I simply noticed you had an eye for art, unlike most of the members, all too focused on fighting and getting stronger, which, while useful, is not as beautiful as the pursuit of aesthetic-"
"You're boring me with this." Semora sighed. "I'll go check the other market."
In a flash, Semora was gone, and Ornia couldn't find out the direction she'd gone in.
"Y-you do not just ignore a teammate like that!" She huffed, before noticing the vase semora was looking at. "Even if you have a good eye for art and antiques…"
Aaron and Bennett: Support Rank D Reached
Aaron and Bennett stared at each other in silence for a moment, before Aaron finally spoke up.
"Did you hear about the prince from the grass province that kept coming back to Visha's luncheons again and again?" He asked. "He must have been really thorny…"
"Good, good," Bennett nodded. "But I've got one closer to home. Towards the end of our Blaze Desert mission, Gina got really angry. Like seriously pissed and violent. If you ask me, I think she needs to learn to chill out, maybe be a bit Icer."
"What the hell man, two for one, that's not fair!"
"All's fair in love, puns, and war, Aaron." Bennett snickered. "And I am the master of puns."
"I guess I was just asking for punishment when I challenged you. I couldn't even puncture your poker face."
"You're learning." Bennett smiled with a nod.
"I learned from the master!" Aaron laughed.
Aaron and Semora: Support Rank D Reached
"Oh my Arceus why do I have to do it?" Aaron grumbled to himself as he nervously walked up to Semora. "Semora, Conlan wants to know if there's any way you might possibly be able to help with the cooking tonight?"
"Sure. I'll be sure to head back soon." Semora shrugged before continuing to browse at the antiques. "Better to avoid that Serenity Soldier anyways."
"Alright, well, that was all. I guess I'll be going now?" Aaron, however, found it hard to move.
"Bye?" Semora waved him away, confused as to why he hadn't left yet.
"R-right." Aaron nodded before finally turning around and leaving. "Wait a minute…" He soon realized. "That wasn't nerve-wracking at all! That was normal! The heck was Conlan on about? Trained killer my ass."
Gina and Charlie: Support Rank D Reached
"Charlie, that's a great drawing!" Gina smiled as she looked over Charlie's shoulder at the sketch of the city. "I wish I could sketch that well. A girl doesn't get much time to practice her art skills in the Ice Province after all. Even less time when you're a 'cursed mercenary'."
"I wouldn't mind teaching you." Charlie shrugged. "It's a useful skill to have after all. That said, you don't become a good artist overnight. It takes a lot of practice. You will get frustrated often."
"I think I can manage through a little frustration." Gina nodded. "I would love to learn! We'll schedule a first lesson for me after we return to Lightgrasp, alright?"
"Alright." Charlie nodded back.
Gina and Conlan: Support Rank D Reached
"Hey, Conlan, I was wondering something…" Gina said as she walked up to Conlan while he walked into the hotel hauling 60 lbs. of tauros meat.
"What is it?" Conlan asked with a grunt.
"I know this may not be the most...opportune time, but it's still important…"
"Spit it out, Gina."
"I need a raise."
Conlan stopped pulling on the tauros meat.
"You understand that we're in the middle of a war right now, don't you? I can't promise you any sort of raise right now. Furthermore, didn't you just get a bunch of money from your mission? Wasn't that the reason your group took it in the first place?"
"Most of it went to repairing my leg." Gina motioned to her healed leg. "I'll tell you, a nurse's Heal Pulse can work wonders, but it's perhaps a tad too expensive."
"Tell you what, Gina." Conlan sighed. "You prove that you deserve it, and you get your raise, but that means no pretending to be a damsel to get out of battles. Don't think I haven't done background checks."
"Tch." Gina frowned, deciding to drop the sweetness. "Fine, fine. I'll earn my raise the old fashion way, but I do need the raise, and it better be a good one, sending me up against a fucking type 2 legendary made of fucking magma and steel…"
"Imagine how much you could twist my arm for then, though!" Conlan encouraged her. "Be smart about it and the raise that I still don't believe you need is yours."
Mandy and Magdelene: Support Rank D Reached
"Your form is good, but I think the problem might be in your reflexes." Magdalene observed as she watched Mandy training on a practice dummy. "Working in the mines helped give you the muscles you need, but the movements you take are too rigid and imbalanced."
"Then I'll just have to try again." Mandy resolved herself as she continued to attack the dummy.
"Remember to keep your head up. Looking down at your feet is the first mistake of all dead mercenaries."
"Don't let the enemy out of my sight either!" Mandy announced as she struck a good blow on one of the dummie's marked pressure points.
"Good." Magdalene nodded. "Now that I'm starting to get a good sense of your fighting style, I'm sure I can think up some good strategies to pitch to Conlan later."
"You think up the strategies?" Mandy asked, taking a break from the training for a bit.
"Well, not all the strategies, but I do think them up a lot. I don't have any formal training to be a tactician though, so obviously they're proofread. Usually by Charlie, sometimes by Semora, sometimes by Conlan, and sometimes even I don't like what I wrote down and scrap it."
"That sounds tough…" Mandy sighed.
'Not as tough as an Ignia soldier!" Magdalene responded. "Let's get back to training on the dummy!"
Micah and Bennett: Support Rank D Reached
"Yep." Micah nodded as he brought a hand away from Bennett.
"You're cursed alright."
"Wonderful. Amazing deduction, Mr. Holmes."
"Who?"
"Nevermind." Bennett waved his hand. "Anything else you could figure out."
"Yes, actually. Whatever it is, it's not a pokemon."
"Great." Bennett sighed. "So what is it?"
"I'll need more time to figure out for sure…" Micah pondered the question as he gave his answer. "But if I had to guess, it's some kind of evil deity clinging to life?"
"I heard about what Aaron said. You think it's Giratina?"
"No." Micah's face darkened. "It's worse when it's Giratina. That's enough for now. Get some rest."
And with that, Micah left Bennett alone.
"This is why I don't like going to the doctor's office." Bennett grumbled.
Micah and Hex: Support Rank D Reached
"Any words on where those rumored Obsidian Legion soldiers might be?" Micah asked Hex as he sat down at her table.
"I've heard a few rumors that they're actually going to circle around Flamewater and try to invade the Electric Province instead, disguised as Ignia soldiers."
"That would not be an ideal situation at all, would it?" Micah sighed as he shook his head.
"That's why we'll just have to unite ourselves faster so we can find the bastard."
"Um...bastards?" Micah corrected. "Since there's more than one of them you know."
"Yeah, that's what I meant." Hex shrugged.
Micah squinted.
Conlan and Charlie: Support Rank D Reached
"Charlie, I want to fill our last space on the team with another mercenary. Is there anyone out there who might join?"
"None that I know of." Charlie shrugged. "But stop trying to fill up the team roster so quickly. What if we miss out on being able to recruit someone as powerful as a type 2 legendary because some sunkern girl wanted to join after we helped her find her mother in a marketplace?"
"Obviously, they should have come to us first then." Conlan shrugged. "I don't understand what's so bad about first-come first-served to you.'
"The principle of the core concept!" Charlie exclaimed. "We've been lucky so far in that we haven't accidentally hired some psychotic criminal. Look at nearly any other mercenary band, and they have rigorous screening in place and in most cases, don't even accept new members! It's about team cohesion!"
"Well, I've been pretty good with my own background checks, I thought." Conlan crossed his arms.
"Let's at least wait until the new year to start your game of Kingcardine roulette, alright?" Charlie crossed her own arms.
"Fine."
Rudo and Bravero: Support Rank D Reached
"But why not?!" Rudo asked with a gasp as Bravero refused her request to spar with him.
"Well, firstly, you're half my size." Bravero reasoned. "Probably nowhere in my weight group either."
"Yeah, but I can still pack a punch and take a hit and-"
"Which actually brings me to my next point, you're probably, I can't believe I'm saying this, a more adept fighter than I am. You've been training for this kind of thing for how long? Your whole life?"
"Yeah, pretty much whenever I had time." Rudo laughed.
"If anything, you need to learn when to slow things down." Bravero decided. "Come talk to me again after you've managed to clock in over a full eight hours of sleep at night."
"Aw, no fair!"
Rudo and Bennett: Support Rank D Reached
"Bennett?" Rudo asked as she knocked on the door to Bennett's room before letting herself in without waiting for an answer anyway. "I heard about what happened. I want you to know that no matter what, we're all friends here alright?"
"Yeah, sure thing." Bennett smiled from his bed.
Rudo's eyes shifted to the headphones around Bennett's neck. "Hey Bennett, aren't those headphones? Conlan told me about those. Apparently in his world, they're all over the place, but here you can only get them from Silverstorm in the Electric Province. How did you get your pair/'
"Oh, I…" Bennett rocked his head back and forth. "I guess I just sort of found them."
"Well, I know you're lying." Rudo pointed to her aura sensors with a sigh. "But as long as you're feeling better right now, I'm not going to pry into this any further if you don't want me to."
"Alright." Bennett nodded. "Thanks for checking in on me, Rudo."
"No problem. Thanks for not-"
"It really means a cot!" Bennett motioned to the bed he was resting on.
Rudo slammed the door shut with an angry frown.
Semora and Hex: Support Rank D Reached
"You." Semora pointed at Hex. "Sparring Partners?"
"Sparring Partners." Hex nodded back with a grin.
Charlie and Magdalene: Support Rank C Reached
"Hey Magdalene, feel like working together in the upcoming battle?" Charlie asked.
"Oh, well sure, I'd love to!" Magdalene replied. "What brought this on? You normally don't really ask anyone for anything."
"I just, y'know, I got the feeling that I ought to open up to my teammates more, especially the ones I've known longer." Charlie scratched behind her head. "Besides, for a pokemon of your age, you're incredibly bright and very mature, so I feel that we would work well together."
"Well, thank you very much!" Magdalene smiled. "I look forward to working with you!"
Hex and Aaron: Support Rank C Reached
"Go!" Both Hex and Aaron announced as they began to scarf down their meals as quickly as they could while also not at all making any mess whatsoever.
Aaron and Hex both grinned at their plates as they stuffed forkful after forkful of beef into their mouths, each completely certain that they would be victorious over their opponent.
"Done!" They both announced at the same time to a confused table of other Moonbrand members.
"Up up up!" Hex pointed. "Crumb n your jaw!"
"Woah, what about that one on your tusk?" Aaron pointed back.
"Get a side room." Terune grumbled as he tried to focus on his own dinner.
Conlan and Magdalene: Support Rank C Reached
"These are all good strategies." Conlan noted as he handed the papers back to Magdalene. "All except this one here. Why would we put a clearly ranged attacker like you up with me in the frontlines? I'm a melee fighter…"
"Well, the point was to provide a cover to close the gap between other ranged attackers, allowing you the opportunity to-"
"No, see, but then who would give you the protection you needed from any enemy melee fighters? It makes too many positive assumptions that I'll have taken care of the enemies first, and I think we both know, evolution or not, I'm far from the best melee fighter this team has."
"I suppose so, but I think you're still selling the strategy short!" Magdalene wasn't backing down. "Next time we get a chance, I'll show you that it works, and then you'll have to approve it for future use!"
"Alright then, but when I have to call for help because it doesn't work, you'll have to scrap it and it'll be the last I hear about it."
"You're on!"
Bravero and Semora: Support Rank B Reached
"Semora." Bravero caught Semora just before the sceptile was entering her room for the night. "Good, you're still up. The Azure Syndicate. I'm ready to learn about them."
"Very well, I'll tell you what I know tomorrow morning."
"It can't be tonight, over drinks?"
"We're about to fight tomorrow and you want to go drinking?" Semora rolled her eyes. "You better just give up the getting back of money if you're really in debt to the Azure Syndicate. Suggesting to drink before an important fight, you'll be dead before you know it."
"No, I wouldn't do something so reckless as to leave you heartbroken again." Bravero grinned as Semora tensed up.
"I thought I told you already to drop-"
"I'll cut you a deal, Semora, you tell me what you know about The Azure Syndicate, tonight, and I'll watch your back in the fight tomorrow."
"...Fine, but this is a one time, deal, understand?"
"Loud and clear." Bravero grinned as Semora shut the door to her room.
"She just needs, oh, one more push." Bravero chuckled to himself as he left for his own room for the night.
Ornia and Mandy: Support Rank B Reached(from a double rank up)
"This is stupid." Mandy mumbled as she and Ornia both stared at the large painting of a whimsicott prince from Fable. "What is staring at this painting going to accomplish."
"You said you wanted your Attract to be as good as Gertrude's didn't you?" Ornia responded. "Well, for the unfortunate sinners against Tapu Lele, this is the best way to go about understanding what makes aesthetic beauty. Prolonged exposure to it! Look at the whimsicott. Look at his dimensions, the colors in the pallette used to give him that life-like pop to him, but above all, realize how truly majestic and magnificent he looks. Crown on his head, scepter in his hand, clothed in the garb of the glorious Tapu Lele…"
"Oh, no, you just like this picture because the prince in it followed your religious faith! That doesn't make it objectively aesthetically pleasing!"
"It most certainly does too!"
"No it doesn't!"
"Alright then, don't accept a Fable native's help in appearing attractive and try your own hand at it instead. You'll be back when you realize the need for my guidance!"
"I'll be back to gloat because I did it without your help!"
"Well I'd actually be impressed by that so there!"
"Thank you then!"
Both pokemon huffed as they turned away from each other and pulled up their bed blankets.
Magdalene and Bennett: Support Rank S Reached(from a double rank up)
"So...Bennett, you still awake?" Magdalene asked as she wandered into his room.
"Yeah." Bennett responded as Magdalene took a seat by his bed.
"What happened in the Blaze Desert, that was what you were trying to talk to me about earlier, wasn't it?"
"Yeah." Bennett responded again.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know. If I had, I certainly wouldn't have simply brushed it off the way I did. Whatever is going on must be causing you so much grief. When did this begin?"
"I think it began when I woke up on top of Conlan's mailbox." Bennett mulled it over. "Ever since then I've heard it. Oh, I should also mention that, kinda like Conlan, I'm not from this world. I mean, I'm not from his, since apparently pokemon don't exist there, but I'm a Banette in my home world too."
Magdalene gasped, and looked around, as if to make sure no one else was listening in.
"Can I tell you a secret?' She asked. "I think I'm from a different world too."
"Don't make fun of me, I even decided against making puns near you anymore, so can you at least be serious?"
"I am serious!" Magdalene hopped onto the bed and moved her team scarf out of the way to reveal her space globe. "I got this back in that world. It's nothing like this one. Far less advanced."
"Oh...I see…"
"Puns might be able to hide pain Bennett, but they don't cure it." Magdalene gave a soft smile. "We're all going to help you get to the bottom of whatever is going on here, especially if you're serious about not pestering me with puns anymore. We stick together as fellow Moonbrand members alright? Until then, don't try to force anything on yourself. I learned the hard way a few months back. Now, get some sleep. We have to be up early tomorrow."
"Right." Bennett nodded with a smile as he watched Magdalene leave.
He let out a calm sigh of soothing relief before falling asleep himself.
Verden and Gina: Support Rank S Reached
"Excuse me…" Gina whispered as she opened the door to the medical wing and shuffled past other empty beds to her own bed near Verden's.
"You were probably enjoying the heck out of that walk around the city." Verden grinned. "Wish I could have gone too. You were practically crying when I woke up in here earlier today."
"Of course I was, my little reckless dumbass." Gina smiled. "You almost up and died on me while protecting the rest of us. Don't do that! It's like, the rule right below remaining faithful, sheesh!"
"I can't help it, it's my fighting style to take those status attacks." Verden laughed. "Besides, if I didn't keep them focused on me, they'd have continued going after you, and obviously if there's anyone I want to live with me, it's you."
"That poison must have lodged itself in your brain." Gina laughed as she rolled her bed closer to Verden's and leaned over to kiss his head. "You were actually good with flirts when I first met you. Don't think your work is done halfway through."
"Halfway through?" Verden asked as Gina planted another kiss on his forehead this time.
"Yes." She leaned over his face with a sly grin as she quickly brought her front legs up to either side of Verden's shoulders before lowering her head again. "Halfway through." She connected her lips with Verden's who immediately reciprocated against the soft and chilly refreshing lips of his partner.
"You know what you have to do for making me worry about you like that?" Gina asked after she had pulled out of the kiss, their mouths still connected by a string of saliva from tongue to tongue.
Gina hopped completely off of her bed and onto Verden's, before turning around and lifting up the sheets.
Verden instinctively moved to cover his crotch, but was stopped by Gina's back paw.
"No no no...I'll fiddle with that for you." She said as she stretched her rear closer to Verden's face.
"Gina...your um-.. Your"
"Oh, Kyurem's ballsac, Verden," Gina laughed. "Stop being such a pussy and start exploring mine already!"
She put her paw on the head of Verden's erect member. "If you finish from head before you even begin to stick your fingers in there, I am going to be so pissed."
"E-easy, go easy on me! I've never been this lucky before!"
"No. You most certainly haven't." Gina lowered her head.
Arc Proper
Tatiana's Meeting Chamber
Moonbrand Present: Aaron, Bennett, Bravero, Charlie, Conlan, Gina. Hex, Magdalene, Mandy, Micah, Ornia, Rudo, Semora, Terune, Verden
Kirei Present: Caress, Comfort, Gertrude
TMNT Present: Macha, Nid, Talo, Tyran
Others Present: Inkeri, Satinka, Salandit Soldiers, Sigurna the togekiss, commander of the Himmelskt squad sent to Geotherm, Sigurna's Sky Knights, Tatiana the rapidash, duchess of Geotherm
"I will now call this meeting to order!" Tatiana announced as she put a hoof on the table. "Allies, we have evacuated the city and the workers to a camp we believe to be safe. However, as it is out in the wilderness, it presents its own problems. As such, Team TMNT, you will be responsible for the upkeep and safety of the refugee camp!"
"Yes, duchess Tatiana!" Talo saluted with a wing. "You can count on us to keep that camp safe. We didn't rank up to S for nothing after all!"
"Satinka." Tatiana turned to the salazzle, who unlike her laid back self in Wildeburn was now silently standing at attention. "You and your salandit soldiers are going to be our main force in the upcoming invasion, so we'll hide you in the city until the time comes. Sigurna, you and your sky knights will have one of the tougher jobs. You'll be responsible for making sure our airspace stays safe, and you'll report to us the enemy's position, while also fighting with ranged attacks whenever you can."
"Yes, duchess Tatiana!" Both Satinka and Sigurna responded without question.
"That leaves the rest of you, Inkeri, Kirei, Moonbrand."
"What do you want us to do, duchess Tatiana?" Inkeri asked.
"Inkeri, you divide Moonbrand and Kirei into two teams of nine. Alpha Squad and Theta Squad. Alpha Squad will be on the offensive, attempting to move the heatran away from the city. Theta Squad will be on the defensive, protecting the city walls at all costs. Once you have the squads in place, you will shift periodically in between both of them."
"I'll command the defensive for Theta Squad." Gertrude volunteered to Inkeri. "Kirei can cloak the city in Misty Terrain, and if it comes to it, we can momentarily immobilize the heatran through use of our status moves."
"Very well, Kirei, you can be on Theta Squad. That still leaves six openings for Moonbrand though.
"Well screw working with those guys, I'm going Alpha Squad all the way!" Rudo announced. "Come on, Conlan, you too!"
"I will also volunteer for Alpha Squad." Ornia suggested. "I am at my best when supporting allies on the offensive. You will be able to witness the true excellence of Tapu Lele."
"Alright, that's three on Alpha Squad and three on Theta Squad." Inkeri took note.
"Alright, the twelve of you better decide on this soon! Hereweald the heatran will be here any minute, and the Emberguard soldiers not long after that!"
Outside of Geotherm
"I can't believe how pathetic this place has become since I offed B." A Lucario shook his head to himself. "Perhaps when they fail to defeat the heatran, I will challenge it myself. I shall rebirth myself as Jinn with a glorious fight like that one, and get ever stronger."
AN: So many supports….so many supports...But that's a good thing! It makes me happy. Also, this is very important so pay attention: Time is going to move REALLY FAST between missions. This book is called The Age of Entei because it is THE AGE OF ENTEI, not a teeny little bit of the age at the beginning, but most of, if not the whole damn thing, (Yeah, starting to see the benefits of support now, aren't ya?).
Furthermore, I'm sure some of you caught on: if you don't send in supports, sometimes I'll just random it for you (sometimes). But that means that you don't get a say in who your oc interacts with or how they do it so let's try to avoid that situation in the future, aight? Aight. (Like, I like Bennett, but no way is he that popular among Moonbrand members)
AN2: TEAM ATTACK GIVEAWAY!(or TAG, it's TAG now)
TAG!: Bennett and Magdalene, you guys are at S rank, so you're pretty close! Now, since you aren't together, you only get one Team Attack rn. Want another? Rank up to Y (or get together, your call, nbd).
Your Team Attack Is…. Shadow-Sensory: Bennett can envelop both himself and Magdalene in shadow, while she uses a boosted Extrasensory attack that cannot be avoided by the target and will guarantee a flinch. Keep in mind, this is a once per mission gig.
TAG!: Verden and Gina (Another one, yay!)
New Team Attack: Spore Breath: Gina carries Verden's Spore attack in her Frost Breath, which results in both a critical hit on contact with it's target and has a 100% chance to put its target to sleep.
AN3: By the way, if the Verden and Gina support is any indicator, I can, and likely will make full use of this M rating, so be warned. It'll get more mature.
AN4: Now for the important part: WHO GOES WHERE?! We have six slots open for each squad, moonbrand peeps! First to act, first to get their squad of choice!
Alpha Squad!(ATTACK!):
1: Rudo
2: Conlan
3: Ornia
4: Bennett
5: Magdalene
6: Semora
7: Charlie
8:
9:
Theta Squad!(DEFEND!):
1: Gertrude
2: Caress
3: Comfort
4: Aaron
5: Verden
6: Gina
7: Hex
8: Terune
9: Bravero
And remember...BOSS MISSIONS ARE DEADLY.
AN5: OC SHEET!
OC Name, Sex, Species:
OC Home Province (Where they are from):
OC Role(Teammate Hopeful, Other Team Member, Minor Villain, Commoner, Etc.):
OC Profession(Are they unemployed like Terune, are they a veteran like Concordia, an assassin like Semora, etc.?):
OC Moveset:
Move 1(From Natural Movepool):
Move 2(From Natural Movepool):
Move 3(From Natural Movepool):
Move 4(From Natural Movepool):
Alt Move 1(Can be natural or TM or Egg Move):
Alt Move 2(Can be natural or TM or Egg Move):
OC Personality:
OC Background:
Anything Else Doobop Should Know:
That's all for now! Thanks for reading ^.^ !