.017 battles [video | action for anyone in Discedo]

[battledancing]

[Even though this is Cynthia's frequency, this time she's not the one broadcasting the feed. She's definitely featured in it, though, along with a pile of disfigured corpses-- not like this is a shocking sight by now. The lack of blood, however, is still as much of an enigma as always.

The first body seems to be what used to be a green-haired

Comments

( action! ) YAY <3333

[libertyfuckyeah]

[ America might be able to hold his own against certain Pokemon, but flying definitely isn't on the agenda. His NFL-style super strength tackle closes in on thin air and he goes skidding into the ground. Probably cracking the pavement while he's at it.

BUT HE IS RUNNING ON PURE ADRENALINE, SO HE ROLLS RIGHT BACK ONTO HIS FEET. FLAWLESS MOVE. This would be more impressive if he had an audience. His whole being screams look at me look at how heroic and cool I'm being ACKNOWLEDGE MY FEATS, WOMAN.

America doesn't say that, and in lieu of anything intelligent to say or epic lines to shout, he places himself in a defensive stance between Cynthia and the flying death monster. Still hasn't realized that she's in shock because she's busy holding the mutilated bodies of her friends. I don't know if it's a testament to America's insanity that he's completely ignoring all the bodies or the sad fact that a city littered with corpses is something he's grown numb to.

Either way, his priorities are obviously on HOLY SHIT DRAGON. He digs around in his pocket for more shells. Shit, he'll use the gun as a baseball bat if he has to. ]

DON'T WORRY, I'VE GOT THIS. YOUR HERO IS HERE YOU HAVE NOTHING TO FEAR except that huge dragon thing BUT DON'T WORRY I'LL PROTECT YOU!

[ PAY ATTENTION TO ME. God he's just a perpetual child. ]

( action! ) <333!

[battledancing]

[SORRY, AMERICA, CYNTHIA IS STILL SORTA KINDA BUSY BEING A CLAMP CHARACTER HOLDING ON TO DEAD BODIES AMIDST A NEVER ENDING RIVER OF MEGUCA SUFFERING.... So yeah, she can't exactly pay attention to your heroic act right now.

Garchomp, on the other hand, seems to have realized the crazy human person is trying to help out her trainer - though, really, the Pokemon can't figure out why anyone would think she would attack her friend and master. But anyway, since she can't speak in ways America will understand, she will just land close to the two again and stay put, hoping he would realize she meant no harm - or better yet, that Cynthia would snap back in time to let him know.]

( action! ) I also apologize that he keeps trying to kill Garchomp w;A;w

[libertyfuckyeah]

[ GOSH STOP DROWNING IN A RIVER OF ANGST, CYTHINA. AMERICA'S ABOUT TO SHOOT YOUR POKEMON.

No, he doesn't really understand the Pokemon is trying to be non-threatening. Shoot first, ask questions later, especially when you've been awake for a million hours because you're convinced that the world will get you the second you fall asleep.

SHOOTING FIRST. BAM. But really, with his level of panic and sleep deprivation, he's missed. America's tactic of snapping people out of a depressed stupor is apparently not soothing comfort, but being a complete insane douche until they have no choice if they don't want their lives and the lives of their loved ones at risk. ]

( action! ) no no, it's okay! this is just as planned B-)

[battledancing]

[The sound of the first shot rings in the back of her mind, a little like a dream you can't remember, but it's actually the smell of gunpowder that manages to snap her back to reality. The bodies were still there, as mutilated and deformed as before, all working as a painful reminder of the whole ordeal. And as much as she wanted to, there was nothing that could be done about them.

There was a lot to do for the friend she could still save, though.

The minute she realizes America is trying to kill Garchomp, the Champion scrambles to her feet in a single fluid motion, and that severed head rolls and falls limply to one side, flickering off for a second or two before stabilizing again. But she's too busy to see that; her hand is reaching for her belt - for Garchomp's pokeball, to be more precise - and pointing it forward, calling the Pokemon back with a beam of red light.]

Enough... [It comes out in a whisper, before she clutches the round device close to her chest, her entire self visibly shaking.]

( action! ) OKAY COOL .D.b

[libertyfuckyeah]

[ America hears the scrambling behind him, cocks his shotgun again to aim at the monster-

and then it's absorbed into a beam of light. What. ]

What.

[ What. The only way to describe America's expression is baffled. He stares as a giant dragon is seemingly being taken apart molecule by molecule, turned into a red light, and then absorbed into a tennis ball. Okay then.

America doesn't drop the gun, now slightly wary of the woman and her magical ball-wielding powers (to which he breaks into a grin at his own immature thought). The shotgun remains poised in his hands, but he's careful to aim it away from her. ]

So... I see you've got a handle on that whole dragon situation. Groovy.

( action! )

[battledancing]

[There's barely a second of so between the moment America says those words and the muffled sound of flesh and bone colliding against the ground, blonde mane following black as the Champion of Sinnoh falls to her knees. She's still clutching to the pokeball, so hard that her own nails are drawing blood from the back of a hand - though the pain never even registered.]

I'm sorry... [A whispered apology, and a first tear beginning to bloom.] I almost let the same happen to you...

[She was clearly talking to the creature inside the odd device. Sorry, America, you need to put up a bigger show to get her attention.]

( action! )

[libertyfuckyeah]

[ So confused. And kinda an awkward moment, because it looks like America almost killed this lady's pet. Whoops. He just stares in confusion, pointing back and forth between the Pokeball and Cynthia. ]

The dragon's yours. Oh. Okay. Weird. Uh. Sorry I almost killed your dragon?

[ His mouth opens to say something more, then abruptly closes. This has been such a strange day and he's so tired. And he's not even getting any affirmation! Not even acknowledgment. Suddenly it occurs to him that this woman is probably very traumatized from the dead bodies. Sometimes he forgets that not everyone is used to this sort of thing. Worst part is that there's never anything he can really say to make it better. He glances at the severed head. ]

You want any help with... burial, or prayers, or something? Don't got a Bible on hand but I've heard enough sermons to make something up.

( action! )

[battledancing]

[Burials... Now there's something she never thought she would have to consider - not for all of her closest friends, not at the same time and under these circumstances.

Still, it takes her a minute or so to gather remainders of conscious thought she could manage, and then she shakes her head in a negative response.]

I'll wait. [She means she'll wait for them to, well, come back.]

( action! )

[libertyfuckyeah]

Wait?

[ He is totally not making the mental connections. America's brain feels like it has to slog through mud and rain to catch a glimpse of a coherent thought. This is a flawless metaphor and no one will convince me otherwise. ]

( action! )

[battledancing]

[Totally understandable. Cynthia herself wasn't lacking as much sleep or feeling as physically tired as America, but her own mind wasn't in the right place. Shock wasn't that easy to overcome in just a couple of hours, after all.]

They always come back, in this place. [Again, a reference to Fortuna's weird way with cheating on death and tampering with life.]

( action! )

[libertyfuckyeah]

Oh.

[ The connection clicks, and America slumps. Though it's probably a good idea he can't resist keeping his big dumb mouth shut. ]

I don't think it's like that. I hope you're right, but if I'm right, it's not... real. Just my experience that this place messes with your head and makes you think stuff is real when it's not.

( action! )

[battledancing]

How can you tell? [Aside from the suspicious lack of blood everywhere, of course. But she was still too shocked to notice that.]

( action! )

[libertyfuckyeah]

Like I said, just goin' by experience.

[ Shuffling awkwardly. ]

Even... if they do come back, it ain't gonna do you any good if you hold onto the bodies. Do what I did! Just put 'em somewhere safe and nice and respectful and go wait somewhere.

( action! )

[battledancing]

[That actually seems to ring louder than all the rest, though it didn't mean she was willing to do as told. It was something else.]

Have you... lost any friends, too?

( action! )

[libertyfuckyeah]

[ He looks away. ]

More than I can count, most of 'em not here. So... as much as it hurts, I try to keep hope when the bad things happen here, because it ain't permanent. I helped bury my brother today, but...

[ Trailing off, not sure how to finish. Nothing can amend all the bad things, but even all the heartbreaks of all the friends and family that have suffered here don't compare to the things at home. ]

( action! )

[battledancing]

[She falls quiet again, idly hugging the severed head to herself without even noticing. This person had lost fmaily today, too, yet he was stil up and about (or as much as anyone could, under the circumstances) and trying to help out as much as he could in spite of his grief. Perhaps that's what she should be doing, too.]

Do you... think they will still be brought back if they're buried?