Bitty's Death Battle Royale!

[BittersweetNSour]

(TW: Death, in various gruesome ways)

The Rules

- The battlegrounds, whatever form they may take, are at a cosmic ley point where any combatant may draw their abilities from any plane they have experience with. All elemental types are boosted to the level that an Aura Nexus may provide, so that every combatant may fight to the peak of their abilities.

- Every combatant has access to any tools and resources they have ever been in possession of, and can pull them out of hammerspace at a moment's notice. A costume change will still require time.

- However, they do not have access to outside allies. Each human combatant may have a team of six Pokemon, and no more, out of any that they have ever been bound to by the Vow in their history. These Pokemon can be declared individually at any point, with an immediate cutoff once the sixth one has been declared. Any entity capable of autonomous thought is required to be of this category, and cannot be considered a tool (e.g. Honedge) or resource (e.g. mooks).

- Internal alliances between combatants are permitted, but the royale will not end until only one human combatant and/or what remains of their team of six are left standing.

- Pokemon Centers and Pokemarts are present for the sake of healing between combat encounters. They do not grant sanctuary.

- The battle's result is not predetermined by statistics; the decisions characters make can change the outcome just as their actual abilities in combat. This is a scene, not an analysis.

- The combatants of the battle royale are consciously aware of the rules by which the battle operates, to the letter.

- Pragmatism overrides sentimentality.

- There are no death wishes.

- Loopholes are encouraged.

Let the games begin!

-The world fades into a city. Not the sprawling expanses and skyscrapers one might associate with, say, Castelia, but large enough that nobody can quite see each other yet.-

-Of course, that's not for long. Vierr Qualtis's immediate first action is to close his eyes, and tune in with the Nexus around him. His senses stretch out around the area, and one by one, he becomes aware of his opponents. Kai, who has already sent out Spectrum, declaring her as their first team member. Skye, taking to the sky in Skarmory form. Diane, taking watch at the top of a building. Alyssa, merely wandering, taking in her surroundings. Rose at the Pokemon Center, checking her PC boxes to consider her team options. Scarlette, declaring Gus on her team immediately. And Mason, who already seems to be trying some illusionary bullshit.-

-Pff. As if Dark-type illusions had a chance against a pan-Auric in a Nexus.-

-Who Vierr doesn't pick up on is Echo. Her Aura Jammer is, of course, active, keeping her away from prying senses, and she's blending in with the faceless, undefined crowds. No action yet -- only observation.-

-Vierr picks his target, and starts advancing through the city.-

[BittersweetNSour]

Rooftop Rendezvous

-Skye finds somewhere to land, on the roof of an apartment complex. She crouches down at the edge and looks down at the street below, shifting to human form so that the streetlights don't reflect off her feathers and draw attention to her -- too late, it would seem, because another set of wings descends beside her, similarly shifting to a humanoid form.-

Diane: Hey, sweetie. Looking for someone?

-Skye doesn't turn her attention away from the street. She's quiet for a few seconds.-

Skye: ...You shouldn't... be here. You can't be the first one I hurt.

-Diane's expression falters slightly, but she steps closer, crouching next to her.-

Diane: I know that. Neither one of us wants to hurt the other. I was, y'know, hoping that we'd play the alliance card because of it.

-Skye shakes her head.-

Skye: You know the rules. If we make it to the end together as allies, we'll have nobody left to kill but each other.

Diane: Unless we've got a loophole~

-Diane grins, though it falters as Skye continues to keep her attention toward the street.-

Diane: ...Listen. Technically, we're both here as human combatants, right? But we're also both Pokemon. And technically, we've both, at one point or another, registered each other as the other's team member, for Pokeball safety purposes, right? So one of us can declare the other. That way, once we make it to the end, we're together and we stay together.

-Skye sighs, a hint of frustration welling up in her voice.-

Skye: I know that. I thought of that too. But there's no way just the two of us would make it out alive. They're all expert trainers and Aurics and survivalists, and we're just... us. Sure, we've got the experience, but we'll never have the numbers. So it's best if we both find someone else, so that we can both hope that we never have to be the one to kill the other.

-Diane just stares silently. After a moment, she follows Skye's gaze, down to where a shock of red hair can be seen making their way onward.-

Diane: ...You were planning on joining Kai's team the same way, I guess?

-Skye nods.-

Skye: It's... my best bet. I know them as a trainer more than anyone, even beyond them being my family. Pragmatism over sentimentality.

-Diane stands up, gaze distant as she processes Skye's decision.-

Diane: ...Right. Pragmatism. You'd have been better off not letting me know, then.

-Skye's eyes widen, but she doesn't get a chance to react much more than that as an obsidian blade sinks into the back of her neck, and she topples over the edge.-

[BittersweetNSour]

Contingency Plans

-A low, hazy fog hangs in the air throughout a neighborhood in the city. Within it, in a seemingly abandoned warehouse, Mason is crouched down, focusing. He exhales, and opens his eyes, looking around at the haze around him.-

Mason: ...That should... be enough. For now.

-He wipes the sweat from his forehead, and releases a Poke Ball.-

Mason: Corrin.

-The declaration is made, and Corrin appears from where the Poke Ball is tossed. She glances around at the haze.-

Corrin: <...Is this something you did?>

Mason: Yeah. We call it Twilight. Back when I was still living at home, Sinnoh was covered in it at one point, and... well, I was still myself, but most people who weren't especially close to me were turned into wisps. I was only able to mess with it a bit at the time, but it's tied to illusions and barriers, so... it's kind of my wheelhouse, as long as I'm tuned into the Nexus.

Corrin: <I see... so it's protecting us, then?>

Mason: Ideally. I'm buying us some time to figure out a game plan, and what we have at our disposal.

-Corrin nods.-

Corrin: <Right, okay. This... place, I guess, has a connection to the Metaverse, correct? So, I have access to my Personae.>

-As she says it, Yato-no-Kami manifests behind her in a swirl of blue flame.-

Mason: ...Useful. But I also chose you for the other side of the cosmos you're involved with. Y'know, before you came to our universe.

-Corrin blinks.-

Corrin: <Does this place's reach stretch that far?>

Mason: Xerneas, I hope so. If you can control your old dragon form, that would be an incredible advantage for us.

-After consideration, Corrin reaches back and pulls a Dragonstone out of hammerspace.-

Corrin: <Let's hope it works.>

-She clutches it, and in a flash not unlike Mega Evolution, her Hakamo-o form shifts into her familiar feral dragon form. She claws at the concrete floor.-

Corrin: {...I had almost forgotten what this form felt like. It's been a long time since I've had control of it.}

Mason: Control's what we need. Can you stay here and stand guard?

-The dragon tilts her head in confusion.-

Corrin: {I can, but over what?}

Mason: Over a contingency I'm going to leave here.

-Suddenly, his body is cloaked in Obscura. His breath catches, but he grits his teeth and focuses, through what appears to be a lot of pain. He staggers toward the wall to steady himself, wisps and sparks coursing through his body.-

Corrin: {Mason...?}

-Mason clutches at the shadows running through him, and with an agonized gasp, yanks them out of himself. He throws to the floor what appears to be a perfect double of himself.-

Corrin: {What the hell--?!}

-Mason takes a few breaths, before looking at Corrin.-

Mason: ...Remember what I told you about the last time I made one of these?

Corrin: {You-- you've made solid illusions before! I thought that-- these-- were made the same way, but more!}

Mason: I didn't get it right the first time! I needed to make sure everything was exact!

-Corrin stares at Mason, then at the comatose copy collapsed on the concrete.-

Corrin: {...Is it gonna wake up?}

Mason: Listen, it's a long shot, but I'm banking on it waking up if I die, through some weird loophole BS.

Corrin: {You're banking on-- did you really just spend that much energy for a plan you're pulling out of thin air?}

Mason: You're allowed to say "pulled out of your ass", you know.

Corrin: {I can't say something so crude!}

Mason: You just said "what the hell"!

Corrin: {That's completely different!}

Mason: ...Corrin, can you say 'fuck'? Are you able to say 'fuck'?

Corrin: {Why is this a question?!}

Mason: Isn't Blazing Sigil like, rated T? That's basically PG-13, so that means you can say 'fuck' once, right?

Corrin: {What are you even-- it's called the Fire Emblem!}

Mason: Whatever!

[arceus0]

Iron Diplomacy

-Alyssa is scared.-

-Not simply because cities are emphatically not her favored terrain. Ranger jokes aside, the fact that she is a Pokemon Ranger -- in training, nonetheless -- means her ability to defend herself is mostly limited to survival, and low-grade hunting. Against Aurics, former supervillains, and trainers literally Leagues above her in experience, the dangers of the wilderness are comparatively child's play.-

-Vow bonds. She's formed so many, and yet forgotten most of them. There's... a few which she could call on, which may offer some form of a chance, but they still pale so much in comparison.-

???: Aha, Alyssa! Just the girl I've been looking for.

-Alyssa yelps, whirling around to face the voice addressing her.-

Alyssa: A-ah! Dew, stand guard!

-As she is declared, Dew the Samurott bounds in front of Alyssa, brandishing a seamitar in a defensive stance. The individual raises her hands in a show of non-aggression, though the dog next to her does likewise step in between them.-

Scarlette: Hey, hey, hey, hold on a sec. I'm here to negotiate.

Dew: <Psh. It'd be a cinch to trim the competition a bit, so if yer serious, you'd better not try any funny business.>

Gus: <I don't think that would end well for anyone here.>

-Alyssa's hands twitch.-

Alyssa: ...Negotiate. What do you want?

Scarlette: An alliance, duh. We can have each other's backs 'til the end.

Alyssa: The end. Where we inevitably have to betray each other.

Scarlette: Look, you don't have to remind me of that, we all know that. But that won't be necessary if we both get stomped before it comes to it. I know that we're outclassed.

Dew: <How humble. Comin' from a League champion, too.>

Alyssa: Didn't you fight a... some sort of Mythical, and beat it?

Scarlette: Sure. That's how you know I can offer you a chance. I was trained by Team Iron to take down gods, after all. And there's a few of those I'm certain we're gonna end up meeting. I've got the tactics we're gonna need, but you have an arsenal uniquely specialized to stand a chance against the ones we'll meet.

Alyssa: ...I'm sorry?

-Scarlette begins walking to the side, somewhat circling around Alyssa to keep distance without having two Pokemon in the way of her monologue.-

Scarlette: I'm sure you know Rose's deal. She's got a Heatran she could declare, and I have no doubt she's gonna do it. And I think Kai's bond with that little Ho-oh is strong enough to invoke, too. Now, what do they have in common?

-Alyssa frowns.-

Alyssa: They're Fire-type.

Scarlette: And you have an affinity for water. If we're gonna take down those two -- especially an ancient Heatran -- our best bet is to drown it out.

Dew: <Pretty stupid of you to just throw that advice out, ain't it? We could take it and run with it.>

Scarlette: But you're not going to, because you need someone to cover your weaknesses. A team of only Water-types is gonna be countered pretty easily, no matter how many of you there are. And besides...

-With sufficient distance from Dew, she pulls out a pistol with a Team Iron insignia on the side, pointing it at Alyssa. Dew and Alyssa's eyes both widen.-

Scarlette: Like you said, it'd be a cinch to trim the competition. One false move from either of you, and I see how the Team Iron Security Department's marksman training holds up.

Alyssa: You had a gun the whole time!?

Scarlette: Part of the field kit, pal. We were aspiring godkillers, why wouldn't we have the tools to kill someone lower than that on the food chain?

Gus: <We could end you, and whatever team you were hoping to come up with, right now, and then bank on keeping a low profile until the resident gods tear each other apart. But we're giving you a chance to make it to the end, and perhaps some time to come up with a plan to take us out afterward, if you feel lucky.>

Scarlette: Doesn't that sound nice?

Alyssa: ...

-Alyssa trembles, but nods.-

Alyssa: ...Okay. I-I accept.

Dew: <Mark my words, you twisted freak, I'm gonna personally take yer head off yer shoulders once we don't need you anymore. But we'll work with you.>

Scarlette: Great! I'm looking forward to our partnership.

-Scarlette puts the gun away, and gestures for Alyssa and Dew to follow her. She waits for Gus to keep an eye in between them again before she finally looks away, and Alyssa shares a grimace with Dew before tailing the others.-

[arceus0]

Unforseen Complications

-Echo is at her best when she has time to lay low and strategize.-

-She's always been fairly proficient at hiding and blending in, of course; she's been doing it all her life. From stowing away on airplanes, to getting an education from a college she didn't legally exist enough to attend, to arranging grand theft of a criminal organization's resources while keeping up the charade of being a deeply-trusted executive.-

-And now, in a city of faceless, identity-less civilians, her best bet to survive was to join them.-

-Her Aura concealer is, of course, an essential key to maintaining the mask. In a competition with two active Aurics, not having one visible is her greatest asset, regardless of whether the citizens around her have any at all; in the brief moment she lost that protection on the Stormchaser that fateful day, her Mind of Crystal made her stick out like a sore thumb, if her bright pink Aura didn't already.-

-You can tell where we're going with this.-

-For a while, Echo was safe. She managed to spy on the conversation between Alyssa and Scarlette without so much as a sign that she was there. Scarlette revealed a firearm; she was willing to form an alliance through coercion; she was both capable and clever enough to use another person to her advantage, knowing her own resources were not enough alone to stand up to some of the other participants. That was useful information to plan around.-

-What she wasn't anticipating was to have her advantage robbed so early.-

-Some time after she eavesdropped on Scarlette's proposition, she had made her way to a safe place to rest, when the weather changed. Clouds rolled in, overcast but not raining, and fog started to form. At least, fog was what she assumed at first. For a moment, the lights around her flickered and faltered; computers and televisions reset, as if affected by a momentary power surge. However, even battery-powered laptops and other devices also malfunctioned, even for a brief moment. And among them was her Aura concealer, briefly emitting a loud static before returning to normal.-

-In that moment, she could almost feel something wrong with her own soul. Exposed and visible, sure, but also altered, like her grip on physicality momentarily slipped. She wasn't able to define it before everything started working again, but she knew enough to be certain that something was very, very wrong.-

-And then, an hour later, it happened again, while she was in the crowds of the city. The haze hung unusually low, her concealer malfunctioned briefly, and for a moment, the people around her -- as well as herself -- seemed to briefly lose their physical forms, before returning like it was nothing.-

-Twilight. That's what that was. A brief, passing gust of Twilight.-

-Mason knew she was hiding. He had no way of tracking where she was, but he knew her well enough to know that she'd be hiding.-

-And for a moment at a time, at least one of her Auric enemies could tell where -- and who -- she was. And they could tell that, deep down, she was terrified, no matter how much she could keep her cool.-

-The worst part was that she couldn't figure out what to do about it.-

[arceus0]

The Devil You Know

-Rose closes the PC and takes a seat at a table in the Pokemon Center. Carefully, she takes off her sunglasses, setting them on the table, directly in the center.-

Rose: All right, Ali Baba, I've got some questions for you.

-Blue fire swirls around the sunglasses, before coalescing into a humanoid figure across from Rose, who takes them and puts them on. The figure flickers between a masculine figure in Krokorok-esque clothing, to a feminine one nearly identical to Rose, but dressed in prison clothes and bandages wrapped around her arms. The form settles on the latter, who crosses her arms.-

Shadow!Rose: Soul searching, at a time like this?

Rose: Entirely functional soul searching, thank you very much. I want to know your limits.

Shadow!Rose: Hm. Certainly no shortage of those.

Rose: I forgot I couldn't stand your endless pessimism. We've got a death match to deal with.

Shadow!Rose: Then ask the damn questions already, clock's ticking.

Rose: Right. First off, how autonomous are you, exactly?

-Shadow!Rose taps the table a bit as she thinks.-

Shadow!Rose: I am thou. Thou art I. I'm a portion of your mind, and act according to your thoughts. Far as I can tell, I don't count toward the team member declarations.

Rose: Thank fuck. Tell me it's the same deal with the other half, then. With Maui.

-Shadow!Rose rolls her eyes, taking off the sunglasses and holding them off to the side. Another burst of blue flame, and Shadow!Rose disappears, letting the glasses drop into the hand of another flame-clad form. Upon putting them on, the figure coalesces into another Rose lookalike, in her old Cipher getup.-

Shadow!Paula: You can just call me Paula, y'know. Still thou, and all that.

Rose: Question's still out there.

Shadow!Paula: Impatient! Answer's the same. Part of your mind, no matter how much self-loathing ya got. I reckon Necronomicon's the same.

Rose: You reckon.

Shadow!Paula: Wanna give it a test? I bet the book'll look hilarious trying to wear sunglasses. Or would each Unown be wearing 'em? Like a sun-monocle? Sunocle.

Rose: By the gods, you're annoying.

Shadow!Paula: Hey, remember that you're the one whipping out the massive prick. I only know as much as you do. Honestly, why are you even asking me stuff that's in your head?

Rose: It helps to hear it out loud. Anyway, while I have you, how far away from me are you able to go?

-Shadow!Paula shrugs.-

Shadow!Paula: Long as you can still see me, I think anywhere's fair game. Big-ass buildings are still gonna keep you from summoning too far away, of course.

Rose: Mmm. Useful to know. How about--

-Before Rose finishes asking her next question, the doors open, and a figure rushes in. Rose and her Shadow turn to look at the figure, and the figure stares back, stopping dead in her tracks as she sees the two of them.-

Shadow!Paula: Ah, company! This'll be fun.

Rose: Shush. All right, Diane, is this a fight we're doing?

-The figure clenches her fists, looking back and forth between Rose and Shadow!Paula.-

Diane: ...T-there's two of you. I thought there was only Rose.

Shadow!Paula: Pffff. How's being outnumbered feel?

Diane: ...Y-you made a deal, then? An alliance?

Rose: You could say that.

Diane: ...I. I want in.

-Rose and Shadow!Paula blink and glance at each other.-

Shadow!Paula: Is that so? Here I was, waiting to be killed. Don't I deserve it?

-Rose scowls and snatches the glasses off of Shadow!Paula's face. In a moment, she disappears into flames. The confusion in Diane's face seems to abate a bit.-

Rose: Okay, so. You're trying to form an alliance with me.

Diane: More like a declaration. No-- no turning against each other if you declare me as a team member. I'm outmatched on my own, but you remember Orre. Not to brag, but I'm a force to be reckoned with.

-Rose glances at the PC, thinking, then back at Diane.-

Rose: You're right. If it wasn't about pragmatism, I'd never dream of it again, but now we're trying to survive at all costs. So consider it a deal. I'll declare you as my first team member, Diane.

-She extends a hand.-

Diane: ...As long as I don't go Shadow the moment I shake your hand.

Rose: Duh, of course not, you're at your best when you're able to think properly. I'm not gonna be completely terrible here.

Diane: Good.

-She completes the handshake.-

[arceus0]

The Hunter

-There she is.-

-Twice now, Vierr's Aura Sense has momentarily picked up one additional, distant blip, before promptly disappearing. At first, Vierr wouldn't have paid much mind to it; it would be easy enough to pass it off as just a trainer declaring and then immediately recalling a Pokemon. However, his hand couldn't help but twitch when it appeared, or at least, the ring worn on it did.-

Kan'al'colel: ...That was...

-Vierr raises an eyebrow, holding up his hand.-

Vierr: What's the matter, is Timmy stuck in the well?

-The voice from the ring hisses in irritation.-

Kan'al'colel: Don't patronize me, child.

Vierr: Don't call me "child" and I might think about not patronizing you. What's got you all worked up?

Kan'al'colel: My crown. I felt it.

Vierr: ...Oh. Oh.

Kan'al'colel: I need you to take back what's rightfully mine. Go after it.

Vierr: ...Echo's the one holding it. Whatever just happened to make her Aura blip, she pretty quickly hid again.

Kan'al'colel: Then find her, damn it! If she's hiding, then whatever it is--

-As their conversation carries on, the fog rolls in rather quickly. And just like with Echo, he momentarily loses his connection to his physical form -- and his connection to the ring, in the process. It quickly returns, though, with Kan'al'colel sputtering.-

Kan'al'colel: Ack! Depths of Distortion, what was that?!

-Vierr furrows his brow, but after a moment, a grin creeps up on his face.-

Vierr: Mason, you son of a bitch. That's how we find her. Which way was it pulling, Kanny?

Kan'al'colel: Do not call me Kanny. Anyway it was... this way.

-Vierr's legs stumble in a direction momentarily, before he catches himself and starts advancing.-

Vierr: Let's see, Echo has the diadem... I know Kai once had the sword, and if they're not too much of a coward, they'll claim it again. So we'll have a second one to go grab. But that will be harder to steal, compared to Echo if we find her.

Kan'al'colel: Yes, good. The more power we take back, the more unstoppable we will become. Do any others have a history with my belongings?

Vierr: Not as far as I know. But two's plenty. We've got this.

-They continue forward, waiting for the next wave of Twilight to pinpoint their target.-

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

-Echo needed the high ground.-

-Despite her increasing panic, she was able to come up with a theory. If Mason was indeed responsible for the haze, it had to be originating from somewhere. To determine that, she needed to see the city from a bird's eye view, but releasing any Pokemon to do so would create a much more easily trackable target. So she had to climb the highest building she could find and hope for the best.-

-Another wave hit her during the climb. She was inside, and only halfway up, so she couldn't tell where it came from. But that was yet another moment that her location was broadcast.-

-It happened again once she was near the top. That was too soon. The first two happened an hour apart. The next two happened during the span of climbing ten sets of stairs. Was it following her? Was Mason following her?-

-Another wave.-

-No, not a wave. A hanging cloud. Lingering, exposing her to the world. She was a reckless, terrified fool, trapping herself at the top of a building, and she couldn't even release any Pokemon until she regained her physicality.-

-The haze fades just before Vierr walks up the side of the building, a crooked smirk on his face.-

Vierr: Fancy meeting you here, Echo. Nice view, isn't it?

-Echo's response comes out almost strangled, with a desperate edge to it.-

Echo: Mew.

-And a feline form blips in.-