Private/Closed Pokearts Online

[Schrift]

The Collapse
The town of Ichiga, say what you want about it's where most players start. The largest of the spawn points on floor one, the town itself is grand. Roads paved with wood, cleverly creating an arrowhead pattern which points towards various NPCs to help players. The roadsides, patterened with houses with their box style and thatched roof only giving off semblence to traditional Hisui architecture. What stood out most was the lining of rice that found itself growing in almost all corners of the town. That murky water rised so it was just brimming next to the road, any place other than that wooden floor was only home for rice. The gaps between the road and houses? Under the bridges? Even some buildings had a lombre style which allowed for rice to be grown at its brim. The devs really knew how to design a beginner friendly area, from the abundance of low level quests to the amount of items that can be found in the tall rice. Sometimes a pokemon or two, making them easy to catch within the starting hours.

But straying away from the town, Ichiga was protected by many guilds. Most of them under the house of bewear, they delt with bastards that lingered around the zones. The most recent addition to this savant defence force being the Sirey guild. For lack of better word they were the underdog guild. The new up'n rising force that would shine amongst the stars. Headed by Guild Master Almennt, a wiery old man with a sunken gaunt face, wrinkles gnarled into his contours like a tree's roots. It was his only standout-ish feature, with the rest of his appearance hidden behind a feathered robe. It was a running theme within the Sirey guild, not one of their members looked under sixty. But maybe there was comfort that lay there, something about having elderly members that dressed like gothic caricatures. Though they weren't the best suited for large scale combat, they had always given insight to those around them. It wasn't even game tips, they were just genuine people who had life experiences. But wasn't that everyone?

Fridays were the days that the Sirey guild often opened up their guild for anybody to walk in. A community evening if anything. To walk in with a pokemon, sit down with one another, share tips, trade items, it was their guild's way of giving to players who just needed normality. To take a break from being a stalker, to let loose being a savant. And today wasn't going to be any different. Like always it started with the opening of their doors, and that fresh brew smell making itself welcome amongst the town. It was always quiet for the first few moments, one head, maybe two popping up every now and then. A slow murmur boiling in a corner table, which soon started to spread to another booth; then from one booth to the next and the next. Eventually the slow spill would start to boil as more drinks were poured. Chatter to Chammer, eventually the guild hall came to life.

On the rotor this time was Marin, your run of the mill savant. One of the town's bartenders, her brews always had an affinity with nectar. What started as a slow start soon became something more. Normally Marin was the tidy type, it was always an order things needed to be in but in this delightful chaos that wasn't possible. No. Glasses stacked up in the sink, empty barrels starting to block her path as he hands got tangled in the mess. A slam and slide, another drink away. Then time froze, it was a small breather as conversation was the only thing helping her keep track of time. This time it was a friendly face, Tymr. He was a young stalker. Not a memorable name nor a memorable face to most but to her she was much more. It had only been a month ago since they first met, back when she made the mistake of wondering into a higher floor to look for ingredients for a new drink. To her, he was more than just a friend. That strength he had, sure he was seen as nothing more than just a quivering moron but in the moment she needed him, he could've moved the sun for her. Everytime she saw his eyes it was just a reminder of that.

If anything this entire evening was just an excuse for the pair to be out. Savant and stalker. It wasn't your usual pair but it's not like anyone else had to know. It's not like he had to know. A crash behind had her shoulders shoot up and her head sink into her neck. She had to break away from him, sadly but that was fine. It would be for a moment. A wry laugh and a sheepish shuffle, Marin moved to the floor to pick up the tankards and plates. Her cheeks burning with embarassment, she could feel his eyes on her as his stifled laugh was just as successful as her attempt to look composed. Marin's little panic didn't help as one of the tankards fell from her grip. Crashing down, it split, handle and body skewn across the floor. This wasn't helping her embarassment, slamming down the rest of the mess into the sink she turned around to find the floor clear. Odd. Normally objects fell apart then their pixels upward-

A scream cut through the silence. Followed by another, then a shout and then a panic. Marin looked over at the evening, before collapsing back. It couldn't be explained. Malformed bodies, it wasn't to her comprehension. The pokemon were splayed, grotesuqe. They lacked form. All they could do was cry in mismatched tones, it sounded almost human. As she tried to stand, her legs gave away once more as she caught herself on the counter. It wasn't just the pokemon, the people too. Albeit only a couple but that didn't stop the fear. The way their eyes looked liquid as they slipped down their cheeks, their skin and what should be flesh falling off bone, but their skeletons contorting. Discolouring. As she tried to stand fully her bones ignored her. Her body falling to the ground.

As she tried to stand, she couldn't. Marin's mouth was filled only with the taste of her skin. Standing was no longer an option. It's not that she was unable to, it's just that she couldn't remember how. She didn't want to die. She didn't want to become one of those monsters. But there was nothing. She could only breathe as she felt the floor calling to her. She could feel the ground's warmth simmer into her body. It was swallowing her. Tymr. Help. Help. What is he doing. Where is his eyes. She needed to see them. Those reasuring gold pearls that'd tell her that it'd be alright. He was coming. He would. Just like last time.

The collapse. That's what it was named. A calamity that claimed the first floor. The split in the sky as its veins bled gold. Maybe the players were lucky, aside from the pokemon they were one of the first ones affected. Those who hadn't had their bodies turned into statues of macabre knots found themselves slipping through the ground. The capture of the fall was only made possible by streamers who were already streaming prior. But it wasn't anything for those outside. While the players themselves might've had a swift death, those watching could only see in horror at the events. It wasn't a simple fall, no it was nothing like that. It was something out of comprehension, a rerendering of images. Buildings, roads, skies, they all became one. Their details faltering, stealing features of other structures to match their incoherency. It wasn't a grand crumble but churned clouds, images and faces all becoming one as it slipped its way into the void. Gone.

Gold Rush

"It has been one week after the collapse of the first floor. The total player number has dropped from 120,000 to 105,000. Why did this happen, we lost everything... my family, my pokemon, my friends and guild. It's all been swallowed by the void. I don't know what to do with my life, is there any point in going on? There is no option to move to the 1st floor on any Abra travels, it's like it never existed to begin with. Ever since the collapse, the second floor has been evacuating, and efforts are still being made for stragglers. I tried to help but it's getting to dangerous now. The 'Taur der Butch' gang run things in the capital of Saint Denis, they own the capital. Bastards they are, every single one of them. With them here, more bastard gangs are taking post and owning the second floor. This game is insane, everything I owned from the first floor, it's all stored within the Pokebank but the only way to access it is to get there in Saint Denis but getting there is impossible without being killed by that bitch bull gang. Everything my wife owned, any memory of her is just locked away and those cretin have the gall to keep it locked from us. Any guild strong enough isn't willing to do anything because of the newly unlocked 5th floor, plus the collapse sparking more people to go upwards. And those that can are just going to get killed. It's hopeless, this journal is the only thing that's going to keep me sane."

The scrape of metal along the cragged road, the crunch of sand under his boots. There was a weight around KING that hadn't been present beforehand. It was an odd thing, he still had that chirpy character to him but something had been put off. He was keeping something to himself. One month had passed since the fourth floor was cleared. Since then KING had slipped out of society, he was a ghost with only a name. Amongst stalkers it bounced around like a fabled rumour, less so than a legend. Avoiding people, KING kept to himself but that wasn't completely possible. Every now and then someone would find him. Or better yet, he'd find them. But even then, he never got too close to any form of society.

Most would think he's some legendary stalker with unbridled strength but at no point did he show it. Outside of daily quests and basic grinding, there wasn't really anything that would show him to be the one that cleared the floor by himself. But that couldn't be. He must've been hiding it right? He must be hiding his fangs, waiting to use them. But as the days spanned to nights; evenings dancing to mornings, KING might've cleared the fourth floor alone but he was just like every other player. Hearing about it. That twist in his gut at the news, all those lives lost. He remembered seeing it streamed live till the cameras cut out. He had watched it with that half shit smile on his face. This was the first time since he had done that did he falter in his unshakable character. It had led to KING actually moving closer to the towns and while the reason why he did so was unclear, the events had made him quieter than usual. To any questions on what was on his mind, they were feigned off.

July 12th. KING had broken away from the others. It wasn't unusual, he had a habit of doing this. Nearer to mornings or evenings, but he had moments of isolation. These were moments he took for himself. And on this day in particular, he had been exploring the fifth floor with Kara. The clicks of her bone against the rubble, the slide of his shovel against the cobbled path. KING wore the fog like a cloak, hiding in it to avoid people. In fact it did such a good job that KING didn't notice a sad squat of a man until he had fallen on him. Most would probably be embarassed but not KING, nope he was there laughing maniacally on the floor. What troubled him was the fact the man didn't get up either. If he had hurt him, no he- he very well might've. Springing back to his feet, he wanted to help the man but it seemed he was stuck in his own melody. What followed, whatever conversation, whatever interaction, it led to KING coming back. The only thing KING said on his return was a simple two words, "I'm going".

From that moment on it was a march for KING. That spring in his step never left him but there was a weight behind it that wasn't there before. Ever since the collapse abra travel had been temporarily closed. Which meant for most they had to walk to the main transport which was always where the boss floors were cleared. As he kept his pace, more bits of information was slipping from him. "Second floor", "Saint Denis", "Bitch bull", "Hopeless". It wasn't that KING was trying to keep people in the dark, it's just that he was so singularly focused in this moment.

Ever since the collapse the second floor had lost any form of order. It never had a set form, except from the towns that tried to keep it as such but in the wild west what could anybody expect. The winds that burrowed into your skin, mincing your flesh with clunks of sand. The burning your nostrils had from each inhale, it took a special kind to survive here, with an inhumane kind able to thrive. Large pikes stood desolate in the sand. Reaching for the floor above, their clay bodies only there to chest treasures. But Saint Denis hid itself from the barren nature of the second floor. The entrance was comparable to a whale swallowing the sand. A large cave face. The town took refuge inside. The houses looking worn, some missing their fronts. Windows left open with holes punched into them, signs smashed, doors missing. Wild pokemon ranging from poochyena to salandits and yungoose seemed apprehensive at the sight of unfamiliar faces. It seemed the pokemon left here didn't seem evolved at all. And that's when he came across it. The bank. The only thing that seemed untouched.

KING had spent long enough going forward towards the bank. His aim? He was going to bring down the Taur der Butch gang- no he was going to make them grit their teeth. "Yer seem a bit lost par'ner". As KING stopped infront of the building, he sized it up. It towered over the rest of the buildings. The collumns, the stone work, the comically large 'bank' sign carved into the front with gold. The only building that wasn't wood. But instead white pearled stone. And posted at the doors was a single man. The yellow plaid button shirt, the cow patterned waist coat, the red bandana and dinky star on his chest. By his side a single magby. "If yer here ter take some mons ou' yer'll have t-", as he spoke KING climbed up the stairs. Approaching him, he dropped his hood, grabbing placing a hand on Kara's head. The pokemon fizzled out into sparks as he lifted the skull to his head. The light show that ensued, the cape bursting from his shoulders as his emerald coat shredded into the air. The plates exploding from his limbs, clamping down as his chest and body gained a more defined bone appearance. Burrying his shovel into the stairs, the club forming from the rubble.

Whoever this grunt was, he could only equip magby into its pistol form. In that moment it was clear that KING was a crazy son of a bitch. The club end ramming into the poor grunt, stomping tantrum, he was flung into the doors. His body crashing against the wood, he could barely feel his limbs as his ribs had been pressed against his spine. Coughing up he could only glance a sight at the emerald eyes from within the skull as KING shot at him. Crashing the club into his front, the head of it spinning as it drilled into his torso. He could only wheeze as the wood gave way and he wasthrown through. The doors splintering, he bounced against the marbel flooring. Inside? Eyes. Faces. Flashes as bastards started equipping. Whatever KING was thinking- or lack of thinking he really did just walk into the jaws of death. He was openly ready to challenge the entire gang.

 

[=Nightshade=]

The fog was oddly peaceful. The faint misting against skin, the scent of rain. The pure whiteness, as though hanging precariously between life and death — which, Panda reflected, anyone in the fog was. No one really knew how far “too far” was, but it was common knowledge that if one did go “too far,” they would never return.

Peaceful.

No one would bother her here. No one would disturb her. The camera was off; Panda had privacy, something she had precious little of as a streamer. The cool mist filled her lungs as the whiteness enveloped her, leaving only the shadowed outline of the bamboo forest behind as a guide back to the third floor. She wouldn’t need it; she knew this place like the back of her hand.

The graves were invisible if one didn’t know where to look. Panda liked to imagine they were right on the edge of “too far,” just a step away from heaven. It was odd to her that gravestones were something that could be crafted and placed, but it was a comfort, too. There was nothing left of Lightning or Pascal, pixels scattered to the wind during the boss fight of this floor, but having a place where she could almost feel their presence was nice. The blanket of fog could be hiding them just a few feet away, after all.

Panda smiled slightly, looking down. Blade had been here — the mock bamboo sword across the two gravestones was a testament to that. Other trinkets that had been brought and left were still there: flowers, beads, a shell. No one thought to loot or steal in the fog. Panda remained there, swathed in white, for a long time.

At the third chime of her heavily-filtered DMs, Panda sighed quietly and stood, whispering a faint goodbye to the graves. As she turned and began to return to the bamboo forest, it was like walking into a lake; the marsh of this floor had been her bane for the longest time, but now the Pangoro lurking between the stalks lifted her onto his furry shoulder before the murky water crept any higher than her knees. Since Banter’s evolution, traveling had become easier, she had to admit. Once the fog had released Panda from its smoky tendrils, she opened her interface.

All of two usernames were allowed to send Panda messages. She’d had enough of the unsavory haters and equally unsavory simps that she restricted her DMs almost completely. Unfortunately, one of the two was prone to rapid-fire messaging, which Panda… well, tolerated.

xX_SOULCRUSHER_Xx:
Yo
You’re not streaming
Don’t tell me you went AWOL again
Come on Princess please respond

Panda:
Soul you didn’t even give me two minutes stfu

xX_SOULCRUSHER_Xx:
Oh thank Arceus
Look your like hardly ever off camera
*you’re
Can’t blame a guy
Anyway
You got some of the first floor yeah

Panda:
Wish I didn’t

xX_SOULCRUSHER_Xx:
Your viewers been freaking out
Second floor specially
Sending some Knights down there
But you’d be a huge moral boost
*morale

Panda sighed. She knew that. She’d been on her way down there anyway, going from main transport to main transport to the second floor. But she never could pass floor three without visiting the graves. They were a little out of the way, but if Pascal and Lightning could give their lives, Panda could inconvenience her viewers for a few hours. She imparted this as concisely as possible to Soul before closing her interface and ignoring the subsequent six chimes or so of him undoubtedly saying things like “okay” and “bye”.

She had in fact captured some of the first floor’s collapse. As a celebration of sorts of her third year streaming, Panda had decided to start a series of floor tours, sending Cam — her Natu recorder — around all her favorite streaming locations, a video podcast of sorts.

Needless to say, the first episode was the last. Halfway through the stream, things on the first floor started becoming… not as they were. Horrified, Panda had cut the stream. Other streamers had seen it through to the end. Some who had been on the first floor had had no choice but to see it through to the end. Panda was sure her viewers had pieced the different location streams together. From what she could tell, the whole first floor had gone to shit— and everyone knew it. “The Collapse,” people were calling it now. It was more like a glitch, Panda thought, but naming it the Collapse captured the scare factor better.

When she and Banter had progressed about halfway to the third floor’s main transport from the graves, Panda released Cam again — a new Cam, which she’d purchased on the fifth floor after she’d lost remote control of her original during the Collapse. Luckily, getting a Natu recorder was not the difficult part of being a streamer.

With practiced hand motions, Panda began a new stream, plastering on a brilliant smile. “Hey guys! Sorry for the brief intermission. I’m still on my way to the second floor to help with the evacuation! Hang tight, chat, it won’t be more than an hour…”

 CHAT
------
pandalvr67: omg our queen

throwing_tyrantrums: some bastards destroyed my house
throwing_tyrantrums: pls come quick

kaBLAM!: TF YOU NEED AN INTERMISSION FOR, MY COUSIN IS DEAD

pandalvr67: chillax blamo respect the queen

 

[Cmeriwether]

Luna, Ice Princess, Diplomat, 13th seat of the Wailing Wind, Second Floor.

On the second floor of the World, a young, silvery-white haired female was seen trying to negotiate with another guild, at least three members, and it wasn't going well, as a matter of fact, they were about to pull out weapons. The girl immediately had her Pokémon ready in case they actually attacked her. There were two others from the Wailing Wind on hand in case of such Ambushes.

"We are the Eighth Seat and the Ninth Seat for the Wailing Wind, and we are duty bound to protect Luna here, I suggest standing down and Listening to what she has to say." The two with her explained.

The young woman then prepared to speak.

"We are willing to make peace with you, as long as you can help with the problem group that's been causing issues here. I was sent by the Wailing Wind to see if we can cooperate on this matter, as at least two of our Rookies have homes down here." The girl explained, "If you can provide support for the Wailing Wind, the Guild can provide support on the next raid boss, we'll even send WingedMetal73 to help with the fight. If not, you don't want to make an enemy of him, and by extension, The Wailing Wind."

"WingedMetal73!?" The three were shocked.

The young woman, Luna, had been able to talk now. WingedMetal73 was one of her guildmates, and the most Feared of them. She knew putting him on the table may be a key factor in getting this Temporary Alliance. She hoped that her two body guards, The Eighth and Ninth Seats, didn't have to fight these guys. They were in a cave, in the middle of the street, in the city on Floor 2.

"We are the Turtle Dragon Guild, and we need to deliberate on this matter, I'll message you when we reached a decision."

"Understood, thank you," Luna responded.

"Fossilturtle98 is my username. Sending friend request for Messaging later, Luna," The one responded.

"Thank you, let me know when the decision is reached."

Luna then took her two bodyguards with her. She then discussed with them about looking around the floor to figure out the situation about something going wrong. Luna had taken one direction as her two Bodyguards, Toro de Medićo and CuteStarly80 had gone the other way. As Shatter kept close, she was looking to see what was going on and was immediately attacked by some sort of thug. Luna immediately activated Shatter's Pokewield. Suddenly, ice formed as a spiked wheel, as she spun it around herself. She then shot the spinning ice wheel, causing it to break at the attacker.

"That Pokewield, that technique," the thug responded, "You're Luna, Diplomat of the Wailing Wind, and their thirteenth seat. What brings a guild Diplomat down here?"

"I just finished a Diplomatic negotiation with a guild on this floor. Can you please not bother me," Luna was unamused.

The Thug then went after her again, suddenly, A Brave Bird came in, blocking the Thug's attack.

"What are you doing attacking a Guild Official?" A familiar voice to Luna responded, "Back off or prepare for Consequences."

"Who are you?" The thug asked.

"I am the Eighth Seat of the Wailing Wind, CuteStarly80, and surrendering is probably your best option, we really don't want to have to bring the higher ups down here."

"Higher ups?" The thug responded.

"We really don't want to have to bring Windrider92 or WingedMetal73 down here." CuteStarly80 responded, "They're both Raid Team Members, and it would lead to a massive mess for all groups involved, please stand down."

The thug ran off, as Luna dropped the Pokewield's form, she looked over her Frosmoth for injuries. Shatter was fluttering happily, with no signs of said injuries. Luna was relieved. As CuteStarly80 headed off, Luna went into investigating the problems on this floor. It was at that point, her Cryogonal alerted her to being followed. She looked over to see two people, it looked from what they had, seemed to be around twenty to twenty-five levels above herself.

“Who’s there?!”

“Hehehe! What brings a low level like you to the Second Floor.”

“I was finishing up negotiations with a guild down here to broker peace,”

“Attack!”

Luna panicked as her Cryogonal disappeared, suddenly, her Frosmoth appeared and disappeared, forming her Pokewield. Suddenly, She used an Ice Spinner, but shot it, causing it to break.

“We need to be more Careful,” Luna responded.

Suddenly an attack hit Luna, breaking Her Pokewield. Luna looked at the guy, and immediately ran Off, trying to find Either CuteStarly80 or Toro de Medićo. She however got lost, and hit again by a flying hammer. Luna took cover from her attacker as she prepared to heal Shatter, missing a foot does not help in movement.

Dancerhaxorus, Leader of the Wandering Dancer Troupe, Second Floor.

Dancer had been entertaining some children that lived on the floor when suddenly someone appeared yelling something, then a guy went Flying through a nearby door.

"Lance, Milbert, keep the kids safe, if something happens to me, Kabuki is in charge."

As Dancer went on to follow the sounds she heard, people started doing things, as Milbert and the rest of the guild were getting attacked, with Lance, Milbert and Kabuki handling the threat. Dancer went to look over the area when the doors had someone seemingly thrown through it. As Dancer peered through the door, she saw someone looking on a small army. The someone looked ready to fight everyone in that building. Dancer suddenly equipped her Oricorio, Baile Style.

"Salamanca, let's do this!"

As Dancer's armor became a Flamenco Dress, red with black Ruffles, two Falchions appeared, red handles, black blades, one in each hands as she prepared a Swords Dance. Dancer started moving, showing off the Swords as suddenly red sparkles appeared around her, increasing attack. She then looked at what was going on, and prepared for Combat.

"My guild is watching some children in this area, I'm worried about them, so I came to investigate, and found this, I am Dancerhaxorus, Leader of the Wandering Dancer Troupe, and I am wondering what happened here?"

Dancer was as ready as she would ever be, combat was not her specialty, that was Milbert's. As such she remembered Milbert's advice when in Combat situations. She then started dancing around towards the someone, when she got behind a table, she saw the person in a Cubone Pokewield, but what class? This got her thinking about her potential ally.

"Who is this person challenging an entire army at once?"

Kuraokami, Spotted Knights's 6th Seat, Third Floor, The Ruined Hall.

As Kuraokami had requested the day to make a special visit to his old guild hall's ruins and the graves of Amaterasu, Cu Chulainn, Zeus, Maat, and Hou Yi. As he looked around, the area was about as colorful as a morning fog. He saw the burned ruins of his old guild hall, and the Grave Markers for each of his old guildmates, and his dead wife. Kuraokami looked over everything when a Jolteon appeared out of nowhere, giving off barks and sparks. However, when Jolteon realized it was Kuraokami, he backed off.

"Zeus's Jolteon still guards the grave, that's good."

Kuraokami's DMs went off, making him check them. He read them, they from a seat around his own. After he did that, he gave a quick goodbye. The DMs had stated that something happened on the second floor, an incident occurred and help was needed.

"Alright, Sunlight, we need to get moving."

An Arcanine appeared, for sure Larger than average. Kuraokami hopped on and rode off to the City to get to the Second Floor.

Second Floor, Saint Denis. "Holy crap! The lawlessness in this place!"

Around twenty minutes later, he had arrived to the described area, and suddenly, as soon as he got there, he saw a mess, looking like a gang and people panicking.

"Oh dear, this is worse than I had imagined. Alright people, anyone that is available for the Spotted Knights, Help is needed in Saint Denis." Kuraokami put in guild chat, "I am already there, as I was sent a DM from a different member. I'll help with what's going on. If someone attacks, I'll handle it."

Kuraokami had switched Sunlight out for Calculus. He then Prepared for anything, literally anything from the report he got had said. He then Activated Calculus's Pokewield, blue plate Armor appeared with a overarching helmet, his eyes glowed red as the helmet covered them. His armor covered his entire body, as his hands had Mechanical Claws covering his hands.

"Who knows what I'm facing, I hope Reinforcements arrive."

 

[RenzFlintrock]

Dusk blinked the glow out of his eyes as he stepped away from the Floor 2 Warp point in Tumbleweed Terrace. He’d just returned to the level after a meeting with one of his fellow Westlands members up on Floor 4, and he could already feel the beginnings of a migraine starting to pulse in his head. It was shaping up to be a long day. Between the absolute headache that was the aftermath of The Collapse and the relief efforts, it had been a busy week already. The normally bustling streets were even more packed than usual; apparently refugees were here not only from Floor 1, but also from the capital city of Saint Denis to the northwest. The underground air was heavy, close to stifling. The surface level of Floor 2 was harsh, but Dusk would gladly traverse up there rather than be stuck down here for too long. Dusk slowly weaved his way through the crowds, making his way towards a certain bar on the outskirts of town.

He pushed through the doors, giving the barkeep a familiar wave as he navigated between the scattered tables and up to the counter. Dusk settled onto a barstool with a grunt, his body aching slightly. He hadn’t been sleeping well the last few days, so he’d been putting in extra hours, filling out a couple extra quests and commissions. He didn’t really need the funds at the moment, and the EXP contribution was pretty insignificant for most of the jobs he’d done. He just needed something to keep him busy. Unfortunately, that meant he wasn’t very well rested, and he could feel his soreness seeping through his bones now that he’d finally stopped moving for a bit. Catching the bartender’s eye, he gave a hand signal. “The usual,” he requested, “with some extra ice.” The barkeep nodded, vanishing into a back room for a moment. Dusk waited patiently, knowing it would take a moment to prepare his ‘special order’. With the Westlands’ guild and their contacts, ‘the usual with extra ice’ was the code for a subtle information drop at a bar or dining establishment. As expected, the barkeep soon returned from the back with a shot glass, which was placed in front of Dusk on top of a napkin. Dusk picked up the glass and took a sip, subtly slipping the napkin into one of his pockets with the other hand.

As tempted as Dusk felt to stay and have a couple more drinks, he was still on business. Although the physical weight of the napkin was negligible, Dusk still felt as if he could feel it resting within his pocket. The information it contained could be just what his guild needed to finally remove a major thorn in their side. The Taur Der Butch Gang was a group of outlaw Bastards (both in personality and their classification as Player-Killers) that the Westlands crew had skirmished with on multiple occasions. Westlands had dragged in a couple of their members, but gotten very little useful information, and one of the Taur Der Butch gang had shot ScraftyScrapper (affectionately called Scrap by the crew) during their last firefight. She’d lived, but it had been close. On a less personal level, the gang had also recently taken over Saint Denis City, and Westlands wasn’t going to let that stand. Dusk wasn’t going to let that stand. Taking advantage of The Collapse to keep valuable resources that the refugees from Floor 1 needed… well, Dusk was more ready than ever to get those Bastards brought to justice. He tossed back the rest of his liquor, passed the barkeep the payment for both drink and information, and headed out the door.

A few streets away, he slowed and pulled the napkin out of his pocket. He unfolded it, and inside he found neatly penciled notes written by the barkeep detailing some of the recent news he’d heard. Amidst the usual rumors and strands of overheard conversations between guild members, a particularly relevant piece of information stood out: a clue to the Taur Der Butch Gang’s position and movements within Saint Denis. It seemed the gang was digging in and setting up defenses against a potential attempt to take back the city. Dusk grimaced, folding up the paper. He wasn’t sure he had time to rally the whole Westlands crew. He could bet at least four of them were out in the field on missions around this time, meaning getting the whole posse together was just about impossible on this short notice. He also didn’t want to risk delaying for too long. He decided his best bet was to send word to his affiliates and stake out the gang’s position until help arrived.

Dusk made the circular motion with his hands that opened the PokeArts UI, quickly navigating the menus from SOCIAL to GUILD and into the guild-wide message board. He skimmed through the messages he hadn’t yet checked, some messages checking up on some of their members in the field, their reports back, and the messages checking up on Scrap and her recovery. He quickly typed out the following message as he began walking, reviewing his spelling and making sure he hadn’t left out any important details before pressing send.

DUSK: @AAM [Imbed: All Available Members], I just got news that Taur Der Butch members in Saint Denis are setting up fortifications to hold the city. There’s only so many hours to burn before they have a strong defensive position. I’m going to go to Saint Denis and keep an eye on them. I’ll need backup if we’re going to catch them. All high-ranking members likely present. I’m attaching a location.

DUSK: [Imbed: Map Pin Shared]

SCRAFTYSCRAPPER: Get ‘em for me, Dusk! Hang in there

SHRIMPLE_AS_THAT: Finn and I will head your way ASAP, Dusk

THERMAL/F1NN: Affirmative. En Route in 5. We’ve got your back.

DUSK: 10-4. Will keep eye on comms

He quickly typed out the last sentence as he turned down an alley, swiftly closing the chat menu to return to the UI hub, selecting BAG and POKÉWIELD, and finally selecting the topmost of the four options, labeled Cloak. Suddenly his inconspicuous street clothes were replaced by the armor of his primary PokeWield, primarily an almost iridescent blue-black accented and contrasted by a white cravat, the yellow goggles which appeared around his neck, the blood-red feather in his large hat, and the crimson pistols in the holsters at his belt. He didn’t plan to fight until his reinforcements arrived if he could help it, but he needed the extra mobility his Wield granted him to travel quickly. With enhanced leaps and short glides with his cape, he quickly made his way across the rooftops of the city to the nearest pathway up to the surface. In this case, it happened to be a long set of ladders and scaffolding platforms along the northeastern wall.

Dusk surfaced with a huff, his arms complaining from the climb up. He was grateful for the brim of his hat allowing him to squint through the harsh sunlight across the dusty expanse between Tumbleweed Terrace and Saint Denis. He could see some of the ruined buildings on the surface between the two underground haven cities, standing out in the heat haze along the horizon. A set of train tracks ran between them, but no pillar of smoke rose in the desert air to signal the movement of a train. Unsurprising, given the situation in Saint Denis. He pulled himself fully above the ground and set off, using the sun (and the minimap) to orient himself and keeping the train tracks on his right. He had a relatively uneventful trip across the wastes, fending off a single roaming group of Lycanroc and taking shelter from a passing sand dervish in a ruined building.

As he approached the city, he slowed, looking for a good vantage point. He picked a building, climbed up, jumped across a gap and landed on the adjoining rooftop (legs shuddering slightly from the impact) and, once his balance was regained, dropped his Wield. No use wasting energy while he waited for his reinforcements to show up. He quickly checked the guild’s chat logs again, getting confirmation that Shrimp and Finn had arrived in Tumbleweed Terrace. Unfortunately, neither of their wields leant them the level of mobility Cloak gave Dusk, and they couldn’t risk warping directly to Saint Denis in case Taur Der Butch had guards watching the warp point. No, his backup would be coming through the crowds, unable to travel by rooftop without risking wasting time climbing up and down at gaps they couldn’t cross, and then jogging across the wastes between the two cities. He’d just have to hold the fort and hope that Taur Der Butch wouldn’t force him to move before his guild members could arrive.

Of course, Dusk couldn’t be that lucky. Not this week. Nothing had really gone his way this week. He was disappointed but not surprised when he heard a commotion on the street below and looked over the edge to see a handful of known Taur Der Butch members. With a groan, he sent off a message to alert his reinforcements that he had eyes on some of the gang members and re-summoned his Wield.

Creeping to the edge of the roof, he unholstered his twin guns and carefully peered down at the group below. He wanted to avoid killing anyone, of course, but these were a gang of Bastards. They'd killed, broken the law of peace between players, and as such had waived their right to be protected by that same law. Dusk could probably drop half of the group below in a couple of shots, and there was a temptation to take the easy way. It was sure going to be a lot more work to take the bastards on with non-lethal attacks. Once they had their wields on he could hold back less, but it also meant he'd be in a lot more danger. His hope was to break a few bones in some of their legs with his first volley of shots, rendering them out of the fight without risking killing them before they could be apprehended. With a grimace, he brought his arms over the rim of the building's roof and carefully took aim at the gang members.

 

[Gamingfan]

Inside a cave, 20-year-old Yoki, better known as Yokai, was rummaging through an abandoned home. Though, with how thorough he was being, perhaps ransacking was the better word.
After The Collapse, Yoki had taken to living on Floor 2, both to help out the evacuation efforts, and to provide his never-ending optimism for the others. He understood what had happened was terrible in every way, but Yokai wanted to remain as cheerful as he could. All they needed to do was avoid any more deaths. Simplez.

105,000 out of 120,000 isn't bad right? A B plus, at least. Yokai thought dryly.

Having searched the entire house, Yokai moved on to the next within the settlement. It was likely locked, but that was nothing a good kick couldn't solve. Sure, there was a broken window, but this made him feel cooler anyway.
Humming a tune, Yokai slammed his foot into the doorway, tearing a hole that unfortunately only succeeded in getting him stuck. Yokai tried unsuccessfully to pull his leg out of the door three times before the knob turned. With a faint click, it slowly creaked open to reveal a long, clawed hand made of shadow. Mimi, Yokai's Mimikyu, had opened the apparently unlocked door to the sight of her trainer throwing his full weight back, finally freeing his foot and bouncing onto his butt. There was a second silence as both trainer and pokemon looked at each other. Yokai flashed his pokemon a sheepish smile, but Mimi's face was unreadable.

"So, did you find anything?" Yokai asked, breaking the silence.

Mimi said nothing, instead shaking her head slightly. A bit disappointing, but her slinking back into the house confirmed she just wasn't done looking. Yokai picked himself up and followed after her, opting to look through the taller shelves Mimi couldn't easily reach.

The collapse was a terrible event, and Yoki knew many people were still recovering some of their losses. Yet many simply didn't have time before their evacuation, and had to leave important items behind. Most weren’t very valuable, but were still treasured for their emotional value and the memories they contained. So for his part, Yokai decided that, while the others had the evacuation handled, he'd go see what items he could bring back. After asking around, he made a list of what was left behind and, when no one was looking, took off to a nearby settlement in search of the people's treasures. Even as he ran around what was basically a ghost town, Yokai was actually enjoying the romp around the cave. It felt like he was questing again, only anything he found would have to be given away. That was fine. Yokai preferred the thrill over the riches of adventure anyway.

For a second, Yokai wondered if his journey would have been similar if he hadn’t-
…but he shook the thoughts away.

"Found one~!" Yokai sang as he snatched a well-hidden locket on a shelf, taking a second to admire it before putting it in his inventory.
"That's almost it for this cave! Can you call the others, Mimi?"
At the request, Mimi silently skittered off , which Yokai took to mean yes. As he walked outside to wait for his pokemon, Yokai took a minute to review his list. It had been a fruitful search. They had managed to find almost every trinket in this cave, save for one. A shiny necklace made from pearls, a memento of a friend’s lost lover. It made sense, and it was frankly more surprising that more hadn't been stolen already, but Yokai still wanted to believe they just hadn't found it yet. So before his pokemon would arrive, the Stalker turned around...and came face to face with a Gabite.

Yokai blinked in dull surprise. Gabite weren't exactly uncommon in caves, but they tended to avoid humans. That is, unless they intrude on their nest or...see something shiny.

Yokai's eyes slid down, and he stifled a cheer as he witnessed the unmistakable shine of a pearl string wrapped around Gabite's claw. It all clicked into place. The Gabite had somehow found itself here and helped itself to whatever shiny things it could find. No one wants to mess with a Gabite’s hoard, and Yokai usually wasn’t an exception. Where Yokai stood now must be in the way of its nest, and Gabite remained still, waiting for him to make his move. The string kept Gabite docile enough that it was likely the only reason it didn't attack Yokai on sight, and if he stood aside, perhaps both could walk away unscathed. But as Yokai's eyes remained fixated on the pearl string, he remembered his earlier thought.

Yeah, a B plus is a passing grade...but Yokai wasn't afraid to go for broke.

"So hear me out-" Yokai began.

The instant Yokai he stepped forward, Gabite ascertained the stalker as a threat to its valuables. It snarled and threw its head back, purpleish flames accumulating in its throat. Already committed to his rash plan, Yokai rushed at the dragon type. When Gabite leaned forward to spit out the attack, Yokai rolled to its side at the last second, and the Dragon Rage just barely missed. Yokai did a daring tackle into Gabite's side. It grunted from the impact, but knocking over a pseudo legendary, even a mid-stage one, was a tall order, especially without a wield. Gabite remained standing, and punished Yokai's audacity with a swing of its arm. Gabite's wing struck Yokai in the gut, leaving a glitching red gash in the male as he was lashed back. Yet miraculously, Yokai remained not only upright as well...but smiling. And with the pearl string he somehow coveted now safely in his hand, it wasn't hard to see why.

"Sorry!" Even as he saw his health dropping fast, Yokai genuinely apologized to the pokemon. "I really need this."
Yokai's smile grew wider as he witnessed the admittedly hilarious sight of a Gabite doing a double take. The amusement wouldn't last long as its confusion quickly turned into fury, and the enraged pokemon charged at Yokai. It brought down both claws up for a Dual Chop-

"Me-!"

Yokai's shadow abruptly came to life, rising from the floor and forming into a familiar shape. The shadow was none other than Mimi herself, shielding her trainer. The Dual Chop directly landed on Mimi, but her fairy typing neutralized Gabite's attack enough that it didn't even bust her disguise. Seeing its attack be rendered useless, the Gabite was stunned for a second.

"Oh, hi Mimi!" Yokai greeted his pokemon.
It paid no mind to his words, promptly leaping onto Gabite's face, latching herself on it and ravaging the dragon with her claws! The Gabite yelped comically as it struggled to rip the sticky, vengeful ghost/fairy type from its head. Yokai turned towards the sound of his other pokemon approaching, and gave his Mimikyu a thumbs-up, a pointless move as Mimi was far more focused on dealing out pain.
As they all grouped over their trainer, the Gabite finally managed to pull Mimi off and slam her into the floor. It belted out a hostile roar towards Yokai, but swiftly turned tail and ran back to its nest. Luckily, it found the string far more trouble than it was worth at this point.
"I really am sorry!" Yokai called out to the pokemon as it vanished into the darkness. After it did, the stalker remained on the floor for a few seconds, as if processing what just happened. After a moment, something seemed to set in, and Yokai's pupils shined.
“I just wrestled with a Gabite!” He cheered to himself. Loudly.
After that craziness, Yokai was feeling rather proud of himself. After finally rising off the floor and returning his pokemon, he made his way out of the cave, on his way to the evacuation site with swagger only slightly marred by the wound on his torso.

 

[Captain Cardboard]

The Day of the Collapse

"Double, double, toil and trouble. Fire burn, and caldron bubble. Kee hee hee..."

The fifth floor, newly revealed, was a strange and frightening place for the players trapped within Pokearts. Contrary to the previous floors, the sun barely ever shone. The entire floor was covered in a sinister darkness, a spooky mist and fog that made it difficult to see very far. The nights were the clearest, with a bright moon and stars occasionally shining down. Compounding the fear factor were the poisonous mists and dangerous swamps that lurked about, perfect habitat for the various poison, dark, and ghost Pokemon that lurked about. Still, there were signs of previous life. Ruined cathedrals, graveyards, and destroyed gothic structures littered the land.

"Fillet of an Ekans snake, in the caldron boil and bake..."

Despite it only being the fifth floor, only the strongest and bravest players ventured there. Determined Stalkers, vowing to defeat this terrible death game. Brave Savants, seeking fortune and glory for the Guild and House. But among these players, there was another type. Those who neared close to madness...

"Gill of Wooper, tail of Tympole. Wool of Zubat, tongue of Snubull."

In an eastern area of Floor 5 resided one such player. One spoken in hushed tones, a witch. A lady of the dark arts. Username Wuijah_II had taken up residence on Floor 5 the day after it had been opened. She had settled into a small hut, just next to a graveyard. Whether it was a safe space or luck, Pokemon rarely bothered the witch there. Wuijah cackled once more as she continued to stir the bubbling cauldron, adding more ingredients to brew. Despite her incantations, the ingredients were mere herbs and mushrooms.

"Seviper's fork and Wormadam's sting! Salandit leg and Hoothoot wing. For a charm of powerful trouble, like a hell-broth, boil and bubble! Kee hee hee!" Throwing in the last of the ingredients, the cauldron's brew became a bright green, and heavy green mist rose from the boiling pot. Wuijah stepped back, cackling as her potion's brew was nearly complete. Now it was only time to wait....

A perfect brew. Some medium strength healing potions to assist her on her continued exploration of the fifth floor. The witch sat down, and drank the rest of her tea. No sooner had the drink passed her lips did Wuijah spit out the tea, dropping the cup in surprise. It shattered into pixels once it struck the ground. Wuijah stared down at the pixels as they vanished, rubbing her face. It was impossible to tell now. But the tea leaves, at the bottom of her cup. Wuijah could have sworn... they appeared like that of a human skull. An omen most evil. Death. Had she imagined it? Was it truly so? Wuijah drew her cloak closer around herself, moving closer to the cauldron's flame with a shiver. She must stay on guard...


Three Days After the Collapse

"Here we are..." Wuijah muttered to herself, gliding over a patch of bramble into a hidden gulley. Usually the poisonous fog and sharp brambles would be enough to persuade players to avoid this place, but not Wuijah. The equipped Pokewield of her Haunter, Hanged Man, was enough to circumvent these perils. The poison typing rendered her resistant to the fog, and her Pokemon's Levitate ability allowed her to easily fly over the brambles. Her ghostly form settling in the small clearing, Wuijah quickly located the object of her desire. A large mushroom, blue and white, that glowed softly in the moonlight. The rare, shining Shrumishia Fungara mushroom. With a smile, Wuijah picked the mushroom and placed it within her pouch. Just what she had been looking for, Bre would be quite pleased. Wuijah opened the PokeArts UI, scrolling over to the messaging system-

The witch's face grew pale and her blood ran cold. She quickly closed the UI, closing her eyes and stepping back. Taking a deep breath, Wuijah opened the UI once more and looked to the messaging system again. But it was no glitch.

Breloom_Bro's profile was gone.

"Calm down. Calm down." Wuijah whispered to herself. She could not help but recall that sinister omen she had seen in the tea leaves, just a few days back. There were... other explanations for this. No need to jump to assumptions. Obviously... obviously, Bre had finally taken her advice, and had severed ties with the witch. Yes, yes. That must be it. Wuijah had been telling the shopkeeper what a bad idea it was to be so close to her. That fool must have finally came to his senses. Of course.

Wuijah's breathing slowly returned to normal as she calmed herself back down. Even if Bre no longer wished to be connected, he had still asked her to find this type of mushroom. Wuijah had no use for this ingredient. She might as well head back to Floor 1 to finish this quest for him. A final meeting, and then she would part from Bre for good...


Current Day....

The winds of the 2nd floor stirred the sands of the desert to a painful degree, leaving the unprepared player and Pokemon to suffer painful scratches and difficult breathing. Not so for Wuijah. Much like her Haunter's Pokewield provided her protection on Floor 5, the Pokeweild of her Vullaby, Tower, provided her protection on this floor. The equipped Pokewield provided Wuijah a cloak of black feathers, with a bone armor breastplate, gauntlets, leg armor, and beak mask. Tower also took the form of a curved short sword, one that hang from Wuijah's waist. The black feather cloak and bone armor provided more than protection against attacks. It was also part of Tower's special ability, Overcoat. Despite the dark and heavy clothes, Wuijah felt perfectly cool in the desert. And the feathers and bone armor protected Wuijah from the painful effects of the harsh desert sand.

She had been walking for quite some time. Supposedly, after the massacre of Floor 1, teleportation travel had been suspended. On who's authority this decree was on, Wuijah did not know. Nor did it matter to the witch, she had no means to teleport anyway.

Wuijah finally reached her destination. A cliffside that rose from the sand. Hidden away behind some boulders, a thin entrance to a small cave. Small, glowing fungi illuminated the narrow tunnel, which meandered back until it opened up to a small chamber. At the back of the chamber, a treasure chest, long since looted. What remained was a ring of mushrooms on the cavern floor, forming what many would call a fairy ring. Wuijah unequipped her Pokeweild, returning Tower back to her Pokeball.

Wuijah stared at the fairy circle in silence for a few moments. It was quiet here, unlike Floor 5. Only the sounds of the distant wind that blew through the cave broke the silence.

Wuijah reached into her inventory, pulling out a tombstone. One she had taken from a graveyard on Floor 5, but carved a new name into. She knelt down, setting it in the center of the fairy circle.

Breloom_Bro
Rest in Peace

Wuijah placed some mushrooms in front of the gravestone. And tried as hard as she might, the witch could not stop herself from crying.
"You fool..." Wuijah wept. "You... damned fool..."

~

After some time, Wuijah was able to recover herself. The witch stood, wiping away her tears. Tears would not bring Bre back. And she had spent long enough walking to this place on Floor 2. She must return to Floor 5. Redouble her efforts to find that boss room, yes. Lest the fate of Bre befall herself, or others...

Wuijah re-equipped Tower, donning the feather and bone garb of that Pokeweild as she exited the cave. But there was no need. The winds died down, giving Wuijah a good view of the surrounding area. And there, not too far away, Wuijah could see the cave that housed the city of Saint Denis. She had forgotten how close her first meeting place with Bre had been to the capital. While it had been some time since Wuijah had been evicted from Saint Denis, even at this great distance, she could tell. Something was wrong with the city.

Curiosity overtook the witch. She approached the city. The guards that were usually stationed at the entrance of the cave were no longer there, allowing anyone and everyone entrance to the capital. She walked into the cave.

The state of disrepair was astounding. What once had been a flourishing city of people and commerce was now a ghost of its former self, resembling the ghost towns that could be found on the surface of Floor 2. Players still lived here, but their buildings were run down. Many were partially destroyed and burnt. And there were no sign of any of the town guard. Had the little prince of the city abandoned his people? It was a theory Wuijah was hardly surprised by. Or perhaps this was the doing of the Taur der Butch gang she had heard spoken of. A powerful gang of bastards, that had become quite strong in Saint Denis...

Even so, Wuijah remained in the shadows. Moving on the smaller streets and alleyways, she slowly walked through the town, taking in oh how far it had fallen. Many places appeared abandoned. Perhaps people feared what had occurred on Floor 1 would happen again on Floor 2.

Wuijah detected a sudden change. The few players that remained, quickly retreating back into their building and barricading the doors and windows. It was a reception Wuijah was accustomed to, but something was different this time. People were not hiding themselves away from her. But something else. From the shadows of an alleyway, Wuijah scanned the nearby area. Of this, there were only two players not taking cover. The first was a man, dressed in the standard clothes of a resident of Floor 2, standing guard at the front of the bank. And yet... his grizzled demeanor. The way he held himself... The look in his eyes... There was no doubt in Wuijah's mind. That man was no town guard. He was a killer.

The second was another man, dressed slightly unusually, albeit in a familiar fashion. Jeans, and an open hoodie with no shirt underneath. The man quickly approached the bank, and Wuijah was finally able to make out more of his features, as well as his username. It was King! What was he doing here, last time Wuijah had seen him, he was on Floor 5. Had he come back to assist with the refugee crisis?

"Hsst! You! Girl!" Wuijah startled, and looking behind her, found a mustached man calling to her from an open window. His username floated above his head, reading "SurgeBolt". He glanced around nervously.
"Don't just stand there! Can't you see it's dangerous, get inside!" The man hissed.
"What are you talking about?" Wuijah whispered back. The man gestured to the bank.
"What are you talking about?! The Taur de Butch gang is right there, and that out-of-towner has no clue! There's about to be trouble, I..." The man's voice trailed off as he looked Wuijah up and down. Recognition flashed in his eyes, and Surge quickly closed the window and drew the blinds shut.

Wuijah turned her attention back to King, putting a hand on her Pokeball that contained Hanged Man. And without breaking his stride, King equipped his Pokeweild and sent the guard flying into the bank! Wuijah was about to run out when she saw someone else quickly approach the chaos. A woman, with red and black hair, quickly ran to the bank. Wuijah watched as she sent out a Pokemon, a bird Pokemon that matched their trainer with red and black feathers. The woman, username Dancerhaxorus, equipped her Pokemon as a Pokeweild, and her outfit changed to that of a red and black flamenco dress. Dancer ran into the bank after King, and it was then that Wuijah made her own move. The witch dashed across the street, sending out Hanged Man and equipping the Pokemon as she ran! Her form changed. Wuijah's legs vanished, and she seemed to float off the ground. She became slightly transparent, and took on a purplish hue. Her hair floated with ghostly energy.

Wuijah moved up, hiding behind the partially destroyed door that hung from its hinges. From here, she could tell that this "Dancer" player had no intention of attacking King. But the many, many other players inside certainly did.

Wuijah would not let that happen.

Muttering a spell under her breath, Wuijah gestured to a pair of bastards. A strange, multicolored orb appeared and quickly floated towards the gang members. It flashed disorientingly as it rapidly spun around the players, making it difficult to focus as it let off a confusing aura.

Wuijah used Confuse Ray!

 

[Cmeriwether]

Luna, 13th Seat of the Wailing Wind, Guild Diplomat, Second Floor, Saint Denis.

As more thugs appeared, due to events unknown, Toro de Medićo and CuteStarly80 had managed to find themselves in a mess of thugs.

Spoiler: Luna's Guild Chat

Toro de Medićo: It seems somethings going on in Saint Denis, and Luna's been caught up in it.

CuteStarly80: It is unknown what dangers are down here, we could use a hand, especially since Luna's awaiting a Decision from the Turtle Dragon Guild.

Windrider92: I'm coming down there, will also bring down Healme840, we will figure out the premises of what is going on.

WingedMetal73: You said Luna's in danger? Count me in. I'll probably play clean up due to how the average player reacts when I come down from the current floor.

Luna looked at the Guild Chat, and was relieved, she couldn't fight them at once, but with the Guild Reinforcements, she may have a chance at getting a better idea of what was going on, to help the Turtle Dragon Guild. Suddenly, as Luna got around the corner, she bumped into Toro de Medićo.

"Luna, oh dear, let me heal you, CuteStarly80, get down here, we found Luna."

Toro de Medićo put a pin on his minimap and forwarded the Coordinates to the Guild Chat. CuteStarly80 received a ping from Toro de Medićo. She looked at the ping, seeing Coordinates sent in Guild Chat.

Spoiler: Luna's Guild Chat

WingedMetal73: Windrider92, Healme840, and I are at the Abra network site, and Holy crap there's a lot going on. It seems guarded. We'll be careful, worst case Scenario, I pull out Bahamut and distract them with his help.

Toro de Medićo: Luna's hurt, I found her half dead, literally, working on her recovering alongside Shatter.

Spoiler: WingedMetal73's Journey

WingedMetal73 was at the fifth floor Floor to floor marker for Floor Four, using that he then had The Air Lord fly him across to Floor Four to Floor Three's point, using that one he flew from that point to Floor two's Corresponding point on Floor three with Bahamut. He then found where the thing dropped them.

Spoiler: Healme840 and Windrider92's Arrival

These two were on the third floor, checking on one of the Guilds they Negotiated with earlier for a raid boss when Toro Dropped Luna's Coordinates on the Guild Chat. The went to the Corresponding Floor Point.

Suddenly, some guards turned around to see three Wailing Wind Members. The Leader, Second Seat and Fifteenth Seat of the Wailing Wind had arrived.

"Huh? The Wailing Wind? What brings them down here? What did we do?"

Suddenly, an Eelektross, a Pincurchin, and a Skarmory appeared, then formed Pokewields. Windrider92's was Eelektross, where his clothes turned to Green backed tan scale mail as he lit up, releasing a resounding squeal, ominous in nature.

"Eerie Impulse," Healme840 responded.

Suddenly, Healme840 was covered in spiked purple armor, with a purple and orange helmet. A Yklwa appeared in her hand and no sooner than this happened, the field was electrified.

"Electric Surge," a grunt responded.

"I'll stay here with Windrider92," Healme840 responded, "WingedMetal73, find Luna, Toro de Medićo, and CuteStarly80."

WingedMetal73 headed off, however, he had to end his Pokewield, switching The Air Lord out for Bahamut as he flew off. WingedMetal73 had a good view of the city, to a degree, due to being in the middle of a cave system. The grunts were equal parts confused and scared Out of their wits.

"What the Ducklett, A Salamence?!"

"A guild official?! What are they doing here?"

"What guild?!"

"Wailing Wind!"

"The Wailing Wind?!"

The conversations of three grunts in the middle of the city could barely be heard, Bahamut landed, and was returned. WingedMetal73 looked around.

Meanwhile, Luna and Shatter were healing up, hidden from grunts. Shatter was in Luna's lap, cuddling into her as she pet the Ice and Bug type.

"I wonder who this grunt was." Luna was a bit dazed, "He one-shot my Pokewield."

El Toro gave Luna a look of Surprise, but figured that the attack, depending on the wield of the grunt, may have been a Flame Charge or similar. But if Toro de Medićo's Memory serves him correctly, Shatter should have Ice Scales for an ability. He started thinking about how that happened as he healed, Bella had popped out of her Pokéball, assisting where she could.

"Thanks, Toro de Medićo," Luna responded, "That was scary. Is Shatter okay?"

"She's fine, Bella had made sure of that."

The Audino waved at Luna as Shatter perked up. The Frosmoth flew to Luna, rubbing against her face.

"I'm good, it's been a mess. Stay very close to me right now, Shatter."

Luna stayed put as Toro de Medićo continued healing Luna. CuteStarly80 looked to see who was around and hoped no more Taur Der Butch Gang Member showed up to their location.

 

[Killerbunny the god]

Thorn

A week. It had been a week since the collapse. The unlucky souls who had been on the first floor when disaster struck were no longer among the living. This gave many a sense of urgency to move upward to the higher levels. Who knew if or when the second floor would collapse? It was a question that was on many people’s minds. But… the woman who was observing the entrance to the second floor did not care. Not about the people who perished, nor about the people who would perish. The woman had instructions. And she needed to follow them to the letter. She made her way to the second floor, like many others. Some people did it to try to help others evacuate to the higher floors. Others did it to get as many resources as possible before the second floor would collapse. No one knew if it would. But few wanted to take any chances. Thorn, however, had another reason for going there.

Thorn’s travels brought her to the town Saint Denis, a town entirely located within a cave. The buildings of the town were old and falling apart. It was not fit for habitation at this time. It had been a beautiful city once, but no longer. The only building in Saint Denis that was entirely intact (or rather used to be before someone broke the door), was not a building that was designed for habitation. This building was a bank. Not only was it the only building that was intact, but it also was the biggest house in the city. And it was the place that had the most noise coming out of it. There was definitely something going on in there. As Thorn observed the building, a woman ran into the building while activating her wield. An Oricorio wield. And another woman shortly after, who also activated her wield. A Haunter wield. There was someone else who had already entered the bank. Thorn’s curiosity was piqued. But she didn’t go closer. She preferred to stay hidden. And that woman with the Haunter wield would see her if she got too close. Thorn recognized her. It was a woman that Thorn had seen on one of her missions once. She had not been a target so Thorn had not taken much of an interest in her.

Thorn found an alleyway to hide in. She kept her eyes on the entrance to the bank and waited to see what would happen. She placed a hand on her Floragato’s, Dahlia, pokéball. It would not hurt to be prepared for any trouble that may come her way.

Sunshine_queen

The collapse. It was a tragedy. Landon was shaken by the news. It was terrifying. Suddenly there was a much bigger urgency to complete the game. But… he wouldn’t let it affect his optimism. He knew everything would be fine. It had to.

The man who had taken on the username Sunshine_Queen and his friend with the username Forge were on the second floor to collect materials for Forge’s shop. They wanted to get as much materials as possible on this supply run. No one knew if the second floor would also collapse but no one wanted to stay on the floor for too long to find out. That’s why they wanted to be quick about it. They had decided to warp to the town known as Saint Denis to start there.

As soon as they got there, the first thing that Landon saw was that the whole town was in a state of disrepair. It was a sorry sight. What could have caused this? It wasn’t already about to collapse, was it!? No… it couldn’t be. Forge was looking the same. And Landon didn’t feel any different… There were so many who had streamed the collapse of the first floor. And it didn’t seem anything like this at all. No… something else was going on. And Landon was curious about what it was. So he began walking in a random direction to see where that would lead him. He hoped to find out what was going on.
“Come on, bro, we gotta check this out!” he said.

 

[Shikowara]

Quincy Payne | Forge

The collapse of floor one wasn't just bad, it was traumatizing. It was traumatizing enough to make Forge barely want to set foot on the second floor. And that one hadn't even collapsed. All he remembers is having an anxiety attack, shaking violently. He thought he might collapse. Despite everything, you could barely tell. Yes, he was shaking, but he looked as though he had no reaction otherwise. He didn't remember much else. It was all foggy, like it was blocked from his memory to save himself.
Shaking was a common thing now. He didn't just get anxious. He started shaking. He could barely hold things or stand when this happened. He didn't tell anyone though. He tried to act as discreet as possible. Unfortunately that couldn't fool his close friend Sunshine_Queen. He was taking medical training back before they got locked into the game. He was smart. Not stupid like Forge. He knew he didn't need to hide what was going on, but he did anyway. He couldn't look weak in front of people. Not when he was a big guy with big weapons. He was a coward honestly. Couldn't even let his Pokemon battle. He's afraid they'll get hurt.
Today was like any other day in Pokearts: Anxiety inducing. He was shaking, but it wasn't as noticeable when he was walking. He and Sunny warped into Saint Denis, which was basically falling apart. He stood close to Sunny. He felt safe with him. With the big scowl on Forge’s face, you'd think he was protecting him. But in-game, it had mostly been the other way around. Especially in the last two years. Forge didn’t exactly…fight. He made weapons, but he didn’t use them often himself.
He noticed Sunny walking off in a random direction. “L-Landon- Wait- I don’t think this is a good idea. We should head back… We can look somewhere else.” He hesitantly followed his friend, a little wary of the area. He hadn’t expected it to be like this.


Avery-Joy Torres | Avery-JoyStar

She didn't think her life would lead up to this. She'd never played a video game until about 4 years ago. It was the biggest mistake of her life. She told herself that often. She shouldn't have agreed to play. Now she's stuck in here, without her lover, and without her comfort zone. It was all gone. She wasn’t used to any of this. It was all so…different.
Zach. Oh how she missed him. Tears fell everyday for him. He was gone and she couldn’t even visit his grave because she was stuck in this stupid game. This stupid, stupid game. She watched him die. She couldn’t do anything. He was gone and he wasn’t coming back. She couldn’t get him back…
The collapse worsened her mental state even more and she had to distance herself from her friends. They were such lovely people too. They were so kind and welcoming. She was sad to leave them, but it was better this way… She was alone for the most part now. She had a couple friends that she kept in contact with, one of them being a user named Forge. He was very kind and he knew Zach well. They both missed him deeply.
Forge had invited her to meet up with him and Sunshine_Queen. She was happy to be given a chance to see them again. Avery-Joy and Forge checked up on each other every day, but seeing them in person was more fun. And it made her feel less alone. She was making her way to the second floor, thinking about her late-boyfriend again. He introduced her to this game, but because of his death, he could no longer log in and play with her for hours on end. At least he wasn’t stuck in the game like everyone else. He would have hated it. He got to rest peacefully while Avery-Joy suffered. But she’d rather it be her than him.

 

[Gold The Dragonite]

SSR Chat

---------------------------------------------------------------------

[cloud_ninja] (Message deleted by uusername_89)

[Charmelon] -_-

[cloud_ninja] U, let me educate the guild on vaporeon in peace do you know how long that took to type from memory

[eeVeeExpert] die

[uusername_89] stop giving him attention

-------------------------------- NEW --------------------------------

[Valor] current 4th floor quests all cleared

---------------------------------------------------------------------

From the rewards for dealing with the last horde of Bombirdiers for the NPC questline, the one Valor cherished most was the rare moment of peace from the chaos following the past week. She surveyed the spectacle that was the fourth floor, perched atop one of the many mountains, while checking her guild’s chat and thinking of what her guild leader would do in her shoes.

Obviously, the Collapse’s events were very known across the playerbase, claiming many innocent lives within such a short period. Safehaven was already a shell of a guild, and it was further splintered into an even smaller fragment; leaving those lucky enough to not be on the first floor. Not to mention those who abandoned the notion of a new guild. Throughout the Syndicate’s many iterations, one thing remained constant: creating and maintaining a safe environment.

So would he approve of her sending the remnants of his guild on a suicide mission to the second floor? It was no wonder a number of the survivors decided not to stick around; there was no warning when the whole place would cease to exist. Was this truly the right direction to take?

Leadership was a burden passed down to Valor following the eradication of their original guild. Despite proposing the idea, Cloud was unanimously rejected from taking charge. Instead, everyone had turned to U for direction; however, he's set a noticeable distance between himself and everyone else since last week. The calamity was agonizing for everyone in SSR, having lost their leader and so many guildmates. Valor and Cloud had personally lost both a mentor and a close friend. But to lose your own brother so helplessly? She couldn't imagine the amount of pain he was going through. As much as she wanted to help, space was what he requested.

However, as the only remaining healer who stood with them, there was less they could provide for the evacuees located on the second floor. So Valor took initiative and split SSR into two groups: one helping those who narrowly avoided the first floor's erasure, and the other completing quests for resources and currency. Valor had taken charge of the latter group, while she entrusted the other two seniors to assist the refugees. When she wasn't helping the less combat-oriented members with errands, she would be clearing out any nests of dangerous Pokemon that threatened to disrupt the relative peace of the fourth floor.

On the bittersweet side, the whole ordeal had given her Pokemon (other than her ace) more love. Cavalier's flying nature ignored any disadvantages of the mountainous terrain, making him an essential partner. And while Karma was better suited for dealing with the aggressive nature of wild Pokemon, Dauntless lacked as much emotional baggage. Distractions weren’t welcome at the moment.

Not when so many people still needed help.

-------------------------------- NEW --------------------------------

[cloud_ninja] @uusername_89 we need help mr healer

[eeVeeExpert] he’s on dnd rn, probably still at the evac zone

[cloud_ninja] why tf he hosting dungeons and dragonites without me there

[Valor] ?

[MagikarpetRide] We got ambushed by some bastards, Melon got armor broke

[Valor] are you all safe atm?

[cloud_ninja] ofc, i was soloing and then they ran awya

[eeVeeExpert] away*

[kakunarattata] We fought them off and hiding out in an oasis rn. But chances are they’re coming back with reinforcements

[MagikarpetRide] Help’s appreciated

[cloud_ninja] wait if ur coming bring food

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Well, there was no rest for the wicked. This wasn't the first time she’d heard complaints about such violent players from those exploring, every time hoping it would be the last. It'd be better to get rid of the problem now before it spiraled out of control.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

[Valor] omw with potions

[Charmelon] Thanks

[kakunarattata] sending location in a sec

[cloud_ninja] please for the love of arceus do not forget the food val

---------------------------------------------------------------------

She closed the chat after taking a quick glance at the position the recon group had sent. Judging by the lack of nearby warps, it seemed to be near one of the many ghost towns littered on the floor. Seeing that they ventured that far with little supplies stung her with faint apprehension. Taking what she believed was the best course of action, she mentally prepared herself for the hellish trek that awaited her on the second floor, teleporting to the closest warp available.

In retrospect, Valor realized she had foolishly overlooked the virtue of precaution in this situation, like many times before. For instance, asking more about the second floor could’ve lowered the risk of danger to only the harsh and violent climate — maybe a bastard lying in wait within the wasteland for their next kill. With all the responsibilities placed on her, Valor rarely checked the guild chat, leaving her knowledge of the current situation limited outside of the Taur de Butch’s floor-wide influence. U was handling most of SSR’s second floor affairs.

Occasionally, she’d catch a glimpse of conversation mentioning a ‘bank’ or ‘Saint Denis’ between the members. Perhaps if she waited a second longer for critical thinking, she would have enough time to read the warp’s name and connect the dots. But instead, Valor had found herself in the sorry excuse of a capital.

...Even then, time was of the essence. Another minute spent traveling from a safer, yet further point for her own survival could be the difference between life or death for the people she’s meant to protect.

So, she began her hike through the ruined city, taking in the devastation it'd been through. For a city constructed underground, it looked as if it’d suffered its fair share of deadly sandstorms from the surface. What have they done to the place?

Homes were in complete shambles. Wild Pokemon lurked in any and every corner, ready to pounce. Absolutely vile.

The only thing that hadn’t looked to be scratched was the bank in the far distance, though it seemed a few brave souls had stormed inside. Whether the chaos was started by in-fighting or some vigilantes taking charge, that wasn’t her fight. Valor’s goal was to get to the entrance and make it to her guildmates, first and foremost.

But it appears her insolence had come back to bite her once again.

She emerged onto the run-down streets of Saint Denis from its gloomy alleyways, attempting to cut corners. Instead, she had the pleasure of running into a few nearby locals; their western attire and the hostile air around them made it easy to guess who they were affiliated with.

Valor's eyes darted between them as the distance grew shorter and shorter, attacking her with pointless questions while sauntering over. A few years ago, she may've felt inclined to answer. However, Valor could tell this would all soon lead to her extortion, regardless of what she said. Possibly even death, if she acted too brash.

She had to think of a plan. And fast.

 

[Captain Cardboard]

Quan

Southwest of Saint Denis, another player staggered out of the sandstorm that raged near the city. He was in a bad shape, his health already in the yellow. Despite goggles and a red bandana drawn over his face, his brown sweatshirt and pants were ragged and covered in sand. To the few players that watched the young man limp into the city, it was clear he was no long-time resident of Floor 2. The young man paused to catch his breath, leaning against a broken steetlamp. He watched as a Bramblin rolled across the street. Was this really the Saint Denis he had heard so much about? That shining city beneath the sands, where a fortune could be won at any table? The safe haven, the oasis among the harsh badlands? If this place hadn't been in a cave, the young man would have thought that this was one of the ghost towns on the surface. The place was nearly deserted, but as he looked around, he could spot other players lurking. What had happened here?

The glare from a particularly rough pair of cowpokes sent the young man moving once more. The moment he had taken to catch his breath allowed the young man to spot something that could help him. A broken down Saloon, with the name 'Aces High' on a broken sign. He pushed his way through the swinging doors and stumbled towards the bar. The barkeep, an older player with a magnificent grey mustache, watched the young man with a suspicious eye. Making it to the bar, Quan pulled down his bandana and took off his goggles. Other than the old barkeep, the Saloon was completely empty.

The young man leaned heavily on the bar, pointing desperately at a bottle behind the bar. Slowly, the barkeep took the bottle and poured a glass. He slid the glass towards the young man, but stopped it just before it was within reach of the player.
"Money." The barkeep said, his voice low and gravely. The player stared at the barkeep before placing a pair of gold coins on the bar. The barkeep shook his head. "Times are tough, amigo."

The player stared at the barkeep for a moment longer, before placing three more gold coins on the bar. The barkeep took the money and slid the glass forward, and in a blur Quan had snatched it. The Berry Juice was pure and cool, soothing his constantly sore throat. It was refreshing to his entire body, and the player watched his health regen. Not by much, but enough that it was just barely over half. Back in the green. The player let out a relieved breath. Quan slid the cup towards the barkeep, giving the man a pleading look.

The older man was unmoved by Quan's expression.
"Money." He said. Quan frowned, gesturing to the barkeep's pocket. The barkeep glanced to his pocket, but regarded Quan with a dead expression. "That was for your last drink. This one's seven."
The fighter ground his teeth in frustration.

With a creak, the saloon's doors swung open once more. Looking over his shoulder, Quan watched as the two cowboys who were glaring at him before entered the saloon. It was now that Quan could get a better look at the pair. The first was a scruffy looking man with blond hair and unshaven face, dressed in a tan longcoat. Clearly the player had tried to base his avatar off of John Marston from Red Dead Redemption, but just hadn't gotten the character creation process right. The other cowboy was a taller one with a burn scar on his cheek, and was wearing a bandolier of X Attacks across his body. The bartender's face paled slightly as the pair approached, one sitting on either side of Quan.
"Whiskey." The bandolier cowboy said to the bartender. The bartender was swift to obey, getting out two glasses and pouring them for the cowboys. While he did, Quan couldn't help but to stare at the bottle of Berry Juice that still sat on the bar. His health still had a ways to go to regenerate fully...

The bandolier cowboy drank his whiskey, while the blond John Marston wannabe stared at Quan with a grin.
"Yer a long way from home, partner." The bandolier cowboy said to Quan.
"Yeah, yeah." The John Marston wannabe said. He tugged on Quan's jacket. "Those threads. I've seen 'em before. Yer from Floor 1, ain't ya?"
Quan smacked away the blond cowboy's hand, giving him a glare. The two cowboys shared an amused look.
"Oooh, we've got a tough guy here." The bandolier cowboy said. Quan did his best to ignore the two cowboys, gesturing to the bottle of Berry Juice and placing more gold on the bar. In an instant, the bandolier cowboy had snatched up the gold.
"Very considerate, partner! Paying for our drinks like that." The bandolier cowboy said with a grin. The John Marston wannabe laughed, and the barkeep just looked nervously at the cowboys.

"Yer a stranger here, partner. So let me clue you in." The bandolier cowboy said to Quan. The cowboy revealed a star pin under his jacket, one with the word 'Marshall' written on it. "Nowadays, 'round here, me and the fellas I run with make the rules. We're the law around here. So what we say, goes."
"Yeah, yeah." The John Marston wannabe said. "You don't wanna get on the bad side of the Taur de Butch gang, heh heh."
Quan's face hardened, and he slowly looked from one cowboy to the other. The bandolier cowboy placed a Pokeball on the bar, watching Quan.
"So if we were to tell ya to, say... Hand over everything ya got. Well. It might behoove ya to do it." The bandolier cowboy said.
"Now, listen Wesson-" The bartender started to say.
"Shaddap, Smith!" The John Marston wannabe snapped.
"So what's it going to be, partner?" The bandolier cowboy asked Quan.

Quan let out a breath and stood up from his seat. He took a few steps back, facing down the cowboys, and put a hand on one of the Pokeballs he carried on his belt. The bandolier cowboy grinned.
"Your funeral, partner." He said. "If you had friends on the first floor, you'll be seeing them soon."

In a flash, all three players sent out their Pokemon! The barkeep dove behind the bar
"Sandile!" The bandolier cowboy called out, the desert croc Pokemon appearing before him.
"Electrike!" The blonde cowboy yelled. Emerging from the Pokeball, the Lightning Pokemon letting out a howl. Wordlessly, Quan's own Pokemon appeared. The familiar fighting form of his Hitmonchan, SF. All three equipped their Pokemon. Quan felt the changes come over him, SF taking the form of brown and purple padded armor, as well as red boxing gloves. The blond cowboy raised his Electrike Pokeweild, a revolver, but Quan was already on him, laying into the cowboy with a one-two punch. The blond cowboy staggered back into one of the tables, firing off a shot that went wild and shattered one of the bottles behind the bar. Quan grabbed a bar stool and smashed it into the blonde cowboy, knocking him over the table which fell over with a loud clatter.

Out of the corner of his eye, Quan sensed the bandolier cowboy running up on him. His Sandile Pokeweild had taken the form of tomahawk, which he swung at Quan! The fighter's eyes flashed with energy.

Quan used Detect!

Allowing the game to take over, Quan easily sidestepped the slashes and turned to face the bandolier cowboy. Spotting an opening, Quan suddenly moved in and threw a powerful punch at the bandolier cowboy's gut! Silver energy swirled around Quan's glove, powering up his punch as it slammed the cowboy into the bar. As the bandolier cowboy's health went down, Quan's HP went up!

Quan used Drain Punch!

The cowboy gasped in surprise, and Quan slammed his head into the bar and pummeled down on the desperado. The wield broke as the cowboy's health fell into the red, and Quan grabbed his bandolier to prevent him from fully falling to the ground. The blond cowboy staggered back to his feet, and stared at Quan in surprise and fear. Quan glared back at the blond cowboy, before punching the bandolier cowboy in the head and dropping his health to 0. The blond cowboy stumbled back, pointing at Quan before sprinting out the door of the saloon.

Quan watched the cowboy run off for a few moments before finally unequipping his Pokeweild. With a nod of appreciation to his Hitmonchan, he returned it to his Pokeball. The barkeep slowly looked over the bar, and glanced nervously down at the paralyzed bandolier cowboy.
"... Are you going to kill him?" The barkeep asked. Quan gave the man a disgusted look, and crouched down to take a closer look at the bandolier cowboy.

"Gah... You filthy bastard! You son of a bitch! You just got lucky, that's all..." The cowboy growled. Quan rolled his eyes, but took a closer look at the bandolier the cowboy wore. It was pretty neat...
"Oooh, don't you even think about it! You little bastard! I'll skin you alive and hang you by your ankles!" The cowboy raved. Rolling his eyes, Quan took the bandolier and put it on. Man, if only he had a voice. He could say something cool like 'Seems fair enough, considering I already paid you for it'. Oh well. Quan wasn't about to send this guy a friend request to tell him that.

Quan stood up and fixed the barkeep with an intense glare. He placed seven gold coins on the counter, and slowly the barkeep slid the entire bottle of Berry Juice to Quan. With a nod of appreciation, Quan took the bottle and walked out of the saloon. Saint Denis wasn't the place he thought it was... But now Quan was at a loss for what to do.

 

[RenzFlintrock]

Dusk kept his aim steady on the bastards below. His cautious side was warning him that picking a fight with a group this large with no reinforcements was a bad idea, but unfortunately the emotional side of him riding high on a loathing of bastards and too few hours of sleep was directing him to rush in regardless. The emotional side already had the upper hand by the time circumstances in the street below began to shift. A crimson-haired woman walking through a nearby alley had gotten close enough to draw the attention of several gang members. They began moving towards her, calling out questions as they approached.

Dusk cursed under his breath, his mind made up. He wasn’t going to let the bastards start bullying anyone else. His guns still trained at two of the Taur Der Butch grunts hanging back in the center of the wider street, he pulled the triggers. With a whizzing sound, a spray of Air Cutters flew into the crowd below, ripping through their defenses with critical hits. Air Cutter was less powerful than Air Slash, and with the damage penalty for the AoE bullet spray he was hopeful he wasn’t killing anyone outright despite the direct hits on their weak points. If he did… oh well.

He stood up fully, shifting his aim to the group of grunts approaching their redheaded target. He hesitated to send another Air Cutter volley in that direction for the risk of hurting the bystander. Instead, Dusk leapt from his perch on top of the building with a shout and flared his cape, slowing his descent and giving him a rather dramatic entrance to the fight. “Howdy, Bast'rds.” He smirked, his guns still in hand as he inputted a Double Team. Suddenly, there were several illusory copies of Dusk among the group, each beginning to move and aim at various gang members. Pandemonium broke out among the gang members, confused shouts (as well as some pained noises from the group he’d fired at, which Dusk was happy to hear) and some flashes of light as wields were equipped.

Dusk left his illusory copies to draw attention from the larger part of the crowd (he’d counted around five or six besides the ones he’d shot and the ones approaching the woman) and leapt into action, switching one of his guns for a feather blade and closing in on a grunt. At least one of the grunts near the woman had reacted quickly enough to have their wield equipped, enveloped in a brown western vest, high orange boots and black mask of his Mudsdale wield. Before the man could even move, Dusk was in his personal space, raking a black feather blade across his body. His wield’s durability was instantly cut in half by the power of Dusk’s critical Night Slash. Despite the heavy damage, a surge of energy coursed over the man’s body as his wield’s Stamina ability activated, raising its resistance to physical blows. Not that it would matter if Dusk could work in another Night Slash, but that might become more difficult now he would (hopefully) be drawing the ire of the man’s companions as well and giving the woman a chance to get away.

 

[=Nightshade=]

When Panda’s avatar materialized on Floor 2, the third-floor humidity that had been clinging to her felt as though it evaporated instantaneously, leaving her chilled for about half a second before the oppressive heat set in. She grimaced, but passed it off as a smile for the camera.

“Man, I forgot how hot it is here!” Panda exclaimed cheerfully as she stepped away from the warp point. “I think this calls for a change of wardrobe. It’s been forever since I was here last— any of you remember the cowgirl fit?”

The chat blew up with answers of varying innocence, but Panda wasn’t paying attention to it. She’d grouped all the custom clothing options she’d collected over her time in Pokearts into preselected outfits long ago, most notably one for each floor, so she could absentmindedly select Floor 2 — complete with western fringe, Miltank spot patterns, and pink leather — while the rest of her brain focused on the fact that she was definitely not alone.

The warp point was being watched — this Panda had assumed when she warped down. The fact that she hadn’t been attacked yet left her with three possibilities off the top of her head: She hadn’t been recognized, and so appeared like a sweet young girl trying her luck at streaming; she had been recognized, but none of the observers were avid fans or haters, so they assumed the least of her combat abilities and coin; or they were only on the watch for big-name guild masters or members, identifiable by the tags on their usernames. Panda couldn’t tell how many there were, but if they were going to attack, they would have already. She was in the clear as long as she kept playing dumb. No problem— that was something she was used to.

Panda could feel the eyes trail her, and she could feel the moment they stopped. She allowed herself a tiny, secret smile as she continued through the desert, walking along the empty train tracks like a toddler on a balance beam. As she made the trip to Saint Denis, she chattered inanely to the camera, her goals as always to keep her viewers engaged and give them some measure of peace.

Peace, it seemed, was not an abundant commodity in Saint Denis, though, as Panda learned quickly as she entered the cave city. The last time she’d been on Floor 2, it had been a place of bustling commerce and avid roleplayers, with scripted gunfights and ride-throughs in the streets, where people dueled more for fun than anything and helped each other up after the fact. Now it had grown into chaos, the way decorative ivy on a stone wall destroys it if left unchecked. And the gang was certainly unchecked— simply walking through the cave mouth greeted Panda with the item bank on fire with a purple phantasm darting inside, a redhead being harassed by several Taur de Butch members as bullets hailed down on them, and some guy walking out of a bar with an entire bottle of Berry Juice in hand looking vaguely confused at the carnage around.

Panda flicked her hand up to direct Cam high for a bird’s-eye view. “Alright, chat, where are you?” she muttered. She’d taken refuge in an alley to avoid the line of fire and could search for viewers in particularly dire need of assistance in peace. Cam’s feed of Saint Denis from far above Panda’s head was in front of her, a CHAT window open to its right. The Knights in the area knew her location by now, too, surely, and would no doubt be converging on her with any refugees they’d found to form a full rescue party. By that time, she would have mapped out the chat responses to find the most efficient route to pick up refugees.

“Okay, I see you, I see you…” Panda assured cheerfully to the more frantic chat replies. She was working fast, minimap open then closed to check the chat, make sure she hadn’t missed anything yet, open again, drop a few pins at reported locations, check the chat again…

More eyes on her. Panda paused. Cam’s feed zoomed out further as she pinched her fingers in the air and aimed it more behind her. Yes, there… She gave no verbal warning to the chat. If they were watching, they would see the shadow behind her, would see the twin lances growing in its hands, the line of flame that trailed up its back. Panda’s hand drifted to her waist, where Banter’s Pokeball rested, as she assessed her opponent from the six pixels that made it up on her feed. Rapidash. Dual wielder. Looks like a thug. And making a move right now, holy shit—

In a split second, Banter was out and on her. Panda’s slender stature bulked and shot up by a foot and a half as she leaped to the side, narrowly avoiding the point of the lance meant to run her through. Panda felt vindicated— too many times she’d imagined eyes on her back only for there to be nothing. She supposed she wasn’t completely insane just yet.

But the Rapidash wielder was fast. Panda could see her clearly now, the fiery mane of hair, the beige leather from head to toe, the name— burnITALL, very telling— and the tag next to it, <Taur de Butch>. Panda had all of a second to examine her before a lance was a foot away from her again.

The lance is a weapon primarily used for jousting. It seems one doesn’t need to ride a horse if one has its speed.

Panda was slower this time, and the lance sliced through her bicep. Out of the corner of her eye, Panda watched her HP bar drop. An acceptable sacrifice; as soon as her opponent’s attack was complete, time seemed to stand still for several seconds. Panda rushed forward in her window, grabbed burnITALL around the waist, and suplexed the Rapidash wielder. No time to dodge!

Panda used Vital Throw!

“Sorry, chat,” Panda muttered, grinning despite herself. Nothing like a fight to get your blood pumping. “There might be a little delay…”

CHAT
------
throwing_tyrantrums: next to the pokebank
throwing_tyrantrums: like east of it i think? idk

kaBLAM!: use your map dipshit its there for a reason

pandalvr67: WATCH OUT OMG

blastoiseFromThePast: hiding out behind Cubone's Skull bar

throwing_tyrantrums: *it's, dipshit yourself

blastoiseFromThePast: what are we watching out for?

pandalvr67: NOT YOU STUPID

 

[Gold The Dragonite]

"Well now, miss, we can't help if ya stay so quiet," The cowboy in front of the pack drawled, hands away from the Pokeball on his holster and instead in a casual stance.

"This' a long way from the first floor. If yer lookin' for the bank, then we'll be happy to help.. for a bit o' gold. How much ya got?" A sly grin crept onto his face, clearly looking to make a quick buck. Perhaps she'd be left with a few coins if he was in a good mood.

The moment Valor had reached for a Pokeball, his pursuit paused. The lackeys who were hanging back chuckled quietly as he tipped his cowboy hat up and locked eyes with her, no visible signs of distress on his face.

"...Silly girl, ain't cha? Outnumbered and still got a bristlin' with fight; best think twice 'fore makin' things worse. We don't take kindly to troublema-" A pair of screams had erupted from behind him, sharp and sudden. Two of his underlings were nearly put out of commission from a surprise attack. The sniper responsible promptly swooped down from the rooftops of the dilapidated buildings, with his copies dispersing around the desolate street as he went on the offensive.

"So Westlands got themselves some decoys now, eh?" He sneered, letting out a delirious laugh amidst the chaos. "Even dressin' 'em in first-floor rags... can't fool me." A yellow coat draped over his western clothing, a white fur collar covering his neck. In his hand, a small pendulum had materialized, glowing with psychic energy and aiming towards Valor with a devilish smirk.

However, before the move could be executed, the Hypno wielder abruptly jerked in anticipation. A Night Slash flew past him, instead aimed at his colleague after their own wield was activated. While Forewarn had given him premonition towards what he perceived was the bigger threat, it was futile against multiple attacks at once.

Valor used Aqua Jet!

Seizing the opportunity while her opponent was off-guard, Valor slammed into her aggressor at blinding speeds, sending him hurtling back into the battlefield. He snarled towards his prey while cursing out his stooges, who were still disoriented by the multitude of clones, before regaining his composure.

Now using Dauntless as a wield, she was dressed in a jade coat, her outfit now adorned in large scales patterened by black triangles. The veil of water previously enveloping her dispersed as she analyzed the situation and how quickly it escalated. Someone had come to her aid; that much was obvious. Judging by the western apparel, it appeared to be another second-floor native—and yet was fighting against the Taur de Butch. Perhaps a samaritan looking to liberate Saint Denis? Or a rogue with his own agenda?

Either way, an enemy of an enemy was a friend. If he were to risk his life for her, it's only natural she should do the same. She was certain her guildmates could hold their own for a moment longer. The Mudsdale wielder readied a retaliation against the newcomer, creating a distance between the two before hurling an onslaught of splintered rocks towards his target. Valor rushed to the stranger's side, taking a defensive stance as a wall of hexagons instantaneously assembled in front of them.

Valor used Wide Guard!

The Smack Down dissipated against the barrier, rendering the attack useless. But while she was focused on defending, a Psybeam had struck her, causing Valor to wince as a chunk of Dauntless' durability was taken off. While not severe, another hit like that could activate the Wimpod's ability.

In a reversed turn of events, her attention was too focused on the threat in front of her and had forgotten how outnumbered they were. Luckily, the majority of Taur de Butch minions were still preoccupied by the interceptor's illusions. But not for long.

"Well, how 'bout we lessen the numbers?" The Hypno wielder grinned as purple fumes emanated from his body, dispersing through the desolate street and creating a lethal haze. The replicas created by the stranger began to slowly fade away as incessant coughing from the other grunts rung out in the area. Valor responded by releasing Chevalier, stirring up a strong current with a few flaps of the wings.

Chevalier used Tailwind!

The gusts of wind generated a turbulent whirlwind to take advantage of. The Poison Gas was cleared from the air yet still clung onto the crevices of cracked cobblestone in the road, its noxious stench lingering in the air. They couldn't afford to lose the momentum they had, especially as the rest of their foes began to regather their senses. Going on the defense currently wasn't an option, and that meant it was time to play some support.

The Mudsdale wielder began barrelling towards them, muscles bulging as he became enveloped in a red aura. Using his newfound Strength, he let out a vicious roar while charging straight at them. Sand began to generate within Valor's clenched fist as she waited for the right moment.

"Take out the ranged wielder first!" She called out to her ally, taking it upon herself to at least distract the other threat in the meantime. A fair distance away, the Hypno wielder appeared to have prepared a Disable, ready to subdue the Night Slash the moment danger struck again. She released the input once in sufficient range, dodging his wild strike and aiming for the face. He recoiled in pain from the sand in his eyes, vision temporarily obscured and accuracy diminished—the opening she was hoping for.

Valor used Sand Attack!

 

[Gamingfan]

This…was not the evacuation site.

Yokai looked left, then right, but only saw unfamiliar streets.

After the Gabite fiasco, Yokai decided to stumble his way back to the evacuation site and deliver his findings. Somewhere along the way he must've gotten twisted along the path, and entered a different cave entirely. His sense of direction had always been less than stellar, but since everything aboveground was sand, sand, and more sand, he didn’t feel like this was entirely his fault.

Yokai took a determined swig of his last potion, and pressed on. He could tell from the buildings that this was thankfully still Saint Dennis, so he just needed to find the evacuation site from within. Shouldn’t be too hard, right?

He was wrong. The place was a ghost town and, without a friendly stranger to give him a direction, Yokai somehow found himself passing the same saloon three times before realizing his mistake. He had run out of potions too. Though he managed to recover most of the damage from Gabite's Slash, he was still left with a portion of his HP missing.

Yokai crossed his arms, looking up as if a solution would fall from the sky. He was beginning to consider trying aboveground again before seeing something of interest. A curious looking Natu, fluttering about high above all the buildings. The stalkers eyes glimmered with intrigue. Even after two years, this game still found ways to surprise him!

Using the Natu as a beacon, Yokai maneuvered himself around what he perceived as a maze of alleys and streets. He began to hear the sounds of talking and laughter as he got closer. It was on a different path from the Natu, but closer to Yokai...and so repeated the age old story of Yokai stepping off the path into potential danger.

Yokai could hear talking coming from a run down building further down the street, a suspicious sight for anyone with common sense. This did not include Yokai, who cheerfully strolled towards the building and, upon seeing the door cracked open, made his way in.

The source of the laughter was from a trio of bandits, one male and one female named Rock_Smasher and Hammer_Time respectively. The third’s gender, simply called Fang, was hard to tell, as they were heavily cloaked. They seemed to be having a great time, talking about something Yokai couldn’t catch…until the creak of the door made all three snap their heads to Yokai, now dead silent. The Taur de Butch tag next to their names almost seemed to pulse threateningly as they glared at the intruder. None of it dissuaded Yokai, who closed the door behind himself and made a friendly wave.

“Hi! I’m Yokai!” Yokai introduced himself with a smile. "Do you know where-"

It was only when all three activated their wields that he got a sense he was unwanted.

“Um…am I interrupting something?”

Evidently he was, as Yokai barely had time to equip Mimi before Rock_Smasher tackled him.

The door was knocked off its hinges as Yokai was sent spinning out of the building. The stalker managed to recover his balance and land on both feet. The hit had been disorienting, but Mimi’s Disguise took the blow for him. His disguise was busted, the face breaking apart to reveal blood red, shining eyes, but Yokai had suffered no damage. Impressively, the same could be said about the door, as it slid beside Yokai without any signs of wear, prompting an impressed “wow!” from him.

The aggressor, an Alolan Geodude wield, casually walked out after him, accompanied by Hammer_Time, a Tinkatink user. Yokai mentally called them Smasher and Hammer respectively. Hammer was fittingly equipped by a crudely made hammer, while the Smasher had large, craggy gauntlets. Yokai took a brief second to admire their wields before remembering the situation at hand. The stalker began to bounce excitedly as he prepared for combat, and his smile only grew bigger.

“Okay, a battle then!” said Yokai. “But can we make this fast? I have somewhere to be…”

“Get’em!” Smasher barked.

“Is that a maybe-”

Smasher brought his fist back and rushed towards Yokai. Lightning surged across his arm as he attempted to grab Yokai by the throat. The stalker reached out and pulled in the same door he crashed through to shield himself. Smasher’s stone hand busted through the durable wood, but his arm was unable to follow through and stopped just short of Yokai’s neck. To Yokai's amusement, the geodude user also struggled to pull his fist out of the door, giving Yokai the opportunity to position both soles on the door and kick both away.

Hammer jumped into the fray, swinging her namesake over Yokai’s head, who yelped and rolled out of the way. In the nick of time too, as the hammer left a scary looking crater where it connected with the floor. Yokai had a good guess over what would happen if he had been too slow.

Hammer showed no intention of letting Yokai slip away. She wildly swung and slammed her hammer after Yokai, who focused on rolling and jumping. With each attack evaded, the stalker seemed to grow cheerier, and the bastard more enraged. She threw more weight into her attacks, and when her balance shifted, Yokai felt an opportunity. Before Hammer’s, well, hammer could touch the ground, Yokai's shadowy body melted into the ground to slide around and behind her. He reformed lightning fast, equipping his scythe, and slashed into Hammer’s back!

Yokai used Shadow Sneak!

Hammer stumbled forward, but her wield's HP barely dropped. She turned back towards Yokai, murder in her eyes. Assuming they were having fun, Yokai flashed her a friendly wink. Hammer leapt at Yokai, her hammer shining as it morphing into something resembling an axe!

Hammer used Metal Claw!

Yokai raised his scythe to defend, but Hammer’s strength knocked him aside without issue. He recovered by stabbing his scythe into the floor, slowing himself to a stop. As Hammer rushed towards him, Yokai considered his options. She was really tanky, and he didn’t want to spend too much time whittling her down…

“...Here goes nothing!”

Hammer grew dangerously close now, preparing to swing as Yokai pointed his scythe like a wand. He connected with Mimi, summoning the power deep within her, connecting with her desire to replicate Pikachu.

Yokai used Thunder Wave!

“CuRsE yOu!” Mimi cried as waves of weak lightning flowed out of her, covering the approaching Hammer. She grimaced as paralysis took effect, her muscles locked up, and she froze where she stood. Hammer attempted to swing down, but Yokai had already left the scene and was making his escape.

Unfortunately, Smasher had managed to free himself of the accursed door by then, and stood in his way. He reached out to grapple Yokai again, but the slippery stalker slid right between Smasher’s open legs! With his scythe, Yokai pulled Smasher’s legs out from under him, and the bastard tumbled to the floor.

Smasher attempted to pick himself up, but Yokai was in the zone and couldn’t stop himself from going for a flashy finisher. Yokai swung his scythe round and round, almost like a dance, gaining momentum before raising it over Smasher! The scythe doubled in size, casting an ominous shadow over Smasher as Yokai slammed the blunt end over him!

Yokai used Wood Hammer!

Smasher's armor made a harsh crunching noise as the impact reduced it into tiny bytes of data that returned to Smasher’s pokeball. A similar crunch came from Yokai’s own wield, which now had a few cracks from Wood Hammer’s recoil.

Yokai looked towards Hammer, who was struggling to move, then at Smasher who lied motionless. Seeing no immediate threat, Yokai gave a bow, thanking them for a good fight before turning to leave...only to find Fang, the third member of the trio, standing in his way.

They possessed twin daggers, seemingly made of stone. Combined with the brown and white pelt they wore, Yokai could piece together their wield was a Lycanroc. Specifically the midday form. It was a rather big pelt though, so Yokai still couldn’t see much of their appearance. What he did notice was that they stalked towards him with authority. Maybe Smasher and Hammer were their lackeys?

Fang glared at Yokai pointedly, daring him to make a move. Yokai being Yokai, he took it as permission to leave and tried running past Fang. In a near instant, Fang leapt in front of Yokai.

“He’s fast!” was all Yokai had time to think before Fang drove his daggers into Yokai, striking him and deleting a chunk of Mimi’s HP.

Fang used Accelerock!

Yokai was once again sent spinning back, only this time he crashed into a bunch of crates piled up against a wall. It was a rough landing, but when the stalker flipped back up, his expression was only of awe at Fang's swiftness.

Fang once again slowly walked towards Yokai, before crouching in preparation. Yokai recognized his movements and activated Shadow Sneak just as Fang leapt forward. They attacked with a slash from both daggers, reducing most of the crates to splinters. Fortunately, Yokai managed to crawl up the wall behind himself just fast enough to avoid taking more damage. Fang looked around, briefly confused over where Yokai went before hearing him.

“Hey!” Yokai called out to Fang, waving as if he could not announce his presence even more. “I have to go! I promise we’ll have a proper battle later, kay?”

With the promise made, Yokai hopped off the wall with a “See ya!”

Still feeling the rush of battle, Yokai took off immediately after landing, managing to get a good head-start before hearing someone land after him. It seemed Fang wasn't done with him. Yokai did like their tenacity, but he could be stubborn too! The Lycanroc wielder gave chase, moving far faster than Yokai expected. It was the crunching of sand under his feet that made Yokai realize: Fang must have Sand Rush on Lycanroc! The terrain was to their advantage!

Fang was steadily closing the gap between them, prompting Yokai to melt into the floor again, and zoom down the streets. Shadow Sneak helped him keep up, but he didn't have infinite stamina...

As he turned out of an alley, Yokai found himself about to pass another saloon. It was a different one at least, evidenced by the clueless looking boy standing in front of it.

"Neat Bandolier!" Yokai complimented Quan as he passed him.

 

[RenzFlintrock]

To Dusk’s surprise, the woman he’d come down to assist didn’t flee, but instead donned a wield and slammed into one of the Taur Der Butch members whilst cloaked in water. The moment of distraction as he processed the situation gave the Mudsdale wielder enough time to retreat a few feet before Dusk could get his feather blade into position for another strike. A barrage of stones was flung towards him, and he adjusted his swing in preparation to destroy as many as he could and mitigate the damage, but as his blade moved his unexpected ally moved to his side and threw up a Wide Guard that blocked the spray of stones. He appreciated the cover; that hit would have put a nasty chunk in Cloak’s durability. Unfortunately, the guarding move was unable to prevent the narrow beam of psychic energy that darted towards them, impacting the jade-coated woman.

The Hypno wielder followed up his attack with a one-liner and a cloud of foul-smelling gas which began to pour over the battlefield. Dusk covered his nose with one arm, and took aim with the pistol in his other hand. His ally summoned a Tailwind to blow away the roiling purple clouds, clearing the adverse field condition. Dusk could hear coughing behind him. The gas had spread beyond the two of them, affecting the gang members and his clones alike. Some of the clones had already faded, and the gang members were gaining their orientation despite being poisoned. He grimaced, knowing the inconvenience of the foul fumes to their allies would be less of a distraction than his clones had been. Still, he didn’t have time to summon more of them yet. The Mudsdale wielder was charging them and the Hypno wielder had started another move input.

A shout from the woman at his side directed him to focus his efforts on the Hypno wielder. He shifted to the side to ensure he was out of range of the man barreling towards them, calling out a Taunt to the yellow-coated caster as he did so. “Real smart move poisoning your buddies back there. As expected of Taur Der Butch,” he snarked. The man in the back’s brow twitched angrily, and his fists clenched instinctively, interrupting his casting of Disable. Dusk used the opportunity to shoot a Snarl at the man, the dart of darkness piercing into his hand, causing him to lose his grip on the pendulum that served as his weapon. Dusk quickly closed the gap between them, bringing the sharp feather blade to bear across the man’s abdomen and dropping his wield. The pixels sparkled in the air as the man’s defenses were dissolved. Dusk paid them no mind. As the man instinctively moved to strike at Dusk (perhaps somewhat influenced by the Taunt still affecting him), Dusk launched a Sucker Punch into the side of the man’s head, dropping him from the battle.

Behind him, the man in the Mudsdale wield bellowed in range, blinking sand out of his eyes and turning towards the blurry outline of the woman he’d just passed. He braced himself to charge, this time inputting a powerful High Horsepower attack and bringing his full weight to bear on his opponent.

Further back still, two of the grunts whose illusory opponents had vanished picked the right group to attack and began moving to assist. One with a Sandshrew wield raised the sleek wooden bow that served as her weapon, firing a purple-tipped arrow towards Dusk. The Poison Sting grazed his shoulder, dealing minimal damage but inflicting the poison that the Hypno wielder had previously failed to inflict. The other, a balding man with a topknot, fluffy collared coat and bony-looking breastplate used the bleached looking bone spear he held to charge at Valor with a Pluck attack.

 

[| Korutesu |]

-------

{Masked Fools}_Fir3work
Remember our deal about Taur De Butch. Take them down, and I keep the girl alive. I don't care what you have to do, as long as they fall. And once you're done, I'll provide you a new task to complete.

Arsenic
You better not hurt her. If you touch her, you are dead to me.

{Masked Fools}_Fir3work
You're in no position to make demands here, nor even making threats. You have no leverage. Now, take them down. They're in Saint Dennis at the second floor.

-------

Hands in his pocket, Arsenic would arrive in the small quaint town of Saint Dennis. It was a small desert town, something you would probably see in a Wild West movie or something. And like on cue, a shot was fired towards Arsenic. The shot connected, hitting Arsenic in the arm. A pokewielder, using what seemed to be a ranged pokewield. Arsenic took some cover behind one of the houses, trying to get himself together. From the shot, it looked like a heavy weapon, meaning that they wouldn't do good in close range, compared to Arsenic's up-close and personal approach.

"Rosette, it is time." With a small click, Rosette would come out of the Pokeball, as they would transform into Arsenic's signature Pokewield.

With a quick motion, He used Pin Missile as a grappling hook, Arsenic would make it up to the roof with the sniper. The sniper, aptly named MoonSh0t would clearly not go without a fight. Although, in one quick motion, Arsenic would shoot the sniper with his trusty dual pistols, one hitting his hand, while the other his shoulder, rendering him unable to shoot. After that, he would shoot one of the sniper's legs, making sure they wouldn't be able to escape.

But..

The sniper's face was filled with fear. They were terrified. It was the same face that he'd seen at the start of this mess. At the start of everything that had happened with him. It was the same face that she had made. The same face that would remind Arsenic of why he had been doing all of this.

"Please! Please... please don't... I- I won't tell anyone you were here, please." Tears rolled down their face, as they begged to be let go.

Arsenic knew the consequences of what would happen if they weren't taken out. The one he swore to protect. He couldn't give her up.

"I have something more important to do. Goodbye."

...

A bang could be heard from the distance.

 

[Captain Cardboard]

Quan

Perhaps unequipping SF was premature. As Quan looked around the nearby street, the sounds of fighting began to ring out from within the city. Gunshots and clashes of metal could be heard, amplified by the cave. Quan hadn't heard this much fighting since the Floor 1 boss fight! What was going on, the city had been so dead just minutes ago!

Quan sent out his Hitmonchan. SF appeared in a flash of light, before blinking and looking around in confusion. The fighter gave his Pokemon an apologetic smile, and was about to equip it as Pokeweild when something caught his eye. Another player, walking down the street. A short woman, dressed as a cowgirl. But rather than the normal palette of tans and browns that others in the city seemed to favor, this player's outfit looked like it was a Halloween costume. It was pink, with black and white cow spots. Even if the pink cowgirl costume wasn't Quan's style, the player was still incredibly cute, and looked out of place in such a rough place. For a moment, their eyes met, and Quan gave the girl a shy smile and wave. There was something familiar about her...

Quan continued to watched Panda walk down the street. SF rolled their eyes before lightly slugging Quan on the shoulder, shaking him out of his stare. Once more, Quan went to equip SF as his Pokeweild, but once more he hesitated. This time, at the sight of yet another player. This one had their Pokeweild equipped, a rather impressive one at that. A pair or lances, with flames and leather armor. Very cool looking. But the way he was staring at that cowgirl... He was about to attack her! Quan stretched out his hand towards the cowgirl, trying to call out to her, to warn her. But like always, no matter how hard he tried, no words nor cry came out.

Fortunately, none was needed. As the bandit charged towards the cowgirl, in a flash the girl sent out her Pokemon and equipped it as a wield. In an instant, this short cute cowgirl changed into a massive, muscular woman. With incredible agility and grace she evaded a majority of the bandit's onslaught, and delivered a powerful suplex. Quan's jaw dropped. That form, that wield! That was a Pangoro! Another fighting type! Quan pumped his fist in a silent cheer, rooting for the panda warrior woman. This was awesome, a chance to see the technique and style of another Fighting-Type wield!

Once more, Quan's Hitmonchan nudged him. Right, they couldn't just stand here and do nothing. That girl was getting jumped, they should help her! Quan equipped SF, donning the familiar brown and purple armor and boxing gloves again. But before he could charge in...

"Neat Bandolier!"

Another player darted past Quan. They were clearly using some sort of Pokemon technique to move, as they were halfway in the ground with some sort of shadow energy at their base. Quan only caught a glimpse of their wield, one of rags armed with a sinister scythe.

Hot on the heels of the player was another, also with a wield equipped. A Lycanroc wield, but what caught Quan's eye was the banner beneath the username. Taur de Butch. The goal of the Lycanroc player was clear. Quan stepped forward, and with a powerful haymaker punch attempted to clothesline the Lycanroc bandit as they ran past! As he did so, a silver energy glowed around his fist. SF's Iron Fist ability, powering up his punching attack.

Quan used Drain Punch!

The attack took Fang totally by surprise, knocking the bandit off their feet and sending them cartwheeling through the air. Quan turned to face Fang, pounding his boxing gloves together and striding towards the Lycanroc. Quan was getting tired of these Taur de Butch people running around. He gestured for Fang to get up, taking a defensive fighting stance.

 

[Gamingfan]

The sound of a rough impact brought Yokai to a sudden halt. He swung round to the sight of Fang being sent flying by Bandolier Boy, who was now equipped with a pokewield. A hitmonchan weild, by the looks of it.

So cool!

Enthralled, Yokai cancelled his shadow sneak and began running back.

Once he fell back down to the ground, Fang managed to stick the landing, but a slight stumble betrayed that they had been truly caught off guard. Quan gestured the bastard to fight back, but the equally silent Fang did not respond. They remained low, sizing Quan up with a cold stare. It was only for a second, but Fang had enough information to know this was a disadvantageous matchup. The Lycanroc wield turned around, seemingly cutting his losses and running back down the street. Boosted by the sand below, Fang turned a corner and vanished into an alley in a flash.

“Hey! Hold on!”
Yokai was yelling out and waving to Fang, but to no avail. When they vanished, Yokai screeched to a halt right beside Quan and slumped a little. Seeing his recent attacker vanish seemed to bum Yokai out briefly.
“Aw, man…” Yokai sighed. “I wanted to see if we could set up a time for the fight…”
But Yokai’s face brightened back up instantly as he faced Quan. He unequipped Mimi, and his harsh red eyes changed back into the usual soft, baby blue ones that sparkled with gratitude.
“But thanks for the assist! You were really cool back there! These Taur de Butch guys are really determined, huh? I'll pay you back though!”

Yokai admired Quan's wield from different angles as he chattered, until the sound of another impact caught his attention. To his surprise, there was a scuffle just down the street, between Pangoro and Rapidash wields! It was an awesome thing to watch, for sure. But in his peripheral vision, Yokai caught sight of something else that interested him.

The Natu from earlier, flying just above two fighters! Yokai had bumbled right next to it! He was surprised the fight hadn’t spooked it away, though. Maybe it belonged to the Rapidash user? Or maybe the Pangoro? Whatever the case, he wanted to know how to catch it! Maybe he could ask after their battle...