PlatinumSkinkThrough the coloured haze bathing the street, a ghastly floated over to sit atop the Xerneas float. Still standing regally in the center of the float, Tantalus smiled warmly at the creature. “Welcome! The more the merrier, little one.” Well, let’s see if your attempt can attract pokemon, he thought, giving a small chuckle. Although where the Ghastly had actually come from was a mystery to even him.
Shifting their attention to behind him, some of the crowd began to marvel at something out of Tantalus’s field of view. The two floats directly behind him were unoccupied, so unless one had spontaneously combusted, or Hope had come back - which might have the same effect as the former - Seras was beginning her performance. Several small bangs could be heard, which still didn’t clarify which it was. From the cheering and applause, however, it was more likely to be Seras. He was finding the competition enjoyable, but the thought of crushing her at the same time made it all the sweeter.
"Brothers and sisters in humanity! I urge you to think twice about who you're cheering for!" Booming out from further up the parade line, a voice seemed to smother the very air around him.
Tantalus gave the mother of all sighs.
The man’s drivel continued for several more lines, before he seemed to be interrupted by something. Either that, or he was aiming for the longest dramatical pause ever. Just then, an almighty explosion rang out from the direction of the speech, plumes of smoke rising high above the parade and gathering around the roof. Screams and shouts quickly dissolved the happy atmosphere of the parade into chaos, as bystanders scrambled to distance themselves from the floats, barging into one another. People were falling over and being trampled on. Needless to say, no-one was paying attention to either Avatar vying for victory in their game. Tantalus’s hand trembled with a dark fury, his thunder stolen yet again.
Swirling around inside his head, a voice spoke. “Well this is certainly interesting.”
Scoffing, Tantalus replied mockingly. “Friends of yours?”
Naturally, Xerneas escalated things. “Enemies of us both, I believe. Pay attention, dear host.”
“Fuck you.” He growled, the sound filled with bitterness.
“Is that a note of anger I hear, bearer mine?” Delivering the line with a smug air, the Pokemon chuckled.
Clenching the spear hard enough to hurt, the man spoke, slowly and filled with hatred. “My patience is wearing silk-thin. Since my arrival, there has been nothing but self-entitled lunatics intent on destroying as much as they can, as fast as they can. Is anyone in Arceus-forsaken country civilised? Coming here was the worst decision that has ever crossed my mind.”
Sensing his annoyance, Xerneas slid the knife in further. “Except coming here wasn’t your decision. Perhaps you should think twice before letting lesser beings call the shots from now on.”
That was all it took for Tantalus to snap completely. “Listen up, you cretins,” he roared at the crowd. “How you think what you are doing will help in any way is entirely beyond me, but allow me to assure you that it is not.” Releasing a blast of Aromatherapy to attempt to calm the mass, he continued. “Calm. Down. Leave here in an orderly manner, before you do each other serious injuries. If a single one of you is exceeding the pace of a fast walk, I will personally freeze you solid. Am I understood?” Looking sheepishly, the crowd began to obey for the most part, slowing. Aurora Beam wasn’t able to freeze people, to the best of his knowledge, but it seemed people didn’t want to take the risk. This allowed the people on the ground enough of a chance to get up and to safety. “Good. Now remain at this speed until you are well clear. We Avatars will handle the situation ahead.”
“You are right, of course, Xerneas. From now on, any decisions will be made by the superior entity.” He smiled darkly. “So I’ll need no further input from the likes of you.” Growling inside of his head, the legendary fell silent. Whether he had been suppressed actively, or simply gotten bored, was not something he could think about right now
What is going on? Another voice in his head chimed in, this time belonging to Apate, nervously scanning the crowd.
Tantalus stared out, grimly. No idea, but I do not believe it is good. I’m heading forward to find out. Coming?
Smiling, the Mawile gave a determined head nod.
Turning to the Ghastly, Tantalus pointed the spear at it. “You have two choices. Come with us, or go and find your trainer. Whatever you decide, I wish you the best of luck.” Moving forward, about to run towards the explosion further up the parade line, the Avatar was suddenly and completely mowed down by an oversized boulder which had come flying out of the crowd. It caught him square in the chest, throwing him with such force that he crashed through the wooden throne, light screen, mock-Xerneas, and out onto the Yveltal float. Upon landing, the fragile crystal wings shattered and the spear - which had fallen out of his hand mid-air - lodged itself within Yveltal’s chest. The boulder proceeded to take out the effigy’s legs. A look of sheer horror crossed Apate’s face, as she watched her trainer tumble through the air.
Lying on the deck of Yveltal’s float, the man contorted in pain. The damage from the attack wasn’t severe - softened as a result of Geomancy - but it had winded him badly. Despite being physically healthy, taking a boulder on like that hurt, and his ribcage ached as though the offending object had been a freight train. Steadily, Tantalus rose, swaying gently. Strains of his hair had fallen loose from the circlet, obscuring his eyes. Fairy Aura kicked in, fuel by raw anger, and resulted in him glowing a fiercely deep pink. Grasping the spear, he wrenched it free of the mock-Yveltal and twirled it around. Turning back towards Xerneas’s float, he saw the Golem leap towards his Mawile. Pure and unbridled wrath burst forth from deep within. Raising a hand toward the Pokemon, he quickly gathered energy around it. Streaming forth in a silver-white beam, it slammed into the airborne Golem sending it forward.
Tantalus blurred after it, moving so fast the air around him wavered slightly. Bridging the gap between the two floats as though it were little more than an inconvenience, he kicked off an arm of the splintered throne, soaring skyward. Releasing another blast of energy backwards, the Avatar used the momentum and accelerated toward the Golem, landing on it spear first. The gemstone tip found purchase into the soft tissue of the Pokemon’s forehead. Wood cracked under them as the conjoined mass hit the float of Genesect with crushing force. Stamping his foot down hard on it’s shell, Tantalus tore the spear from the Golem’s body. It shimmered a darker shade of pink, the light being altered by the blood now running down the length. The sapphire tip was shattered, pieces lodged somewhere within the Pokemon.
Glaring at the hooded man, his voice resonated and distorted from the power of Fairy Aura. “You are fools, messing with forces you cannot possibly comprehend. Forces that we, as the subjects of this experiment, find unable to understand.” Gesturing towards the two pokemon heading to other floats with the spear, blood dripping off from the ruined tip. “Challenging those forces with nothing beside a few poxy Pokemon.” Kicking the lifeless form of the Golem again, the volume of his speech rose to a crescendo. “Arrogance. This move will cost each and every one of you. Dearly.”
Taking stock of the scene around, several members of the crowd had been injured, either by encroaching Pokemon or each other. Healing them would take a lot of time and energy. Security forces which had been present were either just for show or utterly incompetent. Wondering who to bill for this complete disaster, Tantalus decided it would be the fat Mayor from the dinner last night. And if he’s lucky, I might offer a half-off sale.
“And for anyone wondering, or any other member of this so-called Alliance listening in. This is not one of your dreaded legendaries. My actions are none but mine. The opponent you face this day is Tantalus Swain, not Xerneas. A name you will struggle to forget.” Blood trickled down his back, and it became clear that several shards of crystal from the wings had embedded themselves after the rough landing earlier. Nothing serious, but drawing attention to them made the wounds sting. Staring down at the pooling blood, the weight of what had just unfolded truly hit him. Legs buckling slightly, he stopped himself from falling over. It was either dead or dying, and the attack hadn’t even been the result of conscious choice. Apate had come under attack, and he sought to defeat it to protect her.
The healer's hands trembled as he stood over the limp body of the Golem, who had been viciously impaled with an antique spear. It was impossible to tell if this was something he would have done before the emergence of Xerneas or not, and that thought was terrifying. In addition, the counter-offensive had painted a large target on him. Most of the crowd has dispersed, but the stragglers that were left would be a little safer now. The open unspoken challenge hung in the air above, directed at any Pokemon and trainers from the Alliance - or otherwise - who wished to take it up. As if on cue, Apate, who had been struggling to mentally sort out the unfolding scene, rushed to Tantalus’s side. Entering the area of effect, she began to glow the same colour as he did, and glared down the opposing Alliance trainer. A shrill rose from the Pokemon, a defiant taunt. While the future was unclear, one thing was certain.
This was not how he envisioned making the history books.
Shifting their attention to behind him, some of the crowd began to marvel at something out of Tantalus’s field of view. The two floats directly behind him were unoccupied, so unless one had spontaneously combusted, or Hope had come back - which might have the same effect as the former - Seras was beginning her performance. Several small bangs could be heard, which still didn’t clarify which it was. From the cheering and applause, however, it was more likely to be Seras. He was finding the competition enjoyable, but the thought of crushing her at the same time made it all the sweeter.
"Brothers and sisters in humanity! I urge you to think twice about who you're cheering for!" Booming out from further up the parade line, a voice seemed to smother the very air around him.
Tantalus gave the mother of all sighs.
The man’s drivel continued for several more lines, before he seemed to be interrupted by something. Either that, or he was aiming for the longest dramatical pause ever. Just then, an almighty explosion rang out from the direction of the speech, plumes of smoke rising high above the parade and gathering around the roof. Screams and shouts quickly dissolved the happy atmosphere of the parade into chaos, as bystanders scrambled to distance themselves from the floats, barging into one another. People were falling over and being trampled on. Needless to say, no-one was paying attention to either Avatar vying for victory in their game. Tantalus’s hand trembled with a dark fury, his thunder stolen yet again.
Swirling around inside his head, a voice spoke. “Well this is certainly interesting.”
Scoffing, Tantalus replied mockingly. “Friends of yours?”
Naturally, Xerneas escalated things. “Enemies of us both, I believe. Pay attention, dear host.”
“Fuck you.” He growled, the sound filled with bitterness.
“Is that a note of anger I hear, bearer mine?” Delivering the line with a smug air, the Pokemon chuckled.
Clenching the spear hard enough to hurt, the man spoke, slowly and filled with hatred. “My patience is wearing silk-thin. Since my arrival, there has been nothing but self-entitled lunatics intent on destroying as much as they can, as fast as they can. Is anyone in Arceus-forsaken country civilised? Coming here was the worst decision that has ever crossed my mind.”
Sensing his annoyance, Xerneas slid the knife in further. “Except coming here wasn’t your decision. Perhaps you should think twice before letting lesser beings call the shots from now on.”
That was all it took for Tantalus to snap completely. “Listen up, you cretins,” he roared at the crowd. “How you think what you are doing will help in any way is entirely beyond me, but allow me to assure you that it is not.” Releasing a blast of Aromatherapy to attempt to calm the mass, he continued. “Calm. Down. Leave here in an orderly manner, before you do each other serious injuries. If a single one of you is exceeding the pace of a fast walk, I will personally freeze you solid. Am I understood?” Looking sheepishly, the crowd began to obey for the most part, slowing. Aurora Beam wasn’t able to freeze people, to the best of his knowledge, but it seemed people didn’t want to take the risk. This allowed the people on the ground enough of a chance to get up and to safety. “Good. Now remain at this speed until you are well clear. We Avatars will handle the situation ahead.”
“You are right, of course, Xerneas. From now on, any decisions will be made by the superior entity.” He smiled darkly. “So I’ll need no further input from the likes of you.” Growling inside of his head, the legendary fell silent. Whether he had been suppressed actively, or simply gotten bored, was not something he could think about right now
What is going on? Another voice in his head chimed in, this time belonging to Apate, nervously scanning the crowd.
Tantalus stared out, grimly. No idea, but I do not believe it is good. I’m heading forward to find out. Coming?
Smiling, the Mawile gave a determined head nod.
Turning to the Ghastly, Tantalus pointed the spear at it. “You have two choices. Come with us, or go and find your trainer. Whatever you decide, I wish you the best of luck.” Moving forward, about to run towards the explosion further up the parade line, the Avatar was suddenly and completely mowed down by an oversized boulder which had come flying out of the crowd. It caught him square in the chest, throwing him with such force that he crashed through the wooden throne, light screen, mock-Xerneas, and out onto the Yveltal float. Upon landing, the fragile crystal wings shattered and the spear - which had fallen out of his hand mid-air - lodged itself within Yveltal’s chest. The boulder proceeded to take out the effigy’s legs. A look of sheer horror crossed Apate’s face, as she watched her trainer tumble through the air.
Lying on the deck of Yveltal’s float, the man contorted in pain. The damage from the attack wasn’t severe - softened as a result of Geomancy - but it had winded him badly. Despite being physically healthy, taking a boulder on like that hurt, and his ribcage ached as though the offending object had been a freight train. Steadily, Tantalus rose, swaying gently. Strains of his hair had fallen loose from the circlet, obscuring his eyes. Fairy Aura kicked in, fuel by raw anger, and resulted in him glowing a fiercely deep pink. Grasping the spear, he wrenched it free of the mock-Yveltal and twirled it around. Turning back towards Xerneas’s float, he saw the Golem leap towards his Mawile. Pure and unbridled wrath burst forth from deep within. Raising a hand toward the Pokemon, he quickly gathered energy around it. Streaming forth in a silver-white beam, it slammed into the airborne Golem sending it forward.
Tantalus blurred after it, moving so fast the air around him wavered slightly. Bridging the gap between the two floats as though it were little more than an inconvenience, he kicked off an arm of the splintered throne, soaring skyward. Releasing another blast of energy backwards, the Avatar used the momentum and accelerated toward the Golem, landing on it spear first. The gemstone tip found purchase into the soft tissue of the Pokemon’s forehead. Wood cracked under them as the conjoined mass hit the float of Genesect with crushing force. Stamping his foot down hard on it’s shell, Tantalus tore the spear from the Golem’s body. It shimmered a darker shade of pink, the light being altered by the blood now running down the length. The sapphire tip was shattered, pieces lodged somewhere within the Pokemon.
Glaring at the hooded man, his voice resonated and distorted from the power of Fairy Aura. “You are fools, messing with forces you cannot possibly comprehend. Forces that we, as the subjects of this experiment, find unable to understand.” Gesturing towards the two pokemon heading to other floats with the spear, blood dripping off from the ruined tip. “Challenging those forces with nothing beside a few poxy Pokemon.” Kicking the lifeless form of the Golem again, the volume of his speech rose to a crescendo. “Arrogance. This move will cost each and every one of you. Dearly.”
Taking stock of the scene around, several members of the crowd had been injured, either by encroaching Pokemon or each other. Healing them would take a lot of time and energy. Security forces which had been present were either just for show or utterly incompetent. Wondering who to bill for this complete disaster, Tantalus decided it would be the fat Mayor from the dinner last night. And if he’s lucky, I might offer a half-off sale.
“And for anyone wondering, or any other member of this so-called Alliance listening in. This is not one of your dreaded legendaries. My actions are none but mine. The opponent you face this day is Tantalus Swain, not Xerneas. A name you will struggle to forget.” Blood trickled down his back, and it became clear that several shards of crystal from the wings had embedded themselves after the rough landing earlier. Nothing serious, but drawing attention to them made the wounds sting. Staring down at the pooling blood, the weight of what had just unfolded truly hit him. Legs buckling slightly, he stopped himself from falling over. It was either dead or dying, and the attack hadn’t even been the result of conscious choice. Apate had come under attack, and he sought to defeat it to protect her.
The healer's hands trembled as he stood over the limp body of the Golem, who had been viciously impaled with an antique spear. It was impossible to tell if this was something he would have done before the emergence of Xerneas or not, and that thought was terrifying. In addition, the counter-offensive had painted a large target on him. Most of the crowd has dispersed, but the stragglers that were left would be a little safer now. The open unspoken challenge hung in the air above, directed at any Pokemon and trainers from the Alliance - or otherwise - who wished to take it up. As if on cue, Apate, who had been struggling to mentally sort out the unfolding scene, rushed to Tantalus’s side. Entering the area of effect, she began to glow the same colour as he did, and glared down the opposing Alliance trainer. A shrill rose from the Pokemon, a defiant taunt. While the future was unclear, one thing was certain.
This was not how he envisioned making the history books.