Second Bond - Blackouts stop nothing [action]

[planetary_bonds]

[If he's going to train, he's going to go train. Even if that leads to Rally futilely trying to harass all the ghost Pokemon swarms, as he always does. The little Eevee is so easily distracted sometimes, and hordes of Pokemon that it can't touch are an ample distraction.

Eventually, it would end up scaring at least one of them, wouldn't it? Thankfully, Yuusei was able to get Rally to behave after a while, and even make friends with the little ghost.

Which means that when Yuusei comes back to where he's staying with Crow and Kurt, he has a newly captured Golett following him.]

Comments

[os_blackbird]

His ghost senses are tingling-

"Eh?" Is that-

"You got one of the ghosts that's been swarming around?"

usagi you need to stop being so fast

[planetary_bonds]

Ah. Rally wouldn't leave it alone.

[Indignant 'veeee's coming from the Eevee. He totally wasn't like that at all. >T]

i refuse 8U

[os_blackbird]

"Huh." He's just staring at it, uh.

"Kinda reminds me of an oni..." Crow no-

[planetary_bonds]

Oni?

[He muses, then shrugs.]

I couldn't use the Pokedex function to tell me what it was, but Ryuushi's Charge Beam didn't work on it, so it must be part-Ground. I was hoping to use the reference books here to find out.

[os_blackbird]

"He's definitely ghost as well," Crow mutters.

"Oni are ghosts with solid form," he continues with a shrug. "A lot of the ones with shaman partners have an armor of sort over them."

[planetary_bonds]

Hn. Interesting. [Solid ghosts.] But they're still invisible?

[And while he asks that, walking over to a nearby bookshelf to look up his Pokemon.]

[os_blackbird]

"Yep! Ghost pokemon seem to be visible most of the time anyways though, and they're still sorta alive..."

It's a weird and blurred line okay.

[planetary_bonds]

If anything, they seem to be living creatures that share the characteristics that are usually associated with ghosts...or am I wrong?

[Regardless, leafing through the book now.]

[os_blackbird]

"Er... Sort of?"

"That's the thing- living as they are, they're also technically dead. Just look at the 'Yamask'! They were human once, according to this world's devices. Not to mention, that thing," Aiapaec adds, hissing toward the spiritomb which Crow seems to have taken to carrying out of the pokeball.

"Hey you leave her outta this!"

"I refuse."

[planetary_bonds]

Nnn, you have a point. Some Ghost-types really do seem to be ghosts, based on their descriptions and origins...

[And he blinks, once he reaches the page he's searching for.]

Hn. Interesting.

[os_blackbird]

"What is?"

Aiapaec beats him to the punch- "Well now. You've adopted a golem." It's hard to tell if that's disdain or apathy he's speaking with...

[planetary_bonds]

Is that what they're called? Hn.

[Somehow, it does fit with what the description of this new Pokemon.]

It says here that this species is identified as Golett.

[os_blackbird]

Aiapaec snorts. "The creativity of this world knows no bounds..."

"That's great, what the heck is a golem," Crow grumbles to the spirit.

"A stone or metal being given life at the cost of a soul; I've seen a few even regain the consciousness of the soul in question, it's quite interesting..."

The look on Crow's face says exactly what his thoughts on Aiapaec's definition of 'interesting' are.

whoops yamask shenanigan time

[neikeabequeathing]

Yuusei might catch sight of a hiding Zone while on his way back; the twins are still with everyone else.

At any rate, Zone appears to be huddled under a bench, as though hiding from something. Or is he?

It's impossible to see his face from here, and that may or may not be a good thing...

welhpg

[planetary_bonds]

Ah...Zone?

[At spotting the familiar figure, Rally is going to yip happily and bound over to where Zone is hiding, oblivious to any fear the boy is expressing.]

Veeeee~!

a SHINY one~

[neikeabequeathing]

There's no response- if you look close from even where you stand, there seems to be a glimmer of silver on his face.

But that's normal right? Half of it IS covered by metal after all...

ohgoddddd

[planetary_bonds]

[Yuusei approaches more closely, but Rally is already up and trying to demand attention, pawing at Zone eagerly.]

Oi. Are you alright?

gUESS ZONE'S FRIENDS FOLLOWED HIM AFTER ALL...

[neikeabequeathing]

Zone appears to tremble-

And once Rally is close enough, his head snaps up far enough to look the eevee dead in the eye-

or at least the mask on his face does. It's an odd mask, and one Yuusei might find horribly familiar if only in design. While it lacks the black and white of its counterpart, there are divets and striations of line of identical pattern to that of Paradox's own.

[planetary_bonds]

[Rally immediately hisses at the mask and starts snarling and growling, meanwhile-]

...P...Paradox...?

[neikeabequeathing]

"Ehehheheheheheheheheheheheheheheeeeeee..."

Oh dear.

Quite unfortunately, what with one arm being made of metal, Rally is likely being tossed aside quite easily before 'Paradox' comes out from under the bench. Though the mask covers his face, it's not difficult to envision a grin beneath it, and his stance speaks of someone who would have been ready for an axe fight.

"Didn'T QuiTe KilL mE eHehHEHehEHEHeHEHEHEEEEEEEE..."

[planetary_bonds]

[Yuusei immediately reaches out to catch the Eevee, and while he's debating how to respond, Gardna stands in front of the two...before going after the mask.]

Go-lll!

[neikeabequeathing]

The mask itself seems to respond, seeming to only have a loose control over half of the body- it seems to attempt to send some sort of attack forward- in fact it does!

A shadow of energy which appears nothing like Zone and entirely like another figure seen in photos and in the previous swarm of 'nightmares' shadows briefly behind the boy, launching forward as a nightshade; Gardna's punch does connect however, sending a resounding clang through the air when the attacks clash.

In response, the doors to the center open-

"The heck is going on out here!?" AHHH. CROW.

NICE TIMING.

[planetary_bonds]

Ah, Crow!

[Meanwhile, the Golett shakes off the effects of the colliding attacks and is going for a Shadow Punch-and it's trying to hit that mask.]

Something's happened to Zone-I don't understand it, but Gardna seems to have sensed something about it!

[neikeabequeathing]

'ZONE' refuses to let that punch connect! MEET STEEL FIST, STONEMAN.

As that's going on, Crow merely stares.

And then walks over.

And then as he taps Zone's shoulder, one can perhaps see Aiapaec misting around his ar-

"GHhAhGK-!"

He just ripped the mask off, what-

"YAAAAAMAAAAAAAAAAAA-! MAAASSSSSUUUU MAAAAAAAAA-!!"

Said mask is screaming and smoking and Zone in the meantime is sitting on the ground looking entirely confused.

[planetary_bonds]

[Rally is automatically nosing at Gardna and helping it sit up after being blown back by that fist, which leaves Yuusei free to help Zone.]

Oi, Zone! Are you alright?