[Game thread] Skull Ruins Pokerole

[Dragonstrike]

Spoiler

Cosh isn't going to be intimidated since he has you drastically outnumbered and you're on his turf. His gauntlet whirs, recalibrating itself for combat. But before he can react, PorygonZ and Gallade lay into him!

Electroweb 1
(1)(1)(1)(1)(2)(6) (5)(5)(3) It barely clips Cosh, but he grimaces. Some of the Scimitars take less damage than others; you'd guess they have all sorts of different elements loaded up in their Gauntlets.
(5)(5)(2), (3)(6)(3) Cosh takes 3 dmg, most of his goons take 3 as well.

Rock Smash 1
(5)(6)(4)(5)(4)(2) (6)(4)(2) Gallade's critical attack spins Cosh around in midair, spraying splinters of steel everywhere. Nathan notices they are featherlike.
(4)(5)(5)(4) Cosh is rocked, and he recalibrates again! His gauntlet expands this time, and he falls to the floor heavily (but lands on his feet). His gauntlet is starting to show cracks already.

On his turn, he just retreats back up the steps, out of range, letting his minions fill in his space. He tears the gauntlet from one of them, leaving them gasping on the floor, and you can see him fiddling with it on his off-hand.

Gallade was in melee with him and manages to keep up (using his second action and a few well-placed thrusts on minions), but Porygon is out of range. Both Gallade and Cosh fade in and out of the Smokescreen.

Razor Leaf 1
(3)(6)(1)(1)(6)(6) (5) The Scimitars are able to cover their eyes with their gauntlets, protecting them from a near-crit. Sharp leaves still tear into their clothes and unprotected left hands.
(3)(1)(4) A lot of the goons have resistance to Grass, but just as many are weak against it.

Ominous Wind 1
Noire actually uses this first action to catch up to Cosh on the next battlefield, phasing right through walls and minions alike.

Lilith, though, cannot reach Cosh. Nor can Kecleon.

The mob rushes in! Oh joy, there are so many targets, and so many to fire at them!

One team starts by spraying a webbing spell over the Pokemon in the subbasement. Each spell hits one or two Pokemon, depending on how close together they are.

Web Spell 1A-D
(4)(4)(3)(2)(3)
(4)(6)(4)(1)(2)
(6)(2)(1)(4)(6)
(4)(1)(5)(4)(5)

-1 Dex for Porygon, Tropius, Noire, Gothitelle, Kecleon, Hida, Gustav

Another group works together to summon a storm above Gustav's head. It strikes him with bolts of lightning, and floods Hida with the rain. Behind them, allies are working to increase the power of the Scimitars in front of them, using a spell similar to Helping Hand!

"Witness the true power of the gauntlets!" shouts the one at the front of the wedge. "En masse, we have power you can't imagine!"

Thunder Spell 1A-D
(2)(4)
(4)(4)
(5)(6)
(1)(6) Hit 4 times
(3)(4)(1)(3)(6)
(4)(4)(1)(6)(2)
(4)(5)(2)(6)(5) Gustav faints. The next lightning bolt lances out toward Heart, but Tropius blocks it.
(4)(2)(5)(5)(4) (3) Tropius takes 3 dmg

Rain spell 1A-D
(4)(5)(6)(5)(1)
(5)(3)(4)(3)(2)
(5)(5)(6)(2)(4)
(4)(1)(1)(3)(3) Hit 3 times
(1)(2)(4)
(4)(2)(5)
(4)(3)(1) Hida takes 10 dmg and faints as well.

That's all who can attack through the rent, but more Scimitars are working to enlarge the rent. Next action will be even worse!

Sheltered behind Tropius, Heart and the Moltres Egg are an inferno of rage! Heart's concern for Rose flickers with his concern for Keni, so let's see if he can focus his Earthpower properly and sever that last cord!

Earthpower
(5)(6)(3)(5)(1)(4) (1)(6)(6) That's enough! The final thread fades away as Shiva stabs the Scim holding Keni. Keni stands up and dusts himself off, pacing calmly over to Shiva as she gets out the Unfinished Card. His attendant leaps for him as Heart, Shiva, Keni, and Spira step through into Cress City. Tropius lifts Gustav, but Hida is so heavy that he must be recalled.

Nathan, Oscar, and most of the Pokemon go through the Finished Card. You're close enough to hear Cosh RAGING even louder than Heart and Nathan did. "HOW! Tell me HOW they got through SEVEN of our BEST BLOCKING SPELLS??!?!?!?" He's kicking things and launching attacks and somewhere in there you hear the SCREEE of a bird of prey. Then all you hear is the sounds of Cress City, thinking about waking up as the sun thinks about rising.

The Scimitar who passed through the cards with you stands up and levels his Gauntlet, then sees that he is vastly outnumbered. He runs west...right into a swarm of Magnemite rising from the cobblestones. The swarm forms a thumbs up, then flies east.

All through the shadowy spaces in the city, you see gleaming eyes. The sharp-eyed among you see that these are Zigzagoon, dispersing to report to their master.

Keni shuffles over to Heart and the Moltres Egg, which has gone pale and cool. "Take care, Master Heart. A Baby Pokemon's personality is structured by the emotions of the one carrying the Egg. It's one of the purposes of an Egg, to pass on good thoughts and skills directly from those who love the Baby inside. Therefore, love is the appropriate emotion when holding an Egg, not hate. With a Pokemon such as this, you must be even more careful. Now. Go, and build a pyre, and get this little one into it. Maybe sing him a song or stroke him if you can stand the heat. Go!"

He slumps. "I'm so tired. Is anything left of my home? Or the Pokemon Center, perhaps, in a pinch? And someone will have to run for my tea. They have it at the Mart. Just tell them it's for me." He leans on Tropius.

Nathan has a grim, satisfied smirk on his face as that lone Scim gets captured by Dagny's Magnemite and Tanuki's Zigzagoon go to report what happened to the Gym Leader.  "...good riddance."

Nathan goes over to Heart and Keni and puts a hand on Heart's shoulder.  "...Heart, I know exactly how you feel.  Moreso, even.  When Seikamter took Gallade...it was heart wrenching.  Don't lose yourself to those feelings like I think you once did, though.  They'll get what's coming to them.  I made sure of that.  And we will get Rose, Azu, Cottonee, and Toya back.  Keni can help us later.  For now, listen to Keni.  You've got an important responsibility to fulfill, both now and in the future.  And there's another task we still have to complete today, too.  We can't fully rest yet."  (@Spiritmon)

Gallade's dusting himself off, the same grim, satisfied smirk that Nathan has on his face too.  Hehehehe.  He sure showed Cosh.  The Scim didn't even have a chance to do anything before he had to retreat!  Hahahahaha!

Yeah, Gallade's laughing in joy and satisfaction right now.  He may not have beaten Cosh entirely, but he didn't have to!  He proved to that man that he wasn't weak and useless and nothing but an experiment, and that's what matters to him! If they ever cross paths again, he'll be ready!

Of course, he couldn't have done it without Nathan.  Or Calam for that matter.  And all of the other members of the group in fact.  He and Nathan still have some reservations about Shiva, but...they can probably overlook them, rethinking things.

Nathan sends a text to Terra: (@Lord Windos)

Terra, the whole damn base just woke up.  It's swarming with Scimitars.  We got Keni and my uncle out successfully, and we Teleported back to Cress City.  I'll explain how later.  Just recall Mr. Mime into his pokeball, grab Angela, and Teleport the heck out of there before they start searching the perimeter for stragglers!  I need both of you to meet me and everyone else at the Western Pokemon Center in Cress ASAP.

There.  That should catch Terra up.

Nathan looks to Shiva and Spira.  "Shiva, could you go get Keni his tea, please?  I'll escort him and my Uncle to the Center.  Spira, you doing okay?  Do you want to help me or Shiva?" (@PhantomUnderYourDesk and @Mikaruge108)

And to Keni and his uncle: "I'm sorry, but the Scims leveled both of your homes entirely.  There's nothing left of them.  For now, I think the Pokemon Center is probably the safest place in the immediate area.  I'm sorry they dragged you into this, Uncle Oscar.  I just hope they don't go for my mom, too...I might have to ask the League if they can place some added security measures until this is all over..."