Jory

Jory grinned lightly as his name was announced. He stepped forward into his space, then addressed Sid. "Hey, I'm gonna have a quick huddle with my team first, alright?" He smiled at his opponent, then released Sampson and Neffi from their capsules. He looked to each of his partners. Neffi returned his look expectantly while Sampson snorted and stamped the ground, eager to get started. "Guys, this is our first time fighting Sid. He seems like the type to go all-out, so don't hold back! Sampson, I guess you'll go first since you don't really like water all too much." The Ponyta nodded his head in agreement, turning to stare down his small, catlike opponent. "Neffi, you'll be the clean-up crew, okay?" The Nidoran responded by letting out a loud yip and standing next to Jory, who turned back to Sid. "I'm ready." Sampson stepped into the ring, his flaming mane growing slightly more wild as the GAO stamped his feet. Jory looked steadily toward the feline GAO. No advantages here. It's pure strength. Time to show off our new move. "Alright, Sampson, lead off with the new attack we've been practicing! Coat yourself in spinning flames, then hit'em with everything you've got!" Sampson whinnied and stood on his hind legs. His mane began to envelop his entire body. He neighed and dropped to his feet, galloping toward the Shinx with great force. ________________________ Moves used: Sampson- Flame Wheel

I didn't really have anything to add to the conversation before this, but now I just have two points that I'd like to clarify: 1) Although using a setup lead seems practical in theory, the simple fact is that most "setup leads" do much better lategame after their checks have been removed. Due to this, people tend to move these mons to slots 2-6 in their teams (at least in my experience). This gives a BP team a crucial turn of early setup if a switch is required, as most people would rather use a suicide leads (or other hazard-setting leads) than a setup lead that will likely result in them having to switch mons anyway. On the other side of this, if you do run a setup lead, you're leaving yourself open to threats like Landorus-T that can shred a setup lead with impunity and simply switch out the next turn. In my experience, especially considering the prominence of Speed Boosters on BP teams, the most reliable check to BP teams is the move Perish Song, which has relatively poor distribution and is only rarely seen more than once per team. 2) Swagger is not uncounterable. Yes, it's annoying, and we've all lost battles to hax before. I personally don't use Swagger unless I'm running Illumise (because Illumise > Arceus) because it's quite unreliable. Rather than thinking of it as a 50% chance to hurt myself, I think it's a 50% chance to land an attack with double the power at a higher risk to myself. In order to beat Swagger reliably, even without Heatran (Heatran > Illumise), a team should come prepared with both special attackers and physical attackers. This should go without saying, as a team that can only hit one side of the spectrum is going to lose to walls anyway. Provided special attackers such as Jolteon- ones with high special attack and low physical attack- are present and properly IV'd (0 IVs on special attackers), Swagplay has a hard time being effective. While every team has its strengths and weaknesses, I'm of the opinion that Swagger is significantly easier to deal with than Baton Pass. Coming prepared for a Baton Pass team often means giving up moves that tend to be more effective against more popular strategies, which can hurt a team when it is not fighting a BP team. Coming prepared for a Swagger-based team simply means realizing that physical attackers should be used sparingly. And while it is infuriating, simply remember one thing: At least you're not this guy (skip to 1:20).

Lux looked around, bewildered. How did we get here so quickly? Did he...? No, even these days, that's a bit far-fetched. He studied the man in front of him for a moment, staying on the balls of his feet. The man was seated and seemed to mean Lux no harm. However, considering how quickly they'd gotten several miles away from their previous location, Lux was not about to let his guard down. "How did we get here? Did you..." Lux thought for a moment, then decided on a word. "... teleport us here? That would make you one of us, wouldn't it? So why have you brought me here?"

To put it in layman's terms, Lux was pretty screwed. The police had surrounded him on both sides, ten cop cars ringed around him. Ah, crap... he thought to himself. I can't take all of these guys down at once. He looked behind him, smiling at his good fortune. He was on a relatively wide street and the sun was shining just enough for the young man to feel its energizing heat on the back of his neck. He looked toward the cops and began to speak. "I don't want to hurt any of you. I know some of you have families that you want to go home to later. Please, don't make me do anything rash." The cops looked to one another, not sure whether to believe the youngster's threats. "I'm sorry son, but we have orders to bring you in. And that's what we're going to do!" the police sergeant said, pointing a shotgun at Lucius from behind the door of his car. The other cops continued pointing their guns at Lux. "I warned you," Lucius said softly. He closed his eyes, channeling the sun's energy into a burst of extremely bright light. The police officers were all momentarily blinded by the sudden flash, covering their eyes and stumbling around shouting for Lux to stop. The young man sprinted for the ring of cars, sliding over the hood of a police cruiser and kicking the officer taking cover behind it in the chest. The cop was sent backward to the ground and Lux continued running, keeping the sun at his back and reveling in the energizing warmth. He then took a sharp left into an alleyway and, after roughly a half hour of running through tiny, winding sidestreets, burst through the shoddily-locked door of a warehouse. He began to run across the floor toward the opposite door and burst through it into another alleyway.

Name: Lucius "Lux" Jett (A.K.A. "Photon") he Gender: Male Character Ability: Photokinesis, also known as the manipulation of light. Lux possesses the ability to focus and redirect light, provided he has a light source. He can manipulate sunlight, moonlight, and artificial light, but the brighter the source the stronger his abilities grow. He also possesses the ability to "steal" the light from an area and hold it for up to 24 hours. However, stored light experiences exponential decay in terms of both power and volume and is insignificant after 24 hours. Lucius is most powerful outdoors during the day. He excels in combat when he can stay at range. His focused light rays, which are fired from his fingertips (usually his index and middle fingers while he makes a "gun" shape) can melt metal and easily scorch flesh if he has access to direct sunlight. Appearance: Leanly built, stands at around 5'9". Has extremely blond hair and startling orange eyes. Favors sneakers, jeans, and a hoodie. Age: 19 Background: Lucius was always a pretty average guy. He was of average height and had pretty average brown eyes and hair. After high school, Lux took a year off and decided that he wanted to travel. However, he never got the chance. On the day the first Pillar sprung out of the ground, Lux was doing his normal home routine; that is to say, he was going to Chipotle for breakfast. Once he acquired his food log, Lucius began to walk downtown. Suddenly, he heard people screaming and talking. He looked to his right, where people were pointing, and nearly dropped his burrito. Deciding he wanted absolutely nothing to do with something like that, Lucius went home to his parents' place. A few weeks later, Lucius was sitting in a subway car by himself. Two men got on at a stop that was roughly halfway between Lux's starting point and the station near his home. They were both rather large and hooded, but Lucius paid them no mind, continuing to listen to music on his iPod. One of them strode cockily up to the lean teenager and snatched his iPod out of his hands. This caught Lucius's attention. The men pulled him out of his seat and began shoving him around. Lux told them to stop, but the two men wouldn't listen. Suddenly, something snapped inside Lux. He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. When he opened his eyes, he couldn't see anything. His first thought was, Am I blind? His question was answered when the men began to panic, asking what had happened to the lights. Similar screams and confused shouts could be heard all the way down the train as it pulled into the station. Lux's eyes widened and he stumbled out of the car the moment they stopped moving. Lucius walked over to a police officer, pleading with him to help, but the officer turned away from him, shielded his eyes, and backed away. The crowded platform seemed to be no obstacle for Lux, as the mob of commuters stared at him and took steps away from him. The teenager looked down at his hands. He was glowing a bright white. From so close, it hurt his eyes to look at himself. He looked helplessly toward the crowd. "Someone help me! Please!" he pleaded as the train pulled away, taking the muggers someplace else. "Please!" he shouted again. "I don't know what's happening to me!" A bright flash, and then nothing. Sunlight coming in through the window woke him. He was in his own bed, a man in a suit sitting near him. "You're going to be taken for study, Lucius," he said quietly as he saw the teenager's eyes open. "We're going to see what makes you tick." Lucius recoiled, then remembered what had happened earlier. He stood up and walked to the window, looking out over the streets of the city. The sunlight warmed him. It seemed inviting, somehow. The man walked up behind him and put a hand on his shoulder. "It's time to go, Lucius." The teenager turned his head. "Yes. It is." He closed his eyes and felt the light going through him. Then, he opened his palms. A bright light flashed, disorienting both Lucius and the suited man. However, Lux recovered first and ran out his bedroom door, jamming it shut with a chair. He ran out of the apartment and out into the street, and hasn't stopped running since.

Nor do I

Drug'thok stepped forward, nodding in greeting to Orpheaus. "I am Drug'thok Grunara. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, although I'm sure we all wish it were under better circumstances." The sorcerer paused, glancing between the two Victonari. "We have not exactly been warmly received by the others of your kind that we have met here." The half-Orc paused again, closing his eyes for a moment. The earth had nothing to say about these two; rather, it seemed to welcome the Victonari in front of him, unlike the way it had recoiled at the Victonari from the battle earlier. These two could be trusted. "How can we help?"

hihihi

Count me in.

Hey Hukuna, how about Drug'thok DEELEELEE WHOOOOOOOOPs the shit out of Brass? idk they don't really get along apparently EDIT: that was a joke, they're not actually going to fight

Hi my name is Heatmor. Meet my friend Zebstrika.

Drug'thok nodded, still eyeing Brass warily. He had not at all liked the way that the stranger had talked down to him. "You have a funny way of asking people for help. Insulting their practices and beliefs, and then begging for assistance? Were I a more callous man I might withhold aid out of spite. However, I cannot ignore that there are innocents at risk." The sorcerer paused. "I would like to be treated with respect if I am going to go along with you. Even if our beliefs differ."

Suicide isn't funny and shouldn't be joked about. I don't get why it is so often, especially as someone who has considered it more than once.

Flux, Group 2 is waiting on you.

Jory let his GAOs out of their capsules, a smile coming over his face as he looked Nefertiti and Sampson over. They had not gone through the metamorphosis that some other members of their team had, but they had certainly increased in strength on par with the others. However, Jory didn't let that get to him, as he'd performed exceptionally well in the more lecture-based portions of the training. He gestured toward General McCarthy with his eyes and both of his GAOs turned to face the officer. Sampson pawed impatiently at the dirt, while Nefertiti idly groomed herself with her paws. The young trainer snapped to attention and mentally prepared himself for the day's assignment, wondering what fresh hell the higher-ups had cooked up for the day.

Roland gasped in pain, lying down on his back again. He raised his hand to the left side of his chest and began prodding it tenderly. He winced every so often, his brow furrowed in concentration as he examined himself for injuries. He then looked to Nash and Alleria once more. "I believe I have a couple of broken ribs. Nothing some kind words from the lovely Rhea will not be able to fix," Roland said, his face contorting in pain as he laughed at his own joke.

So mine will be... Sampson: level 16 Nefertiti: level 15

How about this for before timeskip? Sampson: Level 11 (10 + 1 from Tier 1 battle) Nefertiti: Level 9

Roland smiled gently at Alleria and put a hand on her shoulder, grunting as he made the effort to turn toward her. "Yes, Alleria, I am alright. Do not feel badly about this. I knew the risks when I decided to join this quest." The ranger grimaced in pain, stopping his speech briefly before taking a deep breath and continuing. "We all inhabit this world together, Alleria. A wise man once told me that if we were meant to fight each other, we would all have been born with teeth and claws. Instead, we were born with minds greater than those of most. We should use them for good, not turn them toward making those very same tools of conflict." Roland observed the sad elf, smiling inwardly. This Elf was feeling the same pain any other living being might feel upon realizing what she had just professed. One person at a time, Master, Roland thought to himself. I can change the world one person at a time.

Drug'thok nodded to the Stranger. "I believe so, thanks to you. Might I inquire as to your name? I'm sure that the rest of the group would agree that we are all curious about what you just did." Drug'thok frowned inwardly, puzzled. This sorcerer can manipulate the Dark? he thought incredulously. I'll be keeping a close eye on him.

tbh this is one of my favorite two RPs right now, so I really hope it doesn't die QAQ

The ranger's body lay on its side, collapsed in a pile of branches and leaves that were a bush before the human had made his destructive entrance. Roland gasped, his eyes snapping open as fresh air filled his lungs. He coughed violently, wincing in pain as his body was wracked with pain. After his fit of hacking and wheezing, Roland lay on the ground quietly for a moment before collecting his thoughts. He tilted his head from side to side and, seeing Nash's burned armor, assumed the worst. "The others?" he asked, sitting up quickly and immediately regretting that decision. He grabbed the right side of his chest, the throbbing pain causing his vision to go fuzzy for a moment. "Alleria? Megaira? Are they alright?" he asked of the warrior, turning his head frantically as he looked for his bow and the other members of his group.

pwb, are you still following Aervana? EDIT: Sorry for plug! Just saw pwb for the first time in a bit and figured I'd ask Double Edit: Making it relevant! Is Lucas gonna debrief us after the mission?