The Rise Before The Fall (Razgriz x Chai)

[Razgriz]

Another fine day in the Kelgon region; the light winds made the towering trees appear dance hypnotically, the rustling of the leaves and chirping of birds creating a very melodic ensemble that could soothe any soul whose ears fell upon it. The sky was cloudless, bathing all of its creatures in the warmth of the unobstructed sunlight. Were it not for the shadows hiding the dark evils of this world, it would be a perfectly serene setting.

However, all was not well in the Pokemon world; their assets having been vanquished by rogue Trainers and the efforts of a more militarized police force, the various Teams of old had to do something to save what little they had. Only one solution was clear and spearheaded by the now-free Giovanni of Team Rocket: Forget all rivalries and territories and come together. Pool the resources and create a united front against anything that would threaten their business. The other leaders still in prison, their cronies were not so easily swayed; however, Giovanni was a man with a silver tongue and using his talents to build a criminal network, he managed to get most people on board with his new plan.

Needless to say, it was nowhere near harmonious during its inception; former members of the disbanded Teams Aqua and Magma constantly fought and assaulted each other, ex-Rockets still glowered at former Galatics over their perceived superiority complexes despite their boss having left them to go into the Distortion Realm. Over time, however, the infighting stopped and things began to stabilize. Then came Giovanni's first order: Liberate the imprisoned leaders so that he could have more people to help run this organization. And with much effort and money spent, it was a plan well worth the wait: The ex-leaders abandoned their individual identities and joined Giovanni to form the Nexus, a massive super-group committed to the thievery of rare Pokemon for sale.

Soon enough, however, their crimes elevated to more severe offenses: Kidnappings were rampant, not just of Pokemon but of Trainers themselves. The authorities were all too shocked at this sudden shift and try as they might, more people kept disappearing every day. And subsequent raids by specialized units revealed that the Nexus was now heavily investing into genetic engineering, creating 'ultimate' versions of Pokemon and their evolved forms. And while they worked mostly behind the scenes, they committed these acts to let everyone now they were here...And not going anywhere for a very long time.

And when they finally arrived at the Kelgon region, they discovered a new threat: A strange group of fanatics devoted to spreading the will of the Creators, the legendary Pokemon that brought all into existence. At first they assumed they were harmless zealots, not unlike other groups that took a strange but deep faith in a particular creature. Run-ins with them quickly showed them otherwise: One by one, the fanatics turned Nexus outposts into rubble, forcing the crime syndicate to up its game by giving its guards exceptional firepower. Armor-piercing rounds, anti-vehicle rifles, mounted guns and turrets, rocket launchers, the list went on. And from that day forward, the Nexus and these zealots fought, one side to defend and liberate, the other to seek and destroy.

Two such individuals were quickly approaching a well-defended Nexus outpost, intent on capturing a high-ranking Lieutenant as a bounty. Their motives? The sizable bounty would help procure supplies for Beacon, not to mention it would deal quite a blow to operations in this area. The pair in question were none other than the Order of Arceus, more commonly known as the 'PokeBrawlers' or even more shortly, simply 'Brawlers'. Their objective had long since evolved from being harbingers of peace and cooperation between the creatures of the Lord's grand design and the humans. Now they had a more direct role, attacking Nexus settlements and doing everything in their power to shut them down for good.

One such member, an Earthborn by the name of J'arock dwe Azurl - known to the humans he'd interacted with as 'Jack' - quickly approached the border between the forest and the clearing where this base resided. Standing just over an impressive height of seven feet, his massively muscled form - a trait characteristic of his heritage - was built like a tank; an accurate comparison considering his skin alone was a good two centimeters thick. His skeleton alone weighed over 75 pounds combined; this was owed to an incredibly high bone density and the carbon-fiber that occurred naturally in his kind.

J'arock was dressed in the standard mission outfit, worn with pride by all members whenever they fought the villainous heathens: A large snow-white tunic composed of the wool of the Mareep split at the hip covered his upper body, the blue-rimmed hood hiding his facial features; the loose pants he wore were of the same material, allowing for maximum mobility and comfort. His hands covered by thick gloves made of Rhydon leather, the same went for the boots that protected his feet. The symbol of the Order, an intricate design composed of interlocking and circumscribed circles, three of which had lines between them to form a triangle in the center, was embroidered on the back and chest. proudly displaying the warrior's identity that had come to stop them. The waistcloth was rimmed in purple and hung like banners between his powerful legs, the fabric interweaved with strands of iron to create a makeshift skirt that would help protect against their long rifles.

J'arock finally arrived at the border for the and looked upon the building, its gray steel structure rising high above the landscape, the sun glinting off its surface; it was as if the Nexus was boldly challenging the Order to come after them. Four smaller, box-shaped buildings surrounded one hemisphere structure, creating a small but efficient complex. And one that the Order had dismantled, or at least thought had taken down. A large red 'N' was painted on its side, though it seemed less cleanly-done since the last time the Order had cleared out the previous residents; it was because of this the titan knew the complex well. It was doubtful they would have improved much on it; Nexus operations were designed to start and stop almost immediately, and this looked like more of a staging facility or processing center. The fact that they were re-using old buildings showed desperation and lack of resources to hold this region, two things that spelled disaster for any enemy force. And the fact that they re-occupied showed irritating levels of arrogance, as if they believed themselves above the Radiant One's will. "Heathen fools...How dare they desecrate our Lord's beautiful world." J'arock growled, his voice heavy with anger and malice. He could clearly see armed guards in uniform - the entirety a matte-gray coloration with black accents, a large 'N' on their chests and a military-style cap with the same logo on the front - patrolling the perimeter, spotters sitting in turrets above the main entrance. Order scouts told of high-caliber weaponry, but few guards, a fact the initial observation told the large male. Even now, they had set this place up in a surprising amount of time, and preliminary investigations showed they were operating near peak capacity already.The set-up here and lack of surrounding structures showed it would be a small outpost to boot, making it clear this was the perfect time to strike.

His pure gold eyes burning with an intense hatred; like rats, the heretics crawled into a burrow previously emptied. A heated grimace crossed his face, his voice deep and full of intent as he looked briefly to the sky, "Look above, the Almighty One's light shines upon us. Today will be one of victory; more of these vermin will fall and another of their leaders will face holy retribution." He then turned to look at his comrade on his left and say, "Are you ready, Sister? Let us show them the will of the Almighty, the fires of divine judgment that they have invoked by going against His decree."

 

[Chai]

RE: The Rise Before The Fall (Razgriz x Ariamella)

"Readyreadyready," the female next to him said with a quiet giggle, her lips quirking up in a small smile at the mention of fire. "Yesfire, yesfire..." Her voice trailed off to almost silence, lips appearing to be barely moving, J'arock probably hearing murmurs of gibberish as she began talking more of less to herself.

She was dressed in the same white robes with blue and purple accents as her partner, but past that, the similarities between them seemed to end. She appeared short in comparison to J'arock—everyone did, really—but she stood at a modest five-feet-five inches. The sleeves of her robes were tucked into black leather vambraces made from the thick, tough hide of the Donphan, allowing her to protect herself from close-range striking weapons while also leaving her hands bare to grab, hold, and touch the enemies around her. Her slim frame was mostly hidden by the loose clothing, but underneath it all, she had the build of a runner: long, lean legs and a lightly toned core and upper body. A few loose curls of light strawberry blonde hair that had come undone from her pinned braids peeked out from under her hood, framing a face that had sharp features. High cheek bones and an angular chin matched her pointed, upturned nose, and if one could get close enough to see, her irises were the most striking shade of turquoise.

On first impression, she appeared to be just an Electric-type Brawler, but that was hardly the case. On the taller side of her Heavenborn brothers and sisters, yet shorter than most other Order members, her genetics actually consisted of mostly Electric-type and Fire-type traits. The fire in her was easily recognizable if one knew what to look for; her hair and body build were just two physical markers of her mixed heritage, but the most recognizable and interesting part of it all was her personality. She was easy-going and carefree, but when insulted or personally provoked, the Fireborn in her showed itself. Because of her usual hyperactive nature, her minor interest in heat and flame, and the fact that the switch between the two temperaments was almost instantaneous and quite intense, it had earned her the nickname 'Crazy Krystal' among the humans she met during her travels around the Kelgon region. But the name never seemed to bother her—it wasn't her real name, after all. Only her Brothers and Sisters knew that she was called Ka'rista, and she much preferred that over the ugly bastardization of her Soul Name.

But her predominantly Electric-type traits also came with its practical advantages, and it was for this reason that she was sitting at the forest's edge, waiting to strike the Nexus base. For the most part she could hold her own, but she was also observant, aware and analytical. Even now, her eyes flitted rapidly around the scene, taking in as much information as she could. Of course, she had already scouted around these parts with a few others well before she and J'arock were assigned to capture the Nexus lieutenant, but she was thorough in her work and knew it was best to check once more before they made their move. She reviewed plans over and over again in her mind, analyzing the position of the patrolling guards.

"Two up above. Two at the main door. Two at the far side, and two here in the front," she told J'arock much slower now compared to before, her eyes fixed on the two front rectangular buildings, one guard circling each of them. "And two of us. May this day bring glory to our Lord! Shall we, Brother?" She grinned at her companion before leaving him, dashing along the edge of the forest, her slim body weaving past the trees at unnatural speeds until she was on the opposite edge of the clearing.

The goal was to take out as many of the patrolling guards before the spotters noticed, and she knew they would notice. There had been far too many attacks on their bases for Nexus to ignore, and by now they at least had an idea of what to watch for. But even still, she hoped to take out at least the two Nexus Grunts at the back, and because she was fast, she figured she would end them quickly as well. J'arock was more than capable of handling the guards at the front, and she would join him when she was done here. Hopefully, he would give her enough time to get most of her business done before he was noticed. And it was impossible not to notice him when he came forward; his massive body clothed in white was a tell-tale sign that the Order had come.

Ka'rista counted the steps of the Grunt on the left, watching, waiting until he had just turned the corner of the building before running forward. She was light on her feet, even when she was running on the paved ground surrounding the outpost, and it was only until she was almost upon him that he turned around. Immediately she took note of the sleek, black carbine in his hands, his finger ready on the trigger. His eyes widened at the sight of the lady in white, taking a step back and raising the firearm, but the female Brawler was already on him. She pushed the barrel of the gun to the side just as a burst of three rounds fired loudly into the air, and with her opposite hand, she gave him a swift punch that dragged along his jaw to his nose and ended with the satisfying crunch of broken bone and cartilage. Then another three rounds exploded out as she twisted the gun out of his grip, bloodying him even more by hitting the butt of the stock against his face.

"You shouldn't be playing with such big toys," she said, her turquoise orbs shining with unvoiced laughter as she tossed the gun to the side. She watched the Grunt stagger backwards, bright red dripping from his nose and splattering on the concrete. His lip and skin on his cheek bone were cut as well, and Ka'rista could have giggled; for all the firepower these Nexus minions were given, they were still losing at the game. The only thing she regretted was the roar of the gun's discharges, as they were a sure way to announce the Order's arrival, but then again, it was only a matter of time before the Nexus officials inside knew she and J'arock were there. It looked like she would just have to work faster then. Besides, this game was getting boring.

The Grunt wiped his hand across his face, attempting to clear some of the mess, but only succeeded in smearing more of the red across his cheek. He snarled, fumbling with a rather large-looking revolver from a holster on his belt, but even before he was able to properly grip the thing, Ka'rista grabbed hold of his wrist. She twisted the gun down and to the right, effectively breaking his finger that was locked on the trigger. The man doubled over and cried out in pain, but not a second later, the sound faded into nothing as she placed her hands on his head and jerked sharply up and to the left. A normal human wouldn't have been able to snap his neck, but she wasn't normal. She was a Brawler, and maybe these heathens would remember it when they saw their comrade crumpled dead on the ground.

His body slumped on the concrete, and Ka'rista left him just as a siren blared, disrupting the silence of the day. It seemed those inside had finally been notified of the Order's arrival, and she knew they would be making preparations to face them. However, she also knew that whatever preparation they made would be a waste; the Order had never lost a raid or assault on a Nexus base, and they weren't about to start now, especially with her Earthborn Brother at her side. She moved to the building on the right, arriving in time to see the second Grunt start running away, dropping his own carbine as he caught sight of her. Coward. Did he really think he could outrun her? She, a proud Heavenborn of her people? She easily caught up to him, gripping the grey material of his shirt and taking him down, straddling his back as she held him down. She wove fingers into his hair, smashing his face into the concrete. Then she pulled up and did it again. And again.

"You think you go hard, huh, you uppity cunt?" the Grunt muttered, mouthing off despite currently staining the concrete, and the Brawler paused mid-strike.

"I do not just think, I know so," Ka'rista replied before pressing her hands to his back and discharging a high-voltage current. She held it only for a few seconds, but to him it must have felt like an eternity. It was more than enough to kill him, but she detested the insolent tone he had taken with her. Rude imbeciles, these people were. "A disgrace to His world," she finalized as she clambered up off the dead body. Then hearing a barrage of gunshots, bullets raining down at the front of the base, she ran to join J'arock at the main building.

 

[Razgriz]

RE: The Rise Before The Fall (Razgriz x Ariamella)

J'arock knew he had no control once Ka'rista had decided to do something; it was a trait common among the Heavenborn. But then, it was why they were so revered: Born of the Radiant One's direct power, a tangible symbol of His presence. And for him, an Earthborn, her going off to handle the ones in the back suited him fine. He would take the largest group in the front, be the distraction that she needed of him. Their plan was sound, but even he knew they wouldn't have very long before the Nexus outpost leader would try and vanish. Probably try and take the cargo with him; this time, however, they would leave nothing to rebuild. He would rip every last iron beam from the ground if it meant they could never use this location again.

And by the time the fight started, the massive titan could hear the terrified yells. And with a beast-like bellow, he charged with calculated abandon to the front, the large number of guards momentarily caught off-balance by the sudden commotion. A fatal mistake that made two of them turn into nothing but slush as J'arock slammed his fists down on top of them, their bodies exploding spectacularly as the blood showered around him. The Earthborn, while lacking the grace and agility of their Heaven and Skyborn cousins, had overwhelming physical endurance and strength to claim. They were the pillars that held up their Lord's resting place, and even against this Nexus they would not falter. They would keep the world as He designed, ready for the day their God awoke from slumber.

And the looks of severe shock on the faces of the many remaining showed that they were new; many had questioning looks about trying to engage this behemoth. "What, you girls scared? We got these guns for a reason, so fire damn it!" another grunt shouted, the plethora of troops starting to rain hot lead on him, the bullets seeming to just catch on his flesh and fall, the pings of the dropping rounds creating a symphony of failed shots. Something that the grunts did not fail to notice.

"The fuck..."

"He won't die!"

"Shut up and keep shooting!"

And for a moment the giant of the Order just stood there, rounds hitting his body continuously as his golden hues, slits like beast eyes, staring up at them from beneath his hood. "Maybe against a Shadowborn nursling your weapons would work....But the Earthborn are Blessed with His strength; it is by His will that we are unbroken! Now witness His might and be shown His glory!" J'arock then shouted, unfazed by the barrage as his powerful legs catapulted him straight up into the air, fists raised high; before long his heavy form crashed back down, hands driving into the Earth. The sheer magnitude of force caused the earth to groan and shatter, a veritable cascade of broken stone flying in all directions, some of the Nexus grunts lucky enough to be crushed by the slabs of rocketing stone. The ones that remained were broken, bloodied, and fewer still had the strength to keep fighting.

Within moments, however, the first battle was over, a poor Grunt caught in his grasp. With just a simple tightening of his fist, the neck snapped loudly as the soldier's body went limp; to say it was a slaughter was an understatement of incomprehensible degrees. Corpses lay scattered, deformed and twisted fromt the Earthborn's assault. When Ka'rista returned, she would find J'arock unfazed but bloodied. Thankfully none of his own, and thankfully she seemed to be unharmed as well. "Good work, Ka'rista. Let us move forward so that the coward has nowhere to hide." he then stated firmly, approaching the twin giant doors as sirens started to blare. Against most other means of opening, it would be impossible; these slabs of purified metal could resist even armor-penetrating rounds from high-caliber launchers. However, an Earthborn's strength was beyond even that; a loud grunt followed the enormous male shoving his hands into the panels, the metal screeching as it was wrenched out of its forged shaped. Loud cracks and visible arcs across his body showed that the doors were electrified as well, but even this had no effect on his resolve, even as his grip dug further into the doors.

Gritting his teeth a little out of rage, he then pulled; an ear-shattering shearing noise reverberated throughout the forest as he forced the doors off their tracks, now carrying twin pieces of deformed metal like giant shields. Just then, turrets seemed to pop from the ceiling on the long main entrance hallway, their barrels locking onto the titan before them. Six in all, three on each side. "Cursed heathens; their presence is a plague deserving only complete eradication." J'arock growled; before the guns could even start their bombardment, he just seemed to 'flick' the giant iron slabs at the stationary guns. The huge chunks slid rapidly along the ceiling, sparks trailing as the turrets were severed from their platforms and crashed to the ground, before long the slabs slamming loudly at the other end of the hall, leaving twin dents on the wall.

And like clockwork, more Grunts appeared with weapons ready from side passages; J'arock could easily see that these ones had weapons that might actually do some damage, so his hands slammed down and simply tore a piece of the floor in front of him. He wasn't so much worried about himself, more that a stray round might hit his Heavenborn partner, fast as she was. And just as he predicted, the guns began barking at him, spitting their ammunition in high amounts and the heavy rounds bouncing off his makeshift shield. Because of his size and what he was holding, he had intentionally hidden Ka'rista from view to allow her to flank from the side while he rushed forward, footsteps thundering down the hallway as he swiped his left first, crushing one Grunt with the weighted slab and turning his body into nothing more than a puddle on the wall, organs ruptured and blood slicking the once-pristine surface.

In a control room down below - with another one atop to act as a distraction in case things went pear-shaped - the Lieutenant in question was already having his underlings get the essentials out, stern expression looking out through the window: Their finished products of the genetic engineering experiments were being loaded in their pods into trucks, with prisoners - mostly trainers, but even a police officer was among them having been requested by a special client - funneled into another. A third held pallets upon pallets of stolen Pokeballs; that one was almost ready to go, and truthfully it was the most profitable one they'd ever had here. Thankfully, the base was riddled with a number of secure stairways that led to the wrong areas, so the chances of their escape route being discovered was smaller. Atop that, the exits for the trucks had been branched as well, so that there would be more than one way out.

"Let's go, people! It won't take them long, you know, and if they find us here, we're all fucked! So move your asses and - hey you! Johnson! Stop that bitch from crying!" the officer shouted over the intercom, blue eyes peering from beneath the bill of his cap at a young women probably no older than fifteen as she broke down into tears. She had just started her journey as a Trainer, only to be taken hostage and when her parents couldn't deliver the ransom she was taken into slavery to be sold to an unknown customer. One that preferred his girls young and lively, which she seemed to be entirely.

"Please don't! I'll be raped! I'll be killed! Oh Arceus, please just let me go!" she wailed, her nude svelte body shaking and her once shining chocolate locks mussed and dirtied as she was dragged along, her feeble resistance starting to hold things up as she pulled back from where the rest were being loaded into. The Lieutenant's jaw tightened; Arceus, Arceus, that's all he heard. Especially from these damned fanatics that always fucked up their operations. "Say that name one more time, bitch, and I'll let a hybrid blow off some steam with you!" he then shouted, the young woman freezing almost instantly in shock; a barrel in her back forced her to keep moving however. Meanwhile, he could hear the thuds and screams on the floors above; this was taking too long, and honestly would it surprise any of the Board that this base was lost? This whole region had these zealots crawling all over; they couldn't make a profit here, that much was certain.