bottlecaplogs | June Catch-All

[Well, that's certainly not a pleasant sight.

When Technus falls, Akechi swoops down as a precaution. Fortunately, it's not necessary; Technus makes his way back up, and Akechi hovers over the newly opened cavern.

His eyes narrow, as he peers into the dark.]

It may be worthwhile to investigate, though it will leave us in far more cramped quarters.

[Siffrin carefully places Shoka back on the ground. ~~It does kind of look like they were carrying a Pikachu whose neck they snapped~~. Then they spin around, tail bristling as they hear Technus's yell.]

[They also did not realize that a Rotom could fall like that!!]

[Siffrin's fur smooths out as Technus re-appears. They pad to the edge of the pit, sniffing the air flowing from down below.]

I guess it'd make sense that whatever's doing all this is hiding underground... [What with all the rumbling and pitfalls and everything.]

[They crouch down next to Technus, leaning over the edge. It's - quite a drop! Not something they can simply hop down into, unless they're prepared to break their legs doing it; they'd have to spring from jutting rock to jutting rock to make it safely. But it does look manageable. Also...]

I see lights. [Like what the imposters they've been fighting burst into.]

[Once released, Shoka skitters to the edge of the pit, ready to lash out a hand or launch an attack... But Technus drifts back up a moment later, unharmed.]

... Pfft. Did you seriously forget that you float?

[She thought that something was trying to drag him down, at least!

Now that she knows there wasn't, she joins Siffrin in staring down into the depths. Indeed, lights glitter far below: a clear trail of familiar, flickering, green and violet wisps leading into the darkness.]

More lights! Groundbreaking.

[Ha ha.]

That's bait. Has to be. [A pause.] Buuut cramped quarters also means they've got fewer places to run...

[Technus grumbles in annoyance.]

YES, DOLLY, I WILL BE ALRIGHT. THANK YOU FOR BEING SO CONCERNED FOR MY HEALTH. [He says sarcastically.] IT TURNS OUT I AM PARTIALLY AFFECTED BY GRAVITY, STILL!

[Technus looks down at the lights, as well. Perhaps those are some of the ghosts they need to fight. He's used to ghosts that glow, and it perks him right back up again- perhaps their goal is in sight!]

WE ARE HERE TO COLLECT A BOUNTY, CORRECT? EVEN IF IT IS BAIT, IT MAY BE BAIT THAT WILL LEAD US CLOSER TO THE TARGET. I SAY WE INVESTIGATE.

We should take every advantage we can.

[Which is why he's beating his wings to stir up a Tailwind before they enter the cavern.]

If anyone else wishes to strengthen themselves first, feel free. Otherwise, we might as well proceed.

[Siffrin nods and takes the lead - as they've been doing, seemingly on autopilot, unless someone actively tries to beat them to it. They hop down, carefully bouncing from rock to rock.]

[After the rest of the trek through the woods, they're careful to stay within sight range of everyone else - or they're trying to be. But it seems like the flickering lights down below (and the fog and memory disorientation of the forest as a whole) have other plans. There's at least a few moments where Siffrin remembers themself staying in sight, and not hearing anyone else call out, while the rest of the group has a swirl of ghostly lights block their view -]

[And by the time everyone's at the bottom, it's too late. There are already two Shinxes.]

[They are snarling at each other furiously, one of them just cutting off a,] - I'm not letting some copy - [as the rest of the group catches up. Siffrin hasn't been particularly forgiving to any of the imposters, after hearing Firepaw's stories, but they seem to be taking a copy of themself even more personally. Or, hang on... is that the imposter saying that? How do you tell??]

[Whichever one it is, the other Shinx springs at them abruptly, and then there is a yowling catfight going on on the floor of the cavern.]

[Did Technus just call her Dolly? ... Ugh, whatever!

As Siffrin starts their way down, Shoka follows, leaping from rock to rock after them (she's surprisingly agile, and the formless, shadowy foot of her true body seems to cling automatically to each rock, almost snail-like). The descent goes smoothly enough, Akechi's Tailwind and the dark of the cavern even giving her a small rush of renewed energy—until lights suddenly fill her vision, dazzling her.]

Wh—hey! Buzz off! [She reflexively swipes at the wisps with her claws, nearly losing her footing—and realizes suddenly, as she blinks the spots from her eyes and identifies airborne shapes that must be Akechi and Technus, that she's lost track of Siffrin. So much for "groundbound Pokemon gotta stick together."] Sif!

[They don't respond, if they hear her at all.

When she makes her less-than-graceful landing at the bottom, she catches sight of them again... In fact, there's one Siffrin too many now, the two of them snarling and tearing at each other with matching viciousness.]

Sif! [Naturally, it's impossible to tell which Siffrin is the real one just by looking at them—but the team came prepared for that. Still, they can't exchange code words or ask any questions when the two Shinx are too busy brawling with each other to pay attention, and they'd risk hitting the real Siffrin if they attacked outright. Shoka brandishes her tail-stick threateningly.] Hey, break it up already! Or we'll break it up for you!

[A pink glow emanates from her tail-stick, promising a Fairy-type attack, but she holds back for now. Although, if Technus or Akechi want to try physically pulling the two Siffrins apart, she probably won't stop them.]

[Technus cackles as he feels the effects of Akechi's Tailwind, his laugh echoing against the cavern walls.]

THAT IS A GREAT IDEA, BIRD BOY!

[Technus buzzes midair, collecting static electricity from the air around him and absorbing it into his body.]

[Technus used Charge!]

[That done, he follows Siffrin and Shoka down, floating easily now that he knows to look out for gravity- until the lights get in his way. He wobbles as he focuses on trying to swipe them away.]

HEY! GET OFF! DO NOT MAKE ME-

[And then he blinks, and they're gone. Ah. Well, that was embarassing. He hopes the others didn't notice him yelling at nothing. It's a good thing there's other yelling that covered it up-

Wait. Other yelling?

Technus stares ahead at the two Shinxes. The constant movement makes it hard to tell which is which, not that he knew in the first place.]

...EH... LION CUB?

[Ah, lovely. Doppelgangers and illusions...

Akechi bristles. There must be some way to tell them apart...

Aha! A light bulb goes off in his mind, as realization hits.]

Siffrin-kun... How exactly did we first meet?

[The two Shinxes are very reluctant to break things up, even with Shoka brandishing a Fairy stick at them. They seem to realize simultaneously, though, that only the fake Siffrin would have a good reason to stall on answering any questions - so if one of them seems determined to fight over everything else, that one's going to be suspicious. Whether or not it's the imposter. For now they roll away from each other after one more exchange of smacks with their paws. (Claws out, of course.)]

[How did they first meet Akechi...? Both of the Shinxes pause, as if to think.]

[One of them pipes up with,] I was in town by then, we were -

[Aaaand is immediately interrupted by the other one snarling,] Don't listen to them, that's way too easy to guess!

[Then they're right back to growling furiously at each other, ears folded back and fur bristling. Helpful!]

[That question normally might have been a safe bet—but whether it's way too easy to guess or not, Siffrin, by their own admission, is also very forgetful. Shoka could insist that they finish the sentence, just to be sure, but another idea comes to her then.]

Next question. Let's go with... [She points her tail-stick at the Siffrin that spoke up second.] You.

[Then she points one claw of her free hand in Technus' direction.]

What color is Technus?

[Both Siffrins blink at Shoka, instantly bemused. Even the way they tilt their heads slightly is pretty much the same - one of each Shinx's ears droops more than the other.]

[After a few seconds of confused silence, the Shinx that Shoka is motioning to with the stick opens their mouth to answer. At the exact same moment, a light of realization sparks in the other one's good eye; their lashing tail goes still. Fortunately, the Shinx that's answering isn't looking.]

Um... orange? [Duh?] Do you want something more specific...?

[Though Shoka doesn't have a mouth to grin with, there's a glint in her eyes then that's suggestive of one.]

No need! 'Cause that's the wrong answer.

[With a glance at Technus and Akechi that says, Just trust me on this, she readies her still glowing tail-stick to strike.]

Let's wreck 'em!

BUT I AM ORANGE NOW, I- OH.

[Technus puts the pieces together fairly quickly. Shoka and Siffrin know each other already, so if that's the wrong answer, Siffrin probably wouldn't see him as orange.

And hey, if this turns out to be wrong, Siffrin will be able to handle his attack.]

OHH. I GET IT NOW. HOW... SHOCKING!

[As he makes that awful pun, Technus readies a ball of electricity between his limbs, grinning like a maniac the whole time.

He fires it at the fake-Siffrin before Shoka can make a move.

Technus used Electro Ball!]

Edited 2025-06-10 15:56 (UTC)

[While Technus launches his attack, Akechi fluffs up his feathers and unleashes a rather Scary Face, cackling madly to further add to the unsettling feeling.]

You'll regret trifling with us!

[That Electro Ball sure does hit the imposter as if they're not an Electric type at all! They let out a startled yowl, then dissolve into a ghostly shape. While it's affected by Akechi's Scary Face, that doesn't stop it from cackling back at him, and making to escape into a wall -]

[But the Scary Face - and the Tailwind Akechi set up earlier - make it not fast enough. The real Siffrin pounces onto it with a Bite, kicking with their back legs as if trying to snap its neck. When that doesn't work quite so well, they use their momentum to keep rolling over its head, still hanging on with their teeth. It takes the imposter along with them; they release in time to fling the ghostly figure directly at Shoka's glowing stick.]

You'll have to be more spirited than that! [Apparently Technus's pun has inspired them...]

[Even though they've flung the imposter at Shoka, they're chasing after as soon as they're back on their feet.] Shoka, how do you do -

[You know! The thing! They can't call out the pink part of the glow, but whatever it is she's doing when she's been beating on imposters with her stick, it seems way more effective than anything the rest of them do.]

[As the imposter is thrown her way, Shoka winds her tail-stick back, as if preparing to hit a home run.]

Oh—so you wanna play rough?

[(She may or may not have stolen that exact line from Conrad.)

With the imposter caught between Siffrin and herself, she's about to do her thing—only to stop short at Siffrin's words, one ear perking up in confusion. But then she understands, and the same glint returns to her eyes.

So Siffrin wants to play, too? Fine by her. They deserve it, after this imposter stole their face!]

Watch and learn!

[With no time to walk them through the steps (not that she'd be able to list steps exactly for this move), the best she can do is demonstrate. With no further warning, she leaps at the imposter—and starts to whale on it with whack after whack of her glowing tail-stick. Simple enough!

But there really is something uncannily playful about it, the flurry of strikes almost like a dance around the imposter's ghostly form. It's quick and erratic enough to kick up a cloud of dust around them, and Shoka certainly sounds like she's having fun, cackling all the while.

Still, she manages to hold herself back. With a final swing of her tail-stick, she throws the imposter at Siffrin's feet as if to say, Now you try!]

[Siffrin... sort of gets it, they think. It's something about the playfulness? Maybe because it's the opposite of the emotions ghosts normally like to evoke? Fortunately, cats are kind of known for playing with their food...]

[They give it a try, bapping at the dazed imposter, then smacking it around and tossing it in the air as if it's an oversized yarn ball. (With progressively more enthusiasm!) Somewhere in there - though it's nowhere near as strong as Shoka's - they do manage a Play Rough, kicking up the same cloud of dust. Finally Siffrin boots it toward Akechi and Technus.]

[The imposter skids to a halt and makes to break and run once more. Its form is nearly dispersed already, though, wisps of light bouncing out of it like they're abandoning ship - one or two more hits should make it dissolve.]

[Oh, going to run away, huh? Technus cackles again. He's having a great time fighting ghosts.]

YOU THINK YOU CAN FLEE? FROM ME, TECHNUS? OR MY TEAM?

NICE TRY.

[He forms an Electroweb like a net, throwing it to catch the doppelganger- or at least slow them down. It's not a stopping move, they can definitely go through the threads if they just keep running.]

GAME OVER, BUBBY! YOU LOSE!

[Cackling, Akechi beats his wings, trying to smack that foolish impostor with an Air Slash.

Perhaps if he's lucky, the damned thing will even flinch.]

You're a fool if you believe you stand a chance against us.

[The Electroweb and Air Slash are plenty enough - while Akechi might be waiting for a flinch, and Technus to try and get it to stay in place, what actually happens is the imposter bursts fully apart into wisps.]

[Siffrin skids to a halt from where they were just about to pounce on it again.]

[Shoka's delight at all this violence (and Siffrin's successful Play Rough) remains obvious. Fighting like this, passing the target from teammate to teammate, in perfect rhythm and synergy... It's almost nostalgic now.]

We totally killed that! [The target is gone now, dissolved into wisps just like the other imposters before them, but the glittering trail remains, leading them clearly forward through the dark.] Nowhere left to run now. Time to put 'em out of their misery!

[That little victory has left her emboldened, but as the team gives chase, they'll all feel an ominous presence—a certain Pressure—pressing down on them. The air is heavy, and it only grows more oppressive the closer they get to the trail's end. It sends a shudder through Shoka, making the shadowy edges of her form briefly jitter.]

Ugh... What is that?

[Something moves in the shadows—or is it the shadows themselves that are moving? The dark mass twists and spirals, gathering the wisps into itself and finally coalescing into a flat, disk-like shape. The green glow of the wisps forms two narrow eyes in its center, then a wide, cackling maw.

Before anyone on the team can make another move, it attacks, lobbing a Shadow Ball in Technus' direction.]

LEVEL UP! [Technus yells as the imposter dissolves into wisps.

He's been making video game jokes whenever they defeat an enemy- the wisps remind him of how enemies in DOOMED dissolve into pixels when you defeat them.]

TIME FOR THE FINAL BOSS!

[The Pressure is overwhelming. But Technus grins as he sees the Spiritomb form- he can take them, no problem!]

AHA! FOUND YOU! H-

[And then he gets hit by the Shadow Ball, sending him flying back into the wall. It's super effective!]

OW...

Damn it!

[A super effective move... Growling, Akechi digs into his satchel and lobs a berry at Technus.]

Stay back. Attack from a distance. If you can paralyze it, do so...

[For now, he'll use Spite to at least hinder the Spiritomb's ability to use that damnable attack, body glowing purple and feathers luffed up.]

[The fur on Siffrin's back starts to bristle the closer the group gets to the source of the Pressure. It makes them look bigger, but also more on edge.]

[They don't even have time to react before Technus gets clobbered - the startled sound they make is delayed. Akechi is in there with a berry before Siffrin can think of it, and anyway they handed over their stash of berries to Akechi earlier, on the logic that someone who can fly will be able to deliver them more quickly. So focusing on fighting it is! Presumably the "Attack from a distance." isn't intended for them...]

[Siffrin Quick Attacks to get up to the Spiritomb - and sails right through it. Oh. Right. That sure is also a Ghost type, then!]

[Fortunately, there's a cavern wall directly behind the Spiritomb; Siffrin bounces off of it and somersaults in the air to slice the Spiritomb with a sharp Iron Tail instead. When they land, they call out,] Shoka!

[- and Volt Switch with her, setting her up for some of her close-up attacks.]

June Catch-All

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WHOOPS! I thought I got this

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OOPS. Thought I hit this

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