21st Spell: [Video/Action for Olivine]

[friendyousohard]

[The view opens to a shot of the sea. Pure, pristine, gorgeous...

And apparently filled with swarms of oncoming Pokemon.]

Tesla, fire!

[A huge blast of electricity rips past Twilight into the sea, striking all the nearby swarming fossil Pokemon and knocking out a good chunk of them.]

Thank Celestia for strong Electric-types... Does anyone know what's causing this? I woke up this morning and the town was practically covered in these ancient Pokemon. I've been doing my best to hold them back, as have several others, but they just keep on coming no matter what we do. Is this happening everywhere?

[A small group of Kabuto, Omanyte, and Tirtouga dare the beach again only to be zapped into unconsciousness by Tesla. The Magnezone doesn't even seem tired when Twilight turns the camera on it, though it would probably be hard to tell...]

We've been okay so far, but we can't keep this up forever. And what if they start coming from somewhere aside from-

[There's a loud cry from behind. Twilight whirls around and the shot pans up to show the top of the lighthouse-

Which is covered in Archen that have just flown down from Route 39.]

The sea. Oh horseapples.

[One of the Archen screeches as it lifts off, and the feed ends with that ominous shot.]

Comments

[buckyouup]

[When they're both inside, AJ slowly forces the heavy door shut. She groans, removing her hat to wipe the sweat from her forehead.]

They're gonna have one heck of a time tryin' to get that open. Reckon we have a chance t'catch our breath?

[friendyousohard]

[And all other questions become abruptly irrelevant as soon as she sees that charging army.]

Spike, run! Get on top of your Gyarados or something if you can, but just get out of there!

[friendyousohard]

A few moments... but remember that every minute we take is borrowed by Spike and Spook.

[She slumps down to the floor, breathing heavily.]

[buckyouup]

[She nods.]

If we get up to the top, they should be able t'join us up there.

[She leans against the door, quietly enjoying the feeling of the cold metal against her back.]

Are you alright?

[friendyousohard]

Nothing I can't handle. I've rarely missed my pony body this much, though.

[After a couple more moments, she rises back to her feet and looks at the staircase in front of them.]

Let's start climbing. Don't run, though. I know it's tempting, but we'll just tire ourselves out and have to rest again.

[buckyouup]

I can carry you, if you like.

[She chuckles, taking the railing in her hand. Man, that is a long way up.]

[friendyousohard]

Thanks, but I can carry my own weight. Literally, in this case.

[She takes hold of the other one and begins to climb.]

We've got five flights if I recall correctly, and about twenty stairs a flight. That's a hundred steps, give or take. Honestly, in comparison to the one in Sombra's Castle it's nothing.

[Though she'd had her hardier pony body and her magic then...]

[sitdownbecider]

Just makin' sure. I don't want you droppin' on me. I need ya, Sugarcube.

[She goes against her instinct to follow Twilight's advice. She wants to run to the top as quickly as she can, but she knows conserving her energy is necessary.]

[friendyousohard]

Don't worry, AJ. I didn't come this far to drop in the middle of a few stairs.

[She just focuses on putting one foot in front of the other, trying not to count how far she's gotten or how long they have to go. She knows that'll just make it seem longer.

They've climbed up about a third of the way when suddenly, there's a loud wail from above.]

What was that?

[buckyouup]

That was Spook!

[Sorry, Twilight, but you're taking your walk alone. Applejack bolts up the stairs, quick to reach her ailing monster.]

[video]

[enjoymyatelier]

No, it certainly isn't. Even though I enjoy studying Pokemon and trying to figure out this world's inner workings, there's something that I just find frustrating about it-I suppose it might be that it just doesn't come as easily to me, but I'm not sure if that's all of it... maybe if it wasn't an enforced tradeoff I'd approach it as more of a challenge.

[no you wouldn't, you big baby]

[friendyousohard]

Spook? [She's pretty shocked at that revelation, but much more dismayed at AJ's reaction, trying to grab her hand to stop her as she bolts into a run.] AJ no, don't! You'll need your... strength.

[Grimacing, she speeds up herself, though not to running speed. She wants to, oh how she wants to, but she knows she can't. She has to conserve her energy if she's going to be of use to anyone up there. Resolutely, she forces out the sounds coming from up above and climbs.]

[sitdownbecider]

[It's not long before AJ is out of sight, her footsteps echoing up the staircase as she runs. She's not going to let her pokemon get hurt, even one of her level 100 monstrosities.]

Hang on, Sugarcube! I'm comin'!

[friendyousohard]

[The scene at the top of the lighthouse looks like the scene halfway through a fantasy movie where the good guys' kingdom is being invaded. There are Archen practically everywhere on the outside, swarming around and screeching endlessly.

Several of them are biting Spook, who is for his own part trying to deal with them largely through the tried and true strategy of "Shadow Ball to the face". Unfortunately for each one he drops another takes its place. An orange blur rushes past, dropping several more of them, but even Spike's Dragon Rush can't bring them all down at once.

Twilight's still climbing as the scene unfolds in front of Applejack's eyes.]

[buckyouup]

It's alright, Spook! I'm here for ya!

[She calls out to the massive balloon pokemon, waving frantically over the railing. Spook was a smart pokemon, and about as strong as they come, but no one can last forever against these numbers. They needed something to even the odds.]

Spook! Give it the biggest thunderbolt you can manage!

[The balloon lets out a tired groan and begins charging electricity. The flying beasts continue to swarm his purple body as he turns his gaze to Spike. Give us a hand, here?]

[rather_eat_turquoise]

[Running. Running Spike can totally do. He takes off at a marathon level sprint, looking as ungainly as a 10 year old dragon-boy can - all limbs flailing. With a roar, he's suddenly picked up and tossed as gracefully as a ragdoll onto his Gyarados' back, almost losing his pokegear in the process.]

Mamara, Confuse Ray! [It was times like this that Spike was extremely grateful he spent a short time studying battling with Rainbow Dash. In the meantime, Raspberry sent a Twister attack into the oncoming horde, clearing a path for them right through the middle.]

Twilight! What are these things? What are they weak against?

[He needs all the advice he can get right now as they start closing back in on the trio.]

[friendyousohard]

[Another blast of electricity comes from Spike's antennae, knocking down several of the ones near Spook. But unlike the huge ghostblimp, Spike can't stay airborne unless he keeps moving, so he darts off again, smashing down another couple who get too close and hoping to taunt some of the others into following him instead of Spook. Come and get him, birdbrains!

Twilight is almost up.]

[friendyousohard]

Anoriths. Rock and Bug type. They're weak against water, earth, fighting, and ice attacks. If you have anything that knows Earthquake, that would probably be perfect.

[She's slipped into tactical advisor mode now that he's safely on his Gyarados's back. Probably the better option, really.]

[video]

[friendyousohard]

We may as well be honest with ourselves. If it wasn't a forced trade it would be one we'd never make.

[Well, at least she admits it.]

Which, come to think of it, is probably precisely the point.

[sitdownbecider]

[The Archen swarm is only distracted for a second when Spook unleashes a torrent of electricity from inside his elastic body. It ripples across the sky, arcing from bird to bird. It isn't long before a number of the far-lower level pokemon begin to fall from the sky.

If only it was enough to get them all.]

[friendyousohard]

[Behind AJ, Twilight finally reaches the top, staring at the sight in front of her with wide eyes. She turns to the side to see Amphy cowering in the corner and rushes over to the whimpering Ampharos.]

Ampharos! You've got to get up! Your light can scare them off!

[Amphy, however, doesn't look like she wants to listen to Twilight. She just curls up tighter on herself. Twilight grimaces.]

Okay, Twi, think... how do you motivate a scared Pokemon?

[rather_eat_turquoise]

Water. Right.

[Spike fumbles with the balls in his pocket, trying not to fall off Raspberry, who is randomly whacking the Anoriths that are swarming them. Spike could see that Mamara was starting to tire out.

Mamara, come back girl! You did a great job.

[Spike quickly returned her to her ball, and shoved it in his pocket, before focusing all his attention on staying on Raspberry.]

Okay, you heard Twilight Raspberry! Let's try a Surf!

[Raspberry roared and let loose an almighty wave that crashed into the Anorith, scattering them. Raspberry dived forward into the wave, using it to propel them towards Goldenrod at a faster rate. Unfortunately Spike was too busy trying to hold on to the now wet and slippery Gyarados to notice that the stronger Anorith had began to move over to the Gyarados, clinging to his tail and trying to scramble up.]

[friendyousohard]

Good, Spike! But now that you've thinned their numbers, get out of there! They should hate the water, so if you can get into a body of it on Raspberry you should be alright. Just keep moving, no matter what you do!

[And at just that moment the gear twists in Spike's flailing hand enough for her to see the Anorith trying to cling to it...]

Look out! One of them's on his tail! If Raspberry knows Aqua Tail now's the time to use it!

[buckyouup]

[Meanwhile, Spook has resorted to putting up a Protect, shielding the girls from the ever-increasing horde.]

[video]

[enjoymyatelier]

Oh, most certainly. I suppose it does force us to familiarize ourselves with Pokemon, at the very least-I probably wouldn't even begin to bother with them if I still had full use of my abilities... but at this point, I'd consider both of them fairly valuable.