SET ICLY EARLY AUGUST

MEMBER-LED EVENT

INJURY-ENABLED

MINI-RAID EVENT

ESCAPE FROM THE DEPTHS

As the unfortunate souls tumble into the volcanic island's depths lit only by red, orange, and yellow magmafalls, Michael Navidson 's GRENINJA creates several SUBSTITUTE clones of itself to break the falls of those who do not have other means to do so. The air within burns the lungs to inhale; Hyakkaryōran Tsubaki 's POISONING is becoming increasingly less effective in staving off the pain as time passes. The ember-filled air is the least of their worries, as the spacious, magma-filled cavern is home to a DRUDDIGON who looks none too happy to see the out-of-element motley crew.[break][break]

The preemptive ROCK TOMB barely scratches the creature's scales, but does restrict its movement long enough for Hyakkaryōran Tsubaki to land a COUNTER-blow. It gets a mighty roar out of the wild dragon, though the menacing Pokémon still stands. Michael Navidson 's GRENINJA opens fire with an ICE BEAM, though the burning air causes much of its cold energy to fizzle out. Jack Napier 's GARDEVOIR glows with a DAZZLING GLEAM that blinds the cave dragon, its eyes adapted for low-light vision. The opportunistic Hyakkaryōran Tsubaki and DEREK HOFFMAN order the use of BOOMBURST and STRENGTH from their NOIVERN and MACHAMP. The vibration reverberates throughout the cavern depths, a small section of the ceiling collapsing onto their foe.[break][break]



Seconds later, a TERASTAL GLOW escapes through the cracks. The immense energy behind the DRUDDIGON's DRAGON TERASTALLIZATION sends rocky debris flying in all directions like explosive shrapnel. With nowhere to hide from both the rocks and the echoing BOOMBURST, all active Pokémon suffer MODERATE WOUNDS but remain standing. In a vicious OUTRAGE, the dragon lunges toward the NOIVERN. Right on time, Michael Navidson 's GRENINJA comes to its rescue, collapsing a larger section of the roof on the TERASTAL DRUDDIGON and leaving it open for Jack Napier 's GARDEVOIR and DEREK HOFFMAN 's TERASTALLIZED GRIMMSNARL to finish it off with DAZZLING GLEAM and a FAIRY-TYPE TERA BLAST.[break][break]

The DRUDDIGON's hoard is filled with rare gemstones and a pyramid of DRAGON TERASTAL CRYSTALS. Anyone who wishes can carve a DRAGON TERA SHARD from it. Isaac Merlo and Hyakkaryōran Tsubaki make an even more striking discovery: the crown jewels of the creature's treasure vault are two rubies carved in the shape of a miniature SALAMENCE, each warm to the touch. After experimenting with them, it seems they greatly amplify fire attacks, like a superpowered version of a FIRE GEM.[break][break]

All participating characters receive a DRAGON TERA SHARD. This is usable immediately on any Pokémon you own that is participating in the raid. If using it in the raid, PLEASE INDICATE IN THE NOTES OF YOUR NEXT POST WHICH POKEMON IT IS BEING USED ON.

Isaac Merlo and Hyakkaryōran Tsubaki can use their RUBY SALAMENCE STATUETTES to make fire-type attacks have supernatural strength. ONCE for the remainder of the raid, they can consume the statuette's power to GREATLY INCREASE THE STRENGTH of one fire-type move and cause that move to IGNORE ELEMENTAL RESISTANCE AND IMMUNITY from types and Abilities.

Rather than pack away all the treasure for themselves, Isaac Merlo brings up a point: what good will the treasure do them if they do not make it out alive? Using it as the world's most expensive trail, he uses the multicolored gemstones to track the adventurers' progress through the Depths' labyrinthine tunnels, preventing the group from getting lost. CIAN MAHER at last wakes after the battle, sees the strange trail of gemstones, and follows it to catch up with his compatriots. And not a moment too soon: magma begins to seep through the collapsed ceiling, flooding the cavern and putting pressure on the task force to find a way out before the chamber completely fills![break][break]

The flooding has caused a trough on the upper levels to form a magma lake. Variations in tectonic pressure cause it to rise and fall like the tide, but it seems to rise more than it falls with every cycle. Toward the end of the crossing, Hyakkaryōran Tsubaki and DEREK HOFFMAN show the first signs of heat stroke from their repeated close proximity to the bubbling goop. The former Gym Leader's GRIMMSNARL tosses up LIGHT SCREEN as a heat shield, keeping the group from being cooked alive by the lake's convection. Once they are far enough from the magma lake where water will not instantly boil away, Michael Navidson 's BLISSEY bathes the group in LIFE DEW, staving off the threat of heat stroke.[break][break]



As the group approaches the top of the chamber, still unsuccessful in finding a way out, several DELPHOX jump Jack Napier on a small, elevated rock formation, pointing their wands at his neck. This formation quickly turns into an island from the rising molten rock. One holds a searing FIRE BLAST at the tip of its wand, threatening to cook the Lorekeeper with it; the others point them at the adventurers trying to save their distressed ally. DEREK HOFFMAN 's GRIMMSNARL REFLECTS one of the FIRE BLASTS into a crystalline lava tube, Jack Napier managing to duck out of the way of the shrapnel resulting from the colossal explosion. The magma pressure builds to unfathomable levels until it reaches its breaking point, sending the many DELPHOX flying into the all-consuming molten sludge below. Magma spurts out of a newly-created hole in the cavern wall. Though it is impossible to tell how far the molten rock went, it is safe to say some of it will impact the nearby seawater violently. The hole serves as an escape route for the task force to vacate their fiery prison.[break][break]

After getting back on the trail and following some recent footprints, Michael Navidson catches sight of kyle lopez , followed by the others, who were getting a good view of the Chalice at the volcano's peak. The two groups are reunited, but they are not out of danger yet.

The rest of this raid will take place in the NARIYA EXPEDITIONS: THE CICATRICE main thread.