Somewhere distant, far above the labyrinth of caves they found themselves in, a presence lurked among the stars. An anxious click vibrated through their throat as a set of golden eyes stayed trained on the otherwise baren terrain above GRANITE CAVE. It was like they could see right through it, watching a film with which they shared the emotional rollercoaster. Loss, grief, fear, desperation; all trivial human emotions that only complicated things unnecessarily. These feelings stirred a tempest within their chosen that disrupted any sort of peace she may find.

Had they chosen wrong? Had they misplaced their trust in the once hopeful and determined professor?

No. She was the only one with a soul capable of balance.

She would learn.

She would learn that she is better off without the mortal as a distraction, the one with such blatant disrespect and misplaced arrogance alongside their brother. They may hold dominion over the land, but it would always lie below the sky. Even the tallest mountain couldn’t usurp their reign. He is, and will always be, insignificant in comparison.

Enough rest.

WAKE UP.

---

A surge of intangible electricity snaps across their tether like a powerline. The suggestion is sharp and pointed. Eva snaps back to reality with a startled gasp. Her eyes fly open, gold fading to green with vibrant new life, like someone hit the rest button.

“Matias!” she finishes her earlier thought when she springs back to consciousness because that’s the last thing she remembers: thinking of him and the comfortable, safe, embrace she had become accustomed to over the years. But it’s not his arms. There’s no warmth, just the cold rocky ground beneath her.

Priority wins over gratitude and she sits up quickly to ensure the threat is gone, that she can find some reprieve from the mist’s deadly grasp, “It’s gone,” she states, but it sounds more like a question, “I’m fine,” she assures herself and Fernando, “Sorry I- That was reckless.”

---

FERNANDO SILPH

+50 for participation in battle/mission
+10 per IC post (17)
+10 for feeling paranoia of the realm
+10 for mega evolution

= 240 MP

If Eva had a sliver of rational thinking when it came to him, she would see it too. Maybe she would, eventually, but she settles into the comfortable role of healer and support.

“Well, Matias, you keep pushing people away.”

He pushed her away. How many people has he pushed away since?

“You keep giving them reason after reason to not trust you.”

He keeps breaking promises, and not just to her.

“But those are things you can change.”

She knows he can, she believes he can. She’d rather see him happy without her, than not happy with her.

“You already said you were gonna stop breaking promises so . . . that’s a great start,” she says it softly, being sure to extinguish any bitter edge it may hold.

“I’m scared too,” she admits, breaking off to follow a wisp of mist, “I don’t know how live without you. I never thought I would have to. My mind’s so fucked I barely recognize myself.”

---

MATIAS SILPH


+50 for participation in mission/battle
+10 incorporating realm’s paranoia
+10 per IC post (22)
+10 aiding another character

= 290 MP

She swore she wouldn’t give in. She was careful and deliberate with ever move she made since walking through that door. The way she stood instead of sat, the way she only took one sip of the liquor, the way she distanced herself across the room. Despite the anger and hurt that flare through her system, it only took that one touch to begin to calm the tempest. The same warmth isn’t there, but there is something there that she has been craving. That hunger eats away at her reason and self-control.

Silence. She breaths it in. Her eyes sting with a mix of salty tears and unblinking concentration, “I understand,” she finally says, her voice softer. How could she not? Her own loneliness made her a different person: moody, irrational, distracted.

“It sucks, I get it,” 'sucks' is an understatement. She relaxes just a bit, enough to take the tension off her arm, "I don't think I'll ever get use to it."

---

MATIAS SILPH

“Anna!” her tone is full of surprise and relief when a familiar face pops from behind the Altaria. A palpable sigh release some tension as her smile brightens in response. She lays equally tired eyes on the ranger suddenly grabs her shoulders.

“Sh sh shhhhhhh,” she encourages Anna to keep her voice down and shuffles to kneel behind a splintered rock, “Yeah, I got a couple Rockets on my tail,” she glances back to see the Magearna swivel around the outcropping to hide with them. Eva shifts the med pack to her lap, “I’m way fucking lost,” she admits in a hushed tone.

---

annalise henderson

+50 for participating in mission/battle
+10 per IC post (2)

=70 MP

Tension rippled across the space as the bloodied man turned to face her. It washed over her shoulders and rooted her down in place. He was so young, too young to be caught up in this mess. What horrible life guided him to this point in time? These sins?

For a moment, her mind flashes to the innocent face of Eris Halla. Rocket truly did imprison them young.

“For a wounded officer? Yes,” she stated at point blank. The spoken rules of war were to allow medical aid to those injured on both sides by their own people. Of course, Rocket didn’t play by those rules. Not here, and not in Kanto.

“Final warning,” she took a step forward, a defiant and decisive motion, “Step aside, leave in peace.”

---

Kouji Matsubara

+50 for participating in mission/battle
+10 per IC post (2)

=70 MP

And just like that, it’s over. The stillness that suddenly settles around them brings a deafening silence. Any trace of the wind disappears and the stagnant cave air hangs around them once more. The oppression of the INTERDREAM ZONE’s mist leaves with it along with the storm of emotions reeling inside her. It buries back down below the professionalism and duty that drive her.

She’s brilliant in the aftermath, glowing with power and even she looks awestruck down at her own hands. She had tested her power in Kanto, but not to this degree. As the power slowly dissipates, so too does the light. It fades from her eyes, both physically and metaphorically, when she looks over towards Fernando. Fatigue suddenly consumes her. Where he maintained stamina, she recklessly exhausted herself out of fear and desperation.

”Ma-,” she barely begins to whisper a name, the first one that comes to mind, before her knees give out from beneath her and she falls to them. Gravity pulls her, she doesn’t stop it, and she falls to her side.

---

FERNANDO SILPH

+50 for participation in battle/mission
+10 per IC post (16)
+10 for feeling paranoia of the realm
+10 for mega evolution

= 230 MP

Eva still hadn’t figured out the strange gravity in this world, “Shit,” she huffs to herself, sliding down a rock crevice she thought she could easily clear with a well-timed jump, “Fuck,” she glances back; they are gaining on her.

Despite the bright red cross boldly plastered on her back, Rocket could care less about her being a medic. Civil rules of war grant her amnesty to treat the wounded. She should have known better. This is Rocket, the same bastards that tried to murder her around every corner those years ago in Kanto as well despite her status as a medic.

“Zap Cannon!” the Magearna humming behind her twirls and lines up their shot. A sharp zap of electricity lights up the dull world as the attack snaps like a whip at the three enemies chasing her down, “This way,” she takes a sharp turn around an outcropping only to nearly run into Annalise’s Altaria, “Whoa!” Eva skids to a stop but running face first into its fluffy bottom.

---

annalise henderson

+50 for participating in mission/battle
+10 per IC post (1)

=60 MP

As the DELTA WINDS surge with power, it becomes too much for the Mega Gardevoir. She TELEPORTS back behind Eva, clouding her in a MISTY TERRAIN. It does little to stave off the combative mist from the INTERDREAM ZONE but it provides some relief to her reeling mind.

She can’t hear him above the roar of the wind in her ears and the rumble of the cavern’s roof as the Steelix descends from above. PRIMAL ENERGY rings from the depths of a stone and it calls to her. The familiar frequency hums through every nerve that courses through her body. She shudders at the familiarity, the desire for such energy. Beneath the gathering winds tearing at her, her skin prickles with stimulation and goosebumps rise to the surface.

It pales in comparison to the innate power of the z-move unleashed onto the Iron Jugulis. I light so brilliant blooms within the darkness. Eva would have been blinded if she wasn’t already consumed in her own power. She’s never done this before. She thrives on pure adrenaline and instinct. An unknown hand guides her.

Now!

Just for a moment, barely the blink of an eye, the roar of the wind stills. It gathers into a concentrated pillar. A sonic boom cracks like thunder across the cavern when the DELTA STREAM surges forward. It should only add to the confusion of the stunned Iron Jugulis when it hits the pokemon like a titan’s take down, pushing the weakened metallic body back through the portal and out of their world.

---

FERNANDO SILPH

+50 for participation in battle/mission
+10 per IC post (15)
+10 for feeling paranoia of the realm
+10 for mega evolution

= 220 MP

Fear feeds further into paranoia. It latches on like a greedy parasite. The insecurity and grief call to it and it lines up for the feast. She groans beneath the heavy weight of her self-loathing and collapses into the prison built with her own hands.

This time it’s not MATIAS SILPH’s voice, nor PENELOPE LIVY’s, but her own as a soft whisper. It’s so seared into her soul that by now all she needs are gentle reminders.

worthless

Nothing she does will ever make a real difference.

helpless

Can’t even control her own thoughts.

pathetic

Just a single word, a single person can break her.

weak

The presence in her chest hums in defiance. It rattles her soul in attempt to shake off such foul feelings. This is the first time she hasn’t worn in Sygna Suit in the presence of the mist. Her patron offers a modicum of strength to cling to, so she does.

The sharp chime of metal, she’s seen this before. She’s fought this before, “Adele,” bright fire pours from a smaller head. The hiss of burning grass proceeds the sharp scrape of metal as it moves forward yet again, “Again!” another flash of fey energy spurts from her palms, blinding the anomaly into a stunned daze.

DELTA WINDS rise to roar. The cavern not only creaks with the impending assault of the Steelix, but of the gales that spring from her fingertips. Her eyes shine bright, piercing through darkness and smoke and mist. The INTERDREAM ZONE may be unshakable, but the physical bulk of the Iron Jugulis is not. The tempest surges forward with unmatched force, an accumulation of grief, and fear, and hate.

Just imagine what she could do with hope, and love, and peace.

---

FERNANDO SILPH

+50 for participation in battle/mission
+10 per IC post (14)
+10 for feeling paranoia of the realm
+10 for mega evolution

= 210 MP

Stamina? Her thoughts don’t even register the importance of their diligence in this moment. What lies beyond this and the remainder of this long, arduous night is obscured like the Iron Jugulis in the residual smoke of the SCATETERBOMB.

Adrenaline pumps through her veins, the focus is fight or flight, it is survival in the moment. Tendrils of pink snake up her legs. A sharp inhale hisses between her teeth. The panic is hidden behind the smoke which she is grateful for. Her wild eyes scan the darkness for the nightmare that is inevitably coming for her.

Force it back, force the portal closed. If only it was that simple. The ground beneath them cracks with the power o the Steelix as it dives beneath the surface. The Gardevoir’s TELEPATHY registers the presence of her ally. Together they would dispose of the unnatural presence creeping through the portal.

A foreign, mechanical cry screeches from the pokemon open maw. A horrible, paralyzing HYPER VOICE that rattles the Mega Gardevoir enough to make it falter. She has no choice but to let the MAGICAL LEAVES shot forward, knowing they would fly true and find their mark.

---

FERNANDO SILPH

+50 for participation in battle/mission
+10 per IC post (13)
+10 for feeling paranoia of the realm
+10 for mega evolution

= 200 MP

Eva should have known better. She tried the same trick in the thick of it and it didn’t work. It was desperation that drove her to act without thinking, and it would likely drive that same primal response again. This mist gave her subconscious a voice, a voice that tore her apart from the inside out.

Nightmares are still dreams, after all.

His voice cracks the thin shell of focus she had for her own fears, “I see it,” the pokeball in her hand cracks open. The crimson light arcs through the mist like lightning.

Two eyes.

No, four.

A familiar Gardevoir materializes amongst the swirls of pink. Eva continues to step back, shuffling herself just outside of the mist’s reach. But this mist has a mind of its own. Like a parasite it reaches forward with its tendrils, gravitating towards whatever it can feed off. She has a lot to easily offer on the surface.

The SCATTERBANG falls short. It was a good idea, but these pokemon were like nothing she had ever seen. A flash wasn’t going to scare it off.

Fear fuels instinct. Her new instincts are molded by Rayquaza. The gold in her irises flares bright as an energy melts away from her core to be absorbed by the Gardevoir. In a flash of light she mega evolves.

The IRON JUGULIS’s DARK PULSE clashes with a brilliant DAZZLING GLEAM from the wave of the Gardevoir’s arm. The opposing energies hiss violently on contact, white wisps of displaced matter mingling with the pink.

---

FERNANDO SILPH

+50 for participation in battle/mission
+10 per IC post (12)
+10 for feeling paranoia of the realm
+10 for mega evolution

= 190 MP

The distress call came quick and faded fast with the consciousness of the one wounded within GRANITE CAVE. Having just entered back into their world from ULTRA DEEP SEA she was the closest, and most qualified, to respond. She grunted lightly, leaping down from a particularly high ledge to cut the response time in half. A strong gust of wind slowed her fall and she safely landed with a gently thud of her boots.

With no time to waste, she raced forward. Crimson light cracked and expanded from the pokeball clutched between her fingers. A Gallade appeared at her side, matching pace with long, stead strides, “Stab wound, unknown severity, fainted Onyx,” that was all she knew about the situation.

What she wasn’t expecting, was another to be present. The silhouette of a man etched itself into the fading light of the rocky terrain. Peddles skidded across the carven floor as she slid to a halt. Both the trainer and Gallade assessed the Rocket before them, ultimately setting their gaze on the bold ‘R’ of the uniform. The blonde’s gaze snapped between the man and the one crumpled on the floor. Her fist tightened, “Step away from the injured officer,” there was no questioning the confident demand in her voice. This obviously wasn’t her first day on the job.

---

Kouji Matsubara

+50 for participating in mission/battle
+10 per IC post (1)

=60 MP

Too easy, yes. Nothing is allowed to be easy. The fires of hell forged powerful souls – if they were able to make it out alive. Therein lies the truth he spoke not too long ago: perseverance.

It’s bound to happen sooner or later. Their oasis of peace would be torn away by a too familiar event. The sound is sharp and distinguishable, like the screech of nails down the front of a chalkboard. It rakes down her spine with vicious claws but instead of pain it leaves goosebumps.

Tension settles in like a taught string. With gentle coaxing it would snap. In the new silence, a pokeball unlatches from her belt, held firmly between her fingers as her concentration lingers on the void into ULTRASPACE.

She expects a person: friend or foe. Instead, they get something far worse.

The poisonous mist leaks into their world. Eva recoils from it like a foul odor, her eyes wide in fear and disbelief. Not this again. Not the INTERDREAM ZONE.

The panic she exudes is palpable. In an act of desperation, her palms push forward. Gold crackles across her emerald irises as a gust of DELTA WIND rushes through the cavern. The mist stirs, but its ethereal composition is resistant to her attempt to drive it back.

---

FERNANDO SILPH

+50 for participation in battle/mission
+10 per IC post (11)
+10 for feeling paranoia of the realm

= 170 MP