Atreyu didn't move much, even as what he could only assume was the Toxic Chained beast cried out in frustration. His shoulder throbbed and his ribs ached, even as he rested on his forearms, teeth grit. Someone muttering "shower" barely registered. It was only the icy rain of water pouring down on those within the Dummy and Weakling wards that rocked him out of his stupor, the cold seemingly bringing him back to a sense of awareness beyond pain. As he reclined back on folded legs, idly rubbing the blood and mochi off of his arms under the deluge, wet fabric sticking to his body, he found himself wondering what the more intense treatment would've been. Maybe the Megalopolans would've held them down and beat them individually; maybe more of their pokemon would've been sacrificed. He couldn't say for certain, and while thinking of all the possibilities might've prepared him to some degree, he didn't particularly care to try and muse about what ways he may be punished. Soon, the Toxic Chain coming from his mask strangled him, something he acknowledged as being alerted to their bestial wardens' presence. With some effort he was on his feet, and while he didn't wish to see the chamber they were leaving again, he couldn't help but look back—

The hooded pokemon had been released from its chains. It gorged on the contents in the bowl—mochi and flesh alike—causing Trey's guts to churn.

It was just as much a prisoner as the rest of them.

The tubes in the halls were just as abstract and weird as the rest of the place. As they were ushered back to their stations, Toxic Chains tethering them to their cells, neither the new plate of mochi or the fresh clothes made Trey feel much better about the situation. There was no sign of his former cellmate yet, and while that may have meant he could've used the cot, the fact that a child hadn't regrouped yet was concerning. He changed and ate while he was alone, then propped himself against a wall as he sat. His abdomen ached, a dull throb that spurned his thoughts.

It'd just been one day—the first among what he could only presume would be many. If he couldn't withstand this, how was he supposed to last a week? Months? A long, winded sigh escaped him as his head reclined against the wall, looking off to the side so he could keep a look out for if his cellmate came back. It seemed they were allowed to talk to each other to some degree. Maybe if the right people with the right ideas found each other and started scheming...

Slowly, Atreyu realized he was coming to consciousness in another place. When he roused, eyes fluttering open, he was standing in the middle of the street of a large, brilliant city, signs and shiny glass reflecting neon lights. It was like experiencing Celadon ten-fold; he couldn't quite compare it to a place he'd been to before. Focusing on himself revealed that he was in no pain, nor was he in the same clothes, and the people that passed by were clearly Megalopolans, ignoring him as they carried on with their lives. Was this a simulation, then? Or, more simply, a dream, even though he didn't remember nodding off. Whatever it was, he needed to use it to his advantage if he could.

Conversing with those around him revealed friendly-enough citizens of the polished, futuristic city, though none of them knew what he was talking about. When referencing the Toxic Chain, they did not recognize the previous events he spoke of, nor did they know what Never-Rot was, but they did make it known that they didn't wish to be imprisoned. It made sense—if their magenta-tinted eyes and robotic presentations weren't clear enough signs that they were being controlled, then this was. If he could even trust what he was seeing in a dream. He searched for a face he might recognize—even if he could just find Embry, that'd make this worth it—but nothing turned up aside from more Megalopolans.

Until he saw his dad.

Trey barely caught a glimpse of him rounding a corner. As he ran after him, movements slow and exaggerated in his dream-state, he ended up at the opposite end of a dimly-lit alley, watching as the man entered a random building. It felt like it took ages for Trey to get there, and when he did, there was no getting through the door—no handle, knob, or window was to be found, the "entrance" nothing more than an outline against smooth steel. There was a window display, however, and when Trey looked within, there were five large tank-like tubes situated in front of them, pink liquid inside. When he recognized what was inside, his face paled.

Devi. Remedy. Riot. Indigo. Wisp. All five of them were encapsulated, eyes closed as they floated in the mysterious liquid. Anger and sorrow rose like bile in Trey's throat, emotion gripping him as he placed a hand against the glass. Bubbles emerged from his Absol's mouth, but otherwise, the five pokemon remained undisturbed.

What were these fuckers trying to get at? The Megalopolans had said they were being punished for deeds done in Hoenn. He had a feeling the pokemon ringleaders were just doing what they wanted for the hell of it. The only thing they'd done that made any sort of progress was sorting the crystals, and what those were for hadn't been revealed to him yet. Did the other wards gain more knowledge? Or other ward, he supposed. Dummy had been with Weakling for the latter part of the day. What was Ugly doing? Were they gaining an advantage somehow? If they were able to control the level of punishment doled out, just what else were they getting to do?

His hand slowly bunched up into a fist, resting against the glass to the building with ire. There were still too many variables; too many unanswered questions. He'd have to talk to some of the others soon. In the back of his mind, something registered—a ping of acknowledgement.

If anything was going to do him it, it would be the waiting—being left in the dark. Not the pain.

-trey "showers" clothed bc he's too owie to think about taking anything off
-watches ogerpon chow down and gets grossed out
-falls asleep while keeping an eye out for his cellmate, leaving the cot open in case she comes back Lucia Aldrete (let's just say he fell asleep before she got there!)
-asks ppl questions in the dreamscape
-finds his pokemon. gets angy. knows he's gonna have to group up if he wants to make any progress
-still stubbornly refusing despair (for now) hehe

☉

Atreyu was given no time to reflect on his vote before the middle platform descended. Upon it were more people much like himself, likely from one of the other wards, though he didn't know which. Had the order been revealed and he'd already forgotten? Shit. He took another look around, hoping to memorize the surroundings, before being ushered upon it himself, practically stumbling into a group of people as the doggish patron shoved them aboard. There'd been no reveal regarding how the voting went. It was assumed that whatever results were had would be revealed upon arrival at their destination, but who could really be so sure about that? Their captors were hardly benevolent—they could choose to hold onto those results until a later time, or to disregard them altogether. In the middle of his musings, someone bowed to him, offering a simple thank you in return for something he couldn't quite place. Was she thanking him because of the vote? Did that mean the upper floor belonged to the Dummy Ward, then?

"We're stuck in this together—teamwork is important," he replied, letting some tension escape him in the form of a sigh. He could only presume she would've, and possibly might have, done the same in her position. "The human spirit is harder to break than they might think. We've got to help ourselves as much as we can." Or maybe the pokemon did know that and it was the reason they were toying with them so much. It was hard to say.

The groaning and clicks of machinery didn't go unnoticed as they traversed downward, going deeper than Trey would've though possible. Their destination was dark, and Trey lost sight of the person who'd spoken to him as they were forced off the pedestal, shoved into the new location blindly and without care. He tripped over something and found himself on his hands and knees once more, this time coming in contact with something eerily squishy and wet. The soft scent of peaches mingled with tangy, metallic undertones, Trey only realizing what the substances were when the soft light of the chamber below illuminated enough to give him vague ideas.

Mochi... and human flesh.

Dread threatened to drag him down into the pits of despair as he listened to the announcer, a sour taste accompanying the shift. As his mind tried to block out the unique, unholy textures squelching between his fingers, he honed in on what the Megalopolan was saying. The never-rot? Was that the name of who was in control, or were they talking about the essence of the toxic chains as if it was sentient? Trey's own chain tightened around his head as if it could read his thoughts, punishing him for trying to assess the situation. Still, even as he pushed guts and purple globs towards the center of the chamber, his mind raced, unable to slow even after being reprimanded. The opening and closing of a door caught his attention, as did a new revelation of information.

The Ugly Ward had been given a choice too, it seemed, and the results were being acted upon in this very moment.

Protests, screams, grunts of pain—all and more filled the space as the Dummy Ward was inflicted with their punishment. He could not tell that people had been tethered to the floor, but he was aware of something new moving throughout the space, skittering around and leaving chaos in its wake. Pushing more gunk towards the bowl below revealed something in the light: a creature on two legs, caped and twisted with its own set of toxic chains. It was acting too recklessly to be in control of itself; it was likely as subjected to torment as they very people it was attacking. He paused as he heard someone try to call out to it—

—and in his moment of distraction, a foot came in contact with his face, slamming into the mask protecting it. His neck snapped backwards, pain searing through Atreyu's body as he collided with the floor below. There was less squish to protect him here, and as his shoulder collided roughly with the hard floor below, more pain seared through him as the creature trampled him in its exit, stomping on his ribs and kicking him in the gut as it escaped. Trey groaned, unable to do much more with the wind knocked out of him. Sharp stabs bloomed from his upper body as he lay there, struggling to breathe and regain composure. If he didn't recover quickly, though, he was at risk of his canine boss literally kicking him back into action. Pressure throbbed in his head as he grit his teeth, slowly urging himself back onto his hands and knees. He panted through the pain, mind reeling to catch up as he forced himself to catch his breath. This was likely only the beginning, he was beginning to realize, and unless their captors were thwarted, this was probably far from being over.

Imi9Gr9y

Aubre McKenna-Settentrione
-trey replies to aubre
-tries to piece clues together
-squirms in the cursed playdough
-gets bodied by ogerpon (he's being trampled despite what the roll may indicate)
-pain.exe

☉

If it hadn't been a shit show before, the scene before Atreyu was rapidly turning into one.

He watched, motionless, as someone who'd acted out was suddenly beaten nearly to the ends of their means by the dog-like warden that overruled this ward. His eyes couldn't have gone any wider; he was too dumbstruck to think to shield his ears from hearing the brutal lashings. He'd witnessed violence to some degree, having lurked within the shadows of Celadon City, but this was beyond anything he'd experienced before. He should've known things would only get worse if their captors were willing to pull bodies through iron bars, but it wasn't until this moment that Atreyu felt truly fucked.

And then it got worse.

People were suspended; screens showed pokeballs placed and then crushed, the pokemon shown presumably reflecting the person that was hoisted into the air. Their overlords were playing beyond dirty. But why were they so intent on casting fear into the people they'd captured? The setting and situation itself was already frightening enough for most. Were they worried people would rebel? Figure out a way to fight back and gain control? Fear bred complacency. The trio and Megalopolans wanted things to go their way, no matter what. But when would this torture end? They spoke as if they were entombed here forever, and maybe they were right, but Atreyu couldn't help but try and find a hole in the ploy—some way to gain an advantage, even as they were being forced to watch cruelty being born before them.

Maybe the crystals? Atreyu's mask tilted upward to view the glossy faux-screens. If they could find a way to break them, maybe they could fall and crush the pokemon underneath them... but even that was too risky. That still left the Megalopolans, and nobody here knew how to escape the prison altogether. What, then? As he rose, brushing off the remaining shards from his arms, his mind whirled with possibilities, and he grew frustrated with being unable to find an out immediately.

One of them would come up with something. They had to. This would not be the end.

The small hope that bubbled within him swished around with uncertainty as he was being faced with a choice. Getting any form of punishment wasn't ideal, but inflicting even further punishment on people who were in the same position as him? Some of them may have been deserving, but he wasn't going to be the person to make that call. Not until he knew more information; information that was likely never going to find him. "Trust," he called out firmly, tugging on the toxic chain's strangling hold. If his pokemons' lives were at stake, he had to be smart about this. He simply needed more to go off of, should he last long enough to find anything at all.

-trey mentally implodes over what's happening
-votes to trust

☉

So: his cellmate was just as confused as he was. Great.

Trey stood there for a while, simply providing company to the girl with him. What else could he do? He wasn't great at comforting people, especially kids. He'd try, though. Allies could be made in strange places, and while this girl might've been young, he didn't know what she was capable of. Hell, she could've been a better trainer than him for all he knew. As he opened his mouth to speak, the descending platform finally stopped at his ward, three pokemon atop it. Dog-like; monkey-esque; feathered. Just like the statues he'd broken during another toxic chain breakout. He didn't have to approach the bars to read the writing on the crates, and even then, one of the guards said it out loud:

The Weakling Ward.

Trey huffed a laugh; offered an unironic smile. They were weaklings, then. Of course he was.

As he listened, irritation bled into his emotions, more questions than answers forming in his thoughts. How had he wronged them, exactly? If anything, he and his family had been wronged, but the top dog would never see it that way, would they? He'd only just arrived in Hoenn and he'd already been captured and jailed, forced to be a grueling employee for... these people and pokemon, whoever they were. He finally recognized the guards as Megalopolans, which didn't help what he was trying to deduce. Were Rockets working with them? Was this another party altogether? He didn't know if Rockets were locked up, too — he was too new to the scene to recognize anyone at all. He curled his nose up at the mochi, having avoided it until now, but what choice did he have? Toxic chains were tethering him to the cell bars; he was being faced with a future and rules he didn't want to abide by. The Three Day War? Had he read about that?

He'd play along... for now.

The grotesque scene of a prisoner being forced through the bars made Trey's eyes widen, pulse quickening as more sweat beaded under his mask. His nails dug into his palms when they were ordered to proceed. Before they moved, the ecologist glanced down at his cellmate, only just noticing that he'd moved to stand in front of her when the inhumane display happened before them. "We'll get out of this," he whispered back, tone firm and resolute despite his wavering emotions. "We've got to try, somehow, some way." It might take weeks — months — but if enough people were willing to come together and fight for a singular purpose...

He couldn't help but wonder how long that hope and resolve would last.

He'd eaten just one mochi, the sickening peach taste still on his tongue, when he passed through the purple chained bars, slinking out into the open with the crowd. Rocks were dumped; people got to work. He felt the stare of the giant black and green dog bore into him as he stooped to his knees, trying to take in the scene with what vision wasn't obscured by the mask.

Tera Crystals. What would happen if a wave of people attacked their oppressors with the largest shards they could find — with the rocks themselves, even — and broke their toxic chains? Would that even phase them; were their motives still true to their cause without the chains' influence? There was too much that could go wrong for that plan to be viable, but scenarios rushed Trey's thoughts regardless. For now, he grabbed a large chunk and smashed it on the floor, which cracked open to reveal a geode-like specimen with more tera crystals within. He would've thought it pretty if he wasn't so preoccupied. Before he can start extracting them, the massive brute of a pokemon sees an opening for mischief and approaches. Unbeknownst to Trey, the Okidogi pulls a large foot back and, with a snicker, lurches it forward, literally kicking Trey's ass. He yelps and falls forward, finding himself with his forearms full of gravel and shards. The mask protected his face, at least. He winces as he reclines to pick out the debris from his skin, taking the time during his idle moments to observe the room. Should anyone act out or do something that might reveal some information, he'd hopefully see it. The more information they could all gather about the nature of this place and its occupants, the more of a chance they'd have.

He couldn't help but wonder what that chamber of desires held, though...

ThgpAabp

Lucia Aldrete

-eats mochi, reassures lucia, steps out into the open
-cracks open a tera crystal geode
-gets booted in the arse by okidogi bc he's a worm
-does a think about how to cheat dat special room

☉

Darkness; confusion; pain.

Atreyu wasn't wholly conscious as he groaned, hands reaching out to search for, well, he didn't exactly know what; he was just reaching, trying to grasp for something that wasn't there. His phone, maybe. Recalling it had him groping his pockets, which revealed that he actually had no pockets. Strange, but not stranger than what else he was slowly discovering.

Why were his hands feeling across smooth stone? Why did his clothes feel... wrong?

He started to come to as he sat up, back sliding against a cold wall as he became halfway vertical. His eyes were closed while he tried to emerge from a thick mental fog, fingertips tapping the ground below as he slowly gathered his senses. He could feel his body; he could tell he didn't have his backpack, phone, or anything else he immediately rummaged for, and his feet felt cold, barren except for some weird sandals he seemed to be wearing. The shorts weren't helping with the cold, either. His mouth almost tasted metallic — bloody — and when he finally opened his eyes, connecting with the sensations of his face—

He very nearly broached the edge of hyperventilating.

Trey's hands immediately flew upward, fingertips roving the strange contraption that was very firmly attached to his head. He couldn't make out the shape, but it was fastened tightly, practically strangling him in the way whatever cord tethered it wrapped around him. His breathing grew labored; suffocation and shock washed over him as he looked around, the dim lighting and claustrophobia not doing him any favors.

So this was it, then. He'd been captured by Team Rocket. They were going to deport him back to Kanto and take care of him there, just like they'd done to his family—

Screaming jolted him into another state of awareness. Trey jumped, panting as a bead of sweat trickled down his forehead. He hadn't thought to check if anyone else was in here; he assumed he'd been alone. Once he started looking, it was easy to see: a small person was fidgeting with their own mask, yelling as they attempted to wrench it free. Trey hadn't even bothered trying to unfasten his own — it registered as impossible, and he hadn't yet had the thought to try and fight it. Panic and flight mode gripped him first. Seeing someone else freak out made his reaction feel a little more justified, at least. All he could focus on as he wobbled to his feet was the sensation of pressure cloistering his face, restricting him in a way that both confused him and set fear deep into his bones. Why not tether their hands and feet? What was the mask's purpose? As he finally stood, he drew closer to the girl he was jailed with, clearing his throat to try and get her attention.

"H-hey," he started lamely, shuffling to stand in front of her hand wave his arms in an attempt to distract her. "Look, it's just a mask, okay? It's not like — it doesn't seem to be hurting us aside from being uncomfortable, right?" Who was he trying to convince: himself, or her? "It's weird, yeah, but I think we're okay." Except for being locked in a jail cell with nothing on their persons. "Mostly."

A sense of dread hung over him as he took stock of the room again, focusing on his cellmate after. "Do you know why you might've been taken here? Is someone after you?" He could hear other voices now — yelling and screaming and pleading filling up the spaces that existed beyond the bars in front of them. In the distance, he could see the other cells, people flocking to the only viable exit. Trey himself didn't approach; not with the guards roaming around. Vaguely, he almost felt sick, not too unlike how he did while he assisted various poisonous plights across the region.

Just what the fuck was going on here?

Picking at his black fingernail polish, Trey turned back to the girl with him, nudging her shoe with his own. "Listen — we're going to get out of here, okay? This isn't the end." He wasn't sure he believed his own words, but if he didn't try to push on, he'd succumb to despair. A tinkling chime caught his attention, and as he looked back towards the cell bars, he noticed something starting to descend. "Look — something's happening."

Lucia Aldrete
-trey wakes up, is confused, takes stock of the situation
-tries to get lucia's attention
-notices a familiar sensation, then looks out to where the platform is descending

☉

Well, at least this outbreak wasn't wreaking havoc on the populace.

Yet.

Trey traced a finger over one of his freshly-painted black nails as he mulled the situation over, studying a Sneasler from behind a tree. It was perched on a rock, examining a piece of the foul mochi that'd been littered across the region. "Might as well intervene before things get carried away," he whispered to Devi, the Mudkip nodding sagely. Luckily, this was mostly wilderness; it meant things could get a little messy and it probably wouldn't have a lasting impact on anyone else, so long as nobody came and got involved directly. Atreyu pointed at the mochi between the pokemon's claws, and just as it was getting ready to pop it in its mouth, Devi shot a Water Pulse at it, effectively rocketing the poisonous sweet away and out of commission. It prevented ingestion, but it also gave their hiding spot away. Trey chuckled nervously and waved just as the Sneasler growled, sharpening its claws on the rock below.

"Okay, well, we did our part, right?" He'd fucked around, and now he wasn't so keen on finding out. Seizing his moment, Trey snatched up his Mudkip and made a run for it, the Sneasler right on their heels. It was a good thing he'd done track in school — it was the only thing keeping the two from being made into scratching posts.

n98xaiBD

☉

"Dinos without fossils? Yeah, that is pretty cool. Thanks for the heads up," he said, whipping out his phone to make a note. He'd always been interested in fossil pokemon anyway — seeing how they reacted to a new environment after being dormant for a millennia was neat — but to have one without needing to go through the process of finding a fossil and reanimating it... huh. "Guess I'll have to keep an eye out for 'em; make sure my team's ready to go in case we find a few."

Trey turned to look past the waterfall, noticing a trail that delved deeper into the chasm. It grew darker the farther it stretched, but he had a feeling the giant crystals would provide enough light to see by. Something must have been lighting the way; people wouldn't have been flocking down there if it was too hard to traverse.

"Are you heading deeper in too?" he asked, curious. "No big if you're not." It didn't hurt to ask. If he ended up with a traveling buddy on this excursion, great! If not, well, he was already traversing this alone — keeping at it wouldn't hurt him.

priam conrad

☉

Mister Conrad? He almost snorts, instead focusing his efforts in working on being able to see again. A few more swipes at his eyes renders his vision mostly normal save for a little glitter and pops in his peripherals, but in truth, he'd had hangovers that were far worse. "Do I actually have to call you Mister? I haven't done that since, like, college. But I guess you are teaching me something, so..." His words trailed off, index finger tapping his chin as he mulled it over. "Alright, Professor Conrad. Name's Trey."

The trainer stuck his hand out for a shake just as the Sludge Bomb hit. Between that and the Tinkaton's attack, the Paradox Pokemon didn't stand a chance. It deflated and fainted almost immediately, its curiosity smothered by those it wished to harm. Remedy laughed and watched the Espeon carefully, shrugging off the poisonous aftermath easily. She trotted back to Atreyu's side, idly playing with the handle of her hammer while the "adults" talked.

"Flutter Mane? Of course something so dangerous has to both look cute and have a cute name," he sighed, slouching a little in defeat. "Are they catchable? Maybe I should throw a pokeball next time. I'd make it easier to study, that's for sure." Trey flinched a little as he was called out, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "New blood is that obvious to point out, huh? I mean, I read a few articles before moving, but between relocating, school, work... Can't say I got all the details. Sue me." He laughed, hoping it would help him feel a little better. "I won't lie though, exploring the area for the first time has been incredible. I can see why people seem to be flocking here. Got any tips for a newbie?"

priam conrad

☉

He didn't know this person from Adam, but Trey didn't really need to in order to detect this girl's disdain for his approach. His smile remained, if only because he was openly laughing at himself, now. Indigo relaxed a fraction; he might not've been keen on how friendly his trainer was most of the time, but he had a hard time keeping up a stoic front in the wake of Trey's more positive moods. "Unnatural makes this place all the more interesting, unfortunately," he replied, pulling his phone out to make a quick note. "I've faced worse than boogeymen in my life. I'm also not entirely incapable for being an idiot, y'know. I can probably handle myself okay, even when facing monsters." Unless they were like, psuedo legendary pokemon or something. Then he might be in over his head.

But those didn't exist down here, right? Or was that part of what drew so many people in?

"What I've read of the distortion rifts leaves a lot to be desired. If I had to guess, that's probably what would actually do me in," he added, nodding. If they were going to question his capabilities, he might as well lay it all out on the table, right? And what could a person do to counter a distortion rift, anyway? It's not like you could wave a hand and magically will it to disappear, or so he assumed. "I came from Kanto recently, and there's only so many articles you can read about Hoenn disasters before it all becomes a mess of mumbo jumbo in your head." He was trying, though. His main goal might've been to find the man who set fire to his family's home, but he'd also have to do his part to integrate into Hoenn's society. He couldn't afford to get more behind than he already was.

He paused, brows flicking upward as a thought occurred to him. "Hey—you wouldn't be interested in being a tour guide, would ya?" He didn't really have the money to pay someone for taking time out of their day to escort him, but maybe if he was lucky, he could play stupid to the degree where this girl might take pity and agree. Lame, but he was willing to work just about any angle to start immersing himself in Hoenn.

Indigo gave Trey a sharp look and pawed the ground. Before he could so much as tilt his head, the ground started to quake, a far-off rumble sounding as the two braced themselves. It wasn't anything astounding, nor did it last long, but it definitely proved this girl's point. He made another note in his phone before patting Indigo, waiting to hear what the verdict was.

MQHkgbNE

Eris Halla
- roll total: 503
- TOTAL OF ROLLS MADE BY ALL WRITERS REACHES 377. - You experience an earthquake.

☉

"Y'know, they'd almost be cute if they didn't have such a funky air about 'em." Atreyu stood and watched, puzzled, as three people sat on their knees to bow to the mysterious creatures. Worship like that surely spelled trouble, especially since more Toxic Chains were wrapped around them. "Take it away with a Play Rough, Remedy."

The Tinkaton delightfully swung her hammer, all three blasting into pieces with one fell swoop. Meanwhile, Devi shocked people out of their stupor with a Water Pulse. Hopefully that would snap them out of it, and if not, well. Free bath?

notes

☉

Trey shrugged, scuffing his boot in the dirt. "Nobody really stopped me from coming down here; seemed like everyone was too worried about their own agendas to notice me strolling through Area Zero." What he knew of the area was basically just that: the names. The Giant Chasm; Area Zero. He'd heard rumors in bars that it was a little dastardly down in the depths, but how was he to know the severity of it without exploring himself? He was way too nosey to let rumors slide without checking things out. "To be honest, I don't know much about anything going down here. I read a few articles, but public knowledge only takes you so far. Doesn't make sense for some random guy to come strolling in that's pretty clueless, does it?"

He knew it was stupid to some degree. Stupid had never stopped him before, though.

"Anyway, I'm just here to explore. I..." Something stopped him for a moment, Trey chewing on his thoughts as he mulled over what all he wanted to reveal about himself. He was a pretty open book, but he didn't exactly feel like spoiling the mood by talking about dropping out of school. "I'm a budding ecologist, so seeing the relationship between the area and the pokemon here for myself was too good to pass up. It probably would make sense for me to chat it up with a Ranger, but I haven't gotten that far yet." Indigo watched on patiently, though he kept a close eye on the Luxray in case things were to go south. His trainer was a little too trusting for his tastes.

_zwtyr5E

Eris Halla

☉

Trey did not expect another voice to chime in. As the pokemon drew closer, his head whipped around, trying to locate the new arrival. "A ghost coming into the sun? Now that you mention it..." The ecologist turned back to survey the not-Misdreavus' behavior, huffing an incredulous laugh as it did, indeed, continue to draw closer. At an alarming rate, at that. "Guess we'd better get back, Remedy, or else we're gonna end up—"

Retreating was wishful thinking. The ghost seemed to smirk, its frills fluttering enticingly before it cried out again. This time, though, a sharp, intense bright light shocked Trey and Remedy both, a Dazzling Gleam hitting them before they knew what to do. "Fuck!" Trey groaned, immediately clasping a hand over his eyes as he stumbled backwards. Remedy, being a fairy type, wasn't as affected. When the resisted glare wore off, an excited smirk crossed her face as she gripped her weapon, and before Trey could command her to do so, she rushed towards the creature with her hammer pulled back, attempting to strike down with a Gigaton Hammer.

"Hey, uh—guy—" Trey started, still blinking his way back to being alert as he tried to locate whoever talked to him before. "What is this thing, then?!"

priam conrad

☉

The first thing to reveal itself was a stoic Luxray, seemingly poised for a fight but lacking the gumption to start anything. It was probably sizing them up like Trey and Indigo were doing to it, though the ecologist was less inclined to fight than the Absol. Silence passed between them for a bit, and Trey was willing to turn his back and start walking deeper into Area Zero until a person also stepped out from behind the crystal.

Ha! So Indigo had been right, then.

Trey offered a smirk at the girl's greeting, removing a hand from his pocket to wave awkwardly back. "Yo," he started, hoping to keep it casual. "Cool Luxray. You been down here before?" He didn't feel the need to bring up their affiliations yet; no doubt that might potentially dredge up hostile feelings between the two of them if they didn't align. Instead, he looked around them to take the crystals in, proving to her that he was still very much in awe of their surroundings. "I'm Atreyu—Trey for short—and this is Indigo. We're basically just here to see the sights; get a glimpse of what all the fuss is about. So far it's pretty tame, but there's probably more down here than a camera-shy Dudunsparce," he joked, smirking. He could only assume she saw his little blunder. It'd be just his luck.

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Eris Halla

☉