"oh neat!" francie exclaimed, showing FERNANDO SILPH her find with a bright smile. then the smile faded and she realized, for sure, that it wasn't something either of them were really looking for. "i mean, i just thought it was cool like, i found a stone... i know it's not what we were like, y'know, lookin' for, but--"

francie's ramble that was slowly descending into self-doubt was cut short by the sounds of a steelix, and the growls of the gible evolutionary line.

"careful fernando, they're all super territorial-- i mean, which you probably know."

louie growled, hair bristling, but he snorted and went to action. if any of the gible and steelix got close, he used a STOMPING TANTRUM to get them to back off, sure to keep close to francie and fernando as to keep them safe. and of course, anybody else who happened to be close enough for the protection.

but francie's main focus was keeping fernando safe. somehow, she decided, that was her job.

TL;DR

+ found a MOON STONE
+ uses louie's STOMPING TANTRUM to try and avoid being trampled, ironically
+ offers protection to anybody who might need it

iPetn_mg

As he happily chipped away at the wall of the cavern—gently brushing the stone away from an exposed fossil—Dom wondered idly if he had a future career in archaeology. Well... it was just the digging part he enjoyed. He looked up to tell Matilda Greenlaw about his realization only to notice she was gone. His brow furrowed. She knew better than to wander away from the group.[break][break]

There wasn't much more time to wonder, though, as a rumble shook the cave. Dom whirled in time to see boruta maher expose a massive Steelix. @cat was quick to direct everyone further into the cave system in an attempt to give ground to the swarm of steel snakes, but that seemed to do little to calm them. Enough of a show of force, though, might convince them to leave the group alone. Dom whistled for Magnolia, who wasted no time in charging in beside Thomas Benoit's Scizor. She planted her front hooves and whirled to deliver a shattering Mega Kick to the closest Steelix.

c5EX8FSR

[break][break]

+ tl;dr[break]
- found a little fossil![break]
- magnolia uses mega kick on the steelix.[break]

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

[attr="class","credit"]milky

As the temperature dropped Cass wrapped herself around her Trainer's neck like a warm puffy scarf, the two of them staying pretty comfortable despite the icy wonderland they found themselves surrounded by. Mattie gasped audibly as she saw the Snorunt and knelt down to their level when they initially approached, saying kind, comforting things so as to not frighten them. They disappeared back into their homes though, and left in the snow to her own devices, she glanced over at Martín del Mar with a mischievous gleam in her eye. Grabbing a handful of snow, she loosely packed it together into a ball and as she stood she hurled it directly between the banker's shoulder blades. She immediately clasped her hands together and looked away innocently, but Cass' small giggles surely gave her away.[break][break]

When the Snorunt reappear Matilda takes her gift with a profound thank you to the small creatures. Though she wished to stay in the wintry wonderland she knew better than to rile up a Perrserker, and she followed Bjorn back to the main group, pausing at the entrance of the snowy tunnel to safely store her ice-cold stone in her bag. A loud rumbling gave her just enough warning to glance up and see the rest of the group sprinting away from a crumbling wall - and away from her. Chunks of rock, dirt, and the occasional glimmer of precious stones rained down as the Steelix roared and began entering the large cavern. With no clear path forward, she instead stayed in the mouth of the small tunnel, safe from the debris and the attention of the giant metal monstrosities. Her chest ached with how hard her heart pounded, her eyes wide as she desperately tried to make out Dominic Grey in the crowd.[break][break]

Cass's small heart pounded as well, but her eyes were narrowed at the Steelix in determination. She leapt off Matilda's shoulder and weaved through the rubble, bounding onto the back of the lead Steelix. The Cinccino deftly ascended the enormous Pokemon, pausing here and there to tap its metal frame with a paw, hoping to distract it from the people and Pokemon below. Once she reaches the top of the Steelix's head she leans over its eye so it can see her, then chitters and begins running down the length of it again, pausing just long enough to Tickle it into distraction before darting away, her size and speed making it almost impossible for the Steelix to catch her.[break][break]

Matilda screamed Cass' name in horror as the little Cinccino dashed off, but her cries were drowned out by the ear-splitting cacophony of metal on rock and Trainers screaming directions to each other and their Pokemon.
[break][break]

qKbzDBUs

[break][break]

TL;DR:[break]
-Fluffy Cass helps keep Mattie warm in Snoruntland[break]
-Matilda absolutely starts a snowball fight with Mars[break]
-She takes her ice stone with much gratitude to the lil dudes[break]
-Putting away her stone, she pauses just long enough in the mouth of snow tunnel to be separated from the group by falling debris[break]
-Cass, bold as she is, takes it upon herself to Tickle the lead Steelix, hoping to distract it from the main group

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

[attr="class","credit"]milky

Remi does a brief double-take on the Meowth that strolls up to offer Eris Halla a shiny stone or two. The sight furrows her brows in idle thought and, for a moment, she has to wonder if that couldn't be the pesky kitten her Teddiursa had adopted.

No, couldn't be. Her Meowth had a very distinct tail and whisker set up, and him being here would mean Teddiursa were here-- and she is positive she left them both at home.

The thought is quickly forgotten the moment the cat walks away, and her attention returns to the girl as she asks her a question.

"Not yet, but it's only a matter of time, kiddo. We're gonna be rich."

A gust of wind blows down the ravine or wherever it was that they came down from. Whatever the case, her attention shifts immediately to the young man on the Aerodactyl acting like a reckless fool. What was the point in the carabiners if pricks like him just got to fly down? Stupid.

It results in some poor sap falling the remaining ten feet to the ground and her sweat beau paxton concordas swinging in to rescue him. It was enough to make someone swoon-- if only her snarl wasn't forming in the wake of Angelo's descent. Yes, he may have arrived before her, but she saw him now.

And then, all of a sudden, the cave is thrown for a loop with rumbling, trembling, growling and groaning. Remi notes that Eris Halla grabs hold of another youngster, Hideo Kino, and races further into the cave to avoid being smashed about by the approaching Gabite and company. Shivers run down the womans spine, but with her Pangoro close by her side, she knows there is nothing to be super scared of.

Probably.

Remi turns tail to get the hell out of there and in hot pursuit of the two children. By putting herself between them and the danger behind her, chances are at least they would get out of here alive. Mama bear energy, babes.

"Keep it moving, pips! Bane 'n I have your backs."

And, should any dragons get too close to him, the Pangoro does not hesitate to vital throw them out of the way. Hopefully, his hulking frame was bold enough to stand out, even if he wasn't all too intimidating or rival-like.

l1oj|AU7

tldr: - following eris and hideo
- bane is handling the swarm of garchomp and gabite and gible
- locked eyes with angelo vestri earlier, better watch it punk

Eris Halla

☉

well. things had really gone aspear-shaped hadn’t they?

should have adjusted properly. should’ve had a friend. should’ve made sure fearow was paying attention.

why was this guy just flying down on an aerodactyl? had angelo vestri no regard for the safety of others?

gust shook their lines, and he felt it happen. ”oh fu—AHHH!”

and he was falling through the air.

i’m dead!

but no!

paxton concordas was there to save his life.

bo landed wide-eyed, cradled like a baby in the tall man’s arms. he had never been picked up in his adult life more than an inch and a half, much less been caught out of the air like a bunch of nanabs fallen from above.

there was a broad mixture of things. a sore neck. shock, euphoria, adrenaline, and even a small awakening.

”shit, dude.” maybe strangely, he burst out laughing. to cope? ”shit!”

”ah..” presumably, he was set down.

still grinning, he pointed at him on a somewhat limp wrist, almost as though he were drunk. ”thanks for that, man.”

maybe oddly, he turned and went straight to work, swinging the pickaxe. almost immediately, he struck upon his second death, breathing a hot, metallic breath into his still freshly traumatized face.

the spheres fell to the ground. the axe dropped to his side. for a second, he just stood there, still in a fog, staring back at the gigantic and angry creature in front of him.

”fuckin’ kidding me?”

but he was pulled away by the brave cat, and he switched into power ranger mode: survival instinct. he whistled, and his oblivious bird came swooping down, beak aimed for one of the steelix’s glaring eyes with a DRILL RUN.

”go!” he yelled to @cat .

he ran, but well behind most of them, feeling an obligation to act as part of their frontline. his attention focused on the steelix, still. why hadn’t he snuck in more pokémon?

4kZnsUSP

tldr:
* falls into paxton concordas 's arms
* thanks him
* goes to work w pickaxe
* stares at steelix
* tells @cat to run
* follows at the back
* fearow uses DRILL RUN on steelix's eye

@excavator's expedition

☉

Determined not to be separated from Dom or Cass, Matilda steps forward, rockfall be damned - but Mars pulls her back just as a boulder the size of a Ponyta lands where she would've been. She stumbles a few steps back into him, and by the time he's helped her steady herself the two of them have been plunged into inky blackness. The sounds of the Steelix can still be heard but it's tiny and muffled; any sounds of the Trainers and their companions have been consumed entirely by the earth and rock.[break][break]

Blood pounding in her ears and adrenaline in her veins, Matilda jerks away from Mars and slams her fists into the tunnel wall. "FUCK!"[break][break]

She inhales deeply, quelling the slight waver that was creeping into her breath. It happened. You're here now. The only thing you can control is your actions. Socializing wasn't her strong suit and she'd spoken with a grand total of three Hoennians since arriving here; it'd be a shame to scare one of them away so soon. [break][break]

The click of her lantern coming off her belt is near deafening for her in what she interpreted as slightly uncomfortable silence. She flicks the dial and the light comes on, illuminating the two of them. Head down, she doesn't even check Mars' expression before muttering, "Sorry," her focus on continuing to calm her rushing heart.[break][break]

---

[break][break]

The cold steel doesn't bother Cass' paws at all, her thick warm coat making environments like this more comfortable for her than most. The circumstances weren't...ideal, but she'd been in worse scraps. Her steps are almost silent, though no one could've heard them over the cacophany anyway.[break][break]

She scrabbles across the Steelix, moving on to distract the next one, then the next one. She moved too fast for the Steelix to get a good view of her, but with every Tail Slap to the forehead she pulled another pair of hellfire red eyes off the Trainers and their Pokemon. If she played her cards right she could probably get the monsters to fight each other, saving the people and Pokemon three stories below from grievous injury...or worse.


[break][break]

TL;DR:[break]
-Mattie's now stuck in snowland tunnel with Mars[break]
-Lantern acquired - more gem searching is nigh[break]
-Cass bebops all over them Steelix - still fast as fucc, boi!![break]
Martín del Mar

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

[attr="class","credit"]milky