"Right," Gavin affirms, when Tempest Quinn puzzles through the reasoning behind their strategy. "Neutralizing Gas is specific to Weezing, so it's kind of a niche ability. I think there's other things we could've done if we didn't have one."

Gavin appreciates the subtle warning brush against his hand; that his partner knows not to startle him when he's jumpy means more than he can express, but he tries his best by entwining their fingers and offering a light squeeze. Permission.

"Thanks, love," is mumbled back.

They climb.

There is no inscription on the next floor, no friendly face to greet them. There is darkness, eerily impenetrable, and the paranoia that Gavin has been feeling since Farhan solidifies into a certainty of danger.

He doesn't like psychic-types, Malamar in particular. They make him squirm, and yet the presence of the malevolent squid could almost be considered comforting in contrast to — to whatever this was.

"Anonymity is an oft forgotten blessing."

Is that a threat? He feels threatened.

Tentacles writhe in the darkness, an EXPANDING FORCE that INFILTRATES the ghosts defenses.

To his partner, Gavin explains, "Magic Room suppresses the item, and Teatime forces its use. The rest is just damaging it without the stat-drop or hitting the substitute."

NOTES
INFILTRATOR allows Malamar to bypass SUBSTITUTE.
EXPANDING FORCE deals SPECIAL damage with no additional effect.

"Shadow Triad Encounter" - Pokémon BW2 OST

EXPOSITION

WELCOME TO AFTERNOON TEA

YOU MANEUVER THROUGH THE DARK TO THE EIGHTH CHALLENGE. It is dark here too, save for the fading light of waning candles. The trainer ahead of you has their Dragalge before them.[break][break]

TOXIC SPIKES are scattered across the Fleur Tea Atelier's floor. You can hear the sound of a coin being flipped before it is pocketed.[break][break]

"i thought my time was being wasted here— but i finally have some visitors." The voice is muffled somewhat, obscured by some covering of fabric across the mouth. Then again, it is impossible to discern who this person is in the dark. "here's your challenge. if you fail, don't cry when you go home empty-handed. springtime blessing, bah."[break][break]

The mysterious man explains the challenge. Any attempts to find or identify him through light or physical touch will result in him disappearing into the dark.[break][break]

Around the room, there is no inscription visible.

TIP: if there are characters or pokemon left who have yet to act, but have not participated in the completion of a challenge, feel free to have them knock out the opposing pokemon.

INSTRUCTIONS

READ CAREFULLY EVERY ROUND

• Please refer to sign-up thread for more information.
• BOLD applicable Pokemon moves, abilities, held items, etc.
• You can only send out ONE POKEMON in this round.
• All of your Pokemon must be sent out at the same time.
• Each Pokemon can only use ONE MOVE; some Pokemon may opt not to use any moves.
• You may only post once this round (tentative to change).

[break]

PLEASE POST IN THE TIERED TEA ROOM SIGN-UP THREAD AFTER EVERYONE HAS POSTED.

[break]

Cillian Quinn Tempest Quinn Martín del Mar BARNABY FINCH Adrian Malcolm

notes

Even here, separated from his shadowed patron, Gavin feels her influence in a surge of unchecked fury. Such an innocuous sound, the flip of a coin, but in a heartbeat Gavin has crossed the room as if to drag the speaker from the dark.

"Who are you?" he growls, but is met only by silence as his target vanishes into the gloom. "Coward."

Miasma surges and swirls around Rocket's underboss as he swipes his arm through the dark, cutting through dead air. He shouldn't have lost his temper. They'll know that he knows, now. But he can't take it back, swinging his head around like a cornered animal to glare into the shadowy corners of the room. Already he'd mistrusted shadows on account of Darkrai; this was not helping.

"Tch."

He takes a luxury ball from his belt. One of his main team, a shadow Cryogonal that LEVITATES above the dangerous spikes.

The Cryogonal responds to a particular set of clicks with a BANEFUL BUNKER, tanking the hit from the SOAKED Dragalge and leaving it POISONED as retribution. The strange, snowflake-shaped Pokemon seems docile for a shadow Pokemon, doing little more than slowly rotating in place as the bunker holds.

NOTES
CRYOGONAL has the ability LEVITATE, ignoring TOXIC SPIKES.
BANEFUL BUNKER protects from all moves, and POISONS any attacker using a CONTACT move. Since Dragalge is SOAKED, its TYPE IS CHANGED TO WATER, thus removing immunity.

EXPOSITION

WELCOME TO AFTERNOON TEA

YOU MANEUVER THROUGH THE DARK TO THE NINTH CHALLENGE. The ceiling is high here— and although the room is engulfed by the same darkness as the previous rooms, one can see a starry, ethereal pattern cast above. Upon further inspection, one can find digital projectors on the ground. Trendy star lights oft found advertised underneath viral social media posts.[break][break]

"all eyes are on you, folks! for making it this far!" The obscured figure says. With a laugh, she summons her GOLISOPOD onto the arena. "let me explain your challenge."[break][break]

The mysterious figure explains the challenge. Any attempts to find or identify them through light or physical touch will result in them disappearing into the dark.[break][break]

Around the room, there is no inscription visible.

TIP: if there are characters or pokemon left who have yet to act, but have not participated in the completion of a challenge, feel free to have them knock out the opposing pokemon.

INSTRUCTIONS

READ CAREFULLY EVERY ROUND

• Please refer to sign-up thread for more information.
• BOLD applicable Pokemon moves, abilities, held items, etc.
• You can only send out ONE POKEMON in this round.
• All of your Pokemon must be sent out at the same time.
• Each Pokemon can only use ONE MOVE; some Pokemon may opt not to use any moves.
• You may only post once this round (tentative to change).

[break]

PLEASE POST IN THE TIERED TEA ROOM SIGN-UP THREAD AFTER EVERYONE HAS POSTED.

[break]

Cillian Quinn Tempest Quinn Martín del Mar BARNABY FINCH Adrian Malcolm

By this point, their challenge is the last thing on Gavin's mind. He's squinting at the star-patterned ceiling, glaring into the dark when a voice sounds from within it.

All eyes are on you.

Another threat?

Though he's half-tempted to call upon Lugia just to see what they think about that, challenge be damned, concern for those in their party whose allegiances remain a secret to the League hold him back. If Father Winter is somehow involved in these events, however...

His knuckles are white from how tight he grips the ball before tossing it.

A Dhelmise materializes in a swirl of shadows, its seaweed the color of blood. Its anchor looks ancient, shadows dancing where rust might have otherwise formed. A malevolent aura exudes from the creature; it was a prize from the other world he'd been sent into to die.

Eyes turned grey by the contacts used to conceal them search for hidden cameras.

Where are you? What do you want?

Dhelmise fires an ANCHOR SHOT toward the Golisopod, dark chains of living shadow ensnaring it like prey.

NOTES
Since ADRIAN and TEMP cleared the challenge with Sheer Force, Gavin's just being aggro.