Eva visited this place often. She not-so-secretly hoped to catch a glimpse of Kyurem, brief enough to give a her a lead on the intruders whereabouts. The Professor couldn’t help but feel partially responsible for weakened the barrier between its realm and their frozen tundra. In the end, it seemed worth it. Rayquaza was rescued, and Hoenn lived on because of it. But every time she studied the frozen sculptures littered across the once battlefield, sorrow filed her heart and clawed at her chest.

Was it actually worth it?

Rayquaza was always agitated when they came here too. Eva insisted the dragon didn’t have to come (for obvious reasons) but every time her patron felt she was near the Silent Icelands an emerald streak appeared across the sky and fell back to Hoenn like a comet. Even now she could feel her soul tingling, a gentle hum at the touch of Rayquaza. It grew like the crescendo of a baritone the closer and closer the dragon got.

Naturally, Eva was drawn to the sound of a fight. It certainly didn’t sound like Kyurem but instinct still pulled her towards the river. Eva’s lips pulled into a frown when she found the source. A small pack of pokemon were tangled in a territorial war as far away from the icy valley as they could get. Still, it wasn’t far enough. Seviper and Zangoose were not use to such extremes. This was, unfortunately, not an uncommon occurrence recently. The Rangers have been bust quelling these fights and relocating the more tropical pokemon.

“Althea!” a pokeball cracked open to send a Blissey out onto the field. The pink pokemon cooed in delight, shivering slightly in the cold but her plump body shielded her from most of its harsh sting, “Try and calm them down, will ya?” it was a big ass for one pokemon but Eva’s faithful companion nodded and waddled forward, AROMATHERAPY bleed from her hands, washing over the battlefield like a fog to try and calm the wild pokemon.

Eva had not noticed Andrea behind the rock yet, but Eva did find the sight of a lone Kangaskhan curious.

---

Andrea Vaneau

The Aromatherapy spreading out like a nicely-scented fog seemed to temporarily quell the savage creatures, filling them with a euphoric sensation that calmed their agitated nerves. Missy let go of the Tauros, shooting a stern, maternal glare at the bull's way, as if to warn it against running amok again.

Granted, one very adorable Blissey wasn't enough to bring the peace. Even though their anger had been placated, it was only a matter of time before things reached a tipping point again. Already the wild Pokémon were beginning to Growl, Snarl at each other, and Chatter, creating a ruckus once again.

Andrea gently set the baby Sunkern on the ground, allowing it to happily bounce towards its parents now that the immediate danger was gone. Papa & Mama Sunflora were delighted to see their young safe and sound. "D'awww, what a cute family!" The dragon-costumed girl mused, smiling warmly.

It was then that Andrea noticed the Blissey's trainer, her smile only widening. "Oh, what a coincidence! Hi, Ms. Eva!" She jovially waved at the good doctor, before her jovial expression gave way to a look of worry. "Uuuh... Any idea what to do about these Pokémon?"

Eva Morales //mission

☉

The Blissey’s feeble attempt to quell their feud seemed to work momentarily. It was enough to let Andrea return the baby to its parents. The Sunflora certainly didn’t belong in this tundra as well. The poor grass-types were probably freezing.

Andrea Vaneau was impossible to not recognize. Even now she sported the dragon onsie with pride. Eva remembered her fondly, and a smile crept across her features as well, “Andrea, hi!” she waved back, delighted to see a familiar face amongst the blank, frozen expressions of lost friends.

The Professor’s emerald gaze flicked towards the Kangskhan, her curiosity satiated for the time being. With Andrea’s question, she gave the agitated group of pokemon the once over as her mind ticked through the possibilities. She had a few ideas . . . and a patron that wouldn’t stand for it.

The hum in her chest grew louder and the winds began to shift, her gaze lifted towards the shimmering streak of green in the sky, “Help will be here soon,” they just had to make sure the pokemon didn’t tear each other apart in the meantime.

Blissey waddled forward to offer a wounded Sunflora a SOFT-BOILED egg.

---

Andrea Vaneau

The sentient sunflower graciously accepted an egg in this trying time, small mercies in the face of this unprecedented cold wave that assailed this normally warm route. None of those Pokémon were built to survive in arctic climates. They weren't Ice types like DELIBIRD, after all.

The discord among the different species escalated, a few more scuffles breaking out here and there. The Tauros from earlier butted heads with a Bouffalant. Meanwhile, next to the water's edge, a Pinsir and a Heracross were locked in a grueling sumo match, each trying to push the other into the cold water below.

"Hey, stop it! You're gonna hurt yourselves!" Andrea tried to pacify the rowdy mob to no avail. She then turned to her trusty Kangaskhan. "Missy, make sure they don't fall in the water!" The large marsupial nodded at the trainer's order, getting between the two wrestling bugs and holding them at bay with her strong hands.

The sudden shift in the winds filled the draconic cosplayer with an otherworldly feeling of dread. For a moment, she feared that thing might have come back from its home dimension to freeze the rest of the Hoenn region. "What kind of help are we talking about?" She worriedly asked the good doctor.

Eva Morales //mission

☉

Athena mewed happily in response to the Sunflora accepting her egg. The pokemon’s tiny pink paws clapped together in amusment, happy to do her duty and help. The Blissey practically skipped away to go help another injured pokemon with a steady HEAL PULSE.

Two large bug-types, also not meant for such frigid weather were caught in a brawling match. The Kangaskhan efficiently broke up the fight but hoisting them off the ground – impressive.

Andrea’s fears were well understood. Eva now lived in constant fear that their barriers could easily be broken down by the beast known a Kyurem. Thus, they had to be prepared and vigilant. Any evidence of a rift between their worlds should attempt be sealed immediately.

“Rayquaza,” she smiled, just before the dragon made its descent.

A wind gusted in from the West. The emerald streak against the pale sky above grew larger in an instant. The dragon’s EXTREME SPEED brought them hurtling towards Hoenn like a meteor. A powerful expulsion of momentum nearly knocked Eva off her feet when Rayquaza landed behind her. The large serpent coiled like an Arbok, its yellow gaze drifting quickly between Andrea, the Kangaskhan, Blissey, and the pack of fighting pokemon.

A low, deep growl vibrates the very air around them. Rayquaza leaned over, an intimidating gaze traveling amongst the many faces staring up at them. Their sudden appearance was a rather startling one and all eyes remained glued on Rayquaza. At least for now, it stopped the fighting.

---

Andrea Vaneau

Even though it didn't solve the bigger issue at hand, that Heal Pulse was definitely better than nothing. More help soon arrived from the most unlikely place: The sky. Andrea caught a glimpse of an emerald streak speeding towards the ground like a COMET. That color, that long, noodley shape... Could it be?

The legendary Rayquaza revealed itself, coiling its massive, serpentine body behind Eva. Its awesome presence brought an instant end to all the fighting. The caravan of wild Pokémon unanimously fixated their flabbergasted gazes at Hoenn's almighty protector, some seemingly frozen with fear, while others acknowledged the great dragon god with the reverence it deserved.

Andrea was among the latter, staring at the godlike beast with abject awe. "Lord Rayquaza..." The dragon-hooded girl muttered in sheer bewilderment, her lips quickly curving into a bright, jovial smile. "I knew it! I knew you and Lord Rayquaza became friends back then!" She ran up to Eva, looking at her with sparkling eyes.

Friend. That was no doubt one way to describe their relationship, which wasn't like the standard dynamic between trainer and Pokémon. The word 'avatar' always sounded to formal to her, while 'friend' had a certain warmth to it. The kind of warmth that Hoenn desperately needed in these harrowing times...

"I can't believe I'm seeing Lord Rayquaza with my own eyes! I've heard so many stories of how he quelled Groudon and Kyogre in ancient times! And the way he destroyed that meteorite... He went like FWOOSH! ZOOM! BANG!" Andrea raved on like an overly excited fangirl, imitating the sound of an explosion. "Can I... touch him?" She asked Eva, staring at her with her big, pleading eyes.

Eva Morales //mission

☉

The dragon did have a penchant for making a grand entrance. In this case, it was worth the exaggeration. It only added to the awe and surprise the pokemon’s sudden appearance left on the congregation of wild pokemon. Whatever it did seemed to work – the fight ceased and the god had their undivided attention.

Friends was one way to put it. Despite having a superficial relationship with the legendary before being chosen, she wouldn’t call them friends . . . at least not yet. Rayquaza was a temperamental and cautious pokemon. It obviously held a level of trust to choose Eva as its Avatar but their bond still remained rather shallow - for now. They’ve barely had time to explore their new partnership.

Eva shouldn’t be surprised that the dragon costumed girl was over the moon at the sight of ‘Lord’ Rayquaza, as she put it. Eva found it endearing, Rayquaza seemed indifferent, though it did shift it’s apathetic gaze towards Andrea at the mention of its feats in defense of their region.

The professor couldn’t help but laugh at the girl’s reenactment of the meteor. The event was still fresh in Eva’s mind, a mixture of fear, hope, and helplessness all still swirled through her chest when she relived those last moments. She honestly thought she was going to die.

A low growl was the answer to Andrea’s question. Eva frowned, mentally scolding the dragon. It had trust issues, “Umm, maybe not yet, they’re still very wary of others,” Rayuaza would likely never be a ‘people’ pokemon, reserving the limited trust it had for a select few.

---

Andrea Vaneau

The young PokéManiac couldn't help but pout a little when she was denied the chance to pet a legendary, but she was understanding of the situation. Even gods had their personal boundaries, which she needed to respect. "That's alright... Just seeing them feels nice."

The wild Pokémon gazed at the emerald serpent as a subject would gaze at their king, and for all intents and purposes, it was a king of sorts. While other legendaries flocked to the region after sensing that it was in peril, Rayquaza had always been keeping a watchful eye on Hoenn like its very own guardian angel.

One problem had been solved, but another problem remained. "So... How do we get all those Pokémon to the other side of the river? I don't have any Water Pokémon with me. Any ideas?" Andrea looked at Missy, who shrugged in response. She then looked at Eva, and finally, Rayquaza.

Eva Morales //mission

☉

Really, Eva rarely ‘pet’ the pokemon. She respected its space. Likely, the only reason it allowed her to touch it was because she was its doctor on top of everything else. The Legendary was still recovering from its previous encounter with Kyurem in the frozen world. Rayquaza’s tail was still visibly marred and in the late stages of regeneration. Really, the healing was coming along remarkably!

“Maybe some other time, yeah?” Eva felt bad disappointing the young woman, so she gave her a little bit of hope. Once the wounded serpent came out of its shell maybe it would be more receptive to others.

Andrea raised a good question. Eva had her Gyarados with her but that didn’t seem like the best idea, “What we need is a long term solution,” she hummed, dipping back into her previous Ranger training, “I’m sure these aren’t the only pokemon looking to get out of here,” The Silent Icelands weren’t the most favorable location.

High above their head, Rayquaza snorted. They understood the assignment. The serpent shifted, casually drifting towards a grove of large tree dusted with snow and ice. Its tail wrapped around the base of several and with a loud SNAP the trees fell to the ground.

Eva caught on immediately, ”A bridge! Great idea!” she tapped her shin and glanced back at Andrea, “Any ideas on how we can stabilize it?” soaking it with water and freezing it? Tying it with vines? Using mud-based attacks like a cement?

The Blissey continued to happily bounce around between the stunned pokemon, her little hands consistently offering a HEAL PULSE to those that needed it.

---

Andrea Vaneau

Once again, the young PokéManiac was in awe of Rayquaza's formidable strength. Chopping down trees paled in comparison to blowing up a colossal meteorite, but what shocked her was how easy the great dragon god made such a task seem.

With the aid of Hoenn's almighty protector, they had enough wood to build their bridge now. All they needed to do was find a way to glue them together, all the while Eva's Blissey healed the rest of the ailing critters. Andrea rubbed her chin in deep thought. "Hmm... I think I might have an idea."

She sent out a new Pokémon: A Goodra with droopy eyes whose tail had transformed into a tough, armor-like shell. Dr. Eva Morales had no doubt observed this particular kind of mutation during her extensive research on space-time distortions.

"Slushie here can help us. Her goo is really sticky. It will probably wear off after a while, but we're not really building this bridge to last, right?" The draconic cosplayer proposed. The mutated Goodra understood the mission and started rubbing its stubby arms all over the cut down trees, coating them in Gooey, sticky fluids.

Eva Morales //mission

☉

Andrea stole all of Eva’s attention when she claimed to have an idea. That was when the Hisuian Goodra was released from the sphere. It didn’t take Eva long to put two and two together as she watched the sticky mucus drip down the dragon’s long neck, “Great idea, Andrea!” she praised, clapping her hands together for emphasis.

It took the professor a minute, but she too dug a pokeball out of her pack. Eva released her own Hisuian Goodra to join Andreas in rubbing the trees with their sticky mucus, “It’ll go twice as fast now,” she smiled, crossing her arms over her chest to watch the two Goodra work together.

Rayquaza gently gripped the piles of trees with its mouth to transfer them over to the river. The dragon gently set the long pieces of wood down, bank to bank to being building the structure, “Naaahhh just while the weather is like this I guess,” it wouldn’t be natural for it to stay past the necessary length of time. Eva hoped this icy wasteland wouldn’t be permanent.

---

Andrea Vaneau

Who knew that Rayquaza could be such a good builder? Legendaries boasted many hidden talents, apparently. Slowly but surely, a structure resembling a bridge was built, connecting the two routes.

Once the makeshift bridge had reached completion, Slushie flailed her mucus-filled limbs in utter joy, before reaching for Eva's own Hisuian Goodra and offering a big, sticky hug to her fellow slug.

"We did it! Hooray for teamwork!" Andrea beamed, hugging her Kangaskhan in turn, who had helped keep the wild Pokémon at bay during the construction. "Now all that's left is to see if it's stable enough." The dragon-cosplaying girl mused, pressing her foot against the creaking wood.

The Pokémon themselves were visibly apprehensive. "C'mon, you have to give it a try! Isn't it better than freezing out here?" The young, costumed woman tried to persuade them.

The Sunflora from earlier were among the first critters to cross the bridge, their happy family of Sunkern following close behind. Soon, the rest of the caravan followed suit, much to Andrea's delight. "That's it, everyone! One at a time! Wait for your turn!" She hollered at them.

Eva Morales //mission

☉

Eva’s own Hisuian Goodra happily accepted the sticky hug from her counterpart. Gobs of mucus and strings extended between them when they pulled apart. Eva’s face seemed a bit disturbed at the thought of being covered in that sticky goo but the two Goodra semed quite content with each other.

“Wow! It lookd great!” Once it was finished, Eva approached the rather odd looking bridge beside Andrea. Rayquaza serpentine body snaked forward over the river, hovering close to the bridge and Andrea Benoit as the costumed girl began to encourage pokemonto cross.

Eva followed suit, gently nudging the cautious wild pokemon forward. Some looked towards Rayquaza for comfort, their presence hovering close to the ‘bridge’ was reassuring.

One by one pokemon began to cross. The structure seemed to be holding so the nerves of the wild creature began to dissipate. The Sunkern cooed in thanks, waving their petals happily at Andrea as they waddled way towards warmer pastures. Eva eventually crossed as well, turning to inspect their handiwork with an aire of appreciation. Eva’s Blissey remained on the other side to make sure not too many pokemon tried to cross at once.

“Well, Andrea, it seems we did well. Nice work!” Eva raised her hand to give the girl a high five in appreciation. Rayquaza drifted over the river and to the other side, curling its serpentine body to settle on the icy ground just behind Andrea and Eva.

It wasn’t just Eva’s appreciation, the gentle pressure of the deity’s tugged at her chest as well. It was warm, approving, grateful, “They like you,” she suddenly said, “Your genuine compassion is rare quality hard to find in many these days,” her smile was soft as she looked towards Andrea. Rayquaza’s head gracefully arched down to linger beside Andrea. A large, golden eye blinked, a slitted pupil studied the dragon girl’s features as its forked tongue tasted the air, “They want to thank you,” Rayquaza’s broad forehead angled towards Andrea. Eva swept her hand forward, granting her permission to pet the dragon.

---

Andrea Vaneau