The talk of rifts did not frighten her. Perhaps that is why she was the first child to volunteer to accompany her father to Petalburg. He needed help with a delivery and anniversary plan. These things were better than twiddling her thumbs and waiting on a resume bite. It made her feel useful. With work completed slightly ahead of schedule, the veteran returned to her room for a quick change of clothes. The t-shirt was swapped out for a patterned sports bra. The pants, meanwhile, were swapped for a pair of matching athletic leggings. In the gap between, well-toned abs rippled.

With the transformation complete, the blonde made her way to a nearby park. Her Riolu and Lycanroc ran beside her, savoring the sunshine and warmth. A small bag was thrown across her back. In it were a few protein bars, two bottles of water, a large thing of sunscreen, and a compass. On its straps, her Pokeballs were slotted in like ammo on a bandolier. A military knife was stuffed into its top compartment. Obviously, Lydia was the type who preferred to not need something and have it than the inverse. “Come on.”

The walking path rippled in front of her. Then, there was a moment of deafening nothing. A mosquito-larvae-filled pond in the rhythm of beating feet and heavy breathing. As met sand, the blonde let her body relax. This allowed her to roll forward into the impact, allowing much of it to dissipate. Minerva, ever cold and watchful, landed with a similar blend of grace and aplomb. The Riolu, unfortunately, sunk face-first into a dune like a lead weight.

“I am fine, thank you.” Lydia offhandedly murmured to Symon.

Blue eyes observed the areas before her. Sand as far as the eye could see and large obelisks crafted by someone hand. Though, unlike others, she did not assume them to be made by man. Pokemon could do the same. Her lips pursed slightly as she finished her initial observations. A hand tugged the Riolu from the sand as she glanced up at Symon. A tawny brow raised. “I did not. Did you hurt yourself in the fall?” Her eyes then moved to the other two women, a lioness’s protective instinct raising within her.

She slid her gaze to the tracks before them. Her lips pressed tighter together. “Following animals in disaster can keep you out of the storm. I would not be so quick to disregard figurative breadcrumbs They do not seem dangerously recent.” At the sight of the sandstorm—larger than anything she’d seen here or abroad, Lydia felt her stomach drop. That sentiment was one she agreed with.

At the question of water, she reached inside her sack. From it, she withdrew two bottles of water. “I have these.” A third Pokeball was opened beside her. From its depths, a Seadra emerged. She looked at him, waiting for the water type’s agreement. He nodded. “Poseidon can refill them when necessary.” Her eyes turned towards the obelisks.

“We should head toward the ruins. We may be able to take shelter from the storm.” Even a rickety rowboat in the ocean eased tired limbs.

As a child, she’d experienced the chill of the abyss. Death laid its veil upon her as her lungs screamed. During combat, a combatant’s brain had taken the place of the blush on her cheeks. Through all of this, she trusted Arceus and his beloved companions to protect her. Lord Lugia would keep her head above the waves. The young Keldeo would bolster her courage in the direst of situations. She could not be afraid. It was her job to lead and maintain order.

Her hand tightened around the amulet until it hurt.

“I hope so.” Lydia murmured in response to Symon’s assertion. Though logical in many avenues, her superstition knew no bounds. Hearing voices on the wind rarely boded well. Then again, such things could be divine advice filtered through this virtual hourglass. “Though I would listen closely.” Sometimes even enemies and spirits gave good advice.


Symon’s water bottle, as silly as it was, received a nod of approval. The presence of water types would at least stave off the allure of mirages and false sanctuaries.


The girl—Hailee—seemed out of sorts. Blue eyes narrowed as the ex-military member dropped a hand to where her gun normally rested, as if she could shoot away the terror.


Lydia wished to console the panicked sister but such things had never been her strong suit. Her tendency to emotional constipation made hers a hard shoulder to cry on. In situations like this, pointing out practical things—such as their possession of both shelter and water—rarely had its intended effect. Fortunately, before she felt obliged to step in, the woman’s companion did it for her. A sibling or cousin, perhaps? “We already have a plan for shelter and water. Now, we just need—”


Well, it was certainly not giant predatory worms. As the other three ran for the ruins, Lydia found herself reaching a point of calm. This was what she’d trained for. An urge to protect those around her quickly allowed her to craft a plan. If she could not stop these creatures, unlikely, there were things she could do to slow them down. It was no different than stringing trenches and artillery with razor wire.


With a deep breath, Lydia turned to her Pokemon. “Poseidon.” The Seadra turned to its partner. “Flood the sand.” Her eyes then turned to Minerva. “Put some stones in their way.” As for Heimdall, he would be of little use in this situation. So, ignoring his preparation to fight, his trainer scooped him into his arms.


“Follow me as soon as you are done.” The two Pokemon nodded. A great jet of water erupted from the Seadra’s mouth as he dampened the sand in front of him. It sucked up the water, solidifying like concrete in some areas. Right on his figurative tail, the Lycanroc unleashed a Stealth Rock. The floating shards prevented the creatures from cresting the sand without risk.


One stone dropped to the sand, just in time to be snapped up by one of the short-sighted insects.“Minerva, fire one stone towards the twister.” The canid did that, her trainer watching as the creatures diverted toward its landing point. The woman's lips pursed in thought.


With that done, Lydia raced towards the ruins. Her Pokemon followed a few steps behind. The world began to heave beneath her like a bucking bronco as the worms resumed their course. Lydia shouted over the maelstrom as she slipped on the first block of black marble.

TLDR:

• Used Hydro Pump to solidify sand
• Stealth rock made her hypothesize vibrations are involved
• Slid her way onto the black marble