Half hidden away in the gravel and craggy terrain were two distinct rock formations, pale in color and unique in the fact that they both contained wide, burrowing holes that drilled down through their flat-topped surfaces. At their base grew a patch of orange grass, or what could have been presumed to be such. In reality, the foliage was the coarse fur of a Camerupt who had chosen to bury itself, leaving only its volcanic growths visible to those above-ground. Fayne made a mental note of her findings and gave it a wide berth as she continued to ascend the hill.

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+ Spawn 1 of 3, captured 0 of 1

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As the young woman climbed, the bone-chilling wind grew steadily more fierce, nipping at her exposed ears and reminding her that even a desolate desert was no match for the winters that followed Kyurem's breach. She wasn't a meteorologist, but it didn't take a seasoned researcher to realize that temperatures had fluctuated since 99943 Meteno's arrival and departure. Despite this, Fayne pushed on, her grey-green eyes scanning each rock as she passed by them. One was even marked with the distinct scorches and slashes of a Combusken who had used the stone for target practice, though the culprit was thankfully no where to be seen.

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+ Spawn 2 of 3, captured 0 of 1

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There, hovering at the top of the craggy hill, was the purpose of today's venture into the wastelands: a Lunatone. According to some wives' tales, this Pokemon was made of genuine moon rock and could harness the real moon's energy on nights when it shone full in the sky. If true, that was impressive and worth researching in its own right, but that's not what drove Fayne to try catching one of her own.

[break][break]Her interest was in evolution studies; namely, whether the energy emanating from a fully-charged Lunatone would give off the same signature as a Moon Stone. If so, could a Lunatone's presence evoke evolution in species such as Nidorina and Clefairy? She had a similar hypothesis about Solrock and Sun Stones, but that study would come in due time. For now, she couldn't pass up the opportunity to catch a Lunatone here and now.

[break][break]She stopped in her tracks, not wanting to frighten the wild Pokemon away. Its unblinking red eyes and lethargic movements made it difficult for her to tell whether or not it had even noticed her approaching, but she didn't want to risk it either way. She'd need to get the jump on it if she was going to ensure victory and a successful capture. Lunatone were a difficult species to catch, stubborn and strong-willed. At full strength, if it didn't want to be caught then it wouldn't allow itself to be.

[break][break]She'd have to weaken it first.

[break][break]Fayne's breath was shallow, barely visible through the woolen scarf that had been pulled over her nose and virtually inaudible despite the eerily silent territory she found herself in. All movements were slow and deliberate, her limbs moving through thick molasses as she reached down to her belt in order to retrieve a pokeball. All was well. The wild Pokemon hardly moved and either didn't notice the trainer standing a few feet away or didn't care.

[break][break]That is, until the pokeball clicked free from Fayne's belt. With a crack, the Lunatone's eyes glowed with a brilliant red aura and locked onto the young researcher. "Shit," she cursed under her breath as she tossed a pokeball into the air. In direct response to this, the sentient rock charged forward, fully intent on colliding into the woman's tiny frame.

[break][break]Fayne leaped to the side, tumbled head-over-feet a few times before digging her gloved hands into the earth to prevent herself from falling any farther down the hillside. Fortunately for her, an Espeon had appeared on the battlefield to prevent the Lunatone from landing another blow. Without wasting a single second, the Eeveelution leaped into the air, twirled once, and summoned a barrage of sparkling stars to rain down on the enemy (Swift).

[break][break]While clamoring to her feet and returning to the fight, Fayne hollered, "Sand Attack!" As Prama the Espeon landed on the ground again, she immediately turned her back to the wild Pokemon and began kicking dust and dirt into its eyes. The Lunatone, overwhelmed by the quick succession of attacks, bellowed loudly and sent out a pulse of energy that immediately gave both trainer and partner splitting headaches (Psywave).

[break][break]Being a psychic type herself, Prama was able to shake off the attack and follow up with a well-placed Quick Attack. The Lunatone wobbled in midair, and with one hand still gripping her head, Fayne took the opportunity to throw a pokeball at their adversary. The moon Pokemon vanished in a flash of red light.

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+ Spawn 3 of 3, capture attempt

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