[attr="class","icon"]

having learned of the dangers of giant orthworm within this strange alien desert, bo opted to ride atop his aerodactyl. they'd put faith in Shalin Nariya to lead them to their new campsite, their mission being to set up, and spend the night. a daunting task, to sleep in a new place home to things that wanted to kill them--most surely yet to be discovered.[break][break]

he reached down to use his shirt to wipe the sweat off his forehead, catching a glimpse of strange tracks in the sand below. he pointed, calling over the sound of flapping wings, "there's tracks in the sand! we should watch them and make sure they don't go too close to the campsite."[break][break]

the last thing he wanted today was to be eaten in his sleep by an alien monster.

[attr="class","icon"]

the same way they had escaped from the giant orthworm last time, cian returns atop his flygon, drifting across the endless sea of beige as they make their way to a spot where Shalin Nariya had deemed okay to set up camp.[break][break]

boruta maher's warning is heard. he looks down to notice the same set of tracks, though he provides no further insight.[break][break]

he looks to Shalin Nariya, shouting at her over the winds.[break][break]

"how far away are we?"

[attr="class","bottom"]Shalin Nariya boruta maher Andrea Vaneau [break]

It was choose your flying Pokémon day. Andrea was riding on the back of her trusty Hydreigon, Chomper. She had even come better prepared for the heat this time, wearing very light clothing (but keeping the bottom half of her costume as a pair of pants), as well as bringing several bottles of fresh water with her.

The unnerving tracks left in the sand caused her some alarm. "It doesn't look like those tracks belong to those worms. They didn't even have feet!" The half-costumed girl observed, silently pondering what other great beasts could lurk in this extraterrestrial desert.

Soon, the group would land on top of a dilapidated structure from a bygone era, shielded from the sun and from wild Pokémon without the move Rock Climb. Andrea dismounted her draconic steed and marveled at the panoramic view of the desert. "Wow... Look at all that land to explore!" She mused, before turning to the others and asking. "So how should we build our base camp? Do we gather materials or something?"

Shalin Nariya, boruta maher, CIAN MAHER

☉

[attr="class","icon"]

they approached the ruins, and bo felt some modicum of relief. using an already existing dwelling would mean their presence wouldn't be blatantly obvious to anyone else--at least not by sight alone.[break][break]

"agreed." about the tracks. "we should rotate on a night watch while we're here. it'll mean less sleep but it beats a total surprise attack while we're all unconscious."[break][break]

once landed, a bag was rolled off his shoulder, goggles lifted off his face.[break][break]

"the league provided us with some things." sleepy bags and other typical base camp stuff, packed together tightly via mysterious mary poppins physics. perhaps cian had one too. perhaps not. who could trust him?[break][break]

bo began to place out various survival gear. "i don't mind taking the first shift."

[attr="class","icon"]

when boruta maher suggests taking the first shift, cian easily nods, already residing to the comfort of his sleeping bag.[break][break]

"yeah, you do that."[break][break]

he yawns, curling up next to his flygon as though drawn to its warmth. he yawns, completely letting his guard down because despite all their differences, he still trusts bo to do his job.[break][break]

"night night everyone."[break][break]

20 attempt to spend the "night", surviving the elements or any threats.

[attr="class","bottom"]Shalin Nariya boruta maher Andrea Vaneau [break]

Indeed, nobody could beat the Rangers when it came to camping preparations. Being the oldest in the group, Bo even volunteered to take the first shift, while Shalin would take the second. "OK, I'll take the third shift then. Nighty-night!" Andrea said, before tucking herself into her sleeping bag like a Bug Pokémon evolving into its cocoon stage. Chomper curled up next to his trainer, sharing his warmth with her. Soon, they drifted to sleep.

Andrea found herself in her garden on a beautiful, idyllic day. She was watering her treasured berry trees with her Wailmer Pail.

Suddenly, the scene was overtaken by static, almost as if glitching out.

Andrea was no longer in her garden, but in the middle of the desert. She was planting a bunch of radishes into the soil, while ominous shadows loomed behind her, making buzzing noises.

The young PokéManiac woke up from her prophetic dream with a sharp gasp. "What was that dream..." She mumbled while rubbing her eyes. Chomper looked at her with worry.

Shalin Nariya, boruta maher, CIAN MAHER

☉

[attr="class","icon"]

bo let his younger brother's attitude roll off, as though he hadn't heard a peep.[break][break]

"will do," he replied to Shalin Nariya . grabbing some snacks he'd packed, he moved to sit with his aerodactyl and look out over the vast landscape. his eyes lingered on obelisks in the distance, wondering about them as they fell under darkness, looking more ominous. their mystery called to him, like the temple from the woods.[break][break]

instead of shalin, Andrea Vaneau was the first to wake, on her own. he looked back.[break][break]

"oh. morning." maybe she'd pull second shift, then.

[attr="class","icon"]

cian doesn't even know what shift he's taking but he assumes someone would wake him up when it's time. he just closes his eyes and drifts off to sleep almost too easily.[break][break]

similar to Andrea Vaneau, he experiences a dream unlike any other. it's so vivid that it feels tangible, palpable, as though he could simply reach out and she would be there.[break][break]

"...mom?"[break][break]

she says nothing. she simply approaches, each step further grounding him in the moment, and finally offers him something. he peers down at the ribbon.[break][break]

"i'm so, so proud of you, my little champion."[break][break]

05 experience a prophetic dream within the desert.

[attr="class","bottom"]Shalin Nariya boruta maher Andrea Vaneau [break]

"Is it morning already?" The dragon-hooded girl groggily asked, still having a hard time telling what time it was in this alien dimension. She drank a handful of fresh water, pouring some over her face for good measure, before nodding resolutely. "I guess I might as well take my shift now!"

Suddenly, Shalin woke up screaming. "A-are you alright?!" Andrea worriedly asked. The sound drew a singular gigantic Orthworm to them. Recognizing the crew from their last encounter, the very large noodle opened its big, dopey mouth in shock. "No time for that! We need to deal with this big worm!" The girl exclaimed.

Before she could sic Chomper on it, one of her other Pokéballs rustled, causing a ladylike Salamence to come out. "You wanna fight it instead, Sora?" The Salamence nodded at her query, and Andrea nodded back. "OK! Show them your true power, Sora!" She said, hurling a sparkling Mega Stone, which the dragon caught with its teeth.



With the power of the Salamencite and Andrea's Mega Ring, the Salamence transformed into its more ferocious form known as the 'blood-soaked crescent'. The Orthworm sweated profusely, realizing that it was royally screwed. An Aerilate-boosted Headbutt followed by a Fire Fang forced it to flee, losing any interest in pursuing the humans.

With the threat gone, the pseudo-legendary soon reverted to its regular form, but for the brief moment Mega Evolution was utilized, it felt as if a fraction of Meatloaf's spirit still lived on through Sora. "Great job, Sora! I'm proud of you!" Andrea rewarded the azure dragonness by dotting her with affection.

Shalin Nariya, boruta maher, CIAN MAHER //mega evolution for the thread used

☉

[attr="class","icon"]

was it morning already? "no, it's been about two hours--"[break][break]

the screaming stole his attention too, eyes snapping in the direction of shalin. before the mystery could be solved, however, the orthworm reared up out of the sand to peer into their hiding place.[break][break]

"great."[break][break]

his aerodactyl squared aggressively, but the threat was quickly erradicated by andrea's mega salamence.[break][break]

"good work!" this was what night watch was for. "you seem like you can handle it. i'm gonna take a nap."[break][break]

he went to sleep with his back to the wall opposite of the open landscape. distant obelisks faded from his vision as he fell into a dream.[break][break]

it was a dark room, except for the interrogational lighting. vaguely, somehow, he knew where he was. or at least, there was a sense of familiarity. as things became clearer, he realized there was a body on the floor. he got closer, closer, only to stare down at the face of the clearly dead.[break][break]

"dad?"[break][break]

he looked up in time to catch the sight of another familiar face, before he jolted awake. it was still night, but there was no way he was falling asleep again. disturbed eyes fell on his brother.