A handful of grunts had managed to slip through his fingers, entering the cave from the waters surrounding Dewford that he'd been busy defending.

Irritation pinching his sweat beaded brow, Angelo gives chase, plunging himself into the yawning mouth of Granite Cave in pursuit. 

“Zulu, follow me!” His dragapult answers the call after sending a fearow to the depths, her wispy tail a fluttering war banner. 

Only Angelo's heartbeat hesitates as his boots thud against stone. There was little luxury to think about his discomfort, on the hollow sensation stirred within him from being surrounded by narrow tunnels, when he had this mess to clean up. 

He wasn't going to put Nautica's success on the line.

It doesn't take long for Angelo to catch up. His quarry had become distracted, finding them surrounding a single individual.

With a whistle, an infestation swarms beneath the grunts feet, making them shout out in surprise and stumble in blind disorientation. 

Angelo takes the opportunity to slip around them, ushering the man back a pace or two to ensure they didn't get swept up in the dizzying buzz. 

He meets the familiar face with a flash of surprise in his eyes.

“Terrible day for a field trip, Doctor.” A brow raises in sympathetic amusement for GIDEON GRAVES, before giving their business collaborator a quick once over.

“Ready to get out of here?”

notes;

- an infestation swarms around the rockets!

TOTAL MP: 160

CAVE (100 MP)
POSTDORMITUM MISSION PARTICIPATION (50 MP)
POSTDORMITUM MISSION POST (10 MP)

[attr="class","gideon-words"]



The ROCKETs laughed. Laughed. It was a sound that would have made his blood boil if it wasn’t already running cold.[break][break]

Meanwhile, their Pokémon continued to inch closer, teeth bared and claws at the ready. Gideon weighed his options, wondering if it was worth the risk to try and release his own Pokémon or if he could still negotiate his safety.[break][break]

Luckily, the decision was made for him. Appearing out of nowhere, the professor was suddenly pulled away by an all-too familiar man while the grunts and their Pokémon were caught in an INFESTATION.[break][break]

“Ha! No kidding!” Arceus, he’d never been so relieved to see the happy-go-lucky face of angelo vestri. [break][break]

Gideon wanted to ask, what the hell are you doing here? [break][break]

But, time and place. Plus he really was ready to get out of this godforsaken cave. [break][break]

“Lead the way, flyboy.”

[attr="class","gideon-notes"]

[break]
• postdormitum: cave[break][break]

TOTAL: 70 MP[break]
+ 50 MP for participation in a PD battle/mission[break]
+ 10 MP per IC post in a PD battle/mission[break]
+ 10 MP per IC post in a PD battle/mission[break]

His lips twitch up faintly in fond memories, the given nickname one he hadn't heard in some months. Angelo hopes that wherever she is now, Amelia Livy is keeping herself safe.

The same couldn't be said about GIDEON GRAVES, he'd somehow ended up here on the worst possible day, at the completely wrong time.

Angelo's thankful he'd ran into the professor. There were still many more mysteries they had to uncover, Gideon and him. 

“You've got it, doc. But I can't leave these guys here to their own devices, have to keep them out of the rift.”

So far Nautica had been sending members of the organisation packing from outside Dewford. Repelling them back across the ocean routes, tails between their legs no doubt back to Sootopolis.

This lot could still be encouraged to follow suit.  

“You've got pokémon on hand, right?”

By the accompanying raise of his brow, it comes across less of a request than it is a hint for his companion to chip in. 

After all, the Rocket grunts weren't about to let them run out of here without pushback, either and the infestation was beginning to look stretched thin. 

notes;

- here

TOTAL MP: 170

[attr="class","gideon-words"]



"Ah– right!" Of course he had Pokémon on hand. Gideon wasn't exactly hoping to stick around and fight, though. His battling prowess - or lack thereof - was subpar at best. Selfishly, he'd kind of hoped that Angelo would just whisk him to safety in lieu of taking care of these ROCKETs.[break][break]

Fat chance of that. [break][break]

"Proteus," Gideon began, releasing his SLOWKING. "Surf!"[break][break]

An exorbitant amount of water immediately blasted from the Pokémon's maw, flooding the battlefield with a torrential force. The grunts' Pokémon were consequently swept off their feet, leaving them vulnerable to further attack from angelo vestri.[break][break]

"So you're just here to save the day, then?" Gideon probed, his eyes still locked on the battle in front of them. "I didn't know Nautica did mercenary work."

[attr="class","gideon-notes"]

[break]
• postdormitum: cave[break][break]

TOTAL: 80 MP[break]
+ 50 MP for participation in a PD battle/mission[break]
+ 10 MP per IC post in a PD battle/mission[break]
+ 10 MP per IC post in a PD battle/mission[break]
+ 10 MP per IC post in a PD battle/mission[break]

Gideon's stammer of confirmation is met with a pat on his shoulder. Gesture an equivalent to throwing the professor into the deep end and telling him to swim. 

Sharpedo included. 

To Gideon's credit he does go along with it, Angelo watching as a surf of water surges forward from his slowking to knock back a couple of rockets. 

“Zulu, Dragon darts!” Following up, his dragapult fires two rounds at their foes's pokémon, the dreepy exploding at their feet before returning back to their caretaker's horns with gleeful chitters. 

Their opponents stagger back further like dancing cowboys in a western shootout. 

“More like here to ruin rocket's day - got no interest in seeing them take another island.” He barks out a short laugh, but the forcefulness of his commanded attacks say otherwise. “Could say the same to your though. Who convinced you to volunteer for the frontlines?”

notes;

- here

TOTAL MP: 80

[attr="class","gideon-words"]



"I guess you could say I was drafted more so than volunteered," Gideon responded on a shaky laugh, internally marveling at angelo vestri's confidence in battle. His experience seeped through his every action and command. It was impressive, to say the least.[break][break]

"My team and I were here doing routine population surveys," A rock lobbed his way was suddenly stalled by his SLOWKING's PSYCHIC and propelled back at the enemy. It had come dangerously close to crushing him and his rescuer, though. "FU– Arceus... Uh, I-I'm just glad they stayed behind in Dewford this morning."

[attr="class","gideon-notes"]

[break]
• postdormitum: cave[break][break]

TOTAL: 100 MP[break]
+ 50 MP for participation in a PD battle/mission[break]
+ 10 MP per IC post in a PD battle/mission[break]
+ 10 MP per IC post in a PD battle/mission[break]
+ 10 MP per IC post in a PD battle/mission[break]
+ 10 MP per IC post in a PD battle/mission[break]
+ 10 MP for assisting another character/pkmn[break]

Gideon's wavering laugh is met with a slight arch of his brow. Despite the nervousness from the professor, he and his Slowking were pulling their weight.  

“Quick thinking there, professor,” he whistles in appreciation as the psychic type returns a boulder back to sender. Angelo had all been preparing to spring away. 

In aggravation at being steadily pushed back towards the entrance, the rocket grunts cast their lot into releasing more of their pokémon into the fray. 

Determination sparks fiercer in Angelo at the sight of light pouring in from down the tunnel, in which they attempted to keep them away from.

“Boats have been evacuating the civilians back to the mainland,” in his palm a tera orb glows, its crystals sparkling even in the dim light of the cave. “I can go with you to Dewford if you want? Your team might be waiting for you there.”

Tossing the sphere, tera energy coats the dragapult from the tip of her head to the end of her tail. Crystals in the shape of water droplets adorning the top of her sleek, arrow shaped head. 

With a gathering of blue energy, enriched Hydro cannons shoot from Zulu 2's horn cavities with enough force to push her backwards. Slight, in comparison to how far the pokemon it collides into fly. 

TOTAL MP: 100

[attr="class","gideon-words"]



It was a relief to hear that his team was likely safe despite the dire circumstances. Angelo's offered help even more so.[break][break]

"Yes– please! I could definitely use the assistance. I'm not confident I can get back by myself..."[break][break]

Seeing the tides of battle shifting, the ROCKET grunts called on reinforcements to help push back against angelo vestri. [break][break]

SLOWKING was KO'd by an errant THUNDERBOLT and subsequently recalled back into his Poké Ball. To make matters worse, they also succeeded in dividing GIDEON GRAVES from his rescuer with a strong BLIZZARD courtesy of a floating GLALIE, which pushed the professor further back into the cavern.[break][break]

Closer to the rift, which was suddenly exuding a suction force.[break][break]

Gideon barely had time to react. A hand reached out, desperate.[break][break]

"Ang–!"[break][break]

But he was gone.

[attr="class","gideon-notes"]

[break]
• postdormitum: cave[break][break]

TOTAL: 510 MP[break]
+ 50 MP for participation in a PD battle/mission[break]
+ 10 MP per IC post in a PD battle/mission[break]
+ 10 MP per IC post in a PD battle/mission[break]
+ 10 MP per IC post in a PD battle/mission[break]
+ 10 MP per IC post in a PD battle/mission[break]
+ 10 MP per IC post in a PD battle/mission[break]
+ 10 MP for assisting another character/pkmn[break]
+ 50 MP for getting your pkmn knocked out[break]
+ 100 MP for completing a mission[break]
+ 250 MP for "tying" a mission[break]

They manage to punch a path through with Zulu's enhanced hydro cannon, however they lose GIDEON GRAVES in the process...

Up ahead the light shines, their goal within reach and Angelo tempts fate by letting out a sigh of relief. Nearly freed from his cavernous prison. Just one last push, then they'd be free. 

Turning back to ensure he'd be reunited with the rest of his team soon, Angelo and his dragapult lurch back to avoid the bite of the blizzard. Its cold biting furiously. 

Gideon isn't so quick. 

Angelo snatches out a hand, too. “Shit, professor!”

Bathed in the light of the outside, so close, the pilot turns back to the yawning mouth of the cavern where GIDEON GRAVES had disappeared. 

Angelo would have to wait a little longer to feel the open skies again...

TOTAL MP: 470