"W-wait for me, Yakumo..!"

Trailing a short distance behind, Shouko took careful steps as they made their way into Granite Cave, clutching Beatrice to her chest as she peered around the dimly lit chamber. She'd been excited when the younger girl - someone she'd only just met, and seemingly already become good friends with - had invited her to come exploring... but now that they had begun delving into the cave, she'd begun to have second thoughts. Particularly once she was en route to her destination, and began to hear murmurs of odd happenings in and around the cavern.

But this was what it meant to be a trainer... right? Exploring new places, even if there was room for things to go a little bit sideways. Setting aside the rumors about what was happening inside, Granite Cave in general was known as a relatively safe area, though stiflingly dark in its deepest parts and difficult to navigate at times. So as long as she was with Yakumo, and as long as she had her trusted partners, she could be confident in the situation.

Finally, Yakumo stopped advancing and gave Shouko a chance to catch up. Coming to stand beside her friend, she glanced over and offered a small smile as she tilted her head. "What is it, Yakumo?" She wasn't quite sure what had caught the girl's attention, and before she had a chance to figure it out, she'd been grabbed and yanked along!

"Yakumo, wait..! What are we doing?!" It was only as Yakumo pushed toward the rift that Shouko finally saw it for what it was, even if she didn't entirely understand it. She resisted a little, but her friend pulling her along had already thrown her off balance, and she was falling through before she even knew what was happening.

---

Interdream 1

Participation: +50 MP
Post: +10 MP

Total: 60 MP

Travel into an alien other dimension for the first time was as disorienting and uncomfortable and unpleasant as one would expect. Although, since she didn't know that that was what they were doing, that discomfort no doubt exceeded Shouko's expectations. A blur of dark, iridescent colours followed, and no small amount of vertigo, and then it was over even more abruptly than it had begun.

The two girls emerged in the midst of a dimly-lit cave, blanketed by a thick pink mist. Though they appeared in midair, neither were sent hurtling down to the cavern floor, so their bones remained unbroken. Whether it was air that felt like water, or water that worked like air, they were able to swim without drowning and breathe without falling.

"Wow... see, Shouko, isn't this amazing? An actual whole other world..." Saki laughed to herself with a carefree happiness, drifting through the air.

The space they'd arrived at was relatively small, but twisting passageways led off in every direction. There was still the rift above them which they'd fallen through, and another could already be seen at the end of a short tunnel. No doubt this was a horrifically easy place to get lost in... but for now, it at least masqueraded as safe.

---

Interdream 1
Post: +10 MP
(Total: 290 MP)

Was it like slipping into a chilly pool? Or more like being swallowed by the cool winds of an impending storm? Shouko wasn't certain which description fit the sensation better as shimmering colors rippled around her vision. Her fingers curled tightly into Yakumo's forearm as panic set in, and she clutched her Chingling tightly to her chest as she squeezed her eyes shut, fighting off the sensation of tilting in every direction at once.

"Yakumo, this is too much," she muttered, her words scarcely more than a whimper as they spilled out of the rift in space and into the misty chamber. The fact that they continued to drift above the cave floor kept her from knowing that they were truly free of the tunnel between worlds as her body actually began to tilt.

It wasn't until her friend spoke up that she opened her eyes... and immediately let out a shriek. "Wh-why are we just floating?! I want down!"

As the trainer flailed her arms, sluggishly swimming toward the misty floor of the cavern, Beatrice gently floated down alongside her. For the Pokemon, moving like this was second nature, and she wasn't certain how to interpret the reaction of her trainer in this situation.

---

Interdream 1

Post: +10 MP

Total: 70 MP

"Take some deep breaths, Shouko, it's okay." Yakumo swam over to her friend with ease, obviously comfortable in this environment. She did go swimming often, but being in the air like this just felt incredibly natural. Detached, drifting, floating aimlessly... it was much nicer than it should be. "Facing the unknown is part of being a Pokemon trainer. You'll get used to it if you do it often enough, promise!"

Even so, she grabbed Shouko by the wrist, helping her swim down towards the floor. Once they were standing, in the midst of the mist, it wasn't too hard to walk without floating away. Running might have been difficult, though.

"You see? Once you stop and stay calm, everything always works out okay. And look, isn't this place just the prettiest? I had to show you." Yakumo giggled, squeezing Shouko's hand before letting go and looking around the cavern, sighing dreamily. "I think I could just get lost and spend the rest of my life here..."

While Yakumo spaced out, taking her eyes away from Shouko, a feeble chittering sounded from the other direction. A dog-sized fluffy insect, creeping towards them on all fours, with a lizard-like tail and backwards-folded wings in the shape of flames. On further inspection, it appeared to be limping, leaving a small trail of blood in its wake.

---

Interdream 1
Post: +10 MP
(Total: 440 MP)

"...deep breaths don't wake me up from whatever this is..." Shouko whined, her flailing quickly growing weaker as she started to pant, clearly exhausting herself through the unnecessarily violent exertion. At least her friend was willing to show her some kindness and help her get out of the air. "I think novice trainers usually have some idea of what they're getting themselves into, Yakumo... I feel way out of my depth with this."

Once they were down in the swirling pink mist, Shouko carefully turned her body and got her feet onto the floor. Rising upright very slowly, she took an experimental step. And oh... that was not comfy. She planted her palm against the smooth, cool stone wall beside her to brace, fighting the feeling that her body wanted to start drifting off the floor again.

"...I just wish you'd told me it was gonna be this weird, you know," the trainer said after a moment, finally looking up at Beatrice. The Chingling happily bounced up and down now that her partner wasn't in distress, and Shouko gave the little bell a shaky but still reassuring smile. "Yeah, I'm okay. Just not used to drifting like you are."

Now that she was just standing... not moving... not floating away... she could kind of appreciate the cavern.

Just a little bit.

"...did you say something, Bea?" Shouko asked, tilting her head as she glanced toward her partner. Crossing her rope ends to answer the trainer, the Chingling turned toward the source of the noise, slowly drifting and leading her trainer along. It took just a few seconds for the pair to find a strange creature emerging from the fog.

Shouko knelt down in front of the fluffy insect, looking closely. The physical structures that adorned its body were similar to Volcarona, but its size and posture leaned much closer to that Pokemon's own pre-evolution, Larvesta. As she examined the oddity of a Bug type, she finally noticed the blood glistening on the stone floor behind it.

"...you poor thing," Shouko said, carefully pulling her backpack around her shoulder and fishing through one of her pockets. "I'm sure I've got potions and other supplies for this... we'll get you patched up..."

---

Interdream 1

Post: +10 MP

Total: 80 MP

The odd Pokemon skittered away just a little, quietly hissing. It didn't flee, nor did it move to attack just yet, instead sizing Shouko up with a great deal of caution.

"Woah, you found a little guy..." Yakumo swam back over, having immediately returned to the air after dropping Shouko off. "I've never seen this Pokemon before, it's kinda strange. I'm not exactly a living Pokedex, though... and maybe I'm just assuming it's strange, because of where we are." She briefly inspected the new arrival, then floated further away, demonstrating just a little caution of her own.

"Well, since there's wilds around..." Muttering to herself, she retrieved a Pokeball from her belt, sending out her "sister's" Metagross, at a far enough distance to avoid disturbing Shouko's new friend. The steel-type telekinetically moved itself to a nearby wall, digging its claws in and hanging there comfortably.

"Anyway, un, that's normal." Yakumo nodded her head. "Novice trainers have some idea, but they often feel out of their depths no matter what. So just think, after doing something crazy like this, you'll be able to conquer anything."

She giggled quietly, keeping herself entertained with the odd gravity. "Oh, and I didn't really know that many details or anything... you kind of learn to just expect the unexpected." Not that that was true. Yakumo had never learned that lesson through practice, and being in Ultra Space of all things far eclipsed any weirdness she'd ever experienced before. It was all just her natural personality. Going with the flow, no matter what happened. Brushing off everything with a serene smile, no matter the atrocities before her.

And on the topic of atrocities, a gaggle of atrociously pink Pokemon began floating out of the mist as well, unmistakably related to Jigglypuff yet with golden eyes and a wild length of tail-like hair. The bug-like Pokemon skittered away from them as well, but for now they just hovered around like a bunch of lost balloons, eyeing the two trainers with their playful fanged smiles.

---

Interdream 1
Post: +10 MP
(Total: 460 MP)

The defensive, hissing behavior didn't deter Shouko. In fact, she'd quite expected it. Not only was this a wild Pokemon, but it was a wild Pokemon suffering from some form of injury. It was only natural that the little creature would be feeling defensive. She changed gears for a moment, and instead of grabbing a Potion first, she took hold of a piece of fruit that she'd packed in her bag and gently laid it in front of the fluffy bug.

"Here, a good-will offering," Shouko said, smiling softly as she finally pulled out the Potion afterward and held it at the ready. Glancing up, she nodded as Yakumo hovered nearby. "No, it's definitely strange... and it's hurt, too. I wanna try to treat it, if I can. If it'll let me..."

Fishing out the rest of her first aid supplies, Shouko gradually slipped her pack back into place over her shoulders and carefully waited to see if the injured Pokemon would come around and allow her to approach. Her amber gaze gradually shifted around as she waited on the creature before her - noting her friend's Steel-type perched upon the cave wall. It must've been one of the ones she'd borrowed from her sister.

"Ah, you okay?" Shouko asked the fluffy mon as it skittered a little in a different direction, her eyes shifting up to take in the newly arrived wild Pokemon. Much like the one she was attempting to help, they had that unshakable familiarity in their resemblance to Jigglypuff, but it was clear that they weren't quite the same. And it was hard to know what their intent was, while they just hovered nearby... "Uhm, Yakumo... they're just staring at us. What do we do?"

---

Interdream 1

Post: +10 MP

Total: 90 MP

The insect stared for a moment at the offered fruit, then crawled over and began to softly nibble at it with its tiny little mouth. Seemingly exhausted, it let its body go limp on the floor, not resisting Shouko's approach.

Yakumo giggled. "You're so caring, shouko... it makes me really happy to watch you. I don't wanna stress it out, so I'll just keep guard." Despire claiming to keep guard, she largely just interested herself with the newcomers. They all looked so round and soft and touchable. A bit of a feel wouldn't hurt, right?

Yakumo screamed. Shouko's next sight was of her friend with her forearm held out, and one of the not-Jigglypuffs biting deeply into it, Yakumo's red blood floating freely through the air.

Metagross sprang to action, disengaging itself from the wall. It fell downwards like a meteor, landing right on the offending beast and mashing it deep into the ground. The others, egged on by the sight and smell of human blood, all rushed forwards at the same time, crowding around the wounded trainer and her Pokemon. With its iron defenses, the steel-and-psychic-type effortlessly shrugged off their blows, but there were altogether too many to fight all at once. Inevitably, a pair of the monsters turned their heartless yellow eyes to Shouko and her insect friend, the latter of which hurriedly slithered away down a tunnel.

"Shouko... aaagh... don't, don't worry about me! Just protect yourself!" Pulling out a small blue pouch, she flung it at one of the pink orbs. The resulting loud pop sent her enemies scattering, for a moment, but Metagross was still too preoccupied to help, and it did nothing for Shouko's own opponents.

---

Interdream 1
Post: +10 MP
Scatterbang Use: +10 MP
Mission 'Completion' (5 posts): +100 MP
Mission Loss: +300 MP
(Total: 910 MP)

With Yakumo offering to keep guard, Shouko turned her attention back toward the fluffy insect. The fact that it was willing to take her up on her offer of food was encouraging, and while it relaxed and consumed the fruit, she began carefully moving around it, looking for the source of its bleeding.

While she was distracted, Beatrice had taken to watching the Jigglypuff lookalikes. Despite that they hadn't made a hostile move immediately, she could sense that their intent was... definitely decidedly hostile. She began to drift back toward her trainer as Yakumo reached out toward one of the wild Pokemon, sensing that the situation was imminently going to swing against them.

"Y-Yakumo?!" Shouko called out, immediately standing back from the injured insect, her eyes darting up toward the direction of her friend. Her eyes went wide as she saw the blood that'd been drawn, and the creature she'd have regarded as cute gnawing at her friend's flesh. "Yakumo, just... hold on just a moment...!"

Surely they couldn't be that powerful, right? Grasping one of the balls at her belt, Shouko lifted it and clicked the button in the center, a flash of light releasing a Deino into the cave. "Velvet, we've gotta get past these things and help my friend!"

Her partner immediately sprang into action without command, instinctually understanding the danger of the situation. Letting out a deafening roar that rivaled the crashing boom of Metagross hitting the cave floor, Velvet opened her maw and breathed out a mass of bluish-white fire toward the attackers. As the dragonbreath kicked up the pink mist and created large swirls of the substance, Shouko froze as a familiar voice echoed in her head.

"....Gabe....?"

---

Interdream 1

Post: +10 MP
Mission 'Completion' (5 posts): +100 MP
Mission Loss: +300 MP

Total: 500 MP