It begins with relative safety.[break][break]
Navy and the three new companions who have volunteered to brave this place make use of the base he dug out of a grotto alongside Hyakkaryōran Tsubaki and Colton Boothroyd . Supplies seem strangely low when he visits, as they often are. He prays that the simplest solution, as it almost never is, is the correct one: other people he has told about this place have made use of his provisions.[break][break]
From there, he climbs into the saddle of his Kingdra and swims through solid air. This place is a paradox: both land and sea at once. A contradiction. Somewhere caught between dream and reality. It’s no wonder, then, that the interdream zone made its first appearance here.[break][break]
A chorus plays for them in the distance: a mingled melody of whalesong and the churning of organs. Above it all is the heartbeat. The first death is in the heart, and this is a creature unknown to death. Its heart always beats. It grows quiet and loud at seemingly random intervals.[break][break]
“It’s good to be working with you all today.” Navy says, putting on a smile that he prays hides his uncertainty. “An Elite 4, an Interpol agent, one of Hoenn’s strongest ex-gym leaders…got ourselves a good team.” And he means it. He’s looking forward to seeing them all in action. The sole solace he can take upon entering this place is that, no matter what happens, they’re tackling this with a great team.[break][break]
They arrive at the designated coordinates for their destination with little incident. Occasional Sharpedo and other pests accost them, but between the four of them, their Pokemon send them running off without much fanfare.[break][break]
“Well, here’s the place I was telling you guys about.”[break][break]
Like most things here, it doesn’t make sense. They appear to be floating along the sea floor until they reach a landmark. Walking past it, as if turning a corner, a trench comes into view. Its high, sandy walls rise around them, stretching up higher and higher out of sight. The ground before them gently slopes, leading them down further into the abyss. It’s wide enough for them and their Pokemon. Size is no issue.[break][break]
“It seems to go down for a long ways. Didn’t wanna tackle it alone or with Baki. Thought it best to call in some heavy hitters.” He turns to Callan in particular. “Can’t wait to see what an Elite can do.”

[break][break]

+ Callan Young , Yujin Ha , DEREK HOFFMAN [break]
Setup for 20.

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Once more they delve deep into the reverse sea. This time the party of three had become four, much to Yujin’s delight.[break][break]

As always, the engineer straddled a fine line between nonchalance and ineffectualness. Most of her time was spent staring at her handheld devices and swiveling to every errant beep of her sensors. When the group slowed, she ran fingers curiously over mucous membrane; when they made to move, she slipped an arm around the nearest person’s ride and played coy passenger. When they fought, they fought—she was of course too busy mapping out the insides of an interdimensional beast to participate.[break][break]

Upon arrival at the trench edge, she let go of the kingdra and allowed herself to glide forward, tickling the oncoming dark. A murmur to her klefki caused it to shuffle its inventory and then present her with a module for her PDA. She plugged it in, the klefki rang against the surroundings with a soft, ethereal chime, and then Yujin checked her device again.[break][break]

“...Well, I can confirm that it goes down… seemingly without end.”[break][break]

Upon hearing the interest in Callan, she couldn’t help but grin mischeviously.[break][break]

“Oh, yes. He saved me from Derek, who made quite the attempt on my life.”

[attr="class","bottom"]DEREK HOFFMAN Callan Young Michael Navidson [break]

[attr="class","icon"]

It's not a surprise to find them conversing as they are on their way to whatever destination lies ahead. Derek's intrusive thoughts tune it out as best they can until Yujin reminds him of the very thing that captures his mind—How he tried to kill her. Tugging on it's crest, the Gyarados he rides upon brings Derek closer to the lady who couldn't help but gossip.
[break][break]

"You could at least explain the part where it wasn't really me." Of course, where was the fun in that? Yujin didn't know his past was decorated with catastrophic failures such as that. Admittedly, she was lucky to only have endured that much. Others, like Anna, fared much worse. "Anyways..."
[break][break]

The assumed leader of the party, Callan, wonders if the rest of them can see these 'visions' in the dark. Ands it turns out... Yes, Derek CAN see them!
[break][break]

"Woah, this place really does just keep getting creepier." Revolving around the dark chasm, countless EYES appeared to scrutinize the group, hemmoraghing with red and puss as they delved into the trench's depths. "Were there reports of Unown in this place?" Derek didn't recall anything to that effect. But they were long past due for another bout with the DRK Triad...
[break][break]

“Not cool, man. No killing ladies while you’re in Dewford.” Reading their tone, he does nothing but smile. Spirits seem good…[break][break]
…until the eyes look to them from the fathomless black of the trench. Not just eyes. Navy sees himself, smiling at the original copy. He’s cast in the gentle glow of tiny light fluttering down from the top of the trench. It mingles with the artificial manmade light they bring with them.[break][break]
“Go back to your room, Michael.” His own body says in another man’s voice. He has a cadaver’s disposition. The cheeks are sunken in, the eyes are milky white. Bugs crawl through open wounds. His voice makes Navy’s skin stand on end.[break][break]
“Your mother and I are just having a talk.” Navy doesn’t know if the others are seeing this part. He doesn’t care. With a harsh grip of Leviathan’s reins, he gives the Pokemon a signal. Water shoots out of the Kingdra’s snout with the force of a bazooka, piercing this false Navy’s flesh.[break][break]
“…can’t say I’ve seen Unown here. Seen just about everything else short of a legendary.” He tries to continue the conversation as they sink down into the trench. They go until Callan says they stop, he supposes. Until then, he endures. He fights. That’s what a warrior does.[break][break]
“Go back to bed or you get the belt too, you little shit.”[break][break]
This time, the voice is from behind. Lights from above grow closer. The angels are coming. They say that they will never die. They say that nothing ever really ends.


[break][break]

+ Callan Young , Yujin Ha , DEREK HOFFMAN [break]
29 hear the deep calling your name, attempting to bring you deeper into an endless abyss.

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Her only response was to melodramatically put a hand up to her lips, as if to say, oops.[break][break]

Their foray into the first trench is cautious. The thousand blistering eyes of the deep track their every movement, and soon a voice profoundly lacking in paternal instinct slithers in the dark.[break][break]

She blinked upon hearing the contemptuous name—Michael—and the dots of that fresh mystery connect themselves into an illuminating constellation. Throwing a glance at Navy, she felt contrite over their previous conversation.[break][break]

As the illusions begin to take the form of personal demons, one thing becomes clear: though the party of four may all return to the same shore, they swim in different oceans.[break][break]

The marine snow that lazily drifted down soon becomes thick and suffocating. Before long it roared into a blizzard several feet thick in all directions.[break][break]

Yujin pulled her jacket closer to herself, feeling a chill that she knew with certainty was from her own past. [break][break]

Hazy jewels of pink sprinkled across the white-out, blooming from strange objects buried in the snow. Closer inspection revealed plum blossoms sprouting from frozen eyes and other human orifices.[break][break]

Now and then a corpse-like hand would twitch and whisper, ”Ah-yu.”[break][break]

“This way, Callan,” Yujin said, tapping said mounted partner on the shoulder with an expression devoid of its usual warmth. She’d point in a new direction, having recognized an exit from her klefki and abstractor.[break][break]

---

[break]
transitioning out of 20, lead towards 32

[attr="class","bottom"]Callan Young Michael Navidson DEREK HOFFMAN [break]

[attr="class","icon"]

Derek opts to ignore the topic before going any further, as it only sheds light on an unsightly moment of his life. Instead the ranger carries along, noting that they all seem to be drawn to something within the abyss. Derek notices something too, but it doesn't amount to anything more than a false hope. He knows the face of this figure to be dead.
[break][break]

Instead it is the ivory tendrils of the Nihilego that he is facing. Callan too. "Again?!" This wasn't supposed to be like last time. "Am I a Nihilego magnet, or what?" Though Derek had a couple theories circling in his head as to why, he hadn't any time.
[break][break]

"Sepiks, break them up." The Claydol that spawned from one of the devices would send forth a surging pillar of earth, it's EARTH POWER forcing the group to disperse while batting one or two to the ground.
[break][break]

Their pursuit of the others is overshadowed by a second wave of Nihilego, quickly swarming above Derek as he brandishes his second pokeball. Their ACID SPRAY is quicker on the draw, corroding the sleeve and some skin of his right arm. "Agh, fuck!"
[break][break]

ooc: derek's prompt: nihilego may be drawn to DEREK HOFFMAN due to the faintest remnants of nihilego toxin still remaining in his body.

He is a warrior. He has always been a warrior. When the world tells him to crumple and fall, he stands.[break][break]
Angels descend. Dark dragons come with them to bath the explorers in poison. Navy’s hand grips into a fist.[break][break]
“…is this the best you’ve got, Eternatus?” He asks through gritted teeth. A fist shoots out from behind him. Shuwen, the Urshifu born of his resolve in these same waters, bellows a battle cry.[break][break]
“ORAAAAAAAAA!”[break][break]
The cry of a warrior’s soul. It slams into a Nihilego so hard that its rocky exterior explodes. The substance that passes for its blood is scattered across the high walls of the trenches. Were that section of wall to be carved out and sold as a modern art masterpiece, it would sell for millions.[break][break]
One fist compounds into an avalanche of force. These creatures have made a grievous error by coming here. Derek, too, has been kissed by an angel, it seems. The man is no maiden in need of defending, but Navy stands alongside him and defends him anyway. He acts as a closed fist, striking out, carving them a path forward because to stand still is to give up.[break][break]
Even under the pressure of this abyss, he will not fall. He will not be crushed. Shuwen is enveloped in bright light. The legendary bear glows with blue power. Derek’s Metagross does not face the warm alone.[break][break]
A Nihilego tries to circle around Shuwen, grabbing him from behind. Navy sees it, goes to cry out. Shuwen turns before he can say a word, like the bear knows his thoughts before he voices them. Gripping it, tearing its feelers off, he holds the floundering head up to a fumarole that blasts it with gas. The Nihilego catches on fire. Shuwen throws it screaming into the cave wall, crushing its flaming body with a kick.[break][break]
“I’m sick of you fucking with me and everyone around me.” He speaks to the god in whom they fight as if it can hear them.

[break][break]

+ DEREK HOFFMAN Yujin Ha Callan Young

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

“I’m fine,” she said to Callan, moments before the sudden acceleration nearly slammed her head into the salamence’s neck. As they lunged forward, a whip of anger rose in her throat and then promptly coiled back again before any regrettable words could slip out.[break][break]

This was a mistake, but not a costly enough one to break character.[break][break]

The girl in the vision would be discussed another day. Nihilego sprang on them from all sides. From behind them she could hear Derek cuss in pain and Navy cuss in frustration.[break][break]

Yujin slid her hand through her klefki’s loop, ensuring it wouldn’t be left behind in the evasive maneuvers. She held the creature like a chakram and aimed it towards the rest of the group.[break][break]

“Coverage.”[break][break]

Layers of pink, hexagonal tiles shimmered around the bodies of the expedition group as CRAFTY SHIELD entered play.

[attr="class","bottom"]Callan Young Michael Navidson DEREK HOFFMAN [break]

[attr="class","icon"]

"Seems so." Eyes can finally confirm what happens to be around them, no longer plagued by the sight of those eyes, or even Nihilego. A sudden excretion of this putrid gas at his feet causes further grief.
[break][break]

"Man, that's vile." But it only made sense, seeing where they were—the biology around them. "Hope it washes out easy enough. Especially the stones." Suspended midair not far from reach is a peculiar collection of minerals. "Not like I want to stick around to test them here." Of course, he'd wait for any objections before considering a sample.
[break][break]

In the meantime a Hatterene is released from a freshly plucked pokeball. Derek offers his arm to it, allowing the psychic to rid him of the ailments caused by the acid spray. "...You'd think I would have started developing a tolerance by now." Wishful thinking, though it did make him wonder about the applications of Nihilego toxin. Something to bring up to Illeana, perhaps.
[break][break]

ooc: prompt 32 underway

Rage dies down, Shuwen pacing back and forth in his mega-evolved form. They’ve managed to fight off most of the horde for the moment. A few that try to stumble back after Callan’s boomburst are summarily punched back into the darkness. Looking at his fellows, basking in the beauty of this place, he enjoys a moment of calm. No doubt there’s treasure down here, or something that the League would like to see.[break][break]
“Don’t feel bad, Young.” Navy puts a hand on the elite’s shoulder. “I don’t care who you are, down here, stuff gets to you. Even someone like Silph would have trouble being stoic.” He tries to console the man while, off in the darkness, familiar faces smile at him. Navy ignores them, focusing instead on the Elite.[break][break]
“Let’s get the material samples the League wanted down here and let’s get goin’ back. No use staying down here. The ones that didn’t die will be back with friends soon.” [break][break]
And, hearing Derek, he makes one last remark.[break][break]
“I’m no scientist but, uh, I’ve seen enough bites to know I don’t think you can build a resistance.”

[break][break]

+ DEREK HOFFMAN Callan Young Yujin Ha

[attr="class","pokeclass"]