Hideo was getting used to this. Go in, get mind-screwed, get mining, get battle, get out.

This time, he was going in with Doug. It had been a while since the two of them had done something together - just the two of them. Even if they were doing this in service of the League, it felt good to just hang around together (without the looking threat of an army of poison Pokemon).

As they got close to the core, Hideo turned to Doug. "We're sharing this," he stated. He knew Doug would've gone in head first if he didn't say anything, and there was no way Doug was letting him take the brunt of it.

"Uxie can help keep us from going nuts. It'll just slow things down though, so we can't stay here too long."

Choice: Designate One Character (Doug) +50 points

John Sullivan

Extraction #1

With Hideo Kino

"Hmm... Are you certain?" He hummed, crossing his arms over his chest thoughtfully. "My body heals off damage automatically— your body's still developing. We don't know the full extent of the side effects that may come from prolonged exposure."

He pursed his lips at the other— not that he could see it, but his tone was fairly expressive.

"As a doctor _{in training}, it is my opinion that we should avoid putting your body at risk of internal damage."

Wouldn't want to jeopardize what he had going on back in Galar, yes?

... Assuming he still remembered that much. It was all starting to become fuzzy for Doug.

"... In any case, you've been here before, yeah?" He said, trying to ignore the ripple that came as the core pulsed. "Are you as disturbed as I am at exploring the skeleton's innards, or is that just a me thing?"

Choice: Designate One Character (Doug) +50 points

It came to no surprise that Doug wanted to take the brunt of it. Hideo let out a sigh; he knew he wouldn't have any luck stopping Doug. "...the radiation mainly messes with the mind. Makes you feel scared and paranoid. I dunno how good Lele is at healing mind stuff like that."

He could only hope Doug was ready for it. The mental shield Uxie provided was extended over to Doug and his Pokemon as well, for what good it would do.

"At this point, as long as it isn't trying to digest us, I don't care. I'm more surprised how many Pokemon seem to live in this place. And they love popping up when we get to work."

Case in point, once he had his Excadrill and Diggersby to do work, several Pokemon began to approach. Uxie was already using its Mystical Power to fend them off.

"Well, the sooner we fill out bags, the sooner we can get away from this."

Choice: Focus on mining +1 curio

John Sullivan

]

Extraction #1

With Hideo Kino

"Speak of the devil." He scoffed, glancing over his shoulder as an Ultra Beast sauntered into the chambers they had chosen to mine.

And...

Of freaking course it was the flying tentacool.

"Faster, guys." He urged his Escavalier and Crustle, the two drilling more fervently into the mines around them while Doug... seized his pickaxe and joined in, slamming it against the walls.

"Don't mind us, you curious little monstrosity! Juuust a bunch of harmless miners!" He said, glancing back and forth between the walls he was pickaxing and the curious Nihilego, ever so slowly, menacingly approaching, bidding its time and observing.

---

Choice: Focus on mining +1 curio

The wandering Nihilego was pushed back by Uxie, aware of what its approach likely meant. "Those things aren't even the worst part," Hideo groaned, procuring an extra Pokeball.

The real star of the show coalesced out of thin air - or rather, from the energy the core was exuding; the main body of the creature strongly resembled the top half of a Golurk in design, yet an array of Tentacruel-like tentacles protruded from the bottom half, serving as its legs. A singular red dot on the top of the Golurk portion pointed towards the two boys.

Hideo didn't wait for it to act first, letting out his Espathra. "Rush it down!" Hideo ordered, the Espathra wasting no time and charging at the creature with a Lumina Crash.

The charge did push the creature back, but didn't seem to do much in terms of damage. It did catch the creature's attention, focusing its red eye on the Espathra.

The moment that eye began to glow, the Espathra tried to run around to, yet the creature displayed a terrifying level of dexterity in its movements, tracking it down with minimal effort.

The Espathra only narrowly avoided the Hyper Beam that fired at it - thankfully pointed away from the boys and their mining Pokemon.

Choice: Battle a Fusion (Golurk/Tentacruel) +50 points

John Sullivan

]

Extraction #1

With Hideo Kino

"Wow." He said breathlessly as the 'worst part' finally showed its ugly face. "I think a japanese gaming company's gonna sue."

In response to his crack, a laser pointer was suddenly all over his chest, as well as Hideo's.

How very nice of it— most things trying to kill them weren't usually so forthcoming.

"You heard the man, Bedy. Get in there!" He ordered his Escavalier, the mining knight averting his gaze from the mineral vein before him to face the monstrous fusion.

Rushing forward to join the Espathra, a whirling screech filled the air as the Escavalier's lances spun in place like drills, tearing through the creature before them after its defenses had been weakened.

"Alright then—" He said, smashing his pickaxe into the mineral vein once again. "We're just about done here— Let's jet!"

Hideo tilted his head at Doug's joke. "What's 'Japanese'?" he asked; it wasn't anything he'd ever heard of. Might've just been something Doug said because of the radiation. He knew it didn't leave him in the best condition when he shared it, even with Uxie's protection.

The menacing piano music that had totally been playing that entire time went away as the creature was defeated, disappearing into the same ether it came from. Uxie took a moment to look at the alternate world laying beyond the barrier, noting it was the same one it'd spotted before.

But they couldn't stay for long; even with Doug taking the brunt of the radiation with his healing, even with Uxie's shielding, Hideo felt the core's radiation seep into his mind, that unnatural fear reaching his heart. "I think we got all we can get for now. My Excadrill and Diggersby can haul most of it."

Said Pokemon were already hauling full bags of ore around. Hideo's Espathra already made its way back to him, ducking its head beneath his legs and hauling him onto its back. Hideo laid belly-first on its back, Uxie landing neatly on his back.

"Ready when you are, Doug."

Choice: Escape with full load +1 curio

John Sullivan

]

Extraction #1

With Hideo Kino

"Huh. Good... question." He had no idea either.

The battle with the walking cease and desist letter wasn't too drawn out— Hideo and John were quite the accomplished pokemon trainers, not to toot their horns or anything, and more than capable of handling an ugly day dream.

When Hideo made the call to leave, Doug nodded almost too quickly.

"Yeah, let's get out of here." He said, rubbing his temples as he leaned against his Crustle's rocky shell. "My head's killing me."

He had wondered how much radiation he would be able to take— perhaps he should have experimented with a control group, though. He wasn't too sure if this was too little or too much.

"Let's go."

Choice: Escape with full load +1 curio

Total haul:
100 RKS points
+2 curios