Team Rocket had a gambling addiction. That was the only reasonable answer to why they would send the same people back into Ultra Plant to establish a base camp. Howard could only imagine declan walsh sitting in his office, laughing maniacally as he rolled a slot machine with Howard's face on it, waiting for the moment where it would get three skulls.

In the background, the admins and underbosses would cheer and bet on which of them would die first. Howard was betting on himself, if Grigori didn't run interference. Hopefully, the enforcer chose not to. Howard would like to finally win a game of chance and make some money on it.

Maybe he'd buy a rubber suit with the proceedings.

"Base camp is just about ready." Howard said as he finished setting up several plastic divides. They were wrapping up base camp with remarkable ease, all thanks to Howard and Shred. One was an experienced camper, and the other had become extremely adept at hiding in abandoned buildings. Together, they made excellent power plant squatters.

Camp was sparse. Several plastic dividers separated different functionalities of the base, with a pile of rubble unceremoniously chosen as the mess hall, on account of all the pieces of rubble to sit on. There were insulated sleeping bags and tents in another corner, and a small research station for atmospheric data collection.

They had gotten super lucky, too! The building they were in was in perfect condition, made of bricks. Some were newer than others, though.

"Alright, we're almost ready to eat!" Howard beamed as he turned to his two colleagues. "All we gotta do now is set up a lightning rod outside to power these doodads, and we'll be good to go."

An unenjoyable task. Going outside was stressful, given a gigantic lightbulb almost killed them all last time. Whoever did it had to be unfathomably unlucky.

Howard turned to Grigori expectantly.

---

PROMPT CLEAR: BEGIN WORK ON A BASE CAMP
Shred Grigori Sokolov

This looks like dogshit.

That's your first thought as you look around your surroundings. In a sense, even wasting mental energy on that thought is redundant, because just one glance at your miserly excuse for a "base" is enough to make that so exceedingly obvious that it doesn't even require conscious throught. You've seen better camps at Burning Machamp, and those were built by immigrants and addicts. Not that there's anything wrong with immigration or drugs, mind; Arceus knows you've done your fair share of both. In fact, maybe that's the problem? If Howard had been from Alola, and if he had been high on smack the entire time, maybe your base camp would be worth a damn. But alas, he is not, and alas, your base camp is not, in fact, worth a damn.

So in that sense, the idea of going outside into this desolate hellscape is almost appealing. Partly because it's better than loitering around a base that looks worse than your apartment, and partly because the longer you can put off eating Howard's "rock salt noodles", the better. Sure, a giant electrical monster might send a teravolt of lightning through your veins, but at the very least, it won't scour the sensation of taste from your tongue for days on end.

With a groan, you pull yourself out of your cheap folding chair. As the leader of Team Shrigorward (NAME PENDING), you were responsible for overseeing this endeavour, a lofty responsibility assigned to you alone, by you alone, and not acknowledged by anyone with actual power nor either of your team-mates. So, with that in mind, it was time for a good old fashioned strategy briefing.

"Alright, Grigori can carry the equipment, Howard can scout the path, and I'll punch any monsters that try and get in the way. That sound like a plan for everyone else?"

---

howard slayte Grigori Sokolov

This... was an honest effort, to put it nicely. 

Grigori examined the camp an art teacher might a first-grader's 'pièce de résistance'. With lots of compassion, understanding, and a flurry of words that one would consider appropriate in order to convey an idea without making them cry in the process. Howard didn't seem the type to start bawling if someone called his product 'garbage', but it didn't hurt to be courteous.

If only Howard got the memo, as he turned to him after explaining that they'd need a lightning rod for electricity. Grigori sighed and pushed himself off the rubble 'chair', Scizor right behind. "I will not say no, Mr. Howard, but please do not make this sort of expectation a habit."

"Nor you, Mr. Shred," Grigori leered at the other grunt. Seriously, did they consider him little more than a pack mule-slash-chatot in a cage? He was more than capable of doing... literally anything else. Instead, he got to watch the other two set up camp while he watched the front door. A part of him hadn't quite recovered.

But it was his fault, probably. His attempted self-sacrifice wasn't necessary in the end, but it set precedent. He'd do it again in a heartbeat, but he didn't need the other two to rely on such a fact as well. He walked over, snatched the lighting rod from the ground, and marched to the outside. 

Now, where to put this thing? Probably from a crack in the building, and angled away from the building. Or perhaps in the ground-- no, probably in the air. Thankfully, their 'residence' did not lack for available places to shove such an apparatus. He picked one a few feet to the side, as high as possible. It only took a little elbow grease to get the thing firmly in there.

"Mr. Howard, could you please ensure that this is what you need? I would be lying if I said I knew exactly what you needed."

At least nothing seemed out of place on the outside. Except the distant Xurkitree, which... roamed the plains? It was hard to say, at this distance. They either moved slowly, or not at all. 

---

Shred howard slayte

Everyone was a critic. It looked like shit, sure, but it was also the best Howard could manage in an entirely different fucking dimension. The only other dimension Shred had visited was the inside of a prison cell. He'd let Shred and Grigori build camp next time and laugh as they did it.

Assholes.

"I ask you because if anything attacks me out there, I can't fight back. You and Shred are just better fighters then me." Howard consoled the belligerent enforcer while scowling at Shred. If he had known Shred's talent for base building had been so mediocre, he would've let Grigori help him with construction of the base.

Maybe if he gave the enforcer something important to do, it'd help ease his mind slightly? Howard had read that in a book, once. Despite the man's grumblings, Howard would never force Grigori to do something Howard himself would never do. That was why they kept Shred around. Additionally, if Shred ever got rowdy, Grigori would protect Howard. They could have an epic battle, like Annihilape versus Tyranitar.

"Frankly, I'm no meteorologist. Should be good." Howard shrugged as he peered at those Xurkitree. One of them had stopped to look towards the three grunts. 'Look' was a strong word. They didn't exactly have eyes, but 'pulsed brightly towards the grunts' didn't have the same amount of flare.

"What do you think those fellows are up to? Maybe they're friendly?" Howard asked, before peering expectantly at Shred, as if expecting him to enlighten Howard and Grigori on the wonders of Xurkitree biology, as if Shred had ever passed a biology class during this century.

---

Grigori Sokolov Shred

C'mon, why was Grigori bitching at him? Carrying shit was the cushy gig here! Howard would probably get crushed by a landslide or fall off a cliff, and you were liable to get gouged by copper wires or electrocuted to a crisp. But carrying shit? Carrying shit was easy, especially when you were built like a Mudsdale. Really, the enforcer just needed to shut up and take the smooth ride, especially after that stupid self-sacrifice shit that he tried to pull. Honestly...

But, that was enough about that. At the end of the day, setting up this camp was the secondary reason you came here. The first and foremost reason, as usual, was to explore this unknown land. You're not sure what you're looking for, exactly, but you're sure you'll find it eventually. Somewhere like this has so many mysteries that if you look long enough, you're sure to stumble upon some answers eventually.

And what better place to start than with the strange beasts that wandered this land? There was just one problem with that...

"Buddy, you think I know?" You cross your arms, looking at Howard as though he's the stupidest man in the world. "They're aliens, Howard. You think I can talk to aliens?"

...Actually, he probably does. For all of his college learning and life experience, the archaelogist is more than a little sheltered. He probably thinks drugs are called shit like "wacky baccy" and "diamond dust", and that they give you profane knowledge in exchange for sending your soul directly to hell. Then again, he also thinks that's what computers do, so...

"Look, if you want to take a field trip, then by all means, let's go." You jerk your thumb towards the door, before turning your head to glance out at the distant Xurkitree. "But don't presume me some kind of otherwordly sage. I don't know shit about these guys."

---

howard slayte Grigori Sokolov

Howard's explanation made sense, but did little to quell Grigori's annoyance. Oh well. He'd get over it soon enough. Best not dwell on the implications and simply move on.

"Let's not argue about our knowledge of said 'alien'," the grunt butt in. "When part of our mission in this dreary place is to research it in the first place."

Grigori motioned for his Scizor to join them outside, and then took a few steps away from the base. "I propose we try and safely 'encourage' one to join us at this base. If they do turn out to be friendly, then we can maybe use one for a more reliable power source and a specimen for research."

And if they weren't friendly? Well, they all knew what to do in a situation like that: either battle them or run back into the real world and start from square one again. Not the worst idea, considering that their 'base' took heavy inspiration from what it was built upon: rubble and remnants. 

Or try to defend the shoddy place they called 'camp'. Howard's call, since he seemed to have the most investment in the place (personal or otherwise). 

And above all else, he could feel more useful to the group. Anyone could stand there and stare out a door, or read off of whatever items or data points Howard needed to be read off. Grigori could 'enforce' the Xurkitree to do things, like 'not kill them all' or 'don't attract more of your kind here to test just how many teravolts can course through a human before their eyes explode'. 

So, Grigori started for the creatures, metal insect in tow. "If you so desire, feel free to tag along. Otherwise, I will let you know how my expedition goes when I come back."

Hopefully he came back.

---

Shred howard slayte

If their goal was to research it, they should've sent smarter men. What, did the Head Scientists expect Howard to open it up? Study its anatomy? It was just fucking cords. They should've sent someone more talented to study them. They had been sent to secure a base in this dimension, and the three had done it to a passable degree. Especially for a first attempt.

The Ultra Plant had hints of ancient civilizations, and that was why they sent Howard in. If the upper brass wanted a better report, they should've sent more varied scholars than two meatheads and a guy with useless degrees.

Whatever. He'd do what he'd done in college: fake it till you make it.

"I figured you could, given you argue with your Pokémon all the time. Maybe if you seduce one of those glowy cords, you'll be able to understand it." Howard shrugged, proving Shred's stance on Howard as justified. They'd have to defend camp either way. It was why they were here. He'd let Grigori wrangle some cords while he started working.

"Shred, I trust nobody more than you to ensure my safety." He turned to his fellow grunt as Grigori disappeared over the ridge. "Which is why I'm going back to base to ensure the survival of the equipment." The equipment, he might add, that was worth more than their salaries combined. "Plus I can start on some of my famous Rock Salt Noodles."

Maybe following Grigori had a higher survival rate after all. Howard turned and began walking towards their base.

---

Shred Grigori Sokolov

You're getting the sense that the team might not all be on the same wavelength here. You say that, because Grigori is walking in one direction, and Howard is walking in another. Are those two really splitting up? In an alternate dimension that neither of them are particularly familiar with? A dimension that was full of very nasty and very lethal surprises? Did these two never watch Red Fog of Terror? No. No way in hell. As leader of Team Zepslaykov (NAME PENDING), you can't allow this blatantly and obviously bad decision to happen. You need to stick together, you need to have each other's backs, and more than anything else, you NEED to stop Howard from making those dogshit noodles.

Thinking quick, you reach down to your belt, and toss out two Pokeballs. From the first emerges Golurk, a reliable stalwart of your team, and veteran of many missions. Out from the second plops Quagsire, who... tries, bless his heart. They're both Ground types, so they should be more than capable of carrying out their mission here.

"Golurk, watch the base. Make sure nothing gets stolen, destroyed, or otherwise vandalised. Got it?"

CONFIRMATION: AFFIRMATIVE.

"And Quagsire... Go annoy Howard Slayte. As much as you possibly can. Until he has no choice but to leave. Got it?"

"OOO! That's a goodly job for me! Mister Grovyle and Miss Cacturne say I do that to them all the time! Okay dokay, I go to Sloward Hayte now. Have a nicely time, Zhrep!"

With that, the gigantic golem and the merry axlotl leave, returning to the camp to perform their thankless yet necessary duties. Truly, you are a master strategist, your every Pokemon a piece on a chessboard, always thinking a dozen moves ahead. Pleased with a bit of delegation well done, you turn on your heels and rush off, eager to catch up with the other half of the team.

"Wait up, Greg!"

---

howard slayte Grigori Sokolov

By the time Shred caught up, Grigori and his Pokémon were well over half the way there. It didn't seem like it at first, but the grunt knew how to close distances fast without looking the part. He didn't even seem bothered by it, either. 

Too focused on how to best deal approach this 'problem'. An assault would be a last resort option. Yet caution was of the utmost importance. That scene from their last trip still stood fresh in his mind, as if it had been just earlier that day. And the creature in the middle, unfazed by it all...

"Mr. Shred," he called out, "There are... a lot more of these things out here than first realized."

That or the way they grew with each step he took closer finally took effect in his mind. What first were little more than a couple feet tall soon turned into miniature statues, almost double his own height. A surprise, but nothing they couldn't handle.

Even better, almost none of them noticed the oncoming group. All except the one that stared them down earlier. It kept its gaze firmly fixed on the three of them, still as unmoving as before. Even Grigori felt his heart pump slightly harder at the sight of it. 

"Well... that one knows we're here. It also hasn't alerted its neighbors. Yet. Us blindly approaching it is out of the question. Do you have any ground-type Pokémon? Perhaps that would work best. See how it reacts to a non-hostile creature of vaguely similar kingdom."

Unfortunately, none of his own Pokémon fit the bill. Scizor looked ready to attack the thing, the way it reciprocated the invisible staring contest. His Kingambit would try to kill the thing outright. And his Druddigon looked intimidating as is. 

---

howard slayte Shred

Jokes on Shred. Howard loved Quagsire. They were so goofy and Howard had owned a Wooper plushie when he was six. The entire family consisted of silly, if annoying, little fellows.

"It's okay Quagsire. You're safe." Howard comforted the blue fellow. The Quagsire looked at him with a very thoughtful "Quag? Quagsire?" Bless his little heart. The two had just entered the base again. It felt slightly off, as if the door had been moved several feet to the left, but what did Howard know? This was a new place, a new building, and a new experience. That summed up Ultra Space pretty well. A new fuckin' experience.

At least he had Quagsire. Howard considered reaching into his belt and releasing Ayer, but just as prepared to release the Probopass, he stopped. Magnet Pull would likely ruin every single instrument they had brought out here. The engineers who had prepped this equipment claimed it was second to none, but Howard didn't believe that for a second. He had seen that exact same lightning rod Grigori had placed down at a RadioSnack before it had went out of business.

RadioSnack, now that was a fossil.

"Well, guess I'll work on dinner." Howard told Quagsire, before walking towards the tent area. Instead, he found himself with a wall in the way. Howard frowned. "What the...?"

His Howard sense was tingling. That either meant he was having a panic attack or something was absolutely terribly wrong.

Fuck it. Fuck the equipment. Howard would pay for it out of pocket if things went wrong. He needed Ayer's stalwartness by his side. The Probopass appeared in a burst of light, and Quagsire gawked at the fellow. Immediately, random scraps of metal began attaching themselves to Ayer's nostril hair. Turning towards the equipment, Howard found himself meeting a wall.

Yeah, this was weird. Shred put something in his coffee, that son of a bitch. Howard knew he had been acting weird when his colleague offered him a cup of joe.

Then, a block of the wall dislodged and stuck to Ayer's nose. Howard blinked, and cautiously approahced Ayer, who was blissfully unaware of (or didn't care) about the block. It took several attempts to pull the block off Ayer, and when he did, Howard peered at it as it opened a bright blue eye.

"WHAT THE FUCK?" Howard yelled and dropped it. Suddenly, the entire wall opened its eyes, and Howard's eye widened. "Holy shit..." Howard muttered as he looked at Quagsire and Ayer.

"...they're in the walls."

Then, the Stakataka attacked.

---

Grigori Sokolov Shred

"Well... I did..."

You kick yourself for not bringing along Great Tusk on this expedition. After his last showing in the Ultra Plant, you had wanted to give him the day off, but you're quickly beginning to regret that. That wouldn't have been such a problem, if your other two Ground types weren't back at base, guarding equipment and/or harassing paleontologists. You wonder how that's going for Howard, anyway? He must be bleeding from the ears by now. He'll definitely be wishing he had stuck with the rest of you by now...

---

"Quag?"

The slippy little lizard looked up at the wall. A hundred blue eyes stared back down at him. The axlotl cocked his head to the side, a thoughtful expression on his head. A hundred eyes turned red.

THUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMP!
"QUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAG!!!"

---

...However it's going, you're sure it'll be fine. Right now, you've got to talk to these sentient cables. Alright, you don't have any Ground types, so if you're looking to get diplomatic, you'll have to improvise. How about an Electric type? That certainly seems to make sense. You're no biologist, but types are similar to kingdoms, right? With a thoughtful "hm", you pull the Pokeball of Toxtricity from your belt, and bring it up to eye level. Sure, he's no ambassador, but he's plenty electrical, and at the very least, he should be able to get the gist of what's going on.

"Come on out, bud." You toss the ball up, and sure enough, Toxtricity comes on out. "Do me a solid, and--"

"Fuck's sake..." Toxtricity replies, his voice so weary you'd think he was an eighty year old war veteran. You know the look on his face. It's the "Where did I go wrong?" look. You've seen it many times when you're looking in the mirror. Still, it's the only protest he offers before he turns towards the live wires. "I'll do it, right? But in exchange, I want the nice berries for me and the lads. And DON'T even try and toss us that mushy clearance shelf crap, mate, because I'll know if you do, and I'll fucking deck you one. Deal?"

"Deal."

With that, Toxtricity marches out to meet this otherworldly being, and you and Grigori are given the rare privilege of watching first contact with aliens happen firsthand.

---

howard slayte Grigori Sokolov
19 - engage/encounter roaming or eerily still xurkitree that may be pivotal as a narrative obstacle or tool (e.g. powering things up). [COMPLETE]

Grigori had reservations about the Toxtricity. Nothing against it personally, but... these things seemed capable of some serious electrical output. Would a being already full of that type of energy seriously be ok if it got triple its own output as an input?

Yet nothing seemed terribly out of place. Neither IMMEDIATELY attacked one another in any terrible way, nor did the Xurkitree back off or run back to the midsts of its 'pack'. "Whatever you and your Toxtricity said, looks like we might be able to avoid a fight. Good work. Mr. Shred."

But, it was hard to pay attention to just the Toxtricity and single alien. As the remnants of the group trailed off into the distance, the grunt examined them instead. They sure were made of cables with one big spark on their heads, but it was the movement of the cables that really impressed him.

Each one felt like a part of a whole, with its own mind and function. A thousand moving parts that moved alone and in unison. How did they examine their surroundings? Maybe a mixture of echo-location and it's ability to create electricity in a funky amalgamation. Maybe their 'heads' were just one big eye. Maybe they moved blind to the world, and only reacted to voltage like a plant did with sunlight.

Well, that's what their plan was for and Shred had upheld his end of the bargain. "If you think your Pokémon 'convinced' the alien to come with us, then I'll make sure no strays get between us and camp. Don't wait too long, though. Scizor, stay with Shred please."

Grigori started his own trek back to base, with his Scizor cross-armed and aggressively on edge. As long as that thing didn't start anything, then it wouldn't finish anything. 

Yet something peculiar happened on his short trip. A rumble shook through the ground, as if a building had dragged itself across the earth. That third sense tinlged in his chest. Those aliens must have the same sense, since a majority of them made some faint buzz and moved as if their lives depended on it. 

What could terrify them so badly that even a bundle of cables would feel terrified? The grunt didn't need long to figure it out as he returned his attention back ahead. Despite him not moving for the last ten seconds, their base grew larger. Closer. Buildings weren't supposed to do that. 

"Wait... Mr. Howard?!"

---

Shred howard slayte

What did he expect, honestly?

Of course the walls could kill him. It would've been too easy, otherwise. Setting up a base, making some noodles, and chillaxing as data about the dimension came rolling in? No, that would've been too easy. Instead, the building itself would try to kill him and Quagsire. Delightful! It didn't help that each individual brick seemed to be sentient.

How did you fight something that you were already inside of? From his time in college, it was pretty easy, Howard thought. Grabbing the screaming Quagsire in both hands, Howard threw himself on top of Ayer. "FLY! FLY!"

---

As Grigori and Shred watched their base move closer and closer, it suddenly stopped and shuddered for a moment. It seemed to shudder inwards, before erupting outward with a creak of metal and a grinding of stone. A hole in the Stakataka emerged, pushed open by magnetism, and out came Howard Slayte and Quagsire riding on a Probopass.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

"QUAAAAAAAAG!"

Howard crashed into a pile of electrical cords, flying past Grigori and Shred in the process. As Howard lay there, stunned, he looked up and saw that the cords had a massive glowing head. Howard swallowed nervously. Eep. Parking in Castelia was better than this. With a muttered 'sorry', Howard exited the pile of cords and blinked.

"Building's an alien. Walls are aliens." Howard said, blinking off a potential concussion as he staggered to his feet. He blinked groggily as his body corrected itself. After a moment, he sprinted towards Grigori.

"Buildings are made of aliens." He told Grigori, then pointed towards the massive creature slowly getting closer. Howard's Volcarona appeared in a flash of light, and promptly let out a Fire Blast, causing the building to explode. Several bricks flew off, creating a burning meteor shower in the sky.

THUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMP Several eyes on the building opened, staring balefully at Howard and Grigori.

"Aliens." Howard gestured again dumbly as his Probopass floated to join him. Ayer's magnetic pull was picking up a plenty of iron sand from the ground they were standing on, making his mustache more spectacular then ever.

---

PROMPT: ATTACKED BY STAKATAKAS SET UP AS SECURITY CHECKPOINTS
Shred Grigori Sokolov