The garden sprawled out before them, a canvas of vibrant colors and the intoxicating fragrance of blooming flowers. Sierra, at the tender age of ten, exuded boundless energy and reckless abandon that came with youth. On the periphery of the garden stood Thomas, her sweet cousin, his timid smile and shy demeanor in stark contrast to Sierra's exuberance.[break][break][break][break]
The sun bathed everything in a warm, golden glow as they played together, their laughter echoing through the air. A Growlithe, a fiery and loyal companion, bounded alongside them, its fur a brilliant orange against the greenery.[break][break][break][break]
"Sierra, be careful!" Thomas called out, worry etched on his face as Sierra darted between flower beds and leaped over small stone pathways. Caution was a foreign concept to her that day.[break][break]
Growlithe barked happily, chasing after Sierra as if sharing in the joy of their carefree game. Sierra glanced back at Thomas, his eyes wide with a mixture of concern and amusement. He'd always been the gentle soul, the one who found solace in the quiet corners of their world.[break][break][break][break]
The memory shimmered like a distant mirage, the colors vivid yet softened by the passage of time. They collapsed on a patch of soft grass, their laughter subsiding into contented giggles. Growlithe flopped down beside them, tongue lolling out in canine happiness.[break][break]
"Sierra, you're going to get in trouble if you ruin your dress," Thomas said, his voice carrying a gentle reprimand. But even then, there was an underlying sweetness to his words.[break][break]
Sierra tossed her head back, her blonde hair splaying out like a sunlit halo. "Who cares? We're having fun, aren't we?"[break][break]
And they were, in that timeless moment. The garden became their kingdom, the flowers their loyal subjects, and the sun their benevolent sovereign. It was a day when the world felt infinite, and worries were distant whispers carried away by the breeze.[break][break]
As Sierra closed her eyes in the dream, the sensation of grass beneath her and the echo of their laughter lingered. Growlithe nuzzled against her, a furry reminder of a time when responsibilities were but distant shadows.[break][break]
But dreams, like memories, are fleeting. The garden slowly faded, colors blending into the soft hues of nostalgia. Sierra opened her eyes to the reality of a world changed by time, her cousin's sweet smile now a cherished relic of a bygone era. [break][break]
________________[break][break]
Theme: FAMILY[break][break]
Word Count: 387[break][break]
Event: Dream Drop Distance[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] @charname [break] [attr="class","pkspr pkmn-ditto"]

Her dreams were like snapshots, quick and pointless, framing what could have been and what was until now.[break][break]

She found herself in a room, its walls plastered with news articles that chronicled every event of her life. The headlines whispered tales of triumphs and tribulations, of joyous victories and heartbreaking defeats.[break][break]

Sierra walked along the walls, tracing her fingers over the printed words that told the story of her existence. The room pulsed with the echoes of laughter, the weight of tears, and the resonance of every emotion she had ever felt. Faces from the past stared back at her, frozen in the inked snapshots of time.[break][break]

As she moved deeper into the room, the atmosphere shifted. The air became heavy with the weight of expectation, the room closing in around her. Her own life, laid bare in headlines, felt like a gallery of scrutiny. It was a vulnerability exposed, a collection of moments that defined her.[break][break]

A subtle unease crept into Sierra's heart as the room began to spin. The news articles blurred, the words becoming a dizzying whirlwind of ink. Panic bubbled within her, a torrent of emotions threatening to overwhelm. The very fabric of her past, once neatly chronicled, now seemed to unravel before her eyes.[break][break]

She stumbled, disoriented, as the walls closed in tighter. The headlines became a cacophony, a dissonant symphony of her own history. The room spun faster, and Sierra felt like a mere spectator in the unfolding chaos of her life.[break][break]

Frantically, she tried to make sense of the swirling words, to find a familiar anchor in the storm of reminiscence. Faces flashed by, moments of joy and sorrow blurring into an indistinct mosaic. The room pulsed with the heartbeat of her memories, each throb echoing louder in her ears.[break][break]

In the midst of the spiraling chaos, Sierra yearned for clarity. She reached out, attempting to grasp at the fragments of her past, but they slipped through her fingers like sand. The dream, once a tapestry of nostalgia, now felt like a kaleidoscope spinning out of control.[break][break]

And then, as abruptly as it began, the room slowed its dizzying dance. The headlines settled, the memories crystallized into a mosaic of understanding. Sierra stood amidst the stillness, a silent witness to the ebb and flow of her own existence.[break][break]

As she took a deep breath, the room transformed-[break][break]

And then the sound of an alarm woke her.[break][break]
________________[break][break]
Theme: REMINISCENCE[break][break]
Word Count: 403[break][break]
Event: Dream Drop Distance[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] @charname [break] [attr="class","pkspr pkmn-ditto"]

The room was a familiar sight, walls adorned with headlines that detailed the intricate chapters of Sierra's life. However, this time, a peculiar stillness hung in the air—an unsettling calm that suggested time had come to a standstill. Minutes stretched into hours, leaving Sierra with a sense of stagnation that clawed at the edges of her consciousness.[break][break]

A silent panic gripped her as she walked among the frozen echoes of her past. The room, once a testament to her journey, now felt like a cage, each headline a chain binding her to a static existence. Desperation seized her, urging her to break free from the suffocating stillness.[break][break]

With a surge of determination, Sierra began to tear the newspapers from the walls. The headlines fluttered like autumn leaves in her wake, revealing a hidden door that had been obscured by the weight of her own history. As she peeled away the layers of her past, an unknown voice echoed in the chamber.[break][break]

"You don't have to live in the path, Sierra," the voice spoke, a gentle yet commanding presence. "But you must step up and break free from the chains that bind you."[break][break]

The voice spurred her forward, a beacon in the maze of her own making. Sierra hesitated for a moment, staring at the door that beckoned her into the unknown. The weight of her history lingered, but courage swelled within her. With a deep breath, she pushed the door open and stepped through.[break][break]

A blinding white light enveloped her, a rush of absolute bliss and weightlessness replacing the oppressive stillness. The confines of the room melted away as Sierra soared into the limitless expanse of possibility. The chains that once bound her now lay shattered at her feet, fragments of a past she was ready to leave behind.

In this realm of boundless potential, Sierra felt a newfound freedom coursing through her veins. The unknown voice, now a distant whisper, echoed words of encouragement that resonated in the vastness around her.[break][break]
________________[break][break]
Theme: STEPPING UP[break][break]
Word Count: 333[break][break]
Event: Dream Drop Distance[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] @charname [break] [attr="class","pkspr pkmn-ditto"]

Sierra found herself once again in the vast expanse of the blissful white room, a realm of weightless freedom that enveloped her in serenity. The air hummed with tranquility, and she basked in the ethereal glow that surrounded her. It was a dreamscape of boundless possibilities, and yet, the voice emerged from the void, calling out to her.[break][break]
"What will you do with your newfound freedom, Sierra?" The voice echoed in the infinite space, a question that hung in the air like a delicate thread. "Will you lead a mundane life, or will you take the path long awaiting you?"[break][break]
Before Sierra could respond, a sudden sense of falling overcame her. The white expanse dissolved into a deep ocean, oppressive and frightening. Glowing eyes of legendary Pokémon surrounded her, their ancient presence casting a mesmerizing light through the dark waters. The voice spoke again[break][break]

"If you extend your grasp toward it, there's a potent force imbued with ancient history that holds the potential to shape the future."
[break][break]
The circle of legendary Pokémon faded away, leaving a lone figure standing tall. Its shape eluded recognition, a mystery that lingered in the dream's enigma. The figure let out a resounding call that shook the inner dream world before a rush of warmth enveloped Sierra's body. In that moment, she felt a strength that could defy the boundaries of reality.[break][break]
"This power is a weighty crown to carry, yet it bestows a formidable blessing upon those who aspire to achieve greatness. You are destined for great things, Sierra."[break][break]

Sierra began to fall once more, the dream world spiraling downward. Yet, this time, her body jerked upward as she awoke in her bed, covered in sweat. Goomy, her companion Pokémon, stirred beside her, nearly thrown off the bed in her abrupt awakening.[break][break]
Taking in her surroundings, Sierra sighed a breath of relief, realizing it was just a dream. However, the words of the voice lingered, echoing in her mind like a distant refrain. With a thoughtful gaze, she looked at Goomy cradled in her arms and, in that quiet moment, decided to embrace the challenge that lay ahead.[break][break]
"How do you feel about some training today, little one?" Sierra whispered to Goomy, the echoes of the dream still resonating within her.[break][break]
________________[break][break]
Theme: AVATARSHIP - KORAIDON[break][break]
Word Count: 381[break][break]
Event: Dream Drop Distance[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] @charname [break] [attr="class","pkspr pkmn-ditto"]