"Well well, looks like we've got ourselves some company..."

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The small binoculars focus on the odd-colored Hydreigon and its rider before flickering down in search for potential company. If they're around they're doing well keeping out of sight... which means she better get a move on, now she still can.

[break][break]
"Heads up, Neon," Tapping her earpiece the comms crackle to life. "Flier at your six, three miles out from your location. No visible third parties yet."

[break][break]
The binoculars rise a final time to pinpoint the Hydreigon's newer location before she gets up from her vantage point, making her way down a slope towards more open terrain. She's smack in the middle between mint frost 's and Andrea Vaneau 's current locations, allowing her some leeway. "I'll make contact and see about some distractions."

[break][break]
The moment her comms fall back into silence she missteps- deliberately; together with a whole lot of debris and loose rock, Calliope comes tumbling down a good dozen meters, creating a noticable cloud of dust in the process. Hopefully it would prove odd enough for the dragon rider to investigate, while she pretends picking herself up again from her 'rather unfortunate fall'.

[break][break]
Letting her Mightyena out she remains seated in the pile of rocks for a bit longer, trying to gather her bearings. Although prepared for the intentional slip-up, Cal finds her body hurting a bit more than anticipated. Unfortunate, but it would aid her in selling this farce more easily.

[break][break]
If they baited, that is.

[break][break]

+ Andrea Vaneau , DESIREE BLOOMS , mint frost [break]
+ Civvie disguise [break]

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

“Hi, Desi! Long time no see!” Hoenn’s famous PokéManiac waved back at the pink-haired idol, whom she hadn’t seen since glamping on New Year’s Eve with Genevieve Cromwell and the rest of the girlies. Due to all the alcohol they had consumed that night, many of the details were a blur. Next day’s hangover had been anything but pleasant.

Truth be told, that wasn’t the last time she’d seen Desiree. That honor belonged to the Dragon’s Den, where she’d spied her shattering a bunch of rocks in a frenzied state. For obvious reasons, Andrea refrained from bringing that up.

As soon as the dragon rider saw a woman tumbling down a hill, she rushed towards her without a second thought. “Are you OK, ma’am? Did you break anything?” Thankfully, Desi’s Tropius was already assisting the stranger with one of its healing moves.

“Gotta be more careful around here.” The eccentric cosplayer mused, while dismounting her Hydreigon. “If we hadn’t found you, you could’ve become a Paradox Pokémon’s lunch. Although I don’t see any paradoxes around. Weird…”

Very weird indeed. Before any further questioning could occur, a mysterious cry echoed from deep within the Terastal cavern.

[player]https://file.garden/ZXZrnWMYuz15frfJ/HOENN%20MUSIC/MysteriousCry2.mp3[/player]

“Whoa, did you guys hear that too? Looks like I spoke too soon!”

DESIREE BLOOMS, mint frost, Calliope Alvara

☉

“Heh, no need to worry, it was just a small misstep really, the dust made it look far more formidable than it actually was.” Calliope rose to her feet with the help of the pink-haired woman's Tropius, gently petting the large creature. “See? Nothing hurt beyond a bruised ego.” she'd allow a sheepish smile to take over her face, eyes averted just in case they didn’t show the right amount of embarrassment one would expect in such a situation.

[break][break]
”And please, Cal's fine. ‘Ma'am’ makes me feel old.” The silver-haired woman managed to make her smile more genuine, finally looking both back in the eyes. ”But truly, you're a blessing in disguise. I got separated from my group a while ago and was searching for other explorers in the hope of tagging along… if that wouldn't be too much for you ladies?”

[break][break]
Amping up the desperation in her plea, Calliope rambled on when the dragon-cosplaying woman mentioned Paradox pokémon. ”Although I'm confident I could take one Paradox Pokémon on, but a second would be a bit-” Whatever else laid on her tongue died out as soon as the shrill cry echoed through the cavern. Although its sound felt distant, and with the knowledge that their Rocket squad's recent massacre took care of most Paradox pokémon in the direct vicinity, her Mightyena stood vigilant. Its fur raised, a low growl reverberated from deep within its body as it slowly bared its fangs and turned around. Calliope let it be, adapting a similar, wary stance.

[break][break]
This time she didn't have to act out the emotions she displayed to the foreign cry.

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”What the hell was that?”




[break][break]

+ Andrea Vaneau , DESIREE BLOOMS , mint frost [break]
+ Civvie disguise [break]

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

The clumsy, silver-haired woman assured them that, despite her ugly fall, she was relatively unscathed. “You’re welcome to tag along with us, Cal!” The young PokéManiac beamed. “First things first, we need to find out what Pokémon made that cry--oooh, sparkly!”

The eccentric girl was distracted mid-sentence by a glint of gold at her feet, picking the Gimmighoul coin off the ground. Ka-ching!

Their search for the mysterious cry would have to wait, for a different roar boomed, a swarm of aptly named Roaring Moon outraging across the Terastal cavern. Although, upon closer inspection, they were actually running away from something.

“Chomper, look out!” Andrea warned her signature Hydreigon, who narrowly dodged the condensed blast of lunar energy. The three-headed drake bared its fangs and hissed, getting Worked Up at the sight of a Fairy type.

“Those Paradox Pokémon don’t deserve to become someone’s lunch either!” The dragon fanatic was all too eager to side with the paradoxes in this conflict, hurling another ball high into the air. “Barron, I choose you! Heavy Slam that bully of a Gardevoir!”

From the ball emerged a bulky Aggron. Like a giant anchor or an anvil, the armored rhinoceros descended upon the impatient Gardevoir with that big, Heavy Metal bum of his.

DESIREE BLOOMS, mint frost, Calliope Alvara

☉

Acceptance. Both seemed eager to have her join the temporary team, something that sparked a hint of warmth within the woman's chest; a remnant of her old self from years ago. A sensation just as easily tossed aside in the scheme of greater things. She did not have time for such weakness right now. Maybe not ever. Not until she'd rooted out the evil that made her this way.

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And that was day was definitely not today.

[break][break]
A large blast captured the threesome's attention almost immediately, and when the first chaos emerged in the form of a Roaring Moon barreling past in escape of the surprisingly menacing eyes of a hyper-focused Mega Gardevoir, she understood why.

[break][break]
"Sorry, she's being impatient." Her comms had sparked to life, Neon's voice sounding almost apologetic. Almost. She'd have many a things to reply to that, but bit her tongue and instead shouted at Andrea when she eagerly sent out her pokémon to attack the Gardevoir.

[break][break]
"Wait!" Gardevoirs are herbivores! Tempting, but too simpleton a thing to shout. Something more reasonable then. "You don't even know who it belongs to! Maybe someone was being attacked!"

[break][break]
To her Mightyena however the order was clear. "Intercept with Shadow Sneak, make it look like an accidental takedown." she hissed softly, making sure nobody could hear anything beside the intended move. The Mightyena disappeared into the shadows, a patch of darkness tearing itself from her shadow and blasting towards the Gardevoir. Once near it would appear and attempt to tackle the Gardevoir. In reality it would deal minimal damage and smack the targeted Gardevoir out of the Aggron's line of attack.

[break][break]
That is, if it didn't attack her Mightyena first. At best, Cal would have to resort to other means... as long as it bought the team more time to extract.


[break][break]

+ Andrea Vaneau , DESIREE BLOOMS , mint frost [break]
+ Civvie disguise [break]

[attr="class","pokeclass"]