The Silent Icelands. Where it all began.

As you stand amidst the frozen wastes, you feel an odd sense of reminiscience. This, the place where you lost everything, where you were burned to little more than cinder. Yet, what rose from the ashes was not a phoenix. No, the suffering did not make you better. It did not give you the power to get revenge on those who wronged you. It did not give you the power to protect those who fought with you. It did not give you the power to reunite Kyurem with itself. No, all it gave you was more. More pain, more loss, more failure. More. More. More.

In the aftermath of the most recent "incident" in Dewford, you were beginning to feel increasingly hopeless. Once, you'd have taken your lowly status in stride. But now, as you stare down Gods and Monsters you've been forced to believe in? You can only draw one conclusion: The cursed cannot defeat the blessed. There's no point in even trying.

But as the sun bears down upon you, as a thousand strands of light reflect upon a thousand shards of ice, things feel different.

The orichalcum lines upon your body pulse and burn. Like they're an extension of yourself, no different than the nerves and veins underneath. They sense the warmth from above and the static from below. They know.

And their instinct is your instinct, too.

You glance back, to Giant Chasm, to Area Zero. But that's just the beginning of the long road, and there's no point in going back now. No, your heart beats and your blood flows in only one direction.

Yoi need to keep going.

You need to follow the leyline.

To the furthest point.

Where it all ends.

---

At the Silent Icelands, teaching it. And by it, I mean my Incinerate (to Meltan)

"Here." Howard raised a hand from the field of researchers, shouldering between Rocket scientists and soldiers meant to secure a small sliver of Area Zero in the name of Team Rocket. "Pleasure, Lulu."

A dusty brown cloak covered the admin's visage as he lowered his hood. Beneath was a weird mixture of hiking attire, an ID card clipped to his belt, and a buttoned shirt. Armor glinted from beneath the clothing, and Howard stared at Lulu with a wry expression. A sunburned eyelid blinked back at her.

He looked on the verge of collapse. Dynergy poisoning.

"It's an honor to be graced by the newest Head Scientist. Hopefully Amor's chair is more comfortable to you than it was to him." He gave her a look as he put a hand on his hip, before whistling at the surrounding researchers and personnel to disperse and return to their duties.

Howard had spent much of his time in Area Zero, when not at Sootopolis or the Power Spots. There was much work to be done.

"Walk with me." He tossed his own orange rock up in the air and caught it quickly. "You're not who I expected to see.""

It was a harsh thing to admit, but there was no hostility in Howard's words. Behind them, a Stakataka lumbered as Howard's personal pavilion. Its many eyes stared at the duo and Lulu's Electabuzz, gauging their intentions.

Still, Lulu was a genius. Her opinion mattered.

"What're your thoughts?"

---

Lulu Flint

TEACHING STAKATAKA INCINERATE > STEALTH ROCK

"Broke? I heard he lifted the damn thing." Howard fished for his own box of cigarettes. As friendly as he was with Lulu, a woman's box of cigarettes was her sacred treasure. Howard preferred his own brand, anyway. "Wasn't in the ward, but I've heard the tales of Shred Zeppelin's great struggle. Not as flashy as pushing a boulder up the hill, but I suspect he won't complain."

There was a hint of pride and longing in the admin's tone, as if he was proud of Shred's accomplishment, while lamenting something that had been left behind in the Weakling Ward when the man laughed.

Every time Shred marched forward to seize his destiny, there was a little less of the man with each passing step. Soon, there would be nothing left but ash.

"But to answer your question, no. I've never seen it before in my life. Doesn't match anything native to our planet, which probably means it's not supposed to exist or it's not from our world." He shrugged absentmindedly as he searched his person for a lighter. Which means little and less every day that passes, given how many otherworldly materials we use today."

He inspected the purple rock, then nodded. He had seen this as well.

I'll have Stakataka break it and we can find out. Tell me what little you got from your machines before they started to err." After another attempted search of his person, he grunted. "And pass me your light. I need a smoke."

---

Lulu Flint

[attr="class","emapkmn"][attr="class","emapkmn"][attr="class","emapkmn"]

"What the ... what's up with my phone," Cass frowns as she's walking on Route 101 to get from Oldale Town to Littleroot. Her phone suddenly started to act up a bit, turning off and then turning on again, and the screen moves without her interference.

"That's ... Umlaut, no, take your tentacle away-" she says, but. Huh. Huh. Unbelievably, a burst of electricity comes forth from the Toedscruel, seemingly fixing whatever interference Cass has encountered just now. "That's ... You don't normally learn any electric-type moves. I'm pretty sure of it." The Toedscruel seems unfazed by whatever just has happened, and simply buzzes around with his newfound ability. It seems to be similiar to what happened with Sona and Dragon Hammer back then ...

... but hey, at least her phone seems to be working as normal again!

on Route 101 Umlaut the Toedscruel learns Electrify!

Energies converging, moving about, strange phenomena running through Hoenn - just another month in Hoenn.

While some sought to exploit it all, Hideo was more focused on keeping Littleroot safe. While some were focused on understanding the phenomena, Hideo wanted to mitigate the damage it dealt. It was hard to deny the sensation that something sinister was coming, and he needed to make sure his town was ready for it.

His current efforts were focused on Route 101, right outside of Littleroot. The Electric Terrain was setting a lot of Pokemon off, and Hideo had to keep his own focused on pacification.

Though this terrain seemed even stronger than normal; his Rhyperior seemed to be handling it well enough, and its strength as a Lightning Rod already gave it plenty of times to prove it, his Pokemon were reporting she was looking a little…off.

Hopefully, she'd be fine. He needed her if this electric phenomena got any worse.

Location: Route 101
Rhyperior learning Electrify