It was a hike through the tunnel, and Scout's backpack was weighed down with various outdoor supplies: energy bars, granola and trail mix, a flashlight and headlamp, a compass, rain gear, extra footwear and a change of clothing, a gallon of water split between hydration packs and bottles, and a small, lightweight tent that folded up neatly on top.

The expedition was meant to be short; neither he nor Tso had the equipment to stay longer, but Scout had no idea what to expect, and wanted to be prepared for the worst.

As they approached the light, their footsteps became lighter — and suddenly they were floating, swimming through the air. And the weight on his back was no longer so heavy.

Awed, Scout floated behind the scientist, and reached out to skim the bioluminescent flora that lined the cave mouth with his fingers after Haoyu had done the same and not immediately perished. Below them, the cave opened up to an endless, murky cavern, and as Scout peered down he realized he had no chance of seeing the bottom.

"Are you looking for something?" He wondered. Where to even start?


@haoyu

Scout wondered what type of breakthrough the scientist means. There was so much they didn't know about this strange world: its origins, its connection to theirs, its strange inhabitants... even the Pokémon here were odd.

Already it felt as though the laws of physics here were different. "It's strange that we can breathe," Scout said, swimming after Haoyu in the thick air-water-atmosphere. It was a little difficult to keep all of his baggage from floating away. "I'd like to stick together, if that's alright."

@haoyu

He's thankful that Haoyu seemed to be in agreement; they needed to stick together and watch each others' backs. Scout knew to be vigilant even in the quietest, most commonly-traversed backwoods. Here, in a totally new world? All of his senses were primed to be on the lookout.

As Scout followed the scientist on their ascent, the hairs on the back of his neck began to prickle. He paused to scan the depths below. Sound seemed to travel poorly, dampened by the thick atmosphere, so it was difficult to make out what exactly was causing those bubbling jetstreams. He could make out flashes of purple...

A glimpse of tall dorsal fins was all that he needed to see. "Gotta — go!" Scout said, renewing his efforts to swim up, up, up. "Sharpedo!"


@haoyu
07 escape corrupted sharpedo and veluza attempting to hunt you down.

Scout swims, sprinting through the water, and it isn't until he hears the cry of Careful! that he turns and realizes the two of them have taken separate paths, diverging at a diagonal angle. He watches helplessly as the Lurantis takes care of the Poipole, which incapacitate the Sharpedo in a miraculous stroke of luck.

"You okay?" he calls out. Then, hovering in a circle, Scout points at an opening in the tall caverns where a large ledge forms. Peering inside, he can see light filtering in from somewhere illuminating the walls. Perhaps it leads somewhere. "In here?"


@haoyu