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POSTED ON Feb 21, 2020 6:48:21 GMT

Riding Lucifer the Umbreon, Selena dashed to the outskirts of Sootopolis City as soon as she heard there was an explosion in the Cave of Origins.

It is one of Hoenn's historical landmarks where legends tell of life originating inside its cavern walls. Only a few people got the opportunity to see the insides of the ancient tunnels and Selena thought she might have had the chance.

A big scoop, she would tell herself. She knew by experience that no one really read news except for when they're caused by maladies, Pokémon infestations, and natural disasters. A burning heritage site surely is a huge story--a very intriguing one to tell.

Selena tightened her clench as she let go of her one hand, scanning for the Pokénav inside her bag. There should be some information about the Cave of Origins that she needed to know first before going to the site.

The cave, for the most parts, were just cavities of ammonia-filled air from Zubats that inhabited the place. These were not very flammable, but it could set the entire place on fire if "something" exposed the ammonic chamber to high heat. Selena hinted arson--or, if she's lucky, there could be something supernatural going on inside the caves. Afterall, Hoenn is really full of surprise.

Lucifer abruptly stopped in front of the wooden bridges, the fire already reaching the entrance to the caves.

"You've done quite enough. Thank you, Luci." Selena reached to his Pokéball, calling the Umbreon back. She dared looking into the massive flames once more, the fumes of burning ammonia, contemplating on how to get through the obstacle.

""No one could really help us this time but you, Medusa. I just hope we could get through this." With deep hesitation, Selena threw Medusa's Pokéball into the pond nearby the cave. The timid Feebas rose from the waters for a couple of seconds after, saw what was happening around, then began looking terrified.

"I know you're scared, hun. But it's just you and me now. Our friends can't help us with this but you. I believe in you. We can do it."

Selena remembered all the times she risked her life and her Pokémons' just to write a story. After all, a journalist's job is always met with dangers and threats. She can never be safe. But it is certainly a joy when she gets to write the story, she recalls how her partners help her through it, she remembers how she has a good team.

Braving the smoke and the flames, Selena and Medusa rushed to the bridge and into the Great Tree. There, at its still-verdant shade, seemingly unaffected by the fire around it, she saw someone who looked as worried as she is.

Kaida Adachi

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POSTED ON Feb 21, 2020 22:18:03 GMT

"Nid, stay close. Jotun. Again." A drizzle of water splashed down of the surroundings as the Croconaw spun with a violent thrash of the tail, spraying the area in water. By her side, Nid assisted the fire fighting Pokemon with a chirping squeal, a shimmering Safeguard protecting the young gator from the licking, greedy flames.

The flames showed no sign of true weakness, even as Silk spat Sand Attack after Sand Attack to smother the fire. If there was one saving grace, lots of Pokemon had escaped the sudden blaze. Zubats clung to her back, refusing to fly into smoke that would suffocate them, and the occasional Geodude was seen fleeing as soon as nearby flames weakened, but it wasn't enough.

The heat dizzied Kaida, not helped by the extra weight of frightened Pokemon clinging to her, and a layer of soot clung to her skin, broken only by streams of sweat running down her face. It wasn't just the heat harming her, Kaida realized belatedly, there was stench and a fumes were in the air. Poison air, probably only kept from true harm by Nid's Safeguard.

The fire was in the caves, and she had to kill it, otherwise she risked both a home and the raging fire spreading. That couldn't happen, never. "Jotun. Silk. Bury it, we can't let it keep fighting us." On cue, the Croconaw took on a red aura and plunged his claws into the dirt as the Sandaconda's nostrils flared. As Superpower tossed a truly enormous amount of dirt into the caves, Sandstorm battered the fires that were spreading. In an instant, the entrance was more clear, though flames threatened to approach every moment.

It was only then Kaida even noticed another presence. Another Ranger? One who had been drawn by the sudden smoke? She peered through the smoke, rubbing her eyes, and found a familiar face, but not exactly one she wanted to see. "Go away!" She had to spit the words over crackling flames, "The fire is powerful, and might spread while I'm getting to the source!" Her yell suddenly broke into a cough, the only sign so far of the toll this was taking on her very human body.

Selena Desmarais

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lancelot

Eye of Staraptor

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POSTED ON Feb 25, 2020 12:20:59 GMT

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The flames went out for a little while until they started crawling from the inside into the cave's mouth once again.

"I didn't know ground attacks can be used to put out fire like that," Selena uttered mindlessly, distracting the ranger commandeering the Pokémons at rescue. She noticed how the girl struggled to save the Pokémons living in the dungeon despite how it took toll on her body. "I don't think you'd want me to go. You said the flames are powerful and it's obvious you need help!" Maybe not from her, Selena initially thought, but she's seeing no one around except for both women who were at fire's foot.

While the bridge was still damp, Selena ran towards the ranger and motioned for her Feebas to follow. "Selena." She nodded towards the eager looking yet scared Pokémon in the water. "That one's Medusa. We're here to help. What can we d--?"

An explosion from the entrance hurled Selena to the ground. Medusa cried and splashed itself from the lake to where Selena was lying, hurt from the impact and from burn wounds she sustained from the sudden blast. She's still conscious.

Selena groaned as she rose from the patch of grass still unharmed from the fire surrounding its territory. There was pain all-over her body but she did not mind. When she saw how the fire reached the opening once again, and from the burst that just happened, she knew it was impossible to kill it from the outside. She needed to go in.

Her breathing exasperated, she hurried the ranger to make a plan.

"The source is inside. We needed to purge it from inside the caves and I think I have a way to go in." Selena looked at Medusa before she continued. "If this cave is surrounded by waters, I'm sure there's a way inside through the lake. I'm thinking of going in with my Feebas."

Kaida Adachi

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Drakka

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POSTED ON Feb 25, 2020 19:11:30 GMT

Kaida bristled as Selena approached, "No, you-" Whatever she would have said next was completely drowned out in a deafening roar. The explosion flung her and her Pokemon away and she slammed harshly into the dirt. A burst of burning pain crawled up her shoulder, confirming one particular aspect of her injury. She had a new scar to add to her list.

She pushed herself up with pained effort, helped along by the assisting tail of Nid. She waved towards the sky and ordered quickly, "Clear the sky Nid, they can't stay here." The Zubat were in too much danger. Looking around, Nid let out a loud cry and twirled in place, blowing away a huge chunk of smoke and revealing clear air. Hurriedly, Kaida waved them towards it, the missing weight immensely relieving on a tired body.

She held her face angrily, even as Selena offered a plan. "That's very stupid...what can a Feebas do? I have to bring...Jotun!" She called and the Croconaw looked up in confusion, his scales slightly scorched but doing nothing to stop his firefighting. "He can put it out...and Nid will put a Safeguard, it should be long enough to protect us until the fire is gone." She wobbled forward, towards the water's edge. Her jacket was thrown off, simply to make it harder for her to be dragged under, but she still winced as her burns were exposed to air. She could be healed afterwards, she reminded herself, it was going to be fine.

"Then come on, Medusa can lead us easier, and Jotun will pull both of us through the water...it'll be fine." She spoke as Jotun understood and leapt in, Kaida grabbing one of his spines as Nid created a shimmering barrier around them. Kaida leapt in, ready to find the source of the flames.

"Grab on, he's strong."

Selena Desmarais

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lancelot

Eye of Staraptor

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POSTED ON Feb 25, 2020 20:27:25 GMT

In another time, Selena would have lashed out at the ranger for foul-mouthing Medusa, no matter how dense and timid it was. The feebas may seem weak and helpless, but she knew it would get better someday. Right now, they had a bigger problem to extinguish which require not only two Water-type Pokémons but pairs of skilled trainers as well.

And Selena knew she could count on Medusa.

Carefully, she explained her feebas what to do. The fish dived into the surrounding water, searching for a safer passage to the interior of the cave. The croconaw followed and both she and the ranger jumped as well. She told her to cling into its spikes which Selena did. After putting on a Safeguard, the feebas rose from the lake and motioned them to follow her.

Medusa found their entrance.

Breathing deeply, Selena plunged into the freshwater, unaware if the safeguard allowed them to breathe underwater as well. She opened her eyes, her vision being trained in the most challenging circumstances, and led the croconaw and its ranger to where the feebas is leading them.

The group reached the wall of the cave, a crack lining from just below the surface into the bottom of the lake. A person could hardly fit in there, Selena thought, a hint of disapproval in her face. Medusa might have the capacity to process orders, but then it may not be enough to actually understand them.

Selena gestured the fish to find more openings but it just shook its head, before swimming in circes.

She thought of something. Maybe it was whatMedusa thought of also. Selena turned to the ranger and pointed upwards, signaling for them to rise.

She gasped for air as they reached the surface but only inhaled the fumes. "We need to crack the cave wall open." She tried breathing to her mouth but it was worse. "There's no entrance but a small crack and we cannot fit inside it. We need to force it open."

The feebas may have not the power to do so, but Selena believed the croconaw can.

Kaida Adachi

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POSTED ON Feb 26, 2020 1:14:48 GMT

Her whole body hurt, another part of Kaida's mimd not focused on the situation dully noted. There was nothing she desired more than to sleep. Perhaps her adrenaline was running out.

Jotun dove quickly, eyes locked on the Feebas ahead. His eyes were accustomed to the dim waters, and found the crack in the wall easily. Upon the relevation that the crack was too small for him or the humans, Jotun returned to the surface on Selena's directing. Kaida kept her face as low as possible and even then, her lungs burned at the bad air.

"Jotun, can you do it?" She asked seriously, knowing continued uses of Superpower only resulted in less strength. Seeing her seriousness, the Croconaw actually considered the question, and snapped his jaws in affirmation. "Hold your breath, get Medusa to swim you up if you need to breath." Kaida explained before the next dive, if Jotun had to keep using his moves, he might be too weak for this fire, so it had to be done in one go.

With a thrash of his tail, they were under again, screaming towards the crack as the red aura surrounded him once more. A muffled snarl shook the water's as he clawed furiously at the stone, breaking through it with ease but still far too slow for those without the luxury of breathing underwater. One hand clasped over her mouth, Kaida focused on staying conscious in the terribly long minute Jotun took to break through.

Breaking through, Jotun surged up, and introduced the duo to a horrible smell and oppressive heat. The fire still raged within, but it was certain they were near the source and safe...long as they were in the water.

Selena Desmarais

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lancelot

Eye of Staraptor

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POSTED ON Feb 26, 2020 17:46:48 GMT

Rotten eggs. Zubat dungs. Burning oil.

Selena could not help but notice the scent pervading the air, or at least what was left of it, when she ascended the cavern floor. Jotun managed to crack the wall open, but it was still a long, narrow tunnel that separated them from the lake and inside the Cave of Origin. She remembered Kaida telling her to let Medusa swim her up if she lost her breath underwater; little did she know she was a trained swimmer back in Kalos.

Selena loved how the water embraces her skin, especially when her body was covered with burns and bruises she sustained from the fire and the explosion. If she could last a little longer inside the water, she would plunge herself and erase the foul smell that lingered her nostrils.

The part of the cave they crawled into was a tunnel only big enough for both of them. Dying zubats lie on the ground—some having burned wings they barely managed to fly from the explosion and some were horribly toasted by fire. Selena cannot even try to look.

Smoke easily filled the area as flames engulfed the two ends but the smell of burning only came from one direction. The smell was so distinct it would be difficult to ignore it.

With little oxygen to work with, Selena led Medusa and her companion to the one with the stench.

"This is definitely arson." Selena uttered with confidence and resentmen, her eyes filling with tears—whether it came from the zubats or the pain of the heat, she did not really know. "These people should be stopped. But what I don't understand is why do they need to set fire here. Why do they need to kill these pokémons?"

Another explosion was heard from a distance not too far from the two, prompting both of them to follow the arsonists. But first, they must put out the fire again.

"Medusa, use Surf!"

Kaida Adachi

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POSTED ON Feb 26, 2020 19:32:23 GMT

Kaida barely stomached what she saw, only the fact that such death was not unfamiliar to her kept her emotions in check. "They do it because it's cruel and makes a point!" Kaida snapped, not particularly at Selena, but at the abominable crime before her. The Zubat were far gone, if their burns didn't kill them, the poisonous air would.

"Jotun." The Croconaw's fangs were bared in a terrible grimace, his eyes wide and frightened, "Clear the fire, we're hunting the bad guys." He still stompted and shivered in agitation, but he unleashed an Aqua Tail to help clear the flames. As soon as the flames died, Kaida launched forward. Even in a weakened state she was determined to catch the arsonists, jail was too kind to such people.

Selena Desmarais

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lancelot

Eye of Staraptor

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POSTED ON Mar 1, 2020 18:33:21 GMT

Selena could tell how unexpectedly huge the Cave of Origin is. They have been going deep into the cavern tunnels for minutes now and they're still a few feet beyond the smell of arson. The tunnels were filled with nothing but rocks and fumes and darkness. Medusa and Jotun continued putting out fire in their direction. More and more pokémons that succumbed to the thickness of smoke and the harshness of fire lied down the path they covered.

Another explosion.

Selena already counted four after reaching the interiors of the cave. With each explosions, rocks keeping the hollow of the tunnels erodes down, with dust mixing with fumes making it extra harder for her to breathe. She could already feel heaviness wearing her down from the inside.

"We couldn't keep this any longer if we could't catch up to them fast." Selena leaned on the wall, took long deep breaths as she struggled finishing her sentence. Her feebas flapped into her direction seemingly worried yet too dull for her to confirm.

"I can't imagine what 'point' they must make in order to justify their principles." She remembered admiring villanous organizations from other regions because of their ideologies, albeit their problematic actions. But she has not encountered a group of people who would carelessly obliterate colonies of pokémons just to fulfill their desires. It is maddening.

From the corner which would lead into the deepest chamber of the cave, where statues of ancient pokémons Kyogre and Grouden were thought to be guarded by the elders of Sootopolis, Selena caught a glimpse of a hooded man with a lamp on his right hand. That's where the burning smell comes from.

The figure turned, revealing a mask with unknown letters written on its surface. It turns out, the lamp it was holding is actually a lampent. Selena warned the suspect."Don't move! Her feebas glaring at the masked figure. "We're gonna make you pay for the lives you've taken!"

Kaida Adachi

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Drakka

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POSTED ON Mar 3, 2020 4:53:33 GMT

Kaida stompted forward helplessly, feeling a clawed hand guiding her forward and around stalagmites. Jotun. Helpful little one. He must hate this as much as she did, she reflected dully, quite like this reporter she found herself partnered with. "We'll catch them." She mumbled furiously, "We're going to catch them."

She didn't even register that, evidently, they had caught the arsonist. As he raised the Lampert, she knew there wasn't too much they as humans could do, and let go of Juton, "Bite them..." Her breathed words were barely audible, she wasn't even sure if Jotun actually heard her, or did what she said on instinct.

A crackly roar echoed through the caves as he screamed forward, jaws wide as he barreled through a burst of blue flames, and Crunched into the wielded Lampert, snarling and tumbling with the Pokemon as the human backed away, head flicking back and forth between the Pokemon and his human thwarters.

"Get him!

Selena Desmarais

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lancelot

Eye of Staraptor

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POSTED ON Mar 4, 2020 17:27:46 GMT

The two women caught the perpetrator by surprise yet he seemed not terrified of them. It was as if he expected them to come see him inside the caves. His face was covered, but Selena could sense him smiling behind the mask.

Jotun had its teeth crunching through the lampent's body, but the lamp pokémon emitted from its body thick gray smoke which reduced further the oxygen they were breathing inside.

Selena heard the man said something she barely heard which she only understood until she saw what was happening. Lampent, released from the croconaw's chomp, clapped its arms together, forming a blue orb of flame it hurled to the duo.

The lampent was using INFERNO!

As if bursting with adrenaline, Selena called Medusa in an instant to protect her and Kaida and their pokémons for the incoming blast of fire.

"Medusa, block it with SURF!"

With the remaining moisture and puddles from the lake that remained inside despite the flames, the feebas sent an underwhelming wave of water into the arsonist and his pokémon enough to keep them from being roasted.

"I don't know what your deal is, but you need to stop now!" Still kicking from the rush of energy, Selena can feel her emotions were way over the top. For the first time in her life, she never saw anything like this—that people could be unapologetic for despicable actions they purposely committed.

Selena glanced on her side at her partner ranger, bruises covering her body, weakened by the fumes, and eyed her with such desperation and hope. "He's just alone and we both have amazing partners. Specially trained pokémons." Selena breathed what felt like what remained of the air inside the ruthless cave. "We attack him together and then we stop him."

The man stood silently behind the rock formations, his lampent floating in-front of him, waiting for their next move. The flames around them dissipated, leaving behind a few embers waiting to die. Selena figured out the lampent absorbed all of them, preparing for its next move, but Selena's hopeful.

"We will catch you." Selena stood tidy, trying to meet the man's eyes even when she could barely see them. "And when we do, you're gonna tell us everything from the start."

She took a final look at Kaida before ordering Medusa.

"Charge them with SCALD!"

Kaida Adachi

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Drakka

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POSTED ON Mar 5, 2020 4:22:43 GMT

Get him. Right, she still had to do that.

Kaida shook her head in dizziness, only barely covering her face in reaction to the incoming Inferno. The Surf that saved them was irritatingly small, but it succeeded in its job.

Kaida didn't bother with words, already having declared what she and Jotun would be trying to do...the clarification from Selena was appreciated, though. "Jotun."

Kaida stompted forward, and so did Jotun. His scales were scorched and his exhaustion from the constant attacks he had to launch were obvious...and then his scales moistened as Torrent took effect. The Aqua Tail was enormous, nearly his size in length and he spiraled towards the human and Lampert with savage intent.

Selena Desmarais

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lancelot

Eye of Staraptor

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POSTED ON Mar 5, 2020 18:50:56 GMT

Jotun's offensive felt so powerful Selena could feel the whole cave trembling.

The mystery man's lampent tried to use PROTECT but to no avail⁠—the croconaw's AQUA TAIL was very potent it sent it tumbling towards it trainer and further downwards the pit of the cave. Medusa's SCALD finished the job and charged the two of them with a stream of boiling hot water.

Steam then covered the tunnels and partially pushed the fume upwards, again giving the two trainers and their p⁠okémons a chance to breathe. Selena went to look for the perpetrators but they were not where she last saw them. And then a voice echoed from behind them.

Behind them, he and his lampent stood perfectly fine, as if they were not affected by the hit despite the power it took Jotun to deliver. The man then spoke in an unrecognizable language and feebas blasted them with ICE BEAM, but he and the lampent faded into the dark, the smoke and the stink going with them.

Selena clenched her first.

She hated the idea of letting the man go, thinking he would come back or go somewhere else to cause havoc for reasons still unknown to her. At least, she says, they learned what caused the fire and prevented it from spreading any further. But she felt ashamed she haven't arrested him.

Maybe next time, she pursed her lips.

"We'd come back for him... I guess. For now let me just..." Selena started losing adrenaline and felt the need to rest for a while.

"Rest."

Medusa, seeing how tired Selena was, tried snuggling beneath her trainer to try carrying her outside the cave despite the difficulty. The feebas would manage.

Kaida Adachi

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Drakka

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POSTED ON Mar 6, 2020 3:25:26 GMT

An unrecognizable inhuman shriek broke through Kaida's lips at the man's escape, "Dammit!" Her legs gave way, and she found herself only with the reporter and Pokemon. They lost the man, despite the best efforts, and the Zubat victims smoky scent filled her nose.

"I gotta...get them." She mumbled, only held up by Jotun. By whoever's grace, what came through the smoke was none other than Nid and Silk. The two found themselves through the smoke as they took down the entrance fire and, with no more explosions, rapidly helped Kaida and Selena leave the cave.

All in all, Kaida considered bleakly, the reporter did do well in a horrible situation.

Selena Desmarais

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spiral

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