This had been an unexpected, although entirely welcome turn of events. When Asher located Oscar and asked him to accompany him on this expedition, Oscar just about fainted. The chance to relive the glory days and get paid for it? Yeah sounds good. It was a bit more complicated than that, the problem with trying to find ruins on a deserted island is that there won't be any maps of the area to get an idea on where to find them. It could be a challenging endeavor, luckily Oscar was up for that challenge.

Oscar looked very different from his employer as he stepped out of the plane; the man looked like the main antagonist of a tomb raider game. Black khaki shirt, black shorts, black hiking boots, black fingerless gloves, complete with aviator sunglasses and a lollipop. Oscar lived for this shit, you bet your ass he was decked out. As Oscar observed the jungle before him, he did his best to give Asher a satisfying answer. "I'd assume that would be due to the lack of humans here to fuck it all up. So yeah speaking of which."

Oscar opened a pokeball, revealing his chosen partner for this excursion: Zygarl the Scizor. Zygarl looked to his master for instructions. Oscar simply pointed to the jungle brush and gave his command, "Fuck it up." The scizor happily zoomed forward, cutting away the brush with his claws to create a path for the two. Oscar looked to Asher, "Shall we?"

Asher Graham

Asher had brought a cryogonal to the trip, a welcome addition to the team. It'll really make this blazing trek tolerable. Oscar gave the best smile he could to Asher's question, "It's Zygarl. He's relatively new to the team but he pulls his weight." Oscar took point, doing his best to casually keep up with Zygarl as he thrashed against the vines and bushes blocking their path.

Blazing a trail was hard work, made easier by small talk passing the time. Eventually though, the sun began to set and it was best to set up camp. Zygarl helped his master start a fire before curling up on the ground to rest. Oscar leaned against his companion and watched the flames dance as he tried to think of something to fill their evening time. "Hey I'm sorry if this is a weird question but um, what's your dream Asher? Like your true aspiration in life. Mine is to be somebody, though I am not quite sure what that means yet." Oscar waited for an answer, not quite sure what he expected to hear back.

Asher Graham

Well that gave Oscar something to think about. As the night went on and Oscar determined that it was alright to sleep, he reflected as he dozed. Back in Alola he went out of his way to be an ass to everyone, it was in his nature to be a dick. And yet when he got knee high in shit, no one was there to pull him out. Oscar had been trying to be nicer here in Hoenn. A great challenge to be sure, but having people to rely on was better than being alone. Was he seeing other humans as tools for his success? Perhaps, but if he's gonna view it that way at least he's being nice about it. Asher could be a useful ally, his apparent influence could help boost Oscar to the next step of his plans. Plus he was very easy to talk to and shared a lot of his interests. Maybe a friendship would be worth it.

The next day was much like the first; there were vigorous and insightful conversations, and pleasant moments of contemplative silence. Eventually though, the two encountered something strange. Zygarl had led them straight to a clearing with a bizarre worn statue int he middle. It looked like some sort of golem made of stone, nearly toppled over from wear and tear. Oscar scratched his chin, "I wonder what this was supposed to be. It's falling apart." Probably wasn't worth anything, you could barely tell it was supposed to be anything at all. Perhaps Asher felt differently.

Zygarl swung his head behind him, causing Oscar to do the same. Something rustled in the bushes. Zygarl began to buzz rapidly. Oscar turned to Asher. "Get behind the statue!"

Asher Graham

Clang
Clang
Clang

Oscar's eyes widened as the intruder approached through the bushes. Zygarl was feeling pumped for a fight after the cryogonal's boost, however once he saw his opponent his shoulders would slump. There before them stood a massive metal beast, the last thing one expected to find in a jungle. It looked so bizarre, like some sort of small skyscraper of gun. Yet despite its odd appearance, Oscar knew this thing to be one of the most dangerous pokemon alive.

Duraludon.

Zygarl resumed his stance, less confidently than before. Oscar didn't dare move, too scared to even twitch. The metal dragon scanned the scene, determining if these targets were worth its energy. It must have decided they were, as it slumped down, opened its mouth, and began charging a Steel Beam. Oscar screamed to Asher, "Get the fuck out of the way!" Oscar dove to the side as Zygarl flew to flank the beast. Regardless, the Duraludon continued its attack and let loose a fierce beam of unbridled energy. The blast was so powerful, it tore the stone statue into pebbles. 

Zygarl took advantage of the beast's recoil, zooming in from the side to deliver a decisive Night Slash. The blow caused the already dazed assailant to teeter, and Zygarl would follow up with a succession of Bullet Punch strikes to knock the cumbersome beast on its side. Unable to move, the dragon wiggled helplessly as Zygarl followed up the finishing blow, propelling himself backward as a Vacuum Wave disabled the behemoth for good. Zygarl flew back to Oscar, looking pleased that he ended up on top.

Oscar patted his companion on the head, "Damn fine work sir. You alright Asher?"

Asher Graham

Oscar chuckled at Asher's proposal. "Not gonna give up now, no fun in that. Come on we got a trail to blaze." Zygarl gladly got back to work, and the group would continue onward. No further attacks occurred, although Oscar was on edge for the rest of the day. Night brought more conversation and contemplation. The next day brought hardship as their route became much more uneven.

There wasn't much brush to carve away on this path, so Zygarl scouted ahead for any wayward pokemon. Oscar chatted with Asher like normal, his words increasingly strained as the rocky terrain tested the limits of his stamina. Holy shit, he was so out of shape for a skinny fellow. He really needed to hit a gym or something when he got home, start some cardio routines or something. Oscar was expressing his discomfort out loud when he would abruptly run into his scizor's backside.

Oscar held his head and staggered back, "Shit Zygarl, warn me before you decide to play wall." Zygarl looked back, his expression unreadable. He moved slightly out of the way, revealing what caused his pause. Oscar's eyes widened form behind his sunglasses. What he saw brought him such energy, he couldn't help but bound down the rest of the way. As he reached the end of the path, he got an even better view of what seemed to be a massive temple. It was old, overgrown with foliage, but a magnificent sight nevertheless. Oscar laughed, "I can't believe there's something here! Like actually here! Holy shit this is amazing!" 

Oscar was full of excitement, a rare sight to behold. It shall be nice to finally raid a temple once again, maybe he'll find something truly valuable within! Which he shall share with Asher of course. Maybe.

Asher Graham