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Gavin, or 'Patrick Cavalli', as he was known to the expedition, stands apart from the excited chatter of his fellows. His hands are braced against the rail of the ship, wind tugging playfully at his hair as he watches his Aerodactyl circle overhead. This could have been his life, he thinks, had he not been cast out of Circhester's scientific community — an honest living among archaeologists and treasure hunters. How different things could have been.[break][break]

At the sound of his name, the wistful spell is broken, and 'Dr. Cavalli' steps away from the rail.[break][break]

Adjusting his glasses, he leans now over the expedition map and frowns in thought as Captain Dross goes over their route.[break][break]

He thinks of the undertow, of countless divers lost in the cold abyss of the ocean. His shoulder aches from a healing injury. He voices none of his concerns. He nods, curt and professional.[break][break]

"Whenever you're ready, Captain."[break][break]

Double-checking his diving equipment, Gavin releases his recently acquired Dhelmise into the water. The sight of the creature still unnerves him, but there is little evidence of this trepidation as he steps up to the edge of the boat.

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He doesn't miss her shift in expression, shares her trepidation; his expression is the difference, calm as still water.[break][break]

From the jacket he'd stripped off in preparation to dive, Gavin retrieves a badge case from an inner pocket. Three glittering objects are pinned to the velvet interior. Stone, Meadow, Nimbus. Badges.[break][break]

"It's under my control, captain, no need to worry."[break][break]

It's the only reason he feels safe getting into the water with it. The ocean is cool, in stark contrast to the cloying heat, but Gavin allows himself only a moment to acclimate before kicking out toward the living anchor. 'Seaweed' twists and writhes around metal at his approach, the compass-like eye of his Dhelmise spinning to fix on him. When Gavin curls an arm around the anchor for support, the living weeds curl around him in turn. There's a spike of panic, a moment of feeling trapped — it could pull him under, drown him, no one would be able to stop it — before he pulls himself together.[break][break]

"Follow her."[break][break]

Gavin is immediately and predictably drawn in by the strange symbols carved into the rock. So captivated is he that he doesn't think to ensure the others have stopped — it's lucky that Skyler gives them a moment, otherwise he might've been left behind.
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When he's satisfied with the pictures taken, he kicks off toward the group once more and offers a thumbs up.

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Skyler turns back, waiting for Dr. Cavalli to finish examining the inscriptions on the wall. When he gives her a thumbs up and starts heading her way, she simply nods and motions for the rest of the group to follow her into the tunnel.

Once they move away from the entrance, light is quick to dwindle away and is instead replaced by a wall of solid darkness. Each diver has a flashlight attached to their wrist, and Skyler uses hers to light the passage ahead. The tunnel doesn't seem to have been made by humans despite the iconography around the entrance, and it leads them into a series of labyrinthine passages that veer off into the strangest directions. Even Skyler, who is used to exploring underwater caverns, feels slightly disoriented after some time.

She knows they're almost there when she sees the glowing bits of rock ahead of her. There are uneven patches of this strange material that glows a ghostly blue color on the walls of the tunnels. The patches themselves seem to grow in size the further in they go, until Skyler no longer feels it necessary to have her flashlight turned on.

There is sand beneath her feet, she suddenly realizes, and looks up to see not the rocky surface she'd been expecting, but the surface of the water -- and that means air.

She motions for the rest of the divers to follow her and swims up, quickly breaking the surface of the water and emerging into a wide chamber. She's cautious about taking her breathing apparatus off, but the air seems relatively normal. 

"We're here." 

Skyler looks around, noticing the sand beach by the side of the chamber. "We can set up camp there," she says, doing some quick calculations in her head due to the tide coming in. "Should be safe." She looks specifically to Dr. Cavalli because he's the most practical out of the three, and nods her head.

The cavernous chamber itself is filled with that same luminescent material and already Skyler can see some carvings in the walls and other pools of water that might lead into other chambers. 

Uncharted territory from now on.

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At first, Gavin assumes the glowing material to be some sort of moss, or fungus, similar to the luminescent mushrooms of Ballonlea. As he swims closer, however, the scientist realises that the phenomenon is part of the stone itself. It sends a thrill down his spine.[break][break]

They breach the water to find themselves in a labyrinth of tunnels, some submerged like the one from which they'd emerged. Gavin's Dhelmise lurks in this particular tunnel, its spinning eye keeping watch over the expedition team. Gavin's not sure whether to be reassured or comforted by the spectral anchor's presence; they were known to hunt Wailord for sport, after all, and Gavin would make for much easier prey.[break][break]

Captain Dross nods to him, and he returns the gesture before turning to the expedition team and giving orders on where to set up their research equipment.[break][break]

"These carvings look ancient." Some of them have been all but erased by the passage of time and the rough caress of the ocean. Gavin traces his fingers over salt-stained imagery. "It's a shame we don't have translations."[break][break]

He documents them with his camera, hoping to put further pieces together once they're out.[break][break]

After helping set up camp, Gavin shines a flashlight down a few of the dry tunnels. "Where to first, Captain?"

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"You couldn't pay me to stay behind," Gavin assures her. Perhaps his fellow researchers are put off by his unwillingness to compromise, but he'd come here with a goal in mind and he wasn't going to budge. "Besides, I've several capable Pokemon on-hand that could be of use to us should we run into any troubles."[break][break]

He smirks in the direction of his disgruntled fellows. How could they argue with that?[break][break]

"Dhelmise will stay with you lot and ensure you're not set upon from behind. There have been reports of pirate activity all over the news; better safe than sorry."[break][break]

From his belt, Gavin retrieves a pokeball and releases his Lycanroc in the mouth of the indicated tunnel.[break][break]

"You're going to stick with us, girl, and alert if you smell any trouble."[break][break]

She lifts a paw and sets it down again. It's a silent acknowledgement Gavin has taught her to show that she understands.[break][break]

"As for the symbols, I'm afraid I'll have to brush up on my ancient Hoennian history once we get back where there's signal." He and Lycanroc follow Skyler's cautious foray into the first of the tunnels. "It's nothing I've ever seen."

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Gavin's smirk does not falter as Skyler catches and corrects herself. "I'm flattered not to be counted among them."[break][break]

He is no fumbling researcher unable to defend himself, blinded by his excitement for what treasures lay in the depths of these caverns. He is a scientist of Rocket. His research explores a depth beyond the idiots they'd leave behind.[break][break]

He is cautious as they forge ahead. In spite of his arrogance, Skyler's advice is something Gavin heeds; she seemed to have experience with this particular field, and he had every intention of making it out safe and sound. The excited chatter of the research team slowly fades until they are left in silence but for the echo of their steps and the occasional drip of water-on-rock.[break][break]

"A village, this deep? Though, Sootopolis exists..."[break][break]

He halts immediately at Lycanroc's growl, speculation dying in his thoughts. Skyler's message is received, and he replies only with a nod.
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Thankfully, stealth is his usual method of action within Rocket. Each step is deliberate as he avoids stepping on damp, slippery rock and loose stones. Lycanroc is equally cautious beside him, fur bristled along her spine.[break][break]

They stop, and it's like staring into a void.[break][break]

Gavin lifts the flashlight in his hand; it's off, but his expression is a questioning one. Should we...?

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Skyler vanishes.[break][break]

From Gavin's perspective, that's about how it goes: she's creeping forward, there's the sound of grating metal, and then she's gone in the space it takes for the scientist to blink. His reaction time is quick, but not quick enough — he surges forward and nearly tumbles over the edge of the dark pit himself in his haste.[break][break]

There's no need: Lycanroc had reacted with the reflexes her trainer lacked, teeth snagging in Skyler's clothes and possibly skin. The canine digs her sharpened claws into the smoothed stone and holds her ground, Gavin grabbing a fistful of her scruff to keep her from slipping.
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His heart is pounding, head dizzy with adrenaline.[break][break]

"Fuck. Holy fuck."[break][break]

With his free hand, Gavin reaches out in an attempt to haul Skyler back to safety. It's about this time that he wishes he had brought his Dhelmise; its anchor shot would have been the perfect solution to this.[break][break]

So focused is he on rescuing the captain that Gavin doesn't notice the shadow dart behind him.

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[attr="class","cred"]VEL OF PIXEL PERFECT

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Gavin lands hard, breath driven from his lungs. Agony explodes in his still-healing shoulder, stars blinding and bursting in his vision. He can't breathe. Anxiety and adrenaline war for dominance as he squeezes his eyes shut and wills himself to breathe, move, anything. His heart feels as if it might burst from his chest.[break][break]

Beside him, Lycanroc whines. He feels the cold press of her muzzle against his side.[break][break]

His breath shakes as it comes back to him; it's dark, he can't see, and he's in too much overall pain to decide if anything is broken.
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"Dross?"[break][break]

His voice echoes. The pit must be larger than they'd thought.

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