The day drew to a close. There had been ups and downs in this aquatic treasure hunt, but all things eventually came to an end. They had one last chance at this, one last treasure before going home with their full haul.

"One last dive, Whiskers! Let's make it count!" Exclaimed Andrea, mounting her Shiny Gyarados one last time.

//CLAMPERL DIVING - AUG 31

☉

A soft laugh escaped the girl’s lips when the young Champion mentioned conquering the Johto League with his exotic variants of Raikou, Entei, and Suicune. “Using those three would almost feel like cheating, wouldn’t it?”

Come to think of it, Hoennians had an unfair advantage compared to trainers from other regions, what with Hoenn’s overabundance of legendaries, mythicals, Ultra Beasts, paradoxes, and other aberrations.

Upon finally making it to the top of the ancient tower, Andrea took in the breathtaking view. “Wow! It really IS just like the Sky Pillar! If I was a legendary bird, I would roost here too!” She remarked in awe.

Josh Devlin //mission thread

☉

“I don’t smoke.” Said Andrea bluntly. Her dream was to transform into a Pokémon. She wanted to get claws, fangs, and a tail, not lung cancer.

Taking a sip of the unfamiliar beverage, the eccentric cosplayer winced ever so slightly. “Wow, that’s a strong taste! I don’t hate it, though!” She took another sip, quickly becoming a tequila enjoyer.

After paying for her own drink, Andrea turned to the other woman with a questioning look. “So, are we friends now?” She had thoroughly convinced herself that they were, but a part of her was still trepidant.

Lulu Flint

☉

Barely a few days had passed since the battle between the humans and the slightly angrier humans, and Ogerpon was already out and about, searching the nearby woods for any signs of those three loathsome retainers.

Her caretaker was not with her, for she needed time to rest and grieve over the loss of her loved one. This territory belonged to the angry humans now. Simply being here was a risk, but the Oni was confident in her strength.

The thumping of footsteps alerted her that something was approaching. Something not human; a Pokémon. One of the forest’s denizens perchance?

Ogerpon took a meek step forward, speaking a non-human tongue. “Hello! Are you a friend?”

howard slayte //mission thread

☉

"A blue shard, huh?" How beautiful, how serene. Its thalassinus aura felt as if someone had plucked a piece of the ocean itself.

Her mind and soul cleansed by that gift of nature, Andrea mounted her Gyarados, and they dived back into the salty waters as one; human and Pokémon, returning to the womb of the primordial mother, the sea.

//CLAMPERL DIVING - AUG 30

☉

Andrea found herself washed ashore. Awoken by the sensation of waves brushing against her form, she tried to piece together what had transpired prior to her ending up there.

She must have gotten a severe heatstroke due to the excess summer heat or something, because the last few minutes were a complete blur to her. She would never fully recover her memory. She would never recall the insanity of fishing out one ball after the next.

All she knew was that she had a disk in her hand... and an inexplicable desire to go back into the sea in search of more.

//CLAMPERL DIVING - AUG 29

☉

[player]https://file.garden/ZdjOR5zmo3pLm51e/Leoncavallo-Pagliacci-Act-1-Vesti-la-giubba.mp3[/player]

Yet another Pokéball. She had found eight of them. Eight balls! How could this happen? Andrea Vaneau had fallen victim to a statistical anomaly.

She was certain now that the universe was not ruled by things grounded in common sense and logic, such as probability. Rather, it was shaped by the cantankerous whims of cruel gods laughing at them from their celestial abodes.

Laugh, Pagliaccio, laugh!

Jinxes were real after all. This was the fate she had to suffer now, and she would keep suffering until the gods' need for entertainment was sated.

//CLAMPERL DIVING - AUG 28

☉

“They built a power station inside the ruins? Weird…” Andrea observed, recognizing the distinct Megalopolan architecture from her interdimensional trip with Lulu Flint. This time, she had learned from her past mistakes. “Whatever you do, do NOT use an Electric move in here!”

That wasn’t her only observation, though. Those catwalks were clearly too narrow for her bulky Iron Boulder. “Terratron, return.” She withdrew the artificial Sword of Justice into its ball, and then mounted her Iron Jugulis, which had an easier time hovering over the catwalks.

“We can probably clear this floor faster if we split up.” The dragon rider proposed. “I’ll take that side.” She determined, moving towards the unguarded south gate.

Josh Devlin //mission thread

☉

Andrea contemplated her friend’s offer, but ultimately it was Ogerpon’s decision. The tall woman leaned down to the ogre’s eye level. “What do you think, Pon? Would you like to give Swift a ride when Josh’s arm gets better?”

“Po poni~!” The Oni cried cheerfully.

“That sounds like a ‘yes’ to me!” The woman beamed. Making her way upstairs after Hoenn’s newest Champion, she listened to him boasting about his Johtohian accolades. “Five badges from a whole nother region? That’s thirteen badges total! That’s a lot of badges!”

Josh Devlin //mission thread

☉