Twenty balls was plenty, and with thirty minutes in their disposal, there was enough time to find a rare insect among the common rabble of Caterpie and Weedle.

“Good luck, Josh! See you on the other side!” The young PokéManiac hollered, before making her way to the tall grass. After several minutes of searching, she found it; a wild Heracross sucking the sap out of a tree. “Bingo!”

A Park Ball was thrown to get its attention. Naturally, the giant beetle broke out with ease. “Let’s weaken it, Pon! Play Rough!” The eccentric trainer ordered.

“PON!”

The nimble Ogerpon attacked with a series of kicks. Heracross retaliated with its own Fighting moves, but was quickly overwhelmed by the ogre’s superhuman strength.

“Park Ball, go!” Andrea hurled a second ball, successfully capturing the weakened Bug type. “Yay, we did it!” She cheered loudly.

Pon scooped up the ball in her makeshift net, and with that, the duo made their way to the park’s exit to have their haul rated by the contest judges.

Josh Devlin //mission thread

☉

Tensions rose to dangerous levels, yet the councilman remained eerily calm. When he once again addressed everyone present, his words were as frigid as a Glalie’s breath.

The dragon-costumed girl winced slightly when Fernando revealed his empty eye socket as proof of the sacrifice he had made. Whoever had done that to him must have been a real monster.

If only Andrea knew…

“If you want civilians to fight, let them fight.” The draconic cosplayer said once she had gotten over her initial shock. “Don’t take away their only means of defending themselves. Don’t take away their friends!”

But there was a twist, or rather a clever ploy by the politician to divert suspicion from himself. Taken aback, Andrea turned towards Navy, her ally and presumed friend.

“Y-you told me you didn’t know anything. Were you lying…?”

FERNANDO SILPH, Navy, illeana reyes, John Sullivan, Noel Parker

☉

Alas, the duo’s efforts went to waste. The prejudices that poisoned those people’s minds were so deep-rooted, it would take a lot more than just a few words for their views to change.

“Monster!”
“Oni!”
“Die!”

“Sandy, Protect her!” A barrier of light erected by Andrea’s Tyranitar shielded Ogerpon from the stones and various other projectiles hurled by the hateful, bloodthirsty mob.

“Why would you try to hurt her? What did she ever do to you? All she wanted was to be your friend! You people are the real monsters!” The young woman yelled, but her words fell on deaf ears yet again.

Such overwhelming hatred was too much for anyone to bear. Frightened by the angry voices that wished for her death, the tiny ogress ran back to the mountains whence she came.

“Wait, don’t go! Let us help you!” Andrea cried out, but it was too late. Soon, the simulation ended.

ollie morales

☉

“Don’t mention it.” The taller woman replied, while dusting off her draconic Sygna Suit. “We can probably get out the same way we came in. Chomper should be able to Fly us out anytime.” And unlike Andrea, the Hydreigon could carry the extra weight with no trouble.

“However…” The PokéManiac grinned widely. “Since we’re here, we might as well do some exploring first. Adventure awaits!” She jovially declared, running towards the leftmost tunnel.

Tiny footsteps echoed, as Ogerpon ran after its caretaker, stopping just for a moment to trade a skittish look with Cassandra.

“Pon…?”

Could it be that the Oni recognized Ms. Kubrick as one of the victims of the feeding pit?

Cassandra Kubrick

☉

Ah, it was the masked ogre again. If they were to play this scenario as intended, removing its teal-colored mask would incite the bile and scorn of the locals. Unless…

“The people here look happy, but they’re full of hatred for that masked Pokémon.” Andrea pointed at the Ogerpon. “If we talk to them, they might see the error of their ways.”

Lacking a soapbox to stand on, the eccentric trainer stood on her Tyranitar’s shoulders instead. “Hear ye! This festival is supposed to bring joy, but a member of your community has unfairly been excluded from the festivities! Shunning others just because they look different is no good! I say it’s time to welcome this child with open arms!”

After addressing the public, Andrea reached down and removed the creature’s mask. The populace gasped in fear and revulsion at the sight of the unmasked Oni.

ollie morales

☉

Maybe one day Andrea would tell Josh the story of how she had met Chomper. It was a shame that such a pivotal moment in her life was only known by the League’s Calyrex.

For now, they would entertain themselves with this regional contest. Oh, if only John Sullivan could have been there to flex his epic bug catching skills.

“I don’t think they’ll let Swift enter, but Pon is probably safe, right?” After all, who would ever suspect such a cute little critter of being a legendary Pokémon?

The childlike Oni had already reconfigured part of her Ivy Cudgel into a makeshift net, and was eager to start.

Josh Devlin //mission thread

☉

A shadow was cast over the girl’s eyes when her friend mentioned the war that was sure to come eventually. “So you’re gonna take part in that war too, huh?” She asked with a morose expression, not bothering to hide her disapproval.

That bitter feeling lingered, even as the duo made their way to the first floor of the dungeon. The statues erected by a civilization long gone hinted at this realm having as rich a history as Hoenn itself.

“How many crystals can you even carry?” Asked Andrea, while her futuristic mount took slow steps so as to avoid slipping on the slippery, glass-like surface. “Wouldn’t it be better to use a Passho Berry so they can learn the move permanently?”

Josh Devlin //mission thread

☉