In a split second of vulnerability, Ogerpon was struck from above, rolling backwards like a cabbage with legs. That monkey was quickly becoming a nuisance.

Monkey.

Munkidori.

It was Munkidori that had just struck Ogerpon from above.

“Y-you’re not real…” Andrea eked out, feeling the whole forest closing in on her, trapping her within a dome of trees. That vine Zarude Munkidori was swinging on was not a vine at all; it was a Toxic Chain.

More of those magenta chains wrapped themselves around tree branches, or sprouted from the ground like flowers. Even Desiree’s bright pink hair transformed into a mass of writhing, wiggling Toxic Chains.

Toxic Chains. Toxic Chains everywhere. Andrea could feel their oppressive grasp around her throat, suffocating her, subjugating her, removing her freedom. Was it already time to use the safe word?

A soft voice told her to focus lest her love be taken away from her. That was enough motivation for her to persevere. “I love Jalapeño, and Chomper, and the girlies… and I love Pon! It’s time to Play Rough!” The young cosplayer exclaimed.

“Pon!” At the flamboyant trainer’s order, the green-clad Oni jumped back up, ascending to the treetops on her own vines, before assaulting Zarude Munkidori with a flurry of playful kicks.

DESIREE BLOOMS //augmented traditional 1v1

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Two ferocious dragons clashed. Chomper roared in pain as his opponent’s teeth sunk into his flesh. Living up to his nickname, he retaliated with multiple Crunches from his three ravenous maws.

Meanwhile, the Roaring Moon’s trainer sailed through the air like a ragdoll, inevitably crashing into an airborne Andrea. Both humans would hit the ground, but thankfully, Kouji’s fall would be cushioned by something soft and bouncy.

Boing.

“Get off me please.” The young woman requested with a dead-eyed stare.

Kouji Matsubara

☉

Freak. Freak. Freak.

Sometimes, words could be sharper than dragon’s teeth. The Rocket grunt was right about one thing, though: They were putting themselves at risk with all that collateral damage.

“OK fine, no more meteors! Chomper, Outrage!” The dragon fanatic ordered.

Rather than trying to outpace the Roaring Moon and its rider, the green-scaled Hydreigon barreled straight into them, while coated in an aura of pure draconic spirit.

Kouji Matsubara

☉

Andrea’s amethyst eyes widened. “Look out, they’re gonna burst!” She cried out.

The opponent bursted alright. Enteisaurus got a hefty amount of damage dished right back at him, now looking worse for wear.

“Oh no, this is bad… Juuust kidding~!” The young woman playfully stuck her tongue out, as a bright Morning Sun restored the wounded beast back to full health.

This time, she had come better prepared for a battle of attrition. That sunlight could be used both offensively and defensively.

Gwyar Wledig //traditional 1v1

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Andrea contemplated what was said by Eris, a child wise beyond her years. Could people change? Could the Loyal Three for example have learned the error of their ways, or were the servants of the ‘never-rot’ truly rotten to their core?

“Maybe next time, we could try doing things your way…” The PokéManiac acquiesced, a part of her still wishing to believe in the power of mercy. As the simulation shifted yet again, the group found themselves amidst a familiar festival and in the presence of a familiar face.

Two Ogerpon like two peas in a pod stared each other down. One was fake, the other was real. One wore a mask, the other did not. They engaged in a riveting conversation.

“Pon?”

“Pon!”

“Pon?!”

“Pon!”

The surreal sight elicited a small chuckle from Andrea. “Heh, talk about something that can only happen in the simulation! They look so cute together! W-wait, what are you doing?!”

Real Ogerpon snatched up its simulated counterpart’s Teal Mask. Yoink. It was hers now.

“Poniiii~”

However, upon trying it on, the mask phased right through the Oni’s orange face like a hologram, much to her dismay. It, too, was fake after all. They could not take it back home.

Eris Halla

☉

The man gave chase on his Roaring Moon, yelling at them to turn back. “This side doesn’t belong to you!” Andrea yelled back. “And I’m not a freak! I’m a Hydreigon! RAWR~!”

Empowered by its trainer’s BRAVERY and her resounding Dragon Cheer, the Shiny Hydreigon fired multiple Draco Meteors from its mouths to impede the enemy’s progress.

Just then, an extremely harsh sunlight engulfed the cavern out of the blue, turning the proverbial tables. Kouji’s prehistoric Salamence would also feel empowered by the ancient heat.

Kouji Matsubara

☉

“What do you mean ‘why’?!” The dragon maiden spat, baring her fangs. “They locked us up! They forced us to work! They tortured us! They laughed at us! And for what?!”

Her RAGE flared up like a volcano exploding after millennia of inactivity. Pecharunt and the Loyal Three had gotten their just desserts, yet Cyllora had curiously evaded justice.

Andrea took deep breaths, slowly regaining her composure. “I wanted to kill them because they deserved it…” She finally admitted in a state of eerie calmness.

THEO BECKETT //mission thread

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The young woman puffed out her cheeks at his snarky comment. “I wasn’t scared! I was just startled!” She argued. The whole point was moot anyway, since the guy was also frightened.

That echoing roar denoted a dangerous creature hiding in the depths of the Terastal cavern.

“I know why you want this side. There’s a Pokémon back there, and I can’t let Team Rocket have it!” Andrea declared resolutely, Infinity Energy coursing into her artificial wings, granting her the gift of flight.

“I won’t have to worry about jutty rocks, ‘cause my feet are never touching the ground~” The now airborne girl jested, sticking her tongue out. Trolling the other faction didn’t count as starting conflict, did it?

With that, the seasoned Sygna Suit user Flew past Rocket’s guard dog, venturing deeper into the cave with her loyal Hydreigon in tow.

Kouji Matsubara

☉

The place looked extremely run-down. No amount of electricity could reanimate those dead machines. In some ways, it reminded Andrea of the interiors of the Angelum Lucis and the Quaestor Lucis, hence why she’d made the Megalopolan connection.

“Do you think we could maybe use their technology? Or recreate it? Imagine if we could travel to any universe we wanted, or change our appearance to suit our wishes.” The self-proclaimed scientist mused.

At the mention of their cloned Pokémon, the girl got more wistful. “I hope they’ve been treating our Pokémon well at least…” She could picture Chomper’s twin brother having a blast fighting hostile Ultra Beasts in the alien city. The thought was bittersweet.

Lulu Flint

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“All sides have stuff. The entirety of Area Zero is like a treasure trove of stuff!” The draconic cosplayer pointed out. Unlike the Rocket grunt, she did not withdraw her Pokémon. There were far more dangerous threats lurking about.

Case in point, an echoing sound caused the girl to dart her head towards the source of the cacophony, her sock puppets shaped like Hydreigon’s heads following suit. “D-did you hear that, Chomper?”

The three-headed dragon grunted affirmatively.

Oh right, she was supposed to be talking to the person right in front of her. “Why do you insist on having this side anyway? Is there something special about it?” Asked Andrea, narrowing her eyes at the man.

Kouji Matsubara

☉