As the simulation booted up, Andrea found herself in a familiar jungle with Jigglypuff's punkish ancestor screaming its lungs out. This time, rather than attacking the poor thing, the dragon maiden decided to join the noisy Paradox Pokémon in its cacophony session.

"I'm a Hydreigon, hear me ROAAAAAAAR!!!"

The power of her Sygna Suit amplified her voice, making her resounding Dragon Cheer travel across the hot, humid rainforest air.

Laurence Anderson

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"Eating no meat sounds like a punishment." The ravenous PokéManiac mused, fitting an entire poultry finger inside her mouth. The little Fuecoco mimicked its mother's gesture, opening its crocodilian maw far and wide.

Despite their clear differences, Andrea did not try to belittle Josh's religion. She simply acknowledged that it wasn't for her. She was a carnivore through and through, like most dragons.

Having finished her food, the flamboyant cosplayer leaned back against her chair, arms resting over her belly. "What's your family like?" She asked Josh. "I don't think I've ever met them, not even in your birthday party."

Josh Devlin //sygna drip

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"Glad to finally meet you too!" The dragon-hooded girl waved at Noah with a smile. Unsurprisingly, both of his chosen teammates were Fighting types. "We'll do our best! Right, Kokoro and Buzz-Buzz?"

Her Kommo-o nodded emphatically, while her Buzzwole... was distracted by the pretty ladies among the audience, doing a bunch of bodybuilding poses in order to impress them. By flexing, the alien mosquito Bulked Up, its already swollen physique swelling even further.

Meanwhile, Noah's Pokémon went on the offensive. "Kokoro, Protect!" At Andrea's order, the shiny dragoness erected a barrier of light that deflected the pin missiles, while also prepping herself for Hitmonchan's attack.

noah faber //2v2, doubles

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"Snow cat? You mean the one that tried to kill dahlia goode in a video game? Why would you wanna ride that?" The draconic cosplayer asked, slightly alarmed by how relevant some of the darker Rondez-View of Luv scenarios were becoming as of late.

The way Raikou's number one fan spoke so casually about abusing Terastal Energy to fulfill his legendary-related fantasies did not sit right with Andrea any more than his tendency to rank deities based on their speed stat. Where he saw opportunities, she saw the beginning of a dangerous slippery slope.

"No, this is wrong..." The young woman muttered. "Lord Rayquaza is my friend. I'm sure he'll let me fly with him when he's ready. Riding a fake Rayquaza would ruin our special bond. I'd never betray him like that!" She staunchly declared.

Dreams made real through cheating were alluring, but they could also distort one's perception until they lost sight of what was truly real and what wasn't.

Josh Devlin //mission thread

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As soon as they sat down to eat, Andrea and Jalapeño gorged themselves in tandem. It seemed that, when it came to food, the two were one in body and soul. They were also messy eaters, using their bare hands to grab as many tendies as possible like a Guzzlord greedily consuming everything in its path.

The voracious girl interrupted her feast only to stare back at Josh with a questioning look, barbecue sauce dripping from her lower lip like blood. "By the way... What's Ash Wednesday?" She asked, while wiping her mouth clean with a spare Kalosian fry, which she then swallowed.

Josh Devlin //sygna drip

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Even Rayquaza's avatar was impressed by the large specimen before them. Her astonished reaction made the Sygna Suited girl beam with pride. "I know, right? He's like Entei, if Entei was a dinosaur! I'll call him Enteisaurus!" She declared, before pulling out a spare Pokéball.

The ancient beast seemed confused at first, tentatively sniffing the modern apparatus, before pressing its snout against the button, allowing itself to be caught. After the customary three shakes, the ball clicked, denoting a successful capture.

"We should head back out." The young PokéManiac said afterwards, storing the ball somewhere only a lady could. "It would be bad if we got attacked again while our teams are weakened."

It was a miracle the cavern still stood after such a brutal clash. Staring at the still smoking craters and devastation surrounding them made Andrea realize just how lucky they had been.

Eva Morales

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Andrea was relieved that the older woman was not hostile to her for once, even if that smile of hers looked kinda uncanny. Had she gotten a change of heart thanks to her gift, or did the underboss' presence make Lulu more docile?

The Gouging Fire lumbered towards the two Rockets, yet it did not engage. The gargantuan beast stuck by its trainer's side. For now.

"Well, I was in the area, and I saw the DRK Triad." Andrea explained, drawing closer to them as well. "Wanna... take them on together?" She sheepishly suggested, ready to be laughed at for such a preposterous idea.

THEO BECKETT, Lulu Flint

☉

Witnessing the great beast slowly dissipate, Andrea's heart sank as well. "Oh no... Meatloaf, slow down!" Without a second thought, the dragon tamer leaped off her Salamence, and used her Sygna Suit in order to Fly down to where Josh currently was. Winning that race of theirs no longer mattered to her. He would have won anyway had Raikou not slowed down.

"I was afraid this would happen..." The draconic cosplayer solemnly mused after landing near the tragic duo. "Sometimes, Tera Crystals create things that don't actually exist, like visions from our past or Pokémon fusions. They can make our wishes real only to take them away like some kinda sick joke. I didn't wanna say anything, because you looked so happy..."

Perhaps she should have shared her suspicions with him from the start; let him know that this whole thing was too good to be true before the rug was violently swept from under his feet. Now it was too late to soften the blow. All that was left was to grieve.

Josh Devlin //mission thread

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The Gym Leader’s explanation of how expensive most of the equipment in that arcade was elicited a pout from the Fuecoco cosplayer. “Money is stupid!” She proclaimed, despite wearing a piece of clothing that also cost tens of thousands of dollars. Just because she indulged in some necessary capitalism did not mean she condoned it.

Upon arriving at the nearby food court, Andrea got choice paralysis from all the different options. “Oooh, how about we try that Unovan steakhouse? Or maybe that Alto Marean restaurant? Mmmm pasta~!” The young woman said, her mouth watering with every sentence.

Eventually, her eyes were drawn to the large, shining logo of a jolly, middle-aged man with a handlebar mustache. “Oh my Arceus! It’s Bob’s Your Uncle! I’ve always wanted to eat at a Bob’s Your Uncle!”

Ah yes, the Galarian fast food chain renowned for their substitute Combusken meat. It was finger-licking good!

Josh Devlin //sygna drip

☉

Soaring on the back of one of her favorite dragons was a thrill in its own right. Meatloaf had functionally come back from the dead only a month ago, and he was already in tip-top shape. Chomper, Mecha-Chomper and Savage were no slouches either, catching up to the airborne duo on their wings.

The prideful Salamence would not have that. Performing an aerial Dragon Dance, he easily outmaneuvered his draconic brethren, leaving the Master of Faster and the god of thunder as the sole competition. Would they be able to keep up with Meatloaf the Dragon-Slayer, or would they also eat his dust?

Peering downwards, Andrea caught a glimpse of a lightning-shaped blur zipping along the land route, pushing several wild Paradox Pokémon out of the way. “Looks like Raikou got the zoomies~!” The dragon rider remarked with a hearty laugh.

Josh Devlin //mission thread

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