They reemerge after their respective captures, walking side-by-side on the path they'd been following earlier. The hail had placed a rocky sheet of ice over the stones filling the cavern chamber. Cade treads carefully so as not to slip and make a fool out of himself.

Even so, he smiles at her response and nods. "Great. Now we just need to make it out of this place safely. Let's check here." He says, guiding them towards another web of tunnels and chambers.

| | |

This new part of the cave is filled with foaming rivers, stalagmites, and melting icebergs that slowly carve paths throughout. It is slightly darker throughout than the previous chambers they'd been in. Though signs of ancient human life, such as shattered pottery and rotting wood, indicate that they're headed in the right direction.

They are still not exempt from the perils of this exploration, however.

A GLISCOR proves as much when it swoops down from the dark cave ceiling to strike at Lobo with a FEINT ATTACK. The phantom dragon hisses and reels backward, absorbing the pain and turning it into fury as it retaliates. The scuffle in the sky continues until, finally, the large bat is struck down with a fiery blue DRAGON BREATH.

"Tch."

Cade tosses an empty ball at the now unconscious Gliscor. Then gestures for Lobo to descend by him so that he can check his wounds. "Don't be so careless, amigo."

---

✨ catching gliscor

DUO WILD + Cathrine Fisher

☉

Needless to say, Summer's fiery gaze surprises Cade. Hands raised and palms faced forward defensively, he amusedly smiles and nods in understanding, watching as she taps upon the marker for the ASSASSIN class. "I suppose our enemy will be needing a healer far more desperately than we, then..."

He does stop to wonder what kind of experience the woman has with virtual games or combat. Her sudden disposition naturally made him think twice. If she wasn't just some prissy (albeit stunningly fine) investor for Team Rocket then... what was she, really?

She adds to these thoughts with her next statement, and Cade soaks in that dangerous smile with a confident smirk of his own as their bodies begin to dissolve into a cloud of pixels and data.

"Not even if I ask nicely?"

| | |

A horrible hellish churning fills the ancient temple's jungle-infested interior. Pieces of the stone ceiling break apart and rain down from the sky as a result. In a large arena-like chamber dotted with pools of murky water, entangled vines, and fallen statues of robed priests and armored gods, a giant GUZZLORD lifts a fallen tree trunk with one of its clawed mouths and sends it shooting towards the pair.

Boosted by a wolf-like aura that surrounds his body in a earthy hue of beige, Cade darts off to the right as he evades the missile (ACCELEROCK). His blade, too, seems to crystallize and sharpen as a result of this aura. Using the field of fallen logs and fallen statues in front of him as cover, the one-eyed blonde endeavors to close the gap between himself and the raid boss quickly.

Though a barrage of HYPER BEAMs work to try and impede their progress as they provide destruction wholesale.

"You got anything to put a cork in this thing's big mouth?" Cade yells out over the noisy barrage, forced to hide as a beam shatters a statue to mere rubble nearby. "What even is this? A living trash compactor?"

MISSION + Summer Atreides

☉

The headbutt is a surprise. Joaquin's capoeira-style movements are interrupted in a bid to try and avoid it. This pushes the Passimian slightly off-balance, however. And, even then, one of his legs are struck by the blow.

He stumbles off to the side as he regains composure, then performs a swift handstand before attempting to connect a pair of upside-down rapid kicks to the Scrafty's head. Cade watches with a serious gaze.

2K6|SKfE

---

🤼‍♀️ torpor: 151/151

MATCH 2A + ruslan skye

☉

Crazier?

Cade had certainly experienced his fair share of crazier as well. Though he couldn't fathom what kind of crazy the illustrious Summer Atreides could have gotten herself into. Surely she wasn't out there, fighting interdimensional monsters and ancient legends with the rest of them? In his experience, those who had the money to stay out of such dangerous games typically did.

Regardless, the one-eyed blonde's gaze follows her with interest as she steps forward to interact with the floating menu. Her vivid blue hair was enough to seize his attention from the start, but now he's given the chance to gauge her from a different angle. Slim, well defined shoulders. A generous bust that dipped into a slender waist... only to reemerge as a set of hips far too perfect to be real.

The way she sways when she walks is enough to mesmerize him for a moment. At least until the overseer speaks to them again, like the voice of God in the sky.

"The mechanics of this game are simple. You will each be allowed to select one Pokémon who will serve as your SPIRIT-LINK. Your Spirit-Link will grant you powers and abilities that will work in conjunction with your CHARACTER CLASS. You will be allowed to select your character class after selecting your Spirit-Link."

Cade snaps out of it, abashedly clearing his throat and recomposing himself. Then he steps forward to approach his own interface— though not before casting another glance at Summer, wondering if she hadn't been allowed to customize her appearance prior to entering the simulation. She had it in good with Remiel Calcifet , anyway, right?

Perusing the menu with swift taps of his fingers, in the meantime, he is quick to select a MID-DAY FORME LYCANROC, choosing its move-set and ability prior to entering the character class menu. With the dozens of character classes and combinations offered, however, he spends slightly more time here. Eventually he settles on being a SWORDSMAN, having had some experience with the blade in his homeland.

Looking over to peek at Summer's selections, Cade nods. "My set is primarily focused on offense," He informs her, his Spanish accent laced throughout. "A healer or defensive class would compliment that nicely. Though you're free to select otherwise. We can adapt."

The voice in the sky comes to life again as it continues. "As I've certain you've both realized, the simulation will require that you fight on your own, as opposed to using a team of Pokémon to fight for you. Once you've finished selecting and customizing your weapon of choice, please ready up and prepare yourself for the challenge ahead."

The one-eyed blonde taps that 'ready' button instantly when he's done, and the menu disappears after. Out of habit more than anything, he begins to stretch his arms as he waits. Though it does serve to make him notice a prick of physical sensation in the simulation. How curious.

"I'm ready."

MISSION + Summer Atreides

☉

A spinning kick only serves to rile Joaquin up further. He stomps his feet and crouches back. Then, crossing the distance with a leap and a roll, the lemur attempts to counter with whirling helicopter blade kicks of his own.

He's a Hitmontop in a Passimian's body, Cade thinks, with the added benefit of an extra limb hanging off his rear end for counterweight. In the flurry of movement, however, it's difficult to tell who is going to strike first. Though he's confident Joaquin's swift movements were likely to catch the Scrafty off-guard.

p_03pZ2w

---

🤼‍♀️ torpor: 151/151

MATCH 2A + ruslan skye

☉

"Summer Atreides . Cade Atreides . We've called you here today to take part in a beta test for the S.P.E.C.T.R.A. initiative. The specifics of this trial will be withheld until its conclusion. For now, we'll have you both enter the simulation and inhabit your avatars. Are you both ready?"

Hooked up to a set of high-tech googles, and confined in coffin-like pods within a special sub-division of the laboratories, the aforementioned test subjects are expected to respond in some form before their overseer continues. In the case of Cade Atreides , he nods. He'd never met Summer Atreides in person before. But he half expected the supposed rich girl to back out.

"I'll begin the induction process now," The overseer continues. "Please do not panic as the water fills your pods shortly. This is to ensure you've entered sensory deprivation prior to the start of the simulation. Once the home menu appears before you, you'll know the trial has begun."

And, before long, water begins to fill each pod just as the man had said. The two are left in silence for a moment, meditating, as they enter sensory deprivation. Then, through complicated processes yet unknown to them, they sync with the simulation and find themselves in an empty void of cobalt blue. In front of each of them, a white menu hovers in the air. Images of various Pokémon cycle through, above a drop-down bar with move-sets.

More importantly, however, the test subjects find themselves in avatars who look exactly like them. Cade takes a moment to regard this, staring down at his hands for a moment before turning to Summer Atreides . Was that what she really looked like, too? He wondered. He didn't trust technology to get everything right, after all... or be truthful. Even so, he nods his head at her.

"Hey. Pretty crazy, right?"

---

⚠ mission: pkmn hunter

MISSION + Summer Atreides

☉

"You're sure? You sound confident we'll meet again to put that idea to the test," Cade responds, shifting a playful look at Cathrine. "I certainly wouldn't mind that. Maybe at a nice little café in Mossdeep?"

It's then that an AMAURA's SNOW WARNING spawns a hail within the cavern, however, interrupting their conversation briefly as Cade and Lobo head for cover. The Amaura in question rounds a corner before long and, just before it can unleash an AURORA BEAM, the Dragapult strikes it down with a barrage of DRAGON DARTS.

The hail subsides thereafter. Cade tosses an empty ball at the fallen dinosaur, capturing it in a flash of light. He then saunters over to go retrieve it, before returning to Cathrine to resume their conversation. "What do you say?"

---

✨ catching amaura

DUO WILD + Cathrine Fisher

☉

Standing over six feet tall, Cade Atreides saunters onto his end of the tournament mat and crosses his muscular arms as he assesses his opponent with a single blue eye. He wears a black tank top, black belt with golden buckle, and black trousers tucked into a pair of laced boots at the ankles. A PASSIMIAN hangs from his shoulders.

When the blonde utters a short chirp, however, the lemur climbs off and leaps towards the center of the arena. It lands with a poised pirouette, seamlessly shifting into a handstand before landing down on all fours again. Though it clearly didn't have the greatest muscle mass, it most certainly quite athletic and dexterous.

"Start when you're ready," He says to the youth standing across from him (ruslan skye ). "Don't hold back."

MATCH 2A + ruslan skye

☉