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Tera crystals grew rampant among the grasses of the grove, shedding light onto their surroundings like tinted crystablooms. The Herba Mystica plants in particular caught Xiura’s eye, and she knelt beside Neffatari Nzingha, entranced by their colorful, attractive variants. “These herbs… I wonder,” she murmured.
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But more important matters demanded her attention, namely, the well-being of her companions. The Glimmora’s foul toxins didn’t leave everyone unscathed. Looking up at Gardevoir, Xiura asked, “Gardevoir, would you please cast Life Dew on everyone?” Gardevoir hummed in acquiescence, wandering around the clusters of people inspecting the bowl, the herbs, and everything else, healing those she found hurt.
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Meanwhile, Xiura concentrated on the Herba Mystica plants, inspecting them closely. She wondered if she could propagate them in her garden, and if perhaps they might have health properties if steeped in water as herbal teas. Perhaps her boba cafe could benefit from this discovery. She quickly and efficiently clipped a few sprigs of each type of herb, tucking them away in her pack in a handkerchief.
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"Well, let's see. If your Pokemon faint, you could all just have a nap together here on the beach." Xiura spread her arms, gesturing at the wide, sweeping dunes of white sand, as pale as a field of crystablooms. It all looked very soft. She shifted her weight, the sand sinking under her boot. Well, admittedly, the sand was very soft.
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A nap sounded very tempting, now that she thought about it. Weariness sagged at her shoulders and her eyelids.
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"Ah, Hatterene!" she exclaimed as Toxtricity attacked. Her Pokemon staggered back beneath the acute force of the Toxtricity's Poison Jab. Hatterene was woozily swaying back and forth, looking much weaker. If she and Xiura weren't careful, they'd be on the beach dozing away instead! "Hatterene, use Psychic!" Hatterene groaned, straining to follow Xiura's command.
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As for Sableye: "Take care of that Psyduck! Watch out for that headbutt!" Her Sableye cackled, aiming a Zen Headbutt at the Psyduck as well, meeting its psychic energy-fueled force with its own chaotic darkness.
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But Xiura had no time to chastise the Sableye for taking this battle so apparently lightly, because Hatterene swayed farther, farther to one side and finally lost her balance, toppling over into the sand, unconscious.
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"Hatterene!" she shouted in dismay, as Sableye shrieked with wild mischief. Xiura recalled her fallen Pokemon to her Pokeball, quickly turning to see what the League-aligned stranger would do next.

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Xiura urged her Poliwrath and the Mudbrays on, unofficial cheerleader for their efforts in pushing the caravan out of the ravine. The rocks were slippery and the moss even more so, so it was a great deal of effort that they were putting forward to achieve their ends.
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"Good job, Xiura!" Xiura looked up to see a relieving sight, that of her friend Aurelie Lefevre arriving safe and unharmed. She exhaled in relief, waving at Aurelie.
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Decidueye whistled another warning--except it wasn't Decidueye, Xiura realized with dread.
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It was a Fletchinder. Xiura met Aurelie's gaze and knew they were thinking the same thing.
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At Aurelie's urging, Xiura rallied Bufo and the Mudbrays to keep pushing while Aurelie took care of the fiery avian. Farther, and farther, until their little caravan came to the very edge of the ravine.
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"Come on, you've got this!" she urged the Pokemon on. They strained, like they were trying to summon reserves of infinity energy within themselves. With a final heave and shove, they were able to tip each wagon's weight onto the flat, grassy surface of the other end.
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With a small cheer, still mindful that they were trying to be stealthy, Xiura celebrated the small victory of their group, patting Bufo who waved his muscular arms proudly.
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She let out a small exhalation of surprise as she felt Aurelie's tight embrace, and she muffled a laugh behind her hand, hugging Aurelie back.
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"It's true," she agreed, cheeks flushed with pleasure as she took in Aurelie's expression. "We make the perfect team." She looked into Aurelie's eyes, her own countenance an expression of curiosity and open observation.
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She reached out and took Aurelie's hand in her own, squeezing it gently. "I think we should keep moving while we have time," she said in a hushed tone, for more reason than to keep their party safe from discovery. She felt hesitant to break the gravity of this moment, though she wasn't sure what it meant just yet.
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She smiled. "Let's get everyone to safety." Still grasping Aurelie's hand, the group disappeared back into the forest, searching for the route to the cave.

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Incineroar drove his fist through the screen of a nearby television in the entertainment aisle of the local electronic shop. "Incineroar! No!" Xiura chided as a cluster of Rotom fizzled mischievously, electric fields blossoming around them like the petals of crystablooms. They darted into a host of nearby Dyson vacuums.
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"Roar!" Incineroar protested, distracted as a hand vacuum loomed over his fuzzy head.
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"Oh, look out!" Xiura said, pointing at the Rotom-possessed vacuum as it started violently suctioning one of Incineroar's ears.
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"Incineroar!" the fighter Pokemon bellowed in indignation, punching the vacuum in its... face?
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"I've got it!" Xiura said, scurrying nearer to the fallen appliance. The trainer threw a Pokeball at the disoriented Rotom, hoping for the best.
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NOTES

- Swarm: Rotom Swarm[break]
- Bewitching Brews: Crystablooms/Infinity Energy

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Consciousness comes to Xiura slowly, on stealthy, creeping Skitty feet. The breeze is cool and mild, and she is lying down on grass as soft as bedding. Many birds chirp far up and away in the canopy, calling for their mates.
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Her eyelids feel glued closed for the time being. She spends the next moments wondering when she will rouse. Strangely, panic does not settle in. She knows innately that she is safe. She only has to wait.
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So Xiura waits patiently, patiently, until she is woken up by a wet lick to her face, of all things.
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She opens her eyes, not a single trace of post-nap grogginess slowing her mind or body. She sits up and embraces jack wainwright’s Boltund, who pants happily, perching his feet lightly on her thigh. Somehow he isn’t heavy, not at all.
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"Tired already?" Jack asks, eyes filled with quiet amusement. 
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Xiura shakes her head in protest, quickly getting up and dusting off her pants, preparing to resume their hike. Watts wags his tail excitedly, more than ready for the next leg of their journey. A winding trail guides their path through a forest, orange-yellow sunlight dappling the ground through the thick, autumn-colored canopy.
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It’s taking a long time, but the destination will be worth it. They talk about everything. Xiura wants to know Jack's favorite color, his shirt size. She always forgets. She doesn't mean to. She wants to remember. He is patient and reminds her. She pulls out a notepad to write it down, so she'll remember.
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“Jack,” she says, after some time. Worry touches her mind.
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The air is thinner here. How did they get so high up? She stumbles and trips. But strong arms catch her easily as she falls, and they float slowly to the bottom of the mountain. She hadn’t even realized they had come so far together.
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"Jack?" she asks, looking up at him. She lies there with her head resting in his lap, looking up into his warm brown eyes, trying to memorize every line and detail of his face. "I need to remember," she says. How can she ever be adequate if she can't do this one small thing?
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"You'll remember. I'll remind you every time." Xiura leans into Jack’s chest and closes her eyes, trusting his words, every vestige of fear banished from her mind.

NOTES

- Mission: Dream Drop Distance[break]
- Theme: Trust[break]
- Word Count: 390. Points: 200 + 200 + 200 = 600.

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The small submersible craft crested above the waves, its dull, matte gray surface blending in with the dark blue water. White sea foam clustered on the surface like small, peeking heads of crystablooms. The tall, craggy rocks lining the shore of the island were unfortunately too widespread beneath the surface for the submarine to navigate through. Therefore, it was time for Xiura to disembark and advance on her own.
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"Thank you," she said politely to the Rocket member who had opened the submarine hatch for her. Intel had communicated to them that there was a League supply tent near this location, and Xiura's team's task was to retrieve what she could for Rocket use, and destroy the rest.
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The Rocket grunt saluted and said, "Good luck, agent." She smiled and saluted back.
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She summoned her Milotic, the Pokemon's slippery coils writhing in the seawater. Xiura was wearing a wetsuit, all the better to move through the water and reduce drag. This would require stealth to avoid any possible intervention by the League.

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Xiura looked up quickly as her Hisuian Decidueye gave a warning cry. He had spotted a wild Ivysaur rooting around the base of one of the berry plants, its waxy petals reflecting the ambient light like a crystabloom.
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Nocking three arrows to its wing, Decidueye aimed at the Ivysaur and let the arrows loose. The Ivysaur groaned in pain, slumping to the ground. Xiura nodded at Decidueye, who saluted obediently and watched the Ivysaur for any trace of retaliation. In the meantime, Xiura threw an empty Pokeball at the weakened intruder.

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"Seviper," Xiura's Pokemon hissed, wriggling through the sand of the shore.
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"Yes, I know, we need to find a berry tree or something. Unless you want this rage candy bar," she offered, pulling out a plastic-wrapped bar from her pocket. It was squished and a little less appetizing than a few days ago, but sustenance nonetheless.
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"Seviper, seviper," the serpentine Pokemon muttered, flicking its tail dismissively. The sun was an orange half-circle against the horizon, the shifting, rolling waves of the sea striking endlessly against the shore. The tide was rising higher, the water seeking to kiss the roots of the palm trees bordering the forested center of the island.
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"Well, we need to keep our energy up. Rations and all that," Xiura sighed, peeling back the wrapper and eating a third of it. She fed the rest to Seviper, then leaned against a tall palm tree, looking up at the leaves for coconut fruit. The treeline provided little cover, but Xiura was optimistic that this brief interlude of rest would not be interrupted.

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Xiura started in surprise as jack wainwright of all people started racing towards Aurelie and herself. Thankfully she was in enough shock that she did not have the opportunity to speak his name aloud to confirm it was truly him.
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She glanced between the Gardevoir and Jack, making a quick decision as to which was the bigger threat right now. A group of confused, if powerful, wild Pokemon, or a righteous-minded Ranger barreling straight towards them?
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"String Shot!" she said, pitching her voice lower than normal, pointing at Jack. Her Beedrill released strings of sticky honey, catching Jack in its hold rather than the Gardevoir before them. The Ralts seemed like they were trying to get away while the Gardevoir moved to protect them, but the Fairy Lock kept them all in the general vicinity. The Gardevoir in the meantime started to glow with Psychic energy, luminescent like a garden of crystablooms.

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Xiura’s muscles felt so very sore, a fact she acknowledged silently in the corner of her mind. But for now she had to concentrate on the fight. “I hope this won’t impede your weekend plans,” she called out. “Though if your plans were to rest, like me, I think I can can help out.” She smiled beneath her mask. Although she was tired, the unfamiliar thrill of a dual Pokemon battle was re-energizing her enough for a bit more time.
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Her Hatterene was unfortunately covered in a mess of toxic goo, and the Pokemon shuddered in distress, trying to shake it off. The Gunk Shot was far too sticky, however. “Psycho Cut,” Xiura requested, and the subsequent slash of purple psychic force flew towards the Toxtricity.
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Now that she looked at Hatterene, she didn’t look so good. Ah, she had been poisoned. Xiura winced underneath the cover of her mask, the sudden chill of concern running up her back. That wasn’t good. She’d need her Sableye Jin to step it up. The Sableye staggered back from the Pokemon’s watery attack, but maintained his ground.
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“Now, Jin, use Foul Play!” she pointed at the Psyduck.

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A glacial white tree stretched its limbs towards the sky, graceful and majestic at once as the simulation shifted.
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Xiura frowned at Nomi’s explanation, thinking deeply on the choice she had to make. Although there was no denying she felt a sense of curiosity as to what the opposite would do, there was only one choice to Xiura. “Although we don’t know what will happen if we destroy the tree… Knowing that it brings these Pokemon back to life, there is no other choice for me.” She smiled at Nomi, slightly apologetic at denying her friend new knowledge.
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She called forward her Poliwrath and said, “Please water the tree, Bufo.”
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Bufo the Poliwrath leaned forward and poured water onto the roots of the pure white tree.

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