Judging by the pause, it seems like Alba is expecting you to ask the questions here. Or, well, your Maushold? You talk to Maushold, then Maushold talks to Dusknoir, then Dusknoir talks to the spirit realm?

This is so unbelievably shoddy. If anyone ever finds out about this, your reputation is going in the toilet. It'll be so over for you.

”Alright, alright, alright… Let's see… Maushold, could you please ask--”

”Cheese?! Where?!”
”Cheese, cheese, cheese!”
”Now now, calm down kids! There’s no cheese.”
”Awwwwwwww…”
"C'moooooon..."
”...Okay, Okay, anything for my darling sons! Excuse me, Mr Dusknoir, but could we please have some cheese?"

…What?

---

Alba Evovae

That worked? Huh.

After a moment, you shrug. Eh, fuck it. No point overthinking things. You've been stuck here for so long that your mind is running on fumes, and you can't waste what little brainpower you have left pondering something that's already passed. At the end of the day, the good dragon won, and the bad dragon lost. What else is there to say? Sygna suits are expensive and weird. No point worrying about it.

"Cool." You quickly reverse course, moving away from the tunnel and towards the newly-formed entrance into the strange basement. Xurkitree, as always, follows closely behind. "Now, let's hurry up before another one--"

HONK HONK.

"--Gets here...?"

Slowly, you turn your head, and sure enough, there's an all-too-familiar clown standing in your blind spot. You don't even have it in you to panic anymore. Instead, you simply breath a heavy sigh.

Today just isn't your day, is it?

---

Andrea Vaneau
23 encounter a blacephalon that has slithered toward you and/or your party stealthily. they will attempt to explode their head for a surprise ambush.

"You can't stop me."

He never could. Nobody ever could. No words could change your mind. No action could sway your heart. Even if Arceus himself descended from the heavens and commanded you to halt, it wouldn't stop you. Not after what they've done to you.

They're here. Both of them. Palkia's chosen and that bitch of a councilwoman, they're within your reach. Revenge is within your reach. And this time? This time, there's no flock of League sheep to interfere in your business. Your burns ache in anticipation. There's nobody here but you and them. Nowhere to run but to death. Nothing left to do but get even.

You couldn't have imagined a better situation. Everything is perfect. There's just one last thing you need to do.

"Get out of here, Howard." You dismiss him without even sparing him a glance. It's not a decision you make lightly. Unfortunately, however, it is the right one. "I can't win this if you're here. You're dead weight. You'll just get in my way... So, go. Now."

---

howard slayte illeana reyes PENELOPE LIVY
vh1DYUuI

”BASCULEGION! BRING NAVY OVER TO ME! WE'RE GETTING THE HELL OUT OF HERE!”

"GYOHO! Not yet, Shredder, not yet! Not until I teach this big ninny who the TRUE king of the sea--"

An Ancient Power smashes into the body of the spectral fish, confirming that yes, Kyogre is, in fact, the king of the sea. As Basculegion falls unconscious, so too does its jaws open, allowing Navidson to fall free. Fortunately, Golurk is just quick enough to grab him before he can fall back into the brine below.

Dumbfuck. What the hell was he thinking, picking an unwinnable fight at a time like this. With a disappointed sigh, you tap his Pokeball once, retrieving him before he's caught in the roil. Then, you breath another sigh, this one of relief. Despite how badly you got thrashed, nobody died today. At least, not yet. Navy's pretty fucked up. You'll need to get him out of here before Kyogre does any more damage.

”Golurk, get us back to Dewford, on the double.”

“AFFIRMATIVE.”.

With that, you begin your hasty retreat.

---

Navy

"Huh?"

You look at stone. You stare. You squint. You try your very best to see something that you can't see, but ultimately, you can't. Honestly, you find it hard to believe that this is Reshiram. You expected it to be special, somehow. But it isn't. Not really. If Howard hadn't told you, you'd never have thought this was the dormant form of a great dragon.

Somehow, you find that comforting. It feels like you're holding your lost arm, like you've found the missing piece of a puzzle. You have the key to wholeness in the palm of your hand. Not your own, but that of another.

And maybe, if you can help him, he'll help you.

"I see..."

You lean forward. That's a mistake. You feel your whole body strain under the simple exertion of sitting up in bed. The web of tubes and cables connected to your body all try and pull you back down. Once the effects of the painkillers fade and the numbness leaves your body, this'll hurt later. And yet, you can't say you care right now.

Your body and your mind might be damaged beyond repair, but your soul is still shining. Even if the rest of you is cinder, there's still fire in your eyes.

"That's all I needed to know. Now, let's go find him."

---

howard slayte

"...You've gotta be fuckin' kidding me."

Today just isn't you day, is it? Between the clown and the aliens, it was already up the creek, and now you're dealing with this? A gigantic monstrous mouth with hunger to match? You watch with a mixture of shock, awe, fear, and extreme irritation as the beast swallows up the Draco Meteors as though they're nothing. That's insane. How are you even supposed to beat this thing?

You can't. At least, not here. There just isn't enough room to battle in this tunnel, and throwing attacks into this thing's mouth is equivelant to throwing them at a brick wall. You need to get out of here.

"Xurkitree!" You send forth an Ultra Beast of your own, the towering mess of wires unfurling in front of you. But again, you're not sending it forth to fight. Not at this very moment, anyway. "Hit that big asshole with a Thunder Wave!"

Xurkitree obliges, sending forth a pulse of electricity that hits the Guzzlord right in the mouth, paralysing it. If you were feeling particularly quipping, you might've came up with a banger about lockjaw, but for better or for worse, you're not thinking about jokes right now. Instead, as soon as the paralysis sets in, you proceed to turn around and begin to run.

"Move! MOVE MOVE MOVE!"

---

Andrea Vaneau
🗺️ utilize a paradox pokemon or ultra beast in an advantageous way.

This place is paradise.

It's an untouched expanse of untamed nature as far as the eye can see. There is no civilisation here, no concrete paving over green fields, no skyscrapers trespassing in blue skies. Had the Great Chasm always existed like this, laying dormant beneath the glacial plain above? Or had it been transformed by the influence of the Tera Crystals below? You can't quite say. Either way, you're grateful.

You can only hope it stays this beautiful for a long, long time. In that sense, your enemy is the same as always.

"So, the League is near, are they?" You murmur, the disdain in your voice evident. Why are you not surprised? No doubt they're already planning to domesticate this place, to fill it with factories and universities and office buildings until not a scrap of grass remains. "If we let them run loose now, they'll cause no end of problems later. Let's hunt them down, beat them bloody, send them packing with a warning for their bosses. And if we can snag their maps in the process? I say that's all the better."

With that, you begin to follow in the direction of the footsteps, signalling for Howard to follow. Sure, you aren't on the exact same wavelength, but des that really matter? In the end, you both came to the same conclusion, and that's all that matters.

---

howard slayte june sleigh annalise henderson
q9|qiKyH

"Fuck me, this cave is a real mess... Alright, everyone, here's the deal: Me and Fox are going to watch the drill. Everyone else? Form pairs, take an entrance each, stand outside, and guard it. Nothing gets in or out until we're done here. Got it?"

"Sir, yes sir!"

And so, as the Rocket Beast and the Admin set about preparing the drilling rig for operation, the grunts went about their orders, grouping into twos and taking up position around the cave's many entrances. It was an easy job. All they had to do was stand around and wait. There was no risk to life or limb involved in loitering. Compared to battling the League or fighting Paradox Pokemon, this was a walk in the park.

But for some of them, easy work was boring work. And there was only one cure for boredom.

",,,Pssst, Ronald. Who do you think would win in a fight between Beast Zeppelin and Admin Slayte?"

---

howard slayte
WQayTSuL

It's a fairly simple mission, all things considered: Attack a League research station, plunder whatever valuable data they've gathered, and then wreck the rest. On a grander scale, one might see this as an devious act of sabotage, the destruction of resources and the denial of information. But for you? This is just another dirty job. A hit and run, a smash and grab, whatever you want to call it, you've done it many, many times before.

Of course, it's not exactly the same as back then.

For one, it's taking place in the Great Chasm. The rocky cliffs and dense jungles are a big change from the cities and towns you're used to, but that's hardly a detriment. If anything, no laws, no witnesses, and no collateral just makes this all the easier for you.

For two, you've got Archaludon now. You spare a glance back to the lumbering beast as it trudges along the rugged path, every step accompanied by a metallic groan and a heavy thud. According to the boys in the armoury department, this thing has insane destructive power. As you watch it plod along, you can't say you're convinced, but that won't stop you from giving it a shot.

And for three, you've got Elisabeth Fiorelli on you side.

You don't have much to say about that. Namely, because you don't want to say anything stupid. You haven't said much to her for the exact same reason. Seriously, the last time you two crossed paths, she tried to kill you with her snail for no reason. So, there's no point risking anything that could get on her bad side, right? Arceus knows what unknowable torment she'd inflict upon you if you did piss her off...

...Still, though...

---

Elisabeth Fiorelli
ZKYjIgk6

EXCURSION SIGN-UP

ADVENTURE IS OUT THERE!

WHICH EXCURSION?: AZ Excursion 2 - Geographical SurveyPARTICIPATING CHARACTERS: Shred howard slayte

EXCURSION SIGN-UP

ADVENTURE IS OUT THERE!

WHICH EXCURSION?: GC Excursion B, Research Station
PARTICIPATING CHARACTERS: Shred Elisabeth Fiorelli

Well, you own an apple now. You're not really sure what you're supposed to say about it, though. What witty thing can you even say about an apple? What, "One a day keeps the doctors away"? No, if you've learned anything from your extended status as an inpatient at the Medical Bay, it takes more than a fruit to keep those fuckers away.

...Anyway, if you've got any sense of time remaining, your time is about up. So, time to head back and--

"APPLIN." BONK.

"GAH!"

Fuckin' seriously? You stare in shock as yet another apple falls right on your head, before tumbling down to the ground. Then, your shock turns to curiosity as it hits the ground and splatters into blue slime, which is currently squirming in content. Huh. Well, might as well, right? You've already caught an apple, why not snag this puddle of goop, too?

You lazily drop a Pokeball into the puddle. Yoink.

---

CATCHING DITTO.
Warden Safari, Spawn 6/6, Safari is OVER NOW
0/4 Safari Balls remain.

Lulu leads, and you follow.

Would it be better if that was the other way round? Probably. You've spent enough time trudging around this swamp and its caves that you know them like the back of your hand. But that's the problem, isn't it? Because despite that, you still haven't found anything new. You've searched Route 119 from marsh to mire, and you've come up empty. So, better to let her take the initiative and see where her instincts take her? Worst case scenario, she doesn't find anything either, and you can commiserate over your mutual failure to find a needle in a haystack. Speaking of which...

"Nothing so far." You admit, sheepishly rubbing the back of your neck as you do. "And believe me, I've been checking. The grunts haven't seen anything out of the ordinary when it comes to aliens, and it doesn't seem like the League knows anything we don't, either. Not that I'm out of ideas, mind, but... Well, I'm working on it."

And unfortunately, that's as far as you've got. You've observed the status quo, and can confirm nothing has changed. You wish you had better news. Hell, you wish you had any news. Maybe she's been more lucky?

"Anything on your end?"

---

Lulu Flint