Once again, it's time to reinforce your numbers. The neverending crusade of Shred Zeppelin is in need of warriors for the cause, and apparently, this Safari Zone is a great place to pick up new recruits. You've heard plenty about this place, and you're plenty excited to take it for all its worth. It'll be perfect! A Tyranitar here, a Metagross there, wrap it up with a Baxcalibur, and you'll be rip-raring ready to go onward with your adventures.

Onward to what, exactly? Eeeeh, you're not sure. Maybe another gym badge? You hear one of the gym leaders is a literal child. If you get yourself a Garchomp or two, you could totally beat a child in a fight. You probably wouldn't even break a sweat!

But, before any of that, it's time to get yourself some fresh and hungry beasts.

---

4/4 Safari Balls

"Oh no, I'm not falling for this."

You're busy peering through your binoculars at distant battles, but you don't need to look at Alba to tell what's he's thinking. You can already tell from the tone in his voice that no matter what you say or do, he's made up his mind. Even if Declan Walsh himself was here, that wouldn't stop the man from opening the bag. Hell, you're not even sure that Arceus himself could prevent him from pulling the zips and undoing the clasps.

"Look bud, normally? I'd be more than happy to indulge this curiosity, but I've kind of got a thing going on right now." You fruitlessly attempt to protest. "My schedule is completely packed. If I don't get this job done in fifteen minutes time, it screws up everything else, and that's bad for... reasons. A lot of reasons."

Reasons you can't tell him, lest he screw it up, but that doesn't matter. He doesn't need to know about "Operation Yoink", so you're not going to tell him. You just need him to not throw any wrenches in the works.

"Didn't they ever tell you about... Fuck, what was it? It was like, about curiosity? And there was a Skitty, and something happens to the Skitty, and... Look, it doesn't matter, alright? Just don't worry about it."

---

Alba Evovae

Of course, it was expected that the Corviknight wouldn't go down so easily. It's a species known for their durability, notorious for being fearless couriers and stalwart taxis, only hunted by the most powerful and unhinged predators. That was to say nothing of one that had Mega Evolved, pushing it to a level beyond, making it a true apex of the skies. It would not be easy to defeat, but it would still be defeated. Now that the opening salvo had been fired, it was time to go into second gear.

Talonflame swept in to intercept Beedrill, but the hornet wasn't going to go down so easily. With a chitter of its mandibles, it dodged straight downward, narrowly avoiding the Flame Charge. Even then, the sheer heat of the attack was enough to singe its wings, but that only seemed to infuriate the bug.

"BUZZ! BUZZZZ!! BUZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!"

The wasp tightened its body, taking the moment of safety it had earned to amp itself up with a Focus Energy. Paired with its vicious aura, it practically radiated lethal intent. If this bird wanted to fight, then it was going to get one.

But of course, that was only one half of the confrontation. The other was taking place in the sky above and on the ground below. Having landed one successful shot, and empowered by the hit of its Torch Song, it was ready to take a second shot. This time, however, it did not aim a Fire attack, but a Ghost one - Rearing back, the crocodile allowed gloom to coalesce in its jaw, before snapping them shut, firing off a Shadow Ball aiming to hit the Corviknight's wings and send it careening back down to earth.

---

lam logan

"QUAG! QUAG! QUAGQUAGQUAGQUAG-- Quag?"

As the frozen rock shattered, the curious creature fell down, bumping his empty head upon the ground as he pondered why he was no longer trapped. After taking a moment, Quagsire got up to its feet and cluelessly looked about, before laying eyes upon his saviour - Isaac Merlo and his Arctozolt. Fortunately, his focus was more on the former than the latter, for if the axlotol had realised the threat posed by the prehistoric amalgamation and its Freeze-Drying, then it almost certainly would've caused problems for everyone involved.

"Quag! Quagsire!" The amphibian greeted its saviour with a few celebratory hop and a moist hug of the leg, which would've been inconvenient, had the man not already been submerged by the waves several times. After what could only be described as "too long", he would finally let go, and consider the man's request. "Quag... Quagquagquagquagquag..."

One could practically see the little guy's brain working overtime, like an old computer trying to load up the latest triple-A video game. Slowly, but surely, he began combing through his memory, scrolling through the Excel '98 database of his brain as he tried to match his query for "other humans", before his eyes lit up.

"Sire! Quagsire!"

With a grin on his face, Quagsire would plop his way over to the cliff-face, pointing his stubby arms down towards a half-submerged cave. A cave? No, though it seemed like it at first, it couldn't be called a cave. It was a gigantic tunnel, rough and messy, bored into the earth by a rigid body and rough claws. It could only have been made by a Pokemon, and a big one, too.

Was this where the missing people went?

---

Isaac Merlo

PURCHASING/REDEEMING

welcome to the poké mart!

1X Premium Safari Ticket, October Cycle (50 PD)

TOTAL

do come again!

50 PD

Good, good. That's two out of three of you across, with... minimal casualties. A real shame about Scizor, but he's still alive, so you can't complain. Besides, you're still the one on the wrong side of this deathtrap. Lucky for you, just like Howard oh-so-wittily pointed out, you're real good at running. You'll be out of harm's way in no time.

Like the countdown for a race, the electricity turns on, and the countdown begins in your head. One, two, three, four, five. Then, like the shot of a starting pistol, the electricity turns off once more, and you begin to run. Before you know it, you're a little over halfway to the door, and your time is a little under halfway up. It seems as though you're going to make it! Not that there was ever much doubt. After all, if Howard could make it and you couldn't, then that would be the most embarrassing thing that could ever--

--You trip.

Well, this is mortifying, isn't it? Not only are you going to get electrocuted for a second time in however many weeks, but it's going to happen because of your own clumsiness. You shut your eyes and breathe a sigh of despair. Was being punished for your stupidity not enough? Did Arceus have to punish you for every single flaw you possessed, however minor? Were you going to start getting hit by lightning bolts when you hit on women? Was the next powder your snorted going to be made of a crushed-up Thunder Stone? Were you going to wake up one day to find an Eelektross had burrowed into your brain stem, so that it might punish you for even thinking impure thoughts? Why? Why did bad things have to happen to bad people?!

...Actually, it's been more than five seconds, and you haven't been shocked silly yet. In fact, it doesn't even feel like you've hit the ground, which is weird, because it feels like your heels are over your head right now. Curious, you open your eyes, and...

Uh oh.

"HELP! HOWARD! GREGORY! HELP ME! HURRY! IT'S THE WIRE MAN! HE'S COME FOR US!"

---

howard slayte Grigori Sokolov

Multiple bad decisions happen in a very short span, and surprisingly, none of them are your fault.

Why did Howard break the speed limit trying to beat a yellow light? You don't know. Why did he continue to floor it even after the light turned red? You don't know. Why, why, why did he do all of that in front of a fucking cop? You really, really, REALLY don't know. Would you have done the same? Maybe, but that isn't relevant right now. What's important is that the trunk is full of dirty money, and if it gets confiscated, you can't make rent this month.

"You GOON!" You slap Howard over the back of the head, the scowl on your face so fierce you could be mistaken for a Maschiff. "You just did all that illegal shit in front of a pig! What's wrong with you? Why would you do that?? Are you stupid???"

Yes, yes he is. Howard Slayte might just be the stupidest man alive, but right now, you've got to run damage control. Time to buckle down and shove as much of this mess under the rug as possible. If you play your cards right, you might get out of this horrible incident with nothing more than a ticket, a slap on the wrist, and a stern talking-to.

"Pull over, Howard, and keep your mouth shut." You shake your head and sigh, glancing over to Howard, then in the outside mirror at the approaching police officer, and then at the inside mirror at Grigori... Grigori! Shit, he's fucking CAKED in blood. One look at him, and all three of you are going straight to jail. There's no time to clean it up, no way to hide it, so there's only one choice... Your scowl deepens as you make the snap decision, pulling off your jacket and tossing it back to the man. "Gregory, take off your clothes, now!"

Shit, shit, don't freak out, don't freak out, just say calm, you've got this, you're strong, you're cool, you're sexy, you're beloved, you're the best, you're going to get out of this shit, you're going to win, YOU CAN DO THIS, YOU! CAN! DO! THIS!

...Arceus wept, you're so unfathomably fucked.

---

howard slayte Grigori Sokolov kyle lopez

PROLOGUE

---

You don't like to dream.

Saying that means very little. You don't like pickles on your burger. You don't like tying your shoelaces. You don't like police officers. But you can peel the pickles off, buy slip-on shoes, and walk the opposite direction of every cop car you see. That's the difference here: You don't like dreaming, but you can't stop yourself from sleeping. Eventually, no matter how hard you try to stave it off, you'll sink into sleep and tumble into the same tired old dreams you've been having for years.

It's uncomfortable. You already live in your own head, and it feels like going another layer deeper. Like wandering an arctic tundra for miles and miles, only or the ice to crack beneath your feet and plunge you into the frigid waters.

Except this feels different. You don't know how, you don't know why, but you can tell. This is not a normal dream. It's something great and terrible and beautiful and vile and joyous and miserable and more. You're falling into something beyond your comprehension, and in all likelihood, it's going to ruin you something fierce.

And so, you tumble and plunge and fall, until you hit the ground.

You haven't managed to find an exit, but Grigori managed to find a way further in. Not a good way, mind, but it's certainly a way. If you can get deeper in, then you'll have more of the facility to explore, and that means you'll be more likely to find a way down towards the bottom of the chasm. Like a staircase, or a ladder, or an elevator, or--

BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT!

--Okay, maybe not an elevator. As you look at the hazardous pathway in front of you, you're starting to doubt that you want to place your faith in any electronics. The alternating currents are turning this hallway into a deathtrap. All it takes is one wrong step and you're going to reliving a painful memory of your first trip to the Ultra Plant. That's the bad news, but the good news is, it's not a very long hallway. The electricity comes in bursts, lasting about three seconds, before turning off for five seconds. That means that if you start running the instant the electricity stops, you have about five seconds to sprint across, open the door, and get through it. That is, assuming what's on the other side of the hallway isn't also electrocuted.

...Man, this maths shit is easy. People get degrees in this? You've got it all figured out, and you decided to be a Pokemon trainer instead of going to high school! College really is a scam. Now, all you have to do is actually do all that stuff you said.

"Alright, Howard or Gregory: Which one of you wants to go across first?"

---

howard slayte Grigori Sokolov
31 - involve a segment where some or all of the party must swiftly or dexterously bypass an obstacle (animate or inanimate) that is electrified or unelectrified depending on the timing.

Dinosaur and flower wrestle for control as they tumble down, through the shattered deck and down to the waters below. It's a vicious struggle, a desperate dance of writhing free from suction cups and dodging snapping jaws, each one battling to gain the upper hand. For a moment, the two seem to be evenly matched, but that's about to change. After all, to battle upon solid ground is one thing, but the instability of the stormy seas is another matter entirely.

When they hit the water, Cradily is the one on top, but the split-second shock of impact is all Arctozolt needs to pry itself free from its grasp. From there, it's only a short paddle to return back to the surface of the rising tide. The risk posed by the opposing Pokemon may be the primary threat, but the risk of drowning cannot be discounted, either. The water level is already high, and it's only going to get higher with every second that passes.

Which means the assault can't let up.

Bobbing down, Arctozolt leaps out of the water, and during its single precious second of airtime, it calls upon the same power that Cradily did mere moments earlier. Rocks manifest out from its icy body, called forth by Ancient Power, and with a strained roar, it launches them down into the water.

The beast seems intent on making this place a watery grave.

---

Hyakkaryōran Tsubaki

"GYAH!"

As the Kommo-o comes crashing down, you throw yourself out of the way just in the nick of time, tumbling on the floor milliseconds before the dragon hits the floor. Cursing under your breath, you quickly scramble up to your feet, and look to Marza with disdain. Cheeky fucker! Couldn't spare a few seconds to explain what you'd be doing, huh? It seems like this was going to be a dirty fight, but that suited you just fine. After all, you work better without rules and laws weighing you down.

Let's see... Kommo-o, that's what? A Fighting Dragon? Ghost for the Fighting, Fairy for the Dragon, that's a job for a Mimikyu... which you don't have. In terms of Pokemon you actually own, the closest you've got is...

"Doublade, get out here!"

"Oho!" The spectre of swords emerges from its Pokeball with a red flash, performing an exaggerated flourish as the eyes upon its crossguards twist to face its foe. "And so, our hero faces down the fearsome dragon, with naught but his blades and his wits, hoping to earn the--"
”Doublade! Blade blade, blade blade blade blade--”

”Just shut up and hit it!!”

"Very well!" The swords decree, swooping forth with a pair of parallel swings. Though it may seem like a slash, in reality it’s closer to an Iron Head, and it’s ready to hit the Kommo-o straight on the head. "Prepare to taste steel, you glorified drake!"

---

Marza Volchitsa

As far as operations go, it can't get much more solid than this. A Mega-Evolved Corviknight, reinforced with a Talonflame up on high. Compared to the chaos and disorganisation elsewhere on the battlefield, this is a well-oiled machine. It would be hard to even stall it, let alone to throw a wrench in the works.

But that won't stop some from trying.

The vicious eyes of a Beedrill are what spot them. Even from down on the ground, they have the concentration of a sniper, able to spot targets from the farthest vantage. With an irritated buzz, it rouses its ally to battle, before it takes off to go greet its foe. Shortly thereafter, Skeledirge ambles out from behind a rocky outcrop, blinking the sleep of an overlong nap out of his eyes. After that, its only a few more steps before its in position, overlooking the ensuing dogfight from below. The artillery is ready and waiting, prepared to support its allies and shoot any and all opposition out of the air.

"Buzz!!! BUZZ!!!"
"Skeledirge!"

And before he knows it, Logan finds himself caught between a rock and a hard place - Or, more accurately, his Corviknight is caught between a barrage of Pin Missiles and the screeching swoop of a Torch Song.

---

lam logan

When he finally arrived at the outcrop, Isaac would certainly find someone in need of a rescue, though it wasn't any of the missing people he was supposed to be looking for.

"QUAG! QUAAAAAAAAG!"

It was a situation that raised more questions than answers. What was a Quagsire doing in a place like this? How did it manage to get its head stuck in a gap in the rocks? Why did it put its head in there in the first place? What was it even looking for? Who did it belong to? Did it even belong to anyone at all? All the while, the creature just kept fruitlessly wriggling about, trying to escape its predicament, and failing to gain even a centimetre of freedom.

Of course, the liberator was under no obligation to rescue this idiot Pokemon. Even if the tide were to rise, it was still an amphibian, so it wouldn't have to worry about drowning. Eventually, it would manage to get itself free one way or another, though how long "eventually" would take was another matter entire. Plus, he had far more important business than helping every single stupid animal he came across. There were real people stuck here that needed saving just as much as he did.

But was he truly so heartless as to leave a helpless little Quagsire all alone in his hour of need?

---

Isaac Merlo
50MP for participation, 10MP for posting.