Once Elise worked on the Espathra, he seemed pretty giddy at the fact that she also chose to name her Polteageist Chamomile. The grin that stretched wide on his face seemed evident that he liked the nickname. Fortunate the creature made quick work of the Espathra so they wouldn't be hypnotized by the creature's eyes.

"Thanks for the clearing!" he commented.

Much like their trip into the ultra plant, Sven pulled some communicators out of his bag and offered one to Elise, and another to Shalin. He showed them how to work them with a quick touch to the earpiece he secured into his left ear. A small mic protruded off of the earpiece so the two of them could stay in communication if they were possibly separated.

"The screen there will help sense any dangerous presences! I've been working on it for quite some time, actually. When we were in the Ultra Plant with Mauville's gym leader, it picked up a power spot! I'm curious if we'll find some here anywhere..."

With that thought in mind, Sven began to walk forward. And as if on cue, the ground beneath him gave out, much like quicksand. Though unlike regular quicksand, it swallowed him up rather quickly. If the duo above him listened, they'd hear a thud just a few seconds later, as if there was another level beneath them. This one seemed more sandy compared to the first floor he'd found himself on.

"--ey guys! I'm still alive but--!"

It seemed the communications wanted to stagnate a little. Thankfully he realized this as he heard static on the other line. For a moment, he tinkered with his own communicator before he found it came back on.

"--it's really weird down here! Almost like this entire place might be made out of sand! I'll try to find a way out. Meanwhile, you guys try to access more of those chests if you can find any!"

As he wandered closer, Sven caught sight of a treasure chest in his own path. Excitement bubbled to the surface as he made his way towards it and pried the thing open. Though rather than any glistening prize, out came an Orthworm that seemed to be on the attack. The blonde stumbled back and quickly drew out his Fuecoco. The fire croc was quick to fire off a flamethrower at the worm. It seemed to do the damage quite well as the Orthworm quickly shriveled up and soon dissipated into sand.

"Careful guys! Seems some of these treasures are traps!"

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Elise Calcifet Shalin Nariya

Sven followed Shalin's commands to the letter and readied himself to take on some of the larger beasts. Despite the fact he'd boarded his Rampardos to make his way through the labyrinth, he chose to hop off of it so the creature could enter into battle. It let out a loud roar and stomped forward towards one of the several Buzzwole and attacked with a Zen Headbutt. Despite the fact Buzzwole was most certainly a bug, it seemed the attack did some form of damage given its dual typing of fighting. Sven's eyes widened in surprise as he noticed the Buzzwole stumble back.

"Hey buddy, are you picking up something we're not?" he asked his Rampardos curiously.

The creature let out a roar before it moved in to attack with an ancient power. It seemed almost like the Rampardos was rushing to down the creature, as though it were on some sort of time limit. Sven seemed concerned for his pokemon, as though it was out of its temperament to be in such a frenzy. Sven rushed over to it, and the moment that he did, it seemed the world gave in on itself. While he attempted to reach for something to catch, he felt his body give way to the situation that made it feel as though the world turned in on itself.

With the method of quick thinking, Sven withdrew his Rampardos and then quickly drew out his Slowking to ready for impact.

"Spock! Use surf!"

And just like that, water began to flood the bottom of the realm. Sven was quick to fall in first, followed closely by his Slowking. They both hit the water below, and he wouldn't be surprised if his two other companions came with. It took a moment, but the water began to slip through the cracks and crevices of the temple and soon dissippated. It wasn't long until he noticed the way the swarm of Buzzwole began to drive down on the trio.

"Let's ready ourselves here, guys! They're diving quick!"

prompts completed
- 41 suddenly experience the entire realm being flipped as if an hourglass has been turned upside down. if your party survives the violent upheaval, encounter new areas of the ultra desert.

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Shalin Nariya Elise Calcifet

Keeping his stride smooth, Sven took his time so the Slowking could keep up. Its legs were much shorter than his own, so of course he wanted to be considerate of his new teammate. The two came to a halt as ears pricked at the sound of snapping twigs. Before he knew it, a Morpeko had lunged out at his Slowking. Quick on the draw, Sven withdrew the creature. Morpeko could be dangerous against it, and he wasn't keen on letting the creature get too scuffed up on its first outing.

"Go, Zircon!"

The Rampardos of his team released from its pokeball to take on the mouse. The dinosaur-like creature roared out before it stomped forward to inflict a headbutt against the Morpeko. Given the drastic size difference, it wasn't a surprise that the mouse went flying back. It caught itself on its feet and slid back a few feet before it charged forward. In the midst of its attack, Sven flung a safari ball forward in hopes of catching the creature off guard.

catching morpeko!

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@safarizone

Once the Slowking resurfaced, it seemed to have brought a friend along. Thankfully Spock had been careful with the retrieval and didn't cause the pin needled creature to attack. Sven eyed the Mareanie from a distance, bent at the knees so he could get a proper eye level with it. Water types were indeed fascinating, but he felt they'd disturbed the creature enough. With a shake of his head, Sven communicated with his Slowking to go ahead and put the pokemon back, as not to further disturb it. Spock returned the creature and soon pulled itself out of the water.

With a shake, the creature flung the water off of itself and caused Sven to hold his hands up in defense from the oncoming droplets. He laughed as he felt some still make contact, then turned his attention towards the deeper parts of the Safari. Surely there was something that would catch their attention. This time, he'd hoped his Slowking wouldn't disturb the poor creature that waited.

"Let's get moving, Spock!"

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@safarizone

A grin plasters itself upon his face the moment that Athena cuts in front of him to try her hand at the games offered. Her costume looked spectacular, and while he could see how it was going towards a more phoenix-based appearance, Sven couldn't help but see valkyrie in its design. Once the slots stop spinning, Sven reached over and gave the brunette a fist bump to congratulate her for the win. It seemed everyone won something in this little game of chance, but given the shouts of excitement that came from some folks, it seemed the prizes differed. Maybe with a guaranteed prize, that's what drew folks in.

"I get that though! I decided to check it out outta sheer curiosity, and it ain't bad! Not really my sort of scene but it's good to expand one's horizons I guess. But how about those drinks, huh?"

Sven himself didn't plan to drink anything on the alcoholic side, and he didn't know his new acquaintance's preference, so he figured the both of them could go together. Completely mindless to personal boundaries, the blonde threw an arm around Athena's shoulders and gave a firm pat to the center of her back. The contact didn't last for long as his arm fell back down to his side.

"I like your spirit though! You're loud and unapologetic -- more people ought to be like that," he insisted. "Name's Sven, pleased to meet you."

It seemed the bar was crowding rather quick, so he figured it'd be ideal for the two to meander closer to it. Sven took the lead as he jerked his head in the bar's direction as if letting Athena know she was free to follow along. He didn't mind a plus one, especially with a seemingly vibrant new face.

"So what's your drink preference? I'm just gonna get a coke for now."

outfit reference

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athena oswald

To say that he wasn't thrilled to see what sort of mystery lay within this area was an understatement. Sven tightened his visor a bit that sat around his head to shield him from the sun. Thankfully he had foresight to bring some water along with so the trio wouldn't die of dehydration. Desert had been in the name, and naturally he took it upon himself to come prepared. The realm seemed distorted however. No matter what direction they moved in, the sun always stood at its highest peak. How curious.

"Do you think this world may distort inward upon itself? Or will we sink to the bottom like sand in an hourglass?"

This wasn't some sort of poetic speech: it was genuine curiosity that he posed out in the open. While rhetoric, if Shalin or Elise had an answer to either of them, he'd be happy to listen. If they were going to combat the dangers of the desert, it would be wise to set up somwhere they could withstand the sandstorm. Sven contemplated the best place to build it, and it wasn't long until he saw an oasis along the horizon. He whipped around to the two that accompanied him and spoke his thought.

"I'm thinking if we head east once we're done here, it looks like there's an oasis. It'd be ideal to build a camp there so we have a place we can go to rest if need be. I think we're gonna be here for a while, so it never hurts to have a base to go back to."

Before they could move further, Sven was quick to notice the flock of Espathra that lingered just ahead. They were likely wild, but it was also possible that they served a force that saw over the temple. Likely a diversion of sorts. He'd heard stories of how their gaze was considered hypnotic. They certainly didn't want to become entranced. For now, he handed out the water he brought for everyone.

"Elise, you seem fond of ghost types. Do you want to help clear out some of those Espathra? They could pose danger if we aren't careful."

It was merely a suggestion on his end, and perhaps he was being paranoid, but he knew the desert was an unforgiving place. The desert reminded him of Orre, and he knew how relentless that place had been.

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Elise Calcifet Shalin Nariya

If there was one thing he took pride in, it was the fact he knew how to grill a decent burger. Garlic really helped bring out a particular flavor, at least in his opinion. With the cooking complete, Sven decided it best to let the grill cool down before he went anywhere near it to clean. The tongs were hung on a bar set beneath the grill, and he soon took his place in a nearby chair so he could have his own food.

"Don't be afraid to let your pokemon out! I think I made enough, and if not, I don't mind making more!"

Sven cracked open a can of soda and took a long swig of it. Nostrils flared as he tried not to let a belch escape from his throat, but the rumble that accompanied still came through. The blonde mumbled a quiet 'excuse me' before he bit into a hot dog. There was a slight crispiness to the frank and he couldn't help but give an appreciative 'mmm!' with the way the juices and condiments coalesced into an overall savory flavor.

"So Memphis, got any summer plans? I've been trying to work on some music to release, but my time's been pretty occupied by trying to get other work in. More importantly though: any fun discoveries?"

He couldn't help the way he leaned in as curiosity overcame him. As he remained distracted, his Fuecoco waddled up and bolstered itself onto the chair so it could steal the other half of Sven's hot dog. For a moment, he looked down and flashed the croc a look of betrayal before he nudged the creature off. The betrayal didn't linger for long because he adored the creature too much, and besides, he still had a burger to chow down on.

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memphis evren

Despite the lecture on Zangoose, Sven seemed pretty interested in the fact. He never realized that the pokemon had managed to adapt against Seviper, but it made sense. Sven paced a circle around Freddy and looked him up and down. Impressive! The scientist beamed as he made a mental note to possibly look into more pokemon that had adapted due to their surroundings. As if on cue, his own Ditto, Silly Putty, oozed out of its pokeball and began to slink its way up Sven's back so it could make itself at home on the top of his head.

"No, no, that's actually a pretty cool note. Thanks, Memphis! It's nice to see pokemon that can adapt to their habitats. Silly Putty here is the biggest case in that statement."

He gestured to the Ditto atop his head that morphed once into the Zangoose. Sven struggled to keep balance until the Ditto transformed back into its normal state. It seemed to just want to be included in the shenanigans with no desire quite yet to battle. Though as for pokemon that were ready to battle, his Rampardos let out a loud roar before it charged forward. Sven quickly scrambled after the rock type as if attempting to catch up and warn it that it needed to wait until his fellow competitor was ready.

"Foul! Freddy isn't ready!"

The Rampardos soon came to a halt but Sven wasn't quick enough to stop. Instead, he collided with the creature and took a moment before he picked himself up off the ground. The Rampardos gave a grumble that seemed apologetic, which earned a laugh from the blonde as he gave it a firm pat on the head to show that all was forgiven. Instead, he encouraged Zircon to run off and search for something to test its strength against. It wasn't long until he approached Memphis, mindful to keep a slight distance as not to make the stranger uncomfortable. After all, Sven knew he had a habit of pushing past other people's comfort zones.

"So you know about how Zangoose were able to adapt against natural predators, huh? Are you a scientist too? I've been dipping my toes in to do some research of my own actually! So I'm happy to hear any notes you might have for a beginner."

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memphis evren

With quick footwork, Sven took to practice Step Step Revolution. The soles of his shoes slid against the pad beneath his feet to hit the corresponding arrows. A few jumps, stomps, and even a backflip he failed to land. As the blonde crumpled to the ground behind the dancepad, he felt his ego break more than any physical pain he could have felt. Miss, miss, miss... His combo was broken! He attempted to scramble and slap the arrows with his palm and to no avail. The crowd in the game booed as it automatically failed him. With a desperate sulk at the screen that counted down from ten to suggest he try again, Sven eventually picked himself up and dusted himself off.

As he wandered the arcade, he noticed a familiar purple haired potentate and quickly jogged over to her. He sipped his slushie as he stood behind her and watched her press at the varied buttons on the arcade's deck. Eyes moved to the corner of the screen where he saw some sort of chest and the blonde couldn't help but point it out to Elise with a press to the screen with his free index finger.

"Yo did you check that yet? It might be important."

He didn't want to spook the ambassador too much, but he figured that he should make his presence known before it became too creepy. Sven wanted to approach the topic calmly, but it was better to ask outright. No sense to beat around the bush if it could be helped. His expression went from pleasant to one of curiosity. Given the latest issue with the appearance of creatures who could only be considered ruinous, he couldn't help but ask how Elise felt given the situation with her home. Though his voice sounded grim, his eyes sparkled with a sense of sympathy. He couldn't imagine the frustration the Galarian ambassador felt.

"So how have you been doing? Given, well... Everything..."

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Elise Calcifet

With a new rotation came a new opportunity to find something worthwhile. In an attempt to get the creature some experience in battle, Sven opted to bring his Slowking out so it could stretch its legs a bit. The Slowking seemed to enjoy the area that the Safari Zone had to offer, even staring off into space at the water as though it longed to take a dip. Sven reached over and patted the psychic type on the crown before offering it some reassurance.

"If you want, go ahead and splash around a bit! Maybe you'll find something in there to keep you entertained."

The Slowking stared up at him with a sense of excitement beyond its gaze. It gave an excited wail before it dove into the waters to search for something to bring back to Sven himself.

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@safarizone

He was on the last lap and it was finally time to make his dear friend say her prayers to whatever deity dared to listen. The tip of his tongue peeked just beyond the corner of his lips as he practically hyperfocused on the screen. Victory was so close! Third place, then second, first was just one turn away -- !

Then he felt the tingling sensation as slender fingers dug into his side and squirmed their way around.

Tears pricked at the corner of his eyes as he let out a loud, cacophonus laugh and tried to squirm away from Saskia's reach. The controller slipped from his hands as he pressed himself into the corner of his couch and tried to push the ranger away with his foot. It wasn't quite a kicking motion but the kneejerk reaction of being tickled forced his foot a bit too forward in an aim towards her midsection.

"SASKI--HAHAHAH, STOOOOOP," he plead between his fit of laughter and snorts.

Then he heard the game announce a winner and once he was able to see through his tears, he saw that his position in first place had been usurped by the ranger. He gasped in between an attempt to catch his breath and offered Saskia a look of utter betrayal

"Oh, you Judas," he feigned offense. But it didn't take long until he broke out into a wide grin. "That was a dirty trick, seems you improved since the last time we played."

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saskia volosenkova