Eris had the help of a mythical, mystical pixie and two other companions. Tavish had a Toxicroak that swam off ahead and started harassing random wild Pokemon, a makeshift bomb, an ill-fitted diving suit, and a dream. Many would argue the lass was far better equipped and prepared for the task.

Tavish would simply ask who made the first move.

Sure enough, he led Eris and her makeshift team through the waters, a small stream of bubbles left in his wake. The steady push of his fins propelled him forward, through the frigid waters. Pokemon of all breeds and varieties swam or scuttled across the sandy floor, through the dull kelp or vibrant plants at the mercy of the tides.

Much like the above surface, the below held much life itself. Tavish, unfortunately, did not have the time nor oxygen to marvel at Arceus’ marvelous creations. Instead, he kept his eyes forward. If the maps and reports he’d stolen looks at were to be trusted, then the Luvdisc shouldn’t be far from the shore.

And rocks started to creep up into the sand, like a rash, and soon enough engulfed the landscape. He turned around to Eris and pointed forward, toward a particular outcrop. He held out the bomb and motioned it to the thing.

Finally, he pointed to the wild Pokemon that hung around the area, and then made a wave motion. 'Get them gone,' he seemed to say. Bloke was well underway of this task, as he scared off a pair of Krabby.

---

Eris Halla

“Hrm.”

So the little one cared as well. Good. World needed more like this one. Willing to wade through the cold waters to help the wild creatures no matter what. He gave her a slight nod, a sign of respect, and waddled forward in his swim fins.

“It very well could,” he agreed. An explosive could cause all sorts of problems for him, for the Luvdisc, and everything in between. “But they’ll die for sure, if I don’t.”

“One thing ye learn early on, in the explosives field, is to get an understandin’ of the bomb yer working with,” he shifted the tarp-bomb up. “And I feel that this one will break through a few meters of rock.”

He waded a little further, past his knees. The Toxicroak gave a mock-salute to the girl and the Mespirit, and then went past Tavish and fully into the water.

“A second set of hands is never amiss, and time’s wastin’. Come along, if ye want to do some good in the world.”

---

Eris Halla

“Explosives.”

Dangerous kind. Very dangerous kind. “Rangers say there’s a school of Luvdisc trapped underneath some rock, around these parts. And they’ve done nothin’ about it. So, ‘ere I am.”

If they wanted to sit on their arses and twiddle their thumbs while innocent creatures succumbed to all sorts of variables– other Pokemon, food deprivation, poachers– then fine. Tavish would help them, whatever it took. And, hopefully, all it took was a well-placed explosive.

“Now spill: not too many folk out ‘ere at this time o’day,” he readjusted his grip on the tarped bomb, “and even fewer with feet in the water. What’re goals? Frostbite?”

No laughing matter, that. Did the people here have an idea on what to do in the face of a frozen limb? It was a common enough problem in Galar, but this was supposed to be a tropical region.

---

Eris Halla

The Walking Wake I've claimed here in the shop is going to go to one crisp paxton concordas . Meanwhile, mint frost is going to trade tavish rose a much COOLER AND BETTER AND AWESOMER Iron Leaves (Do NOT ask the cannonity of this trade it shrimply doesn't work it is OUT OF CHARACTER PLEASE INEED THIS POKEMON I AM ON MY HANDS AND KNEES)

PURCHASING/REDEEMING

welcome to the poké mart!

1X Walking Wake (0 PD)
 - Excursion 1
 - Excursion 2
 - Excursion 3
 - Excursion 4


1X Type 2 Evolution (Froakie to Frogadier) (50 PD)
1X Type 3 Evolution (Frogadier to Greninja) (50 PD)

TOTAL

do come again!

100 PD

Damn it all to hell. Tavish looked to the Brute Bonnets that grew closer and closer, and back to Mikael and the researcher. They’d gotten out of the tree faster than he predicted, but he also heard an ‘oof’ and saw the other man put the scientist back on his feet from his arms. Probably dropped.

Smart man. The chemist’s respect of him went up ever so slightly. They were out, and he could save a smoke pot for a better time. It just required him to get involved. Directly.

“Ye keep runnin’,” Tavish waved the pair off with one hand and re-hung the small pot with the other, “and ye don’t. Look. Back.”

It wasn’t that he thought he’d be dead by the end of this. Far from it– he just didn’t want them to interfere with his idea. Distract the Brute Bonnets anymore. Cause problems. This whole thing had been a problem, and as per usual, it was up to him to come up with a solution.

As he charged forward, off to the wayside with arms waving furiously back and forth, Obstagoon caught wind of his idea and smirked. Tavish saw it and let slew a dozen Galarian curses. “Now isn’t the time, Obstagoon! Hurry up!”

She relented, if only because it was the truth. By a razor-thin margin, the fungi swerved straight toward the chemist and the Pokémon. They looked absolutely pissed at them, but they stood no real chance of catching them. “Come on, ya sacks of lard! Today, today!”

“Get gone, ya git!” He glared at Mikael. “Cause if I'm 'ere looking stupid for nothing, yer gonna regret ever doin' this, ya hear?”

---

mikael rosenberg
TOTAL: 583
7HPEKSbN

As soon as Mikael stepped forward Obstagoon followed close behind. Tavish stayed right where he’d sat, and watched them carefully with his one good eye. The Pokémon waved him off and kept on forward.

“Obstagoon!” She said as the man began to climb the tree. The person helplessly stuck groaned in relief and ceased to wiggle like a Vibrava in a glue trap.

“Oh thank goodness, thank you, thank you, thank you…” he repeated.

Obstagoon kept her gaze not on the researcher, but the clearing. A few seconds down the path the Kommo-o took. Nothing. Off to the side, where the Brute Bonnet poked around. Nothing. To the other side, where a select few of the fungi ran when the noise initially clanged out. Nothing.

This strict, vigilant watch repeated itself incessantly, like clockwork. The distraction had worked, it seemed. Tavish whistled, “See? Simple. Don’t need t’reinvent the wheel.”

He rose from his spot and approached the tree nonchalantly. As Mikael and the researcher made their way down, he clapped. Slowly, methodically, each one as punctuated as the last. “Congratulations. They’ll put your face in–”

“Obsta, obsta!” She hit Tavish on the shoulder hard and pointed down the path Khakkhara had gone down. Looked like a small group of Brute Bonnet had either gotten bored or distracted, but that lack of emotion soon changed when they saw Mikael, Tavish, and Obstagoon.

“Oh, great,” Tavish groaned. He was going to have to get involved after all. Perfect. The fungi raised their arms in fury and slowly marched towards them, and the chemist looked at the pair around the tree, “Wanna ‘urry up? Rather not waste supplies ‘cause ya want t’take yer time.”

However, he did pull off one of the last few pots off the front of his vest. Rather have and not need, then need and not have. He’d also rather not need and not have, but that all depended on how fast Mikael wanted to go.

---

mikael rosenberg
TOTAL: 461
4y5usogg

“Duh,” Tavish rolled his eye. “If ye’ve been down ‘ere for even five minutes you’d know that.”

That was the main thing about this area: the danger. If not from the League, then from Rocket. If not from then, then the wildlife itself. And if not from THEM, then the land itself. Tera crystals were a blight, even if not medically or chemically deemed so… yet. They hadn’t been proven safe, as far as he knew.

Obstagoon furiously signed back, and he shot right back with his own hands. They waged this non-verbal battle a few meters apart, their hands and paws a blur in the brush. Finally, they both threw up their hands and looked back to the scene. By the gods, she was really deadset on this bloke who dangled in the air like a berry ripe for the picking.

“Fine, ya want me t’be serious? Get Kommo-o out of that damn Poke Ball and tell them to start running,” he pointed to their left, “that way. Just not towards us ‘ere. Make a lot of noise, tear down a tree without any Pokémon around. Whatever needs be done.”

He then pointed to the person in the tree, “Then one climb atop another’s shoulders and cut the bastard’s sleeve in two. Then run like hell. Not the same way Kommo-o goes.”

Very simple. Couldn’t take longer than two minutes. “If any Brute Bonnet don’t get the memo, then another person can play distraction too.”

“But I recommend not fuckin’ it up,” he crossed his arms and sat down on the grass. He gave Obstagoon and Mikael an expectant gaze as if he was watching them from the perspective of a teacher, rather than a comrade. The furry creature stuck out her tongue at Tavish, but looked hesitantly at Mikael.

‘On your mark,’ she seemed to say.

---

mikael rosenberg
TOTAL: 394
wXe|pzAP

Just as the Obstagoon started to back away from the very angry creature, it came to life violently. Viciously. Its roar rivaled the one they heard earlier, and all its lights came on at full power. Tavish grinned, and Bloke did so too (albeit weaker, as that Lucario did indeed pack a punch). Maybe they didn’t even need to feed it.

Such was evidenced when it leaned backward, then forwards. Back and forth, side to side, and rocked the cage itself. The bars started to bend, break, tear, and–

As day turned to night and shadows resisted the sun’s rays, the cage finally tipped over. The entire structure came apart at the seams. Metal snapped like twigs underneath the massive weight, and the creature fumbled around in the darkness.

Tavish cursed and put his hands to his mouth, “DON’T THINK YE CAN HIDE FROM ME FEREVER! YE AND ROCKET WILL FEEL MY WRATH IN TIME, YA HEAR ME!”

Thank goodness for Obstagoon. She had run past the Iron Thorns earlier, and now pulled Tavish out of the way of the still very pissed Iron Thorns. It stomped just where he’d been and left a half-meter indent into the earth.

Right. He cursed and tapped Bloke on the shoulder, “Mission accomplished! To the right!”

The small trio ran away, hearts full of adrenaline and pride. They’d done what they’d set out to do and made a difference. Even if only a minor one, it was progress. Castles were not built in a day, and neither were they felled.

Brick by brick, Rocket would be dismantled.

---

Aurelie Lefevre
TOTAL: 596
  fB04hzuF

“Don’t be. It’s for the best,” Tavish craned his head backward. Even if it was for the best, it didn’t mean he had to be happy with it. A sigh escaped his lips, and he bowed his head. “Arceus, please grant this one safe passage into your domain.”

Obstagoon nodded, but otherwise kept her posture the same. After all, there was still some good to be had here. She jingled the bag still slung behind her, which sounded off rather normally. A big ol’ bag of crystals, all of which sounded intact. Enough to still make a pretty penny off of.

After a few moments of silence, Tavish returned to the land of the living and got off the dusted cavern floor. “Thanks for yer help, stranger. Perhaps, if we meet again… I could return the favor.”

“Safe travels,” he waved Obstagoon forward, and together they returned to their original purpose: to get out of these blasted tunnels. But now they had a few nice mouthfuls of tera-crystal dust in their lungs.

He REALLY hoped this stuff wasn’t just asbestos two. That’d be mighty detrimental to the cause.

---

nikkari hect

The combination of elements rumbled the cavern up above. It started with a sprinkle of dust, which caught all involved parties off guard. Tavish and Obstagoon glanced up at the cracks in the crystals. They flickered in the relative darkness of the cave and started to crumble in their place. Looked like the attack worked.

Maybe a little too well. While the Fluttermane was still almost entirely focused on its prey, said prey had much bigger concerns. The first few rocked tell down and smashed into the ground. One nearly brained Tavish, who held his hands above his head. “Obstagoon, we need to scatter, fast!”

“Obsta!” She said. Fluttermane extended its feelers straight for the Galarian Pokémon, but she dodged to the side just as the first proper chunk of crystal fell. It smacked it straight down, and the Paradoxical Pokémon gasped in both surprise and pain. Another large piece followed, and then another. Soon enough, the Fluttermane was buried.

But they weren’t in the clear yet. The main crystalline structure had broken into two massive pieces. One of them had taken out their problem; the other broke much more audibly. Tavish looked up to see it start to fall straight down.

“Go, go!” He pushed Obstagoon forward, Even with their swift action and even swifter dive out out of the way, the impact of the main structure rattled his teeth thoroughly. The impact was deafening. Dust billowed out from the point of impact and filled his lungs. He coughed violently as he stood up and the debris settled.

“Is- do you see any movement?” He asked Nikkari.

---

nikkari hect

If Aurelie managed to turn around fast enough, she might’ve seen Tavish close the distance fast and furious. Through the headache that was the headbutt, he planted his foot straight into her back. With any luck, she’d go straight through the cage and free the Iron Thorns from its prison.

Bloke, who saw the creature try to come to life and put the numbers together, kept the pressure on Lucario. He hopped to the left but feinted back to center faster than fast, like the boxers on TV. His fist went straight for his foe's chest with a Feint Attack. “C’mon, just feels like bullyin’ if ya don’t talk back!”

Obstagoon saw Iron Thorns continue its best to wake up, but to no avail. They needed to get it healthy, and they needed it to be awake. If it got pissed off, then even better.

“Obsta, Obstagoon!” She dashed to the side of the cage and moved her paws in a rushed manner. Sign language; one he understood well enough.

“Aye, good thinkin’!” He reached into his vest and pulled out an Oran berry, much like his opponent. This could help get that poor Pokémon behind bars in proper shape, and it’d be able to free itself at that point.

But how?

… It’d be risky, but it was one of their only chances to get the thing back in order. “Obstagoon, get the thing right angry! Bloke, to me!”

Together, Tavish and Bloke pushed forward, sides pressed together tight and ready to claw, bite, punch, and stab their way through the opposition. Obstagoon reached through the bars and Fury Swiped the Iron Thorns instead.

And its lights shot on. Dim and still unsteady, but they were certainly on. A faint rumble filled the air, through all the commotion. The beast awakened, even if only barely. If Tavish could get the Oran berry to it, then it’d be more than capable of making its own way out.

---

Aurelie Lefevre
TOTAL: 517
  8JJ9du7b

“...”

Tavish examined the fight scene. He wasn’t going to contribute anything, and neither was Obstagoon. Bloke wouldn’t be much use either, and Sonny wouldn’t be fast enough to fight back. There was indeed a glowing rocky outcrop high above, and the odds of it being just bad enough for the Fluttermane to incapacitate it were… good.

But it hurt his heart. The mere thought of it put a tear in his eye, and he shared a look with Obstagoon. She nodded swiftly and grunted. He followed suit.

The odds of this creature causing more pain and suffering were too high. How many other Pokémon would it hurt if they let it roam free? It’d shown malicious intent not even a minute prior. Unfortunately, he had to take the matter of life or death in a numerical sense. And the numbers agreed with Nikkari.

“... Fine. Follow me, ya relic of the past!” Tavish waved his arms and locked eyes with the Fluttermane. He uselessly swiped at it as he ran towards the invisible X on the floor. Obstagoon followed suit as she once again sent her leg through the body of the creature.

It wasted no time and followed suit. Why wouldn’t it? They ran further into the cave, and that was its home turf. If they wanted to die tired, they were more than welcome to. The Fluttermane giggled insanely as it floated towards its unknown doom.

“Don’t hesitate, ya only got the one shot!”

---

nikkari hect