[attr="class","icon"]

"easy to say that when you're stuffing yourself with a burger." noah says, scarfing his own sandwich down. "we'll both regret this in a few hours though."[break][break]

he pats his tummy. the post-bergmite burger gut is nothing to be trifled with. he takes a sip of his soda, the carbonation like static against his palate.[break][break]

"i'm lucky i met you, you know." noah's tongue still tingles. "don't leave again. not without saying anything like you did with ultra space, okay? you promise?"

[attr="class","icon"]

"i'm just yanking your chain, man. you can come for free. you think i'm some cheapsk— cian?" [break][break]

noah hears the silencing of cian's footfalls. behind him, the scene is arrested. adrenaline forms the driving, beckoning vignette of the wet hunting grounds ahead.[break][break]

noah grabs both of cian's arms. squeezes them tight to center the blond's focus on him.[break][break]

"hey, hey," noah's gaze flickers about cian's face, "what's wrong? you okay?"[break][break]

concern overtakes him like a developing storm. noah can not hear his hitmontop's warning cry.[break][break]

a long-necked DRAGON TAIL sweeps both noah—and cian should he be unlucky, away.

[attr="class","bottom"]CIAN MAHER[break]
iY1Lm|if[break]
[break]
excursion c - monster hunter

[attr="class","icon"]

from kid cuisine to raw chestos. what a downgrade. what a downer—and seeing aaron's pikachu's hunger convert into gravitational force is more than enough to spark noah into action.[break][break]

like a cannon ball, the gym leader is thrown into the fray by his machamp. a dropkick collides with one rocket grunt, while his gray-slabbed juggernaut pummels another.[break][break]

noah bounces on his heels. springs to a smile that he flashes at aaron.[break][break]

"you looked used to being tied up, man." [break][break]

his smile fades as a PIN MISSILE soars above noah's head. quickly, he skids toward aaron and his pikachu. his machamp uproots the tree, swinging the trunk to act as a barricade.[break][break]

dirt-caked rocks, pikachu paws and aaron-shoes dangle like nose hairs. more needles knock against the backside of the trunk with aaron still tied on the other side.[break][break]

"alright aaron. what's the plan!"

[attr="class","bottom"]aaron faust[break]
Gbb3KnYc[break]
[break]
excursion e - rescue

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noah blocks the kick. barely. the sheer strength matias possesses erupts against his shorter stature.[break][break]

"what the fuck are you saying, dude?!"[break][break]

he's further thrown by the dramatic shift in matias' demeanor. the heavy aggression noah has never been privy too; he remembers the scale in the border and how it plunged matias to the bottom of its pit.[break][break]

he wonders if the scale wasn't broken after all.[break][break]

noah's GRAPPLOCT is shot down. shards of ice clatter against the ring as the octopus attempts to gather its bearings.[break][break]

meanwhile, noah pounces on matias. glare-first. his legs attempt to trap matias' arms beneath them for a schoolboy pin. heavy breath leaves his lips, their heated cascade like rolling smoke.[break][break]

"if you've got beef with me is this really the time and place, matias?"

[attr="class","bottom"]MATIAS SILPH[break]
tl;dr - grapploct struck down + noah tries to pin matias[break][break]

[attr="class","icon"]

dark echoes waltz across the terastal cavern walls. shadowy footsteps. unintelligible whispers. even when operating on their lonesomee, there is little noise made.[break][break]

some distance away, noah grabs at the back of kyle's shirt. his face darkens with worry, fear casting shadows below a shaking jaw.[break][break]

"if i'm caught in a bad way," noah says, "don't let them use me to get to you. don't fall for it, okay?"

[attr="class","bottom"]kyle lopez[break]
PDFTduHS[break]
[break]
az excursion d - dark

[attr="class","icon"]

noah pinches one of cian's arms. he pulses the pressure of his fingertips as he measures with both feel and eye. [break][break]

"sure. come to my gym. i'll even give you a discount." noah lets go and launches into a brisk jog. "half-off for the vct champ!"[break][break]

his hitmontop flips and lands on its head. as it scouts forward, it carves calligraphy into the dirt. several boulders cut into thin rocky streams: possible cover should they require it.

[attr="class","bottom"]CIAN MAHER[break]
BlAqZeoj[break]
[break]
excursion c - monster hunter

[attr="class","icon"]

on the stony promontory, noah lies flat on his stomach. the rock's cold penetrates through his shirt. waterfall vapours render the cliffside damp and chilled—but despite the beauteous panorama, little distracts noah from observing the rocket outpost below.[break][break]

he elbows lam logan beside him. [break][break]

"you see that, man?" noah says. "i see at least five hostiles and their pokemon. nothing we can't handle though, right?"[break][break]

the fighting-type gym leader grins before chanting:[break][break]

"tag team. tag team. tag team."

[attr="class","bottom"]lam logan[break]
Fc4qShNp[break]
[break]
excursion b - research station

[attr="class","icon"]

"oh yeah?"[break][break]

noah rubs his fingers together. excess salt scatters across the paper tray liner for good luck.[break][break]

"like a second honeymoon? extended vacay?" noah says—though the sediment of wartime reality textures the fantasy coarse. "or bro, like a maternity leave if we get a kid, mr. faber?"[break][break]

his sneaker claps back. [break][break]

"can you imagine that, man?" he laughs.

[attr="class","icon"]

upward, the grapploct soars. seran-wrapped in a crackling psychic energy, the tentacled fighter loses control of each limb. the purple silhouette reverberates with mind-searing current, plunging through shafts of stage lights before shattering against the fencing.[break][break]

noah's broad back slams against the canvas. his voice threatens to leap out of his throat, but it too, is caged. caged by gritted teeth, a frustrated scowl.[break][break]

"the hell you mean, man?" noah forces his knee toward matias' gut, thick arms snaking around the other's shoulders to find his neck.[break][break]

the GRAPPLOCT'S tentacles curl around a metal-link. an anchored turret, the octopus fires pulse after pulse of OCTAZOOKAS.[break][break]

noah seethes. "what's your deal?"

[attr="class","bottom"]MATIAS SILPH[break]
tl;dr - grapploct hit by psychic + uses octazooka / noah grappled down - tries to use knee to separate or choke[break][break]

[attr="class","icon"]

noah stares at cian, eyes boltund-wide. he keeps his nostrils lifted up and away from the dung pile.[break][break]

"uhhhh," the gym leader says, "wasn't me."[break][break]

inevitably, the smell travels upward. noah's nose wrinkles like a withering daisy.[break][break]

"it's real fresh though. can't be too far." noah shakes his head. "sorry about your shoes."[break][break]

his hitmontop emits a sharp cry. its serious face concentrates, eyes attempting to discern shape and movement in midst waterfall spray.

[attr="class","bottom"]CIAN MAHER[break]
DjOuED28[break]
[break]
excursion c - monster hunter