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the what...!?[break][break]

if the stories he's heard of past trauma-inducing events are indeed true, then perhaps an oversized pokémon seeking to smush him where he stands may proven to be the least of his concerns. in hindsight, suppose it's been made clear that silverio has experienced matters far worse than anything he's endured in his younger days as an up-and-coming trainer. alas, with experience comes wisdom...or something along those lines? regardless, there's a task to be completed here, and he'd prefer to be done with it sooner rather than later.[break][break]

upon the arrival of some help, courtesy of other pokémon, the nidoking strives in the otherwise hostile environment, eliminating troublesome debris in the process of unveiling some unique findings. but that isn't what prompts the paldean's attention. a cry warrants his eyes to turn to one of the other pokémon...ouch! he wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of that crunch. and yet, a more ominous threat presents itself in the form of...a ball!? at the realization of what it precisely is...[break][break]

"oh sh-!"[break][break]

the nidoking ceases his motions at the sight of his trainer's distraugt visage, and rushes over to swing his steel-like tail to drive silverio away from an impending explosion. it would willing take a hit for the team, bracing himself to endure the brunt to the impact, if needed.[break][break]

so much having thick skin, yeah...?

DESIREE BLOOMS Elise Calcifet freya morningstar

NOTES

✦ cosmologic quarry[break]
✦ prompt: fire/grass/water move, 80 total power (we go boom!!!)[break]
✦ ---

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it appears that the storm wastes no time in brewing, which prompts silverio to raise the goggles to firmly settle on his eyes to shield them from the blinding sands. but again, the sands are not the worst of the many viable hazards that may present themselves in a realm that can be assumed as real. alas, as a young trainer who has traversed through many contrasting climates during his upbringing, silverio has grown accustomed to several scenarios where mother nature may have one of her foul moods. in retrospect, concerns for his comrades begin to bloom in his mind.[break][break]

when asked about past experiences in the desert, he awaits a turn to answer. as it sounds, the others seem to be lacking in that sense. recalling the moments where he'd come close to being trampled over by massive creatures and the discoveries made by he and his running mate at the time, he reaches for his waistband to secure a pokéball as his offhand moves to brush some specs of sand out of his hair. he then explains to the rest of the group..."i had come here once before; i was assigned to aid an adventurer in their expeditions..."[break][break]

because, of course, the league wouldn't want anyone going through any of this alone...[break][break]

"we should all keep our heads and our guards up; there may be wild pokémon lurking beneath the sands -- some appearing larger than usual. in fact, last time i was here, my partner at the time and i came face-to-face with an orthworm that was about as long as a gyarados." a brief pause to wipe away dust from his goggles. "another thing: if any of you happen to see a cactus offering you a drink, don't take it -- it's likely not real...mirages..." for the moment, he omits the part in his previous trip here about the monolith leading to an underground chamber...[break][break]

alas, he's not here to explore. not this time, anyway.[break][break]

he finally releases the ball, and out comes a creature donning an unusually radiant steel-blue hide, one that had learned necessary skills and had evolved far sooner than he would've expected, borderline paradoxically. nidoking stands at the ready, unfazed by the unforgiving sands. "my friend here can help with any heavy lifting." the monstrous pokémon begins swinging his cast-iron tail across the terrain, like an archeologist brushing dirt off from a fossil.

DESIREE BLOOMS Elise Calcifet freya morningstar

NOTES

✦ cosmologic quarry[break]
✦ prompt: lower the defense stat by at least -4[break]
✦ nidoking uses iron tail (-1 def)

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¡ay dios mío...increíble! i'm supposed to be helping pokémon, not hurting them...especially not like this...!![break][break]

if there's a recipe that can be said to call for an impending disaster, it's this one, undoubtedly. and with seemingly no precautionary measures taken in preparing what could be imagined as the worst meal of one poor unfortunate soul's young life, silverio is rendered speechless as all he can do is watch with a visage that practically bleeds 'objection!' as the butcher goes to town on the slowpoke's tail. but the paldean's attention is battered as the apparently heartless meat producer shouts out to him and his partner. he meets her gaze with a discerning expression, one that blatantly spells discomfort, and she can probably sense it as well.[break][break]

he dares to peek into the pot, and as anyone else in this scenario may suspect, he immediately regrets doing so; the sight of severed tails floating about near the boiling water's surface is enough to instill synchronous pain in every fiber of his being. it took all the willpower in the world for him not to hurl at that moment. alas, some form of contribution has to be made here. he gathers a handful of spices, and in a daring to attempt to look as far away from the pot as humanly, he sprinkles some into the pot as his partner stirs it.[break][break]

if she were to see him at that moment, she could see him quietly mouthing..."you poor critters...i'm so sorry..."

Eva Morales

NOTES

✦ cook/chop the tails[break]
✦ obtained 1 curio[break]
✦ total # of curios obtained: 1

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he can vividly recall the first time he had stepped foot in this daunting domain, he and keiko mori had come dangerously close to being eaten alive by a gargantuan orthworm. needless to say, that was an experience that he wishes he'll never have to redo. in retrospect, however, history does seem to have a strange way of repeating itself. and it is through this apparent repetition that he finds himself returning to these daring dunes. like the first time though, he's not alone, thankfully.[break][break]

silverio is commissioned to accompany a familiar lot on what is sure to be a impactful yet strenous expedition. he offers a brief once-over to the motley crew: desiree, a gym leader whom he met while on a self-remedying tour through slateport -- may he gain an opportunity to challenger her someday. elise, his captain -- he's worked with her directly on a vast number of occasions, with each being equally as enjoyable as the last. and then there's freya, a figure seemingly held in high regard within the league, and while he hasn't had much of a chance to get better acquainted with her, the paldean can imagine being in good enough hands with her.[break][break]

taking a set of desert goggles and firmly strapping them around his neck for the moment, his attention draws towards the atmosphere to gauge the team's surroundings, then back to the group. "right, and if by chance we get some... a brief pause, silent reminiscence. "...uninvited guests coming over, i've got your backs. i'm inclined to say that a sandstorm may be the least of our worries."

DESIREE BLOOMS Elise Calcifet freya morningstar

NOTES

✦ cosmologic quarry[break]
✦ prompt: involve the weather condition "sandstorm"[break]
✦ ---