the dirt would begin to pile up, much to the chagrin of the young scholar. and soon enough, krookodile's sloppy handiwork would draw the attention of a small floating pile of plasma. without warning, if spouted a discharge at the shady croc, but the big guy was unfazed. silv wasn't sure how to assess the creature or why it was here. perhaps it was looking for a fight, or maybe a playmate. either way, it was clear to see that the maroon-skinned pokémon wanted nothing to do with it.

"let's just move on..." the man called for his partner, in which the krookodile would take as a sign to go practice his digging elswhere.

the infernape ceased its motions at the humans' request.

upsetting a wild pokémon or potentially causing harm to them was certainly not on silverio's bucket list, or taking a risk that may result in getting stung by a swarm of bee-like pokémon for that matter. however, for the sake of those who needed them, the man could not afford to let up - and especially for the sake, and perhaps enjoyment, of his fellow ranger and friend. and yet, he'd ensure to exercise utmost caution with an undoubtedly sensitive creature such as a combee. at the same time, he could only hope that was all the group would have to contend with today. after all, that honey wasn't going to harvest itself if not for the said species.

even in a possibly hazarodous environment, airi was still the same sweet little bee in her own right - relentless in her teasing of the paldean champion. in their times together, he'd come to learn that it was all in good fun, returning fire at her every so often. at least one thing about the world hadn't changed in that sense. the brushing up his shoulder was wholly unexpected however, which prompted goosebumps to sprout on his skin and his cheeks to inexplicably heat up. "yeah, i'd rather get plunked by a marowak's bone if i'm being honest...you be careful too, airi. maybe i'll treat you to some of that honey once we're done here." he retorted, half-jokingly.

small steps forward, looping around patches of green and rows of trees, eyes alternating from straight ahead to down below, ensuring not to disturb any bug pokémon that may be lurking in the near distance. before long..."hey...you see that? over there! i think that might be enough..." a small number of hives hanging from the longer branches of some taller trees as the group delved deeper into the greens. finally taking a moment to turn back to airi, looking to see if she were still with him, he paused his forward movement to wait for her. "you good back there?"

something about this quaint little town had drilled a hard-hitting reminder of home. was it that tall greens that spread along each route that led to it? or was it the air-tight community that inhabited it? no matter what it was, it rejuvenated memories of when silverio was just beginning his quest as a pokémon trainer. arceus have mercy, that felt like damn near a decade ago - and truthfully, it nearly was.

a leisurely stroll, all the while surveying the outer reaches of town. nearby, his witty krookodile could be seen digging through rich soils. what it may be searching for was anyone's guess. in any case, a rare detour from duty. suffice to say it was much needed today...

the damage would be done, and the victim in question would be separated from the unnaturally large monster's...uhh, cheeky grasp. for someone who had excitedly anticipated seeing something far more terrifying than that half-dead-looking lucario they encountered in the previous spot that had jumped into, her mood seemed to have taken a one-hundred-eighty-degree turn despite her reunion with that floaty friend of hers.

"yeah, no problem." a brow raised. to say this experience was rather anti-climactic in comparison to the first would be a painstakingly dull understatement. regardless, any experience gained in some level of magnitude may prove to be valuable enough for the scholar going forward. but...more skulls? "you're really into that undead stuff, aren't you...?" not that he'd have any complaints...

without debate, silv would quickly move to grab whatever could from the available resources, with an extra hand courtesy of golisopod, and made haste for a quick way out.

how long would be long enough?

monsters unfitting for the real world, and yet simultaneously, the two explorers were deemed unsuited for theirs. one may believe that something had got to give in this scenario, but what wouldn't be given was the two humans' lives. thinking better of this escalating situation, silverio and his samurai-themed insectoid would keep up the fight in tandem with the others. an opening was presented in the form of the trap setup by their partners, and with it, one more metal claw would strike true.

just as quickly as the intermixture had taken form, the tera crystals that had manifested it had dispersed, an indication perhaps that the two trainers were safe. for now; it wouldn't be long before the very fabric of this alternate reality would inevitably haunt them until they could find a means to escape. "now's our chance! let's move!"

and move, he would - hopefully with partners in tow.

"ultra beasts, huh...?"

suppose that she'd be right; in this voidal space, silverio and yuina were nothing more than two moths drawn to the hottest flames, and if they were to get too close to the source, they could be burned via catastrophic proportions. at the same time, the wildfire would look to spread faster than a virus and eliminate everything and everyone in sight. with that in mind, perhaps it'd right to take whatever they could and be on their merry way before succumbing to the flames.

"i've read about them, i've heard stories about them, but i'd never seen one live in living color..." until now. with little time to assess the situation, regardless of whether these images would eventually materialize or not, silv noted to take yuina's words to heart as he looked back towards the a portion of the resources that they had sought out. "agreed. i'd rather not have us be here any longer than we need to be." the golisopod would take that notion as a cue to commence self-defensive manuevers, looking to shoo away the floating beasts.

and if that wasn't enough...

"what...what is that!?" another strange entity rose up from the masses. a monster unlike any other - a triangular-shaped head much like a dragapult with cannons on the head to boot, and a massive steel-like body akin to a copperajah. without warning, it fired dragon darts at the group. golisopod swiftly responded with a series of metal claw strikes to swat some of the dragon-shaped missles away, then scuttled forward to deliver its razor shell.

suppose that the role of 'meat shield' may be appropriate for golisopod after all. or at least, it was until silverio could manage to train the pest well enough for tasks carried out above the surface. as if looking at the thing straight up wasn't already terrifying enough, one would dare to seek out something even more spontaneously horrific - even when it may not appear or feel real. but a valuable lesson was learned from his first experience in a power spot...

don't take anything at face value.

and speaking of faces, something even larger than the golisopod just practically inhaled the floating ghost! the sheer size of the...greedent? well, seeing that was enough to prompt goosebumps to materialize on the man's skin. "ain't no way..." robin's comparison of the creature could be said to be painfully accurate. suppose that a pokémon that size may compete with the said beast in terms of size and...apparately an appetite!

quickly, silv motioned for golisopod to rush in for an attempt at a save, or else that poor flutter mane would suffer an undesirable fate. a flurry of strikes to the gargantuan animal's belly delivered with a swift combination metal claw and razor shell, which would hopefully force the menacing giant to regurgitate the ghost.

but would this image be solid enough for...?

perhaps it was a natural reaction from the girl at the sight of a monstrous-looking pest. thank the pokégods that he had managed to catch that one, thanks in part to there having been a great deal of them swarming the shores in lilycove one day. silverio just so happened to be out on an expedition at that time. how fortunate for him, indeed. "oh, him? this is golisopod; just caught him a couple days ago." he answered robin. "figured i'd put him to work right away, and what better 'first time' out on the field than this, yeah?"

sure, great plan. nonchalantly setting aside the indirect shot fired at the oversized insectoid.

this journey would begin and evidently proceed in a similar than the first occurrence. one left turn later, and curious minds would come alive. the notion of 'real' hallucinations grabbed his attention all too quickly. "moreso than that half-skeleton we saw last time...?" the thought of that would render him scratching his head, with the golisopod eyeing his new trainer intently and perhaps with questions lingering in his own head. "well, if things go south, this big guy can be your meat shield."

naturally, most people - or most things - may be frightened by the sight of a bug that size.

not to be carried out alone..."understood..."

judging from the one previous experience he had in venturing into an allegedly bottomless abyss, he could vaguely envision as to why traversing these matters singlehandedly would be ill-advised. to see that there'd a world unlike those told in fairy tales would be hiding underneath hoenn's surface like this? if silverio hadn't made the choice to study abroad, he may have otherwise thought of endeavors such as this to be utterly impossible. unimaginable, even. if he were to write about any of this to his family way back in montenevera, they may not believe it to be so either. with that in mind, silverio would opt to keep this all under wraps - suppose that'd be for the best.

daring to be first to embrace what lied beyond, silverio commenced rummaging about at a calming pace, taking the words from the woman into account. with his strangely-colored, bipedal insectoid companion standing firmly beside him. before long, the world around him began to beat with a rhythm akin to his own heart. he paused his gathering, turning his attention upward to get a glimpse of..."no way...!?" astronomical, yet unfathomable. floating images of what appeared to be a swarm of jellyfish emerged from behind the pair.

it would seem that the impact of airborne hallucinogens was far greater than what he had endured previously. whatever those things were, they absolutely appeared real to silverio. "it looks like...we may have overstayed our welcome already...!" or have they? truly...whatever the case, only option would be presented to silv and his golisopod - and hopefully to yuina and her partners as well...

survive.

"nice to see you again, robin, thanks for the invite." he could vividly recall the first instance where he had come to visit this wildly distinct attraction. it was at one of these spots where imagery unlike any he had ever encountered before had revealed itself to him. but was it truly real? regardless of what he'd thought of the matter, it had undoubtedly felt real to silverio. and it was there that he had joined that eager girl he met by a mere happenstance.

"as ready as i'll ever be."

the creature he had chosen to accompany him today? a hard-scaled, oddly colored, bipedal insect which assumed a stance comparable to a samurai - only recently acquired. what better way to have a bonding moment with its new trainer, yeah? robin's apparent excitement prompted a small smile on his pristine features. perhaps some spunk ought to ligthen the mood, especially now as they'd enter into the widely unknown. "i believe it. better keep our wits about us though.

to think that he'd be stepping foot into a seemingly boundless void with anticipation for the unknown overflowing from his pores, and yet, his mind flooded with inexplicable worries. for one, reminders of his first experience on an expedition similar to this impending escapade streamed through his subconscious. despite the challenge, as well as the debilitating instabilities that came after, silverio had been plagued with more curiousity than ever before. suppose that it was a time to consider writing home about, but perhaps it'd be safer to say that some of the world's secrets were better off staying behind thick-layered veils.

he couldn't help but wonder how that peculiar girl had been doing since then...

a realm imbued with violet, a plane unlike any he'd seen in either fiction or reality. alas, perhaps another form of reality itself may be at work here? suffice to presume that silverio would be left with more questions than answers. however, finding those answers were part of why he had come to hoenn in the first place; never-ending was the work of a scholar. "thanks for coming." he addressed his assigned partner for this operation, the familiar young woman from the museum.

if there was one thing he had learned from his brief moments of having delved into that power spot with robin coello for the first time, it was to always expect the unexpected. who knows what ill form of imagery would emerge in these depths...radiation brewing rapidly...proceed with haste, but also with utmost caution...

small steps forward with eyes widened. "there seems to be alot of ground to cover; we can alternate on the harvesting. i'll go first." overexposure would prove to be a great risk, one that perhaps nobody could afford to take.