[attr="class","text"]

in the past, it'd been said that silverio and his poképals have had a knack for attracting all sorts of people and other creatures. it appears that the same holds true here, for another unexpected guest joins the party. this time, the form of a muddy fish on land, perched near the wolf's backside.[break][break]

another endearment sight to the ranger. "looks like you've made some new friends." silverio alludes, jokingly. the mudkip holds a firm grip on the lycanroc's craggy fur despite its valiant attempts to shake it off. it seems that the hunter has become the hunted today, much to the amusement of his trainer.

safari!

NOTES

✦ catching mudkip![break]
✦ ---[break]
✦ ---

[attr="class","text"]

thanks to the combined efforts of their pokémon, despite the slowking's last attack having no effect on the moving coffin at all, the team has miraculously managed to survive another skirmish. but how much more of this nonsense would they be able to endure? a loaded question, for there was still much more to see and do in this realm. despite keiko's eagerness to acquire some snapshots to remember this trip by, the cofagrigus was one thing that the ranger himself will want to forget.[break][break]

seeing the two humans fleeing the scene, the greninja followed suit of them, hopefully with slowking in tow. but just as silverio had begun to believe that he had seen the last of that spectral menace as he called for his sandslash to return to its ball and rest, another hand begun to drop on the pair, similar to that coffin's. "you're kidding me...wait, is that even real...!?!?" judging from what they think they've seen, it may be just another illusion.[break][break]

regardless, instinct took over, this time on the part of the frog ninja, as he unleashed an emphatic hydro pump on the massive ghost hand.

keiko mori

NOTES

✦ prompts completed: 3 of 4[break]
✦ sandslash has fainted[break]
✦ ---

[attr="class","text"]

as if the world was saying that he hasn't seen it all already, a crack in the very fabric of reality opens shortly silverio's return from the mechanical kingdom. while this happened, the ranger had sought out for some much-needed downtime with his poképals after the trials they had endured together. but this ripple in time has already grown too large for the man to ignore, and thus, curiosity may kill the delcatty.[break][break]

if silv wishes to learn more about hoenn's environment, as well as the phenomena that plague it, then turning away from this opportunity is not an option, with that in mind, and with a masculine nidoran in tow, he dares to step foot through the cracks. no immediate signs of danger, although the storm cloud forming in the skies above him may be a clear indicator of an impending omen. suppose that the paldean should not overstay his welcome.[break][break]

however, after brief moments, the nidoran begins to grow at a pace incomparable to any natural causes - it has rapidly evolved. sensing a disturbance, the newly-formed nidorino prepares an attack with his horn, only to imply more size force than usual. "no freakin' way..." a technique that the poison pin pokémon should not be able to use by any normal means. an anomaly of sorts...?[break][break]

suffice to say that silverio truly hasn't seen everything there is to see in hoenn, just yet...maybe not even half...

space-time distortion!

NOTES

✦ nidoran(♂︎) has evolved to nidorino[break]
✦ nidorino forgot horn attack learned megahorn (later evolution move)[break]
✦ claiming one (1) red shard

[attr="class","text"]

attempts to come up with something to support his theory would have to wait, although it was likely that nothing else would even come close to being as viable as silverio's hypothesis. then again, was anything in this realm truly logical to begin with? perhaps that remained to be seen, but the man's interest in the obelisk had been piqued. until the wave of chills had struck him, mysteriously.[break][break]

she felt it too!?[break][break]

that ruled out the possibility of another illusion, or in this case, delusion. and reality would be verified by the presence of a spectral coffin, and like the victreebel and orthworm just moments ago, it too sought to intervene in the team's plans to explore the desert. another 'fight or flight' scenario. this time, it seemed that the latter was chosen.[break][break]

silv turned to dash away, but at the sight of the girl practically burying herself, instincts took over, and he rushed over to try and pull her up from the sands. meanwhile, sandslash chose to fight. it balled itself up to rollout on the moving coffin, but it was met by the fiend's shadowy hands and blasted away with a dark pulse, putting the spiny mouse down for the count.[break][break]

seeing this, silverio than called out another team member, his patented frog ninja. with its speed, it easily evaded confagrigus's hands and threw a slew of water shuriken towards it. "...you good!? we've gotta move!!" the ranger called to keiko.[break][break]

chalk this one up as another otherworldly experience that neither of them would expect, yeah...this would explain the cool air they'd felt.

keiko mori

NOTES

✦ prompts completed: 2 of 4[break]
✦ sandslash has fainted[break]
✦ ---

[attr="class","text"]

calls could not be any closer than what this expedition team had just experienced over a span of just minutes. first, an unnaturally giant orthworm sought to trap them in a sandstorm, then there was the sight of an oasis that wasn't truly there, and finally, a violent plant needing to be pruned. what a day it's been, and strangely enough, it had barely gotten started.[break][break]

after the battle with the killer flycatcher, silverio had regained his senses, albeit with some much-needed help. "i understand now...why the league doesn't want anyone exploring these rifts alone, that is, and here i was thinking that we've seen it all..." far from the truth, on the contrary. to say the least, very few of what he had experienced previously could compare to what has transpired here and in that mechanical kingdom.[break][break]

"huh...!?" he spotted her crouching down at the sight of something poking out of the sands, and the ground tremored once again, this time with an impact comparable to a garchomp's earthquake, which causes the ranger to stumble a bit. when it passed, an outrageously tall structure emerged from the sands.[break][break]

eyes widened as he examined it, its sheer size taking the man by surprise. who or what could've designed it this way? "something that must've lived long enough to see through its construction in its entirety, i'd bet. no telling as to what though..." a free hand grazed the stone, holes and all, then...was something...? "looks like it's missing some parts, just like that pillar we saw before!"[break][break]

a eerie aura suddenly wafted around the ranger's stature, prompting him to cross arms in a way that would describe having been blasted by an arctic burst of air. "whoa...i just got a chill...somehow i get the feeling that we're not the only ones here..."[break][break]

who knew what other surprises this realm has in store for them....

keiko mori

NOTES

✦ prompts completed: 1 of 4[break]
✦ ---[break]
✦ ---

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he can't help but to worry...[break][break]

the reports of the golden pokémon may not be enough of an indication as to how much of a threat to the people, and to the pokémon inhabiting this quaint environment. still, the job entrusted to the two rangers today was to subdue it by any means necessary. to be brutally honest, silverio wishes that neither he nor his captain would need to resort to extreme measures in order to fulfill the task at hand, but if push comes to shove...[break][break]

lo and behold, the 'shove' comes sooner than he would've liked.[break][break]

the wolf pokémon moves to utilize its sharp nose to track any scent of unusual happenstances. although, it wasn't long at all before the biggest threat to this area in recent memory finally presents itself. a fellow canine, this one radiating a mesmerizing brilliance of gold - precisely as the reports had described it. boltund, already establishing itself as a hostile figure.[break][break]

at elise's command, silv and his lycanroc assume a readied stance. this would by no means be an ordinary battle against just any wild pokémon, but one who some folks had alluded to as 'noble'. "get in there and help 'em out!" the paldean quickly orders his lycan friend, and the wolf swiftly rushes in following the trevenant's attack, zig-zagging steps towards the opposition, seeking to trailblaze through their foe.[break][break]

afterward, a shift in the wolf's proverbial gears may be noticeable as it maneuvers at seemingly immeasurable speeds.

Elise Calcifet

NOTES

✦ mission: noble phantoms[break]
✦ lycanroc used trailblaze on the golden boltund, gaining a boost in speed as he does so[break]
✦ ---

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further along the trail, they go. all the while, their newfound friend seeks refuge atop the lycanroc's back, within its craggy fur, much to the chagrin of the rocky beast. silverio finds this sight strangely amusing. but he fails to notice a tiny chicken now treading in his canine friend's footsteps.[break][break]

the wolf, however, catches a whiff of its presence. it turns about face ever so swiftly, instilling fear in the poor little torchic and sending it running for the hills. "that was...something..." what the ranger truly wanted to say was 'that wasn't very nice of you, buddy.' oh well...

safari!

NOTES

✦ skip![break]
✦ ---[break]
✦ ---

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"alright buddy, let's see if we can find you a new playmate, yeah?" wishful thinking at this point. silverio could vividly recall the time he had captured a peculiar land shark in granite cave. man, that felt like an eternity ago. alas, time restraints, among other things, have left the ranger with little time to raise the little gible to become the formidable companion that it can be.[break][break]

until now![break][break]

backing them up today is a metal alloy dragon that hasn't seen much action since its acquisition. thus, the paldean hopes to change that; in order for the squad to become more familiar with one another and build up an adequate level of camaraderie, silv has sworn to himself that he would split the screen time among his poképals a tad more evenly, or try to at the very least.[break][break]

with that in mind, he deploys an incense in the hope of drawing the attention of similar creatures. perhaps a new friend is what the gible needs to gain inspiration to one day impose its will on the world.

solo wild

NOTES

✦ using incense for dragon-types[break]
✦ ---[break]
✦ ---

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what an unusual topic of discussion...[break][break]

side gigs for extra case - opportunities that the ranger, perhaps, may never consider otherwise. he begins to ponder if any of his other poképals would be as willing engage in any extracurricular activities. lycanroc, especially ones such as silv's, in this form that's said to be mysteriously born at the hour of dusk, are often said to be rather beautiful creatures despite their nature. people have to make their living somehow, but perhaps photography would never cross his mind in any other scenario.[break][break]

the eyes...[break][break]

clearly the wolf's most distinguishing feature, as the woman dictates. the mention of a wolf in sheep's clothing (literally), catches the attention of both silverio and his canine friend, with the latter offering a tilt of his head in sheer confusion. as if he knew exactly what the photographer was implying. as she moved to a bench, the wolf dares to follow suit, leaving his trainer with no choice but to come up behind him. the canine claims a seat at the ground in front of her as a kilowattrel swoops by; neither he nor his trainer pay any mind to it.[break][break]

"been here a couple times before, for business though. tonight's trip is all leisure. or at least, i'd hope so." the photoshoot gig still lingers in his mind, thus, he deigns to ask, with brows raised, "so let's say, theoretically, that my buddy and i consider that gig. who would we need to refer to? would it be you?"

Miyako Noguchi

NOTES

✦ skip[break]
✦ ---[break]
✦ ---

[attr="class","text"]

it just wanted to do as his trainer himself had suggested...[break][break]

to warn him...of impending danger! as it turns out, like the imaginary oasis, the maractus was not what it appeared to be at an initial glance. rather, in reality, it was a much different species of plant pokémon - one much more vicious than what silverio had thought he saw.[break][break]

before sandslash could gesture at the girl in response, the victreebel attacked. instinctively, the ground pokémon moved to push silv away, effectively knocking some sense back into him, all the while undoing his sunglasses in the process.[break][break]

he would then follow-up after the slowking's attack; like a kid mowing a lawn for cash, it swiped a sharp crush claw at the unfriendly plant, downing it for the moment. meanwhile, silv managed to regain his senses, with help from his spiny companion, as well as keiko and her slowking.[break][break]

"phew...thanks guys...i guess we're in one helluva long trek here, after all..."

keiko mori

NOTES

✦ prompts completed: 4 of 4[break]
✦ ---[break]
✦ ---

[attr="class","text"]

maybe there were many things in this realm that may be far more memorable than a near-death experience with an oversized worm. perhaps a photo from a low angle where either human could've been easily eaten alive may not be an ideal approach after all. one thing was certain though, and it was that silverio would be documenting that orthworm by way of its sheer size. what could that thing have eaten which helped grow so insanely large? alas, some questions were better off unanswered after all.[break][break]

an immeasurable amount of space away, the oasis was. still, the team's much-needed break from the sweltering heat seemed to be just moments away...until it wasn't! as the image had drawn closer, it become more apparent that it was not what it had initially appeared to be. his mind overtaken, possibly a result of oncoming heat exhaustion, he took an awkward step back as a maractus - this one being larger than normal also - presented a drink.[break][break]

what in the name of arceus...!?[break][break]

where did that come from? regardless, he remembered the advice that keiko notion when they arrived through the rift. "no thanks...we're good..." long breaths bridged a gap between words. meanwhile, the sandslash offered a poke at his trainer with a razor-edge claw, an attempt to snap silv back into reality.[break][break]

"ooww..." that seemed to work.

keiko mori

NOTES

✦ prompts completed: 4 of 4[break]
✦ 06 do not drink water offered to you[break]
✦ ---

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"it's too bad that you couldn't get a pic of it..."[break][break]

or did she!? suppose that behemoth may have been worth the struggle of snapping a photo, if it weren't so unceremoniously rabid. nonetheless, it could be safe to assume that the pair of adventurers were out of trouble - that is to say, at least for the moment. "orthworm is a native of paldea, my homeland, but never before have i ever seen one so massive..." as the man took a moment to contemplate on where to go next, his sandslash's piney head emerged from beneath the sands between he and the pinkette, startling the former for a second.[break][break]

"hey...!!" with a push off his arms, the rodent climbed out then shook off any sandy residue from its body. he nearly lost his breath there. "you just can't go poppin' up like that outta nowhere; for a second, i thought you were another orthworm." the spiny critter drooped its head down in defeat, quickly acknowledging its fault, but his trainer was quick to forvgive. too quick, even. "it's alright, buddy. just...at least warn someobody next time, 'kay?"[break][break]

easier said than done...[break][break]

nothing to be seen here...or maybe? an image had come into the ranger's view, albeit blurred. from what he could make out, dead ahead of him, there were hints of green. trees, perhaps? and an oval of a light blue hue hinted on the grounds there. water? wait, an oasis!? "i think...i see a rest stop...straight down that way...!!?" he called out and pointed. a rest under shades of tree leaves and a fresh wash ought to do some justice right about now.

keiko mori

NOTES

✦ prompts completed: 3 of 4[break]
✦ 14 experience a misleading mirage[break]
✦ ---

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the violent sands and air were quickly taking their toll on silv's skin...[break][break]

but it wasn't long before the slowking splashed into the fray. it's combined efforts along with the sandslash would prove to be enough of a distraction for the giant orthworm, with the former even able to discontinue the monster's use of its maniacally impactful sandstorm, if only for but a moment. time was of the essence, and if neither trainer could act quickly enough, then they'd both sink into the deep sands.[break][break]

the sandslash, unaffected by the residual effects of the storm, continued rolling out for several seconds until coming to a stop when he noticed his trainer being forcibly tugged away by the other human, taking that sight as his cue to flee the scene along with them. whichever direction they'd end up going, it wouldn't matter - anywhere that's as far away from that massive beast as possible would be a good enough spot for them. a sleeve held up to his mouth to block any sand from impairing his airway.[break][break]

meanwhile, the spiny mouse dove headfirst into the sands, and like a deep sea dweller, it manuevered through the them, and hopefully away from the menacing worm and tailing after the two humans. after several minutes, silv's eyes scanned the area around them. "i think...we lost it..."

keiko mori

NOTES

✦ prompts completed: 2 of 4[break]
✦ sandslash used dig; it is currently burrowed in the sands[break]
✦ ---