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nick listens carefully to yuina's words, absorbing them like a dry sponge taking in water. her speech is heartfelt, the sincerity ringing through every word and striking a chord in nick's chest. he knows she's right; in a perfect world, he wouldn't have to worry about exposing his beloved birds to tera crystals or any other dangerous phenomena.[break][break]

but this world is far from perfect, and nick is all too aware of the dangers that lurk around every corner. he can't afford to coddle his pokemon, can't allow them to remain ignorant of the world and its dangers. if they are to face these threats together, they need to know how to handle them.[break][break]

it's a sobering thought, one that leaves a bitter taste in nick's mouth. he glances down to the ground, his gaze unfocused as he wrestles with his conscience.[break][break]

"i appreciate your concern," nick says quietly, his voice heavy with unspoken thoughts and feelings. "and i do trust my pokemon. we've been through a lot together, and i know they'll always have my back, no matter what."[break][break]

he takes a shaky breath, then raises his gaze to meet yuina's, his eyes glimmering with uncertainty but determination. "i don't want to force them into anything they don't feel comfortable with, but... i also don't want to risk them being blindsided by something they could have prepared for."[break][break]

nick hesitates for a moment longer, then nods, more to himself than yuina. "if there's a safe way to expose them to tera crystals, i'd like to do so."

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nick nods, a flicker of relief sparking in his eyes at her acceptance. he can't quite pinpoint the reason behind his gratitude, but it's there regardless. he supposes it might be because, after so long of solitude, he relishes in the company of someone he can tolerate, or maybe because he finds morrighan a steadying presence in an uneasy situation.[break][break]

his gloved hand comes up to rub the back of his neck as he takes a step forward, following the line of the markings deeper into the forest. the trees seem to close in around them, their gnarled branches casting eerie shadows in the fading light. it feels as if they're being watched, though nick knows there's no one else around for miles.[break][break]

the uneasy feeling only grows stronger as they press on, but nick forces himself to keep moving. he's a ranger, after all—it's his duty to protect and serve the people of hoenn, even if that means venturing into the unknown.[break][break]

"keep your eyes peeled," he murmurs, his voice barely above a whisper. "we don't know what we might find here."[break][break]

and truthfully, that unknown factor is what scares him most. his grip on his pokéball tightens, but he resists the urge to release any of his companions just yet. they'll come when he needs them, but for now, he hopes it won't come to that.[break][break]

onwards they walk, the fog thickening with every step, the only sound the crunch of leaves beneath their feet and the distant, haunting call of some unseen bird. the markings on the trees grow more intricate, more frequent, and as nick's flashlight begins to flicker, he knows they must be getting close to something... but whether it be friend or foe remains to be seen.[break][break]

his heart lurches into his chest as he looks down at his flashlight and shakes it. "not a good sign, i imagine," he mutters, feeling a cold sweat begin to accumulate at the nape of his neck. "do you see anything odd?"

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that's it!

nick watches as the aipom's resourcefulness pays off with the clever use of the scarecrow's hat, momentarily blinding the massive mega beedrill that's clearly becoming more agitated by the second. distracted, it's guard lowers. a plan forms in nick's head.[break][break]


"now, solomon!"[break][break]

at nick's command, solomon the braviary spreads his wings wide and begins to flap them powerfully, generating a massive whirlwind that engulfs the area around the blinded, thrashing beedrill. leaves, dirt, and straw are swept up in the air, obscuring vision of the struggle. nick's arms clutch around the bird, winding tight to keep from falling off and down to the ground below.[break][break]

suddenly, nick feels solomon pull himself toward the mega beedrill as the whirlwind tightens, intensifying its force, and then, with a mighty gust, the whirlwind launches the beedrill high into the air and away from them. nick watches its silhouette become smaller and smaller against the sky, eventually vanishing completely.[break][break]

as the whirlwind dissipates, nick finds locke and the aipom through the settling dust and detritus. nick exhales, his breath shaky and unsteady, feeling the adrenaline of battle slowly begin to fade. he'd done it. against a mega beedrill no less. nick shakes his head as he directs solomon to lower down, down, until he can step off of the bird pokemon's back to approach locke and the aipom, a wry, exhausted smile tugging at the corners of his mouth despite himself.[break][break]

"smart move with the hat," he says, voice rough with the remnants of the fear that had clawed its way up his throat only moments prior. "you alright?"

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nick blinks in surprise, his dark eyes widening slightly at josh's description—indeed, it matches up with his own experiences, if not perfectly, then near enough to stir up memories that threaten to overwhelm him. his heart rate increases, and he feels a cold sweat break out across his skin as he remembers the sensation of darkness closing in around him, suffocating, crushing.[break][break]

"yeah—yeah, he did," nick confirms, his voice wobbling slightly as he speaks. "it was stronger than anything i've ever faced" his left hand twitches slightly in his lap, fingers spasming as though still feeling the phantom sensation of his grip on solomon's saddle, as if seeking out something familiar to anchor himself in the present moment.[break][break]

nick listens in relative silence as josh speaks, absorbing the fact that the gym leader has been through a similar experience, has stared down similar feelings of helplessness and frustration. it's... a strange sort of comfort, knowing that he is not alone in this, that others have been where he stands and have survived to tell the tale. but even so, the thought of being trapped in this bed for months on end fills him with a sense of dread that settles heavy in the pit of his stomach.[break][break]

"i don't know," he admits honestly, his gaze sliding away from josh's face, toward the window on the far wall, as though seeking answers in the clouds outside. "i don't know if there's anything that can be done. it's just waiting. and laying here. i hate it. i want to be out there again, not—" he breaks off abruptly, unable to finish his sentence, a surge of emotion clogging his throat.[break][break]

nick scrubs at his face with his right hand, taking a deep breath in through his nose, trying to regain control of himself. his left arm aches dully, a reminder of the price he has paid for his choices, for his dedication to his duty. but even so, he knows that he would make the same choices again, if it meant protecting even one more life from the darkness that threatens to consume them all.[break][break]

"thanks for visiting," he says quietly, after a long moment of silence. "i'd thought for sure i'd just rot here alone until they let me go."

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by the time nick spots the runaway totodile speeding towards him, his heart is in his throat. the words die on his tongue—something about fear, and the ocean, and facing it all head-on—because suddenly there's a snappish creature zipping across the wet sand at a breakneck pace, spraying water in its wake. nick doesn't know what to do. does he run? does he try to catch it? does he—?[break][break]

decisiveness is a fickle friend, but fortune favors the bold. maybe.[break][break]

nick leaps into action, feet pumping beneath him, his movements jerky but precise. he's always been fast—faster than he looks, a friend from his university days once told him, back before life lost its sheen—and he uses that to his advantage now, closing the distance between himself and the totodile in a few short strides.[break][break]

just as the totodile draws near, nick lunges. his hands reach out, gloved fingers curling around the scruff of the totodile's neck and then, miraculously, his body, and then he's somehow holding the flailing creature at arm's length, his heart pounding a frantic beat against his ribcage. nick holds him tight, wary of snapping teeth and writhing, trying not to get his fingers bit in the process. he's grateful for his gloves in that moment.[break][break]

nick's breath comes in short bursts, the adrenaline already beginning to fade. "you," he huffs, accusingly, "are a handful."[break][break]

he glances towards alina, a wry smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. he can't help it. the whole situation is so ridiculous, so absurd, that it tickles something deep in his chest. "is he always like this?"

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the older ranger lifts his head from where he stoops over a particularly tiny turtle, fingers brushing the edge of its shell before disappearing into the sand once more. his gaze meets hers, and she may be able to see the memories written in the tired grooves of his skin, the pain that never seems to fully leave the corners of his eyes. there's a heaviness there that is nigh impossible to fathom, a sadness that clings to him like seaweed to driftwood.[break][break]

it's not an expression nick shows often - or at least, not an expression he lets people see. it takes him years, sometimes, to fully open up to someone, and even then, it's a slow and arduous process that leaves him breathless and dizzy. but something about the way she speaks makes him wonder if, maybe, she knows a thing or two about heaviness herself.[break][break]

it makes him want to tell her everything, and nothing at all.[break][break]

nick's words come slow, like honey dripping from a spoon, each one heavy with thought. "i've seen fear take people down paths they never thought they'd walk," he says softly, the admission feeling strangely intimate. "i've watched it destroy lives. i've..."[break][break]

he falters, correcting course with an almost imperceptible shake of his head. "i've seen a lot. but there's a difference between fearing the ocean and fearing the water you're wading in. one is an acknowledgement of something vast and powerful beyond yourself. the other is just an excuse not to move."[break][break]

he releases the turtle, watching as it slips into the water and swims with fierce determination out to sea. the movement seems to remind him of something, of a feeling he'd long since buried beneath layers of resignation and apathy. a feeling of hope.[break][break]

"we're all afraid," he continues after a moment, voice soft but insistent, a gentle but unwavering force like the tide itself. "but if we let that fear control us, we'd never do anything worth doing."

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nick's gaze flits briefly between josh and the zeraora who enters with him, noting the way the pokémon moves—the rippling muscle beneath its fur, how effortlessly it seems to command both its form and its electricity. it is not a beast nick would ever like to face in the wilds. though it appears to be under josh's control, there is something untamed in its gaze, a promise of power that has yet to be unleashed.[break][break]

"it was—yeah," nick confirms, turning to face josh more fully as he does so, the bedsheets rustling with the movement. he is careful not to jostle his left arm and ribs as he shifts, not wanting to exacerbate the lingering pain there. "ran into a rocket admin. he had control over shadows themselves. got crushed." he pauses then, his throat working as he swallows hard once more.[break][break]

nick reaches up with his right hand to scratch at the edge of his jaw, nails scraping against the slightly rough stubble that has begun to accumulate there since he's been relegated to the bed. it's an unfamiliar sensation, nick usually being the type to keep himself cleanly shaven when he can be bothered to maintain an appearance. but now, laying here... it seems pointless. who is there to impress, after all? the nurses?[break][break]

"never seen anything like it before," he admits, gaze falling down to the bedsheets as he speaks. he feels... violated, almost. the shadow energy that had lanced through him, dark and oppressive, had left an indelible mark on him, one that he can still feel echoes of even now.[break][break]

"i don't like being here."

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nick can't help but smile at josh's story, a sense of camaraderie sparking between them. "those early captures... they stay with you, don't they?" he muses, his gaze distant. "no matter how long ago they were."[break][break]

he knows that feeling all too well, the memories of his first pokemon still vivid in his mind. the connection, the bond, it never fades. those moments, those triumphs, they become a part of you, woven into the fabric of your soul.[break][break]

he shakes his head, dispelling the nostalgia. "pazuzu, huh?" he chuckles softly. "well, i'm sure he's proud of how far he's come. and of you, too."[break][break]

as they turn back towards oldale town, the sun starting to dip below the horizon, nick reflects on the day's events. the captures, the rescues, the moments of shared understanding. it's been a long time since he's felt this connected to someone, this seen. josh may be younger, may have a different path in life, but there's a depth to him, an understanding that nick can't help but appreciate.[break][break]

nick glances headlong at the other man. "thanks for riding with me today."

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nick considers her question carefully, his gaze drifting to the distance as he thinks of his beloved team. he hasn't had much opportunity to travel underground or within caves in his time as a ranger, and he's quite certain he's never encountered such strange gems.[break][break]

but nick hesitates, his thoughts still caught on her mention of compatibility. his pokemon may be fit and fine, but they have their own distinct personalities, some more fiery and stubborn than others. he doubts niamh, his toucannon, would take well to being morphed into a new shape—or that she would be particularly gentle about the process.[break][break]

"not that i can recall," nick responds eventually, and his voice tilts into a small, self-deprecating laugh. "i guess that nips that idea in the bud, huh?"

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nick's eyes flick over to the monkey pokemon, surprised at the sudden appearance of locke's aipom. they meet his gaze for a split second, and nick can see the determination reflected within those beady eyes. the aipom may not be much of a battler, but she's quick on her feet, nimble, and ready to dodge the impending attack.[break][break]

"if you can't fight directly," nick begins, raising his voice to be heard over the intense whirring sounds of the approaching mega beedrill and the wind his own companion is churning up, "then assist with your speed! aim to distract and evade!"[break][break]

nick focuses back on his own companion, solomon, whose thrashing wings are quick enough to send powerful air slashes. nick locks eyes with the beedrill, now getting back on the offensive, the venom on its stinger tip still glistening as it refocuses on the ranger and the braviary, deadly intent written in its red compound eyes.[break][break]

nick steels himself, his mind racing about what to do next. he must help locke, a trainer caught in circumstances beyond his control, and yet, nick also feels a duty to protect the crops these farmers have dedicated themselves to. even if the mega beedrill is wild and erratic, that does not mean that he is its enemy. this is just another living creature of arceus that nick must strive to understand and coexist with, even as it attempts to take his life.[break][break]

but how?

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nick's first instinct, upon hearing the sound of a knock at the hospital room door, is to act as though he is asleep, or simply not there at all. he doesn't necessarily wish to hide from the visitor on the other side, but he has grown unaccustomed to human interaction during his time laying here, feeling the tick of the clock on the wall. it's a compounding event, in his opinion. time heals all wounds, or so they say—but lay alone in a quiet room, waiting, and such phrases feel... empty.[break][break]

regardless, nick feels he does not have a choice in whether or not to respond. his obligation to the social script overwhelms his desire for silence, and nick finds the privacy of his thoughts disturbed as he clears his throat and gives the only answer he can.[break][break]

"yeah," he says, voice croaking over the single word. he swallows hard, trying to regain some moisture in his throat as he continues. "yeah, come in."

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nick watches yuina explain terastallization, his brow knit as he takes in the information she provides. it's strange, he thinks, how something so rooted in natural phenomenon as tera crystals can still feel alien to him after everything else he has seen.[break][break]

but there is a degree of comfort in that normalcy, in the familiar consistency of a growing crystal deposit. nick finds that he can latch onto that, can allow himself to understand terastallization as just another piece of the world's intricate puzzle.[break][break]

yuina's demonstration helps as well. his eyes widen as heatran shifts into his new form, the dazzling display of shimmering light reflecting off of nick's glasses. there's something humbling about seeing a creature he once thought of as powerful made stronger still.[break][break]

"that's... incredible," nick breathes, unable to hide his awe as heatran unleashes a torrent of water with a force nick didn't know was possible.[break][break]

with the information—and demonstration—fresher in his mind, the concepts of terastallization feel a little more graspable. his mind spins, conjuring up different scenarios in which it would be advantageous to utilize terastalization. the fact that it can be applied to any pokemon—legendary, ultra beast, or otherwise—already has nick's mind reeling with the possibilities. he had seen it before, of course, but a smart use of his altaria's sing rendered the demonstration shorter than usual.[break][break]

"thank you for showing me, yuina," nick says sincerely, nodding towards the shimmering heatran with newfound respect. "i feel like i have a better understanding now."[break][break]

nick glances from yuina to heatran and back again, then down to the orb he still holds in his hand. his thoughts stray to his own pokemon, to solomon's proud wings and niamh's no-nonsense approach to any problem thrown their way. he wonders what they would think of this.[break][break]

"is there a way to... try it?" nick asks quietly, holding up the orb as he gazes at yuina with a mix of uncertainty and nervous excitement. he doesn't want to impose or overstep, but the scientist in him is burning with curiosity and the need to understand this on a deeper level.

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there are, nick is quickly learning, a nearly infinite amount of variables to consider in this world. the more he listens to yuina's explanations, the more he realizes how painfully unprepared he is for the breadth of possibilities he may encounter. he watches in rapt attention as she withdraws various objects from her bag and sets them down, his eyes darting from one item to another. each one carries a wealth of new possibilities and threats, each one something for him to learn about and grow from.[break][break]

but nick isn't daunted by this. he is a doctor, a scientist, a pokemon ranger, and—above all else—a perpetual student. learning something new every day is ingrained within him, and as he takes in yuina's teachings, he finds a spark of fascination within him. the same spark that fueled his childhood, a lifetime ago.[break][break]

as yuina finishes speaking, nick reaches out to pick up the dynamax band with tentative fingers, holding it between him and the sunlight as if to better study the light filtering through the crystalline structure.[break][break]

"i've seen some of these before," nick murmurs, his eyes never leaving the band in his hand. "dynamax and terastallization, for instance, have been used against me."

nick carefully sets the band back onto the tree stump and instead reaches for one of the pokeballs, cradling it within his hand as he gazes at it with equal parts curiosity and concern.[break][break]

"but shadow pokemon, toxic chain... illumina... there's so much i didn't know."[break][break]

he hands the pokeball back to yuina gently, as if the small sphere might shatter beneath his touch. his gaze is then on her, flickering with equal uncertainty and resolution. while he would never abandon his precious birds, he knows just as well as the next trainer that the flying type has a myriad of weaknesses. from what he knows, terastallization could alter the type of his pokemon when he's in hot water.[break][break]

"can we cover terastallization first?"

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