[attr="class","kheader"]

[attr="class","kthread"][attr="class","orion"]

Howling winds whip up desert sands, swirling tornadoes that rip a path through the route and obstruct visibility. Orion's Flygon beats her insect-like wings, hovering a safe distance above as they scout for a landing point.[break][break]

"There!" Orion calls over the din.[break][break]

As she approached the agreed-upon rendezvous point, Adriana would no doubt spot the Flygon circling wide before swooping down to an open expanse of grass just before the opening to the desert, thick tail scarring the earth as it flicked back and forth. Adjusting the goggles he'd worn in anticipation of the sandstorm, Orion dismounts as gracefully as he could manage and pats the dragon's neck in thanks.[break][break]

Spotting the trainee, he lifts a hand in greeting.[break][break]

"Raegan, right?" His voice is a little too loud; he'd grown accustomed to shouting over the storm. Seemingly aware of this, he ducks his head sheepishly. "Ah, sorry. That sandstorm is something else, could barely hear myself think flying in."[break][break]

He sticks out a hand as he closes the gap between them.

"Ranger Lykos. Call me Orion. This is Tiamat," with a gesture to the excitable Flygon still flinging grass around with her tail, "and this —" A Nidoking appears in a flash of red, hulking but not unfriendly, "is Basileus. Basil, if you prefer. He should be able to help with the sand."[break][break]

If the Nidoking understands his role, he gives no indication. Orion tilts his head.[break][break]

"Did they brief you on the mission, or throw you in blind?"

[break][break][break]

[attr="class","kheaderx"]

[attr="class","kthreadx"][attr="class","orion"]

[break]

Smoke obscures vision, and Orion finds himself outnumbered as even the valiant Pokkenger admits defeat. Unable to see his Alakazam as the black fog spreads, he can't receive the answers he desperately craves regarding the other's fate.[break][break]

He is bold, often reckless, but he is no fool. Should he attempt pursuit on his own, it would only leave them with two dead weights instead of one. The councilman utters a wordless snarl of frustration before backing away from the location he'd last spotted the cubes, hoping that he was drawing closer to his companions. The sense of camaraderie earlier felt is weakened, but they are each other's only hopes of survival.[break][break]

"I can't see in all this smoke!" He knows his Scizor could take care of the problem, but can't figure out which ball belongs to it in the chaos. "If they've left us alone, can you get rid of it?"[break][break]

He flinches instinctively as something appears next to him, but it is only his Alakazam — using it's MIRACLE EYE, the pyschic-type had TELEPORTED back to his side. His other Pokemon are not so fortunate in their abilities, and Orion can only hope that they've stayed put.

[break][break]

[break][break][break]

[attr="class","kheaderx"]

[attr="class","kthreadx"][attr="class","orion"]

[break]

There's a moment of relief as one of the cubes falls beneath Lucario's attack. That these things are defeatable, vulnerable, that maybe they have a chance—[break][break]

Such comforts are stolen away as the cube whirs back to life and joins its brothers. Their barrage of attacks is intense and Orion takes shelter behind the relative safety of his Aegislash, praying for its continued effectiveness and for the illusion to hold.[break][break]

Pierce's yelp draws his attention too late.[break][break]

Pokkenger reacts faster than even the Ranger's reflexes, and the first conflict between their gathered group becomes apparent as Balder demands that they leave their captured member behind. Outrage flares along with Orion's nostrils under a sharp intake of breath, his dark eyes blazing fury as he rounds on Balder.[break][break]

"Yeah, if he lives that long!" How could they possibly rely on that vain hope? "I came here to rescue someone, not consign the rest of us to these things one by one!"[break][break]

He's scared and there's a thread of it in his voice, which quavers slightly on the words. He's shaking, but already turning away from Balder to join Pokkenger's efforts against the cubes. Alakazam had been unable to whisk the man to safety, so...[break][break]

"What will they do to him?" he demands of his Pokemon. "Can you see it?"[break][break]

Ever calm in the midst of a storm, the Alakazam closes her eyes and uses FUTURE SIGHT in an attempt to discern Pearson's possible fate.
[break][break]
Flashes of red herald the arrival of new Pokemon from Orion's arsenal: Dhelmise and Tentacruel.[break][break]

Dhelmise emits a harsh METAL SOUND to lower the special defenses of the mysterious cubes, where Tentacruel attempts to REFLECT THEIR TYPING to gain some form of insight into their foes.[break][break]

Caught between a hero complex and self-preservation, Orion dares not charge out from beneath the safety of their illusion.

[break][break]

[break][break][break]

[attr="class","kheader"]

[attr="class","kthread"][attr="class","orion"]

Avery's nervous energy feeds directly into Orion's own. She's blushing, flustered, and it makes his throat and chest feel tight. Social anxiety was not exactly the best trait for a councilman to possess, yet here they were.[break][break]

Thankfully, the subject of the egg is intriguing enough to be distracting.[break][break]

"I'm glad to have found it, but unfortunately it's the first egg I've ever had to deal with." After all, his job as a ranger didn't exactly have him traipsing into Pokemon nests. If anything, he did his best to avoid disturbing them. "I wanted to make sure I could give it the proper care, so I came here as soon as I had the time."[break][break]

He could only hope it was soon enough — in an ideal world, he'd have brought the egg to Avery immediately, but working two jobs often placed a stranglehold on his schedule.[break][break]

"I don't know what species it might be... does that affect how to care for it?"

[break][break][break]

[attr="class","kheader"]

[attr="class","kthread"][attr="class","orion"]

The kitsune exudes a charismatic confidence that Orion lacks both in and out of game. He can't help but to envy the way she turns combat into a performance and seemingly feels no guilt toward the others denied of their precious virtual rewards.[break][break]

"I'd hope not," he frowns, as he continues to gather up the leeks. "I mean, you killed it. It's not like I'm going to steal one of theirs."[break][break]

Case in point: he spots a glittering leek within bouncing distance, but does not activate the skill in order to close the gap. The other player, a warrior, holds an aggressive stance on his approach as if daring Lykos or Vulpes to take what was rightfully his.[break][break]

Orion's response in chat is a simple, 'chill, dude, it's yours'.[break][break]

A waddling Farfetch'd aggros on the ranger, who instead uses his bounce cooldown to leap clear of its range and draw it toward the flock gathering around his fox-like companion.

[break][break][break]

[attr="class","kheader"]

[attr="class","kthread"][attr="class","orion"]

An abomination escapes from its ball, and Orion blinks.[break][break]

Perhaps the shock on his face could be misinterpreted as horror — the beast clearly wasn't natural, and it's helmet was an affront to Pokemon welfare — but it's horrified recognition that he feels.[break][break]

Evan snaps, forcibly dragging the councilman from his daze, then takes off after his chimera.[break][break]

Orion follows, his brain scrambling to piece together a coherent question.[break][break]

"Where did you get it?" is all he manages.[break][break]

Wild Pokemon go completely ignored; Orion's tunnel-vision has eyes only for the familiar-yet-strangely-coloured creature that Evan pursues.

[break][break][break]

[attr="class","kheader"]

[attr="class","kthread"][attr="class","orion"]

Orion's expression tightens into a concern that's laced heavily with understanding; the Rangers were stretched thin in the aftermath of the New Year and beyond, and he couldn't find the right words to suggest otherwise.[break][break]

What he says instead is, "There are other missions. You don't have to torture yourself."[break][break]

She requests that he sit with her and he nods, opening his mouth to say something further when the request for silence registers. He nods again, closing his mouth and sitting down next to her with his diving helmet in his lap.[break][break]

His deep-sea Pokemon are returned to their capsules, but the Swampert lumbers to the pair of rangers and flops down next to Orion, equally quiet as though he understood Stormy's request as clearly as his trainer.

[break][break][break]

[attr="class","kheader"]

[attr="class","kthread"][attr="class","orion"]

Orion's laughter in response to Stormy's advice is warm, loud.[break][break]

"I mean, isn't that good advice for dealing with any class? Unless your build focuses on being hit, I guess." He knew some warriors were like that with their Stamina-centric builds. "Besides, there's some moves that literally can't miss."[break][break]

He hadn't the forethought to take any of them when perusing the massive selection of moves at character creation. His loss.[break][break]

His knowledge of Annie and her antics mean that Orion's adjusting his voice-chat audio in the middle of her sentence, grateful for such preparation as she yells into the mic. He bursts into laughter, half because it was ridiculous and half because the following silence from the others was funnier than the act itself.[break][break]

"Appreciate it," he says to Stormy, nodding, then directing his attention back at Alec when the mage gets their attention.[break][break]

"Wait, what? Who'd be stupid enough to lose their gear in the water?" Of course, his skepticism doesn't stop him from submerging himself in the bath to capitalize on such stupidity.[break][break]

ckPnIAR0

[break][break][break]

[attr="class","kheader"]

[attr="class","kthread"][attr="class","orion"]

Though there had been plenty of excitement surrounding the introduction of Galarian species into the Hoennian wilds, situations like these were exactly the reason Orion had his doubts about the move.[break][break]

"Local wildlife probably doesn't know how to handle it..."[break][break]

Nor the local population, which could explain why the miners had gone into hiding instead of attempting to flee.[break][break]

As their Pokemon team up to hold the foreign invader at bay, Delphi redirecting her helping hand to assist the Nickit, Orion follows Onus to the entrance of a pitch-dark room. His hand curls around a Pokeball, and he sends his Typhlosion into the darkness. She assumes an aggressive posture the moment she's released from her ball, nostrils flaring as fire bursts along her scruff. The flames chase back the shadows and reveal the contents of the chamber — immediately, Orion's focus zeroes in on an unconscious man surrounded by his worried companions.[break][break]

"The Pokemon did that?"[break][break]

They jump at his tone, hushed as it was, and one of them gives a mute nod.

[break][break][break]