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The crunch of snow beneath clawed feet is realistic; Orion wonders how much budget had gone into making the reality part of the game feel as authentic as it did.[break][break]

"Oh, we've not met I don't think." Blinking with a sudden realization, he's quick to correct, "Sorry, that sounds fucking creepy. We haven't met in person, but I know of all the gym leaders." Alec recognizes him as well, but not as councilman. Apparently they'd run a dungeon together, and after a moment of consideration Orion realises that the username rings a bell. "Oh, yeah, that was me. I was so focused on the boss that I didn't really take in who I was fighting with."[break][break]

He can't exactly shake hands the way he normally would upon introducing himself, and so he scrolls through the emote wheel until he finds a bowing emote. Eh, good enough.[break][break]

"Orion Lykos, with the Council." It feels weird to state it even after having held the position a few months now. It makes him feel like he's grandstanding, and so he adds, "Also a ranger, which is how I prefer to be known. You tell people you're a politician and they all start side-eying you, but say you're a ranger and suddenly you're a hero."[break][break]

He laughs to diffuse his own self-created tension. "I avoid the PK zones where I can, honestly. I'm actually waiting on a pizza delivery so I can't get too involved in the game, but if you wanna hang out for a few until it gets here I can join you then."

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Orion's always admired the aesthetic of winter. Ice and snows that sparkled in the midday sun, skies white for miles. The trees in Nixtorm are adorned with icicles in place of leaves and, air absent of the bitter chill of winter, it's the best the ranger can ask for.[break][break]

His avatar shivers in the cold he can't feel and his idle animation has him exhaling frost and warming his hands over the campfire.[break][break]

The animation cancels out as Orion picks up his controllers and stands up, prompting Lykos to rise in-game as well. The tracks he'd left in the snow have faded, offering the illusion that he'd spawned in the middle of the icy wastes and not moved since. Stretching after his much-needed respite, the ranger turns and halts in surprise when he spots another player.[break][break]

Was that...?[break][break]

They'd never met in person, but it was hard to mistake Hoenn's youngest gym leader for anyone else... not even when he'd taken on a rather demonic appear. Orion himself is unrecognizable in appearance, but his unoriginal username is telling. "That you, Foster?"[break][break]

The use of his surname is new habit he'd picked up from spending way too much time in political circles where most expected formality.

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Just as in real life, the beach was a nice place to take a breather. There was an added absence of wingull shit and screaming children in the virtual reality version, though the game's ambient soundtrack did a great job of reproducing the steady crash of waves upon the sand.[break][break]

When the few friends he'd made in-game had all gone offline or partied up for dungeon runs, the ranger set up a campfire on the beach to recharge after a day of grinding.[break][break]

He looks up when he hears someone else, grimacing when he recognizes the figure. Great. Thankfully, this isn't Avia, and Orion's not in the middle of an important quest in a PK-zone.[break][break]

"No free kill today, sorry."[break][break]

Though his tone is dry, it's edged with a hint of humour; he's not horribly upset about the death. It's just a game, after all. Some people took things way too seriously.

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The rumble of the earth announces its presence before Orion turns to see it: a Rhyperior charging toward him.[break][break]

Yelping in alarm, glad that he's alone in his office so that no one sees him nearly drop his controllers in surprise, the ranger narrowly manages to bounce up and out of the way of its hammer arms. Being airborne also, thankfully, helps with the earthquake...[break][break]

... until the move executes and he finds himself slamming back to earth, colliding with the bulky mini-boss for minimal damage. Flying-type attacks were resisted and electric attacks were utterly useless, so he was going to need to rely on his affinity for ghost. Thank Arceus for STAB.[break][break]

Extending its arm like a cannon, the Rhyperior fires off a volley of rock blasts toward him. Orion dodges most of them but one crashes painfully into his shoulder and sends him sprawling. However, as the earth quakes once again, he gets an idea: mirror move.[break][break]

Wrestling control of the shaking ground from his foe, Orion turns the beasts own assault against it. He dives in close to bait out another round of hammer arm and then bounces out of range, using his mirror move to mimic the fighting-type attack and infuse the energy within his arrows. His ability of Long Reach meant that he could maintain a safe distance, and he lets out a victorious whoop when the Rhyperior crumbles into pixels and loot.[break][break]

Arceus, this game was intense!

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[attr="class","ttshipreplytop"]report / honor form[attr="class","ion-plus"]

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Someone not far ahead of him gets close. Real close. Orion swears he can see the sword budge, and he thinks he's about to bear witness to the first player (at least, to his knowledge) who actually beats the odds...![break][break]

But they're swallowed up by a ghostly aura and reduced to a spirit.[break][break]

Several others step up to the task afterward, and Orion swears he recognizes Adrian Malcolm among them. He doesn't get the chance to comfirm before he, too, is obliterated by the Honedge. Brutal.[break][break]

When it comes to Orion's turn, he's already resigned to it.[break][break]

LtWLuH|q

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Orion's phone blares in his pocket, a ranger's emergency alert. It snaps him out of the exhausted stupor he'd been in as he roamed the Slateport outskirts on a routine patrol and he's instantly scrabbling for the device. His heart sinks as he realises it's no routine alert: one of their own is in danger, and — they're nearby.[break][break]

He swipes the screen and tells HQ, "Lykos, I'm en route. How long till emergency personnel arrive?"[break][break]

The voice on the end is muffled; the reception in the outskirts isn't as clean as the city proper. He thinks he hears something about a few minutes, and hangs up in favour of focusing on the map. He has no idea of the situation he'll find when he arrives. The alert had simply stated that emergency services had been contacted for an ambulance near the location, and that could mean anything.[break][break]

When he rounds the corner, he expects to see the ranger themselves is hurt. What he comes upon is much worse: a familiar man covered in blood that is not his own, and his Arcanine partner dying in his arms.[break][break]

He's stunned into inaction for mere moments before his training kicks in and he's immediately at Adrian's side with two of his Pokemon released. They don't need to be told what to do upon seeing the gruesome injuries: Slowking fires heal pulses as drops of Hatterene's life dew fall like rain upon the dying Pokemon's fur. Orion won't say it, but he doesn't think it'll be enough. Too little, too late. Resting a gentle hand on the Arcanine's chest, he can feel the weakness of her heartbeat and the labour of her breath. His throat tightens.[break][break]

When he speaks, it's with all the composure he can muster. "What happened?"

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"Avery what are you doing?"[break][break]

Orion's voice over the comm is sharp with alarm, forgoing her gamer tag in order to confront her directly as he sees her avatar head back in his direction. She'd had the perfect opening to escape![break][break]

And now, unfortunately, his surprise at her decision to return has given kyle lopez the perfect opening to strike.[break][break]

Already weakened by their earlier attacks and slowed by the paralysis, the phantom force strikes hard and true. There's no moment of panic for Orion as he watches his HP slowly drain away, like Avery was: it's abrupt, the super-effective attack finishing him off and plunging his screen into the darkness of a loading screen.[break][break]

Well. Looks like they were going to have to re-think their approach to this damned quest. Sighing, he pulls up his friends list and shoots a simple DM to avery jones: 'Sorry, they caught us both off guard. Meet back @ quest giver?'

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Lacking the telepathy required to truly communicate the danger they were in, Orion's Alakazam does her best. She teleports around the group in rapid, panicked circles, her spoons drooping like wilted flowers.[break][break]

"They'll try to surround us," Orion guesses, and the Alakazam nods. "Yikes."[break][break]

Kazimir calls out a couple of his Pokemon and Orion notes the Aegislash in particular. "Good idea," he mumbles, retrieving a pokeball from his belt and sending out the ghostly weapon. The Pokemon adopts its defensive stance, protecting Orion with its king's shield should any of the lasers stray too close.[break][break]

"Alakazam, you're on guard to teleport anyone who starts to get surrounded."[break][break]

Circe nods again, the spoons returning to their regular composure as she readies herself.

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Another day, another test of strength that's sure to end with the reaping of his soul. Players were certainly quick to adjust to the monotony of being repeatedly slain by this stupid, stubborn Honedge. Orion included.[break][break]

He doesn't bother with theatrics this time around. He's seen people try and look cool only to vanish into pixels.[break][break]

Instead, he marches up with purpose and grips the hilt, pulls.[break][break]

WDbOfVhR

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[attr="class","ttshipreplytop"]report / honor form[attr="class","ion-plus"]

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Another ground type. Unfortunately, this one was neither psychic nor ghost type, and so Orion's familiarity with the species cannot be relied upon.[break][break]

It does, however, summon a sandstorm the moment it spawns. Either it has access to the move or otherwise it's ability allows it: either way, it's frustrating for the ranger as he gets battered with sand and his visibility is compromised by the haze.[break][break]

His electric move out of the question, Orion leaps into the air with Bounce in order to dodge the hippo's crunching jaws. He slams down a moment later, crashing into his opponent. Paralyzing it, he follows up with a Hex that takes it down, its body disintegrating into pixels.

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Keep Avery alive.[break][break]

That was Orion's number one priority, and as of right now, he was failing spectacularly. She's weakened and paralyzed and struggling to escape, and he's not doing much better.[break][break]

Having never been much of a gamer, it doesn't occur to him that he can log out and deny them their prize. Instead, he commits to his goal of protecting the healer until she's created enough of a gap between them that she'll make it to Valora even if Orion falls and the Spirit Shackle fades.[break][break]

kyle lopez's Bolt Beak strikes true, electricity aggravating his already paralyzed limbs. Arceus, this sucked.[break][break]

Doing his best to fight through it, he infuses one of his arrows with electricity and aims it at the Chatter-infused shot. If it worked, he could neutralize the attack. If it didn't, it might backfire on him, likely sealing his fate.[break][break]

aaYP7qSX PARALYSIS CHECK (Under 25, no action)[break]
ATTACK[break][break]

Orion is attempting to use his attack to intercept FERNANDO SILPH's. If he rolls lower, it'll hit him instead.

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