Angelo's suggestion is met with a snort, but no further commentary is forthcoming. 

Flecks of old paint clung to sweat-slicked skin as Skyler put her tools aside for the moment, stretching her arms upwards until something cracked and she let out a sigh of relief. Her hand rose up to massage at the junction between shoulder and neck- she'd been in an awkward position while working and was paying the price for it now.

"Long as you don't sneak paint while I'm not looking."

A few short steps take her to her husband, pale wood creaking under her weight. Ocean brine and sun-warmed wood and sweat mix together in a comforting scent, one that lulls her into a sense of warmth and security. To slide into the space between his legs is as natural as breathing, rough callouses rasping over the back of his neck.

"I could eat a whole Bouffalant right now." Saliva pools in her mouth, anticipating Figycove town's hearty inn food. "Think they'll have the Figy sauce stew today?" 

The expression on her face is downright lustful. 

Trust the figgies to put Figyberry into anything and everything; it would border on obsessive if it wasn't so Arceus-damned good. 

"This is definitely an improvement," she answers angelo vestri , sincere as can be. If she had to sit through more bickering, the captain thinks, she might just start considering switching sides and become the villain she was always meant to be.

We'll leave that for an AU.

The creature is one that bears no resemblance to anything she's seen before - a fact that hardly phases her after three years of consistently walking on the edge of a looming apocalypse.

The book does give her pause, if only because people seem to be gunning for it.

Nerds.

A flash of silver quickly scans the crystalline surroundings, stepping back at the hiss of scalding water. The edges of the cavern press closer, all sharp edges and distorted reflections. Not the best place for a leviathan to fight. 

Skyler's sharp whistle materializes Dhelmise to her side, ghostly tendrils of seaweed curling around her limbs. angelo vestri's Tailwind whips them into a frenzy of movement.

The creature's whip-like tail snaps overhead, forcing her to duck and roll behind a cluster of crystal-like formations. Dhelmise's tendrils attempt to snag onto one of its tail as it passes by.

"Curse 'em." 

A single orange eye swivels her way. Beyond, shadows coalesce into a facsimile of reaching hands, attempting to pull the creature down into an invisible ocean - and Curse of the Drowned it.

Skyler had absolutely no reason to dither, especially now that they'd gotten a generous haul. A Grapploct soons joins their efforts as they gather every single piece of treasure they can find.

Or at the very least most of it.

When Skyler's backpack is full, she hauls it up with a grunt of effort. Around her, and beyond the extent of her sight, shadows start coalescing into weird and contorted shapes.

"Yeah, think you're right." Nearby shadowy tendrils reach out towards her. Skyler steps to the side, quickly following Hideo Kino back the way they came in. "We've overstayed our welcome."

Something glints in the corners of her eyes, and Skyler makes the mistake of turning her head to look.

There, sitting amid twisting branches of shadows and symbols, lies a single shiny stone.

No, don't, and yet the thought's barely finished before she's turning back. Hideo Kino and their pokemon are going on ahead because why wouldn't they?

They have what they'd come for. And yet greeds eats at the heart of her.

"Dhelmise." Chains link into an extension of it as the ghost appears next to her. "There." 

A Phantom Force opens up under the crystal, and seaweed tendrils reach upward to pluck it from its resting place. Skyler catches it with an insufferably smug smile as she runs to catch up to Hideo Kino.


• Escape with your full load. + 1 curio

Skyler hasn't come this far without at least a shred of self-preservation (though this is highly debatable if you ask angelo vestri ).

And so when the good professor illeana reyes tells her to duck, Skyler does- and is promptly rewarded by being witness to space-time shredding itself apart.

"Arceus' tits, professor. Bit overkill, no?" 

It is, in fact, not overkill.

Sea Hoenn soldiers are strewn about, but their ranks are soon replenished from seemingly nowhere. Somewhere among them, she sees a crown. Her own face, carved cold and unyielding.

She sees herself, a little bit more lately.

Fuck. This fucking place.

Skyler turns away, disconcerted.

Scanning the surroundings, she finds an idea forming. Not a good idea, mind you, just an idea. For a few precious seconds, the few working cogs in her brain make her hesitate.

That doesn't last long. 

Like illeana reyes had done previously, she issues a single warning before chaos ensues.

"Prof! Head to the nearby tunnel!" 

For a moment nothing happens. Then a flash, and the colossal shape of a Wailord materializes in the space, crushing any enemies beneath its glorious blubber. Hopefully.

 
• Battle a manifested trauma/memory.

"Did I?" There's something vaguely insulting about the casual way she curls her tongue around the words. "You're gonna hav to be more specific, sweets." She doesn't attempt to step aside as Marza moves to grab her collar, even as the threads of her shirt threaten to rip apart.

Good, a primal, hungry part of her brain provides. Her lips part subconsciously, a tongue tracing the edges of sharp incisors. "I can't be expected to remember all of my jobs, can I?"

Sweat. Violence. Adrenaline. Skyler drinks it all in with joyous abandon and an absolute disregard for her own self-preservation. The fierce curl of her mouth is an invitation, prodding at Marza Volchitsa 's pride, encouraging her to exact revenge. Sweat gathers in the nape of her neck, trickles down the curve of her spine. Adrenaline runs hot through her veins. Every inch of her skin is hyper-aware, electrified.

Arceus, she missed this.

Skyler downs the rest of her drink before deliberately stepping forward, breaching any remaining space between them - bold, brash, foolish. Everything outside of this brewing conflict becomes a blur, inconsequential.

"You 'bout to be trouble, then?" Her hand curls into a fist at her side.

"What the-" Skyler dodges under an anchor-like claw, cursing profoundly as the wall behind her explodes with the impact, raining fleshy bits on everything in her vicinity, herself included. "What the fuck Doug, you didn't tell me there were - would you stop attacking me, you bastard!? - mutants here!"

Skyler does a good job dodging the onslaught of claws intent on squashing her into Skyler paste, muscles burning with exertion as she vaults and rolls away. A moment's respite allows her to grab one of her pokeballs at random and lug it at the ground between her the murder monster.

The Gyarados stretches the limits of the room's capacity, its serpenting body uncoiling as it snarls at the creature before it. If anything, it proves a good buffer between the abomination and Skyler herself, who earns herself a few precious seconds to gulp down some air.

It soon joins Dhelmise, Escavalier and Crustle in the fight, whipping up a Hurricane that has Skyler holding on for dear life - but at least removes the bigger clumps of flesh from her hair.

- Battle a fusion pokemon

"Not a bad start, squirt. If you feel like you need help relocating people or transporting resources - or any other thing, really - I'm happy to be of service. I live in Lilycove but I'm usually somewhere out on the ocean doing jobs."

Skyler opens her mouth to say something else, but is interrupted by the echo of heavy movement. A sharp whistle brings Dhelmise between the two of them and the incoming abomination.

"What the shit." As eloquent as ever, Skyler slides into a fighting pose, scanning for exits should things go south.

"This normal?" she asks Hideo Kino.

Dhelmise is quick to react to the creature's presence, its chain unspooling with the clang of steel on steel. With a quick snap, it launches the chain forward in an ANCHOR SHOT that wraps itself around the Gyarados/Aerodactyl and slams it against the ground.

• Battle a fusion Pokemon (Gyarados/Aerodactyl) +1 curio

Skyler wouldn't have come back to this cursed place willingly.

Last time she'd stepped into the Border, she'd been forced to look her guilt in the eyes, had been forced to admit to the redness of the blood on her hands. 

Funny that the memory Skyler was most haunted by had been an intrisic act of mercy. She can't help but be glad that angelo vestri isn't here with them this time; she wouldn't be able to look him in the eye with the memory digging its claws into her skin.

"It's as good a spot as we could hope to find in here." Soft tendrils of sepia mist curl around teeth-like spires of rock, disturbed by their movement. 

She'd only met Caleb Harcourt briefly before his knidnapping and consequent rescue. Whether she thought him worthy of it - or not - was a question she still hadn't decided the answer to. After all, she'd been the one knitting angelo vestri back together.

All the while calling him a colossal idiot, of course.

A flask is shoved right under Caleb Harcourt 's nose, the sloshing movement within hinting at some sort of liquid. She waits for him to take it, lips twitching with amusement. "Holy water, just in case. I would've preferred alcohol, but alas I don't think that works nearly as well with ghosts."

Her backpack hits the ground with a heavy thud, and Skyler proceeds to remove from within all sorts of charms and knick-knacks. And a whole bag of ocean salt. 

"Fuckers won't find me unprepared this time."