クリス the catcher.

✦ PKMN's Crystal, of Gen II. priv. rp blog; 21+ re-established 05/17/21; re-written by ivy.🌿

[littlerooted]

Brendan's lips pursed and he nodded a little. He'd never actually asked May how her encounter with Kyogre had gone - he barely spoke of Groudon and what he'd felt during the battle. How powerless he'd been.

He kept an eye on Groudon, but nothing else. If he was honest with himself, he had no interest in making any sort of accord with Pokemon of such power. Let sleeping gods lie, as it were. Primal Reversion, though, was another matter.

"No, no, it is interesting." He agrees with her. "Don't worry about that, either. Truthfully, we barely know anything about it. I've actually still got the Orb. Not on me, but given everything-- I felt like returning it to Mt. Pyre wasn't ideal. The family are wonderful people, but their duties are ceremonial. Nobody was ever actually expected to take the orbs, nevermind use them."

It sounded harsh, but given what Aqua and Magma had managed to do, what good was it to give them a potential second chance? That had never felt like much of a choice. Besides, it kept it away from Groudon, too.

His eyes drift over the carvings again as he listens, nodding along with her thoughts. Its certainly interesting, that these Pokemon would tie so strongly to places of human spirits, or sciences. There wasn't an obvious overlap he could find there - not on the spot - but that didn't mean there wasn't one.

Still, that would take a lot more deliberation - and this wasn't the place for that, really. Not if they didn't want to starve to death or dehydrate. They only had so many rations, after all.

"The question then becomes, what was the point of origin? While these carvings suggest Unova - as do the landing rumors - that doesn't mean they weren't elsewhere though?" He muses. "Though this may point to the fact that they had multiple points of contact.."

Brendan scratches his cheek as the pair begin to walk down the only exit available. At first he assumes its a dead end, but as they get closer he realizes it isn't; there's just a drop at the end.

Odd design. Damage, maybe? Either way, he has some time to keep talking - which is why he misses the soft sounds of gears turning in the walls. He is, however, at least careful to keep an eye out for any murder-holes.

Which he doesn't see!

"We know how intelligent some Pokemon are, and these ones are capable of building ships. That must mean they have a whole civilization out there." He folds his arms over his chest, guided as he was by Illumise and Crys herself. "-- If that is the case, it'll certainly throw a wrench into entering partnerships with these Pokemon, on some level."

[kristallum]

"Multiple points of contact is what I assume, exactly," her voice echoes down the way, torchlight now revealing the end of the passage ahead—in actuality, the stretch had been a lot shorter in length than one could've assumed at its mouth. Tricks of the torches and the shadows they cast.

"There is entirely too much evidence pointing to that being the case, like– say, when using the Galarian stone circles as a point of reference, right? Those formations began appearing around 2500 B.C.E., which, as I mentioned, was two millennia before this palace's construction was completed... safe for me to say, I believe we've been under observation for far longer than we, as a collective society, can fathom."

Much more than food for thought—the two Champions are assembling a buffet. It brings Crys to chuckle, oblivious to the fact that Peridot senses something mechanizing behind the walls to both sides of the three explorers. And, chilling as the implications are behind Brendan's conjecture, the Johtonian bears a sheepish grin.

"Look at the two of us—musing over hypotheticals, all while not knowing where in the hell we are." Though it has been worth swapping around theories; the woman is left with a lot to notate once breaking out of the castle's labyrinthine depths.

The end ahead nears, and the upcoming way out of the dungeon becomes visible: oddly slanted for a passage presumably meant to be navigable, to their right appears to be a hatch of some sort—intraversable, making the downward slope leading towards the left their only option.

Crys leaps from the end of the previous hallway, a short jump down but one that forces her to balance against the slight tilt of the flooring below. "Strange, the way this corridor was designed. I wonder if this slope was built with the intent to drain excess rain water? Seeing as this region wasn't nearly as arid back then." She hesitates to express aloud the idea of the tunnel being built to dispose of waste.

A tiny tug at her sleeve, and Crystal's gaze meets Peridot; the Illumise's entire aura seems sour, and very displeased.

Her trainer simply takes this reaction as a sign to what they are all experiencing, flashing the pokemon a sympathetic smile. Best she can do is be reassuring in times like these, to be the rock for her entourage. "It's gonna be alright, Peri. We'll be out of here as soon as possible, no need to fuss."

Joined by Brendan, the two steady themselves downwards, banter continuing to be a welcome source of distraction. "This chute could've served to assist in the transport of materials, back before the empire's prime... it's pretty plausible, don't you think? Despite their proficiency with ancient technology, they were still a primitive people..."

[kristallum]

The Transform Pokemon

Met at Lvl. 12 in the Pokemon Mansion (Kanto)

Height: 1'0’’ (0.3 m)

Weight: 8.8 lbs (4.0 kg)

Ability: Imposter

Quirky; somewhat of a clown

Dottie

Looking into seismic activity around Cinnabar Island, Crystal found a previously-blocked passage through igneous rock that led to a building—though, not just any building.

Upon entry, the tomb-like mansion, despite being buried for years following the catastrophic eruption that decimated Cinnabar, was still surprisingly navigable. Previous research notes littering the floors of the dungeon trapped beneath earth provided a point of interest, as the researcher traveled through the mansion’s darker recesses; many items were tucked away for further research (all that would ultimately lead to a turn of events that’d forever alter the trajectory of Crys’ life), though it was what permeated the long abandoned hallways that attracted her immediate interest.

Thought to be a trick of the mind, every object within the mansion was…. oddly enough, duplicated.

Turning a corner leading towards the first basement of the building—a fully stocked wine cellar, bottles surprisingly in pristine condition—Crys stumbled down an aisle, only to find herself waiting for her at the other end.

Several blinks and eye rubs later, she moves forward—her doppel does the same. As they meet in the middle after a slow creep of a stand-off, Crys is able to notice the doppel’s eyes resembling beady dots. The chill that overcomes her as she realizes the nature of her mirage twin is subdued by a quick battle; Blossom’s roar rattles the ceilings upon her release, dirt raining from above, and the doppel shifts and morphs to resemble the Meganium—Crys’ suspicions, immediately confirmed.

Since, Dottie has become a pivotal wildcard among Crys’ roster, and typically serves as lead when battling as Champion. Through studying them, the woman has uncovered several links to this unique species and the progenitor believed to link all Pokemon with one another—the mythical, elusive Mew.

[kristallum]

"fun" fact about dottie: this little shit gets incredible amounts of pleasure from pranking people, their favorite prank being to transform into someone and proceeding to sneak up on them for a spook.

problem is, they like to plan these pranks in advance; their memory is trash, so even when doing their best... let's just say, what you may find sneaking up on your could in some alien world look like you - albeit with misshapen limbs (too many of them sometimes), lack of (or dozens of) eyeballs, and other bodily horrors too uncanny to get into.

crys has stopped leaving dottie at the lab, preferring to keep a watchful eye over them. she still has nightmares about their last experience.

[littlerooted]

Brendan listens intently as Crystal speaks. Not only is he genuinely happy to give her a chance to speak about her research, but it gives a welcome distraction from the horrors of the chamber around them. The Hoennian lets his mind focus entirely on what she's saying, nodding along.

"Man-made Pokemon are honestly fascinating. If Roxanne hadn't gotten me hooked on primarily Cenozoic Pokemon, I probably would be studying them instead." He muses, before his brow furrows. Her words are enough to make him think. "And that does bring up a question, doesn't it? Were the secrets of the creation of Pokemon like Sigilyph or Claydol passed around from one culture to the next, or were the various regions colonized by the same culture that then splintered apart?"

Anthropology wasn't his field, but it tied in enough to it that he'd been to some sites that held cave paintings.

"Galar is especially fascinating in that regard because, like you just said, there's evidence of several different cultures that have settled the region at various points in time. You don't see that in most other places in the world. One or two, certainly, but three or four?" He shakes his head.

Hoenn had the Draconids and the even earlier culture that had enshrined the golems, in that regard.

Brendan steps off to one side to give her a better view of the carvings he'd been looking at. He squints himself, wondering why it seems to familiar to him. When she finally breaks it to him, he can't help but nod enthusiastically.

"I've been studying Primal Reversion - the state that Kyogre and Groudon can enter under certain circumstances that is believed the be their natural state before the passage of time and changing state of the world took it from them." Brendan begins, though he focuses on the wall as a particularly bad memory floods back to him. He masks it with thought. "It bares similarities to not only Mega Evolution but the evolution of certain Pokemon - or, reversion really - through Ancient Power."

He looks back to her, then.

"In the process of researching that, I was fortunate enough to speak to the Draconid tribe who still live in Meteor Falls - and visited there myself, before. Its one of the only places you can find both Solrock and Lunatone in Hoenn, and in ancient times - when Kyogre and Groudon were more powerful - the area was showered by meteors almost constantly, to the point it carved out much of the current area. Its not entirely out of the realms of possibility that both Pokemon came down with them, either, and were only discovered thousands of years later."

It made sense to him, and matched very well with what Crys was saying about Giant Chasm here in Unova. Just because modern science didn't see it, didn't mean it wasn't real.

"Not to mention it is highly likely that the experiences of 'dex holders such as myself and May only confirmed what was thought at the time. Outside of Tate and Liza, who we didn't battle until long after Meteor Falls, I cannot recall a single trainer who used a Solrock or Lunatone at the time. For all we knew, these Pokemon were only fairly recently discovered."

Again, he finds himself following her finger and listening. It took him a moment to click on to what she was suggesting, and its more than a little eerie. It certainly wasn't impossible - many Pokemon were sentient and a sapient, but there were a lot of implications there that he wasn't sure were ethical.

"They've been here before. Maybe coming for thousands of years, watching. It was only when a craft crashed that they became more naturalized." He frowns. "Of course, on its own that doesn't quite explain how populations have appeared elsewhere, unless some travelled or there have been more undocumented crashes..."

He folds his arms over his chest, nodding.

"But there's certainly evidence. We're looking at it." He frowns. "Now that I think about it, a few years ago I remember hearing that a small population of them had appeared back home on Route 121 and Mt. Pyre to the south of that. Places of power, like you said..."

Brendan looks around at the other walls. If they had more time, he'd gladly sit here for days and talk shop with her.

[kristallum]

As always, Brendan's ability to parley between the series of these separate topics is unmatched. Crystal finds this similarity between them comforting, even despite their surroundings, and motions for Peridot to inspect the hallway out of this pit before the trainers are to follow; though reluctant at first, the Illumise bravely flutters ahead, not straying too far from the others. The two researchers slowly regather their bearings, readying to continue on their search for a way out from this underworld.

"Incredible, that you bring up Primal Reversion," she calls thoughtfully, hoisting her duffel bag over a shoulder and situating it comfortably while still keeping its compartments accessible. "This is, of course, no news to you—seeing as you lived through it—but..."

Her eyes narrow solemnly, in reference to what was occurring in Hoenn during her companion's initial Gym Challenge. The apocalyptic events both he and Champion May navigated through in order to prevent the devastation of not only their region, but presumably the rest of the world as well—it has made for a harrowing account, though still one she's been able to bond with him on over the years.

"Mt. Pyre—the family there served as caretakers to the two talisman Orbs, needed for both Groudon and Kyogre to undergo their reversionary transfigurations, correct?"

She's wanting nothing more than to peel apart every image splayed before them, most notably being a large engraving of the revered Volcarona adjacent to where they fell. Though faded through time, the petroglyph is accompanied by two other images, one to each side: to its left is what appears to be a quadrupedal insectioid, with the image to the right depicting another form eerily symmetrical in shape.

Peridot's return signals that it is time to continue on. Crys gives the bug-type a thankful nod, beckoning Brendan along before the two humans continue with their conversation.

"An Elgyem population being around that vicinity, and to the route north of the mountain, is... a strange coincidence. Here in Unova, they're commonly found around the Celestial Tower—coincidentally, another burial ground." Her voice is low, cautious even. She allows Brendan to read between those lines, as clearly a correlation can be made regarding the alien species and its propensity to appear around places where souls have been laid to rest.

"Aside from those two locations of cultural significance, as well as the areas in Galar associated with the region's monolithic anomalies, there is but one other place the species can be found naturally: around the Hokulani Observatory in Alola, atop the mountain that provided its namesake."

Peridot hovers as close as she can to the traveling pair, emitting a soft glow not out of necessity—the torches more than do well to dispel the shadows that linger—but out of an anxious uneasiness. A rather precocious one, the shining Illumise is pulled gently by her trainer to sit atop the researcher's free shoulder.

"The observatory is a world-renowned facility specializing in astronomical sciences, which makes as much sense as it should—either, specimen that were observed and later released repopulated along the mountain, or they were.... drawn to that area, perhaps instinctively, on their own accord."

Crys must admit, she's having a grand time rattling off these theories with her Hoennian colleague, though the crawl of uncertainty still shrouds over her. They have no idea where they're heading, and are practically defenseless with halved parties. Not an ideal situation, though thanks to her fellow Champion's diligence and sharp wit, it's easier for her to assure herself into believing the best of possible outcomes.

[starrybats-m-deactivated2019042]

oh sure when charmander is weak to a bunch of kanto gyms it’s “gone through a lot” and “a warrior” and “the best starter for players who want hard mode” but when chikorita is weak to a bunch of the johto gyms suddenly it’s “garbage” and “useless” and “the worst starter of all time” 🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔

[esotericmeems]

[littlerooted]

Brendan is reminded of the sorts of gross, bloated things you'd see washed up on Hoenn's shores in the summertime. It's almost enough to make him lose his lunch, but pushes it aside. Falling apart now wouldn't do anything, now would it?

He looks Crys over briefly - she doesn't seem hurt; he presumes Penelope had caught her and itself before they'd slammed into the ground. That was good; he couldn't have imagined trying to get her out of here if she had been hurt. Still, no point in dwelling on what-ifs that hadn't happened.

Deciding not to release any of his own team (he wish he'd brought more, but the three he had wouldn't be much help right now) he stuck close to Crys and her own. The moonlight was replaced by torchlight, giving them a better view of the walls.

"You're fine." Brendan smiles, a genuine - if thin - one. He won't deny he's nervous. "The Sigilyph were likely one of the first lines of defence. And then-- this. They planned exceptionally long term."

Had there been other warnings? Maybe once, but with how the resort had claimed so much under the sands it would have been impossible to tell. And even then, there was every chance they may not have recognized it even if they wanted to.

His eyes drifted again, over the walls and the carvings. His brow furrows. It wasn't his area of expertise, but he gently directs her to one of them that sits astride to the doorway leading into the corridor. He vaguely understands some of it - maybe - but this isn't his field.

"You likely know better than me; any ideas of what they meant to convey?" He frowns, eyes drifting to what looked like something ascending from the skies.

[kristallum]

Softly, she smiles at the mention of one of her favorite subjects she's ever studied. "During one of my first visits to the Resort, I ended up tracking the flight patterns of the Sigilyph population here—honestly, only because I found them to be incredibly intriguing to look at."

Hard to rouse excitement, considering their circumstances, but the small talk is enough to help distract her from the pieces of skull crunching to dust beneath her boots. "From what I gathered, the Relic Castle had previously covered more land mass than what we've been able to record from modern excavations and such."

The two Champions are experiencing proof of this hypothesis now, stuck here within some unknown reach of the palace's murky underbelly.

"Luckily, I had the opportunity to study Sigilyph more closely during my last trip out to Galar—the ruins found throughout the Wild Area there bare striking resemblances to ruins of other regions, most notably Sinnoh. I hadn't much luck in linking any of Galar's fallen empires with the ancient civilizations that once occupied Unova, unfortunately..."

And now she's rambling, her nerves getting the better of her. A call from Brendan, however, immediately beckons her attention.

"Hm?"

Crystalline eyes follow to where the man has found interest. Peridot clings to her shoulder timidly; seems she's as displeased with the current state of things as her trainer is, perhaps even more so. Crys gives her small head a reassuring pat, inching up to the engravings and pulling reading glasses from within her shirt to examine them closer. Thankfully, despite the flow of time having claimed many areas of the Castle, these murals have remained intact enough to still be decipherable.

She takes a couple steps back after her review, gathering the entire scene displayed before speaking up. "It– well, it appears to show an entity descending from—see this?" Her fingertips keep their distance from the petroglyphs, though outline them roughly to help visualize. "I'm assuming this symbol above it represents the sun. Notice the eight protrusions? The dark circles which, I believe, were meant to resemble eyes?"

Crys knows Brendan's catching on, the Hoennite probably familiar with what she's hinting this to be. "Solrock. Now, I know modern sources state this species began appearing within the last thirty-to-thirty-five years, however I believe they've been among us for far longer."

Peridot hovers from her trainer's shoulder, her natural glow revealing the vibrant gemstones wedged into the wall. "The Giant Chasm in northeastern Unova supports this claim, too, as the impact that created it is estimated to have happened approximately three millennia ago—prior to the beginning stages of this palace's construction."

She turns to Brendan, bashful for continuing on the way she is, though her enthusiasm doesn't dull one bit. "Considering Solrock, among other pokemon of extraterrestrial origin, purportedly began appearing in the Chasm following the comet's impact...? I think a pretty strong case can be made that they aren't as 'newly discovered', relatively speaking, as we are led to believe." Again, she curses those outdated 'dex entries, though she moves along.

Tracing below the solar symbolism, she directs the man to again view what had initially caught his eye—the entity descending over a mass of what looks to be a human audience. "Now, back to this glyph. The figures it hovers above represent an ancient tribe, as you can gather by examining the garb they wear, though the being itself doesn't appear to be depicted as human at all."

And, though the drawing is crude and creatively liberal to the species as they recognize it today, Crys has no second doubts.

"Beheeyem, 'The Cerebral Pokemon'. Its pre-evolution, Elgyem, began appearing around the Desert Resort after a highly-classified event that occurred 76 years ago. Many theorists speculate that a craft of some sort crashed here in the desert, thus introducing the species to this terrestrial ecosystem and leading them to be 'discovered'. Other notable researchers have objected to the idea of there ever being a spacecraft, though, instead stating that what was quietly salvaged had been nothing more than a weather balloon."

Smells of a cover-up, but Crystal swallows her opinions on the matter; she has no substantial evidence to prove otherwise, and a "hunch" is no reputable foundation to stand on. Still, her imaginative mind always leaves room for nuance. "When observing the megalithic stone circles found throughout the Wild Area of Galar, I noticed how the region's Elgyem took particular interest in them. They'd routinely survey the stones, almost as if on a schedule, and some would even grow hostile whenever I made an approach. I know to take conspiracy theories with a grain of salt, however–

–these stone circles, and other similar monoliths in close proximity to them, date back to the early-to-middle Bronze Age—quite the time gap, between then and only just eight decades ago." Brendan's sharp, so she's sure he knows what she's getting at.

[farville]

[littlerooted]

Brendan grunts uncomfortably as Marilyn's talons clamp on his arms, jerking him to a stop. The heavy beats of her wings dislodge more of whatever is beneath them, sending them clattering and scattering into the darkness. When they're near enough to the ground Brendan reaches up to tap her leg and the Noivern releases him to land heavily, almost rolling his ankle as something shoots out from under his foot.

"Fine! We're fine--" Brendan calls, withdrawing Marilyn for now with a quick thanks. If not for her, he doubted he'd be alive right now. Diving down that confined passage couldn't have been easy nor comfortable for her, with her wingspan.

When Crys has her Illumise light the space up, Brendan can't suppress his gasp. That would explain what he'd heard, then - bones. Probably those that had fallen from above over an unfathomable time period, either dying on impact or being so broken that death took them soon after.

Or maybe those that found other ways in here and couldn't get back out. He wasn't sure if he was seeing sand or the residue from bones that had finally crumbled away to nothing, which painted an even grimmer picture for how long this had been going on.

Brendan looks back at his companion then, his eyes hard and his face etched with concern. There would absolutely be no way back the way they came - though Marilyn could easily blow through the stone hatch with a Boomburst, the resulting debris would certainly hurt her, to say nothing of what might happen to the rest of the structure.

"This would explain why we saw no Pokemon on the upper levels." He frowns. "I would imagine they've learned to stay out of most of the ruins."

He picks his way over the remains to stand beside the other Champion and her Pokemon.

"The only way through is forward, I think."

[kristallum]

Relief settles in, despite their morbid surroundings, as both humans regroup close within the moonlit shroud Peridot emits. The rank smell permeating the claustrophobic pit is overwhelming, likely the result of recent decay; a hand quickly covers Crys' breathing passages, her eyes sparkling like jewels in the limited light. "Thank goodness."

Short, though what else could she possibly say? The whirlwind of events that have landed them here have been dizzying to say the least, so much so that the researcher can hardly remember why she's here in the first place. Then come the reminders of her study in the Desert Resort, a study that'll have to be put on an indefinite pause.

Wherever it is that they are, they are unwelcome. In fact, the only thing welcoming them here in the Castle's abyss seems to be the promise of death.

And, as unfortunate as it is to admit, Brendan is correct—forward would be their only option for escape. Silently, she both curses and marvels at the ancient civilization proficient enough to create such deathtraps, ones that clearly negate even the sharpest pokemon from navigating through them unscathed. As much is evident, by the skulls rolling from the mound on which they balance themselves.

"I... yeah, it would appear so."

"I think we've lost all luxury of safety—stick close."

Stumbling through the bone garden, the two follow closely behind Peridot and towards the hallway ahead of them. Torches flicker forebodingly for as far as the eye can make out; the pit of Crystal's stomach drops, knowing full well the creators of this forgotten kingdom would not have installed an exit route so conveniently out the end of this chamber.

Whatever obstacles await, the woman would like to believe that two Champions would be more than capable to navigate; however, with all that's transpired, that lofty hope cannot be ascertained.

"Whoever constructed these levels of Relic Castle surely were prepared for intruders." Could these traps have been built during a time of war? Were they created to protect a treasure of some sort? Her thought processes have been thrown completely off-kilter, her equilibrium rattled while the two move onward still. Peridot senses her trainer's unease, hovering as close to the two humans as her Moonlight drops in favor of torchlight.

"Apologies for incidentally dragging you into trouble... again."

[littlerooted]

Brendan would be lying if he said he'd never browsed Occulture before. It was a Paldean-based magazine, primarily known for hosting 'paranormal' and 'otherworldly' occurences that supposedly weren't directly related to Pokemon. As a scientific tool it was worse than useless, but...

"I know how the community can be." Brendan frowns a little. "And I'm sure you do too, given how many Pokemon you've registered. We live side-by-side with monsters of untold power and potential, and yet sometimes information that is patently wrong can end up in regional dexes and probably won't be changed for years, if ever. If that's how our scientific community can be, then I can't say I blame anyone from seeking an alternative route to get their story out there."

He supposed that at least partially came about as the result of so many dex holders being children or young teengers, and the professors having to work off of their notes in their own dexes, though.

Brendan smiles a little then.

"Even if it is Occulture." He winked, but kept listening to her story. As he did so, he kept an eye on Marilyn. She almost seemed to take a few seconds now and again, as if she was more guessing than seeing. That was probably nothing though; a trick of the light - and he had asked her to get them out without taking them lower.

Her comment makes him shake his head.

"No, no, not at all. There's not much of an overlap between our two fields in that regard." He smiles. "And I enjoy learning. Besides, what you've just described isn't too terribly out-there. We have catagorical evidence that alien Pokemon exist, so what's taking it another step?"

Hell, didn't Beheeyem abduct other Pokemon in Galar?

Brendan believed Crys was likely onto something. He didn't know what, but ultimately she wouldn't waste her own time chasing things that were obviously false. She said as much herself, and in all the years he'd known her that had always remained true.

He hadn't been paying attention honestly; not enough that he hadn't dismissed the ticking and why they'd stopped walking. He'd almost slammed into the back of Penelope, herself blocked by Marilyn who was looking around the dead-end she'd led them to with confused irritation. She chirruped, wings flapping.

"Marilyn?" He asked, confused. That didn't make sense. She couldn't have gotten confused with her sonar; echolocation fundementally didn't work like that. And from her agitation, she hadn't meant to bring them here.

That was when the ticking stopped and the stone floor opened up under them.

[kristallum]

His comment jogs memories of the countless submissions Dexholders have contributed over the past decades plus, since the device was implemented to be wireless. Inconsistencies aside, Crystal held respect for all those tasked with completing their regional dexes, whether they were properly suited for the job or not.

And, considering many young trainers favored battling over gathering data, she can't fault others for not pursuing that goalpost with the same passion that has fueled her.

"Good point! A majority of the pokemon we know to be of extraterrestrial origin have acclimated to life on this planet—to varying degrees of success, but still–"

She refrains from mentioning the caverns filled with alien Clefairy, beneath the isle of Altomare. Despite the fact such colonies exist to this day, she's a woman of her word—that, and disappointing Jasmine by breaking their promise to keep confidentiality on the subject would be a most heinous offense.

"What is allegedly happening now isn't the typical interactions we've had with species we are familiar with... it leads me to wonde–?!"

Nearly knocking into the back of Brendan and toppling them all like a line of dominoes, her voice trails and her eyes examine the cubic chamber they'd been led to. The nervous cries of the Noivern immediately bring a chill to crawl through each of the woman's limbs; a pokemon as sharp and reliable as Marilyn would never have purposely made a miscalculation.

The whirring continues, as do the wheels in Crystal's mind as she realizes what happened—Marilyn's echolocation, somehow, had been jammed. By what, she cannot even begin to fathom. Penelope, a dual-type with psychic abilities, hadn't foreseen these circumstances either. Whatever it was that mechanized within the walls of the tomb-like room had been powerful enough to throw both pokemon off the respective guards, a reality that becomes all the more worrisome when the floor beneath them starts to shift...

...before it drops open.

Within seconds, three of the four companions hurdle downwards in a spiral of confusion, the party plummeting into the Castle's deeper recesses. Marilyn, in the nick of time, swoops Brendan up before he impacts the bottom of the pit; Penelope, harnessing all she has within her, radiates telekinetic energy, halting both her and her trainer's falls as she levitates them lower.

Crys can hear rattling beneath her feet in the darkness, the toppling of things sounding both dry and brittle. Her footholds aren't good, and through the commotion of it all Penelope's Mirror Coat couldn't sustain itself. "I-Is everyone alright?" The Champion's call bounces between walls unseen, the pitch-blackness having swallowed everything into an endless void while the floors above seal up once more with thundering force.

Tracing her fingers to locate her carry-on, Crys unzips it haphazardly, recalling Penelope as she releases another of her teammates. Upon emergence, her Illumise brightens the room with a silvery glow courtesy of Moonlight, revealing exactly where it is they've now found themselves.

Bones, both human and pokemon, litter the dungeon for as far as the eye can make out. Ahead of them, torches alight along a narrow passage, leading down to Arceus-knows-where. Crys turns to Brendan speechlessly, yet the look of bewilderment on her face is unmistakable.

[kristallum]

What Crystal Are You?

amazonite

above all you seek truth. you want to understand how the world works. you want to take things apart and put them back together again. your methods of dealing with stress and fear is to understand where it comes from. you face your demons with a focused mind and readied fists. you see everything so clearly, except yourself. it's so much harder to look inward than it is to analyze everyone else. what are you so afraid of looking at? what is it within yourself you don't want to touch? maybe one day you'll be strong enough to expose the parts of yourself you're afraid to understand.

[kristallum]

THE POKÉMON YOU TRAIN SAY A LOT ABOUT YOU. PUT THEIR POKEDEX ENTRIES HERE!  

Blossom 🌸 The fragrance of Meganium's flower soothes and calms emotions. In battle, this Pokémon gives off more of its becalming scent to blunt the foe's fighting spirit.

Bubbles 🫧 Azumarill can make balloons out of air. It makes these air balloons if it spots a drowning Pokémon. The air balloons enable the Pokémon in trouble to breathe.

Penelope 🦒 Now that the brain waves from the head and tail are synced up, the psychic power of this Pokémon is 10 times stronger than Girafarig’s.

Elvira 🦇 It feeds on the blood of living people and Pokémon. If it can't drink any blood for even a short while, it becomes weak and unable to fly.

Nicola 🦄 Rapidash usually can be seen casually cantering in the fields and plains. However, when this Pokémon turns serious, its fiery manes flare and blaze as it gallops its way up to 150 mph.

Dottie 🪞 Ditto rearranges its cell structure to transform itself into other shapes. However, if it tries to transform itself into something by relying on its memory, this Pokémon manages to get details wrong.

[kristallum]

crys is so versed in battling mechanics, like she knows exactly what to do and when - her inability to use anything other than her favorites costs her a lot of firepower but yknow what? she's so real for that i cant even be mad

[kristallum]

WHAT'S YOUR MOTIF ?

the home

whether it’s your warm embrace, your unwavering reliability, your smile that says “welcome back”, your motif is the home. your the equivalent to coming out of the rain to the fire on and your slippers waiting by the door. your uncanny way of making people feel alright, you’re treasured in these trying times. i respectfully request you take care of yourself, the world will never been as kind to you as you are to it. anne lammott said “lighthouses don't go running all over an island looking for boats to save; they just stand there shining” and though unconventional, lighthouses are inhabited and your cup runs over with generosity. because you probably don’t hear it enough, thank you.

[kristallum]

what does love mean to you?

something you need

it goes without saying that we all need love, but maybe that's a realisation you've had to have. and you don't just need it, you want it, don't you? i hope you know that you can allow yourself to believe that. you're allowed to want love, it doesn't make you greedy or needy, and there's nothing you have to do in order to be worthy of anyone's love. you're deserving just by existing as you are, you've existed enough and done enough to be entitled to a life of love. and you'll find it - maybe you already have! - i know you will.

[galaxicnova]

porygon: a man-made pokemon that consists entirely of programming code. it is capable of moving freely in cyberspace.

porygon2: further research enhanced its abilities. sometimes, it may exhibit motions that were not programmed.

porygon-z: its programming was modified to enable work in alien dimensions. it did not work as planned.

[kristallum]

just now realizing crys is the only core protag with an unnatural hair color...?? literally the "blue hair w pronouns" icon of all time my mind is blown to BITS