Test 9.

[azumods]

SPACE The base in Eterna City is neither as large nor imposing as the Veilstone building; however, you've likely noticed by now that it's just as odd-looking, if not moreso. Located in the northwestern portion of town, it stands at the epicenter of the spatial disturbances plaguing the city; it doesn't seem unaffected by them - there are parts of it that seem...out of place, the building itself just as patchwork as the rest of the surrounding area - but it still seems structurally sound and the door is still in place and looks like it belongs to the original building. So it'll probably take you where you want to go upon walking through it. Probably. That said, while it's not the best idea to kick down the front doors and hope no one notices, it doesn't seem that you have much of a choice; unlike the Veilstone base, there doesn't seem to be another entrance. So it's either front doors or nothing; hopefully there isn't anything too hostile immediately inside. There don't seem to be any guards stationed outside the building, at least - it seems that they're staying inside just as much as the locals are. Either that or they have other reasons for not being around. On the one hand, Dialga may have given you some idea of what you're likely in for eventually; on the other, Palkia is an entirely different creature, holding dominion over another aspect of the universe entirely. Hopefully you've steeled yourselves, either way; best of luck to you.

Comments

[greydients]

...I don't think we have much of a choice.

[Gallade shifts himself to stand in front of Rey, while she silently berates herself for being so suddenly afraid.]

Let's just stick together and be careful.

[anythingforyou]

[...Right. Camilla nods her head in agreement.]

Right. Stay close, everyone; we don't know what we'll be dealing with.

[Let's just keep going on.]

[azumods]

[It's a good idea to move forward cautiously. The uneven terrain and the heat are certainly something you can get used to, but the occasional tremor ripping through the ground and shaking both you and your Pokémon probably isn't going to be any fun to deal with.

The footsteps continue moving, sometimes it sounds like they're retreating and sometimes it sounds like they're ascending upwards... but surely that's just because of the echo in the chamber, right?]

[gekkaju]

[Atsushi has taken to holding onto Chazuke's arm to keep his balance, thankful that he's built like a brick house and can stay on his feet even when the tremors make him falter.]

How deep does this even go?

[greydients]

[One of the tremors takes Rey by surprise, and Gallade neatly catches her arm as she stumbles on the uneven ground. If she's struggling a bit with the path, however, the heat isn't affecting her at all. Growing up in a desert can be good for something at least....]

Where are we...

[...right, those footsteps.]

...should we call out? I can't...tell if it's a person or not...

[anythingforyou]

[Haar is kind of lowkey clinging to Camilla after a tremor, and she's suddenly realizing that this is why she likes flying better--]

That may not be such a good idea--we don't know if they're friendly or not.

[It's not a good decision, she admits, but...]

Unless we could find a way to see them before they assumedly see us... [...Camilla is going to dig through her pack, admittedly, before asking--] Do either of you have a flashlight with you?

[greydients]

...right. Do either of you two have a Fire-type, or something that can cast light throughout the area...?

[...that might help a bit with the uneven path too, actually]

[gekkaju]

[Atsushi purses his lips.]

...she's not a fire type, but Natto knows flamethrower.

[SOMEHOW]

[anythingforyou]

[...You know what--]

That may just work. Do you think you could convince her to try to use it to create some sort of light for us...?

[SHE'S NOT GONNA QUESTION HOW A SKUNK KNOWS FLAMETHROWER, NOT AT ALL]

[greydients]

...

[That'll do!]

Could she use it to light up the area? I don't think we're going to get anywhere stumbling around in the darkness like this.

[...]

...and be ready. In case those footsteps don't belong to anything friendly.

[gekkaju]

[Atsushi nods to both Rey and Camilla, pulling her Pokeball out of his bag to release her. She shakes herself off briskly before...just sort of standing there, blinking into the darkness. Where are we.]

Natto, we need some light in here. Do you think you could do that? ...Carefully, please.

[Natto looks up at Atsushi and grumbles a little. You're no fun.

But even though careful isn't even in her vocabulary, she'll step out to the front of the group. Instead of just gunning it like she might normally, she lets the fire collect in her mouth and sort of just...roil there like a sort of beacon, occasionally puffing out little jets of fire to keep it from burning her. It lights the area a bit in front of them, even further out with the occasional fire plume escaping her jaws.]

[azumods]

[That works, and while the extra heat probably isn't appreciated, you'll at least be able to see more of the cavern you've found yourselves in!

It's pretty much exactly what you'd expect, honestly. Plenty of rocky walls and uneven ground. You won't be able to see all the way to the back of the cavern, but you've got a pretty good idea of the size of it. It's not huge, but it's not claustrophobic, at least.

Whatever's been moving around has stopped, and while it isn't illuminated by the flame, you can see a pair of glowing orange eyes staring at you from the darkness.

For a moment, all is still.

Then another large tremor shakes the cavern and a crack rips through the floor, spewing bright and very dangerous lava. The good news is it'll help illuminate the back of the cavern and whatever awaits you back there.

The bad news is that what you're facing is very definitely not human.]

[greydients]

[.....

..........

well. that sure is a thing that happened-]

...hello?

[Rey is not. quite sure how else to react, but at least it isn't attacking them yet....?]

[anythingforyou]

[...We.

We may have made a mistake, um. Okay, let's try to present as little of a threat as possible to this thing? Camilla's just going to keep a soft tone towards it--]

Are you...perhaps the guardian of this place?

[Haar is just gonna hide like fuck behind Camilla, thank you very much--]

[azumods]

[Heatran responds with a roar. It's difficult to tell whether or not she understands what either of you are saying, but she's clearly not happy. She stamps her feet, sending out more of those cavern-shaking tremors and begins to stomp forward. It's not like she's moving with purpose, it's more like she's charging recklessly at all of you.

You probably don't want to let her get too close. That might end badly.]

[greydients]

[...UM

UM]

We need to move!

[YEAH GALLADE WILL BE DRAGGING REY OUT OF THE WAY OF THE CHARGING LAVABEAST]

[gekkaju]

[You know what it's time to do? Time to do what Atsushi does best- make snap decisions that he might not have fully thought through.

There's a sudden flash of light as he lets out one more of his Pokemon, who flips through the air and lands on Natto's back, confused and also it's suddenly really hot-]

Mizushi, water gun on the lava, right now!!

[Without thinking to try to figure out what's happening first, the buizel starts spraying water at some of the big pools of lava that spewed up in front of them. Atsushi's hope is that they'll start to harden, putting some rock barriers between them and Heatran.]

[azumods]

[Good thinking! That does get the lava to cool down and it very quickly hardens over. Heatran doesn't seem to care at all though, and her feet come down hard, cracking the hardened lava. Even when one of her feet sinks into the lava she doesn't stop, she just continues barreling forward.]

[gekkaju]

[Fuck fuck FUCK-]

Their foot! Cool the lava there!

[The Buizel shifts course, dousing the lava that Heatran just sank into. If she isn't stopped by this, they're going to join the rest and fucking run]

[discutio]

[...hm. That sure feels like a Bad Time. Ignis drew a little closer to the others, reaching for his coat pocket.]

Time to move, right now, immediately, where's the exit.

[And just in case, he'd call out Highwind to see if Sing would do much of anything.]

[azumods]

[You know, that's a good question.

Turning around to head back the way you came will reveal... more cavern, leading back up into somewhere entirely unfamiliar. The stairs aren't anywhere to be seen.]

[anythingforyou]

[...YEP, THIS IS BAD, AND YOU KNOW WHAT?

FUCK THIS SHIT--]

We need to get out of here. Now.

[BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, FUCK--]

Haar, join Mizushi and use Water Gun! Now!

[LET'S JUST TRY TO COOL THIS DOWN JFC ???]

[azumods]

[It doesn't look like the Water Guns are very effective, but the second one actually gets Heatran to flinch a bit; she's really not fond of water getting too close to her.

As she flinches, you'll notice something strange - there's something coming out of her back, just behind where that steel plate on her head ends. At first it's easy to mistake as a part of her; it is red, after all. But no, this is a little too familiar, and with Dialga on everyone's minds, it probably isn't difficult to place it.

It looks like a part of the red chain that encircled Dialga, but it's been broken, leaving only a few links sticking up out of Heatran's back instead of covering her entirely like it did with Dialga.]

[anythingforyou]

[...Wait. Holy shit--Camilla's definitely looking as she's about to turn tail and run, but both she and Haar are surprised by what they see.]

There's a red chain on that creature!

[Camilla shouts that quickly, trying to at least give the others an idea of what they might be dealing with. They may not be as alone as they thought.]

[gekkaju]

[Out of reflex, Atsushi jumps, bumping into Chazuke who takes his shoulders in his claws and keeps him steady. Luckily he's part water type, even if he doesn't have that many water type moves yet. Either way, they're staying clear of the lava if they can while Natto keeps the flames in her mouth. Even she's afraid to provoke the Pokemon back there.]

O-oh...oh man.