azume | Test 5.

Test 5.

VERITY

The journey this month has been easier on you in several ways; despite your losses, your numbers have been bolstered by the addition of two more this month, and unlike the unforgiving terrain on the way to Lake Acuity the routes to Lake Verity seem downright hospitable - they're straightforward, the climate is far more temperate, and there are patches of cheer visible here and there along the paths in the form of those brightly-colored flowers, even as you make your way toward the lakefront.

But the lakefront itself is perhaps unsettlingly silent; a reminder, perhaps, of what you're here to do, of the importance of your task.

You'll reach the lake sometime in the evening. The sun isn't down yet, but it looks as though it won't be too long before it dips below the horizon; there's more than enough light for you to see what the lake itself looks like, however - the water is still and clear, to an extent where you can see straight down to the bottom regardless of how deep it gets. There's no bridge or other way to cross over the lake that you can see, but once again there's a large rock formation rising out of the center of the lake and a good-sized opening in the stone, leading to what's likely a system of caverns further inside.

Your exploration starts here, next to the crystal clear waters of Lake Verity; what happens next is up to you.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[The cavern in the center of the lake is different than the other ones you've seen.

It's dark like the others were, certainly, and perhaps a bit less so given that there's less sunlight streaming in from the outside; what daylight remains is giving off a warm, pink cast from the sunset, however, reflecting in off the lake, and oddly everything here seems...warm. Calming, almost, like you're being wrapped in a particularly comforting blanket.

Your Pokémon don't like it.

Rather than taking comfort in whatever presence they're experiencing, it seems to take almost an opposite effect as it strikes any Pokémon that are out with you; some of them may lie down or move toward the walls, some of them may simply stop moving at all, others may have a different but equally suddenly subdued reaction as they seem to be taken over with a strange sort of despondency - a lack of hope, a burst of overwhelming sadness or despair that they seem to be having difficulty shaking off.

However, there doesn't seem to be anything in the cave entrance that's causing it; that much is empty. The walls reach out far in a circular shape, culminating in a domed ceiling above. and if you look closely enough the walls are glittering with the barely-exposed faces of crystals and the start of salt formations, all of it embedded in the walls too far to remove but still present around you in the dim light of the setting sun and whatever fires you guys may have with you to light your way.]

[Aya has just taken her Fennekin out of its ball when she lays down, curling her tail around herself.]

Chisato? Are you okay?

[She doesn't respond, other than a sad little yip. Aya is just going to pick her up and carry her along.]

[ Zelda makes fairly regular use of her Pokéballs, unlike some people. Just given the sheer size of some of her Pokémon it makes sense for her to do so. As such all of her Pokémon except Miphanus are actually already in their balls when she steps into the cave, but when they do and that wave hits, the robotic creature seems to deflate a bit and float down, reaching a hand out towards her belt.

She blinks and... Ah?

the ball? ]

You want- ... truly? [ Miphanus is the one almost never in the ball, just because it likes to explore but it nods and with a frown, she zaps it back in as well.

... What the hell. ]

[...jesus, now he's just got a bunch of sad Pokemon with him because he let them out in case they got jumped, and Velasquez is the most visible right now...]

Oh, come now, Velasquez. The ride over was fine.

[...the big ol Jellicent kind of shakes his head??]

...oh, it's not that. I see. I don't know, it feels nice to me...

Oh, I don't trust that at all. Even less now.

...

Yes, you're right. We're probably going to get attacked by something in about five minutes.

Make us comfortable and warm, lower our defenses. I recognize a lot of my own strategies in a lot of things that happen here, and I really hate it!

...you okay?

[Michael leans over Jane as she lets out a low moan and floats down to hover halfway through the cave floor, looking genuinely concerned.]

I'd put you in the ball, but given how these things usually go, we're going to be attacked by something shortly.

[Once he was on the other side, Eustace had let Bolt (his Elekid) out of his ball to provide some extra light with his horns if needed. But as the group ventures in, it quickly becomes apparent that he's going to need to rely on his flashlight. Bolt comes to a complete halt, trembling in the face of whatever's hitting him. It's not fear exactly, but...something has drained his desire to press forward.]

Bolt?

[He gets no response from Bolt. When he tries to urge the Elekid forward, he only backs up further. It's completely unlike him- he usually faces challenges head-on.]

What's going on with you?

[Again, no answer. Looks like he's going to have to return Bolt to his ball for now... He doesn't like how this is going already.]

It goes without saying, but...keep your guard up, everyone.

[ She has the bluish Great Ball that Bosphoramus is in already in hand just in case? But yeah, she nods and makes to get the flashlight in her other hand. ]

Yes, of course. ... Shall we go ahead, Eustace?

Yes.

[Short and sweet. He'll go ahead with Zelda to follow Sena and Monta.

It's a tricky situation that they have on their hands. He has no idea if anyone's Pokemon is in the condition to battle like this. If they do come across a threat, which he's sure they will, any kind of Pokemon assistance might not be an option here...]

[You know, once the ride over is said and done, Jake's got that lime green Tangela out with him again because what better way to introduce someone to the party than by way of introducing them to what's probably a pissed off god.

He's not expecting the weird emotional warmth when the cavern is entered; that's admittedly a really nice change from the last couple, which haven't inspired much of anything that people can feel while the Pokémon have been dealing with the fear and trepidation and-

...crushing despair, apparently, what the fuck, that is now the saddest bunch of vines, and he's just curling them around his face and sitting there looking pitiful.]

Albert, what the hell - you okay?

[...that is the one pokemon here with a sane name and no one here knows why but that's fine tbh

Jake will just...pause for a moment at a total loss before returning Albert, apparently, to the goddamn ball. Okay. Let's not subject our Pokémon to that today, he supposes...]

Is he doing okay?

[Says the person who's soaking because she held onto a Spheal all the way here.]

I was expecting the whole fear and menacing from the other times.

Likewise. You feeling okay? It's nice in here to me, but he doesn't like it.

[The feeling of warmth is welcome to Sena when he steps in, considering how drenched he is, but all his other Pokemon don't agree.

Vee curls up by his foot, almost lying down on it when he tries to take a step forward, the Abra in his arms sags a little and sleeps all the harder, Nin just sort of buzzes aimlessly until she hits a wall and...doesn't really move from there, and Shell just...drops out of the sky and lands with a soft thwump on his head. Don't look at the back of Sena's head for a while, guys.

Monta's behavior, however, is really jarring, considering how excited he is to lead the way normally.]

...Monta, come on...we need you to light the way for us...are you alright...?

[Sad monkey noises, but the little guy does keep moving forward. Kind of.]

Edited 2018-08-24 18:27 (UTC)

[There's another one of those corridors built into the rock face, likely leading to another chamber further down; thankfully it's less claustrophobic than the one at Lake Acuity, it actually seems fairly widely-spaced and less like it's trying to bottleneck you all into something terrible.

Going to go down, then?]

[Yeah, sure. After, uh, retrieving Nin, who seems to be doing her best impression of a moth flying at a lightbulb. And uh, encouraging his other Pokemon - they didn't get this far without pushing forward, right? Step forward with courage, guys!

it...kinda works.]

Edited 2018-08-24 18:34 (UTC)

[The lower you go, you'll eventually start hearing something.

It sounds like footsteps. Human ones, light and pacing back and forth in the next cavern, judging by how they're echoing.]

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