Test 5.

[azumods]

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.

Comments

[azumods]

Yeah - yeah, I'd like hearing that, sure.

[His gaze kind of shifts again a little, but it doesn't seem like a bad thing; almost shy, maybe, if he were fully capable of that.]

[perfectselfie]

We’re all from different places. We weren’t brought here willingly; Cyrus and Team Galactic kidnapped us and brainwashed us. Most of us woke up from the brainwashing together, in Veilstone City. That’s where we met Cynthia and she told us what happened. We had a choice at that point. We could go back and ask to be brainwashed again. We could stay in Veilstone for a while and risk being forced back. Or we could start our own journey, find the Lake Guardians, and help them.

For me, it wasn’t a choice at all. I love making people smile. If there was anything I could do to help bring feelings back, I would.

So we left Veilstone, made our way to Pastoria City, and while we were there, working on making money to get supplies for the next leg of the trip, something amazing started to happen: people began reacting to us. The Pokémon I was holding when we met hatched from an egg I was given as a thank-you. We made it to Lake Valor after a run-in with Saturn, and after a trial - first convincing a bunch of Spiritomb, then convincing Maylene - we were able to help Azelf. Maylene gave us a device that teleported us to Eterna City, and she asked us for a favor: find her friend Candice.

We made it through the snow and the rough terrain to Snowpoint City, meeting Keith and Noctis along the way, then to Lake Acuity. That...

[Aya’s breath hitches again.]

I still think it’s a miracle we made it out of that cave alive. People were frozen into ice, and Candice...Uxie possessed her to try and protect itself. We couldn’t do anything for her but take her back home, after we convinced Uxie to let us help it.

We eventually had run-ins with Jupiter and Mars, we met Atsushi and Madame Flurrie, and now we’re here.

Lucas, I don’t know what will happen at this point. We may be able to save the world and go home again. We may not. But I think it’s worth fighting for, even if we don’t get to go home after it’s all over.

[azumods]

[He's quiet for a moment, just kind of letting all that sink in.]

...Thanks. For wanting to help us. And I'm really glad you made it out of everything okay? Or you seem to be doing okay, anyway.

[perfectselfie]

You don’t have to thank me.

[Aya nods.]

I’m doing a lot better now than I was after Lake Acuity. That was rough going.

[azumods]

It...sounds really bad.

[Understatement of the year tbh.]