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Owner	Pose
Petra Soroka	For those who've returned to the Pokemon World already since Clastic Cavern, the process is much of the same. The belltone voice singing somewhere adjacent to your dreams sounds positively delighted to see you again, disbelievingly giddy when, of your own volition, you move towards that distant-but-less-distant-than-before presence.     For those who've been gone since the Expedition, it's an entirely new experience. Rather than being spirited away by a force you can't wrap your head around, going in one moment from being unconscious in your bed, or on the grass of the first speck of land in Rita's world, or in a pile of pillows and other agents tucked away in a corner of the Control Department, to waking up in the pile of hay in the Guild, there's a step in between. You dream like you would any other night, but gradually over the course of the night, Celebi's wordless voice filters in, coming from 'somewhere else' than where you are.     The quality of her voice is in an awkward in-between state you haven't heard before; not the pure sound that was mistaken for a signal of some kind that it typically has been before crossing into the Pokemon world, but not comprehensible like her voice becomes after being dimensionally transported. Instead, it's distinctly *language* of some kind, but awkwardly unaffected by the Understanding for whatever reason-- fluctuating in tone and emotion, but still wordless.     Rather than being-- however gently-- abducted, it's your own choice to approach Celebi, or decide in your heart that you *want* to, with lack of a specific direction to aim towards walking within the dream. When you do, there's that upwards-lilt of surprise, a hasty explanation that seems flustered even without words to fit into it, then soft excitement and an outstretched 'hand', whereupon 'taking it' lulls you fully into unconsciousness.     For Madeleine-- it's different.     Hunting down the signal as she does, even eventually drawn towards its source location, there's no sign at all of what could've possibly emitted it. There's residual traces of energy from what must have been a dimensional rift of some kind, and they're far too fresh for them to have been left over from earlier when the signal was active. It's not possible, not on a first visit, to figure anything else out from that-- not even an idea of what went where, and in what direction, just that *something* happened, something *is* happening, and there's a magical stink to it that she has no idea how to process.     When she falls asleep, she's greeted directly, before slipping into a dream. It's not a coincidence that the strange, bell-tone signal darts into her consciousness, with its unintelligible words but clear intent on using language. There's a quirk in the chimes, like a curious head tilt, and then what can only be described as a giggle made with the sound of wind, and then she's unconscious, and somewhere else.     When she gets to the Town surrounding Tinkaton's Guild, she bumps into a small, cream-and-pink panda-like creature, who's tottering around at the top of the hill and jumps in excitement upon seeing her-- a jump that sends them tumbling halfway down the hill before they manage to pop back up to their feet. They introduce themselves as Spinda, seem thrilled but unsurprised to see you here, insist you follow them to the strange head-shaped building up on top of a different hill, and explain absolutely nothing about what you want to know and everything about things you'd never ask about.
Petra Soroka	Then everyone-- including a bemused Sneasel at Spinda's insistence, is lined up in front of the Outlaw Board within Tinkaton's Guild. It is exactly as confusing to Madeleine as the series of capitalized words would imply-- everyone is some manner of... creature; there's the pink one whose head is apparently what the entrance to this guild is modeled after, carrying a hammer twice his size. In front of the Elites, and Spinda, is a jellybean-like blob suspended in green gel, whose stubby little arms are holding up a paper that was torn off the corkboard behind him. Duosion: "Right, hm hm." Duosion: "A last minute addition to the Spinda Squadron, is it?" Duosion: "We will have you fill out your, hmmm, paperwork, later."     None of the others have ever been asked to fill out paperwork. There is, seemingly, no paperwork involved in the process, and Duosion is just talking out of his ass for no reason at all. Duosion: "The mission, then, remains, entirely unchanged." Duosion: "Notorious Outlaw, Kabutops, has been spotted in the Undersea Alleyways." Duosion: "With their, mmm, *rap* sheet, shall we say, of thefts and assaults, it is our duty and calling as *no*ble members of this Guild to apprehend them." Duosion: "It can't all be cheer and Expeditions, even for you, our dearly treasured aliens, mhm."
Madeleine Cadrasteia	EARLIER     Reality-bending attacks like the leviathan Queen's final assault are best repelled (in Madeleine's case at least) with detachment, but that detachment must be recovered from with immersion. And so, after hardly a day spent on Rita's world: another day, another hunt. This time: a mysterious interstellar signal, a string of sudden disappearances. Madeleine visits radio stations on three different planets. She breaks into warp-gate operational archives to check for teleportation signatures at times and places matching the disappearances. She variously interviews and interrogates bereaved families, photographing homes and possessions of the vanished.     At last the huntress retires to her sanctuary manor and begins to collate her evidence. Photographs both film and digital are processed and printed, data points are compared, common threads begin to emerge. Threads that are soon literal, red yarn pinned to an expansive cork-board in the manor's boardroom. Information and images are posted, rearranged, connected to one another. Patterns emerge, patterns which must be leading or coming from *somewhere*. Madeleine, weary after some very long days, sits in the great leather chair at the far end of the boardroom table to ponder the evidence from afar. She pulls a lever to lean the chair backwards a little - she just needs to rest her head for a moment - she's so close, just one final question - she *knows* she has the answer, somewhere - and in that moment sleep takes her...
Madeleine Cadrasteia	Madeleine awakes on sand, lying on her back. Was the past day a dream? Had she simply drifted off again on the first land to grace Rita's world in so many years? No, Rita's island was grassy, and the sound of insects and birds suggested a forest nearby... wait. Shouldn't she be in the boardroom? Her eyes snap open. She sits upright, takes in the tranquil beach around her, and then notices her feet. Black fur, two toes with long white claws. "What the devil..." she mutters as she inspects her body. Her hands show the same kind of transformation. She has a tail now, three bold red feathers. Something has changed her. That itself is not distressing. What truly alarms the huntress is that she cannot simply shrug off the form by reminding herself who or what she is, and where she came from. Here, now, she is shockingly, impossibly *real*.     Madeleine takes a few trembling steps toward the water, seeking a reflection to view in the lapping waves. She pauses for a moment to marvel at what she sees: a small, dark feline or weasel-like creature, with long red feathers for a tail and a short red feather over one ear. Wicked claws, strange yellow gems on the forehead and chest, and... eyes of night and falling stars. Madeleine breathes a sigh of relief that somehow, on some level, she's still herself. Spying a few wisps of smoke in the distance, she sets out for what is hopefully some form of civilization...
Kale Hearthward	"White Chalice! New tier! Questing time!" You've heard of 'super on wakeup'? Well, Kaleduo has 'shouting on wakeup', with about the same amount of force. "Ha ha - and since I have a new body here, all the injuries I took don't mean anything!" Immediately, he trips and falls flat on his faces. "(We seem to still be injured-)" "(Shut uuuup, I know.)" Kaleduo, at a more sedate pace, makes his way downstairs to join the others - though the left head keeps chanting the words 'white chalice' and 'silver chalice' under his breath every so often, as if it's a mantra to psyche oneself up. "So we're chasing down criminals. Does the guild serve as ersatz law enforcement, then, or is this an established system of-" "Is there a bounty? Oooh - is the bounty a new technique? Or a mystical piece of equipment - no, wait, I've already got enough of those. Hey if the bounty is an ancient mystical relic or anything like that can we swap it out?" "Ahem. So the rap sheet, is that assembled from witness statements, or was it created by-" "Oh - unless it's one of those ancient artifacts that takes a lot of skill and dedication to learn how to use. Then it'd be fine. That feels sufficiently chalice-y. Is it one of those?" "I'm trying to audit the justice system here, can you keep on track for what's important?" "What - I am on track, let's just hunt the criminals and get the reward!" The two heads devolve into bickering and then pecking at each other. That much hasn't changed.
Madeleine Cadrasteia	NOW     Madeleine follows the 'Spinda' in a stupor of overstimulation, looking left and right at the strange colorful creatures populating the settlement. Everything was so *bright* here, so vivid... but it doesn't make her vision swim and her stomach churn like it usually would. She doesn't even hear the usual rustling of a beast stalking her on the other side of the colors. It's only when she nearly walks into a giant hammer that she comes back to full awareness, just in time to be assigned a quest. "So you need us to hunt this Kabutops fellow down, then? Heh, I think that can be arranged," she says, inspecting her claws. "You, uh, found- called- however I got here, I'm the right one for the job. Do you know what he's doing down in the tunnels?"
Angela	Cinder appears as a Cyndaquil again. A CINDERQUIL! That's right! Cinder is actually getting kind of accustomed to being a pokemon now, a fair chunk of her 'missions' are as a pokemon rather than as a human being even if it's only been about once every week or so. It's definitely a lot better than her normal job, even if she has to be a pokemon for it. Normally she is happy to participate because Petra is coming along and she excitedly says, "Petra!" as she 'wakes up' in the other world and.. ...There's no Petra. Cinder's head twists this way and that and she says, "Oh poop." She thinks about what the Infinity Train had to say about that and she declares, largely to herself, "No! I can adventure on my own! I am not... someone completely defined by my relationship to another woman! That's right. I can... Pokemon on my own today. I'm going to bring a cool story back to Petra this time!" She shows up in front of the Outlaw Board, still beaming radioactively. ''Notorious Outlaw, Kabutops...'' "Oh shit we're actually gonna be doing a real job." Cinder says, surprised... but enthusiastic! "Rest assured, Kabutops won't expect /this/ alien invasion. Do you have a description of them?"
Hellwarming Trio	"You're the one from Spinda's world. What are you trying to say?"         "How'd you get in here? Hey, get back here!"                 "Huh...? Oh, is it time for round two?"                  Each one of the three primary residents of a certain hell palace have different reactions to Celebi's appearance in their dreams. Utsuho's is by far the most eager while Rin more like a pursuit of someone supsicious, but Satori recognizes the mystery for what it is and... Well. She's pretty eager, too, even if she hides it a little more than her pets. When they arrive, it's not in their regular bodies, but as a trio consisting of an orange bird with a weird eye on its chest, a black cat with a red face, and a brussel sprout-headed thing with a white body. Utsuho: "Hey! Been a while, huh?" Rin: "Must be real serious if you're callin' on us again, huh?" Satori: "It seems we have a new face joining us today." Satori: "Good to have you with us." Without actually introducing themselves to Madeleine, the trio proceed to listening closely as Duosion gives everyone the briefing. It does't take long for all three of them to exchange brief looks, then turn right back to the green jelly creature. Utsuho: "Must be a tough one, if you're getting all of us involvd for just the one target." Rin: "Right? But don't you worry. We're not junior asskickers for nothing!" Satori: "I doubt it'll be that straightforward. Still." Satori: "I doubt we'll have that much trouble, even if it was just us."
Blemishine	It's sort of an odd sensation. Being invited along by Celebi in that wordless and strange way, rather than whisked away regardless. During the adventures leading to Clastic Cavern before, the intermittent summons bringing them back to the Pokemon World sort of became part of a routine, in a weird way. And after the expedition had wrapped up, the lack of that felt a bit like something was missing.     Maybe because of that 'routine'. Or maybe because there were still so many things left unexplored. It's hard to not have your exploratory spirit get lit aflame after all of that, you know.     "Hey... do you know that I can't hear you? Will I be able to if I come along?" But, as evidenced by that offered 'hand' being taken...     ... Maria: "Eh? Huh?? Wait, did we ever fill out any paperwork???"     The question posed by the Ponyta (regional) (shiny) is asked while glancing tentatively between the rest of the assembled Spinda Squadron party, wondering if she missed a memo somewhere. She never was any good with paperwork. Actually, she's awful with paperwork! Also, she's never tested how good her handwriting is when she has to do it with her mind rather than opposable thumbs! Maria: "Well, apprehending wrongdoers is something that plenty of us are used to, already!" Maria: "I'd say we'll be up to the job just fine. You can can count on us, Duosion! Maria: "Hmm... the Undersea Alleyways though... hey, didn't those thugs we stopped on our way into Clastic Cavern mention that place? What's it like?"     While ruminating thoughtfully on their encounter with Lairon and Phanpy, Blemishine takes note of the fact there's an extra Sneasel here that she doesn't quite remember being part of their group from last time. Huh! Must be another member of the Guild she didn't notice around befor--     Psst! You folks Elites too?     "...Ahahaha..." Voice lowered and thus obviously distanced from Dialogue Boxes, she shuffles her hoofs in place a bit and leans her head in Madeleine's direction. "First time, huh...?"
Timespace Riders	A familiar duo finds themselves standing before the Outlaw Board. Between them, the fluffy brown Eevee looks less awake, but neither he nor the purple Purrloin with regal bearing seem displeased to be here. And why would they be? They each sought out Celebi in their dreams, after all. Still--Sougo seems happy, and even Woz's imperious demeanor isn't without a little smile.      "Naturally," says Woz, placing a purple paw over his cream-colored chest, "It would be our pleasure to assist." He makes a slight bow at the waist. He doesn't bother bringing up the paperwork--but, as he rises with that smile, perfectly suited to his feline features, Woz does speak on Duosion's notion of 'cheer.'      "This is a matter of relations between kingdoms," he says. "What could be more cheerful than serving my Demon King and strengthening the bonds between our continuum and yours, in one stroke?"      The Demon King stifles a yawn, but nods eagerly, his brown ears remaining perked and alert. "We'll find Kabutops and make sure to bring them in! What can you tell us about the Alleyways, Duosion?"
Petra Soroka	"You, uh, found- called- however I got here, I'm the right one for the job." "Must be real serious if you're callin' on us again, huh?" Duosion: "Ah, mmm?"     He squints at Madeleine, rubbing one of his tiny little stub hands on the underside of his 'chin' inside the gel. Bobbing closer to her in the air, he suddenly veers to hover over Woz, rotating within the gel to whisper conspiratorially-but-not-so-secretly. Duosion: "Now, hmm, it's no surprise, of course, that some of your alien troupe would be confused as to the nature of how they arrived here, mhm." Duosion: "As I understand it, as your explanation elucidated me, to the intricacies of your entrance to our humble home, that's something you all share." Duosion: "But surely you don't, hmmm, labor under the misconception that it may have been *our* doing that, mmm, *called* you?"     Then louder, though his voice wasn't actually inaudible to begin with. Duosion: "I believe I speak for the Guild and its leader, when I elaborate to you that, to the extent of my, mm, knowledge, no Pokemon I know of is summoning you from the Otherworld." Duosion: "Certainly not for a purpose as, ah, mundanely trivial as a simple Outlaw." Duosion: "Notorious though they may be."     Spinda, excitedly wobbling in circles around Madeleine, displays the Verdant Gem they've been carrying around proudly. Lifting up their arms to show it off tips their balance, and they tilt nearly fourty-five degrees sideways before bouncing up to right themselves. Spinda: "We're here to save the wo-o-orld!" "Does the guild serve as ersatz law enforcement, then, or is this an established system of-" "So the rap sheet, is that assembled from witness statements, or was it created by-" "... trying to audit the justice system here, ..." "What - I am on track, let's just hunt the criminals and get the reward!" Duosion: "There is, certainly, a reward, mhmmm." Duosion: "Berries, perhaps even Gummis, and it's certain that one or two of the many Technical Disks contained within Kabutops' trove will be unclaimed."
Petra Soroka	"What's it like?" "Do you have a description of them?" Duosion: "Mmm, mhm, appropriate questions, of course." Duosion: "On task."     The paper in Duosion's hand floats up telekinetically, then flips around, showing to the Elites that it is *solely* a picture of Kabutops, as well as 'SPOTTED: UNDERSEA ALLEYWAYS. REWARD: ONE ITEM FROM KABUTOPS' TROVE.' Kabutops is a prehistoric-looking Pokemon, looking like a bipedal arthropod plated with armor, with two scythes for arms. They look dangerous, legitimately-- even in the cutesy aesthetic of the world, there's nothing that says 'bad news' like having scythes instead of arms.     On the topic of the Mystery Dungeon itself, though, Spinda chimes in, teetering their way to whirl around in front of the group. Spinda: "Okay-ay-ay-ay!" Spinda: "Undersea Alleyways is an underwater dungeon!" Spinda: "So it's su-uper, du-uper, important to be prepa-a-ared!" Spinda: "We have to get ber-er-erries to not drown." Duosion: "Mmm, that's right, that's right." Duosion: "Keckleon will make such an exchange, with berries in his stock, mhm." Duosion: "For whatever reason, he has a, hm, fondness, for the Gold that appears in Mystery Dungeons."     True to what Spinda and Duosion explain, Keckleon, a chameleon-like Pokemon who runs a market out in the Town, does accept the gold that was collected back in Clastic Cavern. It's notable that none of the other shops in town do-- they all barter, or trade in requests. Keckleon himself simply stores the gold in a pile behind the shop, and hands over the bulbous, green and blue Passho Berries that he claims will protect you from drowning.
Petra Soroka	The trip to Undersea Alleyways itself is uneventful. Whatever deal that Tinkaton made with the Wooper Troupe must still be in effect, and the Wailord with the wooden platform on his back serves as a boat across the sea again. Embarking onto him at the same beach Madeleine-- and much longer ago, everyone-- woke up at, it's entirely possible that the colossal whale Pokemon was lurking right out of sight as she wandered around. He's surprisingly quiet, and even his voice, when he joins in on bits of chatter, is soft and no more booming than anyone your own size.     The entrance to Undersea Alleyways, when Wailord drops you off, is, fittingly, out in the water. The shallow decline of the beach into the waves leads all the way out to a rock formation clustered around a rough downwards staircase, just before the dropoff into deep blue waters. The staircase itself is *not* free of water; stepping into it is going to be somewhat of a test of faith, when it comes to those berries that Keckleon sold you.     Spinda, who came with you as the titular member of your Squadron, is the first to eagerly chow down on their berry, then topple down the staircase in slow motion as the water drag slows their fall. When everyone follows to see Spinda flat on the ocean floor, the water *is* breathable, if uncomfortable. Tall pillars of rock stretch and twist up into the murky blue, forming what must be the 'alleyways' that the dungeon name refers to. Clouds of sand swirl where your feet kick them up, and the water makes every movement a little more effortful. Somewhere within this dungeon, reportedly, is where Kabutops is hiding, but there's still some ways to go before even *getting* to the Outlaw.     Narrow paths between rocks pitted by saltwater open up into wide rooms on occasion, where other sea-going Pokemon swarm and attack on sight. There's traps buried under the sand in places, where an unaware step could result in an alarm blaring out, or a sudden current blasting you against a rock wall. Occasionally, hidden Pokemon like Huntail lunge out of the sand to surprise attack the Elites as they delve deeper, snapping out with a single bite before fleeing.     Blemishine, Utsuho and Rin, Madeleine, and Kale are temporarily separated from the group when a school of Luvdisc form a whirlpool around them. The water batters at them, holding them in place until the Luvdisc are scattered, but it's a struggle to even swipe at them when they swim around you so quickly.     Sougo, Spinda, and Cinder are attacked by a Huntail, whose sudden jump out of the undersea sand accidentally collapses the ground beneath their feet! The sand slopes down into a hidden cave, acting like quicksand dragging them down, and it turns out a Gastrodon in the cave is manipulating the sand to pull them down harder.     Satori and Woz, side by side when the others are pulled away, accidentally stumble on a trap together. The pressure plate clicks beneath the sand, and an abrupt current of water slams them sideways, planting them on a *second* trap, which plays a wavering note that hurts to listen to, making it hard for them to focus.
Kale Hearthward	> "Berries, perhaps even Gummis, and it's certain that one or two of the many Technical Disks contained within Kabutops' trove will be unclaimed." "There, see? Mystical secret techniques. That's proper Chalice stuff." "You still haven't explained how you actually use one of those technical disks..." The two Kale heads fight over who gets to eat the berry, and then fight again over who has to finish it when it turns out neither of them like the taste. Into the Mystery Dungeon! Kale's getting the hang of these - well, sort of the hang of these. This is only the second one he's been in. Third if you count Hiromi's training mission to retrieve the Amulet of Yendor. All that experience leads to overconfidence, of course. WHIRLPOOL! And then - LUVDISC SWARM! The two Kale heads go to peck rapidly - FURY ATTACK! - trying to just rapid fire take down and clear out as many as they can!
Madeleine Cadrasteia	Madeleine lifts off her feet as the current picks up around her, and is battered against the rocks for a few turns about the school of Luvdisc before, in her flailing to get a hold on something, she grabs onto a long piece of driftwood poking up from the seafloor. It does not prove a stable perch, and it is torn free of the sand - but not free of Madeleine's grip. She takes the stick in both hands, holding it across her body, and begins a flurry of swings into the swarm, hoping to knock enough of them out of place to create a gap in their formation.
Angela	Cinder doesn't think twice about something called an 'Undersea Alleyway' because she's not usually a pokemon. She really probably should be thinking about that. But she isn't. Because sometimes she is, indeed, a bit of a dumbash. She studies the picture provided for a moment. It ... seems like it'd be hard to mistake Kabutops for something else, but she's not exactly a pokemon master--so she can only do her best to commit the image to memory. One Item from Kabutops' Trove ... maybe she can get a gift? ''We have to get ber-er-erries to not drown'' "Ah...yes... I would not want to drown." She blinks twice, realizing now that drowning has been mentioned. "Oh shit... Oh shit can I even fight underwater?" No, she thinks, she'll figure something out. LATER... She looks at the berry in hand, then up into the water, then at the berry, then back at the alleyway. She seems hesitant but then Spinda rolls down on their lonesome so Cinder swears under her breath, pops the berry into her mouth and just sort of... Curls into a ball and rolls down herself at a gentle pace... She moves along the narrow paths and looks to Madeleine, "Have you ever had a hunt down a place like this? I've never seen anything like this," She says with a soft amount of awe. "I doubt I will ever again...Wait shit we're underwater I--" She doesn't immediately inhale a whole bunch of water somehow and drown. "...Wow this is weird... I've definitely never talked underwater before." She admires the scenery, forgetting for a moment that this is a MISSION first. She didn't go on the trip to Rita's world so being under water is still kind of awesome for her, especially without the threat of drowning. The floor collapses underneath her. "Wha!" She tumbles down and then hits the floor of the underground cavern with a *Squeak*. She lays there and then rolls back onto her butt and-- Cinder says, "H..hey stop that!" She tries to spit fire and well that doesn't happen. "Eh..." She's stuck to the quicksand too pulling her deeper. She tries to pick up Spinda and hold him up so he has more time to think of something...?! He's the leader after all! "Sougo Sougo Sougo... Please don't let me die in quicksand..."
Hellwarming Trio	"Wait, wait. So you didn't call us?" "Then it must've been-" "-a coincidence, I'm sure." Questions are already swimming in Utsuho's and Rin's heads after Duosion reveals that he didn't call them here about the Celebi's involvement in this, but Satori quickly puts a stop to their speculation with that simple answer. Spinda showing off their Verdant Gem certainly helps to keep the pair's attention diverted, too, and Satori guesses she'll have time to probe should she see Celebi again later. Thanks to Spinda's warning and Keckleon's preparation, they're able to get some Passho Berries for themselves! They don't eat them right away, though, thanks to Satori just holding onto the berries before Utsuho and Rin can gobble them up before they even reach the Undersea Alleyways. There's still a ride to get through, too, and Satori has enough trouble keeping the berries away on the ride over. By the time they reach the entrance, though, she finally relents and passes off the berries to the pair. Utsuho and Rin both wrinkle their noses at the flavor, clearly disappointed by finding out how it tastes after hyping themselves up for so long. Unable to keep her own curiosity in check after that, Satori takes a bite, and... She actually seems okay with it. "I wonder if we could make a drink out of this... Mister Woz. Do you enjoy tea or wine more?" Proceeding deeper into the dungeon finally, the trap that splits the pair up from their master has all three of them looking concerned about whatever's going on from the other side of the whirlpool. Utsuho and Rin, naturally, start getting irate and growling at the swarm of Luvdisc even as they're getting thrown around by so much water flinging their bulbous creature bodies about, and trying to follow the speed of those weirdly shaped fish things only serves to make them dizzy. Satori isn't having a much better time, either, as the current catches her flat-footed, and she yelps at the rush of water sending her into the far more unpleasant noise trap. "Quit moving around so fast! This isn't stylish at all...!" "If you're just gonna keep movin' in a circle like... Gyah! See if you can keep movin' with this!" "What's that noise even...? It's not important. Someone had to have set this here, though... Shall we find them, Mister Woz?" Utsuho and Rin have a more concrete plan on dealing with the Luvdisc: Fire. Even though they're stuck in a watery dungeon, Utsuho still has enough heat in her to just try and brute force through that whirlpool with a concentrated blast of fire breath, slowly turning in one direction and following the Luvdisc's path like she's trying to chase them down with it. Rin takes advantage of Utsuho's heat to spew out her own embers, but sends them the other way around to actually try and intercept the Luvdisc swarm. Satori has a relatively less solid plan, meanwhile, since she's not so familiar with this kind of trap. She has magic bullets, and she can fire them at the floor, but she's not particularly clued in on how to deal with this kind of thing. She tries instead to listen through the lingering noise, covering her ears (?) with her little flap hands just to try and block out some of the noise while listening for anything resembling thoughts that aren't Woz's.
Blemishine	Hmm. It /is/ weird that someone who wasn't on the expedition to Clastic Cavern was brought along now. Why is that? Why now of all times? Or does the time not actually matter all that much, and this is a coincidence? Blemishine... has answers to exactly none of these questions right now. Nobody else here does, either.     The only logical conclusion to find them is to proceed onward, of course. How distant in the future that might be, well... Maria: "Wow... I've never tried doing much of anything underwater before. This'll be new!" Maria: "Ah-- but it's an official Guild quest, too. I promise we'll come back with Kabutops with us."     ...     Being undersea is, in a word, weird. Anywhere else, it'd be totally impossible to think chowing down on a (fairly delicious-looking) Berry would handle the problem of breathing water, but here we are. After some marveling at how that actually works, Blemishine marvels even further at the unfamiliar sights that come with exploring deep down like this.     Making 'slow-motion' leaps and paddling to keep moving, she has wide eyes for even ordinary-looking rock formations, to the point you'd think she's almost expecting Regirock itself to surface and start something up again. The extra exertion that comes with doing almost anything while waterlogged from all sides is nearly ignored, even when they have to fend off other Pokemon...!     Oh, wait, they have to fend off other Pokemon. Maria: "Waiwaiwaiwaiwaiwaittttt, hold on, I wasn't ready for thiiiissssss...!"     Dizzied and disoriented, perhaps one would even say confused by getting caught up in the whirling water the Luvdisc are whipping up, Maria's efforts to try and physically force herself free and get her bearings back meet absolutely no success at all. She promptly remembers, half-unconsciously, that psychically is better than physically while they're here.     And just like that, an Expanding Force of telekinetic energy sweeps ahead horizontally to clear the way and the whirlpool to boot! If you swing wide enough, aim becomes secondary.
Timespace Riders	"Spinda is right!" Sougo beams at Duosion. "Stopping one Pokemon from acting like a jerk doesn't seem like much, in the grand scheme of things. And, this time, we were asked here, instead of 'pulled.' But 'saving the world' is a tall order, so it's not like helping out with smaller stuff along the way is going to kill us."      "As for our host," Woz picks up, once Sougo has finished--"She will reveal herself as her responsibilities allow. Those responsibilities, and her station, demand much." ---      After the visit to Keckleon and another trip courtesy of Wailord, Sougo and Woz are still eager to be here. Not long after Spinda's toppling descent, the two eat their Passho Berries and follow down the stairs. Between them, Woz seems less pleased to be in the water, letting out a soft, aggrieved sigh as he descends, his tail flicking once in mild annoyance.      "Wow, Spinda--look at this!" Sougo excitedly runs a little circle around them, his paws kicking up clouds of slowly billowing dust.      "Be careful, sire," Woz cautions. "Many denizens of the sea make their homes in sand such as this, and they are ill-inclined to humor 'guests.'"      True to the retainer's warning, Sougo finds himself surprised mid-gawk later, when, walking with Spinda and Cinder, not one but two such 'denizens' make their moves. The Demon King tumbles slowly through the water, narrowly avoiding the Huntail's teeth with a scrambling four-legged paddle, only to descend further into the cave. Fortunately, he has a Trump Card! As he lands in the cave, his hackles raise and he leaps for an especially effortful hind-leg kick, delivered through a large playing card that materialized right in front of the Gastrodon!      Woz, meanwhile, distracted by the split, hadn't thought to look for actual, bespoke traps! The 'click' sets his entire body to coiling like a spring, his feline eyes sweeping rapidly in search of the mechanism, only to take the water head-on. Despite his nimble reorientation in mid'air', he lands squarely on the second trap, his ears flattening to his head.      The retainer's tail dips into the sand, searching for whatever might be making that dreadful noise, intending to rip it from the earth with his deceptive strength,
Petra Soroka	Utsuho's nuclear fire outstrips the Luvdiscs' ability to keep up the Whirlpool by orders of magnitude. The water heats up around them, still swirling, and then the cavitating bubbles of boiling water pour over the Elites as well. The Luvdiscs aren't able to attack anymore, but feeling that superheated water in your lungs hurts in a *weird* way you've never felt before-- hot, but not dry and scratchy like smoke, instead feeling like a crab being pushed into a pot.     Blemishine's psychic pulse scatters the heated water, dispersing the rest of the whirlpool, before the burns get too severe. Not pinned in place anymore, Madeleine and Kale's attacks are able to scatter the rest of the Luvdisc, with little retribution besides the lingering heat from their ally's-- necessary, but unpleasant-- countermeasure.     Down in the pit, Spinda is balanced squirming above Cinder's head, while both of the pair sinks into the sand. The weird seaslug-like Gastrodon, half-buried in the sand itself, wobbles in a strange oscillating rhythm that keeps the sand nearly fluid, so Cinder can hardly catch her footing. When Sougo skips across it to kick the Gastrodon in the face, though, Spinda takes advantage of the sand stopping moving, and being held out of it by Cinder, to prepare a finishing blow themselves. Spinda: "Cinder!!!!" Spinda: "You wo-o-on't die!" Spinda: "I'll sho-o-ow you how to keep your balance!"     Slipping off of Cinder's back, Spinda takes one step in the water, sinks slightly into the shifting sand, then wobbles and takes another three steps in quick succession while almost falling over, moving across the surface cleanly. Teetering in back and forth diagonals, just like they do on land, Spinda makes their indirect way over to Gastrodon while it recovers from Sougo's attack, and then punches it right in its face with a scattering of black smudges to send it toppling away. Spinda: "There-ere!" Spinda: "I did it!" Spinda: "Cinder! Plea-ea-ease help me back up to the path I ca-an't swim!"     The noise of the confusion trap that Woz and Satori encounter is both a physical noise and a psychic one-- a Psychic one, even. It's not an independently thinking entity, and there's no 'trapmaker' around as far as Satori can tell, but there's a knot of psychic (type) energy at a certain point buried in the sand, and when Woz snakes his tail down around it and rips it out, the ringing stops. Spinda: "Traps happen a-a-a-all the time in Mystery Dungeons!" Spinda: "That's part of why they're so-o-o dangerous." Spinda: "If they were just ni-ice places, with co-o-ol treasures... I don't thi-ink anyone would be unhappy about them."
Petra Soroka	Once the exploration team is successfully regrouped, the only thing left to do is go further into the dungeon. Satori's trawling for thoughts picks up plenty of hostile Pokemon, but one in particular that always seems to be solitary, no matter how the other clusters of mental signatures move around, as if it's being avoided. That seems to be as good a direction to head as any, with the idea of an 'Outlaw too intimidating for the native Pokemon to approach', and it ends up being correct, too.     Twisting pillars of rock curl outwards to open up into a wide underwater cavern, arcing walls plastered with coral and schools of Remoraid swimming in and out of the holes. Stalactites that glimmer with dark blue crystals hang down from the incomplete ceiling, with a hole in the center that opens up into the empty ocean above. In the center of the room is a pile of various treasures and tools, held within a protective bubble, where Kabutops waits. Kabutops: "The Guild's finally tracked me down...." Kabutops: "And they sent was a rookie explorer?"     Kabutops drags their pair of scythes together, metallic scrape singing through the water to pierce into the Elites' ears. Kabutops: "Then I'll have you remind you weaklings why I'm the toughest, scariest Outlaw of the Western Island." Kabutops: "Try to make sure one of you doesn't faint?" Kabutops: "Otherwise they won't know to send some tougher fighters after me next time." Spinda: "I'm no-o-ot! A rookie!" Spinda: "I'm going to save the wo-o-orld!" Spinda: "For people like yo-o-ou!"     That was 'for', and not 'from', wasn't it? With the bubbling of shouting through water, and Spinda's general tendency to wobble their way through their speech, it's hard to be certain, but it sounded like 'for'.     At the same moment that Spinda tumbles in angrily to start the fight, Kabutops leaps up through the water as if it's not even there, slicing through stalactites cleanly with a half-dozen swings of their arms. As they fall down through the water, Kabutops themselves follows, both arms wide open for a full slash across the party.
Kale Hearthward	> "If they were just ni-ice places, with co-o-ol treasures... I don't thi-ink anyone would be unhappy about them." "Yeah, nobody would be unhappy." "I might be." And then they find Kabutops. "Ah ha! That guy has to be weak to flying! He's some sort of crab." "Rock type. We're quadruple weak. Again." "AGAIN?! Who the heck designed this unbalanced type matchup system!?" > "For people like yo-o-ou!" "Did they say 'for'?" "I think they said 'from'." "Definitely said 'for'." "'For' doesn't make any sense, though." "No - like, for, for people who have been affected?" "... Affected by what?" "...Stuff?" "... *what* 'stuff'?" They start arguing back and forth, and - somehow, everything thrown at them - the stalactites, the water scythes, the general mayhem and hazards - just misses them completely. "Ugh, it doesn't matter!" "No, it doesn't - wait, what's going on?" Oh, hey, fighting. Kaleduo, with most of their arsenal at a disadvantage due to facing *another* rock type, goes for their backup plan- KALEDUO used THIEF! A run-by pickpocketing attempt! "... Can't we rename that 'Confiscation' or 'Commandeer' or something less criminal sounding...?"
Angela	Cinder also doesn't ... she thinks the gastrodon is actually kind of adorable. The cuteness of these people is acting as a defense mechanism and-- Wait, Cinder thinks, I'm...an L Corp Agent. There's like a billion adorable things in there that will absolutely murder me even if it's not THIS cute. She takes a steady breath as Spinda... Takes a step in the water and is wobbling and oh my gosh this is so precious she is glad she didn't escape the quick sand on her own she loves this. AND THEN SPINDA PUNCHES THE GASTRODON. "Wow! Way to go, Spinda!" She says. "That's incredible!" ''Cinder! Plea-ea-ease help me back up the path I ca-an't swim!'' Oh my gosh they're asking for help in an absolutely adorable way too and-- ... Cinder smacks both of her flipperhands into her face. "On my way!" She shouts, curling into a ball again and rolls the way over to Spinda and aims to take their hand with a flipper hand and help swim/drag them to safety. "I guess you've got a point there. Also they probably wouldn't have treasure for very long. The traps make the adventure!" She regroups with the others and says, "Y'all totally missed out." smugly with no explanation. But as they head into the new area and find their prey... It's Kabutops! "Heh... don't you know that Spinda is... tougher than they look? They already beat a uh... What was it called again fuck... A Regirock!! I don't know how tough you are compared to them but I bet Spinda can take ya, easy peasy!" She looks to Spinda. "Right?" She agilely propels herself away from the first swipe but gets winged by the second one, smacking into a stalacite in the process. There's another SQUEAK. "Oh you..." She says. "I've learned a special move just for this...! ROLL OUT!" She then curls into a ball like before but this time she's zipping along a lot faster as she aims to crash right into the pokemon. "I'm not sure how this is saving the world for you but I trust Spinda!"
Blemishine	Maria: "Gwah... I never want to breathe anything like that again..." Maria: "Wait... is it even choking if we're breathing water...?"     With that existential crisis in mind, and everyone not permanently worse for the wear when they all meet back up, it's onward and forwards! With Satori leading the way, she's sure they can navigate the Dungeon just fine, so the main thing she has to focus on is remaining wary and on guard. After getting split up like that, especially.     And then... what can only be Kabutops' den. Nothing says famous Outlaw (capitalized) like the horde of treasure sitting right there... Maria: "Yeah! What Spinda said! We're--"     Huh. /Was/ that 'for'? In the moment where Blemishine is thinking about that, Kabutops goes on the attack! Stalactites that would normally be nothing serious to navigate suddenly become a bit more of a threat when the heaviness of water all around them is slowing everything down, and she finds that she has to put quite a bit more strength into her legs to push out of the way before they fall.     ...Which leaves her wide open to Kabutops attacking directly, with the slash striking clean and sending her flying backwards and paddling to fight her momentum. Maria: "--not rookies at all!" Maria: "Spinda included! Everything that went into getting to the bottom of Clastic Cavern wasn't for nothing!"     She's sure-- it had to be 'for'. They've all heard before about how the Mystery Dungeons appearing pushed the once-peaceful world into what it is now, right down to criminals doing what they do. So if Spinda is that resolved...     There's no way she can't be, too! Finally stopping herself, Blemishine locks her gaze back onto Kabutops, set on not letting those swift movements trip her up again. A pony(ta) that she is right now, the eyes of a Pegasus still have to count for something - and though she can't keep up in body in a Water-type's natural habitat, the wall of dense psychic energy she conjures in their path for them to smash right into might be able to stop them!
Timespace Riders	"Blessed relief," says Woz with a sigh, rubbing a paw over his nose as his whiskers twitch.      Regrouped, the Demon King and his retainer stand evenly spaced before Kabutops. Woz in particular smiles, like the cat that got the canary, at the word 'weakling.' His claws extend and glint in the water. "I am most eager to see your assumption put to the test," he says, scraping them together to Sharpen them, as he's become so fond of doing.      The king and his retainer have drastically different approaches to the issue of Kabuptops' attack.      Sougo's bushy tail whips forcefully around, conjuring two Trump Cards and hurling them. They're larger than the one he'd used on the Gastrodon before, just so slightly--and substantial enough to shatter the stalactites heading for him.      Woz, meanwhile, takes advantage of the open space, leaping into the air to collect the shattered stony spears with his tail. As Sougo's Trump Cards rebound and converge on Kabutops, Woz uses the gathered projectiles as a counterbalance, spinning himself forcefully to deliver a powered-up Night Slash!      The feline retainer is a purple blur as he dramatically zips toward and seemingly -through- Kabutops, a stylized white action line stained through with purple briefly flashing across the water.     "Anybody can just -take- things! What's an bandit, but someone who takes the easiest way, every time? If you think that impresses us... think again!"
Hellwarming Trio	"Eat that, you weird... Whatever you are!" "Now this is more like it.. Just like home!" "Except wetter." "Way wetter." "And Master won't yell at us for burning everything!" Despite enjoying themselves quite a bit with that heated water, the pair actually tone it down once they remember that Blemishine, Madeleine, and Kale are stuck in the same water with them. Although Utsuho and Rin are certainly within their element, they've learned well enough that cooking their allies might not be the best thing to do, and so... They actually stop once the Luvdiscs stop doing that whirpool thing. Once they do, though, they start to that odd feeling in their lungs, and they remember that they're still breathing in all that heated water, and they promptly freak out (complete with splashing and thrashing and scampering around the trapped room) right up until Blemishine gets rid of all that water. Satori's taking it somewhat easier in comparison, not really relaxing (relatively) until after the noise stops being a constant thorn in her ears. Sighing lightly, she turns to Spinda and considers their commentary, then pats them on the head lightly after a few moments. "I doubt they'd be much of dungeons at all if that was the case. It'd be too easy for anyone to get the treasure out, or too tempting for less savory types to... Well. You remember the first time we met." Upon regrouping, Utsuho and Rin both get into formation in front of and behind Satori, respectively. With all those hostile Pokemon around along with the pair's minds adding to the residual noise, Satori has to really focus to get a bead on that solitary mind. Once she does, though, she acts as a radar for the group, and her grin gets just a bit smugger when it turns out that her hunch is correct. Naturally, the trio's gaze goes all over place between trying to find the Kabutops they're after and also gawking at the natural beauty of the icy room. It's so far off from what they'd usually see at home that they can't help but stare, and the pile of treasure goes relatively ignored in favor of just marveling at the sight. Unfortunately, the Kabutops speaks, and the trio all turn their gazes towards the outlaw just as they start scraping those scythes together. "Faint? Wouldn't it be easier to just kill us if you really wanted to get away?" "Psst. I think he just wants to brawl. Lettin' rookies escape would totally be great for that." "I wonder. You there. Kabutops. What's your goal here?" Satori, not above invading someone's head if she doesn't care about them, just starts trying to read their mind while Utsuho and Rin get settled into their own combat stances of floating a few feet off the ground. Their timing is perfect, too, as the falling stalactites give them plenty of reason to bump Satori out of the way before she too joins them in the air. They avoid the initial falling projectiles, but Kabutops' rushing slash catches the three in a way that could've been far more painful if they didn't all bunch up and use each other as ablative bodies to just get flung at the wall instead. The impact still sucks, but they're able to shake off the dizziness before long. While Satori continues probing, Utsuho and Rin start doing what they always do: Launch fire everywhere. Utsuho goes for the more straightforward approach of charging, then unleashing a huge beam of fire right at the prehistoric knife bug while Rin circles around the battle to start spewing flames at them from odd angles and trying to goad them into the rest of the group's attacks.
Madeleine Cadrasteia	Madeleine tests some of her abilities on the way down to Kabutops's cavern, and some of them work a little differently now. By the time the crustaceanoid criminal gives their little speech and attacks, Madeleine is itching to show off her apparent capabilities. As the stalactites descend onto the party, she breathes out a puff of frigid air, much like how she would summon her wolves, only this time the puff continues and grows into a cone-shaped cloud spreading away from the Sneasel. This Icy Wind, once released, floats directly upwards - it is cold *air*, after all - and envelops many of the stalactites, coalescing into a clinging ice. The smaller ones begin to float upward, while the new buoyancy slows the largest few enough for the party to easily hurry out of their path.     Madeleine then concerns herself with Kabutops's more direct assault, but not in time. She's sent reeling by a heavy blow from one of the scythelike blades, and knocked to one side. As Kabutops sails past her and toward the other Pokemon, she staggers to her feet and scrapes her claws together as if sharpening a pair of kitchen knives. Once Madeleine is satisfied with her newly Honed Claws, she kicks off to swim after Kabutops. With a flurry of swipes she attempts to hook under their armored plates and restrain them from behind.