#high noon at nimbasa

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Dragonspiral Tower Through the Fog

Honestly the swamps are so pretty out here, most of this area got drained for the development of Icirrus City as it grew. It’s so strange seeing such a large building out in the middle of nowhere, it’s so much taller than anything in Castelia even. Chessie is helping me get around the deeper waters to the apricorn trees.

The tower is so beautiful… I feel like it’s calling to me somehow…

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Its trainer said that as long as it's calm it's safe.

Kittsu! I'm riding a zebstrika!

I think it wants to go faster but I have trouble staying on. Its saddle isn't meant for two people

What!! :O

I’ve heard riding Zebstrika can be dangerous, is that not true? Either way that sounds very fun!

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Yee haw motherfuckers!

This big lad is Chessie! He helped me get through Chargestone Cave (By making the North entrance)

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Bought some pokéballs at the shop, hand crafted and engraved.

Shop owner said they’re called “Duel Balls.”

I’ll ask Cole about that later, I have a few more stops to make.

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We set up camp just outside Lostlorn forest. These guys are all over the trees, must be thousands of them! I've never seen Pidove that look like that...

I don't have any pokéballs, or I would try and catch one.

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Etching an amogus into this spoon to fuck with archaeologists.

It's called enrichment actually.

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[off screen post]

In the Hall of the Mountain King

Squid runs through the tunnels and passages, trying to think their way out of the situation.

Humus might be able to help, but Razor Leaf and Take Down will only be so effective. He's just not strong enough. Remmi is in trouble from electric attacks, and Orpheus' ability only works outside.

Really Zippy is her only option, even though she's already hurt from the Fire Punch.

They could hear the angry pokémon approaching from behind. Ducking into an alcove hides him from the main tunnel. A couple Joltik have also chosen to use this space to safely munch on the electric rocks of the cave, freezing as they feel the vibrations of the apex predator.

In a previous internship, Squid had been sent out to work sites to inspect culverts. At these sites, he had experienced cars and trucks driving close by at speed. The winds and noise generated by a semi breezing past at 60 mph.

It was so much worse when the Eelektross passed. The air was sucked out of the hideaway she was standing in, a great turbulence that left them gasping as air returned in its wake.

Catching his breath and freeing her shovel from its place on her backpack, Squid peeks down the tunnel. Noting that the coast is clear, she chooses a branch to follow, hoping that it will lead north to the exit.

These big tunnels are just about large enough for that thing to move through them... Is this its den? Did it dig out the entire cave?

The path opened up into a large cavern. The walls and pillars are covered in Chargestone's famous blue crystals, with several large ones free-floating through the space.

"No sign of Sushi in here... I think it must have gone the other way."

Squid felt a large drop of water hit her hat. The cave was as wet as any other, and he knows the column formations in the cave usually form via water but still he looked up.

Into the maw of the Eelektross. "Holy-" she dodged quickly, the massive eel slamming down on the spot where she just stood. It roared loudly, more of a scream really, as it rose to an upright position. Squid flings a shovel full of cave muck at an eye nearly as large as she is, causing the pokémon to flinch long enough for her to call Zippy out.

"It's distracted! Wood Hammer!" A punch to the face pushed the electric type's head away, but barely moved the rest of it. It attempted to Thunderbolt the attacking Sceptile, but the ground typing that she earned through training on harsh mountains let Zippy redirect the electricity into the cave floor.

Squid noticed from the corner of their eye that the floating crystals drifted towards the electric attacks. Another Wood Hammer and cave muck combo kept the giant pokémon from getting further attacks off.

"Zippy! Use Drain Punch to hea-" Squid's command was cut off as a massive slimy arm scooped her up and flung him across the cavern. At the peak of his arc, he hit a floating crystal and managed to have enough luck to find a foothold. It slowly drifts back and down as her momentum transfers into it.

Down below, another screech echoes through the cave as the pokémon duke it out. Zippy's Drain Punch keeps it in the fight, and strategically diving below ground helps keep the Eelektross' Fire Punch from landing.

Squid pulled herself up into a standing position as the crystal spun. Seeing a nearby crystal, he gets an idea. "Zippy! Draw it under me!" They use the limited space they have to get a running leap onto the other floating crystal.

The rock started dropping with the added force, and striking at it with her shovel made electricity leak from the crack. The extra energy from the crystal drew in nearby floaters, and a Discharge from the Eelektross further increased the rate of descent.

One final Wood Hammer from Zippy knocked the massive head back as it charged up a Zap Cannon in its mouth, which instead was met with half the floating crystals in the room. Zippy leapt up to catch Squid and shield him from the resulting explosion of energy.

The Eelektross hit the ground with a weight that shook the whole mountain. Squid grabbed one of the pokéballs they had brought for emergencies and tapped the delicate device to the injured pokémon.

*click*

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Sketched Orpheus sittin’ on the sign by the train station. Was meant to be overseeing the defense installation, but we finished up at the rail line quicker than expected.

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[off screen post]

Maplehill Farm sits below on the plains. A farmhouse, pokémon barn, and equipment shed make up the core of the property, with recently planted fields spreading out from there.

Squid and Cole watch from the treeline through Cole's looking glass. "I count six... Seven. But that's only the ones outside. Could be more in the house or barn. Not to mention any out roughing up folks in Nimbasa." Cole says. "This'll be a tough one. You don't have to do this, kid."

Squid shakes her head. "Yeah, no. You're not going in alone."

Cole sighed, "Sure. Ok, we're going after Baxter. Capture him alive and we'll get the info on who's paying them. Let's go."

The two started making their way quietly across the field.

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Ughhh my everything hurts... Jumping from a zebstrika to a moving train is not great when already injured...

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I tried to feed the Pidove - there were so many and I only bought two bags of seeds...

I think they appreciated it though. It was fun!

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So... It appears I'm in a different world. And time, but I think the world part is more important.

It's Unova from 140 years ago, but like, the frontier of civilization here is Nimbasa City. In my world the frontier on this continent would be in Orre by this time.

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My backpack is so much heavier than when I got here. Feels like I'm back at college.

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Gonna head out to the forest, feed the Pidoves again. Let Orpheus hang out with his flock.

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Chessie followed me to my campsite.

I don't know how I'm going to feed you, buddy.

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Wait. The Twist Mountain path is just actually an open mine.

How the hell do I get around that?