[@Typical]

Eryn sent out Peri at Umbreon. Umbreon, the moderately agile piece of thing that it was and at a higher level, managed to decently easily jump back and even sling a Confuse Ray into Peri’s face as she came crashing down. Peri was confused! … But that didn’t stop her as she kept on rolling, and Umbreon had to note that the size-difference made this pretty difficult and it had to focus on dodging aside Peri’s roll. The way ahead was cleared.

Fairy Wind, however, did NOT particularly hold back Arbok. Fairy-type was Not Very Effective against the Poison-type. Arbok was about to reach them, then Dei blew out a cloud of smoke, hiding them from the predator’s glare. That is, it tried to Glare, the move, but Smokescreen was the perfect cover. Arbok still then attempted to catch them, specifically Eryn. The tail of an Arbok snatched through the smoke at Eryn’s position and almost gripped her, but Dei had prepared to Ember at the tail before it caught her and she was free to run on while Arbok trashed in the smoke from the burned tail. Now, Dei would have been as likely to miss as Arbok in this cloud of smoke, but Kylie’s Sweet Scent had lowered Arbok’s evasion and allowed them to pull off this stunt.

Now, Dei probably could have set the forest ablaze, but the Arbok coming after them probably would have priority, given “Ember anything and everything that comes close”.

With that, and assuming she handled having a confused Onix in some kind of way, Eryn was still able to run on while Arbok was too busy dealing with a burned tail and trying to navigate out of the smoke to pursue. As such, she was able to proceed through the forest… and see it open up at the end of it.

The forest abruptly ended. Suddenly, she was in a cave again, or perhaps it was a valley. It was a maze, with multiple rocky options of where to go, different ways Eryn could go. However, she couldn’t go however she wanted. The numerous valleys ahead that were being patrolled by floating, moon-shaped rocks that were floating about in this landscape with the moon yet still shining down from the skies…

[center][url=https://cdn.bulbagarden.net/upload/e/eb/337Lunatone.png][img]https://i.imgur.com/MdoFia0.png[/img][/url]

[color=6ecff6][i]Pokédex Entry #337 – Lunatone, the Meteorite Pokémon. Originating from where meteors crashed, it’s believed to come from space. Its health ebbs and flows with the lunar cycle. When exposed to the full moon, it brims with power and becomes far more active. Its red eyes have the power to cause those who look into them to be transfixed in [b]fear[/b].[/i][/color][/center]

… And, in the middle of these rocks creating a maze before her was a single plateau, on top of which stood numerous small fairies with their tiny hands raised up, calling to the full celestial body floating overhead [i]inside the cave[/i].

[center][url=https://cdn.bulbagarden.net/upload/f/f4/035Clefairy.png][img]https://i.imgur.com/FzzsvF8.png[/img][/url]

[color=6ecff6][i]Pokédex Entry #35 – Clefairy, the Fairy Pokémon. It’s adorable nature and magical appeal has made this Pokémon highly popular. However, thought to live only on quiet mountains, it is extremely rare. However, come the night of the full moon, the Clefairy come out and play, before returning home at dawn to rest. When charged with moonlight, this Pokémon can fly.[/i][/color][/center]

… That is to say, there were a group of Clefairies repeatedly using Moonlight make the full moon shine within the trial, in order to awaken the powers of Lunatone and Umbreon.

And… resting right in front of said plateau, like a good little doombringer guard-dog…

[center][url=https://cdn.bulbagarden.net/upload/5/51/229Houndoom.png][img]https://i.imgur.com/50jJ1O6.png[/img][/url][/center]

… stood the Houndoom she’d heard earlier, guarding the Clefairies. It wasn’t just going to move because she told it to.

Now, the Lunatones weren’t so common that sneaking through the maze wouldn’t possibly work. They had a set pattern, that could potentially be predicted. It would be harder the deeper she got, however, and could go awry based on pure misfortune unless she came up with a brilliant idea to passing. Getting just to the Clefairy plateau would be much easier and much more doable, but… Houndoom. A Houndoom just stood there, looking far too powerful.

And if that wasn’t enough… Umbreon was walking along with her, far to her left. After Peri’s attack Umbreon had kept its distance, but it was following, not about to let Eryn get away quite that easily. There was no telling what Umbreon might do, depending on what Eryn did next. Another element of uncertainty in the mix.

What would Eryn do here?