[h3][hr][color=#F95B6C]Eryn Montero[/color][/h3][hr][sup][i]Frozen Cave || Night[/i][/sup][indent] [/indent] Kaz’s answer was half-decided and full of momentum, which was what Eryn was learning to expect from him. [color=#F95B6C]“Sounds like a plan,”[/color] she said. [color=#F95B6C]“Hope you find some good matches out there.”[/color] When he admitted he didn’t have a Pokedex, her eyebrows rose. [color=#F95B6C]“You’re kidding,”[/color] she half-laughed. [color=#F95B6C]“Out here without even a Pokedex? That’s kind of impressive.”[/color] Or reckless. Maybe both. She pulled hers from a pocket and offered her number. [color=#F95B6C]“Let me know how that Glaceon challenge pans out—and if you ever get an actual Pokedex.”[/color] Her mood dulled when Kaz brought up Eri. The “Bagon” hadn’t moved since Kaz started talking again, and her first instinct was to shift slightly in front of him. Nothing dramatic, but just enough to keep him from being looked at too long. [color=#F95B6C]“He’s fine,”[/color] she said. [color=#F95B6C]“Long day.”[/color] Kaz didn’t seem to notice. He rallied his team, made a few declarations, and marched off into the dark like the cold wasn’t even there. Eryn watched him go, gaze lingering on the group—especially the Golduck that paused. Its forehead lit for a moment. She narrowed her eyes, not accusatory, just clocking it. Filed away. Then it turned and followed the others. She exhaled and straightened. [color=#F95B6C]“Dei, take a rest for now,”[/color] she said, recalling the Charmander in a blink of red light. The tail’s motion lingered in her peripheral vision a second before it vanished. Eryn leaned down and lifted Eri into her arms. Even in his Bagon form, he was lighter than he looked—Zorua bones, not dragon ones. Peri shifted behind them, turning to face the slope. The Onix hadn’t made a sound this whole time, but when Eryn looked up, she dipped her head low, waiting. Eryn climbed up with Eri in her arms and settled just behind the rise of Peri’s broad neck. [color=#F95B6C]“Let’s head back.”[/color] [hr] The ride back was quiet but steady. Peri’s coils found their rhythm, and the cold pressed in softer when there wasn’t a battle burning in the air. The miners’ lights came up like dim stars in the ice, then the little dome shelters tucked off the tunnel—familiar enough to exhale for. Eryn returned the borrowed gear with a nod and a thanks, then ducked into the same igloo as last night and unrolled her sleeping pad, corners still curled from the last hurried pack. The Wailord husk above the camp creaked now and then; the whole place breathed cold. Eri hadn’t said a word on the way back. She didn’t push. She set him beside the roll and sat opposite, arms looped over her knees, giving him the quiet. [color=#F95B6C]“I saw how you looked at them. Kaz’s Pokémon. Him.”[/color] Silence stretched. Eri didn’t look up. His claws tightened against the stone. Eryn let the stillness breathe. Then—almost soundless—a nod. Her chest tugged. [color=#F95B6C]“Did you know them?”[/color] Another small nod. [color=#F95B6C]“The Heracross? Gourgeist?”[/color] A firmer one. [color=#F95B6C]“Kaz?”[/color] A pause. Barely a dip. Admitting it made it real. Her voice softened. [color=#F95B6C]“He your trainer?”[/color] Hesitation. Then, finally, a shake. She waited again. [color=#F95B6C]“Your brother?”[/color] The slowest nod yet. She sat with it, letting the weight settle like snow. When she spoke, it was simple. [color=#F95B6C]“That’s a lot.”[/color] A breath. [color=#F95B6C]“I don’t know how long you’ve been looking, or what you planned to say when you found him.”[/color] Her gaze eased. [color=#F95B6C]“But I’m glad you told me.”[/color] His shoulders uncoiled a fraction. Eryn’s mouth tipped up. [color=#F95B6C]“It’s okay if you’re still figuring it out. I am too.”[/color] A light nudge of her elbow. [color=#F95B6C]“And I meant it—if you want to be a trainer, I’ll teach you. I’ll make more of an effort. Starting now.”[/color] That earned her a glance—almost a smile. They let the quiet come back, warmer this time. Outside, Peri shifted, stone over stone. After a while, Eryn pulled her Pokédex and made the call home. Her parents picked up together, little sister immediately trying to shout through the speaker. [color=#F95B6C]“Hey! I’m fine. Cold, but fine,”[/color] she said, laughing when her sister insisted on seeing Dei’s tail. [color=#F95B6C]“We trained in the Frozen Cave. Almost got flattened by a Glalie—‘almost,’ Mom, I said almost.”[/color] A beat. [color=#F95B6C]“I’m battling tomorrow morning.”[/color] She left out the piece that wasn’t hers to tell. When the goodnights were done, she flicked to Phoebe and typed: [i]Befriended a Bagon, almost froze to death, and battling a jerk rival again tomorrow—wish me luck[/i] Phoebe’s reply came back as a trail of half-asleep emojis, a thumbs-up, and a blurry pic of a Foongus passed out on a pile of books. Classic. Eryn set the device aside and leaned back on her hands. [color=#F95B6C]“Tomorrow we fight,”[/color] she murmured, more to herself than anyone. Dei’s ball twitched once on her belt like a snore. Eri curled in, finally letting his eyes close. The igloo settled to a hush. [hr] Morning came sharp and blue. Eryn rolled the pad tight, cinched her pack, and stepped out into air that bit the tip of her nose. Peri dipped low to offer an easy climb, and Eri took on a Charmander shape before scooting a little closer to the Onix's side. Eryn's Pokédex pinged with the meet-up details. She’d told Oaken to text her the spot—bright and early—and he had. She smiled, small and ready, and tapped the map. [color=#F95B6C]“Alright,”[/color] she said, settling in behind Peri’s broad rise. [color=#F95B6C]“Let’s go make it count.”[/color] [center] [/center][hr][hider=Actions][u][b][color=#F95B6C] Actions: [/color][/b][/u] Shared number with Kaz, returned gear and rested at miners’ igloo, called home + texted Phoebe, and rode Peri to meet Oaken in the morning. [/hider] [hider=Pokemon][center][hr][img]https://www.smogon.com/dex/media/sprites/xy/charmander.gif[/img][img]https://www.smogon.com/dex/media/sprites/xy/mawile.gif[/img][img]https://www.smogon.com/dex/media/sprites/xy/magikarp.gif[/img][img]https://www.smogon.com/dex/media/sprites/xy/zorua.gif[/img][img]https://www.smogon.com/dex/media/sprites/xy/onix.gif[/img][img]https://www.smogon.com/dex/media/sprites/xy/bagon.gif[/img][/center][indent][table][row][/row][row][cell][hider=Dei — Charmander][h3][color=#F95B6C][sup]Dei[hr][/sup][/color][/h3][img]https://www.smogon.com/dex/media/sprites/xy/charmander.gif[/img][hr][sup][sup]Charmander [color=#F95B6C]◼[/color] Level 19 [color=#F95B6C]◼[/color] ♂ [color=#F95B6C]◼[/color] Blaze [color=#F95B6C]◼[/color] 100%[/sup][/sup] [indent][sup][color=#F95B6C]||[/color] Scratch [color=#F95B6C]||[/color] Growl, Smokescreen, Scary Face [color=#F95B6C]||[/color] Ember, Dragon Rage[/sup][/indent][h3] [/h3][/hider] [/cell][cell][/cell][cell][hider=Kylie — Mawile][h3][color=#F95B6C][sup]Kyllene | “Kylie”[hr][/sup][/color][/h3][img]https://www.smogon.com/dex/media/sprites/xy/mawile.gif[/img][hr][sup][sup]Mawile [color=#F95B6C]◼[/color] Level 19 [color=#F95B6C]◼[/color] ♀ [color=#F95B6C]◼[/color] Hyper Cutter [color=#F95B6C]◼[/color] 100%[/sup][/sup] [indent][sup][color=#F95B6C]||[/color] Astonish, Bite, Vice Grip [color=#F95B6C]||[/color] Taunt, Growl, Fake Tears, Sweet Scent [color=#F95B6C]||[/color] Fairy Wind[/sup][/indent][h3] [/h3][/hider] [/cell][cell][/cell][/row][row][cell][hider=Tula — Magikarp][h3][color=#F95B6C][sup]Tula | “Tutu”[hr][/sup][/color][/h3][img]https://www.smogon.com/dex/media/sprites/xy/magikarp.gif[/img][hr][sup][sup]Magikarp [color=#F95B6C]◼[/color] Level 16 [color=#F95B6C]◼[/color] ♀ [color=#F95B6C]◼[/color] Rattled [color=#F95B6C]◼[/color] 100% [color=#F95B6C]◼[/color] Soothe Bell[/sup][/sup] [indent][sup][color=#F95B6C]||[/color] Tackle [color=#F95B6C]||[/color] Splash [color=#F95B6C]||[/color] N/A [/sup][/indent][h3] [/h3][/hider] [/cell][cell][/cell][cell][hider=Eri — Zorua][h3][color=#F95B6C][sup]Erebi | “Eri”[hr][/sup][/color][/h3][img]https://www.smogon.com/dex/media/sprites/xy/zorua.gif[/img][hr][sup][sup]Zorua [color=#F95B6C]◼[/color] Level 17 [color=#F95B6C]◼[/color] ♂ [color=#F95B6C]◼[/color] Illusion [color=#F95B6C]◼[/color] 100% [color=#F95B6C]◼[/color] Silk Scarf[/sup][/sup] [indent][sup][color=#F95B6C]||[/color] Scratch, Pursuit, Fury Swipes, Faint Attack [color=#F95B6C]||[/color] Leer, Fake Tears [color=#F95B6C]||[/color] N/A [/sup][/indent][h3] [/h3][/hider] [/cell][cell][/cell][/row][row][cell][hider=Peri — Onix][h3][color=#F95B6C][sup]Peri | “Per-per”[hr][/sup][/color][/h3][img]https://www.smogon.com/dex/media/sprites/xy/onix.gif[/img][hr][sup][sup]Onix [color=#F95B6C]◼[/color] Level 17 [color=#F95B6C]◼[/color] ♀ [color=#F95B6C]◼[/color] Rock Head [color=#F95B6C]◼[/color] 100% [color=#F95B6C]◼[/color] King’s Rock[/sup][/sup] [indent][sup][color=#F95B6C]||[/color] Tackle, Bind, Rock Throw, Rock Tomb, Dig, Rage [color=#F95B6C]||[/color] Mud Sport, Harden, Curse, Stealth Rock [color=#F95B6C]||[/color] N/A [/sup][/indent][h3] [/h3][/hider] [/cell][cell][/cell][cell][hider=Atha — Bagon][h3][color=#F95B6C][sup]Atha[hr][/sup][/color][/h3][img]https://www.smogon.com/dex/media/sprites/xy/bagon.gif[/img][hr][sup][sup]Bagon [color=#F95B6C]◼[/color] Level 16 [color=#F95B6C]◼[/color] ♀ [color=#F95B6C]◼[/color] Sheer Force [color=#F95B6C]◼[/color] 100% [color=#F95B6C]◼[/color] Dragon Scale[/sup][/sup] [indent][sup][color=#F95B6C]||[/color] Rage, Bite [color=#F95B6C]||[/color] Leer [color=#F95B6C]||[/color] Ember, Dragon Breath [/sup][/indent][h3] [/h3][/hider][/cell][/row][/table][/indent][/hider] [hider=Inventory][u][b][color=#F95B6C] Inventory: [/color][/b][/u] [indent][img]https://archives.bulbagarden.net/media/upload/d/df/Character_0x0024_vii.png[/img]19970 [hider=Key Items] [list][*]Crystals of Willpower [*]Old Rod [/list][/hider][hider=Consumables] [list][*]Potion — 1 [*]Super Potion — 1 [*]Pokeballs — 4 [*]Great Balls — 2 [*]Escape Rope [*]Electric Gem [*]Focus Sash [*]Dusk Stone [*]Moon Stone [*]Shiny Stone [*]Aspear Berry — 2 [*]Rawst Berry — 2 [*]Pecha Berry [/list][/hider][hider=Non-consumables] [list][*]Odd Keystone [*]Sharp Beak [*]Heart Scale [*]Big Pearl [/list][/hider][hider=Held] [list][*]Dragon Scale [code][Atha][/code] [*]King’s Rock [code][Peri][/code] [*]Silk Scarf [code][Eri][/code] [*]Soothe Bell [code][Tula][/code] [/list][/hider][/indent][h3] [/h3][/hider] [sup][@PlatinumSkink][/sup]