Near Shimmer Hill, PMD-A

Roc quickly scans his surroundings noticing the lively vegetation and the bug Pokémon doing their stuff. All around looks tidy and well organized in conveniently navigable tiles patches of grass. Trail to the house is overgrown with patches, considering we arrived by flying, no mon has come around in a while. Roc wondered in what direction had the various exploration and rescue teams gone, as they seems to have vanished into thin air.

The bird is about to spread his wings and take flight for an examination of the area, but hesitates about leaving Shahinne alone with the Gulpin. Not that he believes they did anything bad but there is definitively something sketchy going on.

Roc: <Uhm… Shahinne, why don't you go fly around and take a look?>

Shahinne -looks up: <Oh? Look?>

Roc -shrugs: <Just fly around and look for anything weird.>

Shahinne trills a happy note, she loves to fly around. After hopping off the porch the Starly♀ takes flight and starts circling the area looking for updrift. Roc takes a look south, near the hill there are some Rhyhorn and Girafarig looking around, a couple of them seem to be noticing the Starly.

Shahinne -high above already: <Wheeeeee~ I'm flying~♪>

Roc -sighs, turns to the Swalots: <If you know anything else that you haven't told us, it might be of help.>

Ms.Swalot: <Oh… well we don't want you to disappear like whatever the others disappeared like. :3>

Mr.Swalot: <I really can't figure it out, something like this had never happened before until the bandits came.>

Roc: <The bandits... tell me about them.>

Mr.Swalot: <They were just a couple of mons but caused much chaos...> -- bumps around -- <I remember a Metagross and an Empoleon, there were other mons around, outside...>

Roc turns his attention for a moment to the sky where some screeches can be heard, he frowns as a Pidgey has emerged from the grass to try and get Shahinne of his airspace by chasing her around and pecking her, but Shahinne is replying with pecks of her own.

Mr.Swalot: <…were so nice to kick their butts so they would leave us alone. Unfortunately those bandits broke the door and trashed the house, but the Torchic leading the team said they would repair it for us and went to look for random stuff they could use.>

Roc: <That was before they disappeared?>

Ms.Swalot: <Oh way before... they worked all the afternoon.>

Mr.Swalot -points to the door: <They repaired everything so we invited them for a dinner and an overnight stay as compensation.> -- sighs -- <And that morning after they left they were just gone, we thought they'd have flown away or something.>

Roc narrows his eyes at the door. While sturdy, only now he realizes how much of a patchwork was it like, with a random piece of rock  tied to a stick glued to the door for an actual doorknob; which, the Staraptor reminded himself with a mixture of amusement and implied facewing, should go in the inside of the house, not on the outside.

Suddenly a body falls to the grass from the skies; the Gulpin look a bit scared and hide behind their parents, while Roc simply smirks and steps aside just as Shahinne dives in and lands by her dad, roosts and trills a happy note.

Roc -while preening Shahinne: <Well done~>

Shahinne: <♫~>

Back there in the grass, the Pidgey gets up in pain and hops away towards a nearby tree.

Roc -turns to the Swalots: <Maybe it'd be better if you showed me what happened as much as you can remember.>

(After this post)

Algira was unfortunate enough to be drinking when she heard the old news.

Algira - Spit Takes: <Whaaaaaaaa! Nomed by a Swellow? o_o>

And drinks again to recover before hearing the second (and admittedly better) part.

Algira - Spit Takes: <Wh--eh--ah--b-b-ut... ahem...> -- gets redder -- <Surskit? Many? O_O>

Not that she didn't like the idea, it just felt so weird for her to be told that she was going to go through that. Or another version of her, she didn't care much about that detail at the moment. nor all of the other thins she couldn't wrap her head around. And the heat. And the fact that she had just spit the water she drank.

(In response to this)

Algira slowly comes back to her senses, if the change of patterns from technicolor to run-of-the-mill intimidation [orange] is any indication.

Algira: <I... I am still not used to these kinds of shenanigans, I guess. I thought Hoenn was crazy enough~> -- flies up, tidies herself.

She mutters a thanks to the Masquerain, then seems to notice that yes, it's a Masquerain.

Algira -to Audilith: <Uhm... she anything from me?>

Helios's Castle, PMD-B

(After this post)

Algira flashes a "warm smile" pattern and goes hug the Masquerain, being careful about her new Scarf. She then seems to remember something and goes dance around Helios.

Algira: <Helios if in this timeline we had Surskits does it mean we are late for Father's Day? Was it Father's day yesterday, Audilith?>

Golden Forests, PMD-B

(After this post)

~Yesterday~

When suddenly a couple of Sableye and a Spiritomb arrive and one of the Sableye proceeds to glomp Xavier, the Linoone and some of the other mons around d'awwwww. They are reminded of the somewhat lost human tradition of Father's Day that one of the Teddiursa in the group quickly proceeds to explain.

Random Nidorina: <What do you say if we let the kits take a break for the day and go greet their parents?> -- snickers -- <Would be a nice break from routine.>

Some of the kits, mostly the Zigzagoon, already start scrambling around growling friendly so that they can be sent with their parents.

Linoone: <I concur... I guess we can sort that out right now?> -- to Toothless -- <Sorry, but we can continue with this conversation later.>

The Nidorina, Donphan and Linoone start gathering the kits around while Noctowl walks up to Xavier.

Autura the Noctowl -brushes Xavier's shoulder: <Uh... congratulations, I guess?>

Xavier: <Thanks. I, uhm... you don't mind if I ask more questions about all this stuff later?> -- points to the lore walls.

Autura: <Not at all, but as I said,> -- shrugs -- <it is my lost brother who holds the most valuable information. I don't know where to find him though...>

Xavier nods and thinks for a moment, wondering how hard a lorekeeper Noctowl probably holding various pieces of art and technology should be to find.

Near Shimmer Hill

Roc and Shahinne observe as the Swalot couple and their Gulpin kids explain what happened when the first exploration team came to the house. When they point to some random features in the terrain, Shahinne very proudly explains the things she saw while airborne, chest puffed. While Roc acknowledges that the details are fairly precise, such as the direction in which the blades of grass by the trail were bent, or that all of the sets of paw/hoof-steps that left from the porch eventually returned to it («it's not fair, Hyper Awareness is my field…»), nothing is giving Roc much of a comprehension of how did the rescue team, and anymon who followed after it, disappear without trace.

He thinks for a moment, that at this point there might be only one or two ways to do that... and both of them had to be in proximity to the door. Which meant there had to be some "apparently unimportant" detail the Gulpin family had missed.

Roc: <When the exploration team left, did you see in what direction did they go?>

Mr.Swalot -sweats: <Uh, not really, sorry. It was very cold and my mate told me to close the door immediately. :3>

Ms.Swalot: <Oh Suicune it was my fault, isn't it? :3> -- starts sobbing.

Roc lowers his head at the Swalot starting to sob as her mate goes comfort her, then he feels something weird going on.

Roc: <Er, not really... I was just wondering... what was exactly the last thing you saw from them...>

Ms.Swalot -blinks: <Well... it was late and cold... t-they were still here in the porch when we hopped goodbye and closed the door... :3> -- moves inside the house.

Mr.Swalot: <Yeah, I mean it was fairly simple... :3>

While Roc looks around, Shahinne wondering what is going on, the female Swalot enters and, following the exact motions, hops a goodbye to Roc and Shahinne then closes the door not noticing a half-glare from Roc as she was smiling back to Shahinne who eagerly was returning a wingwave goodbye.

Ms.Swalot -sighs, opens the door: <We opened again just a moment after because the kids had not said goodbye- :3>

…There's nomon in the porch.

Ms.Swalot: <…H-hello? Honey? Little bird? :3>

The Swalots peek outside and then walks into the porch, completely devoid of any birdly or Swalot presence. A very cold sensation starts taking over the poor Pokémon as she start sobbing.

Ms.Swalot: <Oh noes! It happened again! ._. And it took my honey! :3>

…And the Swalot starts crying in the porch, which calls the attention of the little Gulpin who come see their mother delosated.

Near Shimmer Hill

The Swalot mother is hugging (somehow!) her children as she continues to speak with an otherworldly figure.

Ms.Swalot: <I don't know I don't know! All I know is they were by the door with my husband and now they're gone! °3°> -- shakes.

Children: <Mom is going crazy! °3°>

Children: <I don't want to be handed over to Social Services! °3°> -- cries.

Treasure Town

The Kirlia and Growlithe from social services are drinking some berry juice at Spinda's Bar when they feel slightly uncomfortable.

Kirlia: <You know, I feel peoplemons don't appreciate our work sometimes.>

(After this post)

Golden Forests

The Nidorina hugs the kit and turns to Toothless.

Nidorina: <Uh? Yeah, right, with a random dragon and a… fish>

Meanwhile, Fey seems to notice the situation but does not care, holding back Valatos's mood is enough work.

Valatos -to Cleo: <Well, you might as well be grateful that you are allowed to stay here with this level of access. I'm usually commanded to blast away creatures larger than a Donphan here.>

Fey facepalms.

Silentran♂: <Don't I get a saying in this?>

Nidorina: <No, you're too small~> -- licks him, turns to Toothless -- <If he's with you, where are his parents?>

Fey -to Toothless, waving a ghost hand: <Uhm... excuse my colleague. He majored in protective combat  with a minor in jerkassitude.>

Teala and Maekrite approach the loregrounds.

Maekrite: <I honestly don't know, but at least it looks like a place of interest.> -- swings horn -- <Let's go.>

As the Nidorino and Druddigon get closer, they notice a certain Yanmega standing in their way.

Valatos: <Ah, here are the two… I'd like to have a word with you if you don't mind.> -- starts beating wings at ultraspeed.

Valatos used BUG BUZZ!

Inside Shimmer Hill

Roc has called Shahinne back to land, to which the Starly♀ obeys. Still a bit confused, she asks her dad what is going on, inquires to which the Swalot male also joins. Roc unfolds a wing and motions the two to wait for a moment.

Roc: <Whenever the cave was opened up to the sky, these stalagmites didn't break.> -- slashes one of them with his talon, leaving a large gap -- <Nor have the rocks been falling for too long, haven't you noticed, Shahinne?>

Shahinne blinks, looks at the rocks around again to confirm.

Shahinne: <Dad, they are all regular and have dust!> -- chirps -- <There's no wind in here!>

Roc -nods and spreads his wings: <Take cover and observe…>

Shahinne and Mr. Swalot quickly move to Roc's right side; the raptor fans his other wing out, spreading his primary feathers. With a swift motion, he unfolds and folds casting a shockwave that sends slicing airwaves upwards to the gap. As they ascend the airwaves materialize into grayish crescent waves of energy that continue going up and up and spreading around…

~kching~

…until they crash with a faint green mesh that makes itself visible at the opening of the cave, convering it in its entirely. The Air Cutter blades are completely absorbed by what appears to be a very thick mesh of Light Screens; the vibration of the crash spreads across the mesh, reaching the edges of the gap and causing small tremors and dislodgement of pebbles.

Mr. Swalot: <Oh! We are trapped! °3°>

Roc: <Had we attacked with more strength we could have caused a cave in.> -- looks around -- <In fact… that's what probably caused the gap in the first place.>

Mr. Swalot: <Oh? How so? The gap wasn't there before? °3°>

Roc -hops around: <Or it wasn't that big. But the mons who were shardported here before tried to open a larger hole...>

Roc calls the others to follow carefully as they move around towards the walls looking for an exit. He assumes there is one, as it seems apparent that whatever the previous rescue teams tried, it only resulted in the large amount of dust and pebbles spread around the room. It was probable that none of them had managed to break the barrier and instead had turned to look for another exit from the cave.

Now, Roc thought, if only they could find it, they'd also be able to figure out the fate of those Rescue Teams.

Because somemon had to have set that barrier above them. Somemon smart, with a great knowledge of the technique, and with a good amount of energy to spare.

Shahinne -flies in front of Roc: <Dad! Listen!> -- points to their left.

Roc turns around and raises a wing to bring the group to silence. After a moment, he manages to filter out something coming from a corridor some distance left and above from them.

????: <…elp! Is anymon there? Kelly? Magnolia? I am hurt, help!>

Near Shimmer Hill

Salamence lands near the house and calls. After a moment, the rock door opens and a very shy Swalot peeks out.

Ms. Swalot: <O-oh? Who is this? Honey? °Ԑ°>

Inside Shimmer Hill

After checking the Arcanine up, a very uneasy Roc decides to hop around to find other exits from the cave, finding two besides the one they came from. A sigh after, Roc calls Shahinne and the Swalot down. The Starly picks their unfortunate partner up and after flying in circles for a moment, glides down. Roc narrows his eyes, he has noticed something weird on the spot Shahinne has flown over. Something that is just… out of place.

Roc: <Shahinne, I think it is time for us to leave. Set everything up?> -- walks towards what looks like a white-ish dust heap.

Arcanine: <W-what?> -- whimpers -- <B-but my friends!>

Roc -turns and looks at the Swalot: <We can come back for them later but you need to reach safety first...>

Shahinne very proudly starts looking into her bag for the [Badge]. As she does, the Swalot and Arcanine look out to Roc who has reached the pile. With a motion of his wing, the Staraptor brushes some white dust away, revealing a small spike dug into the pile and traces of a spiky substance.

Roc -frowns: <Hmmm… Swalot?>

Mr. Swalot -hops: <Y-yes? °3°>

Roc: <How many Fire-type Pokémon visited your house?>

Mr. Swalot: <Oh? Uhm… one, one I think. °Ԑ°>

Roc narrows his eyes at the pile of pebbles and ash and with a talon moves away what turns out to be…

…the skull of a Rapidash.

Shahinne -remember something: <Oh… hooves! Burned the grass because they-re fi-EEEEEHHHHHH>

Roc turns back to see Shahinne pinned down against the ground by the Arcanine they had just retrieved. Swalot, surprised and scared, hopped back a couple of steps, only to suddenly bump against a small blue-ish metallic object that protruded out of the walls of the cave.

Mr. Swalot: <...What? Who- °Ԑ°> -- is psychically blasted away.

Shahinne: <A-ack! Dad!> -- tries to break free to no avail.

Arcanine: <My, it's better if our noms don't escape!>

The Arcanine picks Shahinne's badge and bag up and tosses them away. As soon as Roc spreads his wings to try and go fetch back his chick, he finds himself covered by a Reflect from above.

Metagross: <You better don't try anything, or the little bird goes down somemon's throat first.>

Golden Forests

Teala manages to resist the Air Slashes, as does Maekrite who fires a Thunderbolt. Valatos sees it coming and evades it easily but is hit by Teala's Dragon Claw instead.

Valatos: <oooooof~ Finely trained I see, well…> -- charges up -- <I just think you should exercise some discipline and respect!>

And proceeds to fly low behind Teala to then try to Bug Bite her in the arm. Maekrite tries to fire an Ice Beam but can't with  Teala right on the way.

(After this post)

Salamence finds herself in the largest room in the cave, the one that is open to the sky. If Salamence looks carefully in schröedinger's direction she'll see the opening of a cave. Opening from which the sounds of some scuffle  and a recognizable [chirp] can be heard.

Meanwhile, in the second room, Arcanine steps back, shakes his mane.

Arcanine: <Metagross snap out of it! Well, you are not leaving this place just yet... There's only two exits..>

Roc -shakes his crest: <One of them is covered by his Light Screen mesh.> -- points to the fallen Metagross below him, then steps forwards -- <Now I think I can understand where did he get the energy from to maintain such a strong cage.>

Arcanine: <Noming the rock here and some mons every once in a while… but also from the power of the stars amplified by the barrier itself.> -- snorts -- <Though it's not like he's the only one who does the heavy duty here!>

Arcanine Agilities away, despite his bruised leg, tries to circle around Roc to fire a Flamethrower from behind; the Staraptor shrieks then easily evades the attack by flying up; as he turns around he notices Arcanine completing the circle running against Roc's direction...

Roc: <Shahinne! He is going for the Badge!>

Shahinne nods, realizing that without the Badge they can not leave the dungeon. Thinking fast, she picks Swalot up and tries to fly towards the center of the room.

Mr.Swalot: <Wheeeee~ I'm flying~ 0Ԑ0>