𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐨𝐧 ❀ [Leon X F!OC - Hiatus]

𝟎𝟗. 𝐆-𝐌𝐚𝐱 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐞

━ ✧ ❀ ✧ ━

The tree-dotted grasslands that made up the Wild Area's Dappled Grove was moist and leaf-littered, perhaps from a recent rain shower; it smelled like damp nature all around. Lilias's shoes squelched and slid as she nudged out the Rotom Bike's kickstand and hopped off, turning to face a particular Pokémon den. It looked just like any other, a hexagonal mountain of rocks and soil that plateaued at the top and opened up in the middle, a crimson beam of Dynamax energy shooting up to the sky. The air was warped here, and Lilias could feel the ends of her hair standing up from the crackling atmosphere and tampered gravity.

"I've made it," she breathed out, staring uncertainly at the surging rays and trembling earth. "The kids are all in there...somewhere."

She double-checked her bag. Yes, everything I need is here. Unnecessarily, she did it again. Yes, nothing's changed.

"...Oh, what am I doing?! The kids are in danger—I need to stop being such a coward!"

Shaking her body as if to throw the fears off, Lilias took a deep breath. The seconds of drawing in air ticked by, measured by the leaves scattering from the trees; metaphorically, her chest felt the same way, her heart beating in scrambled patterns. A sudden gust carried forth the sweet scent of berries, and the chittering of lurking Skwovet served to calm her down a little...just a little.

"...Alright, no more delaying it. Let's go."

━ ✧ ❀ ✧ ━

It was dark and vast inside the Pokémon den. A classic case of dimensional transcendentalism, its outside appearance didn't accurately portray the seemingly endless stretch of rock structures and walls inside, the shafts of light coming from the surface growing weaker as the cavern went on. Dynamax energy emanated from the ground and atmosphere, crimson and angry as it weaved between the boulders and crawled across the walls. Lilias raised a hand experimentally; red threads of alien power seeped through her fingers, crossing her body on its way to some unknown destination.

"Gloria? Hop? ...Victor?" she called out, her voice echoing as she sifted dirt and gravel with her movement. She was alone in this place, the wide-set walls making her feel trapped rather than out in the open. Honing her hearing, she could hear condensation dripping from the ceiling somewhere up above, as well as the buzz of the ever-present Dynamax energy.

"Hello...?" How far back does this place go? Was I mistaken?

*RUUUMMMBLEEE*

"Ah—!"

Suddenly, the ground began to shake and heave; it was similar to the incident in Galar Mine with Leon's Haxorus's Earthquake. Lilias lost her balance, tripping over her own feet as an added insult to injury on the way down. She fell with an unceremonious flop, scraping her knee on a loose rock.

"Ouch!"

"Urgh...!" she hissed through gritted teeth, hovering a trembling hand over the bleeding joint as she carefully, but quickly shifted herself into a sitting position. The ground continued to rock around her, making her head spin and pound. Would the Potions she brought work on human wounds? She was hesitant to try it out.

"It's coming! RUNNN!"

"AHHH!!!"

"Can you stop yelling?! You're gonna give us away!"