A test of might in the greenland [Event]

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The undying forests were a strange site on the eastern lands. From Grassveil to the eastern coast one would expect to see a transition from greenery to barren wastelands. Instead, amidst the journey, one may encounter the Everspring Vale. Still, if one was to get to the Eastern Desert, they would have to get through this Vale or find a way around it... Or so a young Sandshrew thought, approaching the limits of this unexpected overflowing garden. That would be the only way he could describe it, garden, as every single tree looked youthful and the leaves didn't even have another colour outside of green despite winter coming close. Someone... Or something, probably the Forest Keeper, was making sure these woods remained healthy forever.

The Sandshrew took a deep breath and looked at himself. An average two feet tall rodent with the usual pointy ears, pattern and tail yet unusually barbed claws, a scarred eye and nose, standing on all fours. Around his neck would be a pink Trap Scarf bestowed upon him by a lost mentor while a belt traveled from his shoulder to his hip, where it wrapped around it and was held tight by a buckle. Hanging from the sides where two bags, one small on his left containing a few berries he could use to recover as well as a Revival Seed and some other seed and orb with which to get around the issue of powerful feral Pokémon, too strong to face head on.

On his right, he carried the few Poké he could spare, some reliable 20 coins with a 'P' engraved, and a crystal with which he could unleash great power if it was ever needed. Having checked that everything was in place, the Sandshrew, named Yigo, decided to venture in, ready to test his strength and endurance with a wish to return to the land and family that watched him grow. And so, with steady steps and into the corridors formed by carefully grown and tended to trees and brushes, another adventure began.

"Even with that team... Their chances are still slim" The Bibarel spoke to herself. Whatever that had caused all the havoc, it wasn't a normal Pokémon. Before they could all depart, she decided to aid however she could, even if her fate was staying behind, taking care of the younger Pokémon.

Grabbing a bag with all of what she had gathered, she approached the ground type and offered it to him from behind. Yigo's flare snuffed out momentarily when he saw the offer, wondering what the meaning of that was. "With that around, we can't go back to gathering. Take all I've collected so far, but make sure to use it to win, alright?"

Yigo stared at the normal-water type with respect before taking the bag and noting what was inside. A few Heal Seeds, some Vile seeds, pointy sticks for tossing, a TM he couldn't use, a Thrawl and a House orb, an Oran Berry, two Green gummies... That was a lot. The bag almost seemed too small to handle everything. After seeing what resources he had, he nodded to the Bibarel and placed the bag onto the side of his hip and hanging from the opposite shoulder. The sticks' blunt ends were poking out of the bag for easy access, similar to how arrows would be ready on a quiver.

It was time to face the colossus.

Soon after the Rufflet took flight, Yigo started to grow impatient. He could feel the earthquake from afar, the presence of the roaming monster never fading. It's not like he could track it from that alone as the underground geyser activity caused seismic interference. As much as he loathed it and as much as he wanted a fight, there wasn't much else to do than to wait.

Opal looked at the bag that had been gifted with keen interest. "Lots of good stuff in there, Yigo? Getting any battle strategy ideas?"

Truth be told, Opal had no idea how the gang was going to fight this giant beast. She'd much rather not, but would they even be able to talk to the creature? Would they be able to get its attention at all before resorting to violence?

The rufflet returned before long, safe and sound.

"Yeah, the thing's still there where Opal said it was. It's still wrecking the forest. We should get moving before it reaches us."

"We should get moving before it reaches us."

The rufflet just had to jynx it, didn't it?

The earth shook once again as a shattering explosion tore into the land. Winds whipped and roared at the small crew the Arcanine and sandshrew seemed to have accumulated. It was so sudden and out of nowhere, it's astonishing that the quakes of the beast hadn't been heard before. This particular destruction, however, proved to be different. Flashes of light tore into the sky and through the clouds above, reaching for miles as they skimmed the very tops of what few sturdy trees remained.

Another quake rocked the earth followed by another burst of energy. In the blink of an eye, a prolonged and pained cry sounded out from the sky. It stretched on and on, a sound of pure terror it seemed. It grew louder...and louder...until a half a mile or so to the west of the small group, a red streak could be seen arcing through the sky and diving into forest. The cry cut off suddenly as the red wonder hit the ground just out of sight...

Would the group investigate...?

Every second the Rufflet was away only added to the anxiety. With a situation this tense, having nothing to do but stay alert, Opal breaking the ice with that curious question managed to snap Yigo out of this nerve-racking experience, if only for a moment. With a quiet stutter as he gathered his thoughts and registered what was being said, he turned his face to opal and tapped the side of the bag.

"That Bibarel gave me everything she had. I can't use all of it but I can fling some sticks at the thing" That was Yigo's plan but, now that he thought of it, fighting a colossal monster with sticks started to sound like a flawed concept. A glance at the bag made his mind catch onto some tactical possibilities, his ears flattening to what he had in mind "You know I'm not the b-best fighter or thinker... I'm not strong enough to get close so this is the only thing I c-can do! I'll annoy him so you have an easier time attacking it"

Betting the outcome on the battle on his allies. That was a classic thought of Yigo. Relying on the rest to take on his part of the burden. The Kangaskhan was towering, motherly and a glance at her physique was enough to tell that she was the sturdiest and strongest of the group. Opal had just evolved which made Yigo feel uneasy and inadequate. They were once similarly skilled and powerful but now there was no contest. Even the Rufflet, as the bird had spoken before, could fly higher than the monster could reach him.

Now that the pessimistic shrew has lost the crystal, what else could he hope to achieve than to avoid getting in the way of his allies? With that thought, his ears rose to the possibility. If the monster hasn't moved that far off from the previous battlefield, could he find his crystal and pull his weight?

The scouting Rufflet's news greenlit that plan, as he explained that the thing was still in the same place. All the pieces started falling into place.

But the Rufflet just had to Jynx it.

The initial blast of winds in their direction was fierce, causing Yigo, due to his small weight and being on his two feet instead of on all fours, to be pushed back and fall over onto his back. It didn't go past that and the contents of his back managed to stay inside, which was fortunate. What was worrying was the sight up above.

While recovering from the tripping gale, Yigo managed to spot something in the air but not with his eyes - those were blinded by the energy release - but his ears. Those screams of pain and fear filled the Sandshrew with terror and panic, causing him to whimper, wanting to cry as the situation overwhelmed him "N-No...! No, no, no!"

"I... don't think you should try annoying it. At least not without a good getaway option like Sand Attack or Rollout, if you know those," Opal replied with concern. The arcanine was conscious of Yigo's size, given she was now much bigger than him. Sandshrew were a robust species, but how could he survive getting stepped on by such a behemoth? How could any of them survive that?

It was around that moment that the earthquakes intensified. Opal narrowed her eyes in the face of those fierce winds as she took in what was happening. The beast wasn't upon them yet, but the group would have to get moving very soon.

"Everyone, we need to act now. Let's get the children to safety first, then Yigo can ride upon my back... Yigo?"

Her friend was now on the ground and cowering. Why? Was it the scream that had changed him all of a sudden? The children were also afraid and bawling their eyes out. Truth be told, Opal was a little scared as well.

"Yigo! Yigo, What's wrong? Tell me!" the arcanine shouted as she assumed a protective stance over his fallen form. She might prefer flight to fight right now, but Opal would never abandon someone in need. If need be, she would put herself in the firing line while everyone else made themselves scarce. Besides, she had the speed to dodge the monster's blows, right? Riiiiiight?

This hadn't gone according to plan. Damn it, damn it, damn it. He could only watch in frozen horror as his sister screamed in terror, plummeting to the ground like a fallen star. And now Regigigas was stomping towards her and the civilians alike, and he needed to do something, he needed to think- Streaks of blue broke through the stormy sky, one after another after another, and he let out a feral cry as he unleashed all his strength on the titan. He just needed to get it's attention and steer it away - even though he knew how challenging that would be to do on his own...

But Regigigas did not yield. It marched onward as if that streak of blue was merely a fly, leaving him helpless to change it's course as it stomped on it's ceaseless path towards the civilians - and his sister. "Leave them alone!" He howled, his voice almost lost to the storming winds. The most that the group below might see was a blue comet racing across the sky, pelting Regigigas with flashes of blue light. If he could just stall it until she was back in the sky... what was taking her so long? Every second gnawed at him with a cold anxiety, even despite the adrenaline rush. She must be injured, if she wasn't back up yet. That was the best case scenario.

"Owwwwwwwww..." A voice near the group groaned in pain, a voice that could easily be lost to the titan's stomping. Even that normally boisterous voice could be lost in the chaos as easily as a whisper in the wind.


And the titan stepped onward, heedless of falling stars or the cries of the children in their group. Nothing could change the course of it, even as the ground shook and trees began to tremble around the group, a few even beginning to uproot and fall. Each step took it closer still to the group. There was no malice. It was hard to say if Regigigas even realized they were there, or if they were simply ants in the path of the rampaging legend.

The titan had caused some panic in the group meant to do something about it. The Arcananine tried to put some order by commanding the group, even telling Yigo to ride onto her but she had realized that the Sandshrew was unable to do as she said. His eyes opened to that friendly and protective figure, towering over him and giving him a sense of protection and safety, as much as there can be with that colossus stomping about. "T-The screams! That thing has done something! Someone is hurt!" Even though his voice was desperate as if he was about to burst into tears, Yigo got back onto his feet, refusing to be what is keeping the group held back.

Trying to obey her orders, the scared ground type hurried up to the guild member's side and tried to hop onto her back before continuing. He remembered the scream of pain, all so loud and vivid in his head while the noise around him felt faint in comparison "Over there!" Yigo pointed westward, unable to hear the groans of the fallen stranger and only knowing that something crashed there. The flashes of bright blue tracing the sky and crashing onto the titan was the first time Yigo felt like he was in a war. An unstoppable force being attacked by a source of energy that caused the sky to change color to its actions, and yet be unfazed by it. This couldn't be another group of Pokémon that had the same idea, no. This was greater than they could deal with, and escaping was the only solution. Never to let an opportunity go to waste, this one-sided battle at least bought the group time. If they could, at least, rescue whatever Pokémon crashed near them, they'll have accomplished something. Now Opal only has to move and Yigo will guide her towards what he heard, being insistent about it and with ears peaked should the faint ghost of faint groans help him guide them better.

"You two go ahead," Mama told the explorers with a nod, "I'll get my little ones to safety and catch up. Please make sure that red creature is all right."

Opal made sure Yigo was securely seated before moving herself. She didn't want to go without the group, but it really was the most efficient way to see to everyone and make sure the vulnerable stayed fine. She began to run in the direction of the groans, hoping she or Yigo could do something to help.

It didn't take long for the duo to reach the red being. Opal had never seen anything like it. It was clearly a pokemon, but what type? Flying? It looked built for that.

"...Hi. We're here to help."

Opal and Yigo would arrive to see the red dragon tangled upside down in the tree branches, hanging awkwardly by her wings. Upon seeing the two, she managed a wave, offering a bright grin despite her disorientation. "Oh! Wow, you're brave ones! I thought for suuuure I was gonna get smushed." She seemed relatively undaunted, somehow. "Latios really would've chewed me out for that." She cast a glance up at the sky again, furious flashes of blue breaking through the dark clouds. Oh, god, she was gonna get lectured big time for this.

"So! Nice to meet you! My name's Latias!" She chimed, trying with no success to wiggle her way out of the tree. Shoot. She could maybe blast the tree apart? Nononono, wait, she'd probably blow up the nice pokemon who came to help her, if she did that. A frustrated frown crossed her face. Darn it. Being rescued was harder than she thought. She was usually the one doing the rescuing.

Left with no other answer but the boring one, the upside-down dragon waved to them again, seeming oblivious - or just unconcerned - with the titan marching closer to their little group every step. "Mind helping me down? Gonna be harder to mess up the big guy if he turns us into pancakes~"

"Hm... wait, I'm bigger now! I'll jump and grab the branches to free you!"

Opal was so proud of her idea. After asking Yigo to dismount and move out of the way, not wanting to throw him off or scare him, she trotted under the tree with a confident smile. "This won't take long!" the newly evolved arcanine beamed before crouching and leaping up with her powerful muscles.

Snap! Snap! Snap snap!

Opal's jaws kept falling just short of their lofty target. The canine's smile was disappearing, becoming replaced by a frustrated grimace. If she could just jump a little higher this time... It was definitely doable! It had to be!

The Pokémon in distress managed to entrance Yigo. Even though she was in distress and near a threat to the whole dungeon, she played it off as if was nothing important. Finding with his mouth open at her words, the Sandshrew obliged Opal's request and got off of the Arcanine, staring at the white-red Pokémon stuck upside down.

Yigo wasn't someone who had seen every Pokémon and was prone to discovering new species by running into them someday, but he felt that she was special unlike himself or Opal. He'd better make sure he remembers her name and ask a scholar friend of his if he knows about her, or that similarly named Latios.

As Opal's attempts to crunch the branches became more numerous and her smile started to fade, Yigo returned to his senses and had an idea. Opal was probably much heavier now, and could topple the whole tree if it was uprooted "Let me try something..." Yigo asked, approaching the base of the tree on all fours and starting to dig. Clawful after clawful, the dirt that the tree was using to sustain and support itself was being removed. Opal could help if she wanted and had picked up on the idea as well.

When he felt like the tree had no foundations that could support it, Yigo stepped away and stared at Opal once more "Let's try to push it and make it fall down. Latias will... She will be close to the ground and we'll be able to free her easily"

Regigigas simply kept walking, the vibrations in the earth growing stronger and stronger as it drew nearer to the three. The twin streak of blue had kept pelting the giant, but it was unable to so much as sway it from it's path. Latias began to shift a tad nervously, noticing the footsteps grow louder and louder. That wasn't a good sign. Oh, drat, this was getting pretty close, wasn't it?

"Uhhhhhhhh hey sorry, gang, might wanna speed this up a littlebitplease-" She managed, shooting them (her best attempt at an) encouraging smile, clapping her hands together. "I totally believe in you! You can do it!"

Luckily, Yigo's digging had weakened the tree enough for the vibrations from Regigigas' footsteps to make it fall, knocking Latias to the ground with a somewhat undignified "Oww." She perked up quickly enough, though, wiggling her way out from the branches, more akin to a worm than a wyrm. The red dragon managed to hover uneasily above the ground, her flight unstable and shaky. She still seemed undaunted, though, doing a quick circle above the group to reassure her brother that she was alright.

Latias flashed them another grin. "Alright! Awesome! So now we're gonna do something called a tactical retreat, you two wanna grab a lift? Dibs on carrying the little one! No offense, fire dog, sure you're great, but you look heavy." Her voice was barely audible, as loud as it was, above the collapsing trees and the pounding footsteps.

The blue streak had paused in his attack, swooping down closely enough to listen in to their conversation. She was fine, thank goodness. He should have known better than to think he'd be free from her that easily. "I can't carry an Arcanine!" He informed her - more like complaining, in Latias' eyes, rolling hers with a sigh.

"Sorry, fire dog, you gotta walk! Blame Latios and his weak arms."

"We'll talk later, we've got to go!" Latios hissed in response. "You're going to have to run. You can manage it, right?" Arcanine were fast. Not fast enough to keep up with them, maybe, but definitely faster than Regigigas. Speed wasn't their enemy's strong suit.

"You two wanna come with us? Let's gogogogo!"

Opal wondered what Yigo had in mind, but stepped back and allowed the sandshrew to carry out whatever he was planning. She did not immediately pick up on things, but got the hint when the ground type turned back to look at her. Of course! This was genius!

"That's brilliant, Yigo! We'll be able to free her thanks to you!"

Between both of them and the giant's rumbles, it wasn't long until the mysterious red pokemon was removed from the tree branches. Then a mysterious blue pokemon appeared, looking astoundingly similar. Incredible! She simply had to find out what they were!

There was no time for introductions, though. The giant was drawing closer with every thundering step it took. "Of course I can run! I like running!" Opal replied with a grin. Indeed, it was time to move rather than talk. Talking could come later. For now, another opportunity to test her fantastic speed presented itself to the arcanine. She would have been able to be carried an hour ago, but it was still quite handy to have evolved.

The tree fell and the plan was successful! But this wasn't the time for celebration. The sound of the tree falling like fresh timber couldn't be heard over the dozen or more the colossus was managing to take down under its feet. Once free, Latias flew around the duo to test her skills after the fall. She seemed alright! Which was good news.

Yigo was about to head for Opal and get back onto her when the similarly shaped dragon arrived. It was just like Latias, but blue, which would later make sense with his name: Latios. Moreover, Latias wanted to carry him away and apologized for this Latios being too weak-armed to carry Opal. That confused Yigo since he was sure that Opal could get him to safety and he didn't know this Latias. Considering the circumstances, it didn't feel like she was malicious and t's not like he had time to think it over too much.

He stared at Opal for a moment before walking away from her and closer to Latias "T-There's no time to waste!" he spoke, still nervous about the situation, the deafening stomps not giving him much room to think. He should be easy and light to pick up.

Latias clapped her hands(?) in delight, swooshing in a tight circle before scooping up Yigo, seemingly oblivious to the Sandshrew's discomfort. Or maybe she just didn't care? It was hard to say, because before too much thought could be involved, she had zipped off above the treeline, a streak of red whirling off into still-cloudy sky. Latios could only sigh as he saw her do a loop-de-loop in her excitement while still carrying the poor Sandshrew.

"We'll find a safe spot to regroup and make our plan." He explained to the Arcanine, shooting her a nod. He flew, though not at maximum speed, casting an occasional backwards glance to ensure the Arcanine wouldn't be left behind. The shaking earth turned to vibrations, which turned into whispers as the group grew further and further away. Finally, when Latios judged they were safe, he shot a ball of glowing blue energy into the air - and quick as a bullet, Latias has landed at his side, dropping the Sandshrew with an energetic grin.

"Thank you for riding Latias airlines~!" She cheered. "And thank you for saving your pilot! I totally believed in you guys!"

Latios cleared his throat, his expression growing solemn. "Yes. Thank you for saving my sister." He managed. He shot a pulse of pink energy at the red dragon, much to her dismay, though her hovering in the air was a bit steadier afterwards.

"Latioooooos, I'm fine." She whined, though Latios ignored her, for once. It was karma, frankly, for all the times the tables had been reversed.

"Only thanks to them." He huffed, keenly aware of just how badly things could have gone.  "You got overconfident. Don't let it happen again. You got incredibly lucky that there was someone here to save you this time."

The other dragon fell uncharacteristically quiet, for a moment. Latios took his rare chance to speak and carried on. "We owe you a debt. Though first I have to ask, why did you come here?" It was a rhetorical question, mostly. He already had a strong suspicion. Why else would anyone come here, now? "If you came in an attempt to help with Regigigas," he continued, "I'm sure you're under no more delusion as to how deadly it is. Even so, do you intend to help us? Or would you rather return to your homes?"