Maybe The Real Treasure Is The Friends We Made Along The Way

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Truth be told, Darcy hated sand, and it was rare for her to say she hated anything. The way the small grains of sand seemed to sneak into her fur and in between her toes, causing her whole paw - No, her whole leg, really, to feel scratchy and itchy and strange. Not to mention the fact that sometimes she sunk into the sand. And it was hot, and her paws always felt like they were burning. Maybe they were. Should she get them checked out once she was back in town? Probably. The Skitty sighed, her ears twitching as she found herself wishing she was a fire-type for the millionth time that day.  

Panting, the kitten Pokemon clambered up to the top of the dune she currently found herself situated on. Squinting, she could make out green in the distance. Green! She had... Frankly, no clue where she was at this point. She'd lost her map hours ago, shortly after entering the desert. Some feral sandshrew had found it fit to attack her, and while it hadn't presented much of a physical threat, it did find a way to run off with her map.

At the very least, her bottles of water were intact. Things could've been much worse then they were. That was the bright side of everything, huh?

"But none of that matters now!" Darcy cried out into the searing hot desert. She began to trot down, picking up speed the more she ran, more than eager to get out of the searing hot, grainy sand, away from the burning sensation that plagued her paws, away from everything about the desert, and to finally spend some time in the grass again. And water! There had to be water, right? Fresh water!

Of course, in her haste to get to to the oasis, Darcy forgot just how finicky sand could be. Her front legs slid out from under her as a wave of loose sand gave out from under her feet. Suddenly, Darcy found herself rolling, tumbling down the sand dune, her cries of surprise (And more than a bit of pain. Why was it so hot?) swallowed by the sand. She was swallowing sand. It had gotten into her mouth.

This was not a happy moment.

Darcy spat out the sound, her eyes shut tightly to prevent any of the heated grains from entering her eyes. Finally, she found herself able to speak again. She was rolling a lot, wasn't she? "SANDVALANCHE!" She found herself crying out, the phrase being the only word of warning she could think of in her head. There were other words. But for some reason, she found herself doubting that Owowowowhothothothelpmeplease would make suitable words of warning to anyone below her.

Finally, she came to a stop. It'd be alright if she took a second by herself, right? At least she was at the bottom of the dune now. Closer to the oasis. Even if she did feel like her whole body was on fire.

Arceus, Darcy hated sand.

Oh dear. Her attempt was ineffective, as evidenced by the Ducklett's blank stare. The kitten had the proper enthusiasm, at least! Unlike Toby. He was a dear friend, to be sure, but he lacked the sense of theater! Her choice of words was... a little milquetoast, but she had some budding potential. She was certainly trying! Her voice was appropriately bold, even striking a pose! And her accent was unlike any that Vixen had heard before, mysterious and indistinguishable. It was a dignified display, all in all.

"Cut!" She cleared her throat and walked between the two, trying to emulate her old instructors. "You have left your potential woefully untapped, apprentice. You can go much farther still." She began her lecture, pacing back and forth. "Your form was flawed, and your boasts were humble. You insulted yourself, feline! Fourth best before you... does that not imply you are the worst? You must give yourself more credit. Here, I'll demonstrate!"

She turned with a flourish to introduce herself to the Ducklett properly, but it was already wandering off. Curses. Darcy's mild display had done nothing to demand his respect and awe, clearly. "Humph. There are more important matters, regardless. Never deign to lower yourself, Darcy. If you take one thing from my teachings, let it be that. You are already the most competent of my vassals."

It was... meant to be encouraging, in her own way, Phosphor was pretty sure. "I still don't know what's going on..." He bemoaned, to which the Squirtle gave him a reassuring pat on his back. Somehow that didn't make him feel any better. He half-considered leaving the three to their fun, but... he did have an agreement with Darcy, and he'd feel bad breaking it. Besides, if these two decided to change their tune and start acting like criminals again, who would help protect her?

Resigned to his fate, Phosphor took a step forward and started sliding down a sand dune, letting out a surprised yelp. The Ralts hadn't even realized the danger he was in. He hadn't seen the blue portal until it had already pulled him in.

Before he realized what was happening, he was gone.

(+1, Natural Regen)
(+7, Big Apple)
(+10, Huge Apple)
(-5, Echo World Entry)
Phosphor's Energy: 13 (Before rolling)

Venusian carried out 5 launched of one Echo World :

, , , ,

Darcy sat down once more, her smile becoming more and more sheepish as the Lilligant explained her shortcomings. They all made sense, and she wasn't upset! More so... a bit surprised. Who knew treasure hunting was so complicated? She nodded along, making a mental note of all her errors. Giving herself more credit seemed to be her biggest mistake, but this part confused her. She was the fourth-best treasure hunter! Vixen seemed by far the most competent, and Squirtle was experienced in working with her! Phosphor... Well, he wasn't the one who had tumbled down a sand dune, she was! Was she supposed to lie...? Hmm. Maybe she could just say They were the best treasure hunters? That'd be much more accurate!

"Alright! I'll do better next time Vixen!" The Skitty said, her ears twitching pleasantly as she beamed up at the Lilligant. "Promise ya! Thanks!" The Skitty stood up, spinning in a circle before striking another, different pose, as if to demonstrate her readiness to her new teacher. But before either of them could say anything, a yelp! A cry for help from Phosphor, who was sliding down the sand-dune, just like Darcy had earlier. The Skitty let out a dramatic gasp, before turning to Vixen.

"He's falling into the strange, glowing blue portal, Vixen! We gotta save him!" She yelled out, her natural instincts as a guild member accompanying her newfound sense of drama. With no more words (And no sense of self-preservation,) the Skitty broke out into a sprint for the Ralts. But alas! She was too late! Well, there was nothing to be done!

"Incomiiiiiiiiiiiiing! The Skitty cried out at the top of her lungs, before diving into the blue portal, just after Phosphor. After all, someone had to save him! And who better than the fourth-best treasure hunter in the desert?!

Or... Come to think of it... Since Phosphor needed rescuing... Did that make her the third best now?

[Energy: 1 + 10 (Oran Berry, thanks Venus) = 11 Energy]

Mada carried out 1 launched of one Paradox Woods :

Mada carried out 1 launched of one Paradox Woods :

Mada carried out 1 launched of one Paradox Woods :

Mada carried out 1 launched of one Paradox Woods :

Mada carried out 1 launched of one Paradox Woods :

Mada carried out 1 launched of one Echo World :

Mada carried out 1 launched of one Echo World :

Mada carried out 1 launched of one Echo World :

Mada carried out 1 launched of one Echo World :

Mada carried out 1 launched of one Echo World :

"A-ah! Darcy, wait! A treasure hunter cannot be so impulsive without weighing the risks-!" But it was too late, and her chastising fell upon deaf ears. She fiddled for a moment, unsure as to what to do with her hands. She stared into the void for a long moment, flickering as it pulled in both the guild pokemon like a hungry mouth. No, no no no this wasn't what she wanted- s-she should be happy, shouldn't she, that now they had free reign once more? But she didn't want it like this! This wasn't what she wanted! Who put the stupid portal here! Her hands were trembling as she stared into the void, trying to figure out what to do.

She felt a reassuring hand on her waist, her oldest friend looking back up at her. "We have to go get them." The Squirtle said, gentle but unbending, and Vixen knew he was right. He always was. But he could still see her shaking like... well, a leaf, and she felt utterly pathetic, in that heartbeat. "We'll be okay. Alright? You're the greatest treasure hunter in the world, and I'm your best friend."

"... t-thanks, Toby." She whispered, scraping together all her courage. Deep breaths. One, two. One, two. She just couldn't overthink this. She just couldn't let herself think at all.

Finally, she stepped in, and the world vanished.



"Owwww..." Phosphor groaned in pain as something heavy landed on him. Ow. Ow, ow, ow. He managed to look up to see Darcy - where the heck was he? "H-how long was I out?" He managed, raising a hand to rub his aching head. His head ached. And... something was wrong.

He couldn't feel Darcy's excitement anymore. It had been so clear, all sunshine and bubblegum and cottoncandy in the back of his mind. He'd learned how to tune out the emotions of others, but never before had it vanished completely. This was... this was wrong. Something had to be damaged, when whatever-happened-to-him had happened. "Darcy? I think I hurt something, I don't want to alarm you and I feel fine for now, but I might need to see a doctor-"

Plop went the portal, unceremoniously, as the Lilligant and the Squirtle fell into a similarly undignified heap. Onto Darcy, if she hadn't moved, and square onto Phosphor if she had.

Energy: 20
(+10, Shade)
(+10, Shade)
Status: Burned

(0 Energy After Rolls + (40 x .8) + (40 x .2) + 20 = 40 Energy)

Darcy scarcely heard the warnings of Vixen as she dived in after her companion, a strange, queasy feeling entering her stomach as she slipped across the portal. It was the kind of feeling she got after spinning around in a circle a bit too fast, for a bit too long, and then suddenly stopping. Like the world was spinning around her, no matter what she did, or how she positioned herself. Like when she'd been chasing her tail for a bit too long.

Luckily for the Skitty, her fall didn't afford her too much time to reflect on how she knew this, or to think about just how often, exactly, she chased her own tail. With an undignified oomph the Skitty exhaled as she landed on her stomach. All the air had been knocked out of her stomach, but otherwise, she was ok! She was fairly sure. The Skitty's legs were splayed out beneath her, and she let her chin rest on the sand. Phosphor was alright. He was right there! Waking up, or something. The Skitty wore a smile that was a cross between relief and embarrassment, as she waited for the air to return to her stomach. It wavered as Phosphor said he might be hurt.

Did she have any items for that?

"T-That's alright," Darcy wheezed, shooting Phosphor what she hoped was a reassuring smile. This was weird, and a bit of fear couldn't help but creep into her voice. What did she do? She wasn't prepared for this! She wasn't that veteran a guild member. At least Phosphor was safe. "Heh. Sorry to drop in on ya, by the way!" The Skitty croaked out once more, air not quite fully returning to her lungs. "Get it? Cause I fell?" She explained, a dopey smile on her face, even as her words weren't quite as bright as she envisioned them.

What could she say? This was weird.

Unable to elaborate further on her attempt at a joke, the Squirtle, without warning, dropped in on Darcy, landing shell first onto her back, prompting the Skitty to let out a yelp of surprise (and a bit of pain. She'd never really thought about it, but that shell was hard.) And then, only to make matters worse, Vixen fell from the sky onto the Squirtle, who still was clambering on Darcy's back. The combined weight of the two of them was too much for the poor kitten to handle, who only let out a meek, pained whimper of protest before she blacked out.

Maybe bad jokes did have consequences?

Owwwwwww. Now everything hurt, not just his head. Phosphor was pretty much ready to give up on being conscious before the Squirtle unceremoniously helped him to his feet. He had to lean on the turtle pokemon as he spouted out apologies. He seemed genuine enough, but Phosphor was still allowed to be a little bit mad, right? That hurt. Still pouting, he lifted his gaze to see the now-unconscious Darcy being poked at by Vixen. He stepped forward and tried to shake her awake, wondering if he had any kind of item for this. It didn't seem like it? His Rainy Orb seemed pretty handy for a desert, but that was about it.

"Darcy, you okay?" Nothing seemed obviously broken, and she was breathing just fine. She seemed to be just unconscious for now? Hopefully, at least. He kept shaking the cat Pokemon, a frown creasing his face. "Please? If you can hear me, I could really use a hand right now..." Please don't leave him alone with this theater child, Darcy. Sure, maybe she fed into Vixen's weird game, but at least that meant she was too busy to rope Phosphor into it.

Even though that had been pretty karmic for the bad joke.

Vixen had landed gently on the top of the stack, like the lucky bastard she was. She was too busy mulling over their predicament to notice the array behind them, the absolute clutter of faces and noise flooding the oasis - since when had they been in the oasis? Hadn't that been what they were looking for? Finally a girl approached them with a bright smile, flowers and ribbons knitted in her hair. She was a Ralts, not unlike him, holding out the boquet in her arms.

It looked like a party, of all things. But why now? And why here? Paradox Woods wasn't really the safest place, was it? "Hullo!" The little Ralts greeted. "Do you four have an invitation?"

Darcy felt someone shaking at her shoulders, but everything felt so dark and groggy and tired. What was going on? She felt abjectly miserable, and the shaking didn't stop. What day was it today? It was hot, so it was sometime in summer... Who needed a hand? Who was that?

Darcy whimpered, flitting in and out of consciousness. She was so sleepy! And a nap would feel so nice, right about now. The Skitty felt a numb pain in her hind legs, but it was nothing to worry about! She'd prolly just fallen asleep awkwardly, and now her legs were numb because of it.

The Skitty finally obtained a hint of consciousness back, just in time to see a small Ralts, just like the one currently begging her to stay awake, approach them. She had all sorts of adornments on her head, and she shot them a small, polite smile. Something about an invitation?

"Nooooo," Darcy moaned, rolling onto her side. Her head was spinning, and the world still felt like it was revolving, tumbling down a sand dune. "I don't have an invitation to the school dance! I need a date!" The Skitty whimpered again, this time, less out of physical pain, and more emotional. She really hadn't gotten a date on the school dance! She hadn't worked up the courage to ask any boys out! Besides, it hadn't really... interested her. But when everyone else had a date, well, it felt a bit like she was the odd one out.

But things could be different for this dance! She wasn't particularly well dressed for it, but considering there was a prom in a mystery dungeon, they probably wouldn't be too strict. "Will one 'a y'all be my date?" The Skitty blurted out in the general direction of the Lilligant and Ralts, her state of consciousness still in question before her face hit the ground. The yell was a bit too much for her, apparently. The only indication that she was still alive was the loud snore that emerged from her face buried in the sand.

It was a rather obvious indication.

"U-um..." The Ralts seemed extremely confused by the kitten pokemon's outburst, shifting her feet. "Are you okay, ma'am?" She seemed a little bit concerned, but, well... she still had a job to do! "I'm afraid this area's been reserved for the ball! If you don't have invitations, I'll have to have security escort you out." She sounded a little bit sorry, and Phosphor was pretty sure they could talk their way into the party if they really wanted to...

But Vixen? She'd smelled blood in the water. She poked Darcy with an ambitious grin, waiting for her 'apprentice' to stir. "Darcy!" She'd hummed, a wicked glee in her voice. "You must awaken, vassal! This is the perfect test of your abilities! This is an opportunity served to us on a silver platter!"

Vixen lowered her voice to a conspiratorial stage whisper. If the Ralts had heard, she was being polite enough not to ask. She... seemed like a bit of a pushover, really. "My insider knowledge tells me that events such as this are simply packed with treasure!" She urged, waiting impatiently for her to awaken, clapping her hands together with glee.

"Events such as this exist for the nobility to flaunt their wealth. This is a treasure trove, Darcy! You simply must wake up!"

Thisi second bout of unconsciousness lasted only a mere few seconds, the Ralt's words registering within her mind. The Skitty's tail twitched as she lifted her sand-covered face from the ground, tears already rolling down her face. Memories of her deepest childhood trauma had resurfaced, and now she could scarcely keep herself in check! It wasn't her fault she hadn't found a date!

"I just r-really wanted to go... S-Sorry..." The sniveling Skitty said, burying her face under her paws, too focused on the recollection of her past to notice Vixen's explanation of just what, exactly, was going on. Her ears were still ringing, and her head still hurt like crazy. "I d-don't know where we put t-the invitation, I've just been... l-looking forward to this the whole school year" Her accent was thicker than it'd ever been, slipping back into what came most natural to the Skitty. As she peaked between paws to take one more pleading, begging stare at the fancy Ralts, she was seeing double, even triple of the girl. Had the Squirtle landed on her back, or on her head? Maybe both? Head first, then back? She was having trouble remembering...

She was having trouble remembering a lot of things...

"O-oh... um..." The Ralts looked at her, clearly confused. "Well I-I... guess I can pretend I didn't see you guys..." She offered meekly, holding out a flower to the Skitty to try and cheer her up. "But please don't let anyone know! I really need this job-"

"Fear not." The Lilligant reassured her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Any honorable thief protects her contacts!"

"U-um, I, don't think I should let you in if you're thieves..."

"W-we'll share the bounty with you in thanks!"

"Ohthenthat'smaybeokayIguess..."

Vixen clapped her hands in delight. What a cunning ruse on her apprentice's part! They had secured entry! There was just one final hiccup, in the form of Phosphor and Toby crouched over the distraught Skitty. Her ruse was so skillful that even her allies had fallen for it! What commendable skills this feline possessed! Phosphor was crouched next to her, hopelessly floundering for words to reassure her with.

"It's okay!" Phosphor said with extreme awkwardness. It was a sad sight to watch. "We'll find you a date for the... school dance... and the nice lady let us in, see?" He seemed to realize how ridiculous what he was saying was as soon as the words left his mouth, and the little Ralts was clearly embarrassed, sparing just a moment to bury his head in his hands.

It fell upon her to save the situation, like always! "Never fear, dear feline! For you have the honor of having my hand for the dance!" Vixen offered with a radiant smile, extending a leaf to the Skitty.

Darcy's eyes widened, and her smile brightened, as she was presented with a flower. It was so pretty! It was unlike any flower the Skitty had ever seen, and she gently took it from the Ralts, placing it behind her ear. "Thanks!" She said brightly, her earlier sorrow seeming to vanish at the presentation of the gift. The ensuing conversation didn't pertain to the Skitty, and so, she entertained herself with her flower, imagining what she'd look like with it adorning her. She didn't consider herself very cute, and she had some trouble in deciding accessories. People often called her plain because of it, but this would fix that!

Finally, the other Ralts... Phosphor was his name, but she couldn't recall how she'd met him. In any case, he finally addressed her directly, and Darcy looked up at him.

"Really? You can do that?" Darcy asked, gasping at the Ralt's words. She'd love that! She really would! But... Who'd want to go to a dance with her? "If it's too much work though, you don't gotta."

And then a voice! Magnificent, and confident, and majestic! The Lilligant! Already, she was holding a leaf out to Darcy, and the Skitty hopped to her feet, taking the leaf gently in her paw. She beamed up at the larger Pokemon, positively beaming. "R-Really? You'd do that?" She could hardly believe it! She never would have thought someone as clever, and confident, not to mention cute, as Vixen would deign to go on a date with her!

Of course, it was only platonic. She just needed a date for the dance! She didn't mind if any girls swung towards girls. Judging by the way Alki talked about that Oshawott from school, she was fairly sure her own sister did! But she didn't. She just needed a date! A... Platonic... Date.

"Thank ya, Vixen!" Darcy said, rubbing her head against the Lilligant's dress, positively beaming. What a pleasant turn of events!

Victory once more! Vixen gave her apprentice an appreciative pat on the head. She didn't hold any such feelings towards anyone, as she had learnt - but it was certainly nice to be appreciated. Such a cunning ruse, and a wonderful show! They would look right at home in the ball, she was sure of it. If only she hadn't misplaced her mask...

But Phosphor had another question. A lot of them, actually. "Why are you guys holding a ball in a mystery dungeon, anyways?" And maybe more mysteriously still... "And what are you guys even celebrating?"

The other Ralts nodded eagerly once she had the chance to explain. "What better for security, right? And the King is known for being a bit eccentric." She spoke that second bit in a hushed, almost conspiratorial whisper. Phosphor wasn't aware of any monarchy here. Or anywhere nearby, for that matter. Sure, he wasn't the most well-informed, but it seemed pretty old-fashioned to him. "But I think this place means something to him? Maybe if you're really lucky, you'll be able to get an audience with him and ask!"

The second question received a quicker answer, though, and the girl clapped her hands together, smiling past her bouquet. "Well, you know how it is, there's a lot of pomp and circumstance, so we're gonna have more balls. But for today, we're celebrating the engagement of King Nadir and Princess Flora!"

Vixen froze, statue still, staring down at the cat Pokemon. Questions whirled through her mind, and no answers presented themselves, crouching down next to Darcy. Her voice was uncharacteristically quiet. "Feline," She started awkwardly, "I'm afraid there might be a bit more danger to our... date... than I initially anticipated." She admitted quietly. "Do you still wish to accompany me?"

Darcy continued to rub her head against the Lilligant, only ceasing when Vixen gave her a small, light tap on her head. The Skitty had to remind herself not to audibly purr at that act. That was something kids did! And it'd be embarrassing! But wow, it felt nice. The kitten Pokemon separated herself from the Lilligant, no longer touching her, but still sticking very close by. Her ears flickered, as she relished in the fact that she'd actually, honestly found a date! She'd kinda given up on getting into the dance, let alone finding a date for it! She didn't pay much attention to whatever the Ralts were saying. Something about a King? She couldn't remember who the Prom king was. Maybe it had been someone named Nadir. She couldn't quite recall.

Toby, meanwhile, shifted his weight around, clearly uncomfortable about what the Ralts was saying. If the strange, glowing portal hadn't already given away, this ball certainly did. Something was very off about this whole thing. He kept his eye on Vixen, as she was now calling herself, out of the corner of his eye. The Ralts they'd totally-not-stolen the map from seemed rather level headed enough. The Skitty was... Well... She sure was something. And Flora was his friend...

The turtle pokemon withdrew into his shell the tiniest bit, as the nervousness made itself more and more apparent on his face. Just what was going on?

"Of course!" Darcy cried out, resisting the urge to rub up against her date once more. "I ain't a coward! We're the best treasure hunters out there, Vixen! What's a bit 'a danger to Pokemon like us?" The Skitty hopped up and down, lifting a paw in the air, striking yet another pose in her excitement. Maybe it'd cheer her date up! She'd been so excited just a few minutes ago! And she hated to see her so... Nervous. The Skitty resumed a normal stance, tail still flickering back in forth, as she beamed up at the grass type. They'd be alright! She was sure of it!

Vixen smiled her a somber smile in response. She certainly had spirit. The treasure would be theirs, surely - but more importantly, she needed to investigate. "Very well." She answered, a hint of resignation in her usually jubilant voice. She'd... just have to be brave, then, was that it? She held her hands close to her chest to hide their shaking, forcing a smile.

Phosphor didn't need to be able to read emotions to tell that something was wrong. Well, a lot of things were wrong, since he'd apparently fallen into a portal that led to a dance, of all things. It was nice of the others to try and help him. Kind, but maybe not especially wise. More specifically, something was clearly wrong with Vixen, the girl looking uncomfortable in her own skin. Phosphor could fault her for quite a few things, but being shaken in a place like this wasn't one of them.

"Maybe some people over there will know where we are?" He suggested to the Squirtle and Vixen. Darcy would have been included in that count, but she was a bit... incapacitated... at the moment. "They don't seem hostile, at least. Kinda weird folk to be throwing a party here, but I don't think they're gonna attack us? Maybe this king guy knows about this weird place, since he's the one that chose it?" He suggested, glancing between Vixen and Toby.

"I may have a passing familiarity with this place." The Lilligant answered tersely. Phosphor was going to doubt whether or not she was making that up to sound cool again, but the dark cloud over her face made him inclined to think she was telling the truth. Funny, how even without his ability to read emotions, her anxiety was leaking over to him. Just what was he missing?

Undaunted, the other Ralts only ushered them towards the crowd, hoping for them to join in the fray before she could get caught. Music was playing more clearly now from a band of pokemon on a makeshift stage. They were playing that old instrumental stuff that Phosphor had never really gotten.

Darcy was thrilled for the date, of course! More than thrilled, she was ecstatic! But at the same time, she couldn't just ignore how her date was feeling. She spoke shortly, before lifting her hands up to her chest, and even Darcy, in her current state of mind, could see their shaking. Her sister's shook like that too, when she was scared. The Skitty purred, brushing her tail against the Lilligant's back, while beaming up at her. It wasn't much, and it didn't have any real effect on Vixen, not the way some Pokemon were capable of. But it always helped ground Alki, and remind her someone was there for her.

Maybe she could do the same for Vixen?

She was her date!

"S'all right! I'll be here to help if y'all need anythin'! The Skitty expressed cheerily, very clearly incapable of being much help. At least, help beyond 'Moral Support'.

Toby nodded at the Ralts' suggestion.

"It's... as good a place to start as any, I suppose," Toby replied to Phosphor, although he was quite obviously distracted. The Skitty was well intentioned, quite obviously, and while she'd seemed... competent, if childish, before he'd landed on her, the competency had all but vanished.

...He'd have to apologize to the girl later.

But his first, and most important concern, was Flora... Vixen... He ambled over beside her, nudging her side ever so gently.  What was he supposed to say, in a situation like this? ...He really had no clue. But at least, reminding her that he was here for her... Well that certainly wouldn't go amiss, right?

Vixen glanced between her "date" and her best friend, whispering a quiet "Thank you." as she offered each of them a pat on the head. The effort was appreciated. It really was, even if she didn't feel much better. She exhaled deeply, trying to regain her composure. Even without his emotion sensing abilities, Phosphor could tell that something was wrong, shifting anxiously as he tried to figure out what to say. This was a mess. Vixen was nervous, Toby was unsure, Darcy was... incapacitated. That just meant it had fallen to him to take the lead, huh?

So he stepped forward, leading their little group. Maybe he'd just have to do the talking. That was fine. He could handle it, hopefully. He wasn't the most persuasive, but he'd have to figure it out. He'd been through harder things than this. "Alright. Let's see what this ball is all about." He quipped, motioning for the rest of their group to follow him.

They would hear the procession before they saw it, cresting a dune to get a proper look at the crowd. It wasn't his kind of place at all, full of polite chatter and a skilled band playing slow music up on stage. He knew he looked out of his element, and, well, that's because he was. Everyone was decked in jewelry and masks, making him feel rather under-dressed with just his guild bag. He took a moment to gather his courage before sliding down the dune - with a bit more grace than his earlier spill through the portal had afforded him, thankfully.

A Carnivine gave him a puzzled look as he pushed past, narrowly dodging a Simisear dancing with a Ludicolo. An Amoongus and Wartortle stood by the makeshift entrance, wooden banners marking the party area. This was so much work to go to... wasn't this a weird place to hold a dance? Royalty was weird, probably. That was his best guess. A Silicobra had put on a very weird, fancy hat, his head poking out of the sand. It didn't look especially dignified to Phosphor.

He decided it wasn't too mean to make fun of these people a little bit. They were clearly rich. With a clear conscience, he pushed his way forward, an Azurill nearly hopping into him as he did so. Dear Arceus, this crowd was annoying. He glanced around for someone important-looking, before finally tapping a Ferroseed on the shoulder, narrowly dodging it's spikes as it hopped around in an attempt at a dance.

"Hey, sorry, were you guys aware of the portal back there?"

"... no...?" The other pokemon only looked at him with vague confusion and concern, making him feel like an idiot. "Sorry, I've got to check on my sister, enjoy the ball!" It said before rolling off, clearly trying to get away from the Ralts. Phosphor wasn't buying that excuse for a minute. In hindsight, he really should've known better than to ask about something this weird so plainly.

Hopefully he had a few more minutes before security kicked him out, anyways, and hopefully they wouldn't take the other three down with him. And sure enough, a Haunter and a Cherubi were drifting towards him with purpose after the Ferroseed exchanged some hushed words with them, leaving the Ralts to bury his head in his hands. Well, this was embarrassing.

"I've received a report you were causing a disturbance." The Haunter hummed, leaning over him ominously. Sure, it could probably kick his butt, but he didn't appreciate the attempt at intimidation, crossing his arms and staring back defiantly.