Bryce came across a small mountainside crevice in which he stopped to catch his breath. During his brief time in the Paldea Region, he had heard much about the Legendary Great Crater. While he wasn't foolish enough to venture in, he wasn't about to pass up the chance to see it in person while traveling south.
The mountain, though steep, was practically covered in protrusions to use as hand and foot holds. With Meowstic riding on his back to help him maintain balance, and Skarmory's Pokéball primed for quick release, he didn't feel the need to spring on any special climbing equipment. Having rested to his satisfaction, he returned to his climb.
Minutes passed by in silence between the trainer and his Pokémon. As the edge of the crater finally came into view, he turned his head to look at Meowstic. "Everything seems ok?". The feline Pokémon pondered for several moments before responding "Nothing above, nothing below."
"Good" Bryce confirmed "We're almost at the top now, shouldn't be much longer." The silence set back in as they continued their ascent. Some may have been driven mad by the quiet, but Bryce and Meowstic were more than content to simply enjoy each other's presence. Their psychic bond, formed from nearly a decade and half of companionship, conveyed more than words ever could.
Slowly, they rose above the crater's edge. The vast expanse stunning them both. "Incredible." Bryce said softly. They had traveled to many regions, and seen much both natural and man made, but the sheer scope of the crater was beyond anything either had witnessed before. Their knowledge, however limited, of the whole world sitting beneath those clouds added to the mystique.
"Presence." Meowstic whispered telepathically, prompting Bryce to turn away from the crater. A Garchomp banked around the side of the crater, clearly patrolling the area. Bryce narrowed his eyes, watching the dragon closely "Don't see a rider, must be wild. Hopefully he leaves us be…", on a hunch he released Skarmory for a quick exit. Before the Raptor could let out his telltale cry, Bryce shushed him.
Regardless, the Garchomp roared a challenge upon spotting them. Bryce sighed "Fun while it lasted I guess." Meowstic grabbed onto his chest as he climbed aboard Skarmory's back. "His house, let's leave." With the Garchomp's angle of approach, the fastest way to get clear was directly over the crater.
As they flew over the Great Crater, the sense of foreboding became ever stronger. "Let's clear away from here, I don't care to find out how far down this thing goes" Bryce directed as soon as he heard the telltale signs of the Garchomp giving up its pursuit. Skarmory let out a shrill cry of approval.
Just as they began to turn towards the edge, a far deeper and louder roar echoed from the clouds below. Before any of the trio could react, a blood red crescent sprung out directly in front of them. The beast quickly dived, crashing directly into Skarmory and knocking Bryce and Meowstic clear off his back. The creature vaguely reminded Bryce of pictures he'd seen of a Mega Salamence, but that thought faded instantly as he quickly recalled Skarmory before they could separate any farther.
Meowstic and Bryce fell below the clouds, the beast that had felled them going out of sight. Bryce fumbled at his belt, his training overriding his panic and directing him to the less than familiar spot where his portable glider was attached. Disconnecting it, he called to Meowstic "Got it! Shield now!" Meowstic sprung into action, using his advanced skills to form a psychic bubble around both of them.
Now facing significantly less air resistance, Bryce was able to unfold his glider, gripping it tightly as they broke through the clouds into the infamous Area Zero. Their velocity was still too high, the glider not producing enough drag. The shield scrapes along one of the taller rock formations, screeching harshly and causing the bubble to shrink. No longer protected, the next impact smashes one of the wings on the glider. Meowstic and Bryce once again going into freefall. Thinking quickly, Meowstic focuses as much power as he can into what's left of his shield. Within seconds, the pair are encompassed by a shining pale blue orb, which slammed into the ground harshly. The impact causes the shield to burst, leaving both trainer and Pokémon alive, but exhausted.
Quickly slipping into unconsciousness with Bryce not far behind, Meowstic knew he had to act. He had fallen away from Bryce in the crash, and was nearly drained of energy, not capable of pressing the release on any of his Pokéballs. Fading out, Bryce met his eyes and gave a solemn nod. With confirmation received, Meowstic stretched a paw out towards Bryce.
Bryce never had much psychic potential, but living so long with two psychic Pokémon, he did have some. Enough for Meowstic to draw just enough. Bryce fell unconscious completely as Meowstic used the small boost to press the release button on his sister's Pokéball.
Coming out just in time to watch her brother join her trainer in sleep, Sister Meowstic quickly took stock of her situation. A crash in an unknown and potentially hostile area. They had trained for this. She quickly released the rest of Bryce's team and telepathically filled them in. Furret, Ampharos, Skarmory, Blaziken, Azumarill, Nidoqueen, and their newly acquired Tinkatink. In poor condition, Skarmory was recalled yet again, as was Brother Meowstic. Blaziken carefully picked up Bryce, and they set off looking for shelter.
Around this time, Bryce's eyepiece had sent off a signal. Primarily serving as a recording device, it had a second far more useful function. With the little bit of life the device had left post impact, it had sent a recording of the last several minutes as well as a distress signal to every medium it had available. The message went out over radio, directly to several preset contacts, and also over several linked social media accounts. It was that last medium that would serve to save him.
"THIS MESSAGE IS BEING SENT OUT VIA ALL AVAILABLE COMMUNICATION PLATFORMS. ID BRYCE WALKER LOST COMMUNICATION AT (error), PALDEA REGION. LAST RECOVERABLE RECORDING FROM CONNECTED DEVICE BELOW. TIME OF TRANSMISSION (error). SAFETY DEVICE LAST PINGED AT (error)"
Three Trainers would see the message before anyone else, and through confidence, experience, and sheer curiosity, they set out for the Zero Gate.