Unknown Year, Unknown Time

Heavy breaths sounded along the narrow rocky corridor. Burr remained at the head of the party, reaching out with her tail to ensure that Watts was still behind her as he always was. She felt a sharp tug and then felt the slightest fizz of electricity jump the distance between them, absently nodding, put ever so slightly to ease. Yeah, he's right behind me. "...How are you holding up back there?"

"As good as I can be with all these damn rock and ground-types everywhere," Watts retorted sarcastically, sounding as though his mouth were full of food. He sighed, his thin claws clicking on the rocks as he matched lumbering Burr's pace. "I'm ready for this expedition to be over. Aren't you?"

"Yeah, you can say that again." Burr raised her head and took in a lungful of hot acrid smoke, her face shrinking in on itself. "Eugh. Let's pause here."

"Great idea." Watts immediately pulled off the two metallic ear pins acting as their shared dungeon compass and compared it to the many notes he had scribbled on their wonder map, his brows furrowed. He took out a pot of ink, dipped one claw in, and began carefully making more and more notes in the margins. "We should be nearly there. S'matter of fact, we're right on top of where we need to be." He shot an amused glance at Burr. "Oh, go on, my beloved excavator- "

"Absolutely fucking not. If I could dig straight down, don't you think I would have done that already?" Burr snarked back, emptying their pack of the remaining apples they had left. Burr's gaze hardened. We wouldn't be here if Darkrai wouldn't have fucked everything up so badly; if somebody would've just checked them before things could've gotten this bad.

"...Thinking about Darkrai?" Watts teased, though with the way his long tail lashed behind him and the evident electricity zipping from one piece of jewelry to the other, Burr could tell that Watts was just as irritated as she was.

"Something like that. I'm thinking about engraving him into the walls as a shadow… Think that's too far? Is that really too much to ask for? A little bit of well-earned revenge?"

Watts shook his head. "He tormented those young brothers and trapped them in a ceaseless nightmare that won't end until after we beat him. Darkrai's only baiting us down here for fun; for his own gain and pleasure. You know, I have to wonder, what would he even benefit from having an entire world of darkness? What could you even do with that?" Watts' tail kinked behind him as he began to pace the floor, deep in thought. "What would I do with a world where it's constantly storming? I'd be miserable, first off. Soaked down to the skin probably."

Burr laughed. "No more soft bedding for you."

Watts fake gasped and reached over to bat at Burr's face. "You know I take my sleep very seriously, Burr!" He then theatrically recoiled, shutting his eyes tight. "No more warm moss? No lichen? No spare downy feathers for poor old Watts?"

"You and I are the same age, dipshit. Stop calling yourself old. S'not my fault you don't just choose to lay in nice, cushiony dirt like me," she teased.

"I bet your spine says otherwise. I could use you as a bed, miss built-in-insulation."

"It's not like you don't treat me like your walking bed during expeditions already." She smirked and stuck her tongue out at Watts who did the same before the two of them rolled their eyes and checked their gear. "I suppose you'd just be blind in a world of darkness… Their plan is really stupid once you think about it."

"Isn't it?" Watts echoed, chuckling.

Burr rolled her eyes, sparing a knowing glance at Watts as they both spoke in unison. "Legendaries."

I'm fully healed and so is Watts. Burr tapped her feet against the floor of the dungeon as she finally sighted an all-too-familiar feathery pokémon finally rounding the corner. "Ah, Cresselia! There you are." Finally! "What took you so long?"

The legendary scowled and said nothing, opting to wait beside the tunnel wall as she caught her breath.

Okay then. Fuck you too. Burr wanted to feel happy. Jubilant, even. The main source for her being there- in the pokémon world- was only a floor beneath her. She would defeat Darkrai and incapacitate him so that he could never wreck such confusion and mayhem upon the world ever again. And after securing her win against Primal Dialga and essentially being resurrected by The Original One without her consent, Burr knew that by all means, she should've been more than eager to keep going… But something else held her back.

"...Watts?"

The copper-clad Pikachu turned around, halfway through tuning the loose copper wires and electromagnetic chains around his neck. "Yeah, Burr? What's the matter?"

Burr grimaced. "It's…" She spared a glance at Cresselia who wasn't paying attention to either of them, her limbs suddenly feeling all too heavy. "If I… asked you to… turn back- "

"No." Watts firmly shook his head and placed one of his paws on Burr's shoulder, his beady eyes like chips of ice as he stared her down. "We're going in together," he emphasized.

"What Azelf said- "

"It doesn't matter what Azelf said," Watts interrupted her again. "It doesn't matter that one of us- " he shrunk in on himself, visibly wincing- "won't be making it out of here alive. According to the Lake Spirits. What matters is that we finish our mission."

Burr sighed, not meeting Watts' adamant gaze. Before the two of them had entered that dungeon- before Lapras had taken them across the sea- the two of them had been approached by one of the mystical Lake Spirits- Azelf- the being of willpower. Never a blessing to be visited by a holy creature. And the ultimatum that Burr had been approached with- that they had both listened to- filled her with utmost despair and anger and most of all, a grief that tore at her like fire to dry undergrowth. Defeating Darkrai would essentially wrap up Burr's time there with Watts as a pokémon. Forever. It would be the last mission they ever partook in together. The last time they would joke and laugh. The last time they would share good food and a warm nest. The last time Burr would get to hear Watts rambling about this or that or what he planned on tackling the next day.

For years, Burr had been Watts' partner, a perfect mismatching set of trust and sheer power. Brains and brawn. Years, even after the two of them had quelled Primal Dialga, they had persisted as an exploration and recovery team and years of her life Burr had spent with Watts. Peaceful years with nothing but happy memories and plenty of earned accomplishments and unfulfilled ambitions. The day before had unknowingly been the last time the two of them would watch the sunset over the waves at Krabby Beach, and Burr felt more than ever that all of the limited time she had ever spent with her best friend had been completely and utterly squandered.

"Burr? Look at me."

Burr refused. Right. I can't afford to be… selfish. Everybody back home is counting on us to do this. And when she looked at Watts, she saw her own conflicting grief in his eyes as if he too knew what was just up ahead. Though his lip trembled and though tears threatened to spill from his eyes, he wiped them away and maintained his hold on her.

"Come on, Burr. It'll be okay- "

"No it won't!" Embers sizzled as they slipped out from between her scales. Burr's yell of anger reverberated around the cavern, shocking even her. She took a deep breath and pulled out of Watts' hold, grimacing. "This isn't fair," she growled. "I shouldn't have to leave you here alone again."

"But I'm not alone this time… I… I have the others. Flora. Chimes." Watts chuckled. "Even the boys from Team Skull." He gave her a teary-eyed smile. "We've built up quite a legacy, haven't we?"

Burr nodded, her throat feeling more and more narrow as she fought back the urge to cry. "...Yeah. Yeah, we have."

"And-" Watts continued, laying his tail across his shoulder as he strode toward the stairs- "this won't be the end. We'll still have the memories of one another to go off on. So long as you remember me and I remember you, we're not truly alone, you and I." Watts then descended the stairs into the all-consuming brightness of the floor below.

Burr could only stare despairingly after him, not at all comforted by her partner's spare words of placating softness. Memories? Why would I settle for memories rather than you as you are now? She balled her hands into fists, feeling hot, wet tears slide down her face. "This isn't fair," she hissed to herself, shielding her eyes as the glow of the bubbling magma around her brightened.

A softer voice piped up behind her. "It Is Fair. It Is A Just And Noble Cause And Solution For A Legendary's Tool." Cresselia floated closer and with her luminous wings stretched out, she was all Burr could see. "To Be Called Upon To Act Is The Greatest Blessing That Can Be Bestowed Upon You- "

"Liar!" Burr snarled. "What kind of blessing is this, forced to say goodbye to my best friend?!"

"Relationships Are Only Ever Temporary In The Grand Scheme Of Time."

The scenery changed and when Burr blinked next, she was staring directly at Watts' mangled corpse sprawled out beneath her, the tips of his golden-brown fur singed from too much time laying unmoving on the caldera floor. Blood- his blood- dripped from her mouth and into the stones, pittering on her blood-soaked hands. The taste of blood filled her mouth. The smell of burning flesh clogged her nose. The numbing feeling of attempting to discern which pieces of crumpled flesh and bone shards scattered about her once belonged to Watts' face consumed her entirely.

Large pokémon stood all around her, their shadows long and their eyes wide as they carefully stepped away, muttering incoherently as they looked first to Darkrai and then to one another before sidling away into the magma. Away from the shattered arena until only Darkrai remained, his sharp blue eyes rounded in confusion. In fear. In regret. And with no noise at all, he disappeared into the shadows he cast, leaving Burr alone with Cresselia standing before her and the monstrous act she had committed.

"This Is Fair Penance," Cresselia echoed solemnly. "But Rejoice. Feel No Pain. Your Friend Was Sacrificed To Uphold The Balance Of The World As We Know It: A Choice That Was Set Into Your Hands. One That You Made Willingly." The psychic-type slowly circled around her but did not look once at her as if doing so would inexplicably curse her. "You Chose To Save This World Over Them; Over Your Invaluable Friend."

"...But I…" Burr's mouth felt as though it were full of sand and cactus needles, every word burning on the way out as they tumbled forth. "...I was the one who was… Me. I was supposed to die here." She stared numbly at Cresselia, soot and ash sticking to the tear trails on her face. "...Where's- "

"Darkrai Has Been Dealt With."

Burr immediately knew that that was false. "...You." She grimaced, the corners of her lips wobbling as she pulled both of her hands off of Watts' shoulders and stared at Cresselia. "You're lying."

"I Have No Reason To Lie To You- "

"Azelf told me I'd be the one to go! Me!"

Cresselia shook her head and when she finally looked upon Burr, only cold contempt shone in her pale eyes. "Azelf Lied," she muttered. "And Now, You Bumble About Foolishly Seeking Justice For A Punishment You've Inflicted Upon Yourself… When You Have Nobody To Blame But Yourself For The Deed You've Committed."

"I didn't want to do this!" Burr yelled back, her voice cracking- failing- as she fought back a sob. She curled around Watts' corpse and dry heaved, feeling for any signs of warmth- a pulse- breath sounds- anything she could use to bring him back to her. "...I didn't want to do this."

"And Yet You Have." Cresselia sneered. "And You Continue To Place This Blame On Those Of Us Who Saw Great Potential In You. Who've Sent You Here To Fulfill Your Purpose As A Tool And Nothing But. A Greatness You've Squandered- " Cresselia paused and she floated back a pace, her wide eyes locked onto something just behind Burr.

"That's quite enough."

A sudden chill rolled over Burr. She instinctively placed herself over Watts and watched with scared eyes as another familiar face appeared, one that brought to mind horror and… comfort?

November 27th, First Year

"...Hello?" Burr gasped into wakefulness trembling, her face wet and sticky with old tears. She sniffled and attempted to sit up, her nose clogged and her throat tight only to feel two sets of hands gently settle on her shoulders, easing her back into her damp nest.

"Everything is alright." It was Celebi who came into view first, stooping over her as she offered her water and a few berries, her voice so soft that Burr had to strain to hear her. "You've just broken a fever and you've been quite delirious for the past few hours… How do you feel, dearie?"

Burr quietly accepted the water in her shaky hands with a mumbled thanks and drank until the small flask was empty, still feeling choked up from the dream she had just woken from. She absently scratched at the back of her head, wiping the tears from her face as she struggled to remember what it had all been about. "I… I don't know."

Celebi immediately made a face followed by various noises of disapproval.

It was only at that point had Burr realized that the den she had woken up in was actually a massive cave and that all of her pokémon were cuddled up around her, staring at her with varying levels of concern. "Where… where are we?"

"The Zoroark Den," Glacier answered carefully, rasping his tongue over Burr's face. "You don't remember offering to chase out those Garchomps?" When Burr shook her head, Glacier continued. "Remember? They led us here yesterday morning, you chased them out, and then on the way back to our old den, you fell ill from a sudden fever. Squall and the other Zoroarks offered to grant us shelter until you were feeling better; as a means of cutting even for what you did for them." Glacier then snorted. "I don't think they intend on enforcing it, though."

A fever? Me? "...Oh." Burr twisted her head around to groom the sweat off of her scales, coming up short when something tickled her nose. A sickly-sweet scent sat in the air, obscuring everything else to the point where Burr had to cover her nose to avoid gagging. "What is that revolting stench?"

Peanut sniffed. "What? What smell are you talking about?" He neatly jumped the gap between Jester and Burr before suddenly ducking away, gently pulling a radiant feather up from underneath Burr's belly. Completely unseen before, the circular feather seemed to glow in the dark. He spat it out in front of her, swiping his tongue over his jaws with a disgusted grimace before wrapping one of his ribbon feelers around Burr's hand. "Where'd this nasty little thing come from?"

Celebi took the feather before Burr could. She was all too gentle with the thing, holding it close to Burr's tail to study it better, her brows furrowed. "...This doesn't make any sense," she murmured. "Why would this even be here? Why would she leave it here? Unless she was trying to help? But then… hmm."

Burr's head began to ache as she stared at the feather, dregs of the nightmare beginning to come back to her in curt pulses. The bird. That cave... Who was I talking about? I know I was angry about something- at someone maybe- but… Burr glanced at the feather and before she could fully register it, she snatched it out of Celebi's hands and burned it to a crisp, scattering the ashes into the dirt. Though she didn't remember the significance of the nightmare, Burr remembered one thing- one small detail that caused smoke to pour from her nostrils. One voice louder than the rest. An idea that had persisted; that had strengthened her headache tenfold. Cresselia never joined us on the lower floor… She abandoned us.

"Dearie…? I-is everything alright?" Celebi then sighed. "Oh, what am I saying? Of course you're not alright." She fluttered down to lean against Burr's side. "...You saw Darkrai, didn't you?"

Burr nodded slowly. "Yeah, I think I did? Only for a few moments? Why? Was he… here?"

"No… No. Dusknoir thought he felt Darkrai's spirit malingering around here. After we came back from delivering that letter, of course. Dusknoir thought that Darkrai- being the harbinger of nightmares- might be the root of your bad dreams, so he disappeared to go and follow him. I don't know where he went to or whether he was right... I just don't understand why you have one of Cresselia's feathers on you. Darkrai can't fake these."

That's because it's not fake. Burr grimaced. I know you, Cresselia. From some time that I don't remember... And I know that you abandoned the both of us. Myself and… somebody else. But why? Why did you leave us? Why were you in my nightmares? Why was I even angry at you? Burr attempted to stave off those thoughts only to catch Peanut, Glacier, Dusk and Celebi all staring pointedly at her. "...What? Is something wrong?"

Dusk slowly crawled up to Burr's side and laid all of their weight against her, purring. "...It was just a nightmare, master. Let's all just go back to sleep."

"...Right."

November 28th, First Year

One foot in front of the other, Burr continued to hold the pace at the front of the party, one hand rubbing at the source of the dull headache at her temples and the other hand holding up a mud tablet engraved with a special message. The second-to-last of the tablets and one of the very last ones I have to check before I drop them off for Ingo to find in the future. Burr felt her headache worsen by a margin. I wonder if he's gotten my message yet. At least, I'm assuming that Dusknoir and Celebi managed to get it to Emmet like I asked them to.

The endless sprawl of ice and snow that made up the Alabaster Icelands loomed before her in one seemingly smooth white blanket, fanged mountains poking into the cloud-filled skies. Curtains of heavy snow descended all around her forcing her team to follow closely behind lest the light of the fire along her tail got lost in the storm. Dusknoir easily kept up with Celebi shivering as she took cover inside the shed head cloth around Burr's throat.

Burr knew her destination well, focusing on nothing else but where her feet were taking her and which landmarks she passed as she strode through towering dark forests and over bubbling glacier springs until the snowy mountains smoothened into perfect flat valleys of undisturbed snow. Over glacier gaps. Over permafrost fields. Through the relentless blizzard she journeyed until she could see the barely visible silhouette of a monstrous contraption stranded on the ice, exactly as Burr had seen it the last time she had been there. Ingo's entry point. Here at last.

Burr ascended onto the broken-down platform, set down her bag on the frost-encrusted linoleum, and began to pull out the many mud brick tablets she had made, stacking her second-to-last one at the top of the stack.

Glacier appeared from his pokéball, his muzzle upturned as he let the falling snow collect in his wavering mane. "You're leaving those here?" he asked dubiously. "Are you sure Ingo will find them? This place is kind of hard to get to when it's snowing this hard. I'm surprised this place isn't covered with snow already."

"I'm fairly certain he'll show up here again, so I'm leaving them right next to the stairs. That way, he can't miss them." Burr pulled out a wad of wet clay she had stored for the final tablet; the easiest to draft and carve. Wordlessly, she created the inscriptions for the very last tablet and organized all of them into two large stacks as high as she was tall. "There. That's everything."

"What's even on those?"

"Where to find help when it's needed," Burr replied softly. "It also has my notes on where the rifts I created are and a quick tip on where to locate his own rifts. He's still new to all this key business so he'll need all the help he can get when it's his turn soon." Burr then wandered over to the platform steps and sat down, letting out a long breath as she watched the snow continue to fall around her. She gestured for Glacier to join her, making room as he did so, leaning against her. "I know your answer but I have to ask again, just to be sure: are you certain you want to leave Hisui behind to join me?"

Glacier balked at the question, rolling his eyes. "Why even ask me that now when we've already come this far together?" He stared at the swell of mountains to the north and huddled closer, the bulk of his mane obscuring his face but not his determined tone. "I'm here with you until the end, master. We all are."

"You're all more than capable of surviving on your own. You don't feel forced to accompany me? There won't be any hard feelings if you change your mind. You know that, right?"

Glacier shook his head. "I don't want to survive; I'd like to just live. With you. With all my new friends." Glacier tone softened. "I'd get lonely on my own out here. And if I can go where you go, well, why would I ever choose to stay here?"

Burr nodded. "Fair enough." A familiar pang of grief and restlessness made her all the more aware of her bare skin sticking painfully to the iced cobblestones beneath her. "Right… Then let's go and get the final Time Gear here in the icelands, shall we?" She led the way off the platform only to come face-to-face with a familiar pokémon, frowning. "...And what might you be doing here, my good sir?"

Lord Wyrdeer stood poised at the platform's edge, dragging their hooves through the packed snow. "Outlander. I Come Bearing A Gift."

A… gift? Burr watched as Wyrdeer levitated a beaten-up hat over to her, dropping it into the snow at her feet. "...This looks exactly like Ingo's hat." She picked it up to inspect it, almost immediately detecting the genuine scent of sap, spruce and charcoal that always seemed to cling to Ingo's clothes. Right. I forgot to collect this. "How did you get this?"

Wyrdeer tossed his head. "That Information Is Only For Myself To Know. The Means Of Which I've Acquired The Spatial Champion's Headwear Is Not Of Your Concern." Wyrdeer then dropped something else into the snow. "And This Is Also Intended For You To Possess."

Burr reached for the strange flat pink object, just barely recognizing what it was upon closer inspection. "Oh hell. Why'd you bring me this?" She turned the Mind Plate this way and that way, not recognizing or understanding the ancient text engraved into it. Energy fizzed in the slim spaces between her hands and the surface of the plat, making her feel a smidgen nauseous. "This should be with Akari. Why are you giving it to me?"

"Because It Will Serve A Temporary Purpose To You. Keep Hold Of This Artifact Until You Reach The Zenith Of Your Quest. It Possesses A Strong Power To Retain That Which Is Usually Lost To Those Such As Yourself."

Burr blinked. "You know, it'd be a lot more helpful if you stopped waxing poetic at me and just spoke using basic vernacular, Mister Riddler." Burr stored the plate in her wonder bag before giving the slightest of bows to the noble. She attached Ingo's hat to her bag using a spare thread. "Thank you, Lord Wyrdeer. For all of your help- "

Wyrdeer was quick to cut her off. "I Do Not Want Your Gratitude, Outlander." Wyrdeer instead took a few steps through the snow in the direction of the Pearl Settlement, gesturing with his antlers for Burr to lead the way. "There Is Something I Must Oversee And So I Must Journey Alongside You For Your Final Expedition. Ready Yourself And Inform Me Of Such When You Are Ready To Depart."

Stuck up prick. Burr rolled her eyes with a slight smile, quickly checking over her bag as Glacier retreated into his pokéball. "Welcome to the party then. Hope you've eaten recently because we're heading straight for Blizzard Island."

They changed course and set east through the bone-chilling winds with Lord Wyrdeer proving himself to be a blindingly fast mount- albeit not without the noble impatiently scooping Burr onto his back and claiming himself as such. Burr directed Wyrdeer's path along the iced river banks until they both set sights on the small river island half-enshrouded by a creeping glacier. Both remained silent as they approached the river's edge, Wyrdeer lowering himself to the snow, his sharp eyes watching each of Burr's movements.

"I'll go with you- "Glacier volunteered only for Burr to cut him off.

"Sorry." She checked her bag once more and stepped out onto the thick ice, feeling the familiar pull of the entombed Time Gear. "This one's a solo mission. It shouldn't take too long so I'm going in alone. You stay here with Lord Wyrdeer. I'll be back soon enough."

True to her assumptions, Blizzard Island had proven to be a dungeon of nothing but ice and rock-types, all opponents falling easily with a bit of fire and brimstone. Burr had been expecting to find Uxie at the end- she had encountered both Azelf and Mesprit at their respective regions' major gear locations- but then, Burr supposed, it is a bit odd that this gear- that this dungeon is here and not at the lake to the north. But then, it's not my job to care about that. She snagged the sleeping Time Gear from its entombed position in a block of ice, stuffed it into her bag, and began the quick sprint to the finish until she emerged breathless at the river's edge, escaping the forming void cap as it enshrouded the tiny island.

"Master!" Glacier quickly hauled her off the ice and sniffed at her. "Everything okay?"

"I'm fine," Burr panted. She held up the newest Time Gear to the light of the afternoon sun. That makes eight. Two more to go. "We're finished here in the icelands, so now it's time to go back to the highlands."

"And you said you hated backtracking," Glacier snorted.

Burr spared a glance at Wyrdeer. "Are you also gonna give me a ride to the highlands, your majesty?"

Wyrdeer snorted. "Perhaps. But First, I Ask That You Allow A Slight Detour Back To That Cursed Place."

"Ingo's Entry," Burr assumed. "I suppose. And I don't want to hear any flack from the lake spirits about wasting time if I agree." She quickly clambered up onto Wyrdeer's back and sank her clawed hands into the noble's shaggy mane.

As night fell over the icelands and the blizzard finally let up, Burr felt the relentless chill of the tundra finally sink in as both she and Lord Wyrdeer arrived back at the abandoned platform. A quick check let Burr know that the tablets were still sitting by the stairs where she had left them. She tried to hop off only for Wyrdeer to stop her.

"What's the matter?"

"The Mind Plate," Wyrdeer grunted. "Use It."

"I… don't know how?" Burr took the object out and held it loosely in her hands only for Wyrdeer to teleport Ingo's hat into her hands as well. "What's this for? What are we even doing here?"

"No More Questions. Close Your Eyes And Calm Your Mind, Outlander."

Easier said than done. Regardless, Burr did as she was told. She relaxed her mind as well as she could and over the driving snow, she imagined herself somewhere warm and enclosed. A cave free from outward light and deep snow and… This isn't working. I'm just thinking about that hole I was sleeping in yesterday. God, this place is cold. Burr opened her eyes only to find herself staring back at the platform and to her surprise, a figure was staring right back at her, some small cylindrical object clutched in their hands.

"Toss The Hat Onto The Platform, Outlander."

Burr didn't question it, too transfixed by what odd thing she was looking at. She sent Ingo's hat skipping across the cobblestones until it came to a skittering halt at the figure's feet. And when she blinked, both the figure and Ingo's hat were gone. "...What the fuck just happened?"

Wyrdeer set off into a steady trot going southward but his voice was barely audible over the snow as he replied, "Setting The Bait."

Unknown Time, Unknown Year

Rocks crunched and shifted underfoot. A large ring of light danced across the cavern walls and hanging stalactites as Burr advanced further into the gem-studded cavern, absently stepping through a puddle of water as she stared at the way she had just come from. She made a disgruntled hum before beating her flashlight against her palm, watching as the light flickered off-and-on before failing entirely, casting her into complete and utter darkness. She could still see the narrow crevice that she had crawled in through- the one that had led to a breakthrough in the subway tunnels far, far below.

And what a mess this is, Burr grumbled inwardly. I thought the subways were usually better maintained than this. How'd they miss a gaping hole in the subway walls? That day had been the start of her search for any clues pertaining to the whereabouts of the missing Battle Facility Head, Subway Boss Ingo. Both Lilith and Scout's capable scenting abilities had led the three of them down a subway corridor into a discontinued subway tunnel where the stone walls had crumbled to reveal some kind of passageway that led directly underneath Reversal Mountain.

She sighed and pulled out her map, marking her position on the folded-up map she'd brought with her. She cross-referenced it with the map of the subways, scowling. "I'm definitely bringing this up with Gear Station; this is a major hazard." She snorted, pausing to give her Stoutland's head a good scratch. "Surprised it hasn't collapsed in on itself, even."

Burr recalled her subsurface team and swapped them out for her close combat partners, stretching. The last thing I need is to run into wild pokémon this deep in the tunnels. She put her things away and stood, peering down the remainder of the tunnel only to catch a glimpse of snow. Lots and lots of snow.

Where there should've been a cave wall was instead a huge cave mouth, snow blasting through the inside of the cave in a frenzied torrent only to settle in piles around her. The muggy warmth of the cavern had turned into a dry freeze that made her face and fingers numb. And through the driving snow, Burr could make out three figures staring right back at her. Their faces were hidden and one of them was obviously some type of tall ungulate pokémon. Burr slowly pulled out her stylus and her radio only to pause when something small came sliding across the floor at her. She glanced down at her boots only to see what looked to be a heavily-beaten hat.

She crouched low, picked it up, and held it up to the pale light of her flashlight, not once taking her eyes off of the three hidden figures across from her. A chipped metallic badge shone on the front. Burr's eyes widened and she turned on her radio. This looks like a matching set to the standard Gear Station headwear. Is this what I think it is?

Burr narrowed her eyes against the pale light and took a step toward the three figures, her capture stylus in hand, only to freeze when her Stoutland nudged her aside, growling. "Scout?"

A horrible creaking noise reverberated around the cavern, the sound creeping into her bones. Rocks split. The cave howled and shuddered. Water dripped.

Burr's three subsurface pokémon emerged from their pokéballs and took up arms but by then, they could only watch. Burr had only a moment to brace for impact as a curtain of rocks fell from the ceiling and buried her and her contained pokémon whole.