rocket’s training may have prepared him for something like this, but perhaps what danny didn’t know was that this was not the first time this would happen to nina. an associate not showing… an ambush waiting for her…

she watched her back. her instinct was sharpened by experience, and she’d gotten stronger since the last time.

in the shadows of the city, she slunk onto the scene, dark hood pulled over her head. within the pouch of her hoodie, her manicure already encompassed a pokéball, at the ready.

her partner was, at the very least, late. as the seconds ticked by, she grew increasingly antsy, turning down to eye down each turn of the road around her.

where were they?

DANNY HALL

while she waited, her nerves began to increase. the street was dark, empty. she didn’t feel right.

then, a ghost materialized out of the phantom world before her. nina had been learning about ghosts from her training with Alexandra Briarwood. she even had a few herself, including an aegislash. and so, she happened to know exactly what to reach for.

grabbing a capsule, she pressed a button. her rapidash’s hooves clopped on the road, the silvery flames of his mane flickering towards the starry sky and casting a glow across the wall of the nearest building.

they stood firm, doing nothing yet, but certainly wary. waiting for the attack, if there would be one. maybe this was her partner’s aegislash.

DANNY HALL

while ghost-types were familiar enough, SWORDS DANCE was a move she’d yet to encounter in person. dances like these tended to boosting, however, so she prepared for a strong onslaught soon after.

”get ready,” she told her rapidash. it stamped a hoof defiantly, prepared to counter if they made the first attack. maybe it was just a bluff.

a man then left the shadows, approaching, and neither his masked face nor the deep voice he’d managed were recognizable.

she inclined her chin.

”how do you know i don't work here? are you so sure it's not my store?” she was quite sure it wasn't his. she looked into these things.

DANNY HALL

well, this was an unbelievable twist—literally. what were the chances that someone else had picked this exact place, at this exact time to do a robbery? it had to be like winning the lottery for bullshit. there was no way she’d been this unlucky. 

”liar.”

”rapidash.”

flames of an inferno went up with a whoosh towards the doublade without warning. competition or not, they were clearly the enemy tonight.

DANNY HALL

the inferno lit up the street in the night, surely clear on cameras, even if she had been sure to stay out of the shots herself. she winced at the realization, hoping their battle wouldn’t attract anyone nearby.

actually, maybe it was time to go. with someone already trying to stop her, it would be suicide to go through with the mission. any higher up in rocket would have surely advised against it.

the night slash made contact, and rapidash let out a cry, wounded. begrudgingly, nina quickly made up her mind.

”fine. have it your way.”

she lunged to swing a leg up and over silver flames, onto the back of her hopeful escape.

”later.”

they sped past, hooves echoing as they bolted through an alleyway.

DANNY HALL