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It felt like it had already been a long day, but far from over. Of course, Fern was waiting for her, though she wasn't upset about that. He was a cancer, but one you tolerated (eventually). It was also maybe nice that he hadn't gone and died yet without her.
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"You're not dead yet." She said matter-of-factly, like she had been expecting it at any time. With a sneer, she waved off the goodra. Past circumstances didn't pave the way to needed fern delaney to save her, goddamnit. Though she chose not to bite his head off for it. "Small fry, we should be able to get rid of them easily." Not exactly her kind of entertainment, but it would keep them busy enough. "You just been standing around all day or what?"

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“Ouch,” they reply, a hand pressed to their chest. “Always so cold. Positively frigid.” Brigid returned to their side, head drooping a little at being waved off. Fern was quick to console the goodra. “Don’t you worry a bit, darling. Marzy’s just a grump.” Their hand slid over the dragon’s smooth head, unbothered by the slightly sticky consistency of her scales.[break][break]

“Oh, well I’m never going to be one to turn away easy clean up.” They’d take the lighter hits–it just meant they stored their strength for the tougher matches. And maybe it allowed them their lazing too, but they weren’t about to say so out loud.[break][break]

Fern scoffed, mask slipping back down over their face. “Excuse me? I’ve been the epitome of productivity, thank you.” Wanting to get the jump on their targets, he threw out a SCATTERBANG down into their path–looking to disorient what seemed to be some newcomers.[break][break]

“They definitely don’t look like pros, do they?”

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"Don't be such a baby," she scoffed. It annoyed her that she often treated Fern with the same temperament as she did Kuru, which was chiding mother-bear. Not necessarily a good one, but she didn't bite his head off so that was enough to earn her unbridled agitation and confusion. Things had changed since they'd first been paired together. That anger had switched to tolerance to any unexpected and venomous fondness for the jackass. Even if she still wanted to punch his face in at least a hundred times a day. That was typical.
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She followed suit after Fern, grudging an easy fight. At least it would keep them on their toes, it might even make for a good warmup. "Eh at least your level, so I'm not worried." She snorted, letting Kuru out of his ball. He zipped forward, weaving through the twists and turns of rock before dropping down on the unsuspecting trespassers with a brutal steel wing.


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“I’m not being a baby..” they huffed back, tone absolutely every bit as whiny and pouty as would be expected. It sounded ridiculous, but deep down Fern did know that this was Marza’s good side, and that they hadn’t managed to fall out of those good graces just yet. For now, it was good that she groused over him like this rather than just decking him and calling it a day. Though it probably wasn’t much consolation, that loyalty wasn’t lopsided. They would fight to protect and assist her just as determinedly. Though their level of ferocity was more like a kitten taking a swipe in comparison.[break][break]

At least they felt a bit more confident in battle and not just quick, clever escapes as they once had felt lacking in. So the jab left them scoffing in a fussy offense. “My level? So they’re much tougher than they look,” Fern grumbled. “Looks are deceiving, you know..” Brigid followed along behind them, ready to be of use in the wake of the scatterbang. Cutting off the league’s access to that entry point was the primary objective, and she dove down into the open space–swinging ferociously with a POWER WHIP that didn’t care whether it was aimed at pokemon or person.[break][break]

As they’d said– deceptively menacing for a cutesy, gooey dragon. And the see, I told you look that they still took the time to send Marza's way said as much.

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She snorted at that, a crooked smile that clearly said he had not managed to convince her. So far as they were aligned still, she had no reason to torment him. Despite their clear differences, they didn't make the worst team. Even if things hadn't gone quite so well in the past due to those differences. Things were changing, maybe for the better. She hated that Fern might have something to do with her recent ambitions.
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Marza damn well wasn't about to be outdone by this idiot, at least.
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"That so? Consider me deceived." She rolled her eyes. Kuru struck out with another steel-tipped wing, cutting through the opponents pokemon. "Still, bet I can double your ko count." Nothing wrong with a friendly wager.
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“Well, that’s my top skill, so–” they broke off, ducking out of the way of a poorly aimed vine whip, “–can’t really blame you for being fooled.” Fern winked at her with a mocking giggle for good measure. It was all in good fun, of course. Partnership with Marza was a bond they valued. Brains and brawn, yannow? [break][break]

“Oooh are we betting now? Better up the ante, then.” In a beam of light, their typhlosion joins the goodra. Opening up her mouth, Nim spewed a LAVA PLUME at the pesky leafeon trying to snare Fern with its moves.[break][break]

“You should get moving, bestie! Time is of the essence~” They called out in singsong, looking to redirect their goodra into using POWER WHIP on the ankles of a retreating ranger.

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"You're so full of shit." She snorted, expression changing with the ensuing battle. The familiar rush of adrenaline pumped through her veins and the bet was the only focus. A challenge was taken seriously in her house, even if it was arguably a ridiculous one. As much as she joked otherwise, she did believe that her and Fern were on the same level. Even if their strengths were completely different. Not long ago, she wouldn't have respected the other's abilities as strength, considering he had the body mass of a talking toothpick. Maybe the weasel had gotten under her skin.
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She released Kommo-o who rushed forward, knocking back the oncoming league trainers with a powerful boom burst. Kuru zipped through the air over the scaled dragons head to throttle the ground trainers with hurricane.

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“Am not, I’m legit.” They flexed for good measure. It was pretty pitiful, in all honesty. But they had enough bluster to sail right over that. Besides, Fern was also enjoying the battle—slipping into the rush of it the longer things carried on. And he could respect Marza’s brutality and competence in a fight, if only because it often proved to cover his flashier habits in battle.[break][break]

As Brigid tore through a feisty espeon with another BREAKING SWIPE, Nim unleashed a fury of ROLLOUTS in a string of rangers, one by one. They clap their hands together as the group falls like a succession of dominoes. “Better keep up, Marza darling!” Fern calls back over their shoulder to the beast, their smile smug.

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She scoffed at what she considered to be entirely an act of luck. Even as Kuru took down the last of the intruders, it was not enough to measure up to Fern's count. "Tch, you got lucky." Reluctantly, she handed over what she considered a necessary (albeit meager) sum to compensate for her loss. Next time, she would destroy him.
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If it was anyone else, she might have decked them just to make up for her personal loss. Unfortunately, it was Fern and she didn't want to hear him cry like a baby. "Don't get used to it, next time you're trash."
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Kuru returned looking apologetic for the loss, but the day was far from over so they'd have to make it up later. These were clearly small fry and she was hungry for some big fish.

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Fern pumped a fist in the air when Marza relented. "Ha! No way, you just didn't stand a chance against my obvious bowling skills." It was mostly harmless goading given the fact that Marza was so very cranky that he'd managed to best her. At least it wasn't a fist fight or an arm wrestling match. In those cases, he would've been toast.[break][break]

He collected the earnings of their bet with greedy fingers, before pocketing it all as his pokemon returned to collect their own rewards. Fern rolled his eyes at his friend, then tossed the goodra and typhlosion a couple treats. "Oh, okay sure. Whatever you say, Marzy." But he wouldn't hold her to that. Maybe.[break][break]

"Onward and upward!" Fern chirped as he stepped toward the rift to head through, then turned back to Marza with a cheeky wink. "No more fumbles~"