[attr="class","rubyw"]
Fifteen years stuck in the same town together, struggling to survive and then managing to thrive, did a lot to erode the barriers between people. Ruby was genuinely happy to see
Johanna Joy get married, even if she didn't really know her partner,
Megan Whitmore. She wasn't exactly at the forefront of the celebrations, content to quietly show her support with subdued applause and a flash of a smile.[break][break]
[break]She hadn't expected to be welcomed so warmly and grandly by
kepler brueshaber. The things queendom did to a person, apparently. She felt out of place before the large array of fine dishes and expensive wine, and that awkwardness was only compounded by the complicated feelings for Kepler that hadn't quite gone away. After all, it wasn't like she'd had the chance to be around him for a decade and a half to iron out their problems in the flames of conflict. But he was the only other person from the past that she really knew, and she needed a reminder of that old life.
[break][break]
"Yeah. You, too," she said. She meant it, but that didn't stop her words from being too stiff for comfort.
[break][break]She didn't touch the wine at first. She'd long sworn off alcohol, not wanting to be like her mother, and losing Mathilda reminded her of losing her father and her mother's subsequent alcoholism.
[break][break]
"Ballonlea. Necrozma fucked things up five years ago, but we've been recovering."[break][break]Her words were vague, but there was a clear sadness to them. She really didn't have anyone to take care of anymore, did she? Mathilda was gone, and even if
opal garcia were here, she'd be... what, 32 years old? No doubt she'd be with the scientists and the scholars puzzling out the mysteries of this world, blindness be damned. She wouldn't need Ruby anymore.
[break][break]She finally started sipping her wine as their conversation went on. It helped her loosen up a bit, allowing her to chat more freely about what she'd been up to for the past fifteen years, how she was something of a guard/huntress/amateur blacksmith, floating between wherever her skills were needed.
[break][break]
"I never was any good at holding a steady job," she said with a nonchalant shrug.
[break][break]In turn, she asked Kepler about queendom, why he was specifically a queen, how things in Hammerlocke had been, things like that. It was nice, actually.
[break][break]That didn't stop her from feeling embarrassed once she'd sobered up.[break][break]
[break]Five years later, the solstice came and rang the bells of war. Ruby joined the army gathered at the illusory Zacian's behest.
Ettie howled alongside the Legendary's mirage and called for her pack to follow. Apparently, that included Ruby. She was surprised at first. Sure, she'd hunted alongside the girl before, but hearing her call Ruby part of her pack... was kind of nice, she realized. She let out a war cry of her own and raced along the ethereal trail to the final battlefield.
[break][break]The Skeleton and the Black Knight clashed behind a sludge-born army armored with pieces of black armor cut from the Knight. Three Toxtricity acted as generals, and three Gigantamax Pokémon took up the rear. It was clear that the trainers would have to break past all of them to reach Necrozma and the Skeleton.
[break][break]From atop his Zapdos mount,
kepler brueshaber gave a rallying cry straight out of a fantasy world. It should have been cheesy, but something about it stirred something long-forgotten in Ruby's heart. She'd used to love legends and epics, even if she'd rarely admitted it. There was a reason all of her Pokémon were named after various mythological figures and creatures. Kepler's short speech fit those kinds of tales perfectly. Hell, they were living one, and that sparked a flame behind Ruby's eyes for the first time in years. She held out her battle axe to be
tinked by Kepler's sword, a confident smirk playing on her face.
[break][break]Then, at the commands of the royals of each city, the army of trainers charged into battle. They'd need to break through all these poisoned Pokémon to get to the Giantamaxed ones and the Legendaries, so it was time to clear a path by knocking these bastards down.
[break][break]
"Delphi!" Ruby shouted as she sent out her Garchomp.
"Earthquake! Get these guys out of the way so we can get to the real fight!"[break][break]Her Key Stone glowed with her determination, and Delphi's Garchompite did the same. Mega Energy shone around the Garchomp, and with a roar, she transformed into her Mega form. With a mighty stomp, the earth beneath her cracked, sending an
Earthquake to strike the poisoned armies.
[break][break]Ruby wasn't just going to stand back and give orders, though. With a shout, she leapt into the fray, axe aflame with
Raging Fury. Some of the poisoned Pokémon had a terrible
Stench that made it difficult to approach them, but Ruby refused to let that stop her. She'd cut them all down.
[break][break]
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[attr="class","rubytag"]@goodbyegalar
[attr="class","rubynotes"]
notes.
- Attends Johanna Joy and Megan Whitmore's wedding
- Chats with kepler brueshaber
- Joins Ettie's pack and the rest of Ballonlea for the final battle
- Lets herself be a little nerdy courtesy of kepler brueshaber's speech
- Garchomp Mega Evolves and uses Earthquake on the army
- Mega turns: 1/3
- Ruby uses Raging Fury with her battle axe
- Salac x2