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As she approached the ranch, Delilah was greeted, unsurprisingly, by an Audino. A rather large, especially fluffy Audino. The sight of him caused the idol to smile fondly, and she crouched down to scratch behind his ears. His fur was soft and silky, as if recently brushed. The Musharna that floated next to her bobbed up and down in greeting.[break][break]
"Is your master around?" She asked.[break][break]
As it turned out, he was. The Audino led her right to him, and she couldn't help but laugh as she saw Thomas Benoit surrounded by various Pokémon.[break][break]
"Is this where you've been hiding, Thomas?" She quipped, tone amused: the sort of playful teasing reserved for old friends.[break][break]
A small pang of guilt. She'd meant to visit him much sooner, but, well...things had been so busy lately. Hoenn seemed to be facing one disaster after the next, not to mention all of the routine things a celebrity such as herself had to take care of day by day. Meetings, appointments, photoshoots, recordings...it was nice to get away for a time, visit somewhere serene like the ranch.

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Of course Delilah remembered Rufus. How he'd grown! He was a rather massive Arcanine now, but no less friendly than when he'd been a Growlithe pup. She was happy enough to give him several ear scratches and more than a few pets. She didn't even mind when he licked her face affectionately.[break][break]
"I've never really been the hiding sort," she answered, tone still light. "Always in the public eye, more than ever these days." She paused, regarding Thomas. Her expression sobered, and she tried to get a sense of his current mood. There was an unspoken tension in the air despite the relaxing nature of their surroundings.[break][break]
Delilah shifted, smoothing her skirt, then folded her legs neatly beneath her and took a seat next to her old friend. Mitra floated over to the Stufful and touched noses with it in greeting.[break][break]
"How are you, Thomas?" She asked gently.

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Delilah reached out a hand to pat the Pikachu on the head, then did the same for the Eevee. The two gazed at her with curious expressions, and she smiled, remembering she had some Poke-treats in her purse. Rummaging inside, she pulled out the small tin, popped it open, then offered a tasty morsel to both the Pikachu and the Eevee. Maybe the shy Audino could be coaxed over with the same sort of offering, she realized, glancing at her. Meanwhile, Mitra and the Stufful seemed to be getting along swimmingly.[break][break]
Thomas's wry tone caught her attention, and she raised an eyebrow at him.[break][break]
"I suppose it's been quite an eventful return to Hoenn," she remarked of her recent arrival. "I've been curious about those rifts that opened up, actually. I may try and visit one, if I get the chance." She knew they were probably dangerous, but she wasn't afraid. If anything, she wanted to prove herself more useful than just a pretty face preferred for advertisements and photo-shoots.[break][break]
After a moment, her brow furrowed, as she took in his battered state.[break][break]
"Thomas, did you get into some sort of fight recently?"[break][break]
It wouldn't surprise her, if he had; she remembered what he'd been like in their youth, and she doubted he'd changed too much. All the same, it worried her.

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Delilah was delighted when the shiny Audino finally worked up the courage to amble over. She held out a treat with gentle hands.[break][break]
"I'm glad she trusts me," she replied. Slowly but surely, Bunni settled in with the others clustered around Delilah.[break][break]
She appreciated Thomas's support - so many men in her life, including her own brothers, seemed intent on getting in her way, displeased with her interest in Hoenn's various anomalies. His advice was heeded, however: she knew the rifts were dangerous. She'd be a fool to tackle them alone. Who she would take with her...well, she'd deal with that when the time came. First, she had to secure access.[break][break]
His next statements shocked her, and she nearly dropped all of the treats on the ground as she jerked around to stare at him, eyes widening. "Captured? By Rocket?" What a horrific thing to have happened to her friend. "Thomas..." A million different gruesome possibilities flashed through her mind; she pushed them away, willing herself to focus on the present, the fact that he was still whole. No wonder he looked so...weary. "That's...I'm so sorry."[break][break]
She could hear the pride in his voice as he reassured her of his revenge. She wasn't entirely sure what to think of that, but it certainly sounded like something he would do.[break][break]
"You always did hate bullies," she murmured, smiling a little, remembering how they had met in their youth.[break][break]
She fell into an uncomfortable silence, until something occurred to her. "Is the League...compensating you for damages done? You helped rescue a Councilwoman and suffered greatly for it. They ought to..." What? She bit her lip. What could make up for something like that, really? He'd agreed to put himself at risk for a greater cause.[break][break]
All the same, it didn't sit right with her.

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She listened to him talk, absently petting Bunni's head. He'd been through a lot, but at the core of his story, there was the man he'd always been: defiant, and unwilling to give in to a higher authority's definition of justice. And yet, she could hear real remorse in his tone of voice: he wanted to do better by the League, even if it meant accepting the gaps in perspective that would inevitably surface.[break][break]
"You can't do it all on your own," she gently agreed. "As for reforming the League..."[break][break]
She wasn't a practiced politician like her eldest brother, but she had some sense of what could sway public opinion.[break][break]
"We can still fight for more action on their part."[break][break]
She contemplated a moment longer, then added, "Do you think it can be taken back? Sootopolis?"

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