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[attr="class","samjermain"]The redhead enjoyed the beach, even if she rarely got in the water. It just wasn’t the same without Elouise beneath her. And, of course, there was the fact that she didn’t feel comfortable in a swimsuit. Still, her soul benefitted from the proximity. The rhythmic lapping of the water calmed her. It made that constant feeling of being insignificant—that inner critic—feel like less of a contradiction.

She really didn’t matter, but that was okay. The world didn’t change because of that.

After a few minutes of watching her Swampert and Kabutops swim, the redhead rose to her feet. She shed her shoes—revealing scars of various sizes. This was done to enjoy the warmth of the sand between her feet. Aubre allowed the occasional swell to crash over her toes, sucking the grime out. With a wave, she walked further down the beach. She stepped over the divider between her home’s private beach and the secluded public one. Green eyes stared out at the water darting from Pokemon to Pokemon.

In the distance, she could make out the shapes of Roman and Serena splashing in the shallows.

A spark of blue caught her eye before it went under. A carrot brow went up as she chewed at her bottom lip. Was that a Seadra? It’s rare to see them so close to shore. Then, the shape bobbed back up. It waved. A scarred hand lifted as if to wave back. What’s a child doing so far out? Where’s his parents? Axel screamed.

Without hesitation, Aubre acted. For once, she didn’t care about the danger of the nearby rocks. She didn’t hesitate to ponder the danger. Without a second thought, she tossed her button-up aside. In water like this, it’d only slow her down. Her tanktop revealed inches of strange topography. Angry, accursed scars that erased the freckles beneath.

“Hang on!” Her voice’s volume surprised me. Hang on to what, moron? He’s in a current. He’ll probably drown before you get to him. Maybe take you out in the process. This voice was washed away by the warm ocean waves. Like riding a bike, years of competitive swimming came back to her. A single shout was thrown up the beach. “Serena! Roman!”

Ignoring the tightness in her back, the redhead pushed until she’d grabbed the boy’s arm. With a grunt, she locked her limbs under his arms, trying her best to tread water. The child weighed a lot more than her own daughter, but she knew she wouldn't have to fight with him long. If she trusted anything, it was her Pokemon.

“It’ll be—we’ll be all right. Just try and stay calm, okay?”

What felt like an eternity later, two think blue arms wrapped around the pair of them. "SWAMPPPPP!" The Swampert then towed the pair back to shore, its Aqua Jet quickly beating back the current.

Roman, meanwhile, made for the struggling Zoroark. "Tops." Though lacking limbs, his bony limbs and head gave the fox something to latch on to.

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[attr="class","header"]WHAT DOESN’T KILL YOU MAKES YOU STRONGER

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To his relief the person seemed to see him. He couldn’t make much out regarding her appearance. He thought he could make out something red. Maybe the hair color of the person? It wasn’t something he was real sure about. But if it wasn’t hair color then it would have to be clothing. Considering he was too far out to notice eye color or anything else of significance.
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He had just gone under again when he felt a hand grip his arm and pull him back to the surface. Blinking water out of his eyes he noticed his savior was a red headed woman. It was a bit worrying because he had his concerns that his weight would pull them both under. However before something like that happened her Swampert came to their rescue. Well at least he thought it was her Swampert. He couldn’t think of any other reason for the dual type to save them.
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With the Swampert help they were able to get through the current that he hadn’t been able to fight through on his own. Now he could breathe a bit easier. The tightness in his chest made it a bit hard to feel like he was getting enough air. He figured he had pushed himself too hard trying to get through the current. Hopefully his condition wouldn’t be triggered to badly.
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Resisting the urge to cough was hard. But it might be hard to keep a grip on him if he fell into a coughing fit. But it made the tightness in his chest more noticeable. Maybe because when he started coughing it lessened the tightness in his chest, or at least that’s what he figured. It wasn’t something he could know for sure.
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Finally they reached shore and he made sure he was a bit away from the water before turning towards his savior. He opened his mouth to thank her but started coughing instead. It seemed he knew it was coming though because he already had his arm over his mouth before the first cough had left his mouth. While he was having his coughing fit he kept his eyes fixed towards Mirage to see his he was doing.
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Mirage hadn’t been as caught up in the current as his trainer so him latching onto the Kabutops wasn’t that hard. And it wouldn’t be that hard to tow the Hisuian Zoroark to shore either. Upon reaching the shore Mirage would immediately make his way over to Axel and start to noise him as if checking for injuries.
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Swallowing another cough he gently shoved Mirages head away. ”I’m fine,” he tried to placate the dual type but considering how rough his voice sounded he probably didn’t do a good job. And considering the look Mirage seemed to shoot him that was definitely the case now.
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”No seriously I’m fine…” pausing to wince at how talking seemed to irritate his throat but he still continued. ”Thanks to…” he trailed off this time though this time it seemed to be because he realized he didn’t actually know who she was and not because his throat hurt. Not that it still didn’t hurt because it did.
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”I’m afraid I don’t know who you are,” he pointed out before continuing. ”Anyway my name’s Absalom, but Axel is fine.” [break] Aubre McKenna-Settentrione

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[attr="class","samjermain"]In moments like this, Aubre uncovered a strength she did not know she had. It happened the night she confronted her husband about his darker affairs. It kept her conscious and alive as hellfire ripped into her flesh for what felt like an eternity. And, at this moment, it turned her arms into an iron ring beneath the teenager’s arms. Fortunately, she did not need to support them for long.

Strong arms wrapped tightly around her, pulling her tight against the Swampert’s light blue belly. With a sigh of relief, she tilted her head back. A maternal kiss planted itself on the axolotl’s orange fins. “Thank you, Serena. You’re a lifesaver.” A deep rumble and head shake served as the water type’s responses. She saw nothing in need of thanks. It was not as if she’d let anybody drown.

The redhead’s eyes caught on a dark lump in the water. She turned worried eyes to the Swampert—some part of her grateful the young man had not bashed against them. If he had been knocked out, well, this would be more retrieval than rescue. “Watch out for the rocks, all right?” Knowing her ‘mother’ found comfort in fretting, the axolotl simply grunted in acknowledgment. This sound coincided with Axel’s first coughing fit.

Aubre’s eyes widened as she leaned closer to him. “Hey—um—” What’s his name? It’s not the best time to ask, is it? She tried to reassure him. “Just try to breathe, okay?” Apparently, aerobic activity did nothing to quell that voice in his head. Let’s just tell a drowning person to breathe. Why not just tell a depressed person to stop being sad? Or ask someone to just unbreak a leg? Falling into an awkward silence, she settled for a comforting squeeze. Fortunately, the water quickly gave way to sand.

It took a moment to convince her arms to open. With a worried glance, she watched the boy reunite with his drenched Zoroark. A hand reached out to gently stroke her Kabutops scythe. “Thank you, Roman.” He turned away—bashful and embarrassed. Somewhat awkward, the trainer stood waiting for attention to drift her way. I didn't do much really. He should be thanking the Pokemon.

“I’m Aubre. This is Serena and Roman.” She forced a smile. “I'm glad to see you two are all right.” A sea breeze blew across her mostly bare back, coaxing phantom pains into being salt nipped at raw skin.

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[attr="class","header"]WHAT DOESN’T KILL YOU MAKES YOU STRONGER

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To be honest when he had been swimming around he hadn’t paid much attention to anything further than he was swimming. So he hadn’t noticed the outcropping of rocks. Quite careless of someone that usually paid attention to the smallest of details. But he hadn’t exactly been planning on getting carried further than intended either. Again something that was out of the norm for him. Since he was the type to try and plan for all scenarios.
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Luckily Aubre would notice the rocks as well and would direct her Pokémon to avoid them. Of course the whole drowning thing would be a work out for his lungs and cause him to go into a coughing fit. He wasn’t sure how he should feel about someone telling him to breathe. And he didn’t dare speak at the moment. While he was being kept afloat at the moment water could still rush into his mouth. And that was something he didn’t need at the moment.
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Feeling sand under his legs he couldn’t help but be relieved. After she had released him he could reunite with his Zoroark. After making sure the dual type was okay he would return his attention to the woman. It seemed that was what something she was waiting for as well. Since she introduced herself once she saw that his attention was on her.
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”It’s nice to meet you Aubre, my name’s Absalom and this is Mirsge,” he said wincing slightly at how rough his voice was. His throat ached both from any water he had injected while drowning and due to the coughing fit. Leaving him feeling like he had swallowed sand paper. It wasn’t a nice feeling to have.
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Resisting the urge to clear his throat knowing it would just make things worse he decided to continue with the conversation. ”Thanks again for saving me. If it weren’t for you and your Pokémon I wouldn’t have been able to get back,” he admitted with a small frown.
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”When I was swimming the tide most have come in pulling me further out. I didn’t notice until my feet could no longer touch the bottom,” he explained and he was sure his face would be red with embarrassment if he wasn’t currently feeling like crap. Especially his throat that only seemed to hurt the more he talked. Showing that talking was irritating his throat.
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There was also a tightness in his chest. And he resisted the urge to rub his chest. She seemed worried enough as it was. He didn’t want her to worry her more than was necessary.[break] Aubre McKenna-Settentrione

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[attr="class","samjertop"][attr="class","samjer"]

[attr="class","samjermain"]While the boy made introductions, Aubre’s maternal side took center stage. Every tremor and gasp was met with a concerned stare. “The feeling is mutual, Absalom.” Her eyes shifted to the Zoroark. “And the same to you, Mirage.” A bit of respect was needed regardless of someone’s age (or species). “Your throat’s probably not feeling so good, huh?”

A few things were shifted aside—the sound of clinking bottles apparent. “Maybe I—I think I have—” With a noise of success, she pulled out a bottle of unsweetened berry juice. “Drinking this might help. Just take it easy.” At his thanks, she shook her head. “I could not have done anything else. Please don’t worry about it.” Except she could have. That voice could have gotten in the way. The dark drink was extended toward him, giving her a few of saturated milky skin.

Her breath stopped in her chest. The boy’s explanation for how he’d been pulled under was received as a muffled garbled mess. “That’s…unfortunate.” A hand reached up to touch her shoulder, suddenly aware of how bare her back was. “Oh!” The exclamation was a breathless gasp of panic. “My—Absalom—is there—do you see my jacket?” A hand lifted to her shoulder as she almost turned around. But she froze.Some things were too wrong to see the light of day.

The Swampert laid a cooling hand on her trainer’s shoulders. Against the scars, the coolness was equal parts torment and relief. Just highlighting the dull pain that always existed.

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It wasn't that hard to tell that she was concerned. Seeing her concern was a bit embarrassing, but he knew he had brought it upon himself. He really should have been paying more attention. Despite having lived in Alola for the first ten years of his life, he knew nothing about the ocean, outside of what he had read. But books could only take one so far, and sometimes firsthand experience was needed.
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Due to a lack of experience, he had nearly drowned. And worse yet, he had almost caused Mirage to drown when he had tried to save him. But luckily, Mirage was a better swimmer than he was. He still wasn't a strong swimmer, so he was happy that Aubre's Pokémon had been able to pull him in.
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As if sensing his thoughts, Mirage brushed up against him. Though the fox Pokémon didn't show it well, he knew he was thankful that Aubre had saved him. The Hisuian Zoroark was very protective of him. Though it wasn't like he wasn't protective of Mirage himself. That was just the kind of relationship they had.
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As she mentioned his sore throat, he nodded in agreement. "Not a new feeling," he said absentmindedly, momentarily distracted by Mirage laying down and pressing against him. He knew the fox Pokémon was worried about him being cold in his wet state, but it wouldn't provide any warmth since they were both wet.
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If his throat wasn't hurting, he would point this out. However, his throat was sore, and he was trying not to talk too much since it only seemed to irritate it more. He didn't want to trigger his condition by talking too much.
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The woman's voice pulled him out of his thoughts, and he turned to her with surprise when she offered him some berry juice. "Thank you," he said, taking the juice. Sipping it, he felt relief as it soothed his throat. However, he was worried that he might become ill tomorrow due to the near-drowning experience.
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The conversation had moved on, and he felt a bit embarrassed when talking about nearly drowning. It was a big hit to his pride that he had made a mistake. He was too used to knowing something, so not having known something was a new feeling. A feeling he didn’t care too much for.
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At the mention of a jacket, he looked around but didn’t see anything. He had noticed that she had a bit of scarring, so he figured that was the reason she had been wearing one. He knew better than to ask, though. Asking such a thing would be considered rude, and he tried not to be rude.
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Shaking his head, he turned his attention back to Aubre. “No, I could help you look, though,” he said, already struggling into a standing position. Ignoring the little voice in the back of his mind telling him that as someone who nearly drowned, he shouldn’t be moving around too much.[break] Aubre McKenna-Settentrione

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[attr="class","samjermain"]At the dismissiveness, Aubre’s lips pursed. What does he mean it’s not a new feeling? Did he have some kind of chronic throat disorder? Were his parents choking him on the regular? After a brief moment of debate, the doctor shook the idea away. People said a lot of strange things when they were near death. If what Leon claimed she had said was true, well, it was best not to put too much stock into it.

Though the chill air had begun to pick up, the redhead hadn’t noticed her own drenched state. Adrenaline heated her limbs as effectively as any fire, a relief. After all, a few flames would send her right back into the water. At the thanks, she allowed a small smile to crawl across worried cheeks. A nervous hand brushed soaked bangs out of the way. “You’re welcome.” A deep breath followed. “I wish I had more on me, but my gear’s for Pokemon.” Which she hoped hadn’t been ruined by the tides or sand.

The offer drew a click of her tongue and a shake of her head. A hand lifted to lay against the open air between them. “You need to rest.” Green eyes slid to her own Pokemon. “We’ll find it. I mean, the shore isn’t that big.” And, she was pretty sure it wouldn’t have been swept out to sea. As her eyes scoured the ground before her, the Pokemon at her side did the same.

What in Arceus's name had made her take a tan button-up to the beach? Talk about stupid.

The woman remained stiff. Each noise behind her making her want to turn around, but she resisted. The poor boy would already have nightmares. So, instead, she forced herself to walk closer. Aubre lowered her knees until they were almost on eye level. A hand reached out to push a stray strand out of his face.

“Now, Abaslom, is there anyone you want me to call?” She chewed on her inner lip. “Someone you trust to take you home?” Hopefully, her phone was as waterproof as it claimed.

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[attr="class","header"]WHAT DOESN’T KILL YOU MAKES YOU STRONGER

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Absalom could see from her expression that she didn't understand what he was talking about. It was something he could easily tell her if he wanted to, but he would rather not if he didn't have to. Luckily, instead of pressing the matter, she decided to let it drop. That was a relief.
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He, of course, had noticed his own drenched state. It was hard not to, with the way the wind was starting to kick up. He just hoped he didn't end up getting sick due to his little adventure. It would be just his luck if he did end up catching a cold or something like it.
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He didn't have to be a genius to know that she wasn't too keen on his help. He didn't think it was a pride thing either. It probably had something to do with him nearly dying and needing to rest. Still, he wanted to be able to help. After all, she had saved his life and the jacket did seem important to her.
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"Let me at least send out my Pokémon to help. I have a Glameow whose keen eyes would be able to spot the jacket," he suggested, his hand coming to rest on the Pokéball in question.
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It was a bit curious, though, that she had been wearing a jacket. Hadn't she been hot? Sure, she had scarring, but what was the problem with that? He really didn't understand people sometimes.
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As his mind was on the complexities of people, he didn't notice when she had moved closer. Not until she spoke. Coming out of his thoughts, he was a bit caught off guard by their proximity together. In fact, it took a few seconds for what she said to register in his mind.
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"Yes, I do. My older sister. She's my current guardian," he told the woman. Of course, his sister would probably lecture him about being careless. He wasn't really looking forward to that, but he knew things would be worse if he didn't tell her and she were to somehow find out.[break] Aubre McKenna-Settentrione

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[attr="class","samjermain"]Again, Absalom offered his assistance. As her hand rose in a gesture for pause, the fingers slowly curled inward. In the end, she wiped her sandy palm on her even sandier pants instead. Just let the boy help, Aubre. She knew what it was like to feel useless. A gentle smile split the woman’s face—a Pokemon helping out didn’t put the boy in danger. So, she could crumble like wet tissue paper without compromising morality. “Well, that does sound helpful. I might still have a treat somewhere.”

Swampert nor Kabutops were known for their sharp eyesight. At least, not on land. And she, being unwilling to turn around, was forced to either awkwardly crab around or play peekaboo with a teenager. Fortunately, nursing the boy was much more appealing. As her hands reached for his cheek, she couldn’t help but imagine her daughter in front of her. Would it be gone as fast as people said? A toddler one minute and an Ivy League graduate the next?

“Your sister?” Aubre’s tongue gets ahead of her again. There’s a hint of judgment in it, for parents she believes to be uninvolved. The idea of letting her daughter journey at this age seems like madness. She’d been a pretty adventurous child herself, and she’d only lasted one day. “All right.” She fished in her pants pocket, coming up with a phone. Please work. Please work. A button press brought the screen to life. A quick PIN brought the boy to the dialing screen.

The doctor paused for a moment. “I’m happy to wait here with you.” Even if she did have plans, she knew Leon would understand. Or, at least, he was too deep in the dog house to pretend otherwise. “Or, I can have my Dragonite fly you home.” The fact that she didn’t exactly have a backup ride didn’t need to be shared at the moment. Aubre could walk.

Her Swampert bellowed out behind her. Aubre turned, expecting to see her jacket raised like a battle flag. Instead, the finned hand came up with nothing but a dirty towel. At that moment, the scars were as visible as lines on a treasure map—aching, red, and irritated by the salt,

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[attr="class","header"]WHAT DOESN’T KILL YOU MAKES YOU STRONGER

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He waited with bated breath for what she would do. To his relief, she finally relented, allowing him to help. A small smile gracing his lips, he released the cat Pokémon from his Pokéball. "Hey, Royal, help us out here and help find Aubre's jacket," he said, gesturing to the woman in question before continuing. "With your sharp eyesight, it shouldn't be too hard."
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The Glameow glanced at the woman before presumably taking off to do as asked. Once that was done, he turned back towards Aubre. "Perhaps save the treat for when Royal returns with your jacket," he told her, having noticed the way she had tried to move to locate the treat. It hadn't exactly looked comfortable.
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Now all alone, the dreaded question came. He really didn't want to tell his sister what had happened. He was sure to get a lecture and maybe a threat to tell their parents. That would be worse. But he knew if he kept it from her and she found out later, things would be worse. Better to just get it done and over with.
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The judgment in her tone caused him to frown. In his mind, he went over what he had said before realizing how it might look. He didn't want his parents to be perceived as bad parents; he realized he needed to try and fix things.
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"My parents are back in Alola. When I found out my sister was coming to Hoenn three years ago, I begged my parents to allow me to accompany her. It took weeks of begging before they agreed," he explained, still frowning. He hesitated to tell her about his well-being, but with a sigh, he decided it wouldn't hurt.
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"Look, I love my parents, I do, but I've always been a bit sickly, and my parents, being the overbearingly protective parents they are, thought the best way to protect me was to keep me isolated. I wasn't allowed to step foot outside the house, I was basically a prisoner in my own house. I wasn't happy, I just wanted to be a normal kid."
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He hoped his explanation was good enough, that she wouldn't continue to think poorly of his parents. But just in case, "So please don't think poorly of my parents. I chose to come live with my sister. And it's not like I still don't keep in touch with my parents."
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He realized he was breathing a bit hard and his face heated up. "Sorry, I'm not usually the type to let my emotions get the better of me. I just don't like people judging my family when they don't even know the whole story," he admitted, looking away.
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It took a minute for him to realize she had been holding her phone out towards him. His face heating up even more, he took the phone from her before starting to punch in his sister's number.
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The phone had just started to ring when Aubre spoke up once more. "Oh no, you don't have to do that. I wouldn't want to keep you from any plans you have."
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Any conversation that followed would have to be put on hold as his sister picked up. Telling her about what happened didn't take long. And as he had predicted, she wasn't happy. In fact, he had to hold the phone a bit away from his ear as her voice raised in volume as she scolded him.
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He apologized again before hanging up the phone and handing it back to Aubre. "Well, she's not too happy with me at the moment, and I'll probably get another lecture when I get back home," he said, running his hand through his hair. It was then he realized the ponytail holder that usually kept his hair back was gone.
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Deciding not to worry about that at the moment, he decided to focus on the current issue. "Anyway, she told me not to leave the beach, that she would come get me."
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Before he could speak any more on the matter, Aubre's Swampert returned. He gave the dirty towel a perplexed look before looking for Royal. Not seeing him, he realized he must still be looking for the jacket.
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With a small shrug, he turned back towards Aubre, only to find her back to him. He noticed the scars but didn't say anything. After all, it would be kind of hypocritical of him when he had his own issues.[break] Aubre McKenna-Settentrione

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[attr="class","samjermain"]The redhead nodded to the little cat. “I really appreciate the help.” She laughs, the sound awkward and strained. “Bringing a beige jacket to the beach—it’s not my smartest move.” And, unfortunately, neither of her Pokemon were exactly sharp-eyed. Roman’s frontward vision was hampered by his shovel-shaped face. Serena, meanwhile, was bred to live in muddy water. There wasn’t much of a need for hawkish eyes down there.

At the advice, the doctor nodded. “That would likely be for the best. But I certainly will not stiff her. Lending help deserves to be rewarded—no matter the outcome.” This statement is rather ironic considering Aubre’s habits. She didn’t expect awards for anything. Even simple gratitude sometimes made her awkward.

It always felt like she hadn’t done enough. Saved a life? Maybe she could have done it without amputating a necrotic limb. As to saving a drowning boy? If she'd looked up sooner, she could have spared him the lung damage.


Only after he frowned, did Aubre realize that inside thought had made it outside. Or, at least, to those damnably expressive eyes of hers. Scarred fingers dropped into her lap as she listened to Absalom. But she wasn’t sure his explanation made things better. Suffocating a child could be as harmful as abandoning them. Still, at least they seemed to have good motives at heart. And, it wasn’t as if she was perfect.


“I’m sorry if I seemed overprotective or judgmental.” A damp strand of hair was tucked behind her ear. She can already feel the salt wreaking havoc. “I just couldn’t imagine letting my daughter wander around alone.” The doctor’s laughter is self-effacing. It’s rare for it to be anything else. “But she is only two.” The boy’s response makes her nod. It wasn’t as if there were any plans, but she knew what it felt like to be a burden.


When the volume of the conversation rose, Aubre winced. Embarrassed for listening in, she became interested in the water lapping at the shore—as if that kept her ears from working. Only when she heard the click did she turn back to Absalom. “That’s likely wise. Though maybe you should get out of the sand>” It was damp and cold. “And, don’t get too out of shape about the yelling. She's just worried.” But, if his sister was like her, any anger would vanish when she saw him in one piece.

With a terrified look, the doctor turns back to face Axel. There’s a small pause as she looks at him. Those eyes are waiting for judgment and mockery. That look of disgust as someone recoiled like they’d just spotted a very contagious leper.


About this time, Royal would likely get close to the jacket. Submerged partially by sea grass, it’d gotten buried partially under the sand.

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