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DESIREE BLOOMS

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Gingerly and slowly, Nyla clawed her way down the rocky outcropping that Yuina had landed on, and soon enough they were on solid ground, though Yuina hesitated before putting her feet down. She just... This was a lot... And she almost worried about even making any sudden moves around the island, lest she draw some more attention...[break]
The Sneasler steadied Yuina as she struggled to stand up right, her whole body hurt she felt like, both from her muscle tension in anticipating the impact and the impact itself of falling the rest of the way out of the sky... Moving forward a bit, Yuina stopped and panicked, she heard something rushing towards them, and she almost had half a mind to call out an attack, but she saw a flash of pink first, and then heard her name...[break][break]
"Desiree.... Desiree it's you," Yuina coughed, and even in her pained state, she visibly released a very palpable tension that built so quick in that moment, not knowing who or what was coming towards her. But of anyone that could have approached her here, she was both incredibly relieved, and so devastated to see Desiree here... Desiree looked at her forlornly, it was clear that Yuina was hurt, the battle in the sky did little to offer her protection of any kind while Flix was also being attacked, but... So was she? Desiree was a glowing, radiant presence where ever she went, and right now she just looked so dull and defeated... She couldn't bear to think of what could have done that to her...[break]
"I... I don't know... I never saw their face," Yuina returned softly, she had no idea who she fought, and... probably never would, she would never know if she crossed that person again at any point since they wore a mask...[break]
Desiree's Pokemon approached and started to push a healing aura out towards Yuina, and while she could feel a bit of her physicality improving upon letting the pulses wash over her, her heart broke as she looked at Desiree... Saw the tears welling in her eyes. Yuina reached out and grabbed onto her, pulling her in to a tight embrace, and she too couldn't hold back the tears that started to sting at her own eyes. And in that moment, they cried together, releasing all of the tension of this awful, awful war.[break][break]
"We have to stop meeting like this," Yuina sniffed, clutching her tightly, and while to some it could be a light hearted joke, Yuina was truly devastated. Why must they always find each other in danger this way? The first time they met was on an expedition down into the bowls of some interdimensional beast... What was it in the world that forced them to find each other when they weren't safe?

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DESIREE BLOOMS

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Standing there together, in the middle of this warscape of an island that was causing so much strife, in that quick, brief moment, Yuina allowed herself to just forget where they were. Only for that moment. To feel Desiree's embrace, her arms wrapping around her own shoulders while Yuina held her in kind, it was such a cathartic release of so many emotions, and it was so necessary. They cried together for that moment, Desiree's tears dabbing into the shoulder of Yuina's shirt as she'd buried her head there for comfort, expressing her fears and the terrible things that she had faced.[break]
To know that Desiree felt so much concern... That she'd witnessed the fallout of her attack in the air, Yuina was so sorry that she had caused Desiree such strife. But the relief that she felt, in both of them knowing that that they were both alright, that had to be worth something, and spoke to their already close friendship, even if it was only their shared danger that merited it. Surely, they were friends outside of danger and hardship, right?[break][break]
"I'm sorry, I'm okay, I promise," she apologized, though, she wasn't really sure for what. She just... Couldn't bear to feel like she was the cause of so much grief, for someone like Desiree, she didn't deserve to carry any of that with her. They shared their embrace for a moment more as they sniffled and released their emotions through their tears, and Yuina stood up straighter with a grimmace as Desiree held her hands. Yuina grasped hers in kind, like letting go meant that this brief, brief moment of solace and safety would be over if they let go of each other. Like they were safe, together.[break][break]
"Oh Desiree, you fought him too? I couldn't wish that upon anyone...," Yuina was mortified. Sure, Desiree was alright, she'd come out of the battle, but... it was to find her, to make sure that she was okay. If something had happened to Desiree that way... Yuina didn't even want to think about it, just the thought made her sick.[break]
"I... I didn't know that you were here, an operative in this.. whatever this is. Please... Promise me that you'll be careful," Yuina offered then, clutching her hands a little tighter then. She knew that Desiree could take care of herself, she did, but where Yuina liked to think that she could take care of herself too, it wasn't unfounded to say that they were both in over their heads.[break]
"These people, those... Rockets, they're ruthless...," Yuina coughed, she was sure the only reason that she and Desiree both were still here wasn't out of pity, they were nameless pawns to someone so powerful as that monster of a rocket they fought... Their being here meant nothing, only that he meant for them to second guess crossing him again in the future...[break][break]
Off to the side, Yuina followed Desiree's glance as they lowered their hands from each other, and it was a sore reminder that they were very much out in the open, they weren't safe, and they were both pretty hurt. They did need to find somewhere that they could try and recoup for a little bit, before trying to make their way back to a camp. Anywhere had the potential of being safer than being out in the open like they were.[break]
"That sounds worth it. We're in no shape to try and make it back to one of the camps right now... Especially if he might still be out there... If we can rest first, we'll have a better chance," Yuina agreed, moving with Desiree then as Nyla maintained the remainder of the perimeter that Desiree's Pokemon had made so that they could move towards the open mouth of the cavern.

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DESIREE BLOOMS

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Moving across the dirt and rubble with Desiree, Yuina listened to her remark about the rockets, about how ruthless they truly were. They were, especially the one they both fought, he could have very well killed them both, and it likely just would have been a tally for him knocking out another set of league representatives. It was a harsh reality, knowing truly what they were really up against, and yet, Yuina couldn't help but feel like that one in particular, they only saw just a fraction of his capabilities, the Pokemon he had trained...[break]
"I didn't know much about them before all of this either... It's a lot more serious than it sounded in the beginning... That there's people out there bent on... The most awful things," Yuina agreed, it was a lot to take in, and a lot to understand, especially for how small her world still was. She could only hope that her life before... that.... She didn't even want to think about it, the possibilities of her past life were infinite, limitless... which meant that nothing was out of the question. She shook the thought away.[break][break]
"If we find a good place to rest, do you think your Pokemon could heal my Flygon? Then, we could stand a better chance of getting back to base," she wondered, she'd realized the last couple of times that she was in a given situation, her Pokemon were a bit sparse in the way of rejuvenation and healing... She might need to work on that for later. The question though hung in the air, and rightfully so, as entering into the cavern beyond the pressure plates, they were met with the dripping maw and scalding eyes of some kind of lava monster that was incredibly displeased with their presence.[break]
Desiree's pink Pokemon went in first, striking with a water soaked tail, but that left Desiree open as the lava monster rumbled and roared at their intrusion.[break]
"Desu, go," Yuina thought as quick as she could, taking out another Pokeball as she jumped out of the way of the spewing lava, and from her Pokeball came a solid stone shape that landed with a heavy thud right in front of Desiree, catching the spewing lava. Yuina stumbled, falling back into one of the walls of the cavern given her mild instability, but Desiree was alright and Nyla had the open opportunity then as she hissed with bared fangs. The Sneasler lunged forward, slashing her claws together and scraping them along the ground for a Hone Claws then rushed in with an intense ferocity as she used Brick Break to strike in the same spot Desiree's Pokemon had, to create an even weaker point on the lava monster.

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DESIREE BLOOMS

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Slumped against the cavern wall to try and keep out of the way of the spewing lava, Yuina coughed at the smoke and dust that rose up from the attack, the lava simmering and sizzling on the ground. Desu did a great job of keeping Desiree safe, their rocky body doing wonders for keeping the lava at bay, but Yuina knew they couldn't stand to stay in this fight for much longer if the lava monster didn't back down...[break]
Desiree's Pokemon went in for another set of attacks, Nyla had struck and left a heavy blow on the offending Pokemon's side, creating an opening for a heavy attack. The electricity surged over the monster's body, and while it shuttered and roared at the paralyzing effect taking over its joints, it wasn't stopped entirely. Nyla hissed as she stepped back, the heat in the cavern was rising drastically, and around the monster's feet, a furious flurry of flame and ember began to form.[break][break]
"I don't know what it's doing, but we have to get out of here," Yuina called over the rising heat, and she moved to rush and duck behind Desu's shielded body with Desiree as the monster roared and released a devastating Magma Storm. The entire cavern was filled with ember and flame, spouts of lava striking the walls in every direction, and Nyla hissed at being struck down by the intensity of the attack, she just couldn't stand up to it. Yuina returned the Sneasler, and tried to stay behind Desu, but the storm was all encompassing, it would consume them too if they didn't get out.[break]
"Desiree, we have to go, come on," Yuina called, moving towards the exit just behind them, and Desu moved to keep his body in between the entrance and the lava storm, but he wouldn't be able to stand the heat much longer...

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DESIREE BLOOMS

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The heat had gotten intense, Yuina couldn't imagine that they would have been able to remain there and try to face whatever that Pokemon was and hope that they were able to stand being in the burning storm the monster created. They'd just managed to escape the cavern, and from the intensity of the storm Desu was pushed and forced out just moments after both Yuina and Desiree had managed to make their exit. His dense and heavy body landed on the ground with a heavy thud, plumes of dust raising around his rocky exterior, and Yuina returned him for now to preserve his energy, she was sure even as a solid piece of rock he didn't much enjoy being pelted with molten lava...[break]
Out in the open again, Yuina coughed and wiped some sweat from her brow, enjoying at least not being in the suffocating heat, but she wasn't sure that being out in the open again was that much better... This was all just so much... More than she could have every imagined or fathomed, and the thought of that rocket still being out there, if he came to try and find them, to finish what he started... Yuina hated the thought, but Desire spoke up, and thankfully for the moment they were both alright...[break][break]
"I don't know... I've never seen anything like it, and it was so powerful," she remarked, coughing a bit again but she was getting better bit by bit already being out from the cavern. Her body was still physically pained and sore, but, she'd rather that right now than being on fire...[break]
Desiree asked a simple, and easy question, was she alright after that? But... How could she be, after all of this? After any of this? She didn't know that some of the interdream mist had made it out from the cavern, otherwise she would have been far more aware of what was happening, but she just couldn't answer Desiree's question plainly...[break][break]
"I... No, we're not alright, right now Des? Sure, we didn't just burn to death right now but, this whole thing, all of this, and for what," Yuina wondered aloud, she wasn't angry perse, and definitely not shouting at Desiree, but what was all of this for?[break]
"What's supposed to be here that's so valuable anyway? Infinity Energy? Another dimension portal? What if its nothing at all, and we're fighting those rockets and doing all of this for no good reason," she'd been wondering on this for a good while now through all of this conflict, what if it was for nothing, would it matter at all? Maybe she was a little angry, maybe she was wanting some kind of justification for what was happening right now but... Mostly, she was afraid...[break]
Seeing these rockets, being in these fights, battling against them and seeing how ruthless they were... It was one out of so many, infinite possibilities, but the chasm of not knowing who she was was going to try and fill itself with ideas and thoughts... And in this conflict it was being filled with one thought in particular...[break][break]
"Des... I'm... I'm afraid, I...," she started, but she paused in that moment, she could feel that hole in her chest, that empty part of herself, and it was screaming so loud right now... She almost felt guilty, she liked to think that she and Desiree were close, but if that were the case, she'd been lying to her this whole time...[break]
"I've never been honest with you... And you asked me the first time we met... I...," she choked on it, standing up straighter and trying to look Desiree in the eyes... But it was hard...[break]
"I woke up outside of Petalburg city a couple of months ago and had no idea who I was or how I got there... I... Don't have any memories of what my life was before, who my family is, where I'm from, or even what my real name is...," she started, and now it was too late to stop. It was out in the open now.[break]
"It's been months, I can't remember anything, I have no idea who I was or what I was doing... But being in the middle of all of this, I've been so afraid... What... What if this was me, and I don't know it? What if I was someone terrible... I... I know it's one in a million, I could have been anybody, or nobody, but... the not knowing has been killing me," she couldn't help the stinging at her eyes, the tears that welled at the corners, it was out in the open now, and she couldn't take it back, but... Desiree deserved to know, especially if they were going to keep working together and fighting together the way that they were...

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DESIREE BLOOMS

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Of all things that Yuina could have imagined in this moment, she couldn't have been prepared for how emotionally charged it all became and how cathartic it was to release it all and know that Desiree thought so highly of her... As Desiree had reached out to grab onto her, burying her head in her shoulder as she accepted Yuina for who she was, and denounced that she could have anything to do with the terrible people they've faced, Yuina held Desiree close to her as they cried together again, tucking her chin into the back of Desiree's head.[break]
"You have so much faith in me... I hope one day... I can have that same faith in myself," Yuina cried, she couldn't ever know what she did to deserve such graces from an angel like Desiree, she was so sure and so certain that Yuina could never be capable of anything less than standing up for the good in the world, and for that, she was so, so grateful.[break][break]
In this same, vulnerable moment between each other, as Yuina held Desiree and she felt the pinkette's feelings coming to a crest, Yuina couldn't have fathomed that she too had something that was eating away at her from the inside, something that she carried with her, weighed down by it, and dreaded about herself. She spoke over her father, though Yuina could hardly feel that calling him a father was necessary given the terrible things Desiree described, how he hurt her so, how he intended to kill her... Just the very thought that someone would have even laid a hand on Desiree that way filled Yuina with so much anger.[break]
How dare someone even touch an angel that way. And her words that followed... Yuina's anger turned to heartbreak...[break][break]
"Hate you," Yuina choked after a sob, how could she? How could Desiree even think such a thing?[break]
"I could never, ever hate you Desiree, never," Yuina said between tears, hugging her ever tighter, hoping that it could come across just how much she meant those words, the feeling was more than her words could ever encompass.[break][break]
"You are full of so much love, and you want nothing but love for everyone around you... I... Just the thought that someone hurt you that way..." she couldn't even finish the thought... It was just awful, even knowing that person was gone didn't minimize the seething anger.[break]
"You are worth and deserving of every bit of love that you have for everyone around you and then some... Don't you ever think that you deserve less... You acted out of survival, out of fear for your life... You should have never had to take that action but... You wouldn't be here if you didn't..." Yuina remarked, any reasonable person would try to defend themselves, if she had done anything differently, she might not be here...[break]
"And I'm so glad that you're here... And that I've been able to meet you..."

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