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It seemed Thomas would tell his story in deeds instead of words. A form of weaving the blonde preferred. He entered the field with a spark. Immediately, the veteran’s face lit up in an even bright smile. “Thomas!” She called, uncharacteristically chipper. “What a pleasure to zee you!” [break][break]


A few birds fall to the ground beneath the electric netting. Hungry for a taste of a divine ambrosia, they struggle against it. The immediate area fills with the smell of burning feathers.
[break][break]

Not wishing to be shown up, the blonde whistles to a Pokemon behind the tree. Any care for organization efforts vanishes as battle rears its head. Her doll like lips twist almost viciously. An Iron Crown gallops out with a tempestuous toss of its head. “Show zese featherbags who iz boss, Gatien!”

[break][break]
Its legs snap backwards to deliver a kick to the tree itself. Electric waves flow from its heels as it sparks with the markings of an Electric Terrain. As the first bird—a brazen Pikipek—lands, it jumps back with a shriek. It beats its wings irritably as sparks threaten to cripple it.
[break][break]

With that done, she gestured the robotic sword of justice forward. “Cut zem down!" With a series of beeps, the stag charges forward with a glowing horn to strike down another bird.

NOTES

✦ She invited Thomas to join her in Evergrande to fend off a bird invasion[break]

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The normally stoic woman returns the grin. It is a strange expression in her normally icy sapphire eyes. “The tree iz not pink and fluffy, zo I was not sure!” Lydia shouts be heard above the raucous cawing around them. A sense of familiarity—as well as the thrill of battle—melted some of the noblewoman’s ice. The same could not be said for her two companions. They were stiff as steel beside her, paranoid and prepared for what came.
[break][break]

Similar to her cousin, Lydia did not celebrate as her Iron Valiant’s emerald Leaf Blade knocked a Bombirdier from the sky.The flying Pokemon, scared by the sparking on the tree, had turned their attention to the volunteers. Some of them were gathering the fallen fruit. “What little shits.” Lydia’s accented voice is an angry hiss. Nothing draws her ire more than misdirected rage.
[break][break]


With her two paradoxes distracted, the woman calls out her dearest companion. With a howl, the Lycanroc takes to the field. “Protect ze volunteers!” Without hesitation, the wolf pounces on a diving Staraptor. With a jerk, she tears it free from a screaming woman’s shirt.
[break][break]


Lydia chuckles as her cousin tosses out his own Iron Crown. “And where did you pick up zat bag of bolts?”
[break][break]


Gatien, meanwhile, turns his ire on a flock of smaller birds approaching. The space between its horns spark as silvery energy coalesces. Bracing its back legs, it sweeps a Zap Cannon over the nearly countless pinpricks in the sky.
[break][break]

NOTES

✦ She invited Thomas to join her in Evergrande to fend off a bird invasion[break]

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The soldier sniffs. “I have seen your ranch, cousin.” There is a pause as she mulls her next words. “It is like a marshmallow factory.” That was not to say Lydia did not find the Audino adorable. Quite the opposite, in fact. She quite adored them. But there were few things to poke fun at Thomas for. The man was an elite trainer—a champion in his own rights. He also kept public scandals mostly to a minimum.
[break][break]

Her entire existence, meanwhile, was a scandal. There was no place in Kalos’s uppe echelons she could go to escape the people’s judgment. However, that the blonde did not wish to change her past. It had made her strong as steel.
[break][break]


Minerva stood over the felled bird for a moment. Feathers were spit out between her teeth. “Minerva! Honchkrow! 4 o’clock!” Never one to second guess her partner, the wolf turns and fires a Stealth Rock into the air around them. With a squawk, the raven blunders right into it. It lands in hopes of avoiding the rocks. Its eyes narrow as it rushes the smaller human. Instead of fear, however, it finds resistance.
[break][break]


“Endymion! Blade!” A tiny hand shoots out as the Iron Valiant’s staff is tossed into her hands. As the bird charges forward, Lydia swings at it with the blunt side of it. With a squawk, it bounces off the trunk of the tree to the Electric Terrain below.
[break][break]


Irritated by the attack on his trainer, the Iron Valiant followed up with a superpowered Moon Blast.
[break][break]


Her Iron Crown steps up to its clone. Its golden eyes brighten in brief acknowledgment as it attacks. Judging by the way its Tachyon Cutters sizzle, the robots have some sense of pride.
[break][break]


“Zat is correct, cousin.” She shakes her head. “The words of Kyurem still haunt me.”

NOTES

✦ She invited Thomas to join her in Evergrande to fend off a bird invasion[break]