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Her phone stands out like a beacon in the dark. Hoping to avoid waking anyone, she lunges for it in a panic. Tired of eyes scan the screen, her face twists in confusion. Motion Detected: 1:15 AM. The clinic was closed for the night, and no one should have been there.
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How strange.
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“Mm.” Wiping sleep from her eyes, the doctor throws her feet to the cold floor.
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It was probably nothing. Falling paperwork or a shadow. She should just go back to sleep. Maybe let someone else handle it. But it was her weekend.
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But the war was so close, and the Pokemon in the clinic were her responsibility. It’s probably nothing. Just because you were abducted by aliens once—twice--doesn’t mean everything's a disaster. Her brain insisted as she slipped on a pair of worn Breloom slippers. These she’d swap out in a muddled haze as she ducks outside. She throws on a hoody to hide her back. Aubre slides her belt over her waist.
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She checks up on her husband, just to make sure he’s sleeping. Then, her eyes peer at the lumps of her parents in their borrowed room. For a moment, her anxiety almost makes her shake them awake.
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Aubre shakes her head. This wasn’t worth bothering them about.
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Finally, she stops at her daughter’s room. She plants a kiss on her daughter’s cheek before heading out the door. She’s left a note on the fridge, but she doubts anyone would read it. Aubre would be back before they needed it.
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In whispered, urgent tones, she summons her Dragonite from his ball. The pair wing off toward the clinic, careful to avoid being spotted by any troops. They land in the front yard. The building is quiet, but something feels wrong. But it was rare when she wasn’t paranoid about something. “Stop being such a—it’s fine.”
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Chastising herself with a click of her tongue, the doctor goes toward the front door. The security light flickers on CRUNCH! There’s broken glass at her feet. The shattered sliding door peers at her like a skull’s eye socket.
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Still, she steps inside. Her pajamas are worn and see-through in spots—her heart pounds in her chest. There’s a light on in one of the exam rooms. Her heart drops to her feet. Marcus steps up behind her. A muscular arm lands heavily on her shoulder.

The Dragonite approaches the room with a deep growl. Draconic energy crawls up the Pokemon’s muscular arm. “Hello?” The doctor’s voice seems suddenly tiny in the oppressive dark. “Is someone here?”
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So much for being nothing.
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The lights are out. The windows are closed. The computers are empty voids. “We’re closed.” Way to go, Captain Obvious.

NOTES

✦ Here to help the poor babies