[attr="class","aurelie-lyrics"]Keep calm and carry on

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A wide-eyed Aurelie listened attentively to the admin's explanation of how Galarian Zapdos had come to join Rocket, of which she'd known nothing until now. As seemed to be Rocket's ritual with any sensitive information, they had kept the details secret from the mere grunts and lower ranks.

Or perhaps she just hadn't paid enough attention to Rocket's reports and news. Certainly not as much as the admin in charge of information-gathering, anyway. At the conclusion, she blinked in consternation as she tried to think of how to best frame her thoughts.

"First, thank you for sharing all that," she said carefully. Deploying a tiny, strategic amount of flattery, she added, "I always learn a lot from you, Admin Bee."

So, of course, I'm going to disregard one of his earliest lessons to me and show weakness. Specifically, ignorance. Even more carefully, she ventured aloud, "Second...and sorry if this is a stupid question, but...if Galarian Zapdos is allied with us now, are we planning to attack it today? Or just study it?"

It seemed like an impolite thing to do to an ally, after all. She stole a sidelong glance at the Galarian Moltres that accompanied the admin and couldn't repress a shudder. On one hand, she was glad they didn't have to track this Legendary bird down the way they'd tried with Galarian Articuno.

On the other hand, while a fight between the two Galarian Legendaries was something Aurelie would be interested in observing, it wasn't something she wanted to be this close to. At least, if she had any choice, anyway. Not that she expected to have a choice, with someone like Admin Bee giving her orders.

Beside her, the Calyrex shard that was granted to her in Sootopolis followed quietly. So far, it hadn't seemed like it remembered anything from either Calyrex's previous existence. Aurelie wondered if that would extend even to a Pokemon as memorable and fearsome as the Galarian Zapdos.

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BARNABY FINCH | Mission: VS Galarian Zapdos

[attr="class","aurelie-lyrics"]Keep calm and carry on

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Aurelie couldn't help gulping nervously when the admin mentioned his interest in seeing how well she fared against Zapdos. If she had known that was what Admin Bee was expecting of her, she might have chosen a more offensively focused Pokemon than the Calyrex shard. So much for my hoping he and his Galarian Moltres would fight, and we could provide support, she thought wryly.

Aloud, she only ventured to say, "Have you fought against this Galarian Zapdos yourself before, then? Or would this also be your first time facing it? It sounds as if you know it well, so I would guess you've matched yourself against it before."

The redhead drew in an apprehensive breath as the four of them reached the end of the walkway and entered the large, open chamber that supposedly contained the Zapdos. Though Aurelie knew very little about the Legendary bird's Galarian variant, she remembered they were especially aggressive, as Admin Bee had just confirmed. She tensed, expecting an immediate attack.

Instead, they were met with a silent, seemingly empty chamber. In one far corner, she thought she saw a shadowy, hulking silhouette. Was it Zapdos? Or only a figment of her imagination?

Her voice dropped to a low whisper as she turned to the admin. "If you have fought it before, can you share what we should expect? Or..." The corner of her mouth rose slightly in a crooked grin. "Are you interested in seeing how I...how we react to the unexpected?"

In the far corner, the shadowy silhouette stirred. Aurelie could hear the blood pounding in her ears in the unnerving hush. The Calyrex shard drifted closer to her and looked around almost worriedly, as if curious what was making her so nervous.

Even though its movements were soundless, its approach happened to disturb a tiny, barely noticeable pebble in its path. The pebble rattled softly and then rolled forward with a brief clatter. In that empty, open room, though, that sound might as well have been a thunderclap.

The silhouette rose, and Aurelie gasped to see the birdlike head and winged outline. Instead of flying, though, it started to run at them with terrifying speed. The sound of its feathers rubbing together as it ran reminded her of the crackle of static electricity—but far louder and far more fearsome.

"It's coming!" she exclaimed, heedless of volume now as the Zapdos charged toward them. "Um, Calyrex! Use...uh, use...PSYCHIC, maybe? Push it away from us so it won't be right on top of us!"

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BARNABY FINCH | Mission: VS Galarian Zapdos