[attr="class","aurelie-lyrics"]Nothing stays hidden forever;
secrets are always found out eventually.

[attr="class","border"]

Looking up from her much-creased copy of an old map released by the League as a public safety bulletin during the meteoroid panic, Aurelie smiled at the young Rocket, charmed by their friendliness. "Honestly, I have no idea! But hopefully we find some of the underground bunkers marked on this map for civilians to evacuate to, all empty and clean and easy to take over."

She snorted to show just likely she thought that would be, before flourishing the map marked with half a dozen red X's and squares on a grid. Despite her cheerful demeanor, though, Aurelie couldn't help being troubled by just how young her current compatriot seemed to be.

They look like a teenager, she thought, suppressing a grimace. Shouldn't someone like them be, oh, I dunno, skipping school and trying to buy beer with a fake ID and dreaming of becoming champion? Not signing up with a terrorist organization that lays waste to cities.

But then, who was she to judge? Maybe they too had been ignored and disregarded by the League and only found help and acknowledgement from Rocket. It was a stupid reason to fight and keep fighting on Rocket's behalf, but it was Aurelie's reason. Maybe it was Clover's, too.

Glancing sidelong at the map again, the redhead noticed that the two of them had arrived at the fork in the path indicated by the map. She squinted, turned her head, and then pointed to her right. "Well, if this thing is still accurate, we should find a little creek over there.

"And hidden in the underbrush, there should be some steps that lead down to the doors of one of the bunkers we want. It should be a big, roomy one too, great for sheltering lots of people or storing a lot of food and supplies." Aurelie nodded decisively, folding the map and putting it away.

She beckoned to Clover and then to her own Pokemon, who were staying in the formation she'd asked them to. The Aegislash, in its shield form, preceded the small, hare-like Calyrex, protecting the kingly shard. Meanwhile, Aurelie drew one of her knives, knowing she should protect herself too.

"Well, I hear the creek running over there, and I definitely see a lot of thick grass and underbrush growing next to it." Striding over, she started cutting away at the vines and grass. "Any luck seeing those steps, though?"

---

clover matamata

Notes
- 50 MP: have your character reflect on why they're fighting/reflect on their loyalties.
- 10 MP: number of posts

[attr="class","aurelie-lyrics"]Nothing stays hidden forever;
secrets are always found out eventually.

[attr="class","border"]

"Hey, nice going! Good job," Aurelie called, hurrying over when Clover announced that they had found the stairs to the bunker door. "I know you kind of stumbled on them, but still... Good on you for staying alert and catching yourself."

It probably sounded like a weird thing to celebrate in someone else. But if she'd been the one tripping over the stairs, Aurelie was pretty sure she would've just rolled to the bottom and knocked herself out before even thinking to say anything useful. Grace and mindfulness weren't among her strengths.

At Clover's question about—well, Aurelie assumed it was about Calyrex, not the Aegislash, she could only shake her head and shrug bemusedly. "Honestly, I have no idea myself. It's a Calyrex...well, a piece of Calyrex. Which is some kind of legendary Galarian king that..."

She broke off, thinking back to the invasion of Sootpolis by Kyogre and the League alike, the losses Rocket had suffered, and Calyrex thanking her for her defense by granting her a mindless fragment of its power. It didn't seem as much of a blessing or curse as avatarhood did, but perhaps that was only because Aurelie understood so little about it.

"Honestly, no one ever seems to know much about this Pokemon," she said aloud, sighing with ill-concealed frustration. "It's a dream, a concept, a king that may never have actually existed, a protector, even a warrior..."

She gave herself a vigorous shake to clear her head, before she sank into another melancholy reverie. "Anyway, let's keep going. Deal with the things we can understand, like this door."

Not surprisingly, it was locked. Drawing a knife from her belt sheath, she thought, Well, this works in the movies... and wedged the blade into the crack between the door and wall. Wiggling it back and forth, she at least managed to push the bolt back slightly, enough so that turning the doorknob at the same time was enough to open the door.

"Thank Arceus that worked, before we had to try kicking the door in," she chuckled. Her voice—as well as the creak of the door and the sound of their footsteps—echoed and resonated off the stony walls of the otherwise silent bunker. It was an eerie effect.

But not quite as eerie as the sudden sound of shuffling footfalls from deep within the bunker. The redhead started in surprise, especially as the footfalls grew louder and closer. "I wonder if this bunker is as empty as we thought," she murmured. "I...I guess we better check it out?"

---

clover matamata

Total MP
- 50 MP: have your character directly or indirectly spotlight another writer's character's strengths.
- 50 MP: have your character recall a past thread or event that they have participated in or not (link the thread).
- 50 MP: have your character reflect on why they're fighting/reflect on their loyalties.
- 20 MP: number of posts

[attr="class","aurelie-lyrics"]Nothing stays hidden forever;
secrets are always found out eventually.

[attr="class","border"]

Aurelie gaped in surprise when the two massive Golurks lurched into view. "I didn't expect they'd leave guardians here for the bunker! I wonder if these two realize we're here to take it over, rather than trying to seek shelter from a natural disaster?"

There wasn't much time or point in speculating about that, now. She watched hopefully as Clover's—whatever Pokemon it was; Aurelie had never been good at identifying various Pokemon species that she wasn't familiar with—struck the nearest Golurk with a TOXIC attack.

The utter lack of damage confused her, until Clover mentioned type matchups. At that point, Aurelie could only shake her head in bemusement. Clearly, the younger Rocket's grasp of Pokemon battling far exceeded her own, not that that was a hard thing to accomplish. Living in Hoenn had brought her many blessings and tribulations, but it certainly hadn't improved her skill as a Pokemon battler.

"Damn, I thought that would work," she sighed aloud. Then, she gasped as the second Golurk disappeared and then almost instantly reappeared behind Clover, as though it'd teleported through space. With a single powerful punch, it toppled them to the ground.

Feeling helpless, Aurelie whirled to face the placid Calyrex shard beside her. "Can you help them?" she asked urgently. The small, rabbit-like Pokemon seemed to think it over.

Then, obligingly, it drifted toward Clover and began to scatter LIFE DEW onto him, which slowly closed the wound opened by the Golurk's fist. Aurelie's Aegislash stayed before the shard, still shielding it from harm.

This proved fortunate when the Golurk that had injured Clover now advanced toward them while the Calyrex continued trying to heal Clover. Even as Aurelie cried out warningly, "En garde!", the Aegislash swiftly riposted the Golurk's SHADOW PUNCH with a protective KING'S SHIELD.

Aurelie let out a sigh of relief. Though she'd hardly planned it, it seemed fortunate that her choice of an Aegislash to guard Calyrex had turned out well against these particular wild Pokemon. As she turned to watch the second Golurk, she was even more relieved to see Clover's Archen keeping the other Golurk at bay and flailing its mighty fists to no avail.

"I just hope we don't run into any more surprises after this," the redhead muttered to herself, stepping defensively in front of Clover and brandishing her knife just in case.

---

clover matamata

Total MP
- 50 MP: showcase your own character's weakness(es) meaningfully.
- 50 MP: have your character directly or indirectly spotlight another writer's character's strengths.
- 50 MP: have your character recall a past thread or event that they have participated in or not (link the thread).
- 50 MP: have your character reflect on why they're fighting/reflect on their loyalties.
- 30 MP: number of posts

[attr="class","aurelie-lyrics"]Nothing stays hidden forever;
secrets are always found out eventually.

[attr="class","border"]

Aurelie couldn't help but applaud when Clover not only climbed back to their feet but then terastallized their Pokemon, filling the dimly lit bunker with scintillating light. The Shuckle's STONE EDGE stabbed the Golurk with a dozen sharpened rocks, causing the golem-like Pokemon to collapse to its feet. It let out a plaintive bellow before fainting away.

"Nice going!" the redhead said warmly, respecting the young Rocket's resolve and resourcefulness in a Pokemon battle. For all their youth, they were far more capable in an unexpected combat situation than she'd proved to be.

Gathering her wits, she grinned at the compliment for her knife and then turned to the Calyrex shard. "Come on, let's not be a complete millstone around our friends' necks," she urged it. "Let's help fight off the second Golurk, shall we?"

The shard looked back at her with its eerily clear, childlike eyes and responded by launching an ENERGY BALL at the remaining Golurk. For a brief moment, the faint, fresh scent of green grass and blossoming flowers sweetened the stale, dusty air as the Calyrex shard drew on nature's power. The stricken Golurk shuddered and then crashed to the ground, even more loudly than the first one.

Aurelie started to breathe a sigh of relief, only to catch her breath abruptly when the clamor of the two fainting Golurks was answered by another, even more thunderous roar from deeper within the bunker. "Arceus! What on earth was that?" she exclaimed in alarm.

Heedlessly, she rushed forward through the door into the underground corridors that still echoed with the sound of that angry roar. The Calyrex and its attendant Aegislash trailed a few steps behind her. It took a her a moment to realize, What am I doing? This is dumb of me, isn't it? I shouldn't be rushing off on my own like this...

Thankfully, the corridor ahead looked empty. In the very last room of the bunker, she caught a glimpse of fiery ruby-red and gleaming gold, flashing as bright as the heart of the sun in the darkness.

"Clover, things look all clear out here," she called back, feeling a little awkward for having impetuously darted away. "But I think I see something moving up ahead! Can you cover my back while I check it out...?"

On the threshold of the last room, Aurelie simply stopped and stared. The far wall had collapsed in on itself, leaving a hole large enough for people or Pokemon to climb inside. And what had climbed inside was no less than a Gouging Fire, its spiky crest shimmering like a pillar of flame atop its head.

We've gotta catch that thing, if we can! she thought. Her hand shaking with nervousness, Aurelie reached for an empty Pokeball and lobbed it toward the leonine Pokemon in a looping underhand toss. The motion caught the Gouging Fire's attention, and it leaped backward agilely, avoiding the Pokeball with ease.

She gritted her teeth in frustration. "I should've known that wouldn't work! But I really want to capture it, not fight it..."

---

clover matamata

Total MP
- 50 MP: showcase your own character's weakness(es) meaningfully.
- 50 MP: have your character directly or indirectly spotlight another writer's character's strengths.
- 50 MP: have your character recall a past thread or event that they have participated in or not (link the thread).
- 50 MP: have your character reflect on why they're fighting/reflect on their loyalties.
- 50 MP: have your character learn to respect another character in some way.
- 50 MP: describe your character's pokeball throwing style.
- 40 MP: number of posts

[attr="class","aurelie-lyrics"]Nothing stays hidden forever;
secrets are always found out eventually.

[attr="class","border"]

Seeing how clover matamata and their Pokemon confronted the wild Gouging Fire despite their apparent and all-too-understandable apprehension filled Aurelie with determination. If they were taking a stand, then she could hardly back down either. She balled her fists and spun to face her Aegislash.

"Let's back them up!" she instructed the shield-like Pokemon. "I didn't capture it, but maybe if you can help drive it off instead..."

On a more expressive Pokemon than the Aegislash, the slight hesitation and glance up at its trainer would have given off more than a hint of uncertainty, even skepticism. Even if Aurelie had noticed it, though, she wouldn't have been able to interpret its reaction. After a moment, the Aegislash seemed to resign itself and shifted to its Blade Forme, revealing its sleek central blade.

Obligingly enough, it darted forward to flank the Gouging Fire from the other side and lashed out with a fierce NIGHT SLASH. Unfortunately, the one blow certainly wasn't enough to incapacitate it. Even more unfortunately, though Clover had remembered how Fire types interacted with Grass types, Aurelie had forgotten how Fire also countered Steel types.

An inferno washed over all three Pokemon as the Gouging Fire unleashed a blazing LAVA PLUME. Both the Zarude and Aegislash succumbed almost instantly. Aurelie let out a sharp cry, pressing both hands to her mouth in horror. Oh Arceus, what now? What do we do? she thought frantically.

Before she could even reach for another Pokeball, though, the Gouging Fire suddenly turned its head as the distant, yet powerful roar of another Pokemon reverberated through the air. It sounded like another Gouging Fire, in fact. That distant roar seemed to elicit far more concern than they or their Pokemon had, and certainly captured its attention far more fully.

Whirling around, as if the two Rockets were utterly beneath its notice, the Gouging Fire whirled around and leaped through the broken bunker wall. It let out an answering roar as it charged away, as if it were preparing to defend itself. Aurelie simply stared in silence, flabbergasted by this turn of events.

When she finally found her voice, she managed to murmur aloud, wearily and not quite happily, "Well...we didn't get the Gouging Fire. But...I guess we found one of the bunkers on the map? And it seems to be in good shape, so that's good news, I guess."

She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "I...think I could do with a short break before we get back to looking for more bunkers, though. If they're all going to be this exciting, then I really want to be ready for more surprises."

---

clover matamata

Total MP
- 50 MP: showcase your own character's weakness(es) meaningfully.
- 50 MP: have your character directly or indirectly spotlight another writer's character's strengths.
- 50 MP: have your character recall a past thread or event that they have participated in or not (link the thread).
- 50 MP: have your character reflect on why they're fighting/reflect on their loyalties.
- 50 MP: have your character learn to respect another character in some way.
- 50 MP: describe your character's pokeball throwing style.
- 50 MP: have your character become inspired or consoled by another writer's character (tag them).
- 50 MP: for getting your Pokemon knocked out in your skirmish thread.
- 50 MP: number of posts
- 25 MP for completing your Skirmish thread.
- 100 MP for "tying" or having a "neutral" outcome for your character and their Skirmish thread.
= 575 total MP