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There comes no triumph in the small success of their thunder wave. For a split second, Luka feels bad about sending the other woman spiraling in peril, but that feeling dissipates after more mad rantings follow her down towards the sea.[break][break]

"You...y-you're crazy!" she shouts back, though no amount of insults will help her situation.[break][break]

Her dragonair is getting weaker by the second. Trying to protect her mount while heavily injured is taking an untenable toll on the dragon. As they plunge towards the water, Luka also searches for a way out. Quickly fumbling for the Pokeballs at her waist, she releases her Musharna, followed by—[break][break]

She doesn't get a chance to enact the second part of her escape plan. She's too slow, and both she and Sakeru plunge into the frigid water below.[break][break]

The impact hits them both hard. And unfortunately, Luka feels her Pokemon's body slacken under hers. She kicks to the surface as quickly as she can, well aware that she's a sitting duck if Xenon managed to survive her fall. Luckily, her Musharna understand their peril and quickly shrouds her trainer in clouds of obfuscating dream mist, hopefully creating enough cover that the pair can escape.[break][break]

Gasping for air, Luka's trembling fingers manage to grasp another pokeball- nearly dropping it into the water as she does- and she releases the Vaporeon within. With dream mist clogging her nose and mouth, she clings onto the water type's back and tries to get her bearings. With Xenon in the air like this, a water escape seems their best bet. But what about Sakeru?[break][break]

Dragonair are adept swimmers, but she's now unconscious and sinking fast. Luka can only pray they can survive long enough to rescue her and escape.[break][break]

---

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Oh no.[break][break]

Engaging at such close range had been a mistake. Xenon and her mount cleanly evade their attack and now, there's no way for Sakeru to dodge the incoming retaliation. To her credit, Sakeru manages to twist her snake-like body just enough to avoid one of the flash cannons, but the other two hit at a devastatingly close range.[break][break]

Last time they had fought, this woman had seemed ridiculous, like a cartoon villain. Just when had she become such a serious threat?[break][break]

Luka's eyes go wide as she cries out in concern, though it's drowned out by her Dragonair's screech of pain as the attacks hit. She immediately loses altitude, starting to fall out of the air as Luka clings to her back with dear life. In any other situation, she would have recalled her Pokemon, but airborne as they are, it becomes impossible.[break][break]

She needs to find a way to safely land, or at least change mounts mid-air. But with Xenon on her tail, it'll be nearly impossible. Luka grits her teeth as she tries to think of a plan, but she's never done that well under pressure. Luckily, the calming effects of her sygna suit help- but just barely.[break][break]

The only plan she has is a complete toss-up. If they miss, it's probably over for them. "L-let's bring them down with us," she says, stroking her Dragonair's neck as the dragon continues to spiral towards the ground. Using some of her quickly waning strength, Sakeru opens her mouth and tries to hit the Iron Jugulis with a thunder wave- disabling the robot is likely their only means of escape right now.[break][break]

---

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"Oh, heck."[break][break]

Her plan to confuse the Iron bundle had worked, but at what cost? The Iron Bundle is growing increasingly furious, and she's definitely made things a lot worse for the poor cowboy stuck on the train. At least Toffee, cradled in Sugar's ribbons, is safe from the rampage, but they really need to figure out a way to stop that train![break][break]

While Sugar quickly returns Toffee to his baby carrier, Luka listens as schuyler tate yells out instructions once again. He seems to have taken charge of their holiday escapade, which is fine by her— heaven knows she has no idea what to do.[break][break]

robin coello's Snorlax takes the initiative to try and slow down the train, while virgil roach searches for the brake nearby. Hopefully trinity beckman also rises to the challenge of slowing the train down, because Luka has finally, finally thought of a way to get the Iron Bundle to calm down.[break][break]

Oh goodness. Why hadn't she thought of this before?[break][break]

"Sugar! Can you stretch your ribbons even more? Let's end this!"[break][break]

Her Sylveon chirrups in understanding and continues to run towards the train, her long ribbons stretching out towards the Iron Bundle. They exude a soft, roseate glow as they approach the robot and Sugar unleashes her z-move:[break][break]

[break][break]

Of course, stopping the robot at this rate isn't going to help much with the train situation...but surely it won't make anything worse, right?[break][break]

Right??[break][break]

---

[break][break]
- sylveon uses z-move: resplendent ribbons

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It takes her a bit longer than she'd like to admit to figure out how to use the item menu. But when Luka is finally able to access and use it, she manages to upgrade her navi pretty easily:[break][break]



She's pleased to find that Sugar's new arsenal isn't as useless as her own ability was. The moveset of choice is...a bit embarrassing, given the context it's tied to, but it's fine. After all, she certainly has no combat prowess here, so it's all up to Sugar to keep them safe during their dungeon crawl.[break][break]

When it comes to choosing teams, she's immediately worried about being left alone. Watching others pair off gives her a kind of uneasy nostalgia; the feeling of being chosen last during gym class. However, she finally manages to convince a few others to join her. The avatars of Isaac Merlo, jayden cross, and paxton concordas might have joined her party because they know her, or because they're taking pity on her— she doesn't mind much either way. At least she won't be going through this alone.[break][break]

However, once they're inside the dungeon she almost wishes she were. It's the same dreamscape she'd experienced a few weeks back, and with it comes all the doubts and insecurities that had come with it. It feels almost shameful to put her desire for power on display for others— even more so now, when she can't actually do any of the fighting herself. In her dream, she had taken on enemies and saved people with her own strength. Here, she has to rely on Sugar and her other party members again.[break][break]

It almost feels like cheating— but then, isn't this how it's always been? She's never really had that much strength on her own. She's always relied on other people, on her Pokemon. Despite her desire to change, she seems to be stuck in a loop, unable to change or improve herself...[break][break]

Her party members, perhaps sensing her distress, offer their support: words of encouragement, earnest kindness, and gentle smiles abound. Which, funnily enough, is her first indication that something is wrong. paxton concordas usually gives her an earful for her irresponsibly, and she isn't sure she's seen jayden cross ever smile.[break][break]

At least Isaac Merlo seems true to form, but as they continue to descend deeper into the recesses of her dream, all their mannerisms becomes more automatic, almost robotic. They move more stiffly, and every bit of dialogue seems stilted and sounds like a pre-recorded message on an answering machine.[break][break]

It's only when they finally reach the last part of the dungeon and her party members disappear that Luka realizes they'd been nothing but NPC's all along, and she's truly alone again.[break][break]

But not completely. When they come to face her Musharna, Plum, in the last room of her dreamscape, she still has Sugar by her side. The gigantic Musharna towers over them, dream mist pouring from her snout in waterfalls. At first Luka balks, but there's no way to go now but forwards. She has no choice but to confront her oldest, dearest companion.[break][break]

Plum seems immune to the effects of the attract that Sugar tries using first, which isn't surprising. What is is the dream mist that swirls around them; if Luka squints, she can see remnants of her dreams inside them. Old dreams, ones she doesn't remember. Some peaceful, some horrifying— it occurs to her then that the mist contains all the dreams of hers that Plum has eaten, and now they're being turned against her.[break][break]

She doesn't want to see any of it. They need to end this quickly.[break][break]

"T-try using bounce!" Sugar leaps high into the air, just high enough to gain a position above Plum. But the Musharna simply rises to meet her, and instead of delivering a powerful blow, the Sylveon simply lands safely on her back. She tries again to jump and attack, but the result is the same; and this time, her jump doesn't get nearly as much air. It's clear that being surrounded by so much dream mist is causing her to become drowsy, her movements slower and more sluggish.[break][break]

Plum, appearing annoyed by the disturbance on her back, shakes Sugar off with a soft huff of annoyance. But as the Sylveon falls, she manages to twist her body and blow a sweet kiss towards her partner-turned-advisory.[break][break]

The effect of confusion takes hold slowly, and the battle continues as Sugar starts to stumble and falter from drowsiness. But Plum is feeling it as well. In her confusion, her attempts to put Sugar to sleep are aimed towards herself instead, and within a few minutes the gigantic Musharna is full and truly asleep, her own dream mist taking it's toll against her.[break][break]

It's an anticlimactic victory, but it seems to count. After a moment, Plum vanishes in a puff of pink mist. Left behind on the ground is a single feather, one Luka knows rather well by now. She bends to pick up the lunar feather left behind: a virtual copy of the one she keeps safe at home. With a wry smile, Luka twirls it between her fingers before she sticks it in her hair for safekeeping, and together with Sugar leaves the dungeon for their next adventure.[break][break]

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Oh, yay![break][break]
It’s not a showstopper by any means, but Luka’s tea seems to have gone over with the judges much better this round. That means there’s still hope for her- she’s not out of the running yet![break][break]
For this round, she and Cupcake take their time in deciding what kind of flower to use. Lavender? Chamomile? Rose? They’ve been playing around with sweeter, fruitier flavors so far, so the gentle taste of a floral tea should be quite refreshing. But there’s so many to choose from![break][break]
Eventually, the pair settles on some sakura blossom tea. Cherry blossoms are one of Luka’s favorite flowers; sweetly delicate, and a charming reminder of spring. And their soft pink hue matches her aesthetics exactly![break][break]
Humming happily, the pair returns to their station and gets to work. The sakura tea has a soft, subtle flavor, so this time Luka doesn’t try to overwhelm it with a lot of other flavors. She only adds a bit of milk and sugar, with just a dash of pink food coloring for the aesthetics. She adds the color and cherry boba to the bottom of the cup, so once the milk tea is poured overtop, it creates a soft and pretty gradient effect in the boba.[break][break]
As she works, she has another look around at the competition. So many people working hard…it really is lovely to see! Idly, she glances over at Remiel Calcifet’s station, and notes with a bit of smug satisfaction that her score is higher than his.[break][break]
But that’s not the point. Back to tea![break][break]
”In the springtime, there’s nothing nicer than the scent of cherry blossoms on the wind,” she explains as she garnishes the tea with a few sakura petals that Cupcake had found. ”For this round, we wanted to try and invoke that feeling in our tea! I hope you enjoy this fresh breath of springtime air. Please enjoy!”[break][break]

---

[break]

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"Eh?"[break][break]

Well, this isn't the reaction she expected.[break][break]

In fact, she doesn't know what to think. Luka sits on the back of her Dragonair, utterly flabbergasted by this woman's bizarre behavior. The compliments, the applause, the questions...this woman is a Rocket, right? So why is she treating this like some kind of weird experiment instead of an actual fight?[break][break]

"As if I'd tell you something like that! H-how can you treat someone's life so callously? If Sakeru wasn't so fast, I-I could have died. This isn't a game, you know!"[break][break]

The spark of familiarity is growing— vaguely, she can remember someone she'd fought like this before, months ago in Granite Cave. She'd had the same violent behavior and unhinged personality. And now that she can hear it, there's no forgetting that voice.[break][break]

"I-I beat you once before," she declares, though her tone doesn't sound quite as confident as she had hoped, "And I'll do it again!"[break][break]

The Pokemon Xenon is riding on now is unfamiliar, so she allows Sakeru to take the lead in their battle. Her Dragonair slithers though the air like a serpent, speeding towards Xenon and the Iron Jugulis rather than away. Her tail whips backwards, gaining momentum before it swings forwards with as much force as she can muster, hoping to strike the flying robot with an aqua tail.[break][break]

---

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“Toffee?! Hey! Get back here!” [break][break]

Luka tries to grab her Togepi as he becomes airborne, but is once again held back by the disoriented man’s death grip on her arm. She does her best to try and shake him, but he holds tight, and all she can do is watch as her little egg soars into the air and lands on the back of a train car, babbling with childlike excitement the whole time. [break][break]

“Oh, heck…” [break][break]

Wild train rides are not baby safe!! [break][break]

schuyler tate seems to think her Togepi’s precarious position is a good thing, but she heartily disagrees. Toffee is just a baby after all- how exactly is he supposed to stop a runaway train? [break][break]

“I- I’ll try, but Toffee isn’t really…he’s just a baby! Metronome is his best shot…but that’s like, totally random!” [break][break]

But to his credit, Toffee seems to be having the time of his life. Giggling and cooing, he somehow manages to keep his footing on the train as he toddles along one of the cars, following the funny man in the cowboy hat. It looks like virgil roach has a new fan as well! [break][break]

Luckily, Luka’s Sylveon comes to the rescue again. She sprints towards the car, her long ribbons stretching out at a much faster rate. They wrap around Toffee, holding him up in the air, though this might not last long as the air cutters speed towards her. Hopefully robin coello’s snorlax can tank enough hits for them! [break][break]

However, the air cutters come as a blessing in disguise as they finally force Luka and her overzealous fan apart. He performs a clumsy leap to get out of the way, and ends up falling right back on his behind again. With her hands free, Luka immediately starts to sprint behind the Snorlax for cover, all the while shouting some instructions at her Togepi. [break][break]

“Toffee! Try, um, t-try using sweet kiss!” [break][break]

Confusing the Iron Bundle feels like a better tactic than resorting to luck. Or maybe it’ll just end up more chaotic? Either way, Sugar holds Toffee closer to the rampaging robot and the little egg starts to blow kisses their way, cooing happily all the while. [break][break]

Luka watches with obvious trepidation, but tries to take charge as schuyler tate had suggested. ”O-okay! Um…if this works…w-we can try to shut down this robot once it’s confused! Or maybe it’ll just short circuit? Either way…w-we should be careful!”[break][break]

---

[break][break]
- everything happens so much[break]
- sylveon uses her ribbons to hold toffee safe on the train[break]
- luka manages to shake her fan and runs behind robin coello’s snorlax for cover[break]
- togepi tries using sweet kiss to confuse the iron bundle[break][break]

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With one final heave and a loud tearing of cloth, the mascot costume bursts open. Luka's Sylveon tries her best to catch the poor guy who had been trapped inside, but instead she winds up with a face full of foam and faux fir while he lands headfirst in a snowbank. She struggles for a moment to wriggle out from under the costume, but eventually emerges with a huff, her fur covered in snow.[break][break]

"Oh gosh...a-are you okay?"[break][break]

Temporarily abandoning the fight against the Iron Bundle, Luka rushes to the mascot's side and pulls him out of the snow. He looks dizzy and disoriented— did he hit his head?— but otherwise fine. Thank goodness![break][break]

"Here," she says, quickly shucking off her coat and draping it over him, "Try to, um, to find some first aid, okay? We've got to take care of that thing before it can hurt anyone else!"[break][break]

She pushes herself off the ground, nodding in response to schuyler tate's suggestion. "Ah, o-okay! Sugar, do you think you can- eh?"[break][break]

After only taking a few steps, something starts pulling her back. Luka looks down to find a hand holding her wrist in a vice-grip. Attached to it is the poor guy they'd just saved, holding her in place as she tries to go and help the others. His expression is vacant and confused, but his eyes shine with blatant adoration for this pink haired angel.[break][break]

"Wait!" he exclaims, his grip tightening, "You can't leave me. I still need you!"[break][break]

"O-oh! Um, t-that's...I mean, that's sweet! But I need to, um, t-to go help, so..."[break][break]

Luka keeps trying to pull away, with very little success. Eventually her Sylveon comes to her aid again, this time playing tug-of-war between this weird guy and her trainer. Meanwhile, the chaotic battle in front of them continues to unfold with her unable to do anything about it![break][break]

And so, with both trainer and Sylveon occupied, Luka's Togepi steps up to the plate. Well, perhaps waddles would be a better word. Amidst the commotion Toffee slips out of his baby carrier and toddles towards the action, only vaguely understanding what his trainer is supposed to do. His stubby little arms wiggle as he performs a metronome on the speeding train, leaving the results up to fate (or a mod post xoxo).[break][break]

---

[break][break]
- helps out the mascot guy[break]
- tries to help stop the train[break]
- gains a simp instead??[break]
- togepi uses metronome on the train![break][break]

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So she hadn't managed to wow the judges in the first round.[break][break]

But that's okay! She didn't do terribly either, so as far as Luka sees it, the contest is still fair game. And she has a few tricks up her sleeve that will hopefully help turn this round around![break][break]

Fruit flavors are her favorite after all, so there's a few go-to recipes already in her arsenal. When she whispers her ideas to Cupcake, her Clefable nods and happily toddles off with her to go and gather the correct ingredients.[break][break]

"Phew!" When the attention lands on her, Luka makes a show of wiping her brow, gesturing to the array of supplies in front of her. "We've got a lot going on! I hope you're excited to see what we're going to make— I know I sure am!"[break][break]

She smiles and gives a cutesy wink, appearing totally unphased by her middling first round. While Cupcake starts brewing a simple green tea, she begins chopping up fresh peaches, tongue poking out of her lips in concentration. Her knife skills aren't the best, so they're cut rather unevenly...but that doesn't matter. It's all getting blended up anyways![break][break]

Somewhere along the line, she notices a glance from Genevieve Cromwell and returns the look with a bright smile. It's always nice to see another friendly (and super adorable) face![break][break]

"Uwah...gosh, that smells so good!" she gushes to Cupcake when the tea is finished brewing. The tea, her peaches, and a generous amount of ice are added to a blender, along with some milk and a spoonful of honey. "Ehe, that's right! We're making a smoothie!"[break][break]

Luka hums as she adds a scoop of boba to the bottom of a clear glass and pours the tea smoothie on top. A little sprig of mint is added to the top of glass, along with a drizzle of fresh honey. Viola![break][break]

"As sweet as a Bounsweet, and made with fresh Combee honey...I-I hope you enjoy this peach tea smoothie!" she announces once it's her turn to present her drink. This time, just a hint of nerves come through in her voice...perhaps she's a bit worried that this drink will have a lackluster reaction too.[break][break]

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Luka sits, tall and alert, on the back of her Dragonair.[break][break]

They're a good ways away from the League's closest stronghold, one of several encampments set up to provide supplies and first aid to their forces. Her job is to scout the perimeter, keeping an eye out for any airborne threats. Should Rocket get too close, it’s her responsibility to sound the alarm and distract the opponent while waiting for reinforcements to arrive.[break][break]

Try not to engage, one of her superiors had told her. Keep them busy and wait for our help.[break][break]

Luka understood the meaning well enough. She knows that she’s not all that strong on her own. But with the League's forces spread thin as it is, they need all hands on deck, and scouting seems to be a safe enough job. She and Sakeru are keeping an eye out towards the eastern side, the serpentine dragon cutting through the air with a languid sort of grace, and for a while everything seems clear.[break][break]

It's a brief moment of respite amongst all the chaos, so of course it cannot last.[break][break]

Sakeru cries out in alarm when the threat first appears. Her long, pink body immediately rears up to retaliate, but Luka starts turning her in the opposite direction. "Come on!" she urges, stroking the neck of her mount, "We need to hurry back and—"[break][break]

But their escape attempt is hindered by the attacks coming their way. To avoid them, Sakeru has to fly in the opposite direction of the camp and even then barely manages to evade the pulses of dark energy from their opponent. Her body twists in midair as she fires back a dragon pulse in their assailant's direction, and as Luka gets a closer look at her, she has a sinking suspicion that she's seen this woman before.

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Luka isn't good at video games.[break][break]
Oh, she's very well proficient in the slice of life variety; her Pokemon Crossing island is a virtual paradise, and she's racked up a frankly embarrassing number of hours in Stardew Valley and countless dating sims. RPG's have always appealed to her, because the player characters are usually cute, but she's never been very good at the combat part of them.[break][break]
Upon entering this dream-game world, she first laments the lack of character customization. But very quickly, she's cursing her lack of any fighting game skills.[break][break]
She dies pretty quickly the first night. Unable to figure out how to access her menu and abilities, she doesn't have any idea what to do upon wandering outside. Open and vulnerable, she's a perfect walking target. A shadow absol takes quick advantage of that, and she's down within seconds, waking up in a cold sweat and an odd ache in her legs.[break][break]
The next day, she manages to ask a few other avatars for help. Eventually she figures out how to access her ability, but it hardly seems useful:[break][break]

[break][break]

Huh? How is that supposed to work? She's already sleeping- is it even possible to have a dream within a dream?[break][break]

She's never watched Inception, so she really isn't sure.[break][break]

Worried about the implications of double sleep, Luka doesn't try to use this seemingly useless ability for the first few nights. After all, she doesn't have anyone to kiss her! But on the last day, after dying over and over again, she finally gives in. She manages to convince another avatar to give her a smooch after she falls asleep, and gingerly reaches towards the tip of a knife that another player must have dropped. Squeezing her eyes shut, she places her fingertip against the edge—[break][break]

The dream within a dream is a strange, blurred thing. More feelings and colors than actual substance, everything rushes past her in a strange, kaleidoscopic blur. She makes out the vague shapes of sweets and the smell of sugar on the air, but it doesn't last long before she's yanked out of it by a stranger's lips on her cheek.[break][break]

Apparently, her avatar had simply been idling while she slept. It's embarrassing to have to have asked for a kiss from a stranger, but Luka thanks her partner nonetheless and closes her eyes, waiting for whatever power she had summoned to manifest...[break][break]

At first, nothing noticeable happens. Luka cracks an eye open and waits, but still doesn't see anything. Maybe she has to activate it somehow? She adopts a fighting stance, and feels rather silly doing it...and still, nothing happens.[break][break]

However, a sweet scent has started to permeate the air. Luka purses her lips and focuses on the smell, and her dream...and finally, her ability manifests! Except all that happens is that she generates a large pile of pokepuffs, which plop uselessly on the ground in front of her.[break][break]

Biting back a shout of frustration, Luka paces in a little circle around her pile. However, the generated sweets aren't as useless as she'd thought. Drawn in by the mouthwatering scent, a pair of familiar pink ribbons appear around the treeline, and Luka is quick to recognize her missing Sylveon.[break][break]

At first she forgets all about her dream ball and simply races towards her angel, though Sugar's reaction is far from ideal. The shadowed Sylveon's hackles raise, and she growls— a sound Luka's never heard from her before. Teeth sink into her lip before she remembers the ball, and Luka prays her aim is true as she grabs it and lobs it towards her beloved companion with all her might.[break][break]

It hits, and just in time, for the pokepuffs have attracted a crowd of shadow pokemon! Luka chucks a few of the sweets at the crowd before fleeing, and just barely manages to escape before she dies for the seventh time in a row.[break][break]

When given the choice between purifying Sugar and allowing her to remain shadowed, Luka doesn't think twice. Power means nothing if it means her darling partner might suffer, and she continues on with her now purified sylveon's ribbons wrapped happily around her arm. The change has manifested in her avatar as well: she now sports a sylveon themed magical girl design, which is so on the nose for her that it's almost painful.[break][break]

---

[break]
- sylveon becomes purified[break]
- sylveon's ability becomes pixilate[break]
- sylveon learns sweet kiss

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Luka, as always, is enchanted by the festivities of the Christmas market.[break][break]

She loves everything about it: the lights, the festivities, the food, and the happy chatter of other guests as they mill around her. Of course, it's a bit of a bummer to be attending alone, but she's trying to turn it into a fun day out with some of her Pokemon instead. Her Lopunny and Sylveon trot happily by her side while her Togepi coos in his little baby carrier, enjoying the sights and taking in the warm scent of cinnamon and cut pine in the air.[break][break]

It's Hoenn, so it's not as though it's freezing cold, but the feeling of a hot chocolate in her hands is still rather comforting as she wanders the ground. But because it's Hoenn, her peaceful afternoon is quickly shattered by a commotion up ahead. The sudden shouting makes her choke on a sip of her drink, and she splutters and spits out a mouthful of chocolate, burning her tongue in the process.[break][break]

What the heck is going on? She can just make out the forms of two Delibird fighting- or wait, is that a costume? And where did the Iron Bundle come from? Weren't they only supposed to manifest in the interdream zone?[break][break]

Whatever. That doesn't matter right now, not when the Iron Bundle is going WWE on the poor mascot! A few people are already running to help— somoene nearby shouts for assistance, and she's one of those who answers the call. But while some others start going after the Iron Bundle, Luka looks after the fallen mascot instead. Her Sylveon wraps her ribbon-like feelers around the costume and tries pulling it away from the rogue robot, wrestling the hapless victim away in a weird game of tug-of-war.[break][break]

"I got 'em!" she shouts in the general vicinity of those gathered. "Erm...I think so, a-anyways! But be careful! M-maybe, um..."[break][break]

Her mind whirls. Why would the Iron Bundle suddenly attack someone like this? Perhaps it's mistaken the costume for a real Delibird? As she considers this, her Sylveon continues to struggle with pulling the mascot away.[break][break]

"M-maybe this is some kinda weird mating dance, I don't know! E-either way, we shouldn't hurt the poor thing!"

---

[break][break]

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