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"S-sorry, they...ate them?"[break][break]

Luka peeks over at the reports Oliver Shrakes had handed over to paxton concordas, skimming them as best she can over her neighbor's shoulder. She hadn't submitted a formal report of her own, but she had been with PENELOPE LIVY at the time. With the woman's position now, it's likely that a version of events has already been formally submitted through the very channels Paxton is working with.[break][break]

But it can't help to add her own two cents. Especially after what her Musharna had tried to glean by eating the strange creature's dreams. Luka's own report is handed over, one hastily typed up the night before. But the memory is no longer fresh, and there may be a few details missing, so talking about it certainly jelps.[break][break]

"When I saw them...w-well, they were aggressive. Looked like they were fighting with those weird cultists that started popping up around Hoenn last year. But they were also looking for something? The titan, they called it. In shoal cave. But there wasn't anything there."[break][break]

Cherry lips purse in thought, though that's certainly never been her strong suit. "I'm not sure they would have fought us if those people hadn't been there, b-but it's hard to say. Do, um...do either of you have any idea about what they are?"[break][break]

---

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Almost as groggy as when she’d first woke, Luka picks up the love ball she’d thrown and weighs it in her palm.[break][break]
It feels heavy and full, though she can’t remember exactly what she’d caught with it. Something aggressive, probably?[break][break]
Perhaps almost as aggressive as the little fairy that’s stalking her now. But Toffee, in excellent form today, uses metronome once again. This time, the hydro pump he releases is far from super effective, but it’s still powerful enough of a move that the poor Tinkatink is blasted backwards just in time for Luka to throw a well aimed pokeball.[break][break]
She’s still bleary and slightly disoriented, but at least Toffee had managed to hold his own. Even so, she’s going to have a word with him about willy-nilly use of metronome when she gets back…[break][break]

---

Catching Tinkatink!

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It's unlike her, but Luka doesn't stop to acknowledge the others in the observatory with her.[break][break]

She hops off her Spectrier's back, who stands and keeps silent watch over the young woman as she carefully picks her way through the lab, picking up a few of the notebooks and flicking through them. It's strange that they're all mostly blank, and she puzzles over the incomplete star maps on the pages.[break][break]

She's a casual fan of astrology, and there are several constellations that she can recognize on-sight. But none of these illustrations look finished, and she wonders if the starts outside match. Carefully, Luka hurries to the telescope and looks through it, wondering if the stars outside match the unfinished constellations, or if the observing astronomers had simply been unable to complete their work.[break][break]

Green eyes flit between the stars overhead and the notebook in her hands, and an idea born from reading too many fictional dramas is born. Carefully, she reaches into her pack and pulls out a lighter, and even more carefully flicks it on and holds it to the back of a page. It's probably a stupid idea, and she might look to others like she's lost her mind. But if anything's written invisibly on the back, a bit of heat might be all it takes to reveal some secrets.[break][break]

Or maybe not. Regardless of the outsome, her amateur sleuthing is put on hold when alarm bells sound. From her vantage point in the observatory, she can see the enormous Venusaur that emerges from the Ballonlea stadium, not far at all from where she and the others are fortified. John Sullivan's voice filters in through her comms as well, and she nods.[break][break]

"There's...a giant Venusaur over here! I'm going to stay and help on this side. S-stay careful over there!"[break][break]

She takes her own advice as she steps outside the safety of the lab and peers over at the giant threat. Her Sylveon emerges at her side, this time activating her sygna suit with a flash of pink infinity energy, not unlike a magical girl from her favorite shoujo mangas. Carefully, in order to keep herself and her Pokemon from harm, she asks Sugar to unleash a psyshock on the Venusaur.[break][break]

They might be at a disadvantage from this distance, but the careful nature of their attack helps the ball of energy to zone in on the Venusaur, greatly increasing their accuracy. Calming ribbons reach out and wind around Luka's arm as well, offering comfort and stability as the pair tries to keep the Venusaur from advancing further on Ballonlea.

[break]

---

[break]
- has a sygna suit on (active!)[break]
- in ballonlea![break]
- flips through several of the notebooks and pockets a few for herself[break]
- looks through the telescope to see if the constellations are also incomplete or if they just haven't been charted- or just to see whatever might be out there[break]
- tries to see if there are any hidden messages in the notebooks in invisible ink[break]
- sylveon uses psyshock on the venusaur[break]
- used salac x1

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Still asleep- almost blissfully so- Luka confined to snooze softly while Toffee whines in his carrier.[break][break]
His usual baby babble is enough to wake Luka up immediately if there’s something wrong at night, but it seems that the sleep powder has her completely knocked out for the time being. However, it’s also the calmest she’s been in quite a while, so perhaps it’s a little bit worth it.[break]

---

Skipping!

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She’s asleep.[break][break]

As is the Rookidee on her shoulder, though her Togepi remains conscious in her baby carrier. Luka has landed on her side, so Toffee isn’t crushed, but he’s none too happy about being stuck in his carrier while Luka sleeps.[break][break]

As such, any Pokémon that comes across them goes completely unnoticed.

---

Skipping!

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The teleportation isn't as disorienting as she expected, but perhaps Luka is just used to this by now.[break][break]

That in and of itself is a disconcerting thought, but there's no time to dwell upon it. For just as she'd feared, the Ballonea they'd arrived in is far from the idyllic forest town that she had visited with Remiel Calcifet once upon a time.[break][break]

The glimwood tangle is sick. Diseased flora and fungi rot amidst the poison that flows in disgusting rivulets throughout the city. It's as though a plague had descended upon the town, and Luka has a feeling that it's tied to whatever had infected Calyrex before.[break][break]

"Whatever happened here...i-it's like the King's disease, i-isn't it? Do you...d-do you think it's this bad because they died?" she asks John Sullivan and Hideo Kino, and anyone else in the League that might hear them through the comms. Allies seem slim here, but fortunately the gravity of the situation prevents infighting for now. It's something she hasn't seen since the Darkest Day, and she shudders to think that the outcomes of both events might be similar.[break][break]

"I guess there's no way to tell," she continues to muse. "Do you think you guys will be okay here? I'd like to go help the townspeople...and I don't think Rocket is going to be a problem for now."[break][break]

To assist Doug and Hideo in fortifying the city and attacking the hands, Luka's Musharna stays behind and stems the tide of posion with her psychic. She herself releases her Spectrier, who whinnies upon seeing the Glastrier Hideo Kino is riding upon. It seems her own spectral steed is rather distressed at the devastation that's befallen their native land.[break][break]

Whisps of spirit energy curl around Luka's hands, and she uses them to help hoist herself up upon the horse. Their fuschia mane glimmers almost eerily in the tainted light from the bioluminescent mushrooms, but the effect is striking nonetheless. Certainly enough to help capture the attention of the locals.[break][break]

Luka doesn't make much of a knight; she's very dainty, a fairy-like little thing. Perhaps she could be likened to a princess instead as she flicks the reins and takes off at a canter, roseate curls streaming behind her and her skirts fluttering in the wind.[break][break]

Like Lady Godive upon her noble steed— only with far more clothes on.[break][break]

Once she reaches a group of townspeople, she slows to a trot. Many of them are trying to stave off the flowing poison and fight the hands, though some seem sick and wounded. All of them seem terrified. Luka's Clefable rests in her lap after being unable to use her dance on Calyrex, but this allows her to bless the peasantry with a healing shower of life dew instead.[break][break]

It becomes clear that they recognize her mount. Luka feels rather abashed as some of the locals gape up at her, though whether in awe or fear she isn't certain. But she radiates kindness as she offers them all a soft smile, one as warm and sweet as the first breath of spring.[break][break]

"You've been fighting so hard. I'm so sorry we couldn't have helped you all sooner." Her voice is full of an earnest regret, and it gets louder as she continues to speak. "But to stave everything off like this, and to be fighting so fiercely...you're all amazing, really! All of you...no, all of us together...w-whatever it is that's plaguing us, we're going to fight it back! Hope and courage shine the brightest in darkest of times...and I hope you can all believe in yourselves as much as I do!"[break][break]

Spectrier's ghostly neigh punctuates her declaration, and Luka almost feels like an emissary of Calyrex themself. It's a bold thought, perhaps, but one that helps build her confidence as she rides on to the next group of commoners, relaying similar sentiments of hope. All the while, her Clefable trails life dew to help the sick and injured, and it catches the light of the luminescent flora to create a prismatic rainbow behind them.[break][break]

It's quite the sight: a beautiful girl on the back of a mythical beast, trailing healing aureoles like an angel come to bless Ballonlea in it's hour of need.[break][break]

Her destination eventually becomes the observatory at the top of a spire of mushrooms. At first she'd feared that her Spectrier would find it difficult terrain, but the spectre seems adept at leaping from springy mushroom tops to bring them up the glowing spire. The faces of the others headed in this direction are mostly masked; Rockets, no doubt. It's a perilous position to be in perhaps, but if something happens at the peak it might be worth it to have someone from the League in attendance.

[break]

---

[break]
- has a sygna suit on (not active!)[break]
- in ballonlea![break]
- riding spectrier and looking cute to inspire the peasantry[break]
- clefable uses life dew to heal the injured in ballonlea[break]
- various mons are assisting with fighting the hands and diverting the poison in the background[break]
- making her way up to the observatory and trying to inspire people along the way!

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In a departure from her usual brand, the music that announces Luka and her contestant isn't something soft and ethereal, but a punchy 8-bit tune that anyone with ears should be able to recognize.[break][break]

Sure, they're leaning rather bluntly into the nostalgia factor, but that's all part of the fun! And after a few beats of introduction to get the crowd excited, Luka and her Eevee burst onstage. The spotlight that shines on them seems to burst from the Eevee himself, and just for a little extra flair, a confetti cannon goes off behind them to shower the audience with a burst of paper stars.[break][break]

They're going for fun and flashy this time around. An Eevee by itself isn't necessarily the coolest choice for a contest like this, but as always Luka has a little trick up her sleeve. Though the Illumina phenomenon is no longer new, the sight of such a Pokemon is still a rarity in Hoenn and immediately catches the eye.[break][break]

Amaretto's fur sparkles brilliantly under the spotlight. His tail in particular seems almost opalescent, with different hues noticable as it swishes from side to side. Orange, blue, green, purple— as though a prism of light is trapped within each folicle. The Eevee races towards the front of the stage in a multicolored blur, a dazzling display of color and energy in one explosive ball.[break][break]

"Helloooo Verdanturf!" Luka shouts, coming up from behind while her Eevee continues to preen in front of her. She can recognize a few fans in the audience, those who have come to see some her previous contest performances. The sight brings extra wattage to her smile, and the cheers received when she waves at them warms her heart.[break][break]

"Thank you so much for having us! I'm Luka, and this is Amaretto! I hope you're looking forward to what he has in store for you!"[break][break]

She grins again as Amaretto yips his agreement, makes an attempt to chase his own glittering tail, and finally springs up to sit on Luka's shoulder.[break][break]

"Do you ever wonder how the choices you make affect you? That if you could go back, you might make different decisions? I think the coolest thing about Eevee is their limitless potential— just like all of us! And like us, everything depends on the choices they make. I hope tonight can provide moments of excitement and reflection for everyone, so that we can not only enjoy the moment, but be thankful for everything that brought us here today!"

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This time, a chorus of alarmed chirps alert her before she has a chance to trip over anything.[break][break]

The Rookidee on her shoulder announces the arrival of a charging Axew, the little dragon apparently intent on bowling her over. Luka is able to leap out of the way just in time, though Toffee squirms and seems distressed as he's suddenly jostled in the baby carrier.[break][break]

He wags his fingers, a metronome sounding as a defensive measure. The move manifests itself as a sleep powder, and before Luka can blink she and the Axew are both blinking sleepily.[break][break]

She at least manages to throw a Pokeball— slowly, as though in a daze. If it lands though, she doesn't see it while her eyes flutter closed.[break]

---

Catching Axew!

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"Oh, woah!"[break][break]
In her frantic rush to make it through the safari zone as quickly as possible, Luka had neglected to watch where she was going. And as such, she nearly trips over a Rookidee in the grass, one that barely looks old enough to fly on his own.[break][break]
She crouches down and allows the bird to hop towards her, shyly at first. "Oh dear...did you fall out of your nest, little thing?"[break][break]
Sad chirruping quickly follows, and Luka nods sympathetically. "Well, come on then! Let's look for your—[break][break]
There's another sad little chirp as the bird clamps his beak onto her shirtsleeve and tugs it. He seems to be shaking his head 'no'. And then Luka understands— the whole nest must have been already caught by other trainers.[break][break]
Guilt tugs at her heartstrings, because she's doing the same thing, isn't she? Luka scoops up the little bird and lets him ride on her shoulder as they press on. "I understand. So, um...l-let's hang out together for a while, okay?"

---

Catching Rookidee!

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"No."[break][break]

Denial is easier than coping with the reality of the situation. Even as the pieces all fall together, Luka refuses to see the picture for what it is.[break][break]

She doesn't want to accept it. She can't. To do so means that the man in front of her is a stranger. It means accepting that, once again, love had blinded her and that her rose-colored glasses were faulty. The betrayal runs deeper than a simple breakup; everything they had been was built on a foundation of lies.[break][break]

She's still shaking her head, even as she starts to back away. Her shoulders tremble and even though her face is mostly hidden behind the mask, the expression behind it is clearly one of heartbroken anguish.[break][break]

"You...no. Y-you can't be. You're not—" It seems as if she's about to let him go, but suddenly she grips his arms tighter. Fingernails sink into the fabric of his suit so deep that they leave half-moon impressions on his skin.[break][break]

"I don't...I-I don't understand," she says weakly, pleading eyes staring into his expressionless mask as if they might find answers there. "Does that mean...w-was anything...a-anything between us...was anything actually real?"


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[break]
- dress & mask

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As always, she slips right in before the safari zone closes.[break][break]
Chalk it up to procrastination or bad timing, or a mixture of the two. But at the very least, Luka has enough sense to move quickly through the grass, her eyes wide and on full alert for her prize.[break][break]
Toffee squirms happily in the baby carrier strapped to her back, just glad to be along for the ride. It's going to be a late night for both of them!

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