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"Oh, thank goodness!"[break][break]

It's such a relief to see another person here. A real, flesh-and-blood, bonafide person! Luka smiles and returns Aurelie Lefevre's wave, some of the oppressive gloom in the hallway lifting a bit. Blindly trusting as ever, she can only assume the other woman's presence is a good thing.[break][break]

"I have no idea," is her only, rather unsatisfactory answer. "I mean...it's a haunted house! S-so it's all fake, right?"[break][break]

Right?[break][break]

It's the most elaborately convincing setup she's ever seen, sure. And the atmosphere is deeply, oppressively real— just like her fear. But Luka forces a fake smile onto her face and holds her hand out to her new companion. "Come on! I-it's not as scary when you're with someone, ri—"[break][break]

Her voice is cut off by the sound of rustling vegetation. It almost sounds like an animal running towards them, but when Luka turns around to look her face contorts with terror. The sound of her own screaming deafens whatever cries Aurelie Lefevre makes as she's dragged away by the vegetative wraith.[break][break]

The hand she had extended, still empty, is quickly snatched back towards her side. Luka fists her palm into the fabric of her skirt as her heart races, stomach churning with the sudden urge to retch. And when another voice floats towards her in the gloom, she almost screams again.[break][break]

Instead, Luka lets out a funny, strangled kind of squeak. She sucks in a breath as she regards the child in front of her (she looks so familiar!), but eventually calms enough to speak.[break][break]

"Eh? Me? O-of course not!"[break][break]

Although Eris Halla does have good reason to be suspicious. After all, Luka had been the killer during the last death game they played together...[break][break]

"I heard another voice anyways," she says with a shudder. It was John Sullivan's, but she hasn't put the pieces together just yet. "It was saying...I'll kill you..."[break][break]

Luka swallows thickly and turns her attention back to the wall. This way, she can keep looking forwards while also keeping an eye on goings-on behind her. Her ears are pricked for the sound of anything else moving in the leaves.[break][break]

Slowly, and careful not to touch any of the glass, she leans forward and peers through the hole in the wall. Just as their fallen comrade had seen, she notices the shape of a body, an outstretched hand. Another one of the things that had snatched their poor companion up? If she squints, she can make out the shape of vines and branches...[break][break]

It's just a plant, then. A weird one. It doesn't move no matter how long she stares.[break][break]

"I don't think we should go through here," she mumbles, "B-but it also looks like the only way forwards. S-so, um. Stay behind me, okay?"[break][break]

Taking a deep breath, she steps through the broken wall. At least, despite her mounting terror, Luka hasn't forgotten her most basic of principles. As always, she's putting everyone else before herself.

---

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Pah. Who says girls can't kick butt in a skirt? Watch literally anime ever (just ignore the gratuitous panty shots).[break][break]

But hopefully, Luka won't have to worry about the flames much from the air. She waits as patiently as she can for her new ally to collect two barrels of water, keeping her eyes fixed on the billowing smoke ahead of them. As soon as he's airborne she directs Meringue to speed off in that direction, though not before accepting the offered mask.[break][break]

"My name is Luka," she answers just before slipping the mask on. "It's nice to meet you, Audric! I wish the circumstances were better!"[break][break]

Her voice is muffled, but she hopes she's loud enough to be heard over rushing wind and the sounds of shouting below. "I only caught a glimpse as I was flying in," she continues to yell, "But I thought I saw a bunch of them running...there!"[break][break]

She points to a small clearing in the woods, where several small brown shapes seem to be huddled. They're trapped on all sides by burning trees and foliage. Luka releases her Vaporeon; it's rather precarious, balancing both herself and the water type on Meringue's back. But they need to put out some of the flames in order to safely land. Jet streams of water from Bella Luna attempt to douse some of the fire, falling like rain into the burning forest.[break][break]

Below, Luka can hear the frightened yips of the trapped Zigzagoon, and her heart aches. "Maybe we can just swoop in and grab them!" She suggests with a shout. "Once they're safe we can worry about the fire!"[break][break]

---

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There's a rustle in the bushes behind Luka.[break][break]

Crystalbloom blossoms bob and weave in the autumn breeze, but it's not just the air that makes their leaves tremble. Luka turns and squints into the foliage, eyes narrowed...[break][break]

And another pair of eyes stares back.[break][break]

She startles for a moment, breathing heavy. But then she laughs under her breath and crouches down, digging into her bag for a pecha berry to offer.[break][break]

Slowly, a Purrloin sticks his face out of the bush. Then a delicate paw, dusted in dark blue, extends to snatch the berry away.[break][break]

She leaves a trail like breadcrumbs and eventually, without much coaxing, the little cat follows her as she wanders the rest of the safari zone.

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---

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"Eh? Your what?"[break][break]

Luka would like to pry a little more as they run. A sneaking suspicion is growing in the back of her head, but now really isn't the time. She makes a mental note to ask later as, far beyond the farm's property and up into the surrounding hills, fluffy white spots swim into view.[break][break]

And a few shapes more. Darker ones, long and lithe bodies emerging from the surrounding woods. The Herdier's barking grows louder now, not just an alert but a warning.[break][break]

"Shoot. Shoot! Um, okay! We've gotta hurry!"[break][break]

From yet another Love Ball, Luka releases her Dragonair. She wastes no time in scooping up her Mareep and hopping onto the dragon's pink, serpantine back, then glances down at her companion.[break][break]

"Do you have anything to carry you? If not, hop on!" She extends her hand to Fae, should the other woman need a lift.[break][break]

---

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"Cute is what we aim for," Luka confirms with a nod. "Ah, but no pressure! You already seem like a natural, so I'm sure you'll do great!"[break][break]

Just like when she'd worked with Fae Madden, she has the vague feeling that she'd seen Marshall somewhere before. Or heard him, maybe? She's always been better with voices than names. Once heard, always remembered! But the sound that squeaks out when he tries to sound cute is unlike anything she's ever heard before.[break][break]

Luka stares at him for a moment too long. And then, she starts to laugh. It's a good natured sound and far from malicious— bright as crystalbloom blossoms— but it trails on a bit longer than appropriate.[break][break]

"Sorry, it's not...," she stammers out between giggles, "I'm not laughing..." More laughter, "...at you. I-it's cute! That's all! You're adorable!"[break][break]

Giggles still float above them like soap bubbles as she adopts the same pose. "See? It's perfect!"[break][break]

Meanwhile, their stack of fliers is still untouched, and the looks they get from passerby are more bemused than anything.[break][break]

---

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"Mhm! We hand them out and try to promote the shop, basically?" Easy enough, really. Except...[break][break]

Luka stares into the eyes of his giant Meowth head. They stare back. She's not sure if it's cute or unsettling— it's probably a little bit of both. And the costume itself has definitely seen better days.[break][break]

"I think your suit could use a little TLC though," she muses aloud. Delicate hands raise to smooth out bits of matted fur and fix a floppy ear. After a moment of consideration, she unties the ribbon in her hair and wraps it around Marshall's neck instead, making a cute little bow collar for him.[break][break]

"There! That's a start. And then, like..." Lips purse in consideration. "It's, like, all about the performance, you know? You've got to sound cute too! Like, um...please take this flyer, nya...or something like that. Oh...and a pose! You need a cute pose too!"[break][break]

---

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The measures taken to prevent wildfires this time of year are quite extensive.[break][break]

And so, when one had broken out regardless, it was swiftly determined to be the work of Rocket vandals.[break][break]

It's an effective strategy, all things considered. Spreading League resources thin right when they're needed most, keeping Rangers occupied left and right with smaller issues. It's a distraction, a facade to hide bigger plans, but one that no one can afford to ignore.[break][break]

Although Luka happens to be in Verdanturf entirely by coincidence, she can't help but get involved the moment whisps of black smoke appear along the horizon. Despite having little fire training she grabs her red cadet armband out of her bag and pulls it up over her forearm; it clashes with her cute blouse and skirt, but that doesn't really matter.[break][break]

Her Altaria's cloudy white feathers begin to turn dingy gray with ash the closer they get to the wildfire. Luka steers her close to the volunteer and medical tents, eyes fixed on the forest before they alight on some of the assisting rangers. One standing by the water tanks catches her eye, and snippets of his conversation reach her the lower she flies.[break][break]

"I'll go with him!" Luka volunteers, waving her arms as she sits atop Meringue. "I have water types to help too!"[break][break]

The man below is offered a tense smile and a little wave. When the attendant nods his approval, her expression brightens just a bit.[break][break]

"Let's go!" she calls down. "The flames are dying down, but I think I saw a group of Zigzagoon trapped in the forest. We've got to help them!"[break][break]

---

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Luka hates this plan.[break][break]

She hates the thought of dooming another world in order to save their own. She hates the thought that if Hoenn somehow survives the meteor, it will someday, somehow, cause the inadvertent destruction of every other universe.[break][break]

Without the wits or wherewithal to think of a better plan, her opinion is simply that the meteor should crash into their planet as intended. And it is, understandably, an unpopular one. Perhaps it's a cruel thought to want to doom other regions, an entire world based on what that man in the cloud had prophesized. But it feels entirely selfish to prioritize their one universe against hundreds, thousands...maybe millions. Playing martyr has always afforded Luka the moral high ground, and she can't help but project that onto an entire region that doesn't want to play the same game.[break][break]

Perhaps she'd be more accepting of the plan to divert the meteor if it didn't seem like a precursor to the so-called origin point. Hoenn is filled with brilliant, wonderful people, all driven to save the region that they love. Optimistically, Luka likes to hope that they can somehow figure out a way to overcome Hoenn's foretold destiny. But if getting there means ending more lives, causing more strife...[break][break]

All she's ever wanted is to live peacefully. And she fears that now, should the plan come to fruition, she won't be able to live without the ghosts of those they plan to doom in sea!hoenn looming over her.[break][break]

And yet, she's still here. Riding in a craft with kim cole-essam at the helm, and alongside SHEBA INOUE— she's still considered little better than a rookie after all this time. There's a part of her that clings to the hope that maybe, in the eleventh hour, she'll be able to do something that will divert the meteor and save sea!Hoenn. Maybe, and perhaps vainly, she thinks that if Lulu Flint is right and she is tied to Cresselia in some way, the Lunar Pokemon will come to their aid when needed most.[break][break]

But maybe she won't be able to do anything. At least she can say she tried, and at least she can help protect the League on their mission. Because as much as she hates the League's plan, she knows that anything Rocket might want to do with the meteor will be much, much worse.[break][break]

There's already been enough bloodshed and lives ruined. Luka isn't even confident that she can do anything to help, but she maintains a reckless kind of altruism regardless.[break][break]

She watches through the thickly plated window as the Earth recedes behind her. Under better circumstances, she might have been delighted at the sight. Now, it just makes her stomach flip uncomfortably.[break][break]

That same discomfort grows and takes root in the pit of her stomach, blossoming into a full on panic when an ariel assault almost immediately begins. Luka blanches, hands pressed against the glass as FERNANDO SILPH's ship is bombarded, able only to watch in terror as it explodes. A ragged cry stays lodged in the back of her throat, held behind clenched teeth.[break][break]

Her heartbeat only starts to slow when the escape pods burst from the wreckage. She squeezes her eyes shut and thanks the stars, prays for everyone there to make it out alive, and then turns her attention to the Rocket ship that had attacked. Green eyes narrow into slits.[break][break]

"Cupcake. We can't let them get to the meteor first. D-drag them down, please."[break][break]

Her Clefable is well suited to space, arguably more at home amongst the stars than down on earth. Cupcake spins once, wagging her fingers and targeting her Gravity onto the area where Rocket's main ship and it's allies fly.[break][break]

The area ahead in which the Rocket ship looms is suddenly weighed down as gravity seems to increase upon them. Rocket ships and airborne members will (she hopes) feel the heightened pressure slowing them down, dragging them back to Earth.

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- luka still wants the meteor to crash into hoenn but doesn't want rocket to get there first[break]
- still looking for alternate measures besides sending it to sea hoenn[break]
- on the rookie ship with kim cole-essam[break]
- clefable uses gravity to slow down the frontlining rockets[break]
- spacesuit[break]

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She hasn't caught a pokemon in what feels like ages.[break][break]
It's not like she needs to collect more, really. But she has the time and she has the resources, so why not? Maybe Luka just wants some cute little babies to heal the hole in her gaping heart...maybe that's valid.[break][break]
Maybe.[break][break]
Either way, she whistles cheerfully as she meanders through the safari; if nothing else, she'll at least get a nice walk out of it. On her way, she notices glimmering cyrstalbloom flowers...have they sprouted even this far? Goodness...[break][break]

---

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"Good afternoon, Monsieur Benoit!"[break][break]

Pink hair shines almost gold under the afternoon sun as Luka calls out to her father's former comrade. Or at least, she hopes she does. For the man is still just a smudge on the horizon, barely visible along the sprawling fields that make up his estate. In fact, Luka almost misses him amongst several Audino that surround him.[break][break]

Behind her, her father's Blaziken walks at a brisk pace. He overtakes her soon enough, and eventually Luka has to jog to keep up with him, trailing behind while she waves frantically over at Thomas Benoit.[break][break]

It is him, thank goodness! Luka's face breaks into a happy smile as she finally approaches the ranch, leaning over a fencepost and gazing out towards the Pokemon grazing peacefully in the field.[break][break]

"I heard there were some injured Pokemon in your care, a-after Rocket raided Verdanturf again." Her cheerful grin falters slightly into one of concern, but the corners soon lift once again. "So I came to help out! I hope you don't mind."[break][break]

Plus, well...they hadn't had much chance to talk after the Grand Prix. It'd be nice to catch up and do some good work, all at the same time![break][break]

---

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Luka's strategy, on the other hand, is far less extreme.[break][break]

While Issac zips around like Ariados-man Luka simply...assimilates into the crowd. She lets it carry her like a wave, her slender frame propelled forwards by the pressure of moving bodies. Quickly and quietly, like a needle through lace, she slips past the last few shoppers in the way of her prize.[break][break]

(It helps, of course, that most of them are caught up in staring at the unhinged man george-of-the-jungling his way through the market)[break][break]

In truth, she doesn't really need to stock up on too many supplies. She's doing fine! But these aren't for her. As panicked citizens stockpile for the incoming meteor, necessities are becoming harder and harder to shop for. And so, Luka has made it her private mission to find and donate as many staple items as she can get her little hands on.[break][break]

The last pack of toilet paper looms, and she reaches up, up, up to lay claim to it when—[break][break]

"Oh...!"[break][break]

Green eyes go wide as her hand collides with someone else's. She stares at him, and he stares at her, and then she recognizes him as the guy who'd just been swinging from the rafters and decides that maybe it's best not to try and fight him on this.[break][break]

"I'm sorry!" Her hand retracts with the speed of one who'd just laid hands upon a hot stove. "Umm...y-you wanted this one, right?"

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"Ohhh...is that so? Well, I'm sure they still appreciate it!" Luka lays on the saccharine sweetness, but doesn't push it much farther. If her companion wants to downplay herself, so be it! But she can't keep herself from rising in Luka's esteem regardless.[break][break]

"Is she? That's so cool! And I'm...yeah, something like that." The teasing she meets with a little grin of her own, though perhaps a little more bashful this time around.[break][break]

"I know what you're probably thinking! Like...oh, she's so fake, right?" Luka laughs softly and shrugs, her eyes fixing themselves on the horizon again. "It can't be helped, I guess. I can't speak for anyone but myself, but I'd like to think I really believe in everything and everyone I'm helping represent."[break][break]

There's a pause, just a for a moment. The quickest hitching of her breath— but then the Herdier (leagues away by this point) starts to bark frantically. Luka snaps back to it and picks up the pace again, this time a brisk jog. She turns to her companion just as Candy Floss starts to bleat, and there's the faintest sound of baah-ing in the distance.[break][break]

"Up for a bit of a run?"[break][break]

---

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