they’d made it to the field, and were getting into their places. mareep would go first. the spider on its head hopped off and onto nina’s shirt, skittering up to perch atop her head instead.

”ok. we’re rea—”

before the battle could start, a jigglypuff wandered into the center, no doubt pleased with the opportunity for an audience.

”oh no.” nina’s hands went up to her ears, but it was quickly taken care of by a petal blizzard, as vermillion decided to battle that pokemon instead.

it was then that a comfey flew near on the breeze, drawn by petals. it circled nina’s head, and she smiled. ”hi there.”

she would try to befriend it, as she had before. once it seemed it would stick around, she looked towards symon again with a laugh.

”ready for real this time?” she called.

catching comfey

symon blessing

“what?”

but parker was already getting out of the car. nina was quick to react. ”ugh.” her eyes followed her as she came around. ”but i wanna drive!”

parker was soon standing there, and as her fingers curled around the handle, nina held the door shut, still talking through the window up at her. ”i’ll pick it up. i’m a quick learner!” a moment, and then her palm came up to slap down the lock.

”it’s my destiny, parker!”

parker jones

busting through the hull, it was a relief to be on the other side where there was at least a little more light. more… air? whatever it was, and not to mention, less megalopolan zombies.

however, once on the outside, she realized that freya and danny hadn’t been following. with frantic concern, she looked back. ”danny?!” not again. she couldn’t lose another one.

”weren’t they behind you?” she asked toshiaki, before holding her breath.

floating there with her milotic, she waited as the seconds passed, prepared to go back in. she wouldn’t leave until they escaped as well.

mdU6n7Pe

DANNY HALL Toshiaki Macallan freya morningstar

she glared as she chewed, periwinkle brows scrunching against the tips of long lashes.

”just because you’re rude…”

breakfast was finished up quickly enough, and then it was time to speed on out of that garage and begin her new legacy as a champion racecar driver.

eyeing down at the shifter, she noted something. it was different than last time.

”hmm...”

pressing her foot down, they began to roll forward, and she scrambled. ”wait—shit—!” a squeek, and they lurched, and then braked. ”why are there three pedals?”

parker jones

she watched in horror and morbid interest as the megalopolan approached, though losing their footing on the rotting patch of eggs that covered the floor. her nose crinkled at it, the smell wafting more as it was disturbed. how long had the eggs been there? why had they not hatched?

”maybe danny’s right.” a curse, which was even more sickening to think about. that was the last thing she needed to attract, as she had begun to finally question her good luck.

”yeah, let’s get out of here!”

following toshiaki’s suggestion, she turned in the direction they’d come, rushing to exit the deathtrap that was the quaestor lucis. she caught hold of her milotic as one swam beneath her, speeding to make its own exit. a dragon hammer bursting through a cracked section of the hull, filling the floor of the ship with more of the realm’s cool glow.

DANNY HALL Toshiaki Macallan freya morningstar

the ship was like a new place all lit up, megalopolan ghosts manning stations as though nothing had happened. nina’s jaw slackened. having not been in the border yet, she hadn’t seen spirits like this before, but she’d heard about the ones in the mt. pyre rift.

”is it… because places are overlapping?” was this a strange mashing of realms with the border? ”or maybe it’s dialga…”

distracted by the scene, she didn’t notice the sound until it was pointed out by freya morningstar .

at Toshiaki Macallan ’s question, she turned to look back in the direction they’d come in, only to land eyes on an unwelcome sight. a real live megalopolan, staring straight at them—and he was big.

”i don’t think that’s a ghost.” she pointed, and her milotic took it as a command, rushing towards it.

controlled by a nearby nihilego, the megalopolan brandished a baton that sparked violent ectricity, as seen in the three day war. ignoring the milotic, he charged for the group.

19 be hunted by the corpse of a large megalopolan with a nihilego controlling it by way of its toxin in the open realm or The Quaestor Lucis.

DANNY HALL Toshiaki Macallan freya morningstar

”huh?”

she turned, hoping he wasn’t backing out now. when he approached, however, the closer he got, the clearer it became that was not the case.

everything in her except her heart told her look somewhere else. get distracted. dodge.

instead, she merely gazed into his eyes.

”yes?”

DANNY HALL

as they started down the path together in the direction of the practice fields, nina wound her earbuds up and shoved them into a pocket of her backpack, along with her phone. her mareep and surskit followed quietly. both jumped at the sudden cry that came from vermillion.

nina looked down. ”aw! a snom.” she watched as it was scooped up, surely a new friend made. she found it pretty, its evolution being one of the few bug-types she truly appreciated.

while they continued along, her eyes lingered on it with a smile. ”it’s so cute. i usually only see them in shoal cave.”

skipping

symon blessing