“I was in Petalburg, and I did see the monkey…” Andrea replied with a downcast expression, hugging her beloved Fuecoco tightly. “No matter how horrible things are, you’ll always have friends that love and support you.” Her lower lip trembled. “I-it’s okay to cry once in a while… A-and, if you need a hug, I’m here for you… I…”

Ironically, it looked like she herself was on the verge of tears. It did not take long for the dam to finally break. The PokéManiac started ugly crying, wailing at the top of her lungs. So much for being a rock for the younger girl.

Cassandra Kubrick //mission thread

☉

The simulation shifted. Instead of running away from the law in the middle of a bustling city, the ragtag duo found themselves on a scenic hilltop overlooking the sunset, a Xatu as their only company.

Before they could question the all-knowing bird about its sun-gazing routine, it used its esper abilities to mess with their minds, confounding them with visions of things that appeared true but were not.

Across the horizon, the unmistakable silhouette of a Hydreigon approached them, flapping its six wings. Upon seeing the illusory figure, Andrea teared up. “Chomper… You’re alive…” She muttered in a seeming trance, walking dangerously close to the edge of the cliff.

“C-coco!” Panicking, Jalapeño latched onto the woman’s leg, desperately trying to stop her from committing swordless seppuku.

Xuying Zhou

☉

The PokéManiac frowned. “You’re right. They don’t listen to anyone but themselves… which is why we’ll have to be even LOUDER! Get so many people to join our cause that those at the top will have no choice but to listen!” She reasoned, feeling inspired by her own words.

Sadly, the young Rocket was not so easily swayed, accusing her of trickery. “I get that the League has hurt you in the past. Rocket has hurt me too, taking something from me that can never ever be replaced… but I’m willing to put that behind me if it means no-one else will have to get buried.” The trainer of dragons teared up. Her Salamence nuzzled up against her like an oversized emotional support animal, a gesture that was well received.

“It’s okay if you don’t trust me.” The onesie-clad woman continued. “The best way for two trainers to build trust is through a battle, but not like this. I’m talking about a proper battle! My Gym in Fallarbor Town is open to anyone who genuinely cares about their Pokémon, regardless if they’re League or Rocket. Come challenge me, then you’ll see if I’m lying or not.”

Having said her piece, the woman mounted her fully-rested Salamence, preparing for a takeoff. “By the way, my name’s Andrea! Hope to see you again soon!” She hollered.

And with that, the duo Flew away, but not before Meatloaf exchanged a meaningful look with Icey the Lapras, as if to communicate that he looked forward to their rematch.

Aqua Kennedy //skirmishes

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“What? Of course she isn’t! Pon doesn’t have a vicious bone in her body!” Andrea vehemently replied to the scientist’s query regarding the ogre’s alignment.

Pecharunt and its three retainers could probably attest otherwise, but that was neither here nor there.

“Say, what’s your most favorite Pokémon in the whole wide world?” The young PokéManiac asked out of the blue, wishing to learn more about her new bestie.

Lulu Flint

☉

“I see. So the Red Chain can bind other legendary Pokémon.” Andrea nodded in understanding, not questioning the boy’s words in the slightest. “I hope you find a way to fix their gems someday. Meanwhile, I’ll try to recreate the rest of Pon’s masks. Then we’ll be better equipped to deal with those clowns!” She added.

“PON!” Cried Ogerpon in vehement agreement.

It seemed their search was not in vain. Hideo’s critters had found one of the statues. “Oooh, nice job!” The Minor Gym Leader exclaimed with a big smile. “Looks like you’ve got everything handled here. I’m gonna have my dragons comb Fallarbor Town as well. If the Lousy Three have hidden any statues there, we’ll find them!”

In fact, she was going to do that expeditiously. Something about striking when the iron was hot. Running up to her Salamence, the dragon maiden mounted the flying lizard with her ogreish friend in tow. “Thanks for the info, you two! We’ll let you know the moment we find anything!” The woman hollered, waving at Hideo and Uxie.

Hideo Kino

☉

Frankly, Andrea had not expected that to work. NPCs tended to be unkillable. In this case, however, it worked a bit too well. Staring in abject horror at Father Winter’s mangled remains, it took her a few precious moments to realize that they had literally just committed a felony.

“Gotta get outta here!” The young PokéManiac instinctively started running. There was no way she was letting them put her back in a cell. Had she been in a better mental state, she might have realized that this scenario was about to end and that she was in no actual danger.

Xuying Zhou

☉

Despite scoffing internally at the thought of talking things out, the androgynous grunt opened up like a dam when asked the simplest of questions. Maybe they did need someone to share their life story with after all.

Andrea remained silent, absorbing every word, which helped her understand her supposed enemy a little bit more. Contrary to Team Rocket’s general stance, this kid deeply cared about Pokémon. They cared so much, they were even willing to commit acts of terror. She could respect that, even if she did not fully agree.

The costumed trainer gestured at her Salamence to stand down. The azure dragon returned to its original form, the effects of Mega Evolution undone. There was no reason to exert itself when there was no battle going on.

“Wanna know something funny? We both want the same thing.” The eccentric cosplayer said. “I love Pokémon, and I love Hoenn. It’s got the most diverse ecosystem in the world… but it’s threatened by our constant fighting and darker forces working behind the scenes.”

The kid claimed to be relatively new to the region, but surely they had heard about what had happened barely a month ago. Petalburg and Sootopolis would never be the same again.

“If this war keeps up, all of Hoenn could end up in ruins because both sides are too stubborn to give up.” Despite the bleakness of her statement, the woman mustered a smile. “I can’t stop it… but we can! The people can! League or Rocket--it shouldn’t matter if we both love Pokémon and Hoenn!” She vehemently stated.

Aqua Kennedy //skirmishes

☉

Andrea quietly observed Pon’s bonding ritual with the Unown, a warm smile gracing her lips. The orange-faced ogress jumped up and down happily, giggling like a child. Oh, how wonderful it was to make new friends!

At Nomi’s answer to her question, the younger woman’s smile turned into a pout. “But you’re the Unown’s avatar! Shouldn’t you know where every Unown is at any given time?” She was starting to suspect that Nomi had gotten the short end of the stick when it came to avatarships.

Or that perhaps the Unown operated on a different axis than other patrons. No other legendary Pokémon was a hive mind, after all.

Naomi Sato

☉

While Josh fought a Jolteon and a Glaceon on the north side, Andrea encountered an Alolan and Kantonian Raichu respectively on the south side. Their Electric moves had the potential to seriously harm Mecha-Chomper, but at the end of the day, regular Pokémon were no match for a Paradox.

“Use Hurricane and then Dragon Pulse!” The mechanical Hydreigon’s two moves were combined together into a roaring vortex of draconic energy that completely overwhelmed the two rodents, forcing them to flee.

After some platforming, Andrea managed to retrieve a small key. She had no idea what it unlocked, but she had a hunch that Josh would already have figured out this puzzle. “Hey, Josh! I found a key!” She hollered while trying to reunite with her fellow Gym Leader.

Josh Devlin //mission thread

☉

“Twelve years, huh?” The younger dragoness placed a finger on her chin, thinking. “Chomper was my first Pokémon, and he’s a dragon. I’ve had him since I was ten, so that’s about eleven years. I guess that makes you my senpai!”

She didn’t comment on Freya being adopted. That stuff was deeply personal and the councilwoman probably didn’t wanna go into the specifics. Instead, Andrea watched her ‘senpai’ expertly catch a wild Dragapult. “Oooh, nice!”

freya morningstar //skipping

☉

“A hero complex, huh?” Perhaps Andrea was guilty of that too. Had she tried to play the hero in Petalburg? Against Zev Harcourt? Against Kyurem?

“It’ll be sad to see Lord Rayquaza go, but I hope that day comes sooner rather than later.” The dragon enthusiast solemnly remarked, before cracking a smile at Navy’s comment about Fezandipiti. “I can’t wait! Someone needs to teach that dumb bird a lesson!”

That day would have to wait, though. The Warrior needed to go back to resting. “Take care, Navy. And make sure Zacian is happy! She doesn’t deserve to get turned into a weapon by the League like they tried to turn Kyogre…” The girl stated with a serious frown.

Navy //mission thread

☉

“Dionysus…” The reptilian cosplayer hissed at the coin-flipping figure. From her reaction, it was pretty clear that she knew this man. “He’s one of them!”

Heads or tails? Andrea picked the third option: Attack.

“I don’t want ‘something nice’! I’m done playing your games! Jalapeño, use Dragon Hammer!” The Sygna Suited girl exclaimed.

Empowered by its trainer’s RAGE, the Fuecoco’s tiny frame was enveloped in a draconic aura, as it lunged at Father Winter.

Xuying Zhou

☉

Andrea’s inability to control her anger proved to be an exploitable weakness. Normally, she would have ordered Ogerpon to protect against that swing, but in her immensely triggered state, she just wanted to see that prehistoric bird end up in a museum.

“Gah… P-pon…” The masked Oni was badly poisoned by the Toxic Chain’s venomous touch, groaning in pain and retching. In spite of that, she powered through, using the Grassy Terrain’s gradual healing to offset the damage.

“Pon, Incinerate that Archeops!” At its caretaker’s order, the former mad beast of the feeding pit spewed out flames of rage against the unfortunate target of the duo’s wrath.

Andrew Fisher //skirmishes

☉