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Her Seviper was thrown into Poliwrath with the force of the Psychic attack. Poliwrath shook the blow off, but Seviper fell unconscious, the attack doubly potent against the Poison-type Pokemon. Eyes were a window to the soul, and the fire in the stranger’s eyes and that of her Pokemon was powerful, indeed. Xiura’s motivation felt swayed by their determination and vigor; their fighting spirit was even more robust despite how tired they were. Even despite Xiura's pokemon using their most powerful attacks.
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Would this battle really be worth it? Even if it was one that she had started in the first place?
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Xiura gritted her teeth, seeing Poliwrath grow dizzy from the sight of the Torchic speeding around. Her Seviper slithered uneasily in the face of the grim future Duskull had perceived for her.
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“It’s not a matter of what life I want,” she responded, but the words sounded empty and dull to her own ears.
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She clenched her fists, fighting a battle in her own head. Was it worth this fight, seeing her Pokemon get hurt after working hard for so many days on end?
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She took five seconds to make her decision. She raised her Pokeballs and called back Seviper and Poliwrath. “You win,” she said. “We’re leaving. Please don't follow us.” She released Hatterene, and took her Pokemon’s clawed appendage in hand. “Teleport,” she said, and disappeared into the forest.

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Xiura looked at surprise at the keys, and nodded. As they had discussed, an alibi would increase their chance to fool the League into believing their misinformation was real. With the guard taken care of, they walked over to the Gliscor’s tunnel and crawled through into the warehouse. Poking his head out, Sableye peeked around for any roaming guards. Thankfully there were none. Xiura pulled herself out after her Sableye, the two keeping close together.
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Footsteps sounded nearby, but they were muffled. Hustling over behind a stack of boxes, Xiura spotted a woman coming out of an inner room. In the brief span of time the door was open, Xiura thought she saw a map hung up on the wall with different-colored flags, likely to demarcate the positions of the factions.
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“That must be it,” she said quietly to Troy. Sableye scurried up to the door and listened through it for any other sounds. He signaled that all was quiet. “Shall we?” she asked.

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"I’m fine, thank you,” Xiura said breathlessly to Frank, accepting his proffered hand and getting pulled to her feet. As Xiura righted herself, she also tried her best to knock the sand from her clothing, but it was a futile effort. Giving up on that, she looked around at their surroundings. It seemed that they had fallen into an underground tunnel with torches along the walls. A mellow golden light radiated from one direction, originating from a very large chamber. Xiura couldn’t tell from this distance whether the walls were composed of metal or sand.
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As they wandered closer to the source of the light, they found a strange, hollowed out chamber of golden-hued sandstone, a ceiling of glass or other transparent material overhead to let the daylight in. In the center of the room was a large sun dial, the triangular blade at its center casting a stark shadow. Faint ripples of prismatic color seemed to flux across the glass occasionally. “I wonder what this room is for,” Xiura said, turning to Frank.

27 encounter a sun dial that when operated or adjusted, can change the day and night cycle instantaneously.

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The autumn air was clean, crisp, and as refreshing as a glass of cold apple cider. Taking advantage of opportunities to craft new seasonal boba recipes, Xiura was in the middle of browsing the local farmer's market and their wares. From sales of beautifully plump local vegetables and fruits to delicious loaves of baked bread and fresh berry pies, she was having a hard case of analysis paralysis in deciding what to purchase.
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"My Pumpkaboo patch is going to be in shambles again this season, just like the last fall!" a small older farmer yelled loudly. Xiura looked up from her browsing, her attention piqued.
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Seeking to offer help, she approached the farmer who seemed to be on the verge of tears. His friend was trying to console him by patting him on the shoulder, saying that next year would surely be better. Several other market-goers had also looked over, curious about the cause of his sudden emotional display.
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"Sir, I couldn't help but overhear. What is happening to your Pumpkaboo patch?" Xiura inquired politely.
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"It's the Staravia and Staraptor flock that has settled in the forest near my farm! They have all nested and raised families and now dozens of them attack my poor Pumpkaboo pokemon! They can hardly grow because they're so stressed by the constant attacks!" The farmer broke into a fresh wave of heavy sobs.

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“Crepes!” Xiura said. "I’d love to learn to make those. The ones I’ve had looked so beautiful and delicate, I still suspect it takes some practice to make a good crepe. Are they as easy to make as vendors make it seem, I wonder?”
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She collected some fruit and cut them into smaller pieces for Cherubi, piling more on a plate for Bufo the Poliwrath. She took a sandwich for herself and halved it, giving the other to Bufo, who had a much bigger stomach than both Cherubi’s and hers combined.
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“Of course I believe people will come to the bonfire! The last one had a great turnout, so surely this one will too,” Xiura said optimistically. She pondered along with Aurelie, her cheek resting on one hand as she rested on her side atop soft folds of the the picnic blanket.
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As Aurelie described her perspective of jack wainwright, Xiura felt conflicted as she listened, both wanting to ask more and but worried that her feeling of envy and longing would only grow. It felt like feeding pieces of paper to a fire, like they did so long ago. “I think you’re noble,” Xiura protested quietly, putting down her piece of fruit and reassuring Aurelie with a pat on her hand.
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“We did meet before the party. We coincidentally joined up on a search and rescue mission together, on Route 119 for that hiker that disappeared a while ago. Arin.” She spoke the man’s name, glad that she remembered it. It would have been a shame for his memory to be forgotten, especially as he had been so important to jack wainwright.
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Xiura looked down. She wondered what would have happened if she had been the one to ask Jack out first. Not that she wanted to steal Jack from Aurelie! No, they were perfect together, she corrected herself in her mind.
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“I’m glad he’s a great kisser,” she laughed, feeling a twinge of envy once more. It would be nice, to have someone to have romantic dinners and dates with. It would be nice to hold someone’s hand. She switched gears since she was starting to feel a little too wistful.
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“I’m sure he’d want to come to the next bonfire party. It must be a great memory for him,” she said teasingly. She dimly recalled setting goals and burning written memories in the bonfire. “I think writing wishes for the future was a fun part of it. It made things feel more… grounded.” She laughed a little self-deprecatingly. “Sometimes it’s hard to find goals outside the cafe. And outside our other missions. Sometimes I don’t even have time to watch wrestling re-runs with Incineroar.” She blushed a little to reveal her secret guilty pleasure. “Maybe the three of us can get together to make dinner and watch movies, or something, since we’re all friends,” she ventured hopefully.

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“Kingler! Great job! Let’s go home!” Kingler followed after Starmie, retreating into Xiura’s awaiting pokeball. Xiura patted the Pokeball proudly as if it were an extension of her Kingler’s shell.
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Xiura responded warmly, “It was a pleasure to meet you, too! Let’s exchange contact information! If I ever visit Alola, I’m going to ask you for the best recommendations you have.”
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She waved goodbye at Nenet, choosing once more to ride her Poliwrath to the shore. “Bufo, I hope you’re getting enough exercise carrying me around,” she commented. “It’s thanks to Kingler and Starmie that the platforms were cleaned. Beautified, even.”
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Her Poliwrath just blew a stream of bubbles at her, unfazed. The sun was still at a decent height in the sky, their path home warmed by its golden glow.

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Xiura screamed as the Orthworm barreled towards their motley group, getting up and starting to run alongside Incineroar and Hatterene. She couldn’t be more thankful for her Hatterene’s healing power at such a decisive moment.
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Unfortunately, Xiura started falling behind the group, her strides not nearly of a length to match that of her Pokemon. Hatterene noticed and TELEPORTED with her in short spurts, maintaining their distance but unable to gain any more.
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“That way!” Xiura pointed towards an obelisk. Perhaps the obelisks had a base that the Orthworm could not penetrate, so the trainers and Pokemon could take a moment to regroup; then they could prepare their defenses to strategically attack and subdue the aggressive Orthworm.
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Xiura and her Pokemon were so focused on their goal that they did not notice the subtle dip in the sand at the base of the dune. Xiura’s boot got stuck, as did Incineroar’s foot. Hatterene looked on helplessly as she also sank into the waterlogged ground.
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“Quicksand?” Xiura asked, before they were all summarily sucked beneath the surface.

13 involve quicksand, secret passages, or being buried alive.

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Incineroar grumbled happily, stretching under the desert sun. Xiura gazed across the arid desert landscape, trying to discern the distance between them and their destination before setting forth down the hill, trying to go around the Buzzswole and Pheromosa that were battling nearby.
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Although Incineroar was in his element, Xiura was not. On one hand she longed for the comforts of her small bubble tea cafe back in Lilycove City. Reading a book curled up in the bay window with pillows and a hot cup of tea sounded so inviting right now. On the other hand—adventure! Despite the heat, the aridity, and the sweatiness of it all, she wondered what kind of challenges they would face in the desert. Already her partner Frank was finding adventure in capturing one of the Buzzswole pokemon.
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“Urgh,” she grunted as she tripped over a group of turquoise crystals in the sand, badly twisting her ankle. “Ow,” she winced, clutching at it. Her Hatterene hummed in a chiding tone, using a quick Heal Pulse to soothe her injury. Xiura stood again, gingerly placing weight on her healed ankle. “I suppose adventure comes in all sorts of packages,” she said, comforting herself. “Right now, it’s a twisted ankle. In a couple minutes, there could be a dust storm. A twisted ankle is better than a dust storm.”
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A tremor ran through the ground. Not a dust storm, then. "Frank?" she called out.

🗺️ Xiura Balfaltin's skills learned from her everyday life (e.g. barista) must be advantageous in some way, or she must explore the tension between the comforts of the ordinary versus the dangers of the extraordinary.

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“I would hope not,” Xiura said, her gaze set, concentrating on the flow of battle. It would be best to get this over with as soon as possible. Her opponent seemed grimly determined to beat her; a thrill of worry ran up her back.
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Her Poliwrath shuddered beneath the Torchic’s blow. “Poliwrath, Hydro Pump!” He bellowed mightily, aiming at the Torchic with a giant jetstream of water, its type advantage empowered by the rain.
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“Seviper, use Sludge Bomb!” Her Seviper slithered warily at its opponent, but decided to strike at the pondering Duskull while it concentrated on Future Sight. A giant hunk of ooze was chucked at the Duskull, but Seviper seemed a little less focused because of the wet sand that it wasn't used to.

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Xiura twitched in shock as a wail reached her senses from beyond the walls of the castle. Perhaps it was her Alolan Ninetales, searching for her. She wouldn’t know unless she looked.
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She exited the castle and entered the forest, whose thick boughs started to block out most of the light. The further she went from the castle’s walls, the darker the forest become. Soon she came upon the source of the sound: a Shadow Psyduck, wailing in pain and confusion. A sizable dent was in a nearby tree trunk where it was battering its head.
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“Oh, no,” Xiura said in dismay, wanting to rush forward and help it, but was wary that it might become aggressive in its confusion.
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Suddenly her satchel started emitting a glow. She opened the bag and saw a small thermos of hot water, as well as a tin of matcha powder and a whisk.
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She set the items down on a tree stump that was handily nearby, and started preparing a ceramic cup of steaming matcha. The tea glowed gently before the light subsided.
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“Psyduck? Would you try this, please?” Xiura offered the cup to Psyduck, who glared balefully at her before the cup sparked its interest. The duck Pokemon accepted the cup, then started sipping. With a low mumble of appreciation, it drank the cup dry, then wandered off, apparently free of its headache.
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“Oh,” Xiura said. “That was fortunate.” She cleared her dishes, somehow miraculously clean after use, and put them back in her satchel.
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tea time - Xiura Balfaltin[break]
nickname: matchamaker[break]
You can instantly make a soothing cup of green tea. It does not heal any ailments. It’s just a very good cup of green tea.

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A shadow jetted out from the darkness before stopping near her, growling softly. Xiura sighed in relief as she turned to see her Alolan Ninetales emerge from the forest. “I thought I would never find you, Shizuka,” she said, reaching out to ruffle her Ninetales’ fur under her chin.
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Her Ninetales growled lowly, jerking away. “Shizuka, please, let’s go,” Xiura coaxed, bringing out her Dream Ball. Her Ninetales snapped at her. She nearly dropped the ball, but held on. “Come now,” she said, more sternly. She tossed the Dream Ball at Ninetales to capture her.
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The ball twitched once. Twice. Three times.
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The ball clicked closed. Xiura frowned. She had not expected that her Ninetales would put up that much of a struggle.
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Then, time froze and a pair of panels appeared before her.
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Xiura contemplated the Dream Ball in her hands. “Brute force... and true potential,” she murmured. Her mind wandered through her recent dreams, wherein she dreamed of those she cared about. Perhaps it would not be too terrible to have a powerful Pokemon, just in case things grew dire. Just in case her loved ones needed help.
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[KEEP YOUR POKEMON'S STRENGTH]

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She chose. Time suddenly started flowing as normal again. Nine curling tails sprouted from her back, cold as shadow and ice.
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“I’m sorry,” she murmured to the Dream Ball. “I hope you forgive me. I hope… you enjoy your power as well.”

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“Please do stop by! My favorite is the strawberry milk tea, and it’s an easy first try for people new to bubble tea. That and the brown sugar milk tea.”
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Kingler shook Starmie’s arm in another good-natured handshake. The remnants of cracked barnacles sank down into the water around them. Kingler set about scraping more debris from another pole, leaving ample room for Starmie to join in.
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“I think they’re friends now,” Xiura observed, glancing at her Poliwrath Bufo who was sunning beside Nenet. Her Poliwrath hummed agreeably, no trace of envy in its tone, pulling a soggy sandwich out from somewhere and eating it.

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Looking at the Seviper and the Poliwrath versus the Torchic and Duskull, Xiura felt that the battle was a little unfair, despite how fiery and determined the Ranger’s Pokemon seemed.
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Xiura declined to answer the woman’s questions, instead bowing her head as if to soften the rudeness of her refusal. In her anonymity, perhaps it would come off as even more rude and mocking. “Poliwrath, make it rain with Rain Dance.” Perhaps she could reduce the efficacy of the woman’s Torchic during battle, while bolstering her own Water Pokemon. Storm clouds collected above, drizzling down and making the entire milieu that much more miserable. Seviper hissed in annoyance, but Poliwrath’s skin grew moist and shiny as he reveled in the water.

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“Okay, I agree.” The plan was set; they would make it into the warehouse by Gliscor’s abilities, but finish by Teleporting out. And if caught, they would pretend their mission was to steal information, not leave it.
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They finally made it to the warehouse after some winding through the trees, their flashlights extinguished but the full moon lighting their path through the forest. Unfortunately, the moon also left them vulnerable to being spotted.
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A copse of trees provided some cover from the lone guard keeping watch by the front door. At her urging, Xiura’s Sableye crept up to a side window out of sight of the guard, peeking into the various windows in the back and other side of the warehouse before creeping back to Xiura and Troy. He chittered quietly to Xiura, shaking his head. “Sable, sable, sable,” he repeated.
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“He doesn’t see the strategy room itself through any of the windows, which means it might be a central one. None of the windows are open, either. Can Gliscor get us into one of the rooms near the back, away from the guard?” she asked.

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