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Xiura froze and looked up at the very obvious League Ranger badge the stranger was holding out. Well, considering her last attempt at pretending to be a civilian, it was better that she cut to the chase and get this battle started. She breathed out and climbed to her feet, Seviper crowding close in front of her.
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“I’m Jocelyn,” she lied with a smile. Seviper hissed. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m was just on my way out.”
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With a quick glance at both the Torchic and Duskull guarding Genny, she called forth a second Pokemon to even out the odds. “Poliwrath,” she acknowledged, giving the Water/Fighting-type Pokemon a meaningful look when he looked at her in confusion for not saying his name, Bufo. “Rage candy bars after this, okay?” she whispered under her breath.
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She locked gazes with Genny, determined. “We just want to be on our way, and you look…” She paused at Genevieve's bandaged appearance, and diplomatically said, “It looks like you need some rest. Are you going to stop us?”

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Xiura closed her eyes briefly, thinking, then pulled out a map of the island. She traced a light, slowpoke tail-like path from their current location to the warehouse-–where it was supposed to be, two miles northeast. Sableye perched over her shoulder, looking closely.
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“It’s best if we go with minimal ambient lighting to avoid being spotted. I think… we should case the place for at least a few minutes to see where the best entrance to go through is. There might be a back exit that someone comes out of every so often.”
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She runs through a mental list of her Pokemon. “If it comes down to it, we can Teleport, as long as my Gardevoir knows where she needs to go. If we can get a visual of the strategy room, she can Teleport us in… but it might be less stealthy.”
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“If we can at least get through to their main planning room, we can slip this in on a desk like it’s new intel and get out of there. What do you think?”
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She thought a bit more. “Honestly, if we’re caught, we might have to pretend we’re there for something else, so that we don’t compromise the fake information. What do you think our alibi could be?”
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As she spoke, they started heading in the direction of the League warehouse, Sableye wending his way through the dark forest.

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Xiura nodded at @elisa's response. A three wasn't bad at all, considering. It sounded like the pain medication had already started working. She bound Elisa's arm in a firm but gentle bandage wrap to keep the open wound protected from contamination.
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After washing her hands, she placed a nutrient bar, an appple, and a rage candy bar in reach of Elisa. "If you're hungry while you wait, we have some simple rations from Rocket," she said, but was immediately taken aback at the woman's outburst.
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"Jack Wainwright?" she repeated inquisitively. More neutrally, she inquired, "Is that who hurt you?" She calmly put down the meal and started discarding the soiled equipment from cleaning Elisa's wound, calming her mind so that her demeanor did not appear shaken.
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Hatterene suddenly chimed a warning, and a crash sounded within the encampment, outside the tent. "Oh, they're attacking," Xiura said worriedly, torn between seeing what was happening outside and making sure everyone inside the tent was safe. She looked and noted that some of the healers were tending to patients, and some others along with patients who had finished their treatment were already rushing outside to see the case of the hubbub. Her Clefairy wandered outside, waving her pompoms angrily. "Clefairy, no!" Xiura said, first making sure that Elisa's arm was okay, then rushing outside to find her Pokemon standing before a giant Meganium and its League trainer.

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Xiura clapped as Argile the Golurk lit the torch, cheering quietly. The dark path had been worrisome, but she felt relief that their journey was almost complete and the threat of immediate danger would soon be gone-- at least until the next mission. "Toasted marshmallows sound like a welcome treat for everyone right now. We've all worked so hard." She patted Bufo on the head as he worked on pushing a wagon uphill to continue helping the Mudbrays. Her hand felt warm, as did her cheeks, like when she had sat with Aurelie on the carousel. It was strange, but not unpleasant. Far from it.
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The caravan walked upwards and onwards to their design, their path lit by the torch Golurk and Aurelie had created.
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As their caravan pulled into the cave, a couple of Rocket grunts on standby came out to meet them, nodding their thanks and walking the Mudbrays to a nearby corner for hay and water to recover.
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"I wonder if they have marshmallows in their ration kits," Xiura joked, grinning. "If not, we'll have to pick up some for the next mission."

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Xiura looked curiously at the contents of the bowl as she passed on on the way down the cliff, seeing the remnants of glutinous mochi. She carefully wended her way down the slowpoke-tail path that Neffatari Nzingha and @isaac’s pokemon created, turning back every so often to make sure jack wainwright and Aurelie Lefevre were close by and safe.
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As Toxic Chains sprouted and burst forth from the toxin-infected members of their party, Xiura recalled Gardevoir and summoned her Kommo-o instead. "Protect us!" she yelled out over the cacophony of battle and violence. Kommo-o positioned itself between their group and the toxin-infected, using its huge draconic body to guard against various attacks coming their way. Her scale-armored Pokemon used Clanging Scales, banging its armor in a distracting cacophony of noise to draw attention to itself and forcefully throwing several Megalopolans back.
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"Jack," she said, gripping his forearm worriedly. "The chain! Can you get it? I have your back." She tried to focus on the battle, but her worry was concentrated on their companion Aurelie.
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Xiura gasped as her Beedrill fell instantly from the Corviknight’s attack. Her Bug-type pokemon didn’t stand a chance against the attack and was immediately rendered unconscious. Before the Corviknight could hurt her Beedrill further, she recalled it to her Pokeball, mind racing. Her concern immediately and expeditiously increased as Jack broke free of the String Shot restraints. She didn't realize he was that strong! Maybe he had just eaten a rage candy bar and had extra energy to burn.
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“I’ll keep him occupied,” Xiura nodded at Aurelie, brow furrowed in determination.
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Xiura reached for a Pokeball and summoned Kommo-o, who immediately launched into his signature Clangorous Soul move. In a cacophony of sound, the dragon pokemon beat its armor in an aggressive frenzy, staring down the Corviknight with an intimidating glare. Whether it could serve as a distraction or a deterrent for the powerful avian pokemon, Xiura was hoping it would buy Aurelie enough time to finish what she was doing.

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Xiura sits at her desk, leafing through the pages of a binder. On one side, she has amateur sketches of a quaint cafe with hanging plants and a red-leaved maple tree in front. On the other, she has old books of tea recipes, filled with purple- and blue-flagged pages.
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She slots some notebook pages into the plastic sleeves of the binder, organizing them by category: shop look, menu items, furniture inspiration. She even has a list of which of her Pokemon would be perfect for different jobs, like making the boba or being in charge of the cash register.
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Xiura turns the page, glancing at Incineroar who is dozing on the rug below her window, basking in the sunlight. A fond smile traces across her mouth. She takes the lavender-colored instant camera sitting on her nightstand and snaps a photo of him, a plain black square immediately printing out on glossy film.
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She leaves it on the corner of her desk, letting it develop as she continues filling her binder, marking each divider with the title of each section. It’s satisfying, almost meditative work.
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She rubs her eyes, and the room gotten darker now in the evening hours. Incineroar has long left his napping spot, off to find more interesting adventures outside in the backyard.
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Her aspiration binder has taken on a soft glow, luminescent with promise and potential. Xiura turns the page, and with it, a new world opens to her as easily as a book.

NOTES

- Mission: Dream Drop Distance[break]
- Theme: Aspirations[break]
- Word Count: 247. Points: 200 x 5 posts = 999 (cap).

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"Xiura, I'm so proud of you, my daughter." The gentle feminine voice of her mother reaches her ears as Xiura plays outside with Hatenna in the backyard.
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Xiura's eyes suddenly water from the familiarity of it all. She hasn’t heard her mom’s voice in years. "Mom?" she says, voice wavering. "Mom?" Was that really her mom's voice?
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Suddenly she's five again, racing towards the sliding papered door of their house in Ecruteak City, her small feet padding over the familiar feeling of tatami mats. "Mom?"
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"You have done so well, Xiura," her mom's voice continues. "I'm so proud of you. You are the light of my life and I'm so happy you're my daughter."
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"Mom," Xiura sobs and sobs, opening doors deeper and deeper into the house. "Where are you?"
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She throws open the final door to the heart of their traditional home. The kind, unlined face of her young mother is a heartbreakingly welcome sight. The rest of the house feels so cold compared to the warmth of her mother’s embrace. “I love you, Xiura,” her mother says. Xiura doesn’t remember her mother ever having said it before. Her heart is so full and her throat so tight that she can’t even say it back. But she thinks it, and thinks it, and thinks it. This is all she’s ever wanted.

NOTES

- Mission: Dream Drop Distance[break]
- Theme: Reunions[break]
- Word Count: 220. Points: 200 x 4 posts = 800.

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Xiura smiled, casting her gaze over Melody Miro, and said back over her comm device, "That's right. I'm here to help out." Melody looked strong, and her voice sounded rather familiar, which made Xiura tense in anticipation and worry. Unbidden, her mind flipped to a song she had heard back at the Winter Masquerade: "All I Want for Christmas Is You."
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Xiura's mouth formed into an 'O' of recognition. "You're the singer and gym leader, Melody Miro! I love your singing! I can't believe we're stationed at the same location!"
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Her Milotic edged closer to the shore, impatient to get away from this powerful trainer and begin their mission of subterfuge, but Xiura tightened her grip on the Pokemon, silently promising Milotic a rage candy bar after all this if she could keep her cool. Maybe there was a chance Xiura could convince Melody that she was on her side. The Rocket patted Milotic peacefully and rhythmically, her eyes roving Melody's expression for lingering suspicion. If this didn't work, Milotic would have to act quickly--and swim even more quickly.

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"Hello, nice to meet you! I'm Xiura," she said effusively, smiling at the man whose pace slowed to match hers in the dark. She took in her partner's appearance, noting that she was dressed similarly, in black clothes and an unadorned half-mask. As for concealment of her other definite feature, her long, wavy purple hair was tied back, curled up like a slowpoke tail, and concealed beneath a black beanie.
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Xiura shook Troy's hand firmly and politely, her own hands bare of gloves. Beside her, her Sableye Jin crept along, his red gem-like eyes peering into the night, looking for any interlopers or threats with Detect.
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In the meantime, Xiura was happy to make some small talk to lighten the mood, but her newfound partner's stoic demeanor dampened her tongue. She was perfectly fine with this, though. Her energy tended to wilt more easily during night missions since she was usually an early riser, so she thought some quiet time to reflect on their goal would help conserve her energy.
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As they walked toward the second meeting place, Sableye scurried ahead, finally chittering softly as they came upon a Rocket grunt apparently ready to make the drop of further information.
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The grunt watched them carefully. "Over and under the ocean depths," the Rocket began before falling silent, waiting for the answering phrase to confirm they were the Rocket agents designated to this mission.
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"The blood moon shines silver," Xiura answered with the remainder of the passcode, before casting a glance at her partner.
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The woman's posture relaxed marginally before she approached, her Serperior hissing with each slithering motion forward. In a low register, she stated, "You are to go to the League-aligned warehouse located two miles northeast from here. There, you must infiltrate their main strategy room and leave the following envelope. Do not open this envelope under any circumstances. It is of no use to you anyway."

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Xiura laughed and chimed, "I'd be in a terrible state if I was sick of seeing the ocean. I'm actually living in Lilycove City right now." She paused, then added, "I'm really from Ecruteak City in Johto. That's where I grew up. How about you?"
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Kingler continued to scrape barnacles and wet debris from the underside of the platforms and the supporting beams. As Starmie approached, Kingler reached out a friendly pincer to shake the star-shaped Pokemon's arm in greeting before resuming his work.
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"I don't actually get to see the ocean much since I work. I have a bubble tea cafe in Lilycove," she explained further, climbing up onto the wooden platform with Bufo the Poliwrath and taking a wet seat on the floorboards by Nenet, her footprints leaving an arc of dampness like a slowpoke tail.

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Xiura summoned her Ivysaur, rested and healed, allowing it to explore the garden anew. She shied away from the ever-vigilant Decidueye, evidently still wary of its Triple Arrow attack.
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To accompany the Ivysaur, Xiura called on Cherubi, who was all too eager to show Ivysaur around the garden, from the berry patch to the various flower beds decorating the landscape.
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Sitting on a green-painted iron bench, Xiura opened a fantasy book and started reading, letting her Pokemon develop a companionship on their own.
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Above, Decidueye perched in a tree, eating some of the apple fruit that it had borne. Autumn had just begun, and the days were mild and temperate still.
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Xiura had been reassigned to the healing tent after a few failed missions, her own Pokemon resting and recovering from their battles. It still stung a little, to know that there were many trainers much more powerful than her. Such setbacks were to be expected, though; the League had some powerful people on their side, like Melody Miro and Genevieve Cromwell.
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To be expected as well were all manner of patient personalities, from the calm, appreciative ones to the more disgruntled, frustrated Rockets, such as the one before her now. The war over the island was a difficult and tenuous situation, both sides making their relative gains, but some members of Rocket feeling like they were losing any progress they made the very next day.
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Hatterene hummed contentedly in Xiura's direction, calming her flustered emotions; at least for now, their encampment was safe and undiscovered.
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Xiura took a moment to consider the question, then smiled. "I'm sure you'll get him back soon enough, especially after you're rested and feeling good as new." A thick-headed idiot and his Gyarados. She wondered who the person might be, who riled up the Rocket underboss so.
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She noticed Elisabeth scrolling through her device, and politely looked away. Snooping wasn't part of her nature, and she had even learned how to tune things out automatically to prevent eavesdropping. Sometimes ignorance was the best way to protect herself.
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Gardevoir stepped back, finishing her first Healing Pulse treatment. Xiura looked at Elisabeth's arm, carefully averting her eyes from the lit-up screen. However, she noticed a couple of unfamiliar faces flitting across the screen before she consciously looked away to a pile of rage candy bars sitting on the counter. "Gardevoir has finished the first phase. To optimize the treatment, we will allow your body's sped-up regeneration to take place on its own for thirty minutes before the next Healing Pulse, which will renew the regeneration speed of your arm." This is what she had been taught by the senior healers in the tent, and she reiterated it now. Already, Elisabeth's arm was looking better, the terrible, bloody gash on her arm slowly stitching itself together. Xiura prepared some water and some sterile gauze on a metal tray for cleansing away the drying blood, saying, "How is your pain level now on a scale from zero to ten, with ten being the worst pain you've felt in your life? The pain medication should help more in about half an hour or so, if it hasn't started working already."

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