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If nothing else? Style points. Even if she can't manage to get any further in position, she took a different approach; be as entertaining as possible. So, even as she's swimming right next to Michael Navidson , she grins ear-to-ear, with Uzi trying her damndest to flip, even going as far as corkscrewing into the water, and re-submerging in a fast-paced jump.[break][break]

"YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" she roars out with enough excitement to overdose a baby Copperajah, and upon seeing the homestretch, a second wind. The Sheriff was feeling it too, from ahead![break][break]

With a pat on Uzi, she calls out with the biggest grin she can muster. "Let it loose, Uzi! Hop on the water!" With the surge of boost energy, the Vaporeon leapt back onto the waves, and utilized QUICK ATTACK, leaving caution to the wind.[break][break]

She didn't hang on anymore to Uzi. She believed in Uzi, and the harness. They would race as one![break][break]

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And there it was. The simulation is over. And Genny could feel herself relax finally. The battlefield and hell of Galar over, she falls onto her butt, relief finally pushed through her. A smile plastered firmly on her lips as she laughs. The sun shines again.[break][break]

Letting Gram and Titan back in their own respective balls, and finally getting a chance to relax, Genny sits criss-crossed, as she sees a cave of brilliant tera crystals. Looking up, over everything.[break][break]

"A cave," she starts, a brow risen, interested, until the the behemoths show themselves. A red dragon beast, with a plumage like a majestic bird. And though she's forced to get back up, she gets back onto her own two feet, seeing the other red dragon, with a form much more twisted and an antennae that flicks about. With Navy explaining the way this works, she turns to face him.[break][break]

If she wants to evolve, she has to show what she's got. With a grin, she nods to the Sheriff.[break][break]

"I'll do it then."[break][break]

On her wrist, she pulls something new. This was the second time she was going to ever use it, and in a bracelet, a stone sits at the ready. Another Pokeball comes out, blasting out the blue Gardevoir, and she engages it. "Venus!" The orbs surrounds her, the Gardevoir exploding out with a brilliant black dress, as Genny stares on from behind her.[break][break]

"But I can't do it alone, Sheriff."[break][break]

She extends a hand towards Navy. They fought together this long, and while she can stand alone, she stands stronger together.

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All three Pokemon respond in kind with Thea, even waving to her own Pokemon. Gordo and Ky happily wave to the trio Thea brought attention to, both the Sandshrew and Zeraora waving and flexing. Sherwood just continues to chew the twig in her mouth, and gives them a stern nod.[break][break]

Genny looks to Thea and follows. "Your Pokemon are truly wonderful. Thank you for explaining, and the hospitality!" As she follow suit to the locker room, she would see the gi that was being offered to her. When she's told if she knows how to tie an obi, while Genny hadn't had too much, she did dress up for a festival some odd months or years back in Lilycove. "I got this!" She flexes her arm out herself, showing where Ky and Gordo get it from.[break][break]

Undressing herself, and redressing into the gi, she attempts to get the obi down properly. It's not easy, she messes up a couple of times, but she gets there.[break][break]

And before too many minutes go by, she emerges in her own gi, showing herself in the gi. "These feel really comfy." She pats herself down. Hazel eyes on Thea, she beams.[break][break]

"What next?"

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Someone had to grow stronger. If they didn't, who would? There were many people in this world, but not many could face it and work through the pain. To still walk even though they saw the worst, to grow strong but not grow cold... there was so much ugliness in the world.[break][break]

But. With Navy here, with the Sheriff here, she didn't feel alone. Even through Galar, even through their trail of tears, there is always hope.[break][break]

Grasping Gram, she smiles like she used to. And following this time behind Navy, to slice outwards in a SACRED SWORD to cover his six, and to protect him, and everyone in Galar, to protect this region, she responds in kind. She will be the shield that keeps Hoenn safe. From Rocket? From the threats beyond. She will do whatever it takes.[break][break]

"You're right, Sheriff! If this is the road we walk, it's our job to to pave a way forward. Let's evolve beyond what we are, like our Pokemon!"[break][break]

They walk the path. And with the Zacian throwing the blade down like a gauntlet, Genny for just a moment, looks like the hero she always wanted to be.

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"You didn't," her words leave her lips with an icy breath, a dejected look in her gaze, as she looked over to Mimi Hirose. Genny looked so twisted for a moment, so messed up. She wanted desperately to return every bit of pain everyone in the prison had. But when Mimii introduces herself, and asks if this was the prison, Genny's resolve steels itself.[break][break]

She would be the strongest here. "Genevieve Cromwell," she begins, her own gaze over her own Pokemon in a tube just a short step away. The grass gecko, Sherwood, stuck in a tube as she stares at the comatose Pokemon. "It's just a dream. We're probably still in the prison. See, look at the text on the signs." Even if it was, it didn't mean Genny wanted retribution any less. More so now, that they were stuck within a prison in a prison. The reprieve of the toxic chain all they had left.[break][break]

With a breath in, she pushes it down a moment. A gentler smile, for a nicer person. "I'm an Elite Ranger. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm trying to get everyone out, but," her gaze finds its way down to the streets, with the unreadable signs unable to be deciphered.[break][break]

"If we don't nip this problem in the bud, Miss Mimi, they'll just come back. They've done it already. Twice from my understanding." The looming failure of the second lies squarely upon her back, bending further.[break][break]

"There won't be another one." To protect the world from devastation. She will do what she must to keep everyone safe.

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Every part of her body aches. Eris Halla is sweet, keeping her spirits high as they can be. She had to stay strong... seeing Isaac Merlo like that... Andrea Vaneau and DESIREE BLOOMS both being slammed and tossed around, and that little Ogrepon that suffered just as they had. She's so tired of it. But she will not let the fire die. She slams a fist into the ground. It's clean now.[break][break]

When the deluge comes... all she can do is glare up above at where the shower comes from. When she was able to, she would look over her friends, her love, everything important to her. No matter how piercing the water was, she would not feel clean.[break][break]

Not until they were home safely. Not until she could invite them out to the little glamping session again, or take them to the hot spring. Until then, she would feel no unrest.[break][break]

The wardens come, and as Genny tries desperately to stay near those in the Dummy Ward, combing through endless hallways, Genny was forced to indulge and join the Weakling Ward; something she felt all too real even as she dressed in her new prison garbs. As she's pulled back to her cell, reunited with Hideo Kino , her head turns. He could likely see the hatred she felt, emanating from her gaze to the Okidogi, to the Megalopolan they walked with.[break][break]

"Of course," she says, uneasy. Like walking a tightrope in words alone, about to break. Each bite of mochi to conserve strength.[break][break]

When it's time for bed, she tries to conserve as little space as she can. Hideo was younger, he needed the energy. She would handle any pain from the morning, but for now, most of the cot was his.[break][break]

When sleep came, it was surprisingly easy to reach, the glow of the tera crystals gently moving her storm-riddled mind to a quiet sleep.[break][break]

---[break][break]

Dreams are funny little things, aren't they?[break][break]

When she wakes up, she feels free, in a world beyond the influence of toxic chains and Megalopolan, walking a city away. "Hello?" She yells out, ducking into an alleyway, unable to read any signs. Even though the nice Megalopolan civilians are friendly, as she passes them in the dream... all she can think about is how badly she wants to burn this city to the ground.[break][break]

(To be continued...)

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Even with all the finesse, Genny finds herself unable to advance. Despite a masterful set of leaps on the open water, and the crowd going wild, it made little difference in placement; she was still 14th. It even seemed like the Sheriff was going faster than Genny could hope to catch-up. But if there weren't bad, everyone had brought their A-game.[break][break]

It was just a little disheartening. Everyone was doing spectactularly, and Genny's face still showed hope, and plenty of it. As the course buoys her beneath the surface, she holds her breath, and rides through the tunnel. As it tightens and constricts her and Uzi, she clings closer to her little Vaporeon, before riding the wave out between double row of palm trees.[break][break]

By time Genny realizes it, her eyes see what they have to do. "Mid-air Flip Turn! Spiral above, and corkscrew to the right angle, Uzi!" she orders. It's a barrel roll, but Genny is ready to be whipped around, tightening the harness. Then comes the spin.[break][break]

If Genny's learned anything from Josh Devlin 's Gym Challenge? Wait for the right time.[break][break]

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Hazel eyes watch on, watching every voter between those in Weak Ward. She's listening to voices between them. She's pretty sure she can pinpoint Officer paxton concordas. This wasn't exactly what she had in mind for training or interning with him. But their talk months and months ago comes back to her mind, if she wasn't in over her head, if she should have turned back. What sounds like Josh Devlin votes trust too, which puts her more at ease, with Elise Calcifet's voice sounding out too. Less so at ease was was Genny from Naomi Sato, who openly stated that Forsake is the better option. The overly beaten guy (Shred Zeppelin) seems to agree.[break][break]

No words for them.[break][break]

Trust wins in the end. Both sides get punished, sharing the torture to come. Contemptuous are her eyes to the Megalopolan, quiet fury breaking at the seams, threatening to tear the stitches that hold her together emotionally, a quiet rage she felt in the Silent Icelands. When the platform comes, she quietly steps on, taking everything; rather, everyone she can in from the Dummy Ward. As much info as she can gain, retain. Hair color, eye color, voice. Anything.[break][break]

With a toss into the world below, Genny wasn't able to make too much headway in such a small space. But this singular room would allow for a soft impact, as Genny braced. Upon opening her eyes though.[break][break]

A dead prisoner.[break][break]

Someone dead because of her.[break][break]

Because she was soft.[break][break]

She can see every detail of the slain prisoner up close she landed on, the image burning into her retinas, her mind plagued by the visage of what she could have prevented. This was a lesson. A lesson that that woman (Naomi Sato) was correct. This place was ruthless. Even if logic did not apply here, this place cared little for them. But once their task was given, to clean this place up, she could feel the coming of a 'but', and one did come.[break][break]

All of Ugly Ward was leashed to the floor by their own chain. By Ugly Ward. It didn't matter if Dummy Ward or Weakling Ward were Trusting. The Ugly Ward chose to forsake them.[break][break]

It's Andrea Vaneau that is vocal enough to snatch her attention first. "Andrea?" She calls out, face riddled in sweat. More of her friends were here? The simulation with the little guy, the masked being ahead of them, coming in to kick Andrea, Genny's body stiff. A pleading gaze to make this stop and end this madness; and no one to hear it.[break][break]

DESIREE BLOOMS did though. "Desi...?" A hand on Genny's shoulder, Desiree explains what happened, a victim to the circumstance too. Six voted to forsake their ward. Six... Genny didn't count the votes. She didn't want to. She keeps wanting to deny it. Balled fists to the side, she doesn't want to acknowledge. Finally looking at Desi though, her expression looked so wrong. Vengeful. Cold. Distant. Desi was in Dummy Ward... who else?[break][break]

"Desi!" Desiree gets kicked too, and all she can do is break further under the weight of it all, buckling her legs, as Desiree is kicked away.[break][break]

Was ollie morales here? Yuina Higashi? Michael Navidson? annalise henderson? The horizon, the edge. Just one more person, one more victim, and she'll-[break][break]

She finds her own body sent flying by a kick, forced to ragdoll away from the girls, fumbling and thrown to the side, colliding on her back to the wall, the air knocked from her lungs as she hits the floor. Her body was in so much pain, blood trickling from her head, dizzied from a strike that by all accounts, should have left her head off. She was bleeding. She could feel it slowly trickle past the left side of her face, trailing down. Her nose felt crooked.[break][break]

In no time, she's fixed the alignment by force, the nostril leaking a trail of blood that trickles down her face. She needed to get her bearings, but as she looks just feet nearby.[break][break]

Her heart breaks.[break][break]

"Izzy?"[break][break]

The last straw.[break][break]

She crawls over to him... it was awful. If that one guy, the guy beaten half to death was any indication, Isaac Merlo sat before her in rough, rough shape. She caused this. Another victim she could have prevented. Another person she couldn't protect. She couldn't save. He was in Dummy Ward. "T-This c-can't be. Not you too, not you," she cries weakly, hands now shaking atop of his. Her tears mix with blood, now traumatized by the umpteenth sight today.[break][break]

She cries, cradling his head near her own. "Hold on... I'll... I'll take care of your work. Just rest. Okay?" With one tiny, singular kiss placed on his forehead, she holds it for longer than she should. She turns towards Eris Halla, and gives her a worried look. She was stuck in this small spot too. She's punished too by Ugly Ward, a ward she can no longer abide by.[break][break]

"Stay strong, Izzy."[break][break]

She gets up.[break][break]

Wiping the blood away. She begins to clean. As hard as she can, twice as hard if she's able to. The head injury makes her fall over a lot. Way too much to be okay. Something was sprained, bruised, or broken. But she works harder than anyone else. She pushes herself into exhaustion. She has to. She tries to help Hideo Kino too where she can.[break][break]

She cleans till its spotless. Using her own crying to help clean the room.[break][break]

But nothing will sanitize her mind anymore.[break][break]

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The sunshine was infectious from the younger girl, and with the two handed shake, Genny's eyes would happily rest on the young girl. "Thank you! And it's such a pleasure to meet you!" Seeing Thea happy, sparkly-eyed to her Pokemon, Genny introduces each one by one, as they begin to take part. "Over there is Sherwood, the tiny Sandshrew is Gordo, and the yellow cat is Ky! They're pretty ready!" The trio turn for a moment, and while they give nods, the only one who waves extra hard is Gordo.[break][break]

To her question on gi, Genny's cheeks reddens, as she looks down to herself. "Oh, do I need one? I can handle that." She smiles, realizing she had come without the proper attire. She was used to yukata, but that was more to look beautiful.[break][break]

"Where are the spares? I'll get into proper attire! This is exciting, Thea!" Her light moment of embarrassment comes to an abrupt end. She's not even perturbed.

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Sheriff Navy is behind her. Genny swings around, her head turned to the side, one hazel eye staring with intensity. This is the path they walk. The path they've walked this whole time. This? The battlefield where everyone suffers pain and strife?[break][break]

When she turns to the battlefield, him pointing to a Charizard, burning parts of it down, she feels herself grow colder. The humans and Pokemon, were ash.[break][break]

Was this her dream?[break][break]

Her lip quivers, and she reaches further. Only to watch the sword unsheathe itself. The howl that came from it, loud and proud. The Zacian beneath, asleep... and the sword in hand, Genny looks it over.[break][break]

Her eyes looked so much different to the way they shined back then.[break][break]

"When I was small... I wanted to be like my Mom and Dad," she starts, staring at the reflection in the blade. "I thought they were so cool, protecting the world from devastation. Keeping people safe. Saving Pokemon, saving people. I've always idolized them like heroes. Like those in this region I look up to." she laments, her heart attempting to reinforce itself with the pain before her.[break][break]

She holds it out to Zacian. A smile on her lips.[break][break]

"Sheriff," she gives Navy a big wide smile, reminiscent of the woman she was before. There was such a woman once. "It's hard work. But we can do it. Can't we?" A steely resolve to reinforce the heart. All while Titan nearby looks on with a smile, and Gram takes their spot in Genny's hand instead.

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A cruel joke. She wanted to make something of herself once. To stand up for what was right, and fix the world. Yet, here within their prisonscape, nothing but hell awaits them. One rebel attempted to fight back, a man she neither met nor knew. Shred Zeppelin ... and this was the end result. She could do nothing. She was powerless.[break][break]

Her heart ached. But coldly, she has to turn her back. Boiling, the entire time. To watch this ravenous dog beat and brutalize this man, and she feels her fury mounting. Bubbling. Hatred courses through her veins. Hostile red eyes watch the ordeal.[break][break]

If this was how it was in the Weakling Ward... did anyone else handle it better?[break][break]

'Don't.' It takes everything in herself not to lose it. If she had seen what happened in Dummy Ward, though... perhaps she'd have made herself a casualty, and proved her dummy status more.[break][break]

All she can do, is grit her teeth, plant her feet, and bear it all.[break][break]

Before too long... it's time to judge them. And it's clear, by the way the wild hound in the middle snarls and growls, that they failed. The Weak Wards proved their weakness. And so, the peanlties would begin. A harsh punishment to come... especially, for those lifted as thieves. Her cold vigil watches on, as their every attempt to stash and steal, to smuggle, was thrown away. Punishment?[break][break]

Death.[break][break]

One by one, the punished receive their punishment. Until the Bloodmoon Ursaluna shows on screen. Revenge. She closes her eyes, but the sickening sound of crunching metal and that meaty noise plagues her mind. Not seeing it personally only makes her cringe worse, the imagination filling the blanks.[break][break]

Now though, comes a game.[break][break]

Trust or Forsake. The rules of the game were simple. Choose one, or the other. Picking trust, means everyone in the Dummy and Weakling Wards get punished equally. Forsake, means both sides get it worse. But if one betrays another... one side will be safe. The other, gets a brutal punishment.[break][break]

If this were a year ago, the better nature in Genny would have bore the pain and strife of full-on trust. But every time she has trusted, every time she has allowed vulnerability, she is punished for it. By Rocket. By her enemies. Time and time again, she loses more and more. More bodies, more deaths. She's tired of the misery and strife. She wasn't quick to trust anymore.[break][break]

She shoots a glare to the speaking Megalopolan. She's smart. She's not willing to suffer the same fate as the other guy, but enough to hope that the speaking Megalopolan can feel the murderous vibe she's giving off.[break][break]

"Trust."[break][break]

She's devising a way to off every Megalopolan here. Her facial expression, what little is visible, hides nothing. She doesn't care if she suffers this torture. She refuses to move herself on the board until the time comes.

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That last set of turns was rough, and the wild currents were incredibly intense. So much so, that every single time they could, Genny felt herself slapped into the reef. But more so than that, she would fall behind Michael Navidson once more. Slow and steady wins the race, but getting thrown around like this was nuts. Jostled, thrown around, and bruised, Uzi calls out from ahead, worried for Genny.[break][break]

"It's okay, Uzi! I'm okay!"[break][break]

Lap over. Genny knows what this means. That was the go-ahead to hit the gas. When the wind shifts though, all the redhead can see is the current relentlessly pushing them back. Being so far back left the Elite Ranger with an idea. To stay out of the current, she can hop and skip![break][break]

"Quick Attack, jump on the waves like a stone, Uzi!" If there was something to be said about being next to last? It made strategizing easy.[break][break]

All she can do is hope. Uzi nods. And makes his first hop up above the waves, utilizing QUICK ATTACK, his first BOOST.[break][break]

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