[attr="class","genny1body"]

The affirmation has Genny's cheeks heat up again, a loose hair like a cowlick standing up, as she feels herself sweat. His hobbies are off, not at all what she'd imagine he'd say. Not a normal guy, but then he wasn't allowed to really be normal. But there's a sweetness to her bandaged up smile. She stops heating up.[break][break]

"Never played pachinko before. But you seem like the protective type when you want to be. Security fits you," she giggles, covering her mouth, as she's laughing. Genuinely laughing. The idea of seeing him be a bouncer at a club only has her laugh more.[break][break]

It's when the conversation turns back on her, that Genny's feels her heart pounding. She's only sung for a very, very small group of people. She's already short-circuiting, let alone needing to find the song...[break][break]

There was one that came to mind. She clears her throat, making sure to stand up. It's good practice for vocal exercises. She takes a breath in.[break][break]

"🎵 When the light is running low, and the shadows s-start to grow 🎵," it's husky, her voice deeper. She's nervous, bandaged hands shaking as she tries not to focus on that. She closes her eyes. "🎵 And the places that you know, feel like faaaan-tasy 🎵," she clasps her hands together in front of herself, intertwining her fingers.[break][break]

"🎵 There's a light inside your soul, that's still shining in the cold. In the truth, the promise in our hearts. 🎵" She opens her eyes to look at him. She's smiling again.[break][break]

"🎵 Don't forget. I'm with you in the dark 🎵."[break][break]

She stops there. It's a song she's not the most familiar with, it's off-key, and imperfect.[break][break]

"Sorry! I'm no Melody! Ha-ha." She's rubbing her neck, quite a bit sheepish over the on-the-spot performance. She didn't do that. Ever. The only person in Hoenn who knew, aside from Sheriff, Andrea, and Shalin, was maybe, emphasis on maybe, Desi. Not her partner, not her previous knew. Her embarrassment is expected.

[attr="class","genny1credit"]

[attr="class","genny1body"]

"That explains a lot, actually," she's laughing, knowing that Bulu can probably hear her. He's lazy, but sleep was more important. The effort it'd take to get out of the ball and bonk her head was greater than the bull spirit would allow, so he just slept. without so much as a shake to his Pokeball.[break][break]

Of course, as she looks about, she can't help but be intrigued by the idea of the spirits. Her first boyfriend, way back when, was super into them, as a lot of them had been. It's Doug's mention of the Tapu Lele's Temple, that has her swivel and turn to face him.[break][break]

"Oh?" She blinks quickly. "That... we know of?" Now there's a hole in her chest. A hole, she wonders quietly to herself, opened by the idea of them not having a home.[break][break]

"So there might be more out there?"[break][break]

Better to be on the safer side. Optimism keeps spirits up, infectious even. "Maybe I'll get some insight there too. Bulu might even talk to me." Now THAT got a shake from her belt, the Pokeball making a less-than-jovial, not-quite-so-violent shake.

[attr="class","genny1credit"]

[attr="class","genny1body"]

"It never hurts to try."[break][break]

There's a lot of things she doesn't know. She can't promise that it can change, but that even if it's impossible, she will try. To liberate the land, to liberate a Fighter with no desire to be one. That is what the Nameless One believes. There has to be a way to change it. And if there isn't, a way has to be made. She'll bridge that gap.[break][break]

With a farewell towards the Fighter, she waves off, turning on her heel. A walk forward. The march to save her name, is the same march to save this world. And so she goes.[break][break]

---[break][break]

The castle sits in view, but another bridge sits before her, a bridge over a gap. A ravine down below, with a figure coming into shape. The Nameless One's eyes were blurred, as she rubbed them. How long has it been since she rested? Hellbent on a quest, no time to rest. She can rest when she's dea-...[break][break]

No. She can rest when she's out of energy.[break][break]

When her eyes open again... her hazel eyes are wide open, pricking with her own tears. Her lips part, trembling with each second passing.[break][break]

"Mom?"[break][break]

There she stands, in her Ranger attire, a spitting image of herself back then. The signature red hair, the ponytail she wore with the abundance of hair. She was the younger version of her mother, almost like a twin sister. Almost. In her heart, she had been wanting desperately to know what she would do, when she was younger. The Nameless One wanted that guidance more than anything. More than her partner, more than her friends, more than anyone else.[break][break]

"What... are you... doing here?"

[attr="class","genny1credit"]

[attr="class","genny1body"]

"Huh?"[break][break]

Something kicked in already? Genevieve's hazel eyes inspected John quizzically, uncertainty plaguing her facial expression. She hadn't realized her own role yet. Though Charja-Cola? Was that some soda brand from before? The joke flies over head like a passerby Wingull.[break][break]

He hops onto the ship, and she follows suit, hopping aboard.[break][break]

"Yup! Technically I'm Galar-born, but my mom moved from Circhester when I was really young," she admits, one done with a little bittersweet edge to that date in Circhester. She missed him. Was he doing okay? She shakes her head. "I guess though! Bulu's been really quiet lately. He's usually at least trying to interact with me, but whenever he's out of the ball, he's lounging around, napping." It doesn't seem Genny's all too perturbed by that. The island spirit bull was important enough, and she didn't like to trouble him too much.[break][break]

As she followed behind, she pokes out to look over the ship's edge. "Where are we going, anyways?"

[attr="class","genny1credit"]

[attr="class","genny1body"]

When the Fighter takes her hand, the Nameless One smiles. Hearing about Beasts, however, has her smile disappear. The idea that a moniker must be followed to a T, or to become nothing, has her frown. Will that be her fate? To be forced into a position where she must become a monster? She will not abide by this world's rules, but if that means she dies...[break][break]

She can just feel it burning in her ears, that phantom laughter for her naivete. She'd prove that vision wrong.[break][break]

"If the land is cursed, it's a Hero's job to cure it," she started, taking a step forward, her back to the Fighter. "That moniker is a title. If the law of this land requires a title to change by a Ruler... then I'll get the Ruler to change it myself. I'll change his mind," she turns back to the Fighter, hands behind her back. A toothy grin replaces her frown now.[break][break]

"And if I fail, I'll change your title myself one day. You can be a Baker. One day soon." Succeed or fail, she will change fate. Though she hoped she would succeed.[break][break]

She had to get home.

[attr="class","genny1credit"]

[attr="class","genny1body"]

The sheer happiness and jubilation in the Yamper's figure-eights, as Melody came into view. Pretty Lady loved his runs, and when she ruffles his fur, he barks and squeaks, hopping up off his front paws and bouncing in place.[break][break]

By his tenth lap of figure-eights, Genny came into view, and her hazel eyes spot Melody's beaming smile, hearing her voice. "Melody!" She perks up so much, seeing one of her idols in front of her again. Nearly a year ago, she had met Melody in person under very similar circumstances. Back then, Genny probably looked overworked, but now the redhead was glowing, maybe not as much as Melody, but a lot better.[break][break]

If given the chance to a hug, Genny would give it so quickly, before responding in kind, "I recently moved here after my lease in Lilycove ended! It helps when you're on mandatory PTO! It's been so long though!"[break][break]

"What's got you visiting Lavaridge?" she tilted her head, her smile never once fading. It was like their first meeting again, but Genny was far, far more confident than before.

[attr="class","genny1credit"]

[attr="class","genny1body"]

Leases end. Things change. Everything stays the same. Hoenn is in war, but now... it's something else. A move away from Lilycove is like a fresh new lease, and moving wasn't so bad at all with a fast Arcanine like Zagreus. Reconnecting with DESIREE BLOOMS was good, and the place she was moving was her's. Little to no rent, and one of her best friends? She was tired of living alone.[break][break]

She texted the selfie of herself finally to the Girlygang Chat. Behind her, the chateau. Desi's chateau, with the message 'this chateau is fantastic!' But, just as much as that, pictures of Lavaridge. A flooding of pictures. Even to the likes of ollie morales . She wanted her Head Ranger to see that she was doing so much better lately, and she even asks for her to send it to paxton concordas . Ultimately, they were right.[break][break]

Hopefully she didn't burn that bridge from their last talk.[break][break]

She also waved her badges to one selfie sent Ollie's way. Even resting, Genny couldn't sit down and just do nothing. This way, she was taking her time off seriously, while always moving forward.[break][break]

With some pep in her step, Genny spins on her heel, pointing her phone every which way, the biggest smile on her face. She's gotten her groove back, and with the sun shining on this slightly chilly autumn day, she keeps taking picture after picture, followed by her favorite little Yamper in the world, Lucky. He may not have his hindlegs, but as he clacks on with his little backwheels, his ears perk up.[break][break]

He races forward. "Lucky! Not too fast!" calls out Genny, quick to follow.[break][break]

Now didn't this seem familiar? Lucky remembers her smell! The pretty lady that Genny met when playing with her? Tongue fully out, he can't wait to do donuts, and show her how well he can do a figure eight!

[attr="class","genny1credit"]

[attr="class","genny1body"]

A detective? Hazel eyes go wide for a spell. "Elaine Highland," she repeats back to the other redhead, only to grab her hand lightly, to shake it slowly. When she lets go, her eyes peer up.[break][break]

"I know how it feels to be powerless. Those without strength don't get to decide how the world works, and in war, it can feel like you're unable to make a difference," she looks towards the window. All of the failures she had on her belt, every friend she lost. All she heard were their last cries and screams, or waking up to them already gone. Every last time, she cried, taking another stone onto a bracelet she had at home.[break][break]

"But you can, Ms. Highland. Every setback is just another reason to get stronger. You're alive." It's the mantra she had been feeling for a lot of her life. "As long as we have two feet, we keep walking, don't we?"[break][break]

Her heart went out to the Gallade that was missing. She hoped that for Elaine's sake, they were alive. Some Pokemon aren't so fortunate, not unlike the trail of corpses she left behind. But their memories are not truly gone.[break][break]

They are what drive her forward.

[attr="class","genny1credit"]

[attr="class","genny1body"]

Genny shakes her head to the sleep medication. Not for lack of trying, but the last time she tried those, she kept waking up. And waking up at all like that, would be like undergoing a nightmare repeatedly. Falling, hitting the ground, falling, hitting the ground. Therapy though? This wasn't the first time she'd heard that. "A friend told me maybe I should. Try therapy, that is." She can still hear paxton concordas reprimanding her. It gives her solace.[break][break]

The pat on the head, and those words. She may not be a psychotherapist, but her idea to focus on what she did accomplish, has Genny quiet, as she turns to Lucky, quietly tilting his head with the biggest, cutest plead on his face.[break][break]

She'd saved Navy from the waters. She's fought many Rockets, gained lots of experience near Dewford. She fended off Hitoshi Inoue from Mossdeep, and kept Mossdeep from being under Rocket. She got everyone out alive in the Ultra Sea with minimal casualties. The dogs were safe, evidently with how Zacian fought with Sheriff Navidson. She's gotten through to not one, but many Rockets.[break][break]

She smiles weakly to Lucky, and over to Nurse Kat. The vision in her head won't let her accept it. Her heart won't accept it. Not fully. If she's breathing, she has time to help. If she's got time to help, she can fix the world. But she doesn't need to stop. Just slow down.[break][break]

"I'll trust you then, Nurse Kat. And try to trust them too." she can feel herself smiling up to the nurse. While it's true, she would never forgive herself if someone important to her died, it's also not her job alone to keep everyone safe.[break][break]

One woman can't stop Rocket alone. And those who are out there now, can take care of themselves too.

[attr="class","genny1credit"]

[attr="class","genny1body"]

It's like striking at smoke. Everything Ollie says, is correct. It doesn't have to just be her. They work as a unit. No one person saves the region, they all do. Ollie and Paxton did train her better than that. And Izzy...[break][break]

It hit so much harder, when Ollie mentioned annalise henderson, and how she had to take a step back... her hands are shaking so much, and her lip quivers. The idea of taking a moment, to sit there and recover and take time off is the furthest thing from her mind. She was so hellbent to fight, and fight, and fight to fix Hoenn's problems. She came to the summit of the mountain, hellbent to reach the top, only to see how far the mountain really was.[break][break]

"No, I... but I-" she's trying to hold it together. She's trying desperately to hold herself here. But it's like fighting a mirror. Despite everything, Ollie's smile could light up the world. Just like it lit up her world.[break][break]

She has to fight to preserve that. But she can do nothing here, laying in a bed, waiting for that moment. Isaac Merlo wouldn't want that though.[break][break]

With all the strength in her hands, she's sobbing as she pulls his hand to her forehead. She's shaking so much, like she's freezing. "But if anything happened to you, I wouldn't forgive myself. Please. I can... I can..." No. No she can't. Not right now. And she knows it.[break][break]

Genny had lost the moment Ollie stepped into this hospital room.

[attr="class","genny1credit"]