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"..." Genny's silence speaks volumes. Others will die. A shield cannot protect everyone. In this tumultuous world, this war designed to take and take, take and take. Her gaze lowering.[break][break]

The problem with it, is that now that Inoue Hitoshi has a name, and not just a blanketed Rocket, it's just like every other Rocket she gets to know. Each one is complicated, fighting for reasons, against an insurmountable 'good force'. A force that would turn on their own and kill their own. That would hurt each other.[break][break]

In these ways, they are the same.[break][break]

Both, workaholics for their faction, to be better, stronger. Two powerful forces, unstoppable forces, two unmovable objects, forced to fight at each other. Two who cannot die.[break][break]

And she remembers what she said to someone. A former Rocket, coal doe . A former Rocket who, despite everything, chose the other side. Her hand stretches outwards, into a handshake, a beckon.[break][break]

Ky fights on, a slash dark as night comes for Ky. But the morning sun blazes on, and if he cannot use the arms, he will compensate, jumping upwards, and kicking with all his might, the Zeraora firing in a BLAZE KICK. The pain is immeasurable, and Ky barely flops on his two pawed feet, leg raised up and bruised.[break][break]

And Genny speaks.[break][break]

Were Rockets ever truly lost forever?[break][break]

"I've lied this whole time-" she grabs towards her heart with the hand stretched out, the scorching flame burning bright. "Kill you? I've wanted revenge all this time... you and a number of other Rockets. You're the first who gave your name. Your the first I can see, with my two eyes in the heat of battle." She clinches at pain, her heart in agony over this. "I've stalled so long, because at the end of the day, I can't take revenge. I can't end you. At my worst, when I had a chain around my face and neck, I could've. When my mind was plagued by visions of a future I wanted to see, I thought I could do it. I still want to do it. I want you to feel pain."[break][break]

"I can't forget. But maybe one day, I can forgive. And maybe, one day you can too," she smiles wide towards Inoue. For a moment, in his humanity, he looked awfully handsome. "If you cannot stop yourself," then, as she feels Gram glow behind her, she flips him back to point to Hitoshi. "-then I will win."[break][break]

Like a shell, Beachboy's shell begins to shake.

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And then the monster reveals his name. And Genny's job is made infinitely harder. Inoue Hitoshi. A person. This isn't a dog of Rocket, this is a human being. A name makes it harder, a name has a history, friends, family, lovers. But to hesitate now, means she cannot defend Hoenn. A shield must defend from everything, and a crack means the shield is weak.[break][break]

She steels herself, and looks on with a smile. He was a Dog of Rocket. They sit in opposition, two flames within the rain, burning stronger, feeding off of one another. As he is unrivaled under heaven, she intends to transcend and defy even the heavens.[break][break]

"Inoue," she starts, as Ky moves to clash with the LEAF BLADE, the blast of thunder sounding across the field at a diminished consistency, the blade slicing over the Zeraora's fist, as he spins on one paw backwards, charging back with a POWER-UP PUNCH to try and get level out his diminished battle power, trying to reclaim the sky once more. One worthy foe below, out cold, and Ky would take another, as they rose to their own Mega power. Another hearty foe. What will Ky sacrifice to win this time...?[break][break]

Genny can't help but smile though. In another life, maybe they could have been friends. If two Pokemon's blood wasn't on his hands, if his Pokemon's blood wasn't on her own, this could have been amicable. "-I can't die yet. I'm sorry about Jubei... but I won't let you take anyone else. You are strong, but for every life you claim you'll take,"[break][break]

"I'll protect ten. I'll show I'm stronger than you." Genny makes the declaration, as Beachboy stares on, and utilizes SHELTER for the first time, hiding inside of his steel shell. A metamorphosis beginning.

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Beachboy throws them both backwards, in different directions. It's defensive, but Genny finds herself tumbling backwards, body wrapped in pain, pulsing. Even in the fall break, something she learned to control the amount of pain she was dealt was tremendous, and she could feel it with every agonizing step upwards, like she was barely pulling herself up.[break][break]

Make no mistake. Her mind had her up in seconds. Bring it on. Her eyes still aflame, burning brilliantly like a funeral pyre, fueled by her friend, her partner Pokemon, all of Hoenn. To those lost who came before, and to those who yet live ahead.[break][break]

He waxes poetically about killing plenty. How he'll kill till he's killed.[break][break]

"Make no mistake," She holds Gram, the Honedge hanging onto consciousness. Her left eye felt like it was swollen, she pulls her tie loose and throws it aside. "If that's what it takes to stop you, then you die. So bring it on till there's nothing left." she declares, breathing heavily, her panting heavy as she takes a knee.[break][break]

Beachboy moves between them, while from the clap of thunder sounds, so too does the god of lightning, Ky, as he leaps from the battlefield below and lands. The yellow cat, bloody, bruised, but not yet broken.[break][break]

"Beachboy..." The Sliggoo looks her way. He would protect Genny over everything. She needed a second to breathe. He smiles wide, ready to face the titan of a foe, beginning with a RAIN DANCE. Within the cleansing tranquil cascade, the lightning wielder begins to clap, zig-zagging forward towards Lancelot, a starting PLASMA FISTS at half its efficiency, even as the rain ensured his mark. Why?[break][break]

Because the god of lightning and thunder could only feel one arm at present. The Plasma Fists was singular, and one of the Zeraora's eyes was pummeled in, completely busted.[break][break]

Genny calls out.[break][break]

"My name is Genevieve Cromwell, Elite Ranger, future Champion and Shield of Hoenn. And you! Will! Fall!" She was not on empty, not yet. She'll burn until her life is gone.

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Life is so fleeting. In those moments, the regret comes in. Molly races downwards, moving to slam into the Lapras, not watching the mammoth's trajectory. She is skewered on blades, torn apart on lava and fire. In her last moments, as she lands on Jubei, Genny's eyes are fastened on the death ahead of her.[break][break]

Again she's too weak to stop it. Again, it's because of this Pokemon wanting to help. Again, she fails to help. And in those moments, Genny's throat is coarse with a yell. To flee, to get out, to help the Ceruledge, anything. But the die is cast, and the mammoth burns, a funeral for two. No matter what she screams, and she does scream, it doesn't make an ounce of difference.[break][break]

The blood and fire has already etched into her mind. A double kill, both sides taking first blood at once.[break][break]

Molly. A sweet old girl, gone. Just like that. Another lost to this Rocket Dog. Another.[break][break]

Her head turns towards Hitoshi, seeing red. Her teeth grit, she mirrors the man ahead of her. "NO MORE." With her whole strength, the fire reignites as she moves to slam the blade onto the shadowy katana, uncertain of what insidious move is in store for her. Gram screeches out in pain, feeling as if the power is being stolen from him, and all Genny can do is look on. Red. She sees red, she feels red. She is the red hot flame, and she burns brighter than ever.[break][break]

All she wants is the power to put him in the ground. That's what he deserves. That what Molly deserves, to make the win, but all Gram can do is screech, his energy sapped from him in that SHADOW STEAL. "YOU WON'T TAKE ANYONE ELSE." she pushes down with her all her own strength with Gram, her wrist and arm burning from pain.[break][break]

From one of her spare Pokeballs, of four remaining, bursts out a Hisuiian Sliggoo. From below the two, the Sliggoo pulses upwards, a point blank DRAGON PULSE to try and split both of the fighters apart before Gram is taken too.

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The only victory afforded to Genny is how calm she is, and how not-calm it seemed Hitoshi was in response. He was definitely a much more vicious contender than she gave initial credit for, their clash in the Silent Icelands came to mind. But this time, Genny was under his skin, rent-free in his head. Genny fought hard to get here.[break][break]

And she wasn't leaving any time soon. She grits her teeth, she plants her feet, and she holds Gram out, as LIFE DEW rains over them. Her eyes widened. "No." The panic in her voice is palpable.[break][break]

The fire begins to shrink to that of embers.[break][break]

"Molly, quake again! Gram-" she sees almost too late, as Hitoshi races for her, and all the redhead can do, is throw Gram in retaliation, defending herself with a retaliatory SACRED SWORD, but the pain in her hand and wrist from the strike has her cry out loudly. NO. She grips tighter, biting on her bottom lip to force herself to focus on pain in another part of her body. Blood trickles downwards. I WILL NOT FALL.[break][break]

The look in Genny's eyes is nearly deranged.[break][break]

"Keep barking, puppy," she smirks, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth.[break][break]

Molly, on the other hand, leaps upwards, moving to once more EARTHQUAKE, but via the momentum of coming down, she does not see Jubei's blades at the ready, skewering herself on the blades, the mammoth screaming out. At best, a glancing blow to the Lapras.

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Stoic, Genny's facial expression doesn't change. If people didn't know better, they would think this dead-pan look was normal. It was far from it. But in her claiming that the dog before her was weak, she did not falter. She forced herself, to surround herself, to learn. She forced herself from the bottom of the mountain, to reach the summit by learning from others, climbing, and putting all of it together. By time she reached that summit, her fire would be the strongest.[break][break]

The Rocket Dog's flame wasn't shit, and she would prove it would be ineffective with Molly's defense. A shame how arrogant she had become in that, as once the Rocket started to lose his composure, Genny remained steadfast. But in that arrogance, she would come to rue her words.[break][break]

He let himself get angry, but as the spectral knight appeared, Genny's eyes would watch on, as the Ceruledge races forward, a BITTER BLADE on their wake. As Molly made the strike to take the Lapras down from above, unfortunate was it that the mammoth saw the Ceruledge coming, far too late. Genny throws her arm with Gram forward.[break][break]

And watches, as Gram burns, the blade in hand screaming loud, as the clashing blade was ill made, and Genny had underestimated her opponent. Genny's eyes flash, and the fire, for a moment, is too much. She lets go of the Honedge, as Gram falls to embed into the Lapras, her button-up shirt burned as her hand and wrist suffer a massive burn. With a cry, she grabs at herself. And then she starts bleeding.[break][break]

She miscalculated. She wanted to go beyond to the summit, but the climb had only gotten her halfway.[break][break]

Had Gram not utilized IRON DEFENSE at the exact moment of contact, Genny would have lost her hand. Now four stages of Defense, Gram needed to breathe, take a minute to recoop, which meant it was Molly's turn to defend. And quickly rushing to push Jubei out of the way with her tusks, she summons an onslaught of ANCIENT POWER rocks to keep the Ceruledge busy.[break][break]

Genny was crying out. But the look in her eye wasn't fear.[break][break]

It was anger. Righteous anger. She would NOT lose here. She FORCES herself off the ground.[break][break]

Getting back to her feet, she slid down that mountain she had been climbing, but even when the fire gets hot, she burns brighter. "I'm not shit? You bark like a Houndour with a bad temper." She stands tall. She's bleeding, but she won't go down. "Once I end you, I'm hunting the rest of you down."[break][break]

She pulls Gram back out, and holds it back, her hand burning still from the pain. It's unreal how much agony she's in.[break][break]

"That your best, puppy of Rocket?"[break][break]

Genny was full talking down to Hitoshi now.

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For a moment, standing there, a paragon to Hoenn, the hero that was desired by Sylvia Cousteau , stands true, at the ready. She would not hesitate to take every advantage laid bare. She was no warrior, but she feigned the strength of one. Her hazel eyes had a burning resolve, fire and brimstone. Her wish was to see the world better, even at the cost of herself. At everything. She would defend Hoenn, and move onto the next person. Be that the number of Rockets who ailed her (Victoria Beckett , mint frost ), or the Avatar of Necrozma that hurt her loved ones (Zev Harcourt ).[break][break]

Genny will bury them. To defend Hoenn, to protect this world of devastation, there can be no hesitation. Genny watches on, as he steps back, and intends to charge. Relentless flame, burning everything in its way, and then-[break][break]

The Rocket does something. He stabs his own arm, and Genny pauses. "What?" Her hazel eyes hold intrigue, curiosity, and paranoia. For the shadowed blade ignites, and Genny's eyes widen. The BLAST BURN fireball comes hurtling, and with it, Genny makes the decision. Pokeball in her other hand, she throws it down.[break][break]

"BLOCK IT, MOLLY!" The ball does not take long to hit the ground, and with it, the Mamoswine blasts outwards in time to take a direct blow from the BLAST BURN, Genny hiding behind her, Gram in hand. But she never once stopped thinking. Molly had THICK FAT, meaning fire wasn't as damaging to her as it could be. Even if she looked weak, the Mamoswine screams.[break][break]

"You're too weak for me now."[break][break]

Genny holds Gram out, taking off her suit jacket, and tossing it away.[break][break]

"Quake."[break][break]

Molly leaps upwards, intending to strike Hitoshi, the Lapras, and the Honedge with a massive EARTHQUAKE, while Genny held Gram upwards, utilizing IRON DEFENSE to protect herself from the quake.

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The battle of Ky and the Annihilape rages on as the strike of thunder and lightning blasts forward, the Zeraora roaring. The lightning wielder races forward with their own fist. If RAGE is all that exists within the yokai's fist, than the god will respond in kind with FURY. As he meets the fist with his own, he begins the flurry of PLASMA FISTS, their signature, as lightning crashes down behind the Ranger and Rocket.[break][break]

The storm continues.[break][break]

As Genny clashes with the Dog of Rocket, the swing of two SACRED SWORDS come together in a metal screech. Her hazel eyes peer at the Rocket before her. Her flame would encapsulate both of them, but only one of them would stand, and the other...[break][break]

Ash.[break][break]

Genny is no swordswoman. At best, she had a little practice with Desi, and little more with Gram. It was clear the Rocket before her, in two fights, had some level of training. But aim isn't needed if she can call every shot. Every Sacred Sword finds its way to a target, no matter where that target sits. In a way, aim assist was keeping her going.[break][break]

"I may have lost that station... but it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make if it means protecting Hoenn." Gram's mouth opens, and the screech of a METAL SOUND sounds out, to pierce the ears of the Rocket, and to disarm him.[break][break]

Her eyes look closer, filled with brimstone. If the vision from that ship is to be true, she must survive, she must win, and she must end him, and Rocket both. To protect Hoenn, to be the shield...[break][break]

She will kill.

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In tandem, the Zeraora backflips away, stancing up on the monstrous monkey before them. The electro cat stares on, eyes filled with a determination. Genevieve threw them out to be the first line of defense. The trust she felt for him was all the cat needed, as she didn't need to look back. Ky would win.[break][break]

The Thunder Bringer watches, his leg bruised by that raging fist. But when the second punch comes, the god of lightning needed to respond in kind, flipping his tail outwards into a flipping IRON TAIL to meet the DRAIN PUNCH. Every strike the Annihilape made, the cat would meet sooner than the ape wanted, attempting to throw off the damage, but this one was enough to make the Zeraora thrown backwards, and with a tumble, they ate shit for a moment.[break][break]

Round two to the monkey. Wiping blood from their face, the Lightning Wielder stances up, charging with electricity. If they wish to see the god's power, Ky will answer.[break][break]

---[break][break]

Ahead, Genny would stare at Hitoshi. To every darkness he levies her way, she will illuminate it with the flame in her heart and soul. Blade at the ready, when he asks her, she stays quiet. The moment he makes the bridge, Genny pulls the Honedge at the ready.[break][break]

"No more chances," she holds the blade likened to how she wielded one against DESIREE BLOOMS during sparring, as she walks up the bridge, before beginning to run. She would show the dog how far she's come, racing upwards towards the Dog of Rocket. "You want to see me?"[break][break]

She sprints, blade at the ready, Gram's eyes squinting in fury, as she runs. "Then watch!"[break][break]

With every ounce of power in her arm, she slams downwards, and Gram acts in kind, forcing a strike, with SACRED SWORD. If she was about to miss, now she won't. But she's not done. The moment of impact, Genny attempts to kick the Rocket's knee in. Thanks to Thea Naito, she knows that she needs to do more to win.

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The explosion sounds behind her. A failure Genny suffers, but one that is far from her mind. In truth, she had no means to defend against the destruction of the coastal artillery station. Perhaps she'll get scolded later.[break][break]

Later, when she takes the dog's head.[break][break]

Meeting the man head on, his words were like a curse on her psyche. Him again. Her eyes are fiercer, and as she dives into the beach, the veil keeps them in blood feud, a duel between them that was long-since overdue. The losses weigh heavily on her mind, she doesn't let them break her focus. In fact, she's glad.[break][break]

There's no second chance for this dog.[break][break]

"Strengthen," she mutters one word, and Gram immediately closes his eye. With it, the empowerment of SWORDS DANCE covers the blade in a sheen of resolve, as she continue to run. Eyes on the Dog, and ready to kill at a moment's notice. She wasn't going to make the mistake again.[break][break]

The Dog was her fight, and Ky was going to take on the fray, and it starts with an ape, that the Zeraora meets RAGE FIST to BLAZE KICK, throwing his whole leg forward. This ape did not deserve the indignation of lightning, but the flames of hell as they clash. The cat squints, and throws his head towards Genny. Her turn to settle the score.[break][break]

Her eyes are far more focused, as she nears him. And with Gram in her hand, she gets into stance. Blade out, feet spread. The fierce hero that Sylvia Cousteau dreamed of, was here. "Come."[break][break]

Her fire burns strong. But for how long?

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