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That fighting spirit really was coming in clutch now, as she was able to stand. Her legs felt a slight tremble, but there was no way she was backing down anymore. She was feeling so sorry for herself, and now it came back. Grinning now, confidence glazes over her expression.[break][break]

"It will be." she declares. They weren't going down, not so easy. As Orville gets the ZEN HEADBUTT into his mid-section, the bear takes it in full, the impact hitting him with a powerful force, but one that he will not falter from.[break][break]

Wright is luckier, but nearly crumbles herself at the recoil of her DOUBLE EDGE, and the connecting POISON TAIL, leaving the Togekiss barely standing. But neither of them refused to let her down.[break][break]

Genny takes a step forward, eyes on the Rocket. Though luck did seem to benefit the moment, her Pokemon both were on their last legs. Even with that though...[break][break]

She doesn't back down.[break][break]

"I told you. All the way." Even upon the descending Tapu Koko, her hazel eyes do not falter, and though the fear mounts upon her neck, she doesn't let the fear stop her anymore. She takes another step forward.

Orville takes the moment to walk away from the Sableye, Sidhe nothing compared to the foe up above in his mind. The Togekiss flies lazily towards Genny as well. Both acting as her shields. The new Ursaring gets in position to grapple this monster and throw them into the ground, and the new Togekiss prepares a MOONBLAST for the Sableye, if they come near.[break][break]

"Come at me with all you have. I won't go down."[break][break]

She requests.

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Her spirit is broken. It would come back, in due time. One day. Not any time soon. She could still see the body of the Sylveon before her... and the memory flares up, as the Rocket tells her 30 seconds. The welling of tears flood her eyes...[break][break]

--- MANY YEARS AGO ---[break][break]

Genny had never gone out on her own adventure. She stayed in Alola most her life, and while Mr. Business was always around as the silly little Darumaka, Genny never had a Pokemon that was just her own. She had these aspirations, to be a Ranger just like her mom and pop. Sure, bright-eyed at the TV shows, the Championship title matches. All of that was fantastic, and a sheer delight, but when she heard about Ranger stuff... she knew already she wanted to help people.[break][break]

She started exercising more. She started dieting. She even broke up with her seven-month boyfriend at the time, just so she could focus on a career she could have. All of that, at the age of fifteen. She knew what she wanted to be in life.[break][break]

But she never had that partner Pokemon.[break][break]

Until Serenity.[break][break]

It must have been that holiday season. The tree was up, Father Winter said to deliver those little gifts. When one gift began to shake the night before presents were to open. It was a very new gift. A Pokeball. For Genny? What was in it? The young redhead had woken up and gone to inspect it, happy and giddy. She shook it. When it popped out of the ball itself.[break][break]

The bright-eyes of an Eevee, freshly-hatched, greets her happily. Mewing, and jumping into Genny's arms. Her parents would catch her opening presents just a wee bit too early. Though they couldn't be mad.[break][break]

She gained her name from how much support she gave Genny. How wonderful she always was. When she broke up with a guy, Serenity was always there. When she needed to cry, Serenity was always there.[break][break]

She was her serenity.[break][break]

---[break][break]

Thirty seconds later. Genny was gone. She managed to pull Serenity's body free of that ice kebab... but the whole time she ran, all she could do was fiercely cry. Her dream crashing to reality. Her heart nosediving and spiraling out of control.[break][break]

Her emotional support. Debilitated.[break][break]

She couldn't remember when she stopped.

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Trapped by the circumstance alone, Genny takes a step forward. Her lip trembles, and she winces. Her fists clinch, but a glance towards Frosty's sleeping form... she returns him. No more death. No more.[break][break]

With a bitter reluctance to every step, she walks towards and past the Rocket. If nothing else, she didn't knock her out like the one in the cave for trying (marcus kotov ), or outright break her spirit. She lent an ear. But the world had done something awful to her... it had betrayed her. Someone, or something had closed the door.[break][break]

As she steps forward, stopping to look back...[break][break]

"I hope one day, you can. Even if it's just me who has to hold the door open." she tries to shoot her a soft, small smile. No hard feelings meant... Genny failed her mission. But that didn't bother her compared to the Rocket behind her.[break][break]

She continues to walk.

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Maybe she did deserve the sleep... she'd been so busy lately, moving to Lilycove, getting used to work, helping Gunner Graves with a missing kids case off-hours... she needed the sleep for sure, with how much she pushes herself. But now, she had this. She's so much more relaxed off-duty. Unlike the Ultra Sea, or the previous tunnel excursion.[break][break]

The moment the Dachsbun wuffs, Genny is on the ground, and petting the bake-bodied baby, unable to pry away. "WHOSE A GOOD BOY? YOU ARE. YES YOU ARE." She's petting with such a force...[break][break]

Her attention shoots up to Lammy, and there it was; proof of her brightness. She was grinning again. "Yeah! I don't exactly recall a lot from before." She's busy just petting Bagel Bite, before her hazel eyes look up, the thought bubble appearing so fluffy in her mind. "It's like... I was really depressed. But then, after you, ollie morales, and Izzy (Isaac Merlo) got to me, and with some time, I started asking why I was so sad." It's less that the trauma was addressed, and more that it was locked away, behind a chain of memory.[break][break]

Come to think of it-[break][break]

"I think the last mission was when I cut my hair too. But I don't remember why anymore." she moves a hand back to feel the orange strands, much better-looking with some care than the sloppy cut it had left her with before. An actual hairdresser finally having gotten to her.

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War never really changes, does it? It just keeps going. Idealism crashes into rigid realism. With it, the weight of the world on the shoulders. More war. More blood... something she isn't ready for.[break][break]

Knowing that the gym circuit is to help teach, Genny's eyes still hold that sadness, and with it, her legs shake, and she grabs at them. Eyes move towards Sherwood, asleep and napping, and she tries to smile. She knows her weakness so well, because it's weakness she's so used to by now.[break][break]

"My Pokemon are strong. They lift the load for me... they love me. The sacrifice everything for me... I keep training but, nothing quite sits. I keep losing more friends." She moves a hand over those carved pebbles, each set of initials for one, to mark that they once lived. She grasps each, the tears pricking her eyes, as she holds that smile. "I'm strong with ingenuity. But... I lack the strategy and resolve to keep them safe. My offense is solid, but my defense is lacking... they make up for it with their lives." It was just as much her job to keep her Pokemon safe as it was for them to keep her safe. But Genny had been failing at that this whole time.[break][break]

So. In summation.[break][break]

"If I can become the Champion... maybe I can gain the skill and power needed to keep one more Pokemon from dying in battle." She looks up towards Navy... and her eyes are welling up. Her lip quivers, but that toothy grin pushes through anyways.[break][break]

Sweet summer child.

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"Got it." Genny begins running already, not thinking twice about it. Hobbies can come later, but that Oranguru was about to get what was coming to them. And with a Pokeball thrown forward, Zagreus the Arcanine bursts out, as Genny orders out.[break][break]

"Bite down and Crunch'em." They'd capture it for later, but as the dog races outwards, fast as the flames the massive dog made, he races around, and cuts the monkey off. Taking this monkey down was integral to the mission at hand. And Kouji could likely handle himself with the other mon. Whatever it was.[break][break]

Unfortunately for Genny, a bit slap of PSYCHIC energy pulled Zagreus up before they could connect and threw them to the side, eyes bloodshot with the look of insanity, as Genny slides across the ground towards Zagreus.[break][break]

No hostage situation.[break][break]

As Zagreus huffs up flames, Genny stares them down, holding her badge out.[break][break]

"You're coming with me."[break][break]

Hopefully, Kouji was faring better...

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With each Trainer's Pokemon out and ready, this battle would handled all too soon, and the wildlife preserved, and despite the raging Gyarados itself, Genny didn't feel pressured at all. A calm, cool confidence washes over her, as the THUNDER WAVE forces upon the beast a nasty PARALYSIS. While it doesn't seem to slow down the moves too much, it does make it much easier to hit. And what, with its moves much more sluggish, a HYDRO PUMP narrowly escapes the flying Tropius, likely thanks in part to the FLOWER SHIELD, but unable to escape the MAGICAL LEAF in turn, barraged by the powerful cascade of leaves.[break][break]

With this in mind, as soon as the Gyarados reaches the precipice of Pacifilog, it's when Bubbles leaps out of the water, grinning madly as the Marill moves its tail up and towards the body into a full-powered, Belly Drum'd SLAM, smacking the massive snake out of reach, as the STEALTH ROCK storm comes in soon after, smashing onto their body and causing plenty of damage already before they even got a lick of damage in.[break][break]

With a turn towards Desiree, Genny coos out. "Oh this is gonna be easy!" she's grinning so much now, and while it may be a little flirty, it's more of a sass-off on this snake. Something Genny rarely indulges in. Since her promotion, she'd gotten a lot of confidence moving ahead![break][break]

Calling out, she orders Wander. "Thunder Punch, Wander!" And with the RAIN DANCE in place?[break][break]

Ain't a chance in hell that Gyarados was dodging. And with the blast of lightning from her claws... that Gyarados roars out in FURY, an INTIMIDATE on all the foes in anger, FLAILing out everywhere and ruining bits of the Pacifilog Town structural integrity.

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As always, Momo is appreciated for how okay she is. She nods, and takes a grasp of the situation. Though she is a Coordinator, Genny is glad it's Momo that's here with her. That calming aura, the Grass-typing she has so naturally symbolic and hopefully something to calm the Vaporeon down.[break][break]

With a lean down, Genny moves a hand slowly towards the Vaporeon, hazel eyes longingly on the little water baby. With a moment, the Vaporeon cries out.[break][break]

With it, Genny and Momo both are immediately tackled into the ground, and cried into, tears-staining both of their outfits. The mews and cries of a Vaporeon torn away from home are so potent, as she eyes towards Momo. The feeling of being so far from home, and the cries themselves. The Vaporeon just wanted to go home. Like a child, screaming for their mother.[break][break]

And Genny, lovingly, cups the Vaporeon's cheeks in her gloved hands, and smiles. "It's okay... this is Momo, and my name is Genny. Over there, is Chica... and here-" her Mudkip pops up with a wave- "-is Blue. It's okay."[break][break]

The crying of a Pokemon does well to break Genny's heart, but she'll stay strong. She just hopes Momo can as well, now bundled in this alleyway with a Vaporeon bawling their eyes out.

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The brightness on Genevieve's face is beyond exuberant, the sheer joy of showing up the competition. It still doesn't settle the fact that her first round was a blunder, but if she takes anything from today, it was knowing she had learned her mistake.[break][break]

One of these days, she's absolutely going to hang out with the Pink Squad. Momo Sakai , luka chêne , DESIREE BLOOMS , and heck, add Julie Solette ! Genny's getting fired up now! Genny's mom always did tell her she needed more female friends, after all.[break][break]

Flower-based bubble tea, huh? Sunflowers can't really go into bubble tea, not to her knowledge. It'd taste weird. Ah... that's sad. That's her favorite. She racks her brain, and wanted to do something out of the box... so. She does just that. And in front of the whole stage, she orders Sherwood. "Slam." And with it.[break][break]

A coconut is busted in half, one half that Genny keeps as much water as she can to take to a boil in a pot, and Genny begins her work on tapioca balls once more. It's unorthodox, but it's something different, a stretch. As she gets her Jasmine Green tea bags ready, she goes for honey too. This time, however, she leaves the cups well alone.[break][break]

It's super unorthodox, but she's going to serve this in the coconut shell itself. It's definitely going to be a risk.[break][break]

As the tapioca pearls boil, and readied in ice water, and the tea is done, she adds just two tablespoons of honey, letting it sit, and getting that coconut ready. In goes the tapioca pearls, the tea, some milk, and some ice. Two Boba-sized straws...[break][break]

And Sherwood and Genevieve reveal it. "The floral scent of Jasmine Green Bubble Tea, made with coconut water, filled with milk, and laced with sweetness of honey, served in a coconut half."[break][break]

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Her heels wheel around immediately after the Rocket's command, and the redhead stares as the Abomasnow collapses from exhaustion. The HYPNOSIS hits true, leaving Genny defenseless, and at the mercy to the Rocket in front of her.[break][break]

"Frosty..."[break][break]

With it, it was effortless to push through. Genny knew better than to push that limit. Still... it absolutely confounds her how she cannot keep them from continuing. But... maybe she can change their mind?[break][break]

Good a shot as any.[break][break]

"They'd only gatekeep it if it meant it could fall into the wrong hands." She holds true, defending the League. Maybe this woman can work freely, but not all scientific progress can be good progress, can it? She holds true to that thought. "Is there no middleground? Deals are made from give and take, so is there no room for negotiation?" Maybe they were like some of the other Rockets she had met...[break][break]

... maybe not though.

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With a smile, Genny wonders if he'll keep his head on straight. But, if people like her keep pulling him down to earth, maybe he can get through this. Everyone needed someone to keep them down to earth. To take a breath, and look over leaping before the inhale.[break][break]

"You better. This date isn't going to go great if you're busy thinking on everything else." It's playful, the way she says date is less flirty, because her tone is more worried than anything.[break][break]

With a moment, as she moves her other hand to Isaac's, she calls out.[break][break]

"Come on then. Let's go enjoy the night."[break][break]

After all, it was just beginning.

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Again. This was the second time a Rocket had stated that. That this wasn't a matter of what they wanted. It's... harrowing. Knowing that now, Genny was left with more questions than answers. One said they owed debt, but the other... this woman...[break][break]

Trouble comes knocking on her door. And with it, Genny feels such a distinct melacholy. This faction war, this us versus them mentality, it was more complicated. As much as some were the villains, some weren't what they appeared to be.[break][break]

So she stops. She halts. And Fawkes and Guardian watch. As the victory is gotten.[break][break]

Genny lets them go. "... I hope you can find your peace, one day."[break][break]

It's all she can do... and then they're gone, with the wind. All Genny can think is how little power she had at the moment. But no longer. No more.[break][break]

One day. She'll break the wheel. And reinvent it.

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When they find the kids, Genny's mouth is agape, her eyes widen. The immediate thought of what if it had been me comes. It burns its way through her mind, and with it, she's already started coming over to them. Brushing them off, and quickly moving to grab them by the hand.[break][break]

It's horror... but the nightmare for these kids is over. And as her hand grabs one of the boys, she turns towards Agent Graves. The nightmare seems to have hurt Genny fully.[break][break]

"Let's get them outside, Agent Graves." She is trying to stay strong, a facial expression bearing the weight of all the stress she felt, the sagging smile that is pulled by the weight of that abject horror. They needed to get out. They needed freedom. To bring them to safety was all she wanted now...[break][break]

Even as emergency services arrived... Genny would not forget a night like tonight. Not any time soon.

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