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His words are hard to hear. Unstoppable? His willpower... Sheriff... dignity... it's all blending together. His cape flaps in the wind upon his approach, the move growing closer and closer. The looming colossus above, the armored man below. She can't step back. She feels every inch hurt.[break][break]

'Long time no see, Cromwell.'[break][break]

Genny's eyes light up with recognition. "What?" He knew her? His voice is familiar. Another Rocket from back then. One she said her name to, one who knows her. It isn't that hacker asshole (mint frost), and it isn't Hitoshi Inoue... Her eyes light up. "It's you," she whimpers in recognition. From the route off Dewford. When they were fighting on islands, he was the one she spoke to. Told him to get out, refused to fight him, because of some fucked-up hope that he could do better. And here was. Another mistake she made. Now he was strong. Now he was likely a problem for the League. Now, he was a monster.[break][break]

All because of her inability to pull the trigger. And here he was, mirrored to her back then. She was in no condition to fight, and even less to win. But how he talked about Bulu, how he ordered her to leave them, left the worst taste in her mouth. Because she let him walk too. Only difference was...[break][break]

She grits her teeth, and plants her feet. Tired eyes flash with determination. "No."[break][break]

With everything in her body, she throws herself forward, with all the force of a plushie hitting a wall, and punches her fist weakly forward, colliding into the armor. It's not even strong enough to hurt him. It's not even strong enough to hurt herself.[break][break]

Oh. Oh no.[break][break]

Snarling from behind within the icy winds of a BLIZZARD, the bull forces themselves to endure, healing with the GRASSY TERRAIN from the surge, the flowers blooming into an icy bloom. Bulu endures through it, the bull staring on, with a glint in their eyes. To compensate for the stamina drain this colossus gave, the terrain would help mitigate. But with a rush forward, so too would his horn, in a HORN LEECH, smash into the colossus to recover as much as possible.[break][break]

As Bulu snarls, Genny roars, but they are not in sync. "I will make that future a reality, even if I fall. I have to." The weakened off-duty Ranger tries to push back with heroic-martyrdom, but is far too weak to do so. Skulley, from nearby, readies for the moment the Rocket makes a single movement.[break][break]

dahlia goode had to choose her for a reason. Right? Even at the cost of everything.

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Molly was gotten so young, when she was a smaller Piloswine out in the wilds during a winter before this one. The region had cooled to ice, and she had found her there. So young. But nothing was quite as strong as Jubei's own impact on Hitoshi. She'd never have taken that from him.[break][break]

Instead, she moves a hand closer to Hitoshi. Without fear of recoil, without fear of death, she places her hand on his, and shakes her head. His hand is warm. Warm like Cheeto's purrs, which he is not giving to Hitoshi, more squinty eyes at him. Cheeto did not like Hitoshi at all.[break][break]

"Of course. We can't forget those who helped us along the way." Maybe she was a little too close. And when he starts reciting that there was good in him, her smile grows, only to be shot down like a Spearow in the fields, forced to fall to earth. He was bad, he wasn't giving it up.[break][break]

She'd have to kill him.[break][break]

"..." her hand is pulled away as the wind gently moves through the streets, pushing past them. With that same hand, she moves it through her hair, as that wind caresses both of them.[break][break]

"And if I don't, could you kill me, Hitoshi?"

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Trees fall into ice. Autumn collapes to winter, and leaves became daggers that fell to the ground, but the armored man sits upon the colossus, the shadow appearing over her and Skulley both. Her vision is shaky, but Genny perseveres because she has to.[break][break]

"You," she stands tall as she can, alone. She shakes it off, and eyes the man atop the colossus. Not a break. No break for her. All three Rockets seem to be the kind that would take her life.[break][break]

She grabs at her arms. If it gets too cold, she could get hypothermia, or worse. She had to end this fast. "Skulley..." She pats her Marowak, sweetly looking at the Pokemon she loved. Another family member, and one she wouldn't sacrifice.[break][break]

"If I don't get out of this, run as far away as you can," she gives her the smile as Skulley begins tearing up, hugging Genny. Her arms are shaky, and strong, but she knows, as Genny hugs back, that this is for Skulley's survival. Her one Pokeball comes out. Bulu was tired from two other fights, but a legend continues. A legend perseveres. Right? She looks at her reflection.[break][break]

"Then I better end this quickly. Please... one more time."[break][break]

Toss up. The bull bursts out, and snorts out hot air once out to all the cold. The battle damage Tapu Bulu had received already was manageable, but against this match-up, they were on the backfoot.[break][break]

"Bulu. Spring will be nice, won't it?" Bulu's head swivels back towards Genny. The poor girl was barely keeping herself together. The bull turns back.[break][break]

And from him, comes the GRASSY SURGE with a loud cry from Bulu. It may be winter, but the world around belongs to nature, and as nature heals, he snorts with anger to the machine of winter. Bulu pulls one of the many trees out of the ground, and intends to bat the man, and the colossus with it in one powerful WOOD HAMMER.[break][break]

Genny can't take even a step forward. She's barely on her two feet as is. Wobbling. paxton concordas was right.[break][break]

She's going to get herself killed.

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The sun shoots into the sky, parting the clouds, and Genny turns to see it, before the source of the newly reinvigorated daylight. Her head swivels back to face the Rocket. Unknown to her, they had fought before in the skies above Dewford. She didn't need to know it.[break][break]

Then he says something. Interloper, an insult she doesn't quite piece together, not out of ignorance but by choice. End up like Captain Nariya, though. Her friend, Shalin Nariya. Genny's eyes light up with fury. She points downwards, standing atop of Shale, as she calls out.[break][break]

"Give her, and Petalburg, back." she points at Baron Bashington. And immediately, Shale's eyes burn on target, as they mark him with UMBRAL PREDATOR, ready to eviscerate the Gouging Fire. And then comes the divebomb, as Genny pulls upwards. The most notable part is her lack of holding back.[break][break]

With one ROCK SLIDE cascading downwards to Dorian and Baron Bashington.[break][break]

Genny no longer cared if this Rocket lived or died. She'll bury Petalburg if it gets Shalin back. A recklessness that was inevitably going to get her killed, if she stayed that path.

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No resting. None. None. Pushing against a tree to keep upright, her legs feel like gelatin. She's overdone it, and the worse part is, is that she still doesn't feel like she's done anything.[break][break]

Two Rockets were fought, focused on her, and her alone. How many lives has she saved? Has Rocket backed down?[break][break]

paxton concordas's words ring all the more clear for her. 'One soldier doesn't win the fight.' But even so, if she doesn't fight, she isn't supporting the rest of the League. She isn't acting in conjunction. The League is like a machine, every part has to contribute to make it work. Which means, even if she can't act as a Ranger...[break][break]

She will fight.[break][break]

She will win.[break][break]

She has to. She pushes off the tree, standing beside her Marowak. Skulley presses a hand to her side, the Alolan Marowak fearful of her Trainer. She's not been like this since Dewford.[break][break]

If she goes further, she'll fall.

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She can't keep doing this, but her pride won't let her stop. If she rests, people die. She wipes her face of sweat, throwing her hand to her side to let the sweat hit the ground as she looks to the road. Rustboro is this way. She already fought one close to Oldale, and Shale took a considerable amount of damage. As did she.[break][break]

But she's still breathing. Which means she can still fight this war.[break][break]

On the ground, having wrapped herself up with bandages best she could, she gets back to her feet, behind her the green gecko stands tall, leaf blades drawn as she walks on. Sherwood readied herself to protect at every moment. Genny was on her last legs in Sootopolis, and hasn't recovered.[break][break]

She'll die before she lets Genny go down. As they near the beach of Route 104, the sun in its beautiful golden glow of dusk washes over all, as Sceptile keeps eyes out every direction.

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Rocket doesn't sleep. They continue to push, and every bit of therapy, every bit of training, every part of her is pushing ahead. Her team is ready.[break][break]

Rest is wrong. She can't sit around and let Rustboro or Oldale burn. She will hold the flag, and rebel against them at every turn. She will do it, even if she's told not to. Even if she's told she has to rest. Every part of her body hurts. If Nurse Katharina Strophe saw her out here, if ollie morales saw her out here, if Navy, or paxton concordas, they may have words, questions, they may refute.[break][break]

But, she stands in the way, and she won't let them come. Not another step.[break][break]

Upon the back of the shadow stalker, the shadow Aerodactyl flies in the sky, ready to take on any foe. She may not be a Ranger right now, but if she falters and lays down now, they'll take more. More die. More people die if she doesn't fight.[break][break]

If that means she burns... so be it.[break][break]

As she scouts over the skies, grabbing at her side, she tightens her grip. Readying for the conflict, readying for the battles to come. Her eyes are focused, more than they've ever been, but also conscious of the ground below.[break][break]

In case of a dizzying fall.

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"Might be too loud for me, honestly," she starts, a hand placed firmly onto her hip as she rolls her other wrist for a little emphasis. "But it's by the sea. Just like home." Like Hau'oli, in almost every single way. The smell of sea salt, the beachside resort town. It was almost perfect.[break][break]

Something was missing though. lam logan was here. This was his town. But she never quite settled after moving from Slateport City.[break][break]

Hitoshi's response about Kanto jerks has her take a pause. The Rocket he came from...? Internal conflicts abound, no matter what side. Always to stir the pot, it seemed. But when they worked together, they stood stronger. That was a problem that even the League faced. This war is a means to gain a future they wanted. That's what that Rocket (Lulu Flint) stated.[break][break]

"You too," she laughs, holding up her arm as a means to show just part of what he inflicted. The same wrist he nearly sliced open, covered in bandages now, lucky her whole hand didn't get lobbed off. But to his worry, she shakes her head. "No. Because you do have good in you. Else, I'd be dead." She's certain of that now, and she can't help but level a smile.[break][break]

Like an old song and dance that they had before.[break][break]

"Did you see the grave I left for Jubei and Molly?" She looks down at her hands, shaking slightly. "I had my Milotic get what she could. He was important to you, so I gave him respect." She starts to play with her bangs, a strand of hair to the side, twirling now in her finger.[break][break]

What... was she doing? An old song and dance.

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Genny would have kept taking the heat, but DESIREE BLOOMS is quick to disarm them, striking back with factual evidence of their involvement in the war, a war that the man would be too pink-in-the-face, too angry to have taken part in. He was a civilian, but he wasn't about to talk down to soldiers. With a huff, the man angrily turns on a dime, grumbling as he picked the supplies up off the ground into the broken confines of the box, holding it like a crate as he moves.[break][break]

Downtrodden maybe, but not deaf. She smiles weak as they come, eyes fastened forward to her friend. Where they met for the first time, here in Pacifilog. "Thanks Desi... I'm glad you're safe too... I'm sorry I didn't text any of you." She didn't want Desi to see her like this.[break][break]

"Love you too," she whimpers, but expresses herself fully to Desi. Her new friend was interesting. It just hurt that the sunshine, the shadow that she cast on their fencing spar, was little more than ember right now, as Desi helps her up finally, the swaying of a little Litten tail moving not too far away, watching patiently.[break][break]

With her own entrance in, Elise Calcifet appears. And with it, Genny tries to smile, but the crooked look was too much. She hadn't spoken to them at all since Sootopolis.[break][break]

She couldn't let them see her weak. Now though? She must have looked pathetic.[break][break]

"Glad you're both okay," she croaks out. How can she help with rebuilding with crutches? She can't accept that. Just like she can't accept her mandatory vacation time from ollie morales. She's invincible, she has to be a hero, she can't rest. She has to get up.[break][break]

"I'm sorry."

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Oh. Councilwoman Morningstar does remember her. That's good! Genny shows that light excitement on her cheeks, where she almost sheepishly turns tail and runs. But, with Freya's gesturing to the chair on the other side of her desk, even going as far as to make time for her, it bolsters her resolve.[break][break]

"Thank you!"[break][break]

Quietly turning around after Lucky files in, clacking into the office, before he himself, takes a moment to look around. The two twin Dratini were like those ones from the hospital months ago! Dragon friends![break][break]

Once the sign is turned, heat greets her cheeks as she limps in on her crutches now, and sets herself down the seat across from her desk. Her hazel eyes trace over the world of a councilwoman. While Lucky was interested in the sculpture, Genny finds her eyes tracing the picture frame. The man with blue-hair... craning her neck back, she tries to smile.[break][break]

Tries. The God of the Seas weighs heavily above her heart.[break][break]

There's a moment of hesitation. A pause as she tries, desperately, to find her place. Where does she start? The air is silent. It takes a moment, to find her footing. How to talk to one of her heroes? She could talk to Melody Miro after the starstruck awe faded, same with PENELOPE LIVY. She even spoke to Freya one time before, but that was in public. This felt personal, intimate. So she fiddles with her fingers, she shakes.[break][break]

Doubt comes in on the inhale, and leaves on the exhale.[break][break]

"Thank you. Oh, I already said that," she rubs at her neck, feeling the stress her mind was under parallel to her body. "I've been told I have to take vacation time. I filled up on it fully. It feels wrong though," she laughs nervously with shaky hands, a whimpering Yamper below. "I know neither you, nor anyone else can overturn that. Shape I'm in, I'm a liability at best until my therapy ends... but I can't relax. I'm-"[break][break]

She closes her eyes, and her mind is back to the rain-struck Sootopolis, staring down the leviathan, the King of the Sea. Her face coats in sweat, and she hears the roar again. The call of the ocean to the watery grave, the epitaph written for her, to douse her fire in the murkiest depths of the storm.[break][break]

And then she opens her eyes.[break][break]

Honesty comes out. "I think Commissioner dahlia goode chose wrong." She places the Pokeball of TAPU BULU on the Councilwoman's desk.

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This time would be different.[break][break]

Arriving to the building in question, Genny looks with promise. Her eyes are focused forward, to the building like before. Instead of the Water Challenge, she elected to give Uzi some time to rest. No, today was one of her older Pokemon's turns. And he was raring to go.[break][break]

Zagreus proudly walks with her inside, the big dog ready to throw everything he can to make the victory happen. He looks to Genny, and Genny looks to him. The duo would take the badge this time, with a lot more practice. Higher speed, faster and quicker.[break][break]

The Quick Badge would be theirs.[break][break]

"Hello," she speaks to the receptionist from last time. "Genevieve Cromwell. Rematch on the ground." She awaits her answer, and to be given directions to the course for her rematch. Zagreus would follow her lead.[break][break]

Arcanines were fast. And Genny would be faster.

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Littleroot.[break][break]

The second stop on her vacation time. To meet back up with someone from the Megalopolan Ship, and to challenge the Gym proper. She hadn't spoken with him since their time on that ship, in that cell. Hideo Kino .[break][break]

A lot happened as of late. A lot of problems that don't have simple solutions. But now, she wants to connect to him. And the Gym Challenge would be just that way.[break][break]

Her Litten licks his own paws, and scans the place, as she takes the seat in what would be the lobby. "He should be here soon, Cheeto." The cat meows loudly, and takes his little catnap.

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