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It had been a mistake for Nabi to come ill-equipped. Her pokeballs, normally attached to a belt around her waist, laid on the bed of the motel room she was staying in. The belt simply did not match her outfit--a long, red slit dress with ornate gold designs. She chose fashion over practicality today, though Nabi hadn't planned to get involved with trouble today. Her interest was in the bustling casino of Sootopolis, its lights and sounds all too attractive to ignore. Like a dustox to moonlight, she was drawn through the main entrance and enticed by the sweet pings of slot machines, the jubilant cheers of lucky winners, and the cocktails served on platters by well-mannered pokemon wearing bow ties.[break][break]

Everything happened so fast. At one point, she was tossing a pair of die and scoring herself a large sum of money. Now, she stood atop one of the many roulette tables, heels like daggers in the green surface, after having just kicked in the jaw of who she assumed was a wealthy and returning customer of the casino. Nabi didn't take kindly to unwarranted touches. Likewise, he didn't appreciate losing a tooth in the process. After a series of hectic yelling and false accusations made by the assaulter, Nabi now found herself fending off a group of men. With no pokemon to aide her, she simply had her own skills and strength to rely on. This meant a lot of flips and kicks in her long dress, unsuited for combat.

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A couple of things ran through Nabi's head right before the start of their match. Why did it have to be a melmetal? Who the hell name's their kid 'Barnaby?' How did he keep his hair so luscious-looking? But mainly, why a melmetal?[break][break]

Bruno seemed like a tadpole compared to the heavy-lifting champion in the opposing corner. Unlike his trainer, Bruno seemed unphased by the thudding steps. In fact, he was eager to get his battle itch on.[break][break]

"Let's start simple," Nabi said quietly to herself. "MUD SHOT, Bruno! Aim for its feet!"[break][break]

At her order, Bruno erupted a series of muddy, ball-shaped projectiles and aimed them toward the lower part of Melmetal.[break][break]

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"Think we can win this one, Bruno?" Nabi asked her swampert in a soft voice. He grunted, confident. She nodded in agreement. "Good. I'd like to."[break][break]

Nabi met Biscotti Kingsley in the middle of the field to make their formal introductions. "Hey, I'm Nabi." She had lost count of how many times she had said her name to a stranger now. It felt unusual to reveal herself like this to so many people when before she lived a life of solitude. Maybe she should try being a little... friendlier. "Um, let's have fun, yeah?"[break][break]

She hoped the thunderstorms that seemed to sporadically pop up here and there would give her and Bruno strength.

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Nabi's lips formed a thin line when she saw who she would face next. His features were handsome, eyes even more beautiful than hers. What was his skincare routine like? How did he manage to blow dry that length of hair? Images of a fan-style rotom weaving itself around him made her stifle a giggle.[break][break]

"I'm Nabi," she said matter-of-factly, extending an arm as courtesy, and per chance to get a feel for how soft his skin was. "Good luck, or whatever."[break][break]

As she returned to her side of the field, she gave Bruno a V-sign, silently hoping that the slightly-intimidating-yet-strikingly-handsome man wasn't about to steamroll her and her pokemon.

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Oh, you're cute," Nabi immediately said when she saw the fellow pink-haired girl, wholehearted in her statement. She was like a doll with her oversized frames against her button nose. "I almost feel bad about having to destroy you." Nabi reached out, as if to pat the (unbeknownst to her) older woman's head. "No hard feelings?"[break][break]

Adorable or not, Nabi wasn't the type to show mercy. Once introductions were out of the way, she walked to the other side. A drop of water hit against her bare shoulder, hinting at the oncoming rain. Her swampert welcomed the falling water.

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It didn't matter so much to Nabi whether she won or loss now. Regardless of the outcome, she gained valuable experience as a trainer and built a stronger relationship with her newly obtained swampert.[break][break]

Nabi bit the bottom of her lip the slightest. Who was she kidding? She wanted to win.[break][break]

She locked eyes with her opponent, green on blue. "Tall and handsome," Nabi chimed. "You're just my type," she lied with a small grin. "Good luck."[break][break]

Her body swiveled round to make its way back to the other end of the field, one hand raised with fingers wiggling toward Noel Parker. Her swampert was already in place and nudged against Nabi's shoulder with its head as she passed him. "Do your best to crush him, Bruno, kay?" she whispered to the giant amphibian. Bruno made a resounding noise in agreement.

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Nabi exhaled. She felt nervous. She shouldn't be. She liked to think she was skilled, a natural, and she normally exuded confidence. But in her heart, she knew she had grown up sheltered.[break][break]

"Hey." Nabi greeted herself with little enthusiasm. "You can call me Nabi." She held her hand out for a handshake, as one normally would in this sort of occasion.

A low thunder sang a foreshadowing praise from up above. Nabi was thankful for her newly caught swampert - had it been her beautifly or one of her fire babies, she couldn't imagine lasting long in battle.[break][break]

When she returned to her side of the field, she let her swampert out. Bruno let out a roar upon release and took battle position on all fours. Frankly, Nabi didn't know how this battle was going to go. Bruno was... on the reckless side, not yet tamed.

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Nabi's leathered glove gripped the handle of her (stolen -- stolen? borrowed) motorcycle. Her brief modeling gig was a shitshow, led by a fanatic into some weird shit. Once Nabi realized what she was getting herself into, she ran right out, nabbing a motorcycle in the process. Oh, and the outfit they had dressed her in for the photoshoot -- a gallant pink dress, red heels, bejeweled crown. She even had a matching parasol for the finishing touch. Truly, it was going swell until a man wearing a dinosaur costume stepped out and with a can of whip cream.[break][break]

She was speeding down the route, weaving past others with little care, until a cyclizar zoomed right past her, nearly knocking into her side. Nabi cursed and jerked at the brake. The motorcycle skidded against the pavement, coming to a full stop. "Hey!" she screamed at the reckless cyclizar. But it wasn't the only one.[break][break]

Several more paraded the area, seemingly causing chaos for everyone around them. "You ripped my dress, you slithering snake," Nabi seethed, retracting a pokeball from the belt around her waist. "I'll get you for that."[break][break]

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Nabi loved the scent of the ocean. It reminded her of freedom. But she did not like thieves, and that was her calling the kettle black.[break][break]

She was enjoying a grilled snack on a snack when a wingull swooped down and ripped the delicacy out of her hand. It flew out of her reach and joined its friends in the air, all of them equipped with food in their beaks. Nabi noticed quickly that she was not the only one victim to the loose wingulls.[break][break]

"Hell no!" she exclaimed, finger pointed at the one who stole her snack. Her eyes followed it in the air, feet instinctively moving. "Ack!" Alas, she hadn't accounted for the things in front of her while she was chasing after the wingull. "You're in my way," she said, as if it was clearly this pink-haired guy's fault for knocking into her.

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Nabi exhaled. She felt nervous. She shouldn't be. She liked to think she was skilled, a natural, and she normally exuded confidence. But in her heart, she knew she had grown up sheltered.[break][break]

"Colin." She let the name roll off her tongue with a hint of spice behind her soft voice. "Nabi. It'll defs be a good fight, as long as I win." She clenched his hand and dug her intricately designed nails just the slightest into his skin, just enough to show she could bite.[break][break]

A low thunder sang its foreshadowing praise from up above. Nabi was thankful for her newly caught swampert - had it been her beautifly or one of her fire babies, she couldn't imagine lasting long.[break][break]

When she returned to her side of the field, she let her swampert out. Bruno let out a roar upon release and took battle position on all fours. Frankly, Nabi didn't know how this battle was going to go, even if her pokemon had the type and size advantage against the much more cute and fluffy growlithe. Bruno was... on the reckless side, not yet tamed as Nabi would like.