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The situation had grown worse, far beyond the scope of what Nabi could have imagined. Many of the civilian boats had already departed by the time she had made her way for the harbor to escape, but she began to think that was for the best. Even on the back of her altaria, flying above the raging waters, she feared falling into the depths and losing herself in a watery darkness. Rain smacked against them, forcing them downward and ever closer to the turbulent waves.[break][break]

"We have to land!" Nabi screamed, searching for refuge amidst the lonely sea. There was one island that stood out, its iconic white steeps pillars of hope for the sea wanderer. But concern weighed heavy on Nabi. Even from here, she could see Sootopolis drowning.[break][break]

Nico carried them over the crater and toward open land. Below, Nabi spotted an unusual vessel with a yellow star splayed across its head. "There!" She directed Nico toward exposed buildings, where water had yet to reach.[break][break]

Here, they were still in danger. The sight of the rampant Kyogre brought forth memories of her first encounter with the beast, a complete and utter failure of a mission. And that wasn't the only force to be reckoned with. Immediately, she considered her options for hiding.[break][break]

Whatever chaos had ensued here, whoever it was that had gotten involved—it shouldn't have to do with her, or so she told herself.[break][break]

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"Great," Nabi remarked when Hitoshi leads her out the casino.[break][break]

Sootopolis came as unfamiliar territory to her, primarily by choice. She had little desire to explore a city overrun by Rocket grunts and personnel, as if their uniforms and desires would rub off on her. It was a strange way for her to think, as well as illogical.[break][break]

"I don't think you want to hear what I think of you" she replied, followed by a nod of approval for their destination.[break][break]

Nabi knew Hitoshi held some importance. After all, he was so close to Yumi. But as they walked the streets, she noted the number of people paying their respects to him.[break][break]

"No, actually," Nabi answered, looking the decrepit gym once over. "I don't like getting dirty." She shot him a smile. "Though I wouldn't mind seeing you throw around some men."[break][break]

The roars and cheers of an excited crowd could be heard behind the building's entrance. Nabi ushered Hitoshi to take them inside.[break][break]

"It's the perfect spot for a date, don't you think?" she joked just as she saw a man's head twist in response to another's punch.

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Nabi looked for Elijah's response—he seemed pleased with the arrangement. She brought her gaze back to Elaine as the red-haired girl produced the microSD card in her hand. After a few moments of waiting, ensuring Elaine also had nothing up her sleeves, Nabi reached for the card and held it in her own.[break][break]

She had no idea what information was hidden away on it or how it could benefit either side. She wondered if the people fighting for it even knew, or if they were simply carrying out their job.[break][break]

"Can you move?" she whispered to Elaine. "Can your pokemon carry you out of here?" She eyed the metagross.[break][break]

Elijah would be waiting for her on the other side, waiting for her to hand the information over. She held the card close to her chest.[break][break]

"Run on my signal."[break][break]

She took a step toward Elijah and his victreebel.[break][break]

"You want this that bad?" She displayed the card between a finger and a thumb for him to see. "Prince, use FLASH!"[break][break]

At her request, the beautifly's wings burned a bright flash of white. In that moment, Nabi threw the microSD card, hurling it what she hoped to be over Elijah's head. If her plan worked, it would be enough of a distraction to escape.[break][break]

But her worries were no longer on the girl that tried to help her. She dipped to the side, running into the cliffsides to start for the harbor where ships and boats waited to evacuate civilians.[break][break]

She felt tense and unsatisfied, but her unsettling feelings would have to be digested in solitude and calm. And she already knew where she could find Elijah after this.

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Nabi returned Elijah's remark with a snarky tongue, but when vines moved her way, she flinched. She stepped back, expecting to feel the vines against her body. Instead, an agile sneasel jetted from the sidelines and shielded Nabi.[break][break]

Jiji squirmed against the victreebel's strong grasp.[break][break]

"You d***head!" she growled to the green-haired man, more upset with the constraining than with him threatening her life.[break][break]

The sneasel's head jerked back and forth, but with his prized claws trapped in place, his attempts to escape became wasted energy. A final cry sounded from Jiji's mouth before he fell limp, unconscious.[break][break]

Nabi called her sneasel back. Prince remained by her side now, in case the victreebel made a second attempt for capture.[break][break]

If Elijah cared for her, he wouldn't have attacked her.[break][break]

Nabi felt her chest tighten. Maybe she had been right before. No one in Team Rocket could be good. They were filled with selfish villains.[break][break]

Her eyes remained on Elijah as she slowly walked back towards the weakened Elaine. There still seemed to be a way out of all of this, without anyone having to die. Nabi still wanted that outcome.[break][break]

Once she was close enough to Elaine, she looked to her and said, "Whatever it is, it can't be more important than your life, right?" She offered a hand—not to help the girl, but for her to hand over the microSD. "Give it to me. I don't want you to get hurt more."

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Nabi wished she and Elijah could talk so much more, but the battlefield was not the place for heavy conversations. Despite his callous words, it warmed her to know a little more about him. Whatever his issues, it was a reminder to Nabi that he was still human, not unlike herself or the red-haired girl. Even in a villainous, murdering organization like Team Rocket, humans still thrived.[break][break]

However, she wasn't prepared to give him an answer. Startled, Nabi tried to direct her focus on the mega-evolving metagross. "Help you with what exactly?" She inhaled sharply, knowing already what he meant.[break][break]

"I do want to help you, Elijah," she then said, eyes still on the dueling pokemon. Her own beautifly seemed antsy staying unoccupied. "I want to help you," she repeated, this time staring him down.[break][break]

A beam of sun struck through the rain clouds like a spotlight on the metagross and the tangrowth, just briefly, before eluding them and allowing the rain to continue terrorizing the island.[break][break]

She could not give Elijah what he wanted without sacrificing the girl. How could she separate them?[break][break]

"Prince, use your STUN SPORE," Nabi told the beautifly. She pointed toward the clash of blue.[break][break]

Whether it would have any effect on them, Nabi didn't know, but she at least wanted to try.[break][break]

Indiscriminately, Prince fluttered his spore-covered wings over the metagross and tangrowth, losing some of the paralysis-ridden spores in the falling drops of rain.

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He was easier to talk to than she suspected. Nabi thought for a moment, straw remaining in her mouth despite the glass's now empty contents. "You know my name," she mused, slightly impressed. "And you're Hitoshi." Even though it was their first time speaking to each other, she remembered him making a memorable impression the first time she saw him with Yumi. Everything from his scent, to his fluffy hair and his short stature. But most importantly, the air of significance he held Yumi in.[break][break]

"Do you like to get into trouble?" she asked, watching for his reaction. "Not here, of course." The last time she had caused a ruckus in the casino, she had kicked the lights out of a well-known compatriot.[break][break]

She discarded her glass when a server carting a tray passed by them.[break][break]

"You must know the area well," she said, a whiff of his cigarette infiltrating her delicate nose. "Take me somewhere where we can get rough. Also, put that out. It's nasty." She referred to the stick hanging from his mouth, tempted to rip it out and snuff it herself.

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It stung to have her own words thrown back at her, and despite Nabi wishing otherwise, there was truth to it. They weren't close. She knew nothing of Elijah's past or what he did outside of his business in Slateport.[break][break]

She only knew what she knew. It was more than enough for her to justify her naivety.[break][break]

The ground's shaking rose through Nabi's legs from the shocks of the earthquake. She was unsure if Elijah meant to keep her out of harm's way, or if he simply didn't see her as a threat. Either way, she saw it as an opportunity to draw closer.[break][break]

"Jiji," she whispered to her sneasel. "Stay hidden for now."[break][break]

The sneasel nodded in understanding and fled from the battlefield, though not far. Nabi suspected a surprise attack could be on her side, just in case.[break][break]

While Elijah and the red-haired girl dished out their battle orders, Nabi made her way toward him with Prince hovering close by. She came around the victreebel, watching for sudden movements to strike her.[break][break]

"Elijah!" she called to the apothecary. "Why are you doing this? Don't give me some half-assed, shitty answer!" Her face held firm, seeking answers.[break][break]

If he claimed she knew nothing about him, then she could try to get know to him better.