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"Right? He is sooo cute!" Thea beamed, and Hammy did feel a bit embarrassed with the compliment shower coming from the two girls. He didn't back off from Cass' offer, and sniffed her hand before perking up, resting his paws over his mouth and looking up at Cass with wiggling ears. Belle accepted the patting offer, taking a moment to actually lean into it. Zeus on another hand took the patting casually, oinking once with a nod, almost as a 'thanks'.[break][break]

"I knew I could count on you." Thea chirped when Cass accepted to slide a spot for Hammy, and a giggle escaped when she looked at Gominha's direction, shaking her head lightly at her Pokémon's happiness, that was beaming at Pic's acceptance for a portrait. "She really did, I just hope she won't bother him too much." She sighed, and then looked back at Cass, rubbing her nape embarrassedly. "Haha, sorry, sorry... But I can't help it, they are just too cute." Thea said, going for the kitchen and hurrying. "Exactly! You can go there already, if you want!"[break][break]

It took a moment, but eventually Thea would return with her self-made Poké snacks, offering them for each of the Pokémon she found, and handing the rest to Zeus for him to go around to give them. She couldn't trust Gominha on it, and while Belle was a dear, she was a glutton and Thea worried for the worst.[break][break]

As soon as everything was ready, Thea tried to find Cass, grinning when finding her. "Heeey! Missed me? It is time to get things done, right?" Thea said, already untying her ponytail, letting her golden hair free to fall all the way down to her waist.[break][break]

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Thea knew that those Toxic Chains and all of those Toxic spreadings weren't good news at all, but she also knew that something was actually behind it, and it wasn't just all a big coincidence or mere disruption in the Pokémon ecossystem. No, she was certain something incredibly big was off... And she also knew that, despite this being a dangerous area, it was better to be in a place she knew that would be dangerous, than having a false sense of safety only to be caught off guard and die exploded by a Weezing or swallowed by an Arbok.[break][break]

With that in mind, and knowing that Lutgarde was nearby and about to engage these dangers, Thea decided to stick close to them, along with Knight. At this point, Lutgarde's presence eased her heart, after all, they had saved her skin when she was about to become snake food. So not only it was safer, but she wanted to make sure that Lutgarde weren't going to get caught off guard themselves.[break][break]

"Kay, be aware of your surroundings—" She warned her cousin, covering his blind spots with her usual Pokémon trio: Gominha, Zeus, and Belle. "Guys, let's go, tackle with full power!"[break][break]

Gominha the Wigglytuff started with an Echoing Voice, that only intensified as the Tinkatons tried to approach, eventually becoming an unbeareable sound that shook everything... Zeus the Primeape approached, and with Low Kicks he took the opportunity to make them lose balance and make their hammers fall, while Belle the Minccino charged in with a Slam, straightforward but effective.[break][break]

Meanwhile, Thea casted a concerned gaze to the Terra Crystals... She didn't fully know what they were about, but she didn't feel like those were good news. A cough then escaped her throat, and she felt her breath becoming heavier... That again...[break][break]

"Lut..." She muttered weakly, but tried to keep her stance firm. "... I'm starting to think these ill feelings aren't just side effects from that Arbok's bite..." Thea admitted, a bit worried, but still managing to stand and order her Pokémons in the battle.[break][break]

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These Toxic invasions were starting to become way too frequent for Thea's taste, and it almost seemed like everywhere she went to, one of these things were happening... She could feel a tingle of weakness trailing in her body, which was perhaps a side effect of the Arbok's venom she was afflicted with. Thankfully Lutgarde was there to save her, otherwise... She didn't even want to think of the consequences.[break][break]

But not many were as lucky as her, and when she noticed many dizzy victims were helpless, she was quick to get on action. "Zeus, cover us! Belle, help me with these people!" Thea orchestrated her Pokémon with calls and orders, trying to bring as many people as she could to safety. She placed down a civilian, resting a hand over their forehead, right underneath the Toxic Chain. "... It is hot..." She pursed her lips, reaching for her bag and drawing antidotes, lava cookies and other first aid tools she had with her, just in case, as she usually went deep into the wilds.[break][break]

"You will be okay." She muttered to the civilian that was slowly recovering, but she couldn't help but frown at the Toxic Chain. The other Pokémons had it too, and it was clear that they were anomalous compared to their peers. "... They probably already know about it... But I should send a letter to the League to point this out." She sighed. Maybe her father could help her with it.[break][break]

Meanwhile, Belle kept bringing more dizzy towsfolk to Thea, giving them a Helping Hand, and Zeus fought back against the Toxic Chained Pokémon with his Stomping Tantrum, sending earth and dirt at them, which he hoped that would suppress the poison.[break][break]

As things went through... Thea noticed a familiar face from afar.[break][break]

Wait... Was that Knight?![break][break]

Thea's heart nearly leaped out of her chest when she noticed, and she thrusted her hand forward, calling for her Pokémon for an attack. "Gominha, clear the way!" She said, and so the Wigglytuff did, charging ahead and using her Hyper Voice to disrupt the Pokémons that were toxic chained.[break][break]

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Through the walk all the way to Slateport City, Thea's karategi was pretty much dry, and the same could be said about Zeus, her Primeape. At some point, she took off the uwagi of her karategi, tying it around her waist like one would do with a more casual jacket, revealing her baggy black t-shirt underneath it.[break][break]

She usually didn't like to treat any piece of her karategi as if it was casual clothing, but it would be a bother to carry it by her hand, and she didn't want to get the long and wide sleeves of the uwagi to touch her food by accident.[break][break]

"See, there is a Café that my friend loves the macarons in it. And honestly... Me too!" She chuckled, guiding Lutgarde to the café and opening the door for them, inviting them to go in first before she followed. The waitress in the café already seemed to know Thea, and looked at Lutgarde with a mild curiosity. Not with the usual company this time, it seemed.[break][break]

As they were guided to take a seat, the waitress gave them the menu, but Thea barely looked at it. "Hot cocoa and a portion of macarons please!" She chirped, and then showed her Pokémon the Pokémenu of the Café. "They have a menu just for Pokémons, if your Pokémon want to give it a try." Thea suggested.[break][break]

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Damian nodded to Noah's words. "Alright, we can do that. We should have enough people to help to train the kids... And if you are dealing with the Rockets, that's even more reason for us to help." As he spoke that sentence, he could feel Thea's gaze locked on him, making he close his eyes as he sighed briefly. "... And Thea can help with the training too, it may be a good experience for her."[break][break]

Thea cheered with a clenched fist, it was the first time her father was greenlighting something that involved a Gym to her. "I can help for sure!" Thea chirped, turning to Noah with a confident grin. "I can sure show you what I can do, I will do my best!" Her eyes went down to Gominha, that looked up at her with bubbly eyes before turning to go for Zeus and Belle, poking her fellow Pokémon to get ready to a spar.[break][break]

"You better not make me regret it, Thea." Damian crossed his arms, already knowing how far her daughter was willing to go if he let her be loose a little bit.[break][break]

"You won't regret a thing, I promise I won't do anything stupid." She said, looking at Noah and then moving closer to the center of the Dojo, clasping her feet against the tatami. "By the way, you said Rockets Incursions... Are they planning another attack?" Her expression was still cheerful, but the tone of her voice faltered a bit by the end of her question.[break][break]

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Thea was taking a trip through the markets, this time not to buy a particular thing, but mostly to show around the area to her brand new Pokémon: Hammy, the Pawmo. It was a bit crowded, but Gominha, the Wigglytuff, made sure to open way for them with her plumpy and imposing body, while Zeus, the Primeape, tried to keep Hammy and Belle, the Minccino, close enough to not get lost in the crowd.[break][break]

Her eyes eventually met with the typical place she went for keychains, and a great idea occurred in her mind. "Hey, come, I think I can show you something nice!" She told her Pokémon, hurrying ahead while they tried to pick up the pace.[break][break]

"Ah there it is." Thea chirped, about to fetch the keychain when her hand bumped with another, and she looked at the one next to her with rosy cheeks. "O-Oh! I'm sorry, did you—" But before she even finished her sentence, the small Morpeko rushed to snatch it. The movement was so swift and smooth that Thea perked up. "Ah! Oh my, that Morpeko is so quick— And smart, and cute!" She chirped, then looking at the girl.[break][break]

"Is it yours?" She asked to the girl, still having an apologetic smile on her lips.[break][break]

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"A dream..?" Thea muttered, looking at the man with wide open eyes. She didn't think it was a lie, being the type to take people's words at face value, especially if they were particularly nice... And that was the main reason for Thea's surprise as she glanced between Navy and Shuwen.[break][break]

As Zeus went flying to the air, he couldn't lie that it was unexpected. He could count on his thumbs the very few times he was struck like that, and it was a clear sign he needed to broad his horizons if he intended to be an actual good fighter. As he flew up, he tried at the very least to recover some stance midair, falling down with a Cross Chop aiming toward Shuwen, hoping to use the gravity as an ally. He always took a counter-attack opportunity.[break][break]

Thea's attention then returned to Navy as he told their story. "I remember hearing about it. I wasn't there, but there was no other topic in people's mouth when it happened." Her lips frowned. We never catch a break, do we?" It felt like Hoenn was constantly at war and under disasters. "... Did he save you from them? I don't think I've ever seen a Paradox Pokémon before." Thea muttered with a frown, but then she smiled a bit. "You two seem to be very good friends, and you did train him very well—!" There was even something in the Pokémon was fighting that was catching her attention.[break][break]

At the mention of the Wigglytuff, Gominha puffed herself a bit up, proudly. Thea chuckled. "You have no idea how many times this singing has saved me in the wild." She hid her lips with a giggle. "Don't tell my father though."[break][break]

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Thea smiled at little Jon being so happy, and at Cass' return of affection she simply chuckled with rosy cheeks. While the practice match was starting, she couldn't help but smile at her cousin that just played the game in the most straightforward way possible, but at the same time, it was clear he understood the rules perfectly![break][break]

Yet, what actually surprised her was Cass apparently having some trouble to understand the rules? It was... Unexpected. Cass usually surprised Thea by being extremely smart, so it was curious to see this clumsy side of her. Thea wasn't complaining about it at all though, the important was to have fun.[break][break]

Then, the real match started, and Thea didn't go full tryhard, but she wasn't playing with intentions to lose either. She went for the casual playstyle, not setting any traps on the board and leaving these for Knight and Cass to handle. In a way, she was using a strategy where half of her performance was based on luck, so a less extreme version of what her cousin was doing.[break][break]

By the end of it, the Pokémon tokens reached the end of the race, and Thea clasped her hands. "Alright, that was fun! Let's start counting the Pokédollars and check how much we scored!"[break][break]

r|Ofr1la GAME ROLL[break][break]

CASS' CHEATING PERCEPTION[break][break]

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"Cass!" Thea perked up seeing her friend, opening her arms as soon as she noticed Cass going to her, and holding her friend in a tight embrace. "Yeah, I'm ready! We are all ready... Including a new friend." Thea gently let her friend go from her arms, gesturing at the small Pawmo that looked at the situation a bit confused about what is going on. Zeus and Belle were by his side, just to try to make sure he wasn't completely alone in that completely new situation.[break][break]

"His name is Hammy. I've got him recently... But I've figured he needs to meet the best hairdresser ever, since he will be meeting you a lot." Thea grinned, then looked at Pic, letting out a giggle. "Of course, Pic. You are free to go there. Zeus can go with you while it isn't his turn." She said.[break][break]

Before Pic went, however, Gominha approached him with a waving hand, pointing at her tuft before looking at Cass and then back at Pic, chirping and fidgeting her little hands together with a small smile and looking up at him, blinking twice in a charming and pleading way. She totally wanted a portrait after she was done with the haircare day![break][break]

"Don't bother Pic too much, Gominha..." She narrowed her gaze, and then looked at the other Pokémon. "Aaah Jon, so cute as always~ Sona, Delilah, and Martin too, pretty pretty! I can't just leave you guys waiting. I will fetch some Poké snacks for you~" Thea hummed joyfully, loving to pamper Cass' Pokémon when she could.[break][break]

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It wasn't the usual day for a Dojo training. The Dojo itself was closed for the day, but that didn't stop Thea from borrowing it to a private practice. Punching bags were set up, and the usual exercises tools were around for Thea, Knight, and any of the pokémon to use.[break][break]

However, today's training was a bit more special. There were a few new Pokémon in the area, and they needed some introduction. Thea had also, somehow, managed to convince Knight to try to train a bit more. Perhaps he couldn't grasp certain aspects of the Martial Arts as quickly as the others, but Thea knew for sure that he could do it. Or at the very least, he could learn something from it![break][break]

Wearing her karategi, Thea cleared her throat, bowing. "Alright, good afternoon! Today we will introduce our new friends and members of the Naito's Dojo!" She gestured for the new Pokémon to follow to be in front of everyone.[break][break]

Hammy, the Pawmo, looked at the whole ritual a bit sheepish, not fully sure of what to do. Gominha watched the situation, chirping a bit to hurry up whichever Pokémon that was staying back. Hammy looked back at Gominha, but Zeus held his shoulder, nudging him to go ahead, while Belle approached him, tugging his tail using hers, to encourage him to go.[break][break]

After a moment of hesitation, he finally followed, getting near Thea and the other new Pokémon before turning to face the 'veterans'.[break][break]

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Zeus didn't reject the paint, but he was quite surprised by the offer, picking it up carefully and looking at it. Gominha bumped on Zeus while squishing against him to have a good look of the painting, with her eyes sparkling like crazy at it. Zeus oinked, holding it safely before nodding gratefully to Pic.[break][break]

"Way too many limbs at that." Thea added, and then looked at Cass when questioned about cuteness, which Thea smiled warmly before responding: "The cutest of all. No contest."[break][break]

After Cass was done with a bit of self care, Thea smiled while hooking their arms gently. "You and your macarons. Let's have them all and not leave anything to anyone~!" She chirped, throwing her fist upwards in a determined gesture.[break][break]

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"We know you worry, but we love you anyway, Jon." Thea remarked upon listening to Cass' words, and then she rose an eyebrow at Knight's words, letting out a faint laugh. "Me? Jealous of you and Gominha? Not at all. I'm very happy she has found someone so nice to be close with, I'm more worried about you, Kay." She teased, and Gominha nearly flipped out of the buck bed, glaring daggers at Thea for insinuating she was a bad finding.[break][break]

"Thirdwheeling together?" Thea didn't quite catch the cheating intentions, instead— what, she wants affection? —She pondered, and as Cass tried to get cozy, Thea gently tucked the blankets for her, and if she was looked at, she would smile and blow a small kiss before getting cozy next to her and clearing her throat.[break][break]

"I will have the black one! Strong like a Tauros!" She grinned, and then nodded at Knight's words. "I think it will be better to learn by playing, but let me tell the rules, first..."[break][break]

Thea then went on, explaining carefully and trying to show examples of the rules, before starting off the match to give a more practical example. There was zero seriousness in the first match, so Thea didn't bother to use any strategy, simply trying to use all the rules she could think of to make sure they would have a reference of how things worked.[break][break]

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