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God General, avatar of Necrozma; this Zev guy seemed pretty high up there as far as Rocket's hierarchy was concerned. Rhea didn't feel like she had to impress the guy, necessarily, but she (probably like many others) was incredibly curious to know what this one man army was like. What could she learn from a man with the power of the yawning void at his fingertips? What insight could she gain from someone who could snuff out life with such ease? [break][break]

These questions were ones she hoped to answer in due time, but for now, she had more pressing matters to attend to. In an instant, the simulation shimmered to life and Rhea found herself in the middle of a high-speed chase, [break][break]

“Piss and shit!” she exclaimed angrily as her Cyclizar narrowly avoided a TECHNO BLAST, “Persistent bastards, aren't they?” [break][break]

At least the view was nice on this dark highway bathed in bright neon blues and pinks. The stars above had been lost long ago to the light pollution of the city, but that suited Rhea just fine. The only lights they needed to see by were the ones they made for themselves, she reasoned, as another TECHNO BLAST exploded nearby with all the bombastic force of Unovan fireworks.

[attr="class","bottom"]Zev Harcourt [break]

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The moment that Rhea discovered Rocket had a proper bladesmith on their payroll was the moment she knew exactly what her first check was going towards. [break][break]

Did it mean that she'd be spending the next week or two mostly eating tinned beans on toast and instant noodles? Yes. Was it worth it? Also yes. Or at least, that's what she hoped for when she had placed the order with her somewhat demanding specifications. [break][break]

But by Arceus if she wasn't positively giddy just thinking about her new prize. A greatsword, crafted in the medieval Alto Marean style, with an almost four foot long blade forged from high-carbon steel that struck the perfect balance between weight and strength. Not to mention the little decorative elements, like the looping rings alongside the cross-guard and the black Tauros-leather cord wrapped tight around the grip. God, Rhea couldn't wait to get her hands on the blade and take it for a spin (kinda literally, she thought with further excitement, considering the way one could readily flow from one swing into the next when carried by the momentum of a greatsword). [break][break]

When the Iron Lady Forge finally came into view, just a few blocks past the local department store, Rhea couldn't help but break into a sprint. Through the shopping center, beneath the metal sign, Rhea barged into the cozy storefront with a wide grin that spoke plainly of her almost feverish delight, [break][break]

“Hello miss Aurelie!” she called boisterously, “It's Rhea! I'm here to pick up my order!”

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Aurelie Lefevre [break]

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A comfortable stroll back to town in the light of the afternoon sun, hazy and warm, was all that Rhea could have asked for as she followed Ameena out of the fields. Cain watched them leave for a few moments with some shocked incredulity before following after, sparing a glance to the nearby Gardevoir with an expression that practically screamed “oh God, I'm so sorry about her.” [break][break]

But for once, Rhea managed to not make an ass of herself in the presence of such fine company. She listened happily to Ameena's ravings, offered a choice bit of input herself (“The kalua Lechonk sounds divine!”), and even remembered most of her table manners once they actually got to tuck into their meal. [break][break]

And even through voracious bites of food and loud praises heaped upon the restaurant and the food and the entire region of Alola, another thought was at the forefront of Rhea's mind before the two would part ways. Dr. Ameena Abadi, of Abundance Connections; a new entry in the mental Rolodex, a new connection, and an entirely new world of possibility.

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ameena abadi [break]

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“A lovely name.” [break][break]

Rhea smiled and took the outstretched hand with a firm shake, [break][break]

“Rhea Armistead, at your service.” [break][break]

And goodness, wasn't this a most fortuitous turn of events? Already this little outing had turned into a prospective job offer, and a rather tempting one, at that. Rhea considered following through, should time allow outside of her obligations to her (admittedly, extremely recent) contract with Rocket. [break][break]

But there was some part of her that insisted on modesty; dispatching a bunch of angry bees was just all in a days work, wasn't it? If anything, it was a self-indulgent little side quest that Rhea had just happened upon. But on the other hand, turning down a fair lady's generosity would be quite unbecoming, and Rhea found herself quite intrigued by her new acquaintance, [break][break]

“I would like that,” she admitted, smile turning to a full-on grin, “I hope you find my company preferable to theirs.”

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ameena abadi [break]

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Cain suddenly leapt back in a move to disengage that Rhea hadn't predicted. She overstepped, her body finally following the thrust of her sword, but with more momentum than she had intended as she fell flat on her face, [break][break]

“Fucker!” [break][break]

She glared up at the Ceruledge, but before she could sputter further, the ghost leapt past her with a SHADOW CLAW. Rhea scarcely had time to scramble to her feet before she heard the frightened squeal of the downed Rotom. [break][break]

The littler ghost wasn't particularly adept at taking a punch, it seemed, and Cain loomed over the cowering, crackling Pokemon as it watched wide-eyed from its spot on the dirt. Rhea reached for a Pokeball and gave it a toss, [break][break]

“Good eye,” she called in praise to her Ceruledge as the orb clicked shut. She stowed their new prize away with a fresh grin; though the Rotom was frail now, a ghost as unique as it was sure to possess near limitless potential. [break][break]

But that would be a matter to attend to another time. For now, she squared back up with Cain, sword held tight, and surged forward with another thrust. Practice made perfect, after all, and she was still far from perfection.

[attr="class","bottom"]catching rotom! [break]

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Rhea's form had gotten a little rusty. She grit her teeth as she lunged again at her Ceruledge, only for the blade to catch against one of his own sword-like arms, [break][break]

“Damn it.”[break][break]

You couldn't just jab your sword-arm forward for a thrust; your body had to follow behind, carrying that momentum into the strike. This was entry level technique, and somehow she was mucking it up after years of work and practice, [break][break]

“Damn it!” [break][break]

Again, again, again. Cain was a patient sparring partner; they would practice as many times as they needed to until Rhea got it right, but Arceus help whatever foolish creature intruded on their practice in what was supposed to be a rather isolated corner of the route.

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Rhea almost lamented the lost opportunity to use her own steel, but still, she couldn't deny the effectiveness of Cain's strike, nor could she deny the effectiveness of the shimmering, psychic field that the Vespiqueen was now IMPRISONED inside of. Excellent thinking on the other woman's part; Rhea had a healthy respect for those with a tactical mind. [break][break]

She also had a slightly less healthy love of praise heaped on by a beautiful stranger. Rhea sheathed her blade and flashed the other woman a grin, [break][break]

“Oh, no trouble at all,” she replied easily as her Ceruledge approached, eyes narrowing at his trainer, “It's part of the deluxe package, you see. They send a strapping young lass to wait in the wings for the moment some bit of peril should strike, and- ow!” [break][break]

Cain elbowed his trainer in the ribs, apparently deciding that he had had quite enough of her nonsense.

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ameena abadi [break]

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